The legendary guitarist and producer Steve Cropper has died, he had his hands on some great songs. Sitting on the dock of the bay, by Otis Redding he had to finish as Otis tragically died before the sessions were complete. Not to mention the sound of Booker T and the MG,s. A true legend, r.i.p Mr Cropper.
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Booker T and the MGs, the Stax house band, were all over the Southern soul scene, both playing behind soul legends and as themselves, with Steve Cropperās distinctive guitar sound front and centre.
Such sad news, but heāll live on forever through the music.
Thank you so much for all the choons and the great times.
R.I.P. Steve.
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One of the all time greats, his playing was always at the service of the song, and he played on some of the greatest songs ever. RIP Colonel.
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Yes indeed, i was just thinking thatā¦ā¦no blistering guitar solos for the sake of it, just what the song needed.
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Another sad loss but what an amazing legacy he leaves behind. R.I.P
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One of the all-time greats. RIP Steve Cropper
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Sad News and another legend gone, his music will live on, on disc and in film.
R.I.P Steve Cropper
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That first Stax box will be out later today. My various boxed sets of CDs are largely on shelves away from the hifi but one of the three which sits in the space between streamer and DAC is that first Stax box. It was not incorrectly described as something of a tombstone. Nine CDs and a great booklet. Four of those CDs are just peak Stax and peak Cropper. Worth anyoneās time.
It does him an absolute disservice to describe him as having played on āsomeā great songs and itās disappointing to hear the obituaries mention pretty much all thatās been mentioned here. His album work with Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd and William Bell consistently fails to get mentioned in favour of a few singles. Ironic to hear for example the BBC play clips from each of those singles this morning and in each instance choose clips in which his contribution either couldnāt be heard (the keyboard part of Green Onions) or was barely there.
If you want to hear peak Steve then forget all that has featured so far today and go listen to āThe Exciting Wilson Pickettā and āThe Soul Of A Bellā.
For me a perfect example of why I canāt be arsed with guitarists who think their job is to be expansive or solo or show how well they can play. He played with magnificent economy and sometimes barely at all. Some of his licks are amongst the most instantly recognisable of the 20th century but in many of those songs, after his lick has lured you in, heās barely there at all.
Had the privilege of seeing him live with several Stax legends whilst they were still alive and, like all at Stax, he was part of a living, breathing band who knew each other inside out and left space in the music because it worked.
Youāll gather I like my southern soul music.
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What a guy. Just listen to those gutsy violent stabs in Green Onions. Like no-one else.
Also, donāt forget he was in The Blues Brothers as well:
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Great post Mike. The word ālegendā is often used to pay tribute to musicians sadly departed but Steve Cropper truly deserved this accolade. His contribution to music is immeasurable. His playing style was instantly recognisable, characterised by economy and impeccable taste. I think it would be appropriate to refer to him as a musicianās musician with the ability to play the right thing at the right time. He is perhaps, best known for his work with others and he graced so much great music. His contribution to popular music during his lifetime makes him one of the most important guitar players of the past sixty years.
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I think the whole point of Steve Cropper was not to hear him as the lead or on anything solo. Trawling through my many Stax tracks tonight what leaps out very quickly is just how hard it is to find him dominating any given song. Those distinctive choppy moves might be in there but theyāre generally mixed low and often donāt even kick in until maybe after the first verse, chorus or bridge.
Lovely example with I Canāt Stand Up by Sam And Dave. Heās there but heās a small part of it. Born Under A Born Sign by Albert King? Same. Some of the massive songs he co-wrote heās like a ghost on. Theyāre all vocals, keyboards, bass and brass. Steve was not a guitarist in the sense most think of themselves as guitarists. He was genuinely in service to songs. Itās a huge difference.
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Steve Cropper obituary: soul guitarist behind dozens of Stax hits
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My dear friend Shawn (an excellent drummer) was receiving an award from the Tennessee Arts Commission for his work in documenting the Western Tennessee music scene and history (e.g., Stax, bluegrass, etc), and The Colonel was also receiving an award, and they met - this was just back in October.
Shawn has been through a recent bout of thyroid cancer that resulted in the complete removal of his larynx, but he pushes on living his best life. Unfortunately, he can no longer talk, so we cannot converse on the phone as in the past.
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