Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:28,361 --> 00:00:32,490
My father
was a landscaping contractor...
2
00:00:37,078 --> 00:00:39,247
for Winthrop Rockefeller...
3
00:00:41,332 --> 00:00:42,792
...of the Rockefeller family.
4
00:00:54,637 --> 00:00:59,225
As a teenager, I delivered
invoices from my father.
5
00:01:04,397 --> 00:01:07,734
And one time, Rockefeller
talked to me about wealth.
6
00:01:11,529 --> 00:01:15,533
He taught me the major financial
world's way of thinking.
7
00:01:16,242 --> 00:01:22,207
One, you don't own
any of the turf.
8
00:01:24,042 --> 00:01:27,295
So if you wanna become
an entrepreneur,
9
00:01:28,338 --> 00:01:30,715
you have to appreciate
that there's someone else
10
00:01:30,799 --> 00:01:32,384
that owns the turf
11
00:01:32,425 --> 00:01:34,844
that you're setting out
to build something on.
12
00:01:39,390 --> 00:01:43,561
Two, after you've gotten
to a certain magnitude,
13
00:01:43,645 --> 00:01:47,816
you begin to infringe on
somebody else's market share.
14
00:01:51,235 --> 00:01:54,781
And that's the major
corporations in this country.
15
00:01:57,491 --> 00:02:01,579
Once you do that, they realize
you're achieving something,
16
00:02:02,372 --> 00:02:04,582
they come in
and they wanna buy it.
17
00:02:05,917 --> 00:02:10,380
"If we can't buy it from you,
we'll try to copy it.
18
00:02:13,216 --> 00:02:16,720
And if we can't copy it,
then we'll destroy you."
19
00:02:19,264 --> 00:02:22,600
The big fish
has to eat the little fish.
20
00:02:27,439 --> 00:02:31,359
I understood the rules
of the game in America,
21
00:02:33,069 --> 00:02:36,281
but after all of our success,
22
00:02:37,741 --> 00:02:39,659
I began to wonder,
23
00:02:40,785 --> 00:02:43,204
why couldn't Stax
become the big fish?
24
00:03:05,977 --> 00:03:09,856
By the '70s,
Stax was on everybody's radar
25
00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:11,483
in the music industry.
26
00:03:11,566 --> 00:03:15,028
Very successful, recognized,
27
00:03:15,111 --> 00:03:18,782
but Stax's presence
on the West Coast
28
00:03:18,823 --> 00:03:20,492
still eluded them.
29
00:03:28,416 --> 00:03:32,837
We decided to open
an office in Los Angeles.
30
00:03:34,547 --> 00:03:37,591
But to have more impact
on the West Coast,
31
00:03:38,510 --> 00:03:42,347
we needed more involvement
in the Black community.
32
00:03:45,266 --> 00:03:48,186
Black folks in Watts
needed help.
33
00:03:48,269 --> 00:03:50,355
We had just gone
through the Rebellion,
34
00:03:50,438 --> 00:03:52,273
you know, six,
seven years before.
35
00:03:58,863 --> 00:04:01,783
There were whole blocks
that had been burned down...
36
00:04:04,536 --> 00:04:08,415
and seven years later
they had not been rebuilt.
37
00:04:12,335 --> 00:04:15,588
There's no difference
in Watts now, Watts '65.
38
00:04:17,673 --> 00:04:20,468
Those people were in pain.
39
00:04:21,678 --> 00:04:24,931
We had an obligation and needed
to do something about it.
40
00:04:26,558 --> 00:04:29,227
Al's commitment
to the Black community,
41
00:04:29,269 --> 00:04:31,896
he felt like he should give
something back
42
00:04:31,938 --> 00:04:35,525
and still conduct business
and-and make money.
43
00:04:36,526 --> 00:04:39,863
I understood that he felt
he needed to do that.
44
00:04:44,242 --> 00:04:46,494
We decided to put on a concert
45
00:04:46,578 --> 00:04:49,914
at the Los Angeles stadium
where the Rams play.
46
00:04:51,624 --> 00:04:54,794
The management at the stadium
kinda laughed at us,
47
00:04:54,878 --> 00:04:56,254
"You're some
little record company
48
00:04:56,338 --> 00:04:57,922
from out of Memphis, Tennessee.
49
00:04:57,964 --> 00:05:00,508
You wanna rent this stadium
to put on a concert?
50
00:05:00,592 --> 00:05:02,135
Who do you say
these artists are?"
51
00:05:05,847 --> 00:05:08,808
It became, "Let's bring the
whole entire roster out there."
52
00:05:08,892 --> 00:05:11,853
And we were promoting
the daylights out of it.
53
00:05:13,521 --> 00:05:16,274
Everybody
knew Wattstax, Wattstax.
54
00:05:16,316 --> 00:05:17,442
We worked on it for months,
55
00:05:17,525 --> 00:05:18,777
and every time
you run into anybody,
56
00:05:18,818 --> 00:05:21,321
they'd say, "I'll be there.
I'll be there."
57
00:05:23,156 --> 00:05:25,867
Now it looks
like we may pack this stadium.
58
00:05:25,950 --> 00:05:28,828
So you know how it is
when there's a gathering
59
00:05:28,912 --> 00:05:30,455
of more than one of us
someplace,
60
00:05:30,538 --> 00:05:31,998
the largest segment of society
61
00:05:32,082 --> 00:05:33,917
begins to kind of wonder,
62
00:05:33,957 --> 00:05:36,378
"Are we gonna
have a problem here?"
63
00:05:43,551 --> 00:05:47,806
The LAPD
wanted to patrol the Coliseum.
64
00:05:49,683 --> 00:05:52,977
Nobody liked the Los Angeles
Police Department.
65
00:05:54,729 --> 00:05:58,233
The Rebellion started
because of the LAPD.
66
00:06:01,861 --> 00:06:06,449
Their hiring practices
were to go to the South
67
00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:09,160
and get police from there.
68
00:06:09,494 --> 00:06:10,995
So they hated us in the South,
69
00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:12,997
and then they brought 'em here
to the West.
70
00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:17,585
You got
police that are antagonistic,
71
00:06:17,669 --> 00:06:22,215
who want to do
some cock waving kind of thing
72
00:06:22,298 --> 00:06:23,758
and provoke somebody.
73
00:06:25,677 --> 00:06:28,847
Larry Shaw
and Al Bell said,
74
00:06:28,930 --> 00:06:32,558
"No, we were hiring
our own security."
75
00:06:33,393 --> 00:06:35,520
You just eliminated
a huge problem.
76
00:06:35,603 --> 00:06:37,480
No police, no conflict.
77
00:06:47,449 --> 00:06:49,451
♪ We the people ♪
78
00:06:49,534 --> 00:06:50,869
♪ Hey, now ♪
79
00:06:51,369 --> 00:06:53,538
♪ Got to make the world
go 'round ♪
80
00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:56,249
♪ Got to make the world now ♪
81
00:06:56,332 --> 00:06:58,835
♪ We the people ♪
82
00:06:58,877 --> 00:07:00,337
♪ Yeah ♪
83
00:07:00,378 --> 00:07:02,505
♪ Got to make the world
go 'round ♪
84
00:07:02,547 --> 00:07:04,966
♪ Got to make the world now ♪
85
00:07:05,884 --> 00:07:08,595
Let's bring together our people.
86
00:07:08,678 --> 00:07:10,930
Let's show ourselves that we can
do something for each other
87
00:07:11,014 --> 00:07:14,392
and not be dependent upon
anybody, and we can do it.
88
00:07:14,476 --> 00:07:18,480
♪ But we all are
living on blood, so ♪
89
00:07:18,563 --> 00:07:22,275
♪ Don't let nobody
slip into the mud ♪
90
00:07:22,359 --> 00:07:25,737
♪ 'Cause we the people ♪
91
00:07:26,237 --> 00:07:27,489
♪ You tell 'em ♪
92
00:07:27,572 --> 00:07:29,741
♪ Got to make the world
go 'round ♪
93
00:07:29,824 --> 00:07:31,451
♪ Got to make the world now ♪
94
00:07:31,534 --> 00:07:33,787
We decided that
we were going to
95
00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:36,581
charge the people
just one dollar.
96
00:07:36,915 --> 00:07:41,336
And we committed to
give a portion of the proceeds
97
00:07:41,419 --> 00:07:44,297
to all of our civil rights
organizations
98
00:07:44,381 --> 00:07:46,174
and our civic organizations.
99
00:07:46,257 --> 00:07:47,676
♪ Everybody sweatin' ♪
100
00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:49,427
♪ What you give
is what you get ♪
101
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,602
Our music was a reflection
102
00:07:57,644 --> 00:08:00,605
of what goes on in our lives,
103
00:08:00,647 --> 00:08:02,732
and we wanted to show that.
104
00:08:06,111 --> 00:08:09,531
Larry Shaw said,
"Let us do a documentary
105
00:08:09,989 --> 00:08:13,493
so that Black people
can see themselves."
106
00:08:14,119 --> 00:08:17,414
We brought on David Wolper
and Mel Stuart.
107
00:08:18,123 --> 00:08:21,292
The finest documentary people
in Hollywood.
108
00:08:22,502 --> 00:08:25,171
But all of
the behind-the-camera staff
109
00:08:25,255 --> 00:08:26,548
were all white guys.
110
00:08:26,631 --> 00:08:29,926
No. No. No, we didn't want that.
111
00:08:30,552 --> 00:08:32,511
Larry Shaw had a vision.
112
00:08:32,595 --> 00:08:36,057
He wanted the people that lived
and worked in Watts
113
00:08:36,140 --> 00:08:37,851
to speak for theirselves.
114
00:08:39,644 --> 00:08:43,481
And at that time,
UCLA had just graduated
115
00:08:43,523 --> 00:08:45,859
a crop of Black filmmakers.
116
00:08:46,234 --> 00:08:48,403
African Americans
had been pretty much
117
00:08:48,486 --> 00:08:50,447
kept out of the industry.
118
00:08:50,905 --> 00:08:54,492
They needed to find some people
who really knew the community.
119
00:08:54,576 --> 00:08:56,578
And that was us,
"The Wild Bunch."
120
00:08:56,661 --> 00:08:58,830
You know,
the-the-the young guys
121
00:08:58,913 --> 00:09:00,749
that lived in South Central LA.
122
00:09:02,334 --> 00:09:04,169
I was 20-something.
123
00:09:04,794 --> 00:09:06,921
Was just a young guy
with a camera
124
00:09:07,005 --> 00:09:09,841
and happy to have a chance
to use a camera.
125
00:09:12,594 --> 00:09:15,680
And I wanted to show how
beautiful Black folks were.
126
00:09:17,098 --> 00:09:19,601
I was working at a camera shop.
127
00:09:19,684 --> 00:09:22,312
I have quite a meager portfolio,
to be honest.
128
00:09:23,313 --> 00:09:28,276
They looked at the portfolio
and they said to me, uh,
129
00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,613
"We're going with somebody else,
but here's some tickets,
130
00:09:31,696 --> 00:09:33,698
and a backstage pass."
131
00:09:35,033 --> 00:09:36,826
Camera six, roll nine!
132
00:09:39,704 --> 00:09:42,290
Wild sound. Wattstax.
133
00:09:47,170 --> 00:09:49,214
♪ Some people ♪
134
00:09:49,589 --> 00:09:51,925
♪ Are made of plastic ♪
135
00:09:53,426 --> 00:09:54,678
Over seven years ago,
136
00:09:54,719 --> 00:09:56,262
the people of Watts
stood together
137
00:09:56,346 --> 00:09:58,056
and demanded to be heard.
138
00:09:58,098 --> 00:10:02,018
On a Sunday this past August
in the Los Angeles Coliseum,
139
00:10:02,060 --> 00:10:04,062
over 100,000 Black people
came together
140
00:10:04,145 --> 00:10:06,564
to commemorate that moment
in American history.
141
00:10:06,981 --> 00:10:10,026
The atmosphere,
it was like a combination
142
00:10:10,068 --> 00:10:14,614
of church, a sporting event,
a revival,
143
00:10:14,698 --> 00:10:16,741
and it was nothing
but Black people
144
00:10:17,784 --> 00:10:20,286
as far as the eye could see.
145
00:10:24,666 --> 00:10:28,086
Today, we are together,
146
00:10:28,670 --> 00:10:32,590
we are unified
and on one accord.
147
00:10:33,091 --> 00:10:36,261
But when we are together,
we got power,
148
00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:38,680
and we can make decisions.
149
00:10:39,514 --> 00:10:41,933
That is why we gather today,
150
00:10:42,017 --> 00:10:44,686
to celebrate our homecoming
151
00:10:44,769 --> 00:10:47,230
and our own sense
of somebodiness.
152
00:10:47,272 --> 00:10:52,694
That is why I challenge you now
to stand together,
153
00:10:53,486 --> 00:10:56,531
raise your fists together,
154
00:10:57,282 --> 00:11:02,370
and engage
in our national Black litany.
155
00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:05,874
-I am...
- I am...
156
00:11:05,957 --> 00:11:08,293
-...somebody.
- ...somebody.
157
00:11:08,335 --> 00:11:09,878
-I am...
-I am...
158
00:11:09,961 --> 00:11:11,796
-...somebody.
-...somebody.
159
00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,299
-I may be poor...
-I may be poor...
160
00:11:14,382 --> 00:11:16,009
-...but I am...
-...but I am...
161
00:11:16,092 --> 00:11:17,761
-...somebody!
-...somebody!
162
00:11:17,802 --> 00:11:19,471
-I am...
-I am...
163
00:11:19,512 --> 00:11:20,764
-...Black...
-...Black...
164
00:11:20,805 --> 00:11:22,307
-...beautiful...
-...beautiful...
165
00:11:22,390 --> 00:11:23,892
-...proud!
-...proud!
166
00:11:23,975 --> 00:11:26,644
-I must be respected!
-I must be respected!
167
00:11:26,686 --> 00:11:30,148
-I must be protected!
-I must be protected!
168
00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:31,316
What time is it?
169
00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:34,611
When we stand together,
what time is it?
170
00:11:34,652 --> 00:11:36,029
Nation Time!
171
00:11:36,112 --> 00:11:38,823
When we say no more,
"Yessir, boss," what time is it?
172
00:11:39,741 --> 00:11:40,909
What time is it?
173
00:11:41,659 --> 00:11:43,203
What time is it?
174
00:11:45,705 --> 00:11:47,874
"...Freedom
Sweet and wonderful to say.
175
00:11:48,333 --> 00:11:52,087
On my heartstrings freedom sings
All day, every day."
176
00:11:52,170 --> 00:11:54,923
"And there are words
like Liberty
177
00:11:55,006 --> 00:11:57,175
that almost make me cry.
178
00:11:57,258 --> 00:12:00,762
If you had known what I know,
you would know why."
179
00:12:05,016 --> 00:12:06,851
I had been at a stadium before,
180
00:12:06,935 --> 00:12:08,937
but I had no idea how many
people were up there.
181
00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:10,522
It was just... when they told me
182
00:12:10,563 --> 00:12:13,400
it was over a hundred thousand
people, I was like... "Wow."
183
00:12:13,483 --> 00:12:15,652
Carla Thomas!
184
00:12:16,277 --> 00:12:20,240
By the time I sang,
I was hyped up on adrenaline.
185
00:12:21,408 --> 00:12:22,867
♪ Hey, boy ♪
186
00:12:22,951 --> 00:12:25,078
♪ We're drifting apart ♪
187
00:12:25,495 --> 00:12:29,666
♪ We keep breaking
each other's hearts ♪
188
00:12:29,708 --> 00:12:33,712
♪ Tell me, how long
can this go on ♪
189
00:12:33,753 --> 00:12:36,881
♪ Before all our love is gone ♪
190
00:12:36,965 --> 00:12:38,925
♪ Tell me now ♪
191
00:12:39,009 --> 00:12:42,512
♪ Can we pick up the pieces ♪
192
00:12:42,554 --> 00:12:46,099
♪ Can we pick up the pieces ♪
193
00:12:46,182 --> 00:12:49,394
♪ And start all over ♪
194
00:12:49,436 --> 00:12:50,687
♪ Yeah ♪
195
00:12:51,062 --> 00:12:54,858
♪ I know we can make it ♪
196
00:12:55,233 --> 00:12:59,070
♪ This time, we can go
all of the way ♪
197
00:12:59,154 --> 00:13:02,574
♪ 'Cause I realize
the cost of losing you ♪
198
00:13:02,657 --> 00:13:04,242
♪ Is too high a price... ♪
199
00:13:04,325 --> 00:13:08,872
When we first got there,
it was kinda unreal.
200
00:13:08,913 --> 00:13:10,790
I just thought
it was just so wonderful
201
00:13:10,874 --> 00:13:12,834
because I was there
202
00:13:12,917 --> 00:13:14,836
when Stax actually started.
203
00:13:14,919 --> 00:13:18,423
♪ Let's start all over ♪
204
00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:21,551
♪ Yeah, start all over ♪
205
00:13:21,593 --> 00:13:23,428
It was our realization,
206
00:13:23,511 --> 00:13:27,432
the importance of Stax
to the Black community.
207
00:13:29,517 --> 00:13:33,396
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
208
00:13:33,438 --> 00:13:34,439
All right!
209
00:13:36,983 --> 00:13:39,027
♪ Tell the truth
on our equal rights ♪
210
00:13:39,944 --> 00:13:44,949
♪ Yeah! You been lyin'
on the truth ♪
211
00:13:47,077 --> 00:13:50,246
Al, this is a very important
precedent that's being set today
212
00:13:50,288 --> 00:13:51,915
with Black enterprise
being involved
213
00:13:51,956 --> 00:13:53,583
in a tremendous
community project.
214
00:13:53,625 --> 00:13:55,293
Uh, do you think
there's enough of this?
215
00:13:55,377 --> 00:13:56,795
Would you like to see
more of it?
216
00:13:56,878 --> 00:13:58,630
Oh, I think
there should be more of that.
217
00:13:58,713 --> 00:14:01,257
Uh, I hope that today
is just an example
218
00:14:01,299 --> 00:14:03,301
to all Black businessmen,
and other businessmen,
219
00:14:03,343 --> 00:14:05,345
of how we
should begin to participate
220
00:14:05,428 --> 00:14:07,389
and-and-and put money
back into the community
221
00:14:07,472 --> 00:14:09,140
rather than through
token presentations
222
00:14:09,182 --> 00:14:10,809
that we've been doing
in the past.
223
00:14:10,850 --> 00:14:13,353
I hope today is just
a-a-an example
224
00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:15,689
and merely beginning
of what it's really all about.
225
00:14:18,149 --> 00:14:22,320
Right now, we'd like to give
everybody a chance
226
00:14:22,904 --> 00:14:23,988
to get down.
227
00:14:48,221 --> 00:14:51,182
♪ Whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa ♪
228
00:14:52,058 --> 00:14:54,519
♪ Whoa-ho-ho-ho ♪
229
00:14:55,979 --> 00:14:58,023
♪ Woo-hoo ♪
230
00:14:58,106 --> 00:15:01,735
♪ I was born and raised
on 45th Street ♪
231
00:15:01,818 --> 00:15:05,864
♪ Had the problems of a man
at the age of three ♪
232
00:15:05,947 --> 00:15:09,868
♪ Now, my daddy's bad,
I've been told ♪
233
00:15:09,909 --> 00:15:13,455
♪ So my family name
I must uphold ♪
234
00:15:13,538 --> 00:15:17,334
♪ I love by the clock
and I live by the gun ♪
235
00:15:17,375 --> 00:15:21,379
♪ You ever met the father,
you met his son ♪
236
00:15:21,463 --> 00:15:22,505
♪ Woo! ♪
237
00:15:25,425 --> 00:15:26,885
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
238
00:15:27,218 --> 00:15:30,513
As a sister living
in this community,
239
00:15:30,555 --> 00:15:32,640
what does this day mean to you?
240
00:15:33,224 --> 00:15:34,184
Oh, wow.
241
00:15:34,225 --> 00:15:36,269
It's a day in which
I'm given a chance
242
00:15:36,353 --> 00:15:40,940
to represent people that I love,
people that I'm proud of.
243
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,780
Dad felt it important to get
the man on the street,
244
00:15:46,863 --> 00:15:48,948
the woman on the...
in the beauty shop,
245
00:15:49,032 --> 00:15:52,243
the man at the restaurant,
the man on the stoop,
246
00:15:52,327 --> 00:15:58,540
all of these different aspects
of Black people in their lives.
247
00:16:00,460 --> 00:16:03,546
Black is beautiful
because it feels so good.
248
00:16:04,255 --> 00:16:06,716
People have to have something
that they can relate to
249
00:16:06,758 --> 00:16:07,926
for right now.
250
00:16:07,967 --> 00:16:09,135
I don't mean tomorrow,
251
00:16:09,219 --> 00:16:10,637
for right now,
dig what I'm saying?
252
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:11,763
♪ Woo! ♪
253
00:16:17,268 --> 00:16:19,771
♪ Good God Almighty ♪
254
00:16:20,188 --> 00:16:23,441
♪ Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! ♪
255
00:16:23,942 --> 00:16:25,944
♪ Don't mess with me ♪
256
00:16:26,361 --> 00:16:29,614
I wanted Black people to be able
to look into that mirror
257
00:16:29,656 --> 00:16:31,950
and see themselves positively,
258
00:16:32,033 --> 00:16:33,451
and I wanted white people
to be able
259
00:16:33,493 --> 00:16:35,120
to look through
a little peephole
260
00:16:35,203 --> 00:16:37,622
and be able to look inside
and see just a little bit
261
00:16:37,664 --> 00:16:39,082
of what we were all about.
262
00:16:41,459 --> 00:16:44,295
♪ Lord knows I'm the son ♪
263
00:16:44,879 --> 00:16:48,466
♪ Hee-hee! ♪
264
00:16:51,136 --> 00:16:53,263
♪ Woo, oh! ♪
265
00:16:57,684 --> 00:17:00,145
There's a lot more
than putting out music.
266
00:17:05,525 --> 00:17:06,651
Hey!
267
00:17:06,734 --> 00:17:09,654
-Hey!
-Hey!
268
00:17:09,695 --> 00:17:12,365
-Hey!
-Hey!
269
00:17:13,157 --> 00:17:15,743
-Can I ask you something?
270
00:17:16,118 --> 00:17:17,954
Ain't I'm clean?
271
00:17:22,959 --> 00:17:24,794
Oh!
272
00:17:36,931 --> 00:17:38,516
Y'all come on in now!
273
00:17:39,309 --> 00:17:40,810
Come right on down front!
274
00:17:41,853 --> 00:17:43,563
I got somethin'
I wanna show you.
275
00:17:44,522 --> 00:17:46,691
I'm talking about
the Funky Chicken.
276
00:17:46,733 --> 00:17:48,526
The deal was, is that
277
00:17:48,902 --> 00:17:50,612
no one's supposed to
get on the field.
278
00:17:50,695 --> 00:17:52,364
Y'all ready?
279
00:17:52,864 --> 00:17:54,449
♪ Do the funky chicken now ♪
280
00:17:54,532 --> 00:17:56,117
♪ Do the funky chicken now ♪
281
00:17:56,534 --> 00:17:57,577
♪ Do the funky chicken now ♪
282
00:17:57,660 --> 00:17:59,287
And he invites everybody
in on the field
283
00:17:59,371 --> 00:18:02,040
and they're dancing and having
a good time, you know.
284
00:18:02,374 --> 00:18:03,792
♪ Do the funky chicken now ♪
285
00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:06,169
♪ Oh, oh ♪
286
00:18:06,211 --> 00:18:07,796
♪ Do the funky chicken now ♪
287
00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:12,467
Los Angeles Rams
are gonna play...
288
00:18:12,884 --> 00:18:14,386
♪ Woo! ♪
289
00:18:15,053 --> 00:18:17,764
...so a problem was brewing.
290
00:18:18,473 --> 00:18:21,267
And then, Larry Shaw
whispers something in his ear,
291
00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:23,687
and what he's saying is,
"Get 'em off the field."
292
00:18:23,728 --> 00:18:26,564
Come on, y'all,
please go to the stand.
293
00:18:27,399 --> 00:18:30,568
Please with a capital P-P.
294
00:18:31,111 --> 00:18:32,946
God bless
the talents of Rufus Thomas.
295
00:18:33,029 --> 00:18:35,240
He was able to control
that crowd.
296
00:18:35,323 --> 00:18:36,324
That's right.
297
00:18:36,408 --> 00:18:37,909
Might be a little slow,
298
00:18:37,951 --> 00:18:39,494
but you just got to go.
299
00:18:39,577 --> 00:18:42,914
Don't jump the fence
because it don't make sense.
300
00:18:46,501 --> 00:18:48,628
And there's one guy...
301
00:18:48,712 --> 00:18:51,589
...that's on the field
and he's acting a fool.
302
00:18:51,673 --> 00:18:53,842
You know, he's doing all kinds
of crazy stuff.
303
00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:55,093
He don't mean
to be mean,
304
00:18:55,135 --> 00:18:56,803
he just want be seen.
305
00:18:58,054 --> 00:19:00,098
Yeah, that's a brother,
all right.
306
00:19:02,350 --> 00:19:04,060
Somebody told him he's cute
307
00:19:04,102 --> 00:19:06,396
and he want to try
to show it off out there.
308
00:19:07,105 --> 00:19:08,982
It could've been a conflict,
309
00:19:09,357 --> 00:19:12,110
but there were no police inside.
310
00:19:12,193 --> 00:19:13,611
Now, y'all get him off.
311
00:19:13,653 --> 00:19:15,447
Y'all go out there
and get him off.
312
00:19:15,530 --> 00:19:18,033
Get him off, y'all.
Get him on off.
313
00:19:18,116 --> 00:19:19,451
Get him on off.
314
00:19:19,492 --> 00:19:22,078
And finally, the kids rush out,
315
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:23,455
and he doesn't want to go,
316
00:19:23,538 --> 00:19:25,457
but they don't beat him up
or they're not violent.
317
00:19:25,498 --> 00:19:27,917
It's just like the power
of this... this loving mob
318
00:19:27,959 --> 00:19:31,796
just swept him off the field
in a very nice way.
319
00:19:32,297 --> 00:19:35,550
It also kinda showed the unity
that was there that day.
320
00:19:36,676 --> 00:19:38,887
Dad was amazing.
321
00:19:39,304 --> 00:19:41,264
And then I asked him, I said,
322
00:19:41,306 --> 00:19:43,016
"Can we go sit
out in the audience?"
323
00:19:43,099 --> 00:19:45,769
He said, "Are you crazy? No!"
324
00:19:45,810 --> 00:19:47,187
They wouldn't let us go out.
325
00:19:47,270 --> 00:19:49,939
Because I wanted to see,
as the sun was going down,
326
00:19:49,981 --> 00:19:51,107
I wanted to see Isaac.
327
00:19:53,485 --> 00:19:55,612
Brothers and sisters,
328
00:19:56,488 --> 00:20:00,742
we are now
about to bring forth
329
00:20:01,659 --> 00:20:03,620
a bad...
330
00:20:04,746 --> 00:20:06,664
bad...
331
00:20:06,706 --> 00:20:10,210
bad brother,
332
00:20:10,293 --> 00:20:13,588
Isaac Hayes.
333
00:20:13,672 --> 00:20:15,256
Yeah!
334
00:20:15,757 --> 00:20:17,050
Yes!
335
00:20:19,094 --> 00:20:20,720
Yes!
336
00:20:23,765 --> 00:20:25,725
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
337
00:20:39,906 --> 00:20:41,449
Yes!
338
00:20:44,327 --> 00:20:46,705
So here I am
as a young photographer,
339
00:20:46,746 --> 00:20:49,708
just trying to make his way
in the world.
340
00:20:51,543 --> 00:20:54,671
So I decided I needed to get up
on that platform.
341
00:21:00,260 --> 00:21:01,803
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
342
00:21:02,846 --> 00:21:04,097
Yeah, yeah!
343
00:21:04,556 --> 00:21:06,558
They had hired, you know,
344
00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:09,310
the slabs of beef brothers,
the big, the big brothers,
345
00:21:09,394 --> 00:21:11,271
but they weren't really
security.
346
00:21:11,938 --> 00:21:16,151
So I was able to waltz
right up the stairway.
347
00:21:16,818 --> 00:21:20,947
I had zero credentials
to be on that stage.
348
00:21:22,449 --> 00:21:26,286
I was just there by sheer luck
and a little audacity.
349
00:21:26,786 --> 00:21:29,247
And I'm a foot away
from Isaac Hayes
350
00:21:29,330 --> 00:21:31,082
in front of everybody.
351
00:21:31,916 --> 00:21:33,626
♪ Soulsville ♪
352
00:21:40,467 --> 00:21:42,469
♪ Black man ♪
353
00:21:42,552 --> 00:21:44,137
♪ Born free ♪
354
00:21:44,220 --> 00:21:47,974
♪ At least that's the way
it's supposed to be ♪
355
00:21:48,058 --> 00:21:52,228
♪ The chains that bind him
are hard to see ♪
356
00:21:52,270 --> 00:21:55,357
♪ Unless you take
this walk with me ♪
357
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:57,275
♪ Ooh ♪
358
00:21:57,317 --> 00:22:00,070
♪ The place where he lives ♪
359
00:22:00,487 --> 00:22:03,323
♪ Has got plenty of names ♪
360
00:22:03,740 --> 00:22:07,619
♪ Slum, ghetto,
and Black belt ♪
361
00:22:08,286 --> 00:22:10,622
♪ They are one and the same ♪
362
00:22:10,663 --> 00:22:13,917
-♪ And I call it ♪
-♪ Soulsville ♪
363
00:22:20,799 --> 00:22:24,135
Okay, so, this is one
of the photographs
364
00:22:24,177 --> 00:22:27,639
I took of Isaac Hayes
that night.
365
00:22:29,766 --> 00:22:33,144
Wattstax was, for me,
a pivotal moment.
366
00:22:33,645 --> 00:22:36,272
Later, I had the audacity
to think
367
00:22:36,314 --> 00:22:38,108
I need to be one of the keepers
368
00:22:38,149 --> 00:22:41,069
of Black folks' history,
visual history.
369
00:22:41,695 --> 00:22:43,488
'Cause I wasn't gonna leave it
to somebody else.
370
00:22:43,571 --> 00:22:45,198
♪ Little Black boy ♪
371
00:22:45,281 --> 00:22:47,033
♪ Needs a pair of shoes ♪
372
00:22:48,493 --> 00:22:51,996
♪ And this is only a part of ♪
373
00:22:52,038 --> 00:22:53,998
♪ Soulsville ♪
374
00:22:55,333 --> 00:22:57,919
The images,
they chose me.
375
00:23:01,881 --> 00:23:05,427
That was my dream,
to become a cameraman.
376
00:23:05,510 --> 00:23:08,054
And, uh, it came true.
377
00:23:08,638 --> 00:23:10,765
In ‘74, I went to Zaire,
378
00:23:10,849 --> 00:23:12,726
and I filmed
When We Were Kings,
379
00:23:12,809 --> 00:23:15,603
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
380
00:23:16,521 --> 00:23:19,899
I got the job because I...
they saw Wattstax.
381
00:23:21,443 --> 00:23:24,029
This is what I wanted to do
when I was 12 years old
382
00:23:24,070 --> 00:23:25,530
in sixth grade.
383
00:23:26,239 --> 00:23:27,699
I did something.
384
00:23:27,741 --> 00:23:29,868
I did something. You know?
385
00:23:29,909 --> 00:23:32,579
♪ This misery that we have in ♪
386
00:23:32,662 --> 00:23:34,372
♪ Soulsville ♪
387
00:23:34,414 --> 00:23:36,916
♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
388
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,462
That day that I stood
on that stage
389
00:23:40,545 --> 00:23:42,297
in Los Angeles, California,
390
00:23:42,380 --> 00:23:43,965
and saw that place,
391
00:23:44,049 --> 00:23:47,385
which was probably
an impossible dream
392
00:23:47,427 --> 00:23:51,222
filled with 112,000
of my people...
393
00:23:54,768 --> 00:23:58,438
The highest day in my life,
that day.
394
00:23:58,521 --> 00:24:01,983
I can't even explain how much
that meant to me.
395
00:24:03,485 --> 00:24:05,737
♪ Soulsville ♪
396
00:24:26,758 --> 00:24:28,677
Two thousand
soulful people came together
397
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,262
for the opening of Wattstax.
398
00:24:31,304 --> 00:24:33,640
Wattstax, how about that?
399
00:24:41,106 --> 00:24:44,234
The growth at Stax
from the beginning of the label
400
00:24:44,275 --> 00:24:47,612
till the Wattstax
documentary film
401
00:24:47,654 --> 00:24:49,989
is mind-boggling to comprehend.
402
00:24:51,408 --> 00:24:55,203
Stax, and many people
in the music industry,
403
00:24:55,286 --> 00:24:58,039
begin to think in bigger terms
for Black artists.
404
00:24:59,290 --> 00:25:03,920
And opens up the door for
artists we all know and love.
405
00:25:07,465 --> 00:25:11,636
By '73, Memphis
was in the top five
406
00:25:11,678 --> 00:25:14,097
record producing centers
in the world.
407
00:25:14,139 --> 00:25:17,809
New York, L.A., London,
then Nashville and Memphis,
408
00:25:17,851 --> 00:25:21,688
driven by the success
of Stax Records.
409
00:25:22,605 --> 00:25:25,525
We were all learning
410
00:25:25,608 --> 00:25:29,320
and developing and growing
and changing.
411
00:25:30,864 --> 00:25:34,325
Oh my goodness.
Stax, it was excellence.
412
00:25:34,367 --> 00:25:36,161
It was Black excellence.
413
00:25:38,371 --> 00:25:43,668
You got writers, producers,
publishers, costume people.
414
00:25:44,419 --> 00:25:47,339
There was a company
that was created
415
00:25:47,422 --> 00:25:49,799
as a result of selling
416
00:25:49,841 --> 00:25:54,304
Isaac all of his instruments
and sound systems
417
00:25:54,346 --> 00:25:56,014
and stuff for the road.
418
00:25:56,348 --> 00:26:01,561
So Stax was important
to the economy of the city.
419
00:26:03,188 --> 00:26:06,358
One time,
Jim Stewart called the president
420
00:26:06,441 --> 00:26:08,193
of Union Planters National Bank
421
00:26:08,234 --> 00:26:09,569
to borrow a million dollars.
422
00:26:09,652 --> 00:26:11,696
We paid him back
in less than a year.
423
00:26:11,738 --> 00:26:14,616
And in Memphis, Tennessee,
at that time,
424
00:26:14,699 --> 00:26:15,909
to borrow a million dollars,
425
00:26:15,992 --> 00:26:17,660
especially being
a little old record company
426
00:26:17,702 --> 00:26:19,412
in the music business
and pay that back,
427
00:26:19,496 --> 00:26:21,039
"What the hell
are you all doing?"
428
00:26:21,122 --> 00:26:23,917
"We want to do business
with y'all."
429
00:26:24,376 --> 00:26:26,711
Union Planters National Bank.
430
00:26:26,795 --> 00:26:29,547
To help you get more
out of life.
431
00:26:29,923 --> 00:26:33,718
Up until that time,
Stax had been under the radar
432
00:26:33,802 --> 00:26:36,221
because it was
in an all-Black area.
433
00:26:36,262 --> 00:26:37,681
But word started getting out
434
00:26:37,722 --> 00:26:39,891
that people were making
a lot of money over there.
435
00:26:40,725 --> 00:26:42,060
You know, all the artists
started buying
436
00:26:42,102 --> 00:26:44,354
all the fancy cars
right and left.
437
00:26:46,481 --> 00:26:48,817
King Furs made a lot of money.
438
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:51,986
I bought my first one there
when I was 21.
439
00:26:52,404 --> 00:26:55,240
Local merchants were making
money because we spent money.
440
00:26:55,990 --> 00:26:58,410
Whites took the money,
but they still resented it.
441
00:26:59,911 --> 00:27:02,956
I remember going to the bank
a couple of times,
442
00:27:03,039 --> 00:27:05,083
and, you know, the tellers
would have an attitude
443
00:27:05,166 --> 00:27:08,253
seeing a Black person coming in
with a nice-sized check.
444
00:27:08,795 --> 00:27:10,755
I had a jeweler
445
00:27:10,797 --> 00:27:13,174
who I brought
a lot of business to.
446
00:27:13,925 --> 00:27:16,094
He told my wife,
"Isaac is getting too big
447
00:27:16,136 --> 00:27:17,929
for his britches."
448
00:27:17,971 --> 00:27:19,931
For most of white Memphis,
449
00:27:19,973 --> 00:27:22,308
it's like, "How did this happen?
450
00:27:22,392 --> 00:27:25,395
How did... how did these
Black people in South Memphis
451
00:27:25,437 --> 00:27:27,480
become this big
and have this power?"
452
00:27:28,189 --> 00:27:31,151
We were energized, successful,
453
00:27:31,234 --> 00:27:38,283
and there was nothing in Memphis
to stop it or to change it.
454
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,752
The early '70s were very good...
455
00:27:50,170 --> 00:27:56,259
but I'd been doing this
for 15 years or more,
456
00:27:56,801 --> 00:27:59,137
night and day,
seven days a week.
457
00:27:59,471 --> 00:28:01,723
I was getting tired.
458
00:28:04,809 --> 00:28:07,270
One day, Jim said, "Al,
459
00:28:07,854 --> 00:28:09,856
I think we need
to sell the company."
460
00:28:13,151 --> 00:28:16,029
And I said, "No, Jim,
we don't need to sell."
461
00:28:18,281 --> 00:28:19,991
I loved this company,
462
00:28:20,408 --> 00:28:22,577
and my personal mission
463
00:28:22,619 --> 00:28:25,372
is to continue to build
and grow Stax Records.
464
00:28:26,664 --> 00:28:28,708
I couldn't just give it up.
465
00:28:30,251 --> 00:28:32,879
I understood
where Al was coming from,
466
00:28:32,962 --> 00:28:37,175
so I agreed to sell
my interest to Al.
467
00:28:38,927 --> 00:28:42,722
I needed millions
of dollars to buy Jim out.
468
00:28:44,391 --> 00:28:47,268
So I knew I had to get to one of
these major companies out here
469
00:28:47,352 --> 00:28:48,687
and get me some help.
470
00:28:50,355 --> 00:28:51,731
I went to several companies,
471
00:28:51,815 --> 00:28:54,359
but there was no place
in the entire industry
472
00:28:54,401 --> 00:28:58,363
that would offer the kind
of money that we needed,
473
00:28:58,446 --> 00:29:00,115
except CBS.
474
00:29:00,949 --> 00:29:02,909
The leader
in the rock revolution.
475
00:29:02,992 --> 00:29:04,202
CBS Records took in
476
00:29:04,285 --> 00:29:06,788
two billion,
seventeen million dollars.
477
00:29:06,871 --> 00:29:08,707
And that's just
for records and tapes.
478
00:29:08,790 --> 00:29:10,709
Columbia, CBS Records
479
00:29:10,792 --> 00:29:13,837
was the number one
recorded music company
480
00:29:13,878 --> 00:29:15,755
in existence in our industry.
481
00:29:15,839 --> 00:29:17,173
They were all power.
482
00:29:17,215 --> 00:29:19,884
The whole of the industry
bowed to their knees.
483
00:29:20,969 --> 00:29:22,929
But there was a problem.
484
00:29:23,555 --> 00:29:25,181
The Black segment
of the industry
485
00:29:25,265 --> 00:29:27,434
considered CBS racist.
486
00:29:28,476 --> 00:29:32,814
They believed CBS didn't care
about them at all.
487
00:29:33,857 --> 00:29:35,900
It was as though
they were nonexistent.
488
00:29:38,153 --> 00:29:41,156
Where I found some peace
within me to make this decision
489
00:29:41,197 --> 00:29:42,157
was Clive Davis...
490
00:29:46,995 --> 00:29:48,872
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
491
00:29:48,913 --> 00:29:51,416
...the president
of CBS Records.
492
00:29:52,584 --> 00:29:54,085
♪ Mr. Big Stuff ♪
493
00:29:55,378 --> 00:29:58,256
♪ Who do you think you are,
Mr. Big Stuff? ♪
494
00:29:58,298 --> 00:29:59,966
Clive Davis...
495
00:30:01,718 --> 00:30:03,094
A genius.
496
00:30:04,596 --> 00:30:09,059
I explained to him my mission
to expand into the mainstream.
497
00:30:09,434 --> 00:30:13,855
He said, "Well, Al, I think
I can get that done.
498
00:30:14,356 --> 00:30:15,607
I think we can do that."
499
00:30:17,442 --> 00:30:18,777
Clive Davis
500
00:30:18,860 --> 00:30:22,947
saw this as making money
in the R&B business,
501
00:30:22,989 --> 00:30:26,076
that, at that point,
CBS had yet to be making.
502
00:30:26,117 --> 00:30:29,245
The soul music market
was substantial, it was growing,
503
00:30:29,621 --> 00:30:35,043
and for CBS, the opportunity
with Stax was gold.
504
00:30:35,585 --> 00:30:36,961
When we finished talking,
505
00:30:37,003 --> 00:30:39,381
Clive Davis got up,
took my arm, said "Al,
506
00:30:39,464 --> 00:30:41,841
we're gonna march
through this industry together
507
00:30:41,925 --> 00:30:43,927
and show them
what can be done out here."
508
00:30:45,970 --> 00:30:49,099
The deal that Al Bell
and Clive Davis worked out
509
00:30:49,140 --> 00:30:54,145
was the inverse of the typical
distribution deal of the time.
510
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,901
CBS could get a 15% royalty
of the sales
511
00:30:59,984 --> 00:31:02,153
and Stax would get the rest.
512
00:31:02,195 --> 00:31:05,657
Plus, Stax maintained
creative control.
513
00:31:06,574 --> 00:31:09,160
This is a total flip.
514
00:31:09,244 --> 00:31:14,791
The little guy is going to make
a lot more than the big guy,
515
00:31:14,833 --> 00:31:16,084
the corporate behemoth.
516
00:31:16,167 --> 00:31:19,462
No large American
record corporation
517
00:31:19,504 --> 00:31:22,799
had ever agreed to a deal
like this before.
518
00:31:23,633 --> 00:31:28,179
With CBS, things were really,
really happening.
519
00:31:29,514 --> 00:31:35,562
Stax got into spoken word,
country, rock, show tunes.
520
00:31:35,645 --> 00:31:37,564
Would you welcome Lena Zavaroni?
521
00:31:39,149 --> 00:31:41,026
We had signed this little girl.
522
00:31:41,067 --> 00:31:43,403
She had a voice
like Ethel Merman.
523
00:31:44,279 --> 00:31:47,365
♪ Every minute,
he gets bolder ♪
524
00:31:47,449 --> 00:31:50,910
♪ Now he's leaning
on my shoulder ♪
525
00:31:50,994 --> 00:31:52,537
♪ Mama... ♪
526
00:31:53,204 --> 00:31:55,081
We were on top of the world.
527
00:31:55,165 --> 00:31:56,708
We were on top of the world.
528
00:31:56,750 --> 00:31:59,461
♪ Whoa, Mama ♪
529
00:31:59,878 --> 00:32:01,880
♪ He's kissing me ♪
530
00:32:01,963 --> 00:32:04,299
Al Bell really
wanted to make Stax Records
531
00:32:04,382 --> 00:32:07,010
a major label
equal to RCA or Columbia.
532
00:32:07,052 --> 00:32:08,219
♪ Yeah ♪
533
00:32:12,015 --> 00:32:16,436
The Stax-Columbia deal
was made October 24, '72...
534
00:32:17,020 --> 00:32:19,647
and by May 1973,
535
00:32:19,731 --> 00:32:22,609
Columbia, which was owned
by CBS,
536
00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:24,486
had a problem.
537
00:32:29,157 --> 00:32:31,659
The story begins
with Pat Falcone,
538
00:32:31,743 --> 00:32:33,036
convicted heroin smuggler
539
00:32:33,078 --> 00:32:36,247
with ties to
a large New York mafia family.
540
00:32:38,291 --> 00:32:40,919
Patsy Falcone was arrested
on a drug charge
541
00:32:41,002 --> 00:32:43,755
and a quantity of heroin
was also seized.
542
00:32:43,838 --> 00:32:45,590
In Falcone's address book,
543
00:32:45,632 --> 00:32:48,093
investigators found the name
of a high-level executive
544
00:32:48,176 --> 00:32:49,302
at Columbia Records,
545
00:32:49,386 --> 00:32:52,305
a major record company
in rock music.
546
00:32:52,889 --> 00:32:54,265
A while later, that executive
547
00:32:54,307 --> 00:32:56,601
and Clive Davis,
president of Columbia Records,
548
00:32:56,643 --> 00:32:58,436
were fired on short notice.
549
00:32:58,895 --> 00:33:00,021
CBS is saying nothing
550
00:33:00,105 --> 00:33:01,815
about the dismissal
of Clive Davis
551
00:33:01,898 --> 00:33:04,526
other than an official statement
saying that he's being sued
552
00:33:04,609 --> 00:33:07,153
for misappropriation
of company funds.
553
00:33:07,904 --> 00:33:09,572
They fired Clive Davis.
554
00:33:10,782 --> 00:33:12,075
I said, "Oh my God."
555
00:33:12,492 --> 00:33:14,577
The only reason
I made the deal with CBS
556
00:33:14,619 --> 00:33:17,497
was because of the relationship
with Clive Davis.
557
00:33:17,580 --> 00:33:19,541
And now he's gone.
558
00:33:23,712 --> 00:33:29,092
Clive Davis's
successors get into office.
559
00:33:29,134 --> 00:33:30,760
They start looking
at the various deals
560
00:33:30,802 --> 00:33:32,470
they have with various
companies.
561
00:33:33,013 --> 00:33:36,433
They see the Stax deal
and think this is nuts.
562
00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:40,395
This little company
in this backwater town,
563
00:33:40,478 --> 00:33:43,523
as these New York executives
saw it,
564
00:33:44,107 --> 00:33:46,067
had control of everything.
565
00:33:46,985 --> 00:33:49,320
And so they want to renegotiate
the deal.
566
00:33:49,738 --> 00:33:51,322
I said, "Wait a minute."
567
00:33:51,823 --> 00:33:53,408
I had already signed a deal.
568
00:33:57,078 --> 00:33:58,955
Well, my mind went back to
569
00:33:58,997 --> 00:34:00,874
what Winthrop Rockefeller
taught me
570
00:34:00,957 --> 00:34:03,376
about big fish
eats the little fish.
571
00:34:05,170 --> 00:34:07,339
They try to copy
what you're doing.
572
00:34:07,380 --> 00:34:08,840
Rolling.
573
00:34:08,922 --> 00:34:11,176
They come
and try to acquire
574
00:34:11,259 --> 00:34:13,178
or purchase what you're doing.
575
00:34:14,387 --> 00:34:16,348
And if they can't do that,
then they set out
576
00:34:16,431 --> 00:34:18,475
to put you out of business.
577
00:34:20,351 --> 00:34:23,063
There are rules in this game,
in that world.
578
00:34:24,230 --> 00:34:26,232
But I couldn't accept
that offer.
579
00:34:26,315 --> 00:34:28,735
-What time is it?
-Nation Time!
580
00:34:30,362 --> 00:34:32,739
I don't think Al realized
581
00:34:32,822 --> 00:34:38,786
what he might be up against
when you got powerful executives
582
00:34:39,411 --> 00:34:43,541
at a corporation the size
and scale of Columbia
583
00:34:43,583 --> 00:34:47,295
who decide,
"No, this doesn't work for us.
584
00:34:47,379 --> 00:34:49,172
It's time to renegotiate."
585
00:34:49,214 --> 00:34:50,507
It's like talking to the mafia.
586
00:34:50,547 --> 00:34:52,717
You're not gonna have
your kneecaps broken,
587
00:34:52,759 --> 00:34:54,719
but you're gonna say no?
588
00:34:54,761 --> 00:34:55,887
See what happens.
589
00:35:01,101 --> 00:35:03,311
I was in Washington, D.C.,
590
00:35:03,395 --> 00:35:07,190
doing promotions,
and I went into Waxie Maxie,
591
00:35:08,191 --> 00:35:11,236
ran by a gentleman
by the name of Herbie Cohen,
592
00:35:11,319 --> 00:35:15,281
who has 19 stores
in the Washington, D.C. area.
593
00:35:15,365 --> 00:35:17,367
And I knew Herbie personally.
594
00:35:19,536 --> 00:35:22,330
So I went through
and see the salespeople
595
00:35:22,414 --> 00:35:25,375
getting their aisles together,
tidied up and everything.
596
00:35:26,418 --> 00:35:29,087
I said, "How am I doing
on that new Johnnie Taylor?"
597
00:35:29,170 --> 00:35:32,090
"We don't have it."
"Uh?"
598
00:35:32,173 --> 00:35:34,134
"We don't have Johnnie Taylor."
"Hold on, hold on."
599
00:35:34,217 --> 00:35:36,052
So I ran back up
and I said, "Well, by the way,
600
00:35:36,094 --> 00:35:37,846
I didn't see the Staple Singers.
You got them?"
601
00:35:37,929 --> 00:35:40,598
"We don't have it."
"Uh-huh?"
602
00:35:40,682 --> 00:35:43,977
And I said, "Herbie, why you not
having no product?
603
00:35:44,060 --> 00:35:45,603
What's going on?
You lost your mind?"
604
00:35:45,645 --> 00:35:47,147
And he said,
"No, I ain't lost my mind.
605
00:35:47,230 --> 00:35:48,982
You lost yours.
606
00:35:49,065 --> 00:35:51,359
CBS got you on hold."
607
00:35:51,985 --> 00:35:52,986
"On hold?"
608
00:35:56,448 --> 00:35:59,951
I went to Dallas
with the Staple Singers.
609
00:36:00,493 --> 00:36:03,288
They were opening
at the Fairmont Hotel.
610
00:36:05,081 --> 00:36:08,293
Actually the first Black act
to ever headline
611
00:36:08,335 --> 00:36:10,253
at a Fairmont Hotel.
612
00:36:10,295 --> 00:36:13,798
You got radio spots running
and-and-and all of that,
613
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,009
and they're appearing
right there in town.
614
00:36:16,092 --> 00:36:19,262
You know, it's a tremendous
opportunity to sell product.
615
00:36:19,304 --> 00:36:21,181
So imagine...
616
00:36:21,264 --> 00:36:24,934
imagine my confusion
617
00:36:24,976 --> 00:36:29,397
when I'm talking
to the record shops,
618
00:36:29,481 --> 00:36:33,318
and I'm told that,
"Well, we love--
619
00:36:33,401 --> 00:36:36,946
I mean, sales would be going
well if we had some product."
620
00:36:37,864 --> 00:36:39,657
"You don't have product?
621
00:36:40,116 --> 00:36:42,452
CBS is our distributor,
622
00:36:42,494 --> 00:36:44,662
there's an office in Dallas,
623
00:36:44,746 --> 00:36:48,291
and you don't have
Staple Singers product?"
624
00:36:52,337 --> 00:36:54,589
I talked to CBS
every week,
625
00:36:54,673 --> 00:36:56,174
two times a week,
three times a week,
626
00:36:56,216 --> 00:36:58,009
and always gotta start
with, "Al, it's just,
627
00:36:58,051 --> 00:36:59,386
there's no demand for it."
628
00:36:59,469 --> 00:37:00,929
"But there's demand
for product in the market!"
629
00:37:01,012 --> 00:37:04,182
"But, Al, we're not
getting the demand in here."
630
00:37:04,224 --> 00:37:06,393
So, now keep in mind,
CBS is laughing
631
00:37:06,476 --> 00:37:08,353
because they control
your money now.
632
00:37:11,690 --> 00:37:15,527
Stax Records
is continuing to produce product
633
00:37:15,568 --> 00:37:19,531
at the pace and level
that it always has,
634
00:37:19,864 --> 00:37:23,284
but we can't get the product
into the marketplace
635
00:37:23,368 --> 00:37:27,247
because CBS
controls our distribution.
636
00:37:27,622 --> 00:37:29,165
No product out.
637
00:37:29,541 --> 00:37:32,752
If you press it,
they're stockpiling it someplace
638
00:37:32,836 --> 00:37:34,045
where you can't find it.
639
00:37:36,131 --> 00:37:38,425
CBS got in touch with me
640
00:37:39,342 --> 00:37:41,553
and asked me to have
a meeting with me.
641
00:37:43,972 --> 00:37:48,643
Said to me, "Al, what we'd like
to do is make a deal with you
642
00:37:48,727 --> 00:37:53,481
where we will make you
vice president of CBS Corporate.
643
00:37:56,276 --> 00:37:58,278
You have access to all the perks
644
00:37:58,361 --> 00:38:01,906
that executives of your stature
get inside of CBS.
645
00:38:01,948 --> 00:38:03,742
The corporate jets.
646
00:38:04,409 --> 00:38:06,703
We'd like for you to go
around America, speaking
647
00:38:06,745 --> 00:38:09,372
and talking to people
about the beautiful relationship
648
00:38:09,414 --> 00:38:11,374
with CBS
working with Black people.
649
00:38:11,791 --> 00:38:14,627
And when soul music artists
start making demands,
650
00:38:14,711 --> 00:38:18,590
we want you to come in and say,
'CBS is gonna take care of you,
651
00:38:18,673 --> 00:38:21,092
and it can help build your
career and build your life.'"
652
00:38:21,134 --> 00:38:25,138
He said, "And you'll be the most
powerful Black man in America.
653
00:38:25,221 --> 00:38:26,890
What do you think
about that, Al?"
654
00:38:26,931 --> 00:38:29,934
I said, "Let me...
let me think about that."
655
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,021
And I disappeared. I left.
656
00:38:38,443 --> 00:38:44,032
There was a desire
to take Stax over,
657
00:38:44,115 --> 00:38:45,784
own it and control it, you know?
658
00:38:45,825 --> 00:38:48,453
"Y'all sing and dance
and do what you do best,
659
00:38:48,536 --> 00:38:50,663
and we'll take care
of the business."
660
00:38:51,539 --> 00:38:53,583
If I'd accepted that deal,
661
00:38:53,625 --> 00:38:56,294
I knew what the end results
of that was going to be.
662
00:38:56,336 --> 00:38:57,921
A contemporary slave.
663
00:38:58,922 --> 00:39:01,675
I couldn't take that.
I can't sell my soul.
664
00:39:02,175 --> 00:39:08,139
At the same time, I wouldn't
knowingly sabotage the careers
665
00:39:08,181 --> 00:39:10,975
of all of those artists at Stax.
666
00:39:12,310 --> 00:39:13,812
So I couldn't do it.
667
00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:19,776
Ultimately,
668
00:39:19,818 --> 00:39:23,071
CBS starts withholding money
from Stax.
669
00:39:23,988 --> 00:39:28,201
Suddenly, there's no income
coming into this company.
670
00:39:31,621 --> 00:39:33,873
I came back to Stax
671
00:39:33,957 --> 00:39:37,669
when the company
fell into financial straits.
672
00:39:39,713 --> 00:39:43,341
We, um, had a substantial debt.
673
00:39:43,758 --> 00:39:48,430
So I put what money
I'd gotten for the sale
674
00:39:48,513 --> 00:39:50,015
back into the company.
675
00:39:50,098 --> 00:39:51,933
We were belt tightening.
676
00:39:52,017 --> 00:39:53,685
We cut back employees.
677
00:39:53,727 --> 00:39:57,689
We cut back until
there was almost no overhead.
678
00:39:57,772 --> 00:40:00,442
We had to work from nothing.
679
00:40:00,734 --> 00:40:03,194
Yes,
it was back scrapping again.
680
00:40:03,820 --> 00:40:06,031
But, you know,
you get knocked down,
681
00:40:06,072 --> 00:40:08,867
the challenge is get back up.
That's how you stay in the game.
682
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,662
During that time,
Al Bell was inspirational.
683
00:40:13,580 --> 00:40:16,624
Al, you know,
was gonna find a way.
684
00:40:17,792 --> 00:40:20,253
We used to call
Al Bell the "hype-meister"
685
00:40:21,004 --> 00:40:26,217
because no matter
how dark the situation,
686
00:40:26,301 --> 00:40:30,722
Al Bell has an upside
to the story.
687
00:40:31,556 --> 00:40:33,224
"It's gonna be okay,
Ms. Crutcher.
688
00:40:33,308 --> 00:40:35,518
Don't worry about it.
It's all right."
689
00:40:40,815 --> 00:40:43,443
We needed to get some revenue.
690
00:40:43,526 --> 00:40:47,489
So Jim Stewart came up
with the idea of Truth Records,
691
00:40:47,572 --> 00:40:51,659
so we could sell records
outside of our deal with CBS
692
00:40:51,743 --> 00:40:53,411
and start making money.
693
00:40:53,495 --> 00:40:56,581
That was Stax refusing
to lay down,
694
00:40:56,623 --> 00:40:59,042
refusing to say,
"Columbia got my hands tied."
695
00:40:59,084 --> 00:41:02,212
- This is, uh, G.
696
00:41:02,253 --> 00:41:06,383
One, two, three, four.
697
00:41:12,430 --> 00:41:13,765
Hello?
698
00:41:15,266 --> 00:41:17,102
May I speak to Barbara?
699
00:41:19,104 --> 00:41:20,939
Barbara, this is Shirley.
700
00:41:21,356 --> 00:41:22,732
Shirley Brown.
701
00:41:23,274 --> 00:41:24,901
She, uh, she was a great artist.
702
00:41:24,943 --> 00:41:30,115
She... she would've been,
you know, an Aretha Franklin.
703
00:41:30,156 --> 00:41:32,742
♪ Woman to woman ♪
704
00:41:32,784 --> 00:41:37,205
♪ If you've ever been in love ♪
705
00:41:38,456 --> 00:41:40,083
♪ Then you know ♪
706
00:41:41,084 --> 00:41:45,005
♪ How I feel ♪
707
00:41:45,505 --> 00:41:48,299
♪ And woman to woman ♪
708
00:41:48,383 --> 00:41:50,468
♪ If you were in my shoes... ♪
709
00:41:50,552 --> 00:41:52,303
To this day, I can see
Al sitting there
710
00:41:52,345 --> 00:41:53,638
with Jim in Jim's office,
711
00:41:53,722 --> 00:41:56,307
listening to that groove.
You know?
712
00:41:56,349 --> 00:41:59,519
♪ Same thing too ♪
713
00:41:59,602 --> 00:42:01,354
Making music like that,
714
00:42:01,438 --> 00:42:03,606
that's what Stax was built on.
715
00:42:03,648 --> 00:42:06,609
♪ Woman to woman ♪
716
00:42:06,651 --> 00:42:09,904
♪ Now can't you see where
I'm coming from ♪
717
00:42:09,988 --> 00:42:13,199
That's a thing of communicating
and moving you.
718
00:42:14,701 --> 00:42:16,453
Making you feel something.
719
00:42:19,414 --> 00:42:23,376
♪ Woman to woman ♪
720
00:42:23,460 --> 00:42:25,086
At number 22, moving up 4,
721
00:42:25,170 --> 00:42:28,089
here's Shirley Brown
and "Woman to Woman."
722
00:42:28,173 --> 00:42:30,425
♪ Woman to woman ♪
723
00:42:30,508 --> 00:42:34,637
♪ Now, should
I just step aside ♪
724
00:42:35,388 --> 00:42:42,604
♪ And let her take
what's rightfully mine ♪
725
00:42:43,688 --> 00:42:48,943
♪ Oh, woman to woman ♪
726
00:42:49,736 --> 00:42:53,323
Woman to Woman
was the last record I did.
727
00:42:56,034 --> 00:42:57,744
Ironically enough...
728
00:42:58,620 --> 00:43:00,580
it was a million seller.
729
00:43:02,290 --> 00:43:03,875
Too little, too late.
730
00:43:10,215 --> 00:43:13,176
Stax
was doing everything they could
731
00:43:13,218 --> 00:43:16,262
to save themselves
from economic strangulation
732
00:43:16,346 --> 00:43:17,555
by CBS.
733
00:43:17,931 --> 00:43:20,642
Suddenly, they have
this much bigger problem
734
00:43:20,725 --> 00:43:21,893
with Union Planters,
735
00:43:21,976 --> 00:43:24,646
who they've had
a long relationship with.
736
00:43:30,151 --> 00:43:33,196
By the mid-'70s,
this bank was in trouble.
737
00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:38,576
They had made an unbelievable
number of shaky loans
738
00:43:39,202 --> 00:43:42,288
and is now being threatened
by the U.S. government
739
00:43:42,997 --> 00:43:47,377
to get its ship straightened out
or go out of business.
740
00:43:51,756 --> 00:43:54,634
And then it's discovered
that one of their employees
741
00:43:54,718 --> 00:43:57,095
is forging checks.
742
00:43:57,554 --> 00:43:59,973
He's a loan officer
named Joe Harwell,
743
00:44:00,598 --> 00:44:02,934
who just happens to have
the Stax account.
744
00:44:03,935 --> 00:44:06,646
Joe Harwell,
he'd been sent to prison.
745
00:44:07,522 --> 00:44:09,024
I was shocked.
746
00:44:10,608 --> 00:44:11,943
I was shocked.
747
00:44:11,985 --> 00:44:14,571
I thought he was the best banker
in the world.
748
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:18,241
When the artists came in town,
if they needed to get money,
749
00:44:18,283 --> 00:44:21,286
cash a Stax check,
I would send them to him.
750
00:44:23,496 --> 00:44:25,373
The bank has insurance
751
00:44:25,457 --> 00:44:29,836
that basically says
if there's fraudulent activity
752
00:44:29,919 --> 00:44:33,256
between a bank employee
and a client,
753
00:44:33,298 --> 00:44:38,970
they can collect millions
of dollars and save the bank.
754
00:44:42,182 --> 00:44:45,101
The board of directors
at Union Planters
755
00:44:45,769 --> 00:44:49,856
is comprised of the financial
elite within Memphis.
756
00:44:51,900 --> 00:44:54,402
They were not going to allow
that bank to go down
757
00:44:54,486 --> 00:44:56,071
if they could do
anything about it.
758
00:44:57,822 --> 00:45:00,825
At Union Planters,
the solution is to
759
00:45:00,909 --> 00:45:05,205
connect Joe Harwell to Al Bell.
760
00:45:10,168 --> 00:45:11,920
In Memphis, Tennessee,
761
00:45:12,003 --> 00:45:15,173
what better target
than a record company
762
00:45:15,256 --> 00:45:17,676
that's predominantly
African American
763
00:45:17,717 --> 00:45:20,053
that's making
Black people wealthy?
764
00:45:22,430 --> 00:45:26,017
Our fate becomes their cover.
765
00:45:27,018 --> 00:45:28,478
Union Planters National Bank
766
00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:34,359
filed a 16-count indictment
against me and Joe Harwell
767
00:45:34,442 --> 00:45:40,365
for conspiring to defraud
the bank of $18.9 million.
768
00:45:41,783 --> 00:45:44,577
Can you imagine that
in Memphis, Tennessee?
769
00:45:44,994 --> 00:45:46,871
And a Black man from Arkansas
770
00:45:46,913 --> 00:45:49,749
conspiring to defraud
a white bank
771
00:45:49,833 --> 00:45:51,668
of $18.9 million?
772
00:45:51,710 --> 00:45:54,170
Is that believable?
773
00:45:54,254 --> 00:45:56,464
Is that believable even?
774
00:46:17,902 --> 00:46:20,321
When I went to my trial,
775
00:46:20,405 --> 00:46:22,323
I thought based on the way
776
00:46:22,407 --> 00:46:26,953
these attorneys
were presenting their case,
777
00:46:27,829 --> 00:46:28,955
that the jurors,
778
00:46:29,039 --> 00:46:32,042
two black people,
ten white people,
779
00:46:32,459 --> 00:46:34,169
knowing the world,
780
00:46:34,252 --> 00:46:37,088
that they would do anything
other than find me guilty.
781
00:46:42,260 --> 00:46:44,596
I left the courtroom
that first day
782
00:46:46,097 --> 00:46:48,808
and went back over there
on South Parkway
783
00:46:49,434 --> 00:46:51,811
to my back guest bedroom,
784
00:46:52,896 --> 00:46:56,274
got on my knees beside the bed,
and I opened a drawer.
785
00:46:57,025 --> 00:46:59,152
My mind was I needed something,
786
00:46:59,235 --> 00:47:02,113
and in that drawer
was my Bible...
787
00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:04,616
and my .38.
788
00:47:12,707 --> 00:47:14,417
And as I looked at it,
789
00:47:14,959 --> 00:47:17,796
I just grabbed my Bible,
took it out,
790
00:47:17,879 --> 00:47:19,756
stayed on my knees,
791
00:47:19,798 --> 00:47:23,093
and I went
to my Garden of Gethsemane.
792
00:47:24,302 --> 00:47:26,971
Not my will,
but Thy will be done.
793
00:47:30,058 --> 00:47:32,018
And made up my mind that night,
794
00:47:32,102 --> 00:47:35,563
if they are successful
prosecuting me,
795
00:47:38,024 --> 00:47:40,610
then I'll run this business
going forth
796
00:47:40,652 --> 00:47:42,570
and rebuild it from jail.
797
00:47:47,492 --> 00:47:51,955
If the only demon
798
00:47:53,081 --> 00:47:57,210
in this situation that Al Bell
had been fighting
799
00:47:57,669 --> 00:47:59,879
had been criminal,
800
00:47:59,963 --> 00:48:02,048
that would've been one thing.
801
00:48:02,132 --> 00:48:06,469
But he was fighting the most
insidious of all demons,
802
00:48:06,511 --> 00:48:08,388
and that's racism.
803
00:48:08,930 --> 00:48:11,391
He-- It was bigger
than Al Bell.
804
00:48:11,474 --> 00:48:15,895
Al Bell just happened to be
the owner and face
805
00:48:15,979 --> 00:48:20,692
of what it was
that Memphis was trying to kill.
806
00:48:23,194 --> 00:48:25,238
All the charges against Al
807
00:48:25,321 --> 00:48:27,866
caused us to lose credibility.
808
00:48:27,949 --> 00:48:30,785
Nobody wanted to have anything
to do with Stax.
809
00:48:31,286 --> 00:48:34,080
We could not overcome
all these things
810
00:48:34,164 --> 00:48:36,458
coming at us from all sides.
811
00:48:45,592 --> 00:48:47,719
I realized
the company was in trouble
812
00:48:47,802 --> 00:48:49,679
when I went to cash my check.
813
00:48:51,264 --> 00:48:53,183
I was told,
"We've been instructed, uh,
814
00:48:53,224 --> 00:48:55,643
that we can't take
your payroll checks."
815
00:48:56,394 --> 00:48:59,564
Then it got so bad
that uh, uh,
816
00:48:59,647 --> 00:49:01,316
we were getting paid in cash.
817
00:49:02,484 --> 00:49:05,236
I was writing money
out of my checking account,
818
00:49:05,278 --> 00:49:06,821
giving to people,
because they'd say,
819
00:49:06,905 --> 00:49:08,865
"I can't pay my house note.
820
00:49:08,907 --> 00:49:10,158
I can't pay this, I can't pay."
821
00:49:10,241 --> 00:49:12,619
And me giving people money
822
00:49:13,370 --> 00:49:16,039
to take care of some
of their responsibilities.
823
00:49:18,208 --> 00:49:20,126
Bills piling up.
824
00:49:20,919 --> 00:49:22,754
No money coming in.
825
00:49:23,254 --> 00:49:26,174
Employees and artists leaving.
826
00:49:26,925 --> 00:49:28,885
One day,
I got called
827
00:49:28,927 --> 00:49:30,929
into Deanie's office.
828
00:49:31,429 --> 00:49:36,476
She said, "I've got to cut
my department in half
829
00:49:36,559 --> 00:49:38,103
immediately,
830
00:49:38,186 --> 00:49:40,480
and I'm starting with you
831
00:49:40,563 --> 00:49:44,567
because in six months,
none of us are gonna be here."
832
00:49:46,778 --> 00:49:48,488
In the final days,
833
00:49:48,571 --> 00:49:51,783
I-I don't think there was more
than 20 people
834
00:49:51,866 --> 00:49:54,577
left aboard ship to work.
835
00:49:55,453 --> 00:49:57,122
Al was trying
to work things out,
836
00:49:57,205 --> 00:49:59,332
get some money from here,
some money from there.
837
00:49:59,416 --> 00:50:03,253
He definitely believed
he could keep Stax going
838
00:50:03,294 --> 00:50:06,423
if we did one more great record
or one more thing.
839
00:50:12,595 --> 00:50:16,641
I was in my office on McLemore,
840
00:50:17,267 --> 00:50:21,646
and I got a telephone call
from the receptionist.
841
00:50:22,272 --> 00:50:24,774
She said, uh, "Mr. Bell,
842
00:50:24,816 --> 00:50:27,736
there are some police officers
843
00:50:28,403 --> 00:50:30,947
and people from
Union Planters National Bank
844
00:50:30,989 --> 00:50:33,074
that want to meet with you."
845
00:50:38,204 --> 00:50:40,999
I walked up,
and then the officer
846
00:50:41,082 --> 00:50:42,959
from Union Planters
National Bank,
847
00:50:43,001 --> 00:50:46,629
he said, "Take us
to the master tape vault.
848
00:50:46,671 --> 00:50:48,131
We want the master tapes."
849
00:50:48,173 --> 00:50:50,592
I said, "What the heck
are you talking about?"
850
00:50:50,967 --> 00:50:54,220
I looked and saw
a Black federal marshal,
851
00:50:55,680 --> 00:50:58,016
and I said to him,
"What's going on, man?
852
00:50:58,099 --> 00:50:59,893
I mean, what is this for?"
853
00:51:00,268 --> 00:51:03,688
He said, "Well, Al,
Union Planters National Bank
854
00:51:03,772 --> 00:51:06,316
brought an involuntary
bankruptcy proceeding
855
00:51:06,399 --> 00:51:07,525
against you,
856
00:51:07,567 --> 00:51:09,861
and I have to serve you
with that.
857
00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:12,489
They want the master tapes."
858
00:51:15,533 --> 00:51:19,371
I was really getting upset,
really getting upset.
859
00:51:20,330 --> 00:51:24,167
Our most important asset
as a recorded music company
860
00:51:24,209 --> 00:51:26,503
is those masters.
861
00:51:28,713 --> 00:51:35,679
At that point, I really was
ready to go off.
862
00:51:38,431 --> 00:51:40,600
And then the Black
federal marshal,
863
00:51:41,184 --> 00:51:42,894
he said quietly,
864
00:51:43,561 --> 00:51:48,066
"Be cool. They came to off you.
Be cool."
865
00:51:48,149 --> 00:51:51,236
I said, "What?" He said,
"They came to off you, Al."
866
00:51:51,528 --> 00:51:53,154
I said, "Whoa.
867
00:51:54,030 --> 00:51:55,990
I'm facing death out there?"
868
00:52:00,161 --> 00:52:04,708
I turned around, and I start
walking down the halls
869
00:52:04,749 --> 00:52:08,837
and back toward
Studio B
870
00:52:09,379 --> 00:52:11,548
and the master tape vault,
871
00:52:12,716 --> 00:52:14,801
and showed them
how to open the vault,
872
00:52:14,884 --> 00:52:16,386
and let them in.
873
00:52:24,060 --> 00:52:28,481
Everything significant
874
00:52:28,565 --> 00:52:30,358
that we achieved
875
00:52:30,442 --> 00:52:32,861
was in those masters.
876
00:52:39,617 --> 00:52:43,621
I remember calling up
top business people.
877
00:52:43,955 --> 00:52:46,291
I thought, look,
I'm a white guy,
878
00:52:46,332 --> 00:52:48,460
and I knew a few people
that owned certain things,
879
00:52:48,543 --> 00:52:50,211
I thought, maybe
they'll listen to me.
880
00:52:50,295 --> 00:52:53,256
And I remember going
to several people and saying,
881
00:52:53,298 --> 00:52:56,676
"Look, Stax is an institution.
882
00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:59,054
Why don't we save it?"
883
00:52:59,137 --> 00:53:00,722
And nobody cared.
884
00:53:00,805 --> 00:53:03,516
People with all the money
in the world,
885
00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:06,186
who could have done something,
886
00:53:06,269 --> 00:53:07,729
two or three of 'em
could have got together,
887
00:53:07,812 --> 00:53:10,273
not even missed the money,
and-and saved it.
888
00:53:10,315 --> 00:53:11,483
But no one was interested.
889
00:53:11,566 --> 00:53:14,486
I couldn't get anybody
interested.
890
00:53:40,261 --> 00:53:42,347
I went there one day.
891
00:53:44,724 --> 00:53:46,351
It was rubble.
892
00:53:47,852 --> 00:53:50,647
I parked right in front,
893
00:53:51,523 --> 00:53:54,734
climbed up on them bricks
which was, like, 'bout here,
894
00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:59,864
all along,
and laid down on them like this.
895
00:54:00,407 --> 00:54:02,867
Just laid down on the bricks.
896
00:54:11,751 --> 00:54:13,461
That was like...
897
00:54:14,129 --> 00:54:16,297
demolishing a pyramid.
898
00:54:17,549 --> 00:54:20,343
So much... so much blood,
sweat, and tears
899
00:54:20,385 --> 00:54:21,845
went into that company
900
00:54:21,886 --> 00:54:23,722
from so many of us.
901
00:54:28,059 --> 00:54:29,769
When it ended,
902
00:54:30,395 --> 00:54:33,648
my thought was
all the unfinished music,
903
00:54:33,732 --> 00:54:36,317
you know,
all what could have been.
904
00:54:36,401 --> 00:54:39,738
Think of the great music
that we could have produced
905
00:54:39,821 --> 00:54:41,406
to share with the world.
906
00:54:41,448 --> 00:54:45,744
I mean, you destroy art
like that...
907
00:54:47,370 --> 00:54:49,164
that's... that's a sin.
908
00:55:00,675 --> 00:55:03,511
After the close of Stax,
909
00:55:05,597 --> 00:55:09,726
I would drive
and park across the street
910
00:55:10,143 --> 00:55:12,562
and look at that vacant lot
911
00:55:14,022 --> 00:55:16,900
and see the weeds there,
912
00:55:17,984 --> 00:55:19,694
building gone...
913
00:55:22,197 --> 00:55:23,907
and I would cry.
914
00:55:30,455 --> 00:55:32,123
Do you think people understand
915
00:55:32,165 --> 00:55:34,668
how much a sacrifice
916
00:55:34,751 --> 00:55:37,504
this kind of latter part
of the story was for you?
917
00:55:37,587 --> 00:55:39,214
They have no earthly idea.
918
00:55:39,297 --> 00:55:40,757
They have no earthly idea.
919
00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:43,093
And people that I love
920
00:55:43,134 --> 00:55:45,470
and that are a part of Stax,
and I know they don't.
921
00:55:45,553 --> 00:55:48,056
That I was gonna be going
to jail if they'd convicted,
922
00:55:48,139 --> 00:55:51,893
had been successful in that,
for two life times, 140 years?
923
00:55:52,435 --> 00:55:54,729
That's what I've been through.
924
00:56:03,488 --> 00:56:05,615
Al was acquitted.
925
00:56:06,282 --> 00:56:08,410
By the time that was over,
you know,
926
00:56:08,493 --> 00:56:10,954
he had to move out of Memphis.
927
00:56:11,538 --> 00:56:14,124
He just couldn't take
the city anymore
928
00:56:14,165 --> 00:56:19,504
'cause he... how he felt
on what they had done to him.
929
00:56:20,630 --> 00:56:22,090
What about you?
930
00:56:22,173 --> 00:56:24,175
Well, we lost... lost our home
931
00:56:24,217 --> 00:56:26,594
and then...
932
00:56:27,012 --> 00:56:30,765
...and the bank finally,
you know, took it.
933
00:56:30,849 --> 00:56:32,475
And, um...
934
00:56:35,520 --> 00:56:38,148
So it was... it was
kind of rough for a while.
935
00:56:39,024 --> 00:56:42,819
But, you know, I consider myself
quite lucky, in all.
936
00:56:42,861 --> 00:56:46,156
I loved to get up every morning
and go to work.
937
00:56:50,535 --> 00:56:56,124
♪ Gee whiz ♪
938
00:56:57,375 --> 00:57:01,087
♪ Look at his eyes ♪
939
00:57:01,921 --> 00:57:05,133
♪ Gee whiz ♪
940
00:57:05,216 --> 00:57:09,721
♪ How they hypnotize ♪
941
00:57:10,555 --> 00:57:12,932
♪ He's got everything... ♪
942
00:57:13,016 --> 00:57:15,727
The people
who gave their hearts
943
00:57:15,769 --> 00:57:18,980
and minds and soul
to that company,
944
00:57:20,565 --> 00:57:22,734
they made Stax Records.
945
00:57:25,028 --> 00:57:27,572
♪ Oh, oh ♪
946
00:57:27,655 --> 00:57:30,784
♪ Gee whiz ♪
947
00:57:32,535 --> 00:57:35,705
♪ He's all the joy ♪
948
00:57:37,248 --> 00:57:38,500
♪ Gee whiz ♪
949
00:57:38,583 --> 00:57:40,126
Bettye Crutcher,
950
00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:43,922
David and Isaac,
951
00:57:44,589 --> 00:57:46,925
Rufus and Carla,
952
00:57:48,426 --> 00:57:50,053
Booker T.,
953
00:57:51,262 --> 00:57:52,430
Otis.
954
00:57:52,472 --> 00:57:56,434
♪ I hope I'm not his decoy ♪
955
00:57:56,518 --> 00:57:59,479
I merely gave them
the tool
956
00:57:59,562 --> 00:58:03,191
for them to express themselves.
957
00:58:03,274 --> 00:58:05,026
♪ Oh ♪
958
00:58:05,110 --> 00:58:06,611
♪ Our love ♪
959
00:58:10,031 --> 00:58:12,784
There was real soul there.
960
00:58:16,204 --> 00:58:18,748
♪ I hope our love will ♪
961
00:58:18,790 --> 00:58:21,418
♪ Grow and grow ♪
962
00:58:21,459 --> 00:58:23,003
♪ 'Cause... ♪
963
00:58:23,086 --> 00:58:29,968
We were trying to be that
example of the American ideal.
964
00:58:31,469 --> 00:58:33,471
Those with the power,
965
00:58:33,513 --> 00:58:38,184
they wanted Stax Records
to be erased.
966
00:58:38,977 --> 00:58:42,063
But for years,
people would come to Memphis
967
00:58:42,147 --> 00:58:43,398
from all over the world
968
00:58:43,440 --> 00:58:45,442
and they would pick up
anything they could find
969
00:58:45,483 --> 00:58:46,735
on that corner.
970
00:58:46,818 --> 00:58:49,487
A pebble,
a piece of broken glass,
971
00:58:49,529 --> 00:58:51,489
whatever they could get
972
00:58:51,531 --> 00:58:53,241
that they thought might have
been a part
973
00:58:53,324 --> 00:58:55,035
of that old Stax building,
974
00:58:55,785 --> 00:59:00,498
because they were that excited
and that much in love
975
00:59:00,540 --> 00:59:04,544
with the music that was created
at Stax Records
976
00:59:05,378 --> 00:59:07,672
in Soulsville, USA.
977
00:59:07,714 --> 00:59:13,636
♪ Gee whiz ♪
978
00:59:13,678 --> 00:59:18,683
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
979
00:59:49,881 --> 00:59:54,719
-♪ Each new day ♪
-♪ Each new day ♪
980
00:59:54,803 --> 00:59:59,015
♪ Finds me so blue, yeah ♪
981
01:00:01,851 --> 01:00:07,023
♪ Because nothing,
oh, nothing ♪
982
01:00:07,065 --> 01:00:12,987
♪ Takes the place of you ♪
983
01:00:14,864 --> 01:00:17,992
♪ I read your letters ♪
984
01:00:19,869 --> 01:00:23,039
♪ Oh, one by one ♪
985
01:00:25,875 --> 01:00:29,045
♪ And I still love you ♪
986
01:00:31,464 --> 01:00:36,344
♪ When it's all said and done ♪
987
01:00:37,887 --> 01:00:40,432
♪ Oh, my darling ♪
988
01:00:40,473 --> 01:00:43,810
♪ Oh, my darling, my darling ♪
989
01:00:43,893 --> 01:00:48,189
♪ I'm so blue, yeah ♪
990
01:00:48,273 --> 01:00:49,899
♪ Blue ♪
991
01:00:49,941 --> 01:00:52,819
-♪ Because nothing ♪
-♪ Because nothing ♪
992
01:00:52,902 --> 01:00:55,822
♪ Oh, nothing ♪
993
01:00:55,905 --> 01:00:59,075
♪ Takes the place of you ♪
994
01:01:05,123 --> 01:01:07,000
♪ As I ♪
995
01:01:07,917 --> 01:01:11,087
♪ As I write this letter ♪
996
01:01:12,297 --> 01:01:14,090
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
997
01:01:15,133 --> 01:01:18,261
♪ It's raining, raining,
raining ♪
998
01:01:18,970 --> 01:01:24,809
♪ It's raining
on my windowpane ♪
999
01:01:26,811 --> 01:01:29,105
♪ Ah, and ♪
1000
01:01:31,649 --> 01:01:34,986
♪ And I feel the need ♪
1001
01:01:35,028 --> 01:01:37,113
♪ Oh, the need of you ♪
1002
01:01:38,406 --> 01:01:42,369
♪ Because, see, without you,
oh, without you ♪
1003
01:01:42,452 --> 01:01:43,828
♪ Where are you? ♪
1004
01:01:43,870 --> 01:01:49,125
♪ Oh, nothing, nothing,
nothing seems the same ♪
74489
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.
Afrikaans
Akan
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bemba
Bengali
Bihari
Breton
Bulgarian
Cambodian
Catalan
Cebuano
Cherokee
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Czech
Danish
English
Esperanto
Estonian
Faroese
Finnish
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Guarani
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Japanese
Kazakh
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Kongo
Korean
Krio (Sierra Leone)
Kurdish
Kyrgyz
Laothian
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luganda
Luo
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Maltese
Maori
Mauritian Creole
Moldavian
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Montenegrin
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Quechua
Romansh
Russian
Samoan
Scots Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Setswana
Seychellois Creole
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhalese
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish (Latin American)
Swedish
Tajik
Thai
Tigrinya
Tonga
Turkish
Turkmen
Ukrainian
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Wolof