VARIOUS – The Living Word: Wattstax 2 – 2LP – Vinyl

2LP- Black Vinyl. Cut from the original tapes by Chris Muth and featuring performances by The Emotions, Johnnie Taylor, Kim Weston, Isaac Hayes and more.

Wattstax was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records in conjunction with the Watt Summer Festival to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles. Attended by more than 100,000 people and lasting 7 hours, the concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972, and featured a mix of Soul, Funk and Gospel.

It featured performances by Staxs biggest artists with a line-up that included Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, the Bar-Kays and many more. Rev. Jesse Jackson was featured at the event, acting as MC for the day and opening the event with his often referenced I Am Somebody speech. A 2-LP soundtrack of the concerts highlights was releases several month later selling more than 500,000 copies just weeks after its release. This was followed in 1973 by the Mel Stuart directed concert film Wattstax which features Richard Pryor as the host of the film and went on to be nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary in 1974. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. (Note: The film at the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress also includes an essay by Al Bell, the President/owner of Stax at the time of the concert).

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Wattstax event that took place at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on 20th August 1972, Stax Records reissues Wattstax: The Living Word 2. These two LPs are cut from the original tapes by Chris Muth and feature performances by The Emotions, Johnnie Taylor, Kim Weston, Isaac Hayes and more.

Tracklist:

SIDE A
1. Jessie Jackson Introduction
2. Kim Weston Lift Every Voice and Sing
3. The Rance Allen Group Lying on the Truth
4. Jimmy Jones Someone Greater Than You And I
5. The Golden 13 Old Time Religion
6. The Emotions Peace Be Still

SIDE B
1. Richard Pryor Saturday Night
2. Richard Pryor Blue Note
3. Richard Pryor Back Room
4. David Porter Show Introduction
5. David Porter Show Aint That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)
6. David Porter Show Cant See You When I Want To
7. David Porter Show Reach Out and Touch (Somebodys Hand)
8. David Porter Show Finale
9. Richard Pryor Arrest
10. Richard Pryor Line Up

SIDE C
1. Johnnie Taylor Show Introduction
2. Johnnie Taylor Show Steal Away
3. Johnnie Taylor Show Stop Doggin Me
4. Johnnie Taylor Show Jodys Got Your Girl and Gone
5. Little Milton Walking the Back Streets and Crying

SIDE D
1. Richard Pryor Niggers
2. The Emotions Group Introduction
3. The Emotions So I Can Love You
4. The Emotions Show Me How
5. Richard Pryor Negroes
6. The Dramatics Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
7. Richard Pryor Handshake
8. Mel & Tim I May Not Be What You Want
9. Richard Pryor Wino Get a Job
10. Isaac Hayes Rolling Down a Mountainside