Stax Record Label Art Print Painting - Memphis Tennessee

I grew up in what is considered to be the golden age of record stores between the mid seventies and early eighties and as a lifelong record collector,  I have a special place in my heart for record stores. 

I worked in a small independent record shop in throughout my high school years and worked in record shops throughout the entire decade of the eighties.   This was back in the day when there were record stores on every other corner and they were all unique.  Anytime I was visiting someplace I hadn't been before, the first thing I did was look to see where the record shops were.  

As far as record labels go, Stax Records is an American institution and its importance to the history of music can not be overstated.  Originally founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax in 1961.  They operated a sister label knows as Volt Records.

Stax featured several popular ethnically integrated bands, including their house band known as Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and also featured a racially integrated team of staff and artists which was unprecedented during the racial strife taking place during the sixties in the south.  The studio had a "one studio, one equipment set up"  policy which allowed them to create a completely original and identifiable sound.  The sound was based on gospel, blues, country and early forms of R&B, a sound that soon became known as Southern Soul or Memphis Soul music.