The Staple Swingers

The Staple Swingers
Studio album by
The Staple Singers
ReleasedJune 15, 1971
Recorded1970–1971
StudioArdent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
GenrePop-soul[1]
Length45:06
LabelStax
ProducerAl Bell
The Staple Singers chronology
We'll Get Over
(1970) 		The Staple Swingers
(1971) 		Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
(1972)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideB[1]

The Staple Swingers is a soul album by the Staple Singers, released on June 15, 1971.

It was the first Staple Singers album to be produced by Al Bell and recorded in Muscle Shoals. Pervis Staples was replaced by his sister Yvonne Staples prior to the recording of the album. Released in 1971, it charted at number nine on the Billboard Top Soul Albums charts.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."This Is a Perfect World"Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, Tommy Tate4:20
2."What's Your Thing"Mack Rice4:21
3."You've Got to Earn It"Smokey Robinson, Cornelius Grant3:28
4."You're Gonna Make Me Cry"Deadric Malone5:04
5."Little Boy"Carson Whitsett3:25
6."How Do You Move a Mountain"Myrna March, Morris Levy2:34
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Almost"Harold Thomas, Leroy Mason4:16
8."I'm a Lover"James Mabone, Charles Bevel3:43
9."Love Is Plentiful"Bettye Crutcher, Bobby Manuel2:30
10."Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)"Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom2:58
11."I Like the Things About You"Martha Stubb, Roebuck "Pops" Staples3:21
12."Give a Hand, Take a Hand"Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb3:55

Personnel

Technical
  • Jimmy Evans, Larry Hamby, Terry Manning[3] – engineer
  • Joel Brodsky – photography

Charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Billboard Pop Albums[4] 117
Billboard Top Soul Albums[4] 9

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[5]
US
Pop 		US
Soul
1970 "Love Is Plentiful" - 31
1971 "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)" 27 6
"You've Got to Earn It" 97 11

References

  1. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  2. ^ Bowman, Rob. The Staple Singers: The Staple Swingers > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b "The Staple Singers US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  5. ^ "The Staple Singers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.