Watch Sam and Dave deliver the intensity with ‘Soul Man’
1967 was a surprisingly diverse time in music. While much of the attention was being focused on the rock world, specifically the psychedelic ‘Summer of Love’ that sprang up in San Francisco and affected everyone from The Beatles to The Lovin’ Spoonful, soul music was also coming into its own in ’67.
Major recordings from the likes of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Aretha Franklin, and Sly and the Family Stone made 1967 one of the most exciting times for soul music’s cultural expansion. But two men were quietly revolutionising the form by bringing the energy of R&B and hard-driving rhythms of funk, pairing it with high-quality showmanship, and taking it on the road. That would be Sam Moore and Dave Prater, better known by just their first names, Sam and Dave.
Although they had been hitting the southern gospel circuit for over half a decade, Sam and Dave didn’t really begin to make waves until they signed with legendary Atlantic Records offshoot Stax Records in 1964. What followed were three of the most dynamic and exciting albums released in the 1960s: 1966’s Hold On, I’m Coming, 1966’s Double Dynamite, and 1967’s Soul Men.
But Sam and Dave truly came alive during their live concerts. Featuring an intense dedication to singing, dancing, and sweating profusely in order to leave every last ounce of energy on the stage, Sam and Dave were pure shots of adrenaline that few other performers could keep up with. Anyone else who had to share a bill with them was inevitably outworked and outperformed, even if they were as massively charismatic as Redding and Thomas were.
Featuring matching suits and a backing band with fully coordinated dance moves, Sam and Dave was the concert draw of the time. Combining the traditional showmanship of old-school Motown with the impassioned energy of the hippie movement, the pair were pure fire when they took the stage. Inevitably, their contentious relationship would cause a rift in their professional partnership, but for a short time in the late 1960s, nobody could touch Sam and Dave when it came to live performances.
Check out the pair performing ‘Soul Man’ live in 1967 down below.
