Available on Vinyl for the First Time in Over 40 Years; 180g LP All-Analog Mastered by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl and Pressed at Memphis Record Pressing.

In the fall of 2019 Craft Recordings will reissue five albums from the Stax vault on 180-gram vinyl including The Bar-Kays’ Gotta Groove, Booker T. & The M.G.’s Melting Pot, Delaney & Bonnie’s Home, David Porter’s Victim of the Joke?…An Opera, and Johnnie Taylor’s Who’s Making Love. All LPs have been cut from their original analog tapes by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl and manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing. These reissues are part of a yearlong celebration of Stax, and of the 50th anniversary of the legendary label’s “Soul Explosion” – an era of rebuilding following its separation from Atlantic Records. During this period, the newly independent label not only signed fresh, emerging talent but also released an impressive collection of 27 albums and 30 singles in just a handful of months.

When Stax became an independent entity, it lost its impressive catalog of hits (by artists like Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, and Sam & Dave) to Atlantic. Luckily, Johnnie Taylor came to the rescue, and gave the label its first big post-Atlantic hit with his provocative 1968 single, “Who’s Making Love.” The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped to bolster the label’s profile (and finances). The Who’s Making Love album was released months later, and not only featured the title track but also an irresistible collection of bluesy songs penned by Booker T. Jones, Bettye Crutcher, Steve Cropper and the inimitable team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Available on vinyl for the first time in over 40 years, highlights include the melancholic “Can’t Trust Your Neighbor,” the hopeful “Hold on This Time,” and single “Take Care of Your Homework.”