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The Staple Singers were one of gospel music’s most unique and best-known family groups. Thanks to leading lady Mavis Staples powerhouse of a voice, they went on to have soul chart success in the 1970’s with hits such as I’ll Take You There. This, however, is a different sound. Beauty and soul laid bare. Taking influences from contemporaries such as Charley Patton, Roebuck “Pops” Staples combined his love of the blues and gospel to create a family gospel group so unique they were often mocked. Replacing the traditional piano accompaniment of gospel with his unashamedly bluesy, highly reverbed Mississippi cotton-patch electric guitar and sharing lead vocals with his 14-year-old daughter Mavis, “Pops” and the family became an influence on artists such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and The Band. This 16-track LP shines a light on “Pops” and his family’s early years, featuring singles and album tracks from a time before they had their soul chart successes. A time that needs to be remembered, listened to, and adored.
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