Song #279 - "I'll Take You There" - The Staple Singers

Recorded - August 1971

Released - February 1972

#1 for week of June 3, 1972.

        The Staple Singers were a family band, originally rooted in the gospel and forming as early as 1948. By the early 1970's the band had become far more secular in their sound and had evolved into a modern R&B group. This change in direction proved highly fruitful as they scored their first #1 with "I'll Take You There". And take us there they did...This song is light years away from any R&B sounds we have heard so far. 

     "I'll Take You There" was written and produced by Al Bell, one of the most prominent of Stax Records' personnel. With a name like Stax behind the tune, you can guarantee there is a massive musical sound to behold. There is a pronounced bassline as well as jazzy horn section. I'll even go as far as to say that the song has some Jamaican musical influences, mostly via the song's overall groove and bassline. 

     The vocals for "I'll Take You There" are worlds away from the harmony rich Philly Soul or later period Motown songs which were popular during the early 1970's. I'll even go as far as to say that singer Mavis Staples' spoken words segments pre-date rap by several years. Overall, the emphasis is more about setting a groove as opposed to deep lyrics. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your music taste. 

     I will say that there is quite a large amount of repetition in "I'll Take You There". With just two chords, and relatively few lyrics, the song can get quite repetitive. This is especially true if you listen to the full four minute version. After hearing the title of the song sung dozens of times, I want to say, "Yes, I get it! You'll take me there. But can you just do it already instead of saying you will?"

     The Staple Singers would continue to have moderate success for the next few years. In 1975, they struck gold one final time with "Let's Do It Again". This song ended up not only being the group's second and final number one pop hit, but also the most successful one, commercially. We'll pick up the band's history when we eventually reach that momentous year...

Final Verdict - "I'll Take You There" has a different and fresher sound than some of my previously reviewed R&B hits. However, I do feel that the song can get repetitive, both musically and lyrically. It's not a song I feel deserves multiple listens, and I wouldn't call it one of the finest songs of the year. However, I'd still recommend giving it a spin and judging for yourself. 

Coming Up Next - "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Jr. 

Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and if you're looking to take a trip back into music's past, I'll take you there -