Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was
Sam Moore (1935–2025) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was
Dave Prater (1937–1988).
Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", "The Sultans of Sweat", and "The Dynamic Duo" for their gritty, gospel-infused performances, Sam & Dave are considered one of the greatest live acts of the 1960s. Many subsequent musicians have named them as an influence, including
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
,
Al Green,
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...
,
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
,
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
,
Steve Van Zandt,
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
,
The Jam
The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey, consisting of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in ...
,
Teddy Pendergrass,
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
, and
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a guitarist, keyboard player, and vocalist prominent for his dis ...
.
The Blues Brothers, who helped create a resurgence of popularity for
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
R&B, and
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
in the 1980s, were influenced by Sam & Dave – their biggest hit was a cover of "
Soul Man", and their act and stage show contained many homages to the duo.
According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Sam & Dave were the most successful soul duo and brought the sounds of the black gospel church to pop music with their call-and-response records. Recorded primarily at
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
...
in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1965 through 1968, these included "Soul Man", "
Hold On, I'm Comin'", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "
I Thank You", "
When Something Is Wrong with My Baby", "Wrap It Up", and many other Southern Soul classics. Except for
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
, no soul act during Sam & Dave's Stax years (1965–1968) had more consistent R&B chart success, including 10 consecutive top-20 singles and three consecutive top-10 LPs. Their crossover charts appeal (13 straight appearances and two top-10 singles) helped to pave the way for the acceptance of soul music by white pop audiences, and their song "Soul Man" was one of the first songs by a black group to top the pop charts using the word "soul", helping define the genre. "Soul Man" was a number-one Pop Hit (''Cashbox'': November 11, 1967) and has been recognized as one of the most influential songs of the past 50 years by the
Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine, and
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
Songs of the Century. "Soul Man" was featured as the soundtrack and title for a 1986 film and also a 1997–1998 television series, and ''
Soul Men'' was a 2008 feature film.
Sam & Dave are inductees in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
, the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the
Memphis Music Hall of Fame
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, located in Memphis, Tennessee, honors Memphis musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Memphis. Since its establishment in 2012, the Hall of Fame has ...
, and the
Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. They won a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for "Soul Man" and they received the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
in 2019. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Sam & Dave No. 14 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Early years
Sam Moore and Dave Prater's early musical backgrounds involved listening to and singing gospel music in their homes and churches, and in Dave's case, also singing gospel in the choir in his church. Dave later sang with his older brother JT Prater in the gospel group The Sensational Hummingbirds, who recorded "Lord Teach Me" in the 1950s. Sam recorded "Nitey-Nite"/"Caveman Rock" in 1954 with the doo-wop group The Majestics, and later sang with the gospel groups The Gales and The Mellonaires. Moore and Prater listed
Jackie Wilson and
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
as influences on their styles, and Moore was also influenced by
Little Willie John, whom he and Dave opened for often in the early 1960s.
Sam & Dave met working the gospel music circuit, and later in small clubs in Miami during amateur nights in 1961 according to Dave.
[Interview with Dave Prater and Dave Booth cover of 1984 ''I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down'' LP] They sang together one night at the King of Hearts club, and started working together immediately thereafter, developing a live act featuring gospel-inspired call-and-response. Soul singer and record producer
Steve Alaimo discovered them while performing during the same show with them at the King of Hearts nightclub in Miami and signed them to
Marlin Records.
After two singles in early 1962 were released on the local Marlin label owned by Miami's
Henry Stone, Stone helped sign them to
Roulette Records in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. They released six 45s from 1962 to 1964 (two were re-releases of Marlin recordings) with Roulette, and one single on Stone and Alaimo's Alston Label. A few of the singles received regional airplay, but did not achieve national chart success. The songs, some of which were produced by
Steve Alaimo and some of which were produced by
Henry Glover, were similar in many ways to R&B recordings by Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Little Willie John. Prater was the lead vocalist on most of these singles, with Moore singing harmony and alternate verses.
In summer 1964, Stone introduced the duo to
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
'
Jerry Wexler
Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integra ...
, who signed them to Atlantic. Wexler asked
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
-based
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
...
, which Atlantic distributed nationally, to work with Sam & Dave. Wexler wanted the Southern roots and gospel style of their live performances, so the pair were loaned to Stax to record, although they remained
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
artists. According to Wexler's autobiography ''Rhythms & Blues'', "Their live act was filled with animation, harmony and seeming goodwill. I put Sam in the sweet tradition of Sam Cooke or
Solomon Burke, while Dave had an ominous
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 as the Four Aims. They were one of the most commercially successful American pop music groups of the 1960s and helped propel Motown Records to international fame. The ...
'
Levi Stubbs-sounding voice, the preacher promising hellfire."
Stax years (1965–1968)
Arrival at Stax and early Stax singles
When Sam & Dave arrived at Stax, they worked with producer & engineer
Jim Stewart and songwriters including the MGs' guitarist
Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...
, who wrote or co-wrote four of their first eight recordings. The duo then moved to relative newcomer writers and producers
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
and
David Porter. Hayes and Porter wrote and produced the duo's biggest hits (although they did not receive production credits until the ''Soul Men'' LP and singles). According to Moore and Prater, they also greatly influenced the duo's singing style, and shifted their recording style from the style of their Roulette records to a more live, more energetic gospel, call-and-response feel and beat driven soul style the group is known for today.
Sam & Dave's Stax records also benefited from the musicians and engineering at Stax. The Stax house band,
Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Stax horn section,
The Mar-Keys, were world-class musicians who co-wrote (often without credit) and contributed to recordings—the same musicians who recorded with
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
,
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter.
A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...
,
Carla Thomas and other soul artists. Sam & Dave's Stax recordings through 1967 were engineered by Stax founder
Jim Stewart, who created the Memphis Sound by recording live in a single take. Stewart is credited for instrumental mixes that allowed for instrumental separation and the distinct contribution of each instrument to the overall feel of the song.
While the first two Stax singles failed to chart, the third, the Hayes/Porter composition (with similarities, including the title, to a gospel standard) "You Don't Know Like I Know" hit No. 7 R&B in 1966. This was the first of 10 consecutive top-20 R&B chart hits over three years, and 14 R&B chart appearances during their career.
"Hold On, I'm Comin single and ''Hold On, I'm Comin LP
"
Hold On, I'm Comin' (R&B#1/Pop#21), released in March 1966, was an enormous R&B hit for Sam & Dave, and also their first single to break into the top-40 pop charts. The song was named the No. 1 song of the year for 1966 by the ''Billboard'' R&B charts, and spent 20 weeks on the R&B charts in 1966, peaking at No. 1 in June. In 1988, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' named it one of the best 100 songs of the past 25 years. "Hold On, I'm Comin received a belated
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
gold record
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
for one million sales in 1995, 29 years after its release.
[''Soulville'' Bowman pp 91–92] "Hold On, I'm Comin has since been recorded by dozens of other artists.
"Hold On, I'm Comin was also the first recording on which Moore took lead on the first verse and Prater was given the response role and second verse at Hayes and Porter's suggestion. The duo used this format (singing dual leads) on most of their songs. The song was created when Hayes called to Porter, who was in the bathroom. Porter supposedly said "Hold on, man. I'm comin'," and Hayes and Porter wrote the song within 10 minutes.
"Hold On, I'm Comin', when released, received objections from radio stations over the suggestive title. This resulted in a name change by Stewart and quick re-recording and re-release, and nearly all the original U.S. copies of the single bear the title "Hold On, I'm A-Comin'".
The LP ''
Hold On, I'm Comin''' (4/66) reached No. 1 for 19 weeks on the R&B album charts in 1966. After Sam & Dave's chart success, Roulette quickly released the album ''Sam & Dave'' in 1966 as well, a collection of the A & B sides of their six Roulette 45s, which did not chart.
''When Something is Wrong, Double Dynamite'' LP and singles
Sam & Dave's next huge R&B hit was "When Something is Wrong With My Baby", their only ballad single, which was released in January 1967. Stax author Rob Bowman called this "One of the most sublime records in soul music's history," and The Mar-Keys trumpet player Wayne Jackson called it the greatest song he has ever heard. This was the only Sam & Dave hit where Dave sang the first verse solo; their other hits started with Sam & Dave together or Sam singing the first verse. "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" has since become an often recorded and performed duet for male and female singers performing together.
The duo also charted in late 1966 with the top 10 R&B hits "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody", and "You Got Me Hummin". These three singles, along with other tracks, were compiled on ''Double Dynamite'' (12/66), Sam & Dave's second LP on Stax. The LP peaked at No. 7 R&B and No. 118 Pop.
"Soul Man" single and ''Soul Men'' LP
Sam & Dave's biggest hit and best-remembered song, "
Soul Man" (R&B No. 1/Pop No. 2),
was released in August 1967. It was the number No. 1 song in the US according to ''Cashbox'' magazine Pop charts in November 1967. Sam & Dave won the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in 1967 for ''"Best Performance – Rhythm & Blues Group"'' for "Soul Man", their first gold record. "Soul Man" was voted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song helped name the emerging music genre as "Soul Music". According to co-writer Isaac Hayes, the title was inspired by news reports of soul pride that emerged after the 1967 race riots, where stories that painting the word "soul" on your door was a message for looters to bypass your house. Hayes-Porter extrapolated that to "I'm a soul brother, I'm a soul man.". It has been recognized as one of the best or most influential songs of 50 years by the Grammy Hall of Fame, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, ''Rolling Stone'', and R.I.A.A. Songs of the Century. "Soul Man" was used as the soundtrack and title for a 1986 film, a 2008 film ''
Soul Men'', a 1997–1998 television series. In 2019, "Soul Man" was selected by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
for preservation in the
National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The ''
Soul Men'' LP (October 1967) was Sam & Dave's third Stax LP (R&B No. 5/Pop No. 68). Musicologist Rob Bowman called ''Soul Men'' "One of the greatest soul music albums of all time." "Don't Knock It" from the LP was released as a single in France, but other songs were not released as U.S. singles due to the long run by "Soul Man" on the Pop charts (15 weeks), by which time "I Thank You/Wrap It Up" was ready for release. "May I Baby", the B-side of "Soul Man", is also regarded as a classic song on the LP by Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles" guide, and was a popular live song performed frequently by Sam & Dave.
"I Thank You" single and ''I Thank You'' LP
In 1968, Sam & Dave again charted with the gospel-inspired "I Thank You/Wrap It Up" (R&B No. 4/Pop No. 9). Critics commented that the B-side "Wrap It Up" could have been a separate successful single, which it later became for
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...
. Because the duo were so busy touring, Hayes & Porter traveled to Europe to record the vocal track on "Wrap It Up" in order to release the single. Due to the end of the distribution agreement between Stax and
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
in May 1968, "
I Thank You" was Sam & Dave's final single on Stax. Although they continued to work at Stax with Hayes/Porter, as of May 1968, the duo's work was released on Atlantic Records. "I Thank You" sold over one million copies, earning it gold record status.
Sam & Dave's first 1968 single for Atlantic was "You Don't Know What You Mean to Me", written by
Eddie Floyd and
Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...
(R&B #19/Pop #48). Sam & Dave said it was their favorite of their songs. Sam & Dave also released "Can't You Find Another Way (of Doing It)" (#20 R&B/#54 Pop), but it was not included in the ''I Thank You'' LP. Their final single of 1968, "Everybody Got to Believe in Somebody", charted in the lower levels of the pop charts and ended Sam & Dave's streak at 10 straight R&B top 20 singles.
Though on Atlantic, the ''I Thank You'' LP (10/68) included 1968 singles initially on both Stax and Atlantic. The LP peaked at No. 38 on the R&B charts, and was the only LP of their Stax recordings not to chart on the Pop LP charts.
Sam & Dave's live performances
In March 1967, Sam & Dave were co-headliners for the Stax/Volt Revue in Europe, which included
Booker T & the MGs,
The Mar-Keys,
Eddie Floyd,
Carla Thomas,
Arthur Conley
Arthur Lee Conley (January 4, 1946 – November 17, 2003), also known in later years as Lee Roberts, was an American soul singer, best known for the 1967 hit " Sweet Soul Music".
Early life
Conley was born in McIntosh County, Georgia, U.S., an ...
and headliner
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
. It was the duo's first trip to Europe. Although Redding headlined the tour, many agreed Sam & Dave stole the show on many nights. A live version of "Soothe Me" from Sam & Dave's ''Double Dynamite'' LP was recorded in Paris during the 1967 tour. Released as a single in mid-1967, it continued Sam & Dave's string of top 20 U.S. R&B hits and was their first in the UK Top 40.
After the tour, Sam & Dave worked as headliners in the U.S. and in Europe during Fall 1967, Fall 1968 and January 1970, and in Japan in 1969 and 1970. They averaged 280 shows per year from 1967 through 1969 and in 1967, they only took ten days off. Other high points included headlining the
Montreal World's Fair in 1967, performing at the tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. at Madison Square Garden in June 1968, being the first black soul act to headline the
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was Promoter (entertainment), rock promoter Bill Graham (promoter), Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue near 6th Street (Manhattan), East 6th Street on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan, ...
in December 1968, and headlining the
Texas International Pop Festival for two nights in August 1969. Sam & Dave also performed on U.S. and European television, including two appearances on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'' in 1969, appearing on
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
and
American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
in 1967, and performing on ''
The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' is an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland in 1961 before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went i ...
'' in 1969 and 1970.
The Atlantic Records years (1968–1972)
''Best of'' LP, Stax-recorded singles (1969)
The year 1969 started well, with the Atlantic release of ''The Best of Sam & Dave'' LP in January. It contained all of their Stax A sides except "A Place Nobody Can Find" and several B-sides, and peaked at No. 24 on the R&B LP charts and No. 89 on the Billboard LP charts. Their first single of the year, "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar", returned Sam & Dave to the R&B top 20, and was a No. 15 hit in the UK. The follow-up "Born Again", reached the lower levels of the charts, and was the last single Sam & Dave recorded at Stax.
Atlantic produced records, first break-up, and reunion (1969–1972)
Jerry Wexler with co-producer
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
tried producing Sam & Dave in New York, with Atlantic songwriters and musicians. It took eight months to issue "Ooh, Ooh, Ooh", the first Atlantic single in August 1969. It was not a very good record, by Sam's own admission, and it represented the first time in four years that a Sam & Dave single failed to chart.
Two more singles followed in 1970, "Baby, Baby, Don't Stop Now", and "One Part Love, Two Parts Pain". The first was a leftover Hayes-Porter recording from Stax; the second was produced by Wexler and Dowd in New York, and was written by Stax executive
Al Bell and Allen Jones. Both failed to chart. According to Wexler, "We just made some shit-ass records with them. I never really got into their sensibilities as a producer." Wexler then sent the duo south to Muscle Shoals and Miami to work with producers
Brad Shapiro and Dave Crawford for their next single "Knock It Out The Park", which also failed to chart.
Sam & Dave split in June 1970, according to Moore, as a result of his dissatisfaction with the duo and his desire to pursue a career solo.
[Interview with ''Blues and Soul'' magazine (July 17–30, 1970) and later interviews] According to Prater, they broke up because "
ooredecided to do what he wanted to do on his own." Moore performed with his own revue in 1970.
He recorded three solo singles (none of which charted) for Atlantic over the next year and was preparing an album produced by King Curtis, which was shelved after Curtis was stabbed to death in 1971. Prater recorded a single for Alston. Neither was commercially successful as a solo act, and they reunited in August 1971.
In October 1971, their last Atlantic single, "
Don't Pull Your Love", was a cover of a hit by
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. This Shapiro/Crawford production was a minor hit (R&B No. 36/Pop No. 102), but not a substantial enough commercial success to keep the duo signed to the label. Sam & Dave recorded four final songs for Atlantic in August, 1972, none of which was released by the label. Their contract with Atlantic expired shortly thereafter.
Later years (1972–1981)
Despite inability to attract a major label after Atlantic, there was still demand for public performances, especially in Europe. They toured Turkey in Spring, 1972 and England in Spring, 1973. Sam & Dave also continued to be visible in the U.S., performing on TV shows including ''
The Midnight Special'' and ''
The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' is an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland in 1961 before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went i ...
''. According to Sam, most U.S. shows in the 1970s were small clubs, oldies shows, and whatever they could get. He attributed their poor bookings during this period to rumors of drug use and bad blood between the duo.
Sam & Dave returned to the studio in 1974 and 1975, recording an album of new songs titled ''Back at Cha'' for United Artists. The album – their first album of new material in 7 years – was produced by
Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...
, and featured the MGs and The Memphis Horns and had a minor R&B single, "
A Little Bit of Good" (R&B No. 89). Songwriters included Cropper, Allen Toussaint, and Jimmy Cliff. Although the LP received positive reviews, it failed to chart. In a side project, they provided vocals on "Come On, Come Over" for
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...
for his debut album on Epic in 1976.
In 1976–77, Sam & Dave recorded songs in the UK with producer John Abbey. Two singles were released on Abbey's Contempo label in the UK and Germany, with limited success. Ironically, given the duo's disputes, one of the last singles by Sam & Dave was a cover of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
"
We Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a A-side and B-side#Double A-side, double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. The song was rec ...
". Sam & Dave also briefly retired in 1977, with Dave working at a Pontiac dealership in New Jersey and Sam working at an Austin, Texas, law firm as a process server.
In 1978, Sam & Dave re-recorded old hits for the LP ''Sweet & Funky Gold'' (Gusto), and re-recorded songs and other soul hits during this period in Nashville for an album for
K-Tel Records, ''The Original Soul Man''. In Summer, 1978, they toured Germany for two weeks.
In 1979, Sam & Dave enjoyed a significant resurgence of interest as a result of
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.
Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
's and
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi ( ; January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, singer and musician. He was one of seven ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members of the first season. He was arguably the most popular member of the ''Satur ...
's sketch characters
The Blues Brothers'', ''and the comic actors' 1979 top-40 cover of "Soul Man". Moore stated they were offered an opportunity to perform onstage with Belushi and Aykroyd on ''SNL'' but turned it down when Belushi said Sam & Dave had to perform the intro, then the Blues Brothers would take over. According to an April 1988 interview with Aykroyd in the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
,'' Aykroyd saw Sam & Dave as a teenager at the Montreal Expo in 1967 and said they were one of his biggest influences for creating The Blues Brothers. Aykroyd convinced director
John Landis
John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing comedy films such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal House'' (1978), The Blues Brothers (f ...
to include the Jake and Elwood Blues characters listening to "Hold On, I'm Comin and "Soothe Me" while riding in the Bluesmobile in the 1980 film ''
The Blues Brothers'' as a tribute to Sam & Dave.
Also in 1979, Sam & Dave opened shows for
The Clash
The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
on their U.S. tour, including at the
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...
in New York City. In 1980, the duo performed in
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
's film ''
One Trick Pony'' and, finally, on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. In 1980, they also were featured in a U.S. tour opening for the 1950s revival band
Sha Na Na.
In 1981, they re-recorded many hits along with
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
and
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
covers for LPs titled ''Soul Study Vol. 1'' and ''Soul Study Vol. 2'' (Odyssey). The pair last performed on New Year's Eve, 1981, at the
Old Waldorf in San Francisco. According to Moore, when they walked off stage it was the last time they spoke to each other.
Dave Prater and Sam Daniels (1982–1988)
In 1982, Prater started touring under the "Sam & Dave" name or as "The New Sam & Dave Revue" with Sam Daniels, who performed with Dave from October 1982 until Dave's death in 1988. Moore attempted to block Prater from using the group's name, but was largely unsuccessful. The Daniels & Prater incarnation played 100 shows per year over the next seven years, including in Europe, Japan and Canada.
In 1983, Sam & Dave called on
J.C. "Billy" Davis to put together a band to back them at a concert at
Pine Knob, in
Clarkston, Michigan
Clarkston is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, located about northwest of downtown Detroit, Clarkston is surrounded by Independence Township, Michigan, Independence Township, but admin ...
where they were opening for
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
.
In 1985, Prater and Sam Daniels released a newly sung medley of Sam & Dave hits recorded in The Netherlands, which peaked at No. 92 on the R&B chart and was credited to "Sam & Dave". Sam Moore got the record company to recall the single for using the "Sam & Dave" name without permission, and the record was re-labelled and re-issued by "The New Sam & Dave Revue".
Prater last performed with Sam Daniels on April 3, 1988, at a Stax Reunion at the Atlanta Civic Center, which also featured Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, and Rufus and Carla Thomas. Six days later, on April 9, 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia while driving to his mother's house.
Sam Moore solo career (1982–2025)
Moore continued to perform and record as a solo artist, and also performed in numerous duets with other popular artists, until his death on January 10, 2025.
Conflict between Moore and Prater
Sam & Dave were known for having a very tumultuous partnership during most of their 21 years together. According to Moore, they did not speak to each other offstage for almost 13 years. During the 1970s, they broke up many times, and typically would show up separately for shows, require separate dressing rooms, not look at each other onstage, and communicate through intermediaries. They also had performances in the 1970s where only one of them would show up, leading to the eventual departure of Moore, and the continuation of the name "Sam & Dave" by Prater pairing with vocalist Sam Daniels. Moore describes personal issues with Prater, including drug use, touring fatigue, and a desire to do his own act with new material as contributing to their break-up and replacement of Dave.
Prater attributed their rift and break-ups to Moore's frustrations in wanting to do his own act and diversify from repeatedly performing the Sam & Dave song catalog (which Prater has said that Moore did not like very much).
Covers by other artists/use in pop culture
Sam & Dave songs have been recorded by other artists, including 29 covers of "Hold On, I'm Comin'". Others who charted with Sam & Dave songs include
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
– "I Thank You",
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...
– "Wrap It Up",
James & Bobby Purify – "I Take What I Want",
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music.
Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...
(featuring
Aaron Neville) – "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby",
Chuck Jackson &
Maxine Brown – "Hold On, I'm Comin'",
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
– "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down", and
Lydia Pense &
Cold Blood – "I Take What I Want". A diverse group of other successful artists also recorded Sam & Dave covers, including:
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
,
Peter Frampton,
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...
,
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
,
Jackie Wilson,
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...
,
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as "Ireland's first rock star", he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometim ...
,
Tom Jones,
The Band
The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
,
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas,
Michael Bolton,
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...
&
Travis Tritt,
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...
,
Marilyn McCoo &
Billy Davis Jr.,
The Hollies,
Paul Butterfield
Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...
,
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
,
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...
, and
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
&
B.B. King.
In 2003, the
Stax Museum
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a museum located in Memphis, Tennessee, at 926 East McLemore Avenue, the original location of Stax Records. Stax launched and supported the careers of artists such as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, the The Sta ...
of American Soul Music opened in Memphis, and Sam & Dave are in the film made for the museum, titled ''Soulsville'', and they have a permanent wall-and-video display.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
used "Hold On, I'm Comin as a theme song on the campaign trail until Sam Moore requested that he stop using it. Eleven months later, Sam Moore performed "Soul Man" with
Sting and Elvis Costello at one of Obama's inaugural parties. A parody of "Soul Man" created by Moore, "I'm a Dole Man", was used in the 1996
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...
presidential campaign until the copyright owners objected and requested the campaign stop using it. Sam & Dave released the rare single "Hold On, Edwin's Coming" in 1982 to support Louisiana Governor
Edwin Edwards' third run for governor. Another parody, "I'm a Suns Fan", was recorded by Moore and used for the
Phoenix Suns basketball games.
Sam & Dave songs have been used frequently in movie and TV soundtracks and commercials, including "Hold On, I'm Comin on the soundtrack of the 2007 hit film ''
American Gangster''. "Hold On, I'm Comin and "Soothe Me" played on the radio and 8 track player (album titled: "The Best of Sam & Dave") in the Bluesmobile during the 1980 hit movie ''
The Blues Brothers''. "A Place Nobody Can Find" was used in the background of a scene in HBO's series ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
''.
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...
used "Hold On, I'm Comin" while driving his AC Cobra on his 2009 Super Bowl commercial to announce his show's move to a new time. "Wrap It Up" was used as a transition to commercial break for ''
The O'Reilly Factor''. "Soul Man" was used as the title and title track in the 1986 movie featuring C. Thomas Howell, and also the 1997–1998 television series featuring Dan Aykroyd. The movie ''
Tapeheads'', released in 1988 and starring
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack ( ; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor. With a career spanning over four decades, he has appeared in over 80 films. He began acting in f ...
and
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...
, featured Sam Moore and Junior Walker as a fictitious, legendary soul duo called The Swanky Modes.
The movie ''
Soul Men'', released in November 2008, was a comedy featuring
Bernie Mac and
Samuel L. Jackson as two feuding soul singers called "The Real Deal". In February 2009, Moore filed suit against the film production company (
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
) and the producers for infringing on the marks "Soul Man" and "Soul Men", claiming the movie is based on the careers of Sam & Dave, and damaged both Moore's reputation and career. The suit was dismissed on summary judgment in May 2012.
Discography
*1966: ''
Hold On, I'm Comin''' (Stax) (POP No. 45, R&B No. 1)
*1966: ''Double Dynamite'' (Stax) (POP No. 118, R&B No. 7)
*1967: ''
Soul Men'' (Stax) (POP No. 62, R&B No. 5)
*1968: ''I Thank You'' (Atlantic) (R&B No. 38)
*1975: ''Back at Cha'' (United Artists)
References
External links
Sam Moore's website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam and Dave
American soul musical groups
American rhythm and blues musical groups
African-American musical duos
Musical duos from Florida
Rhythm and blues duos
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Atlantic Records artists