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How do you follow up an essential document like this year’s comprehensive Wattstax box set? If you’re Craft Recordings, you plan a trip deep into the unheard history of the legendary Memphis label, through dozens of demos released for the first time anywhere.

Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos is an impressive 7CD anthology including 146 demo versions of enduring Stax hits and fan favorites, songs written by label songwriters that ended up elsewhere as well as a number of songs unveiled here for the first time. Only six of these tracks have ever been released!

The material here runs the gamut of Stax’s style and influence throughout the ’60s and ’70s. The box features raw, early song sketches and fleshed-out full-band ideas; rough versions of hits for The Staple Singers (“Respect Yourself”), Luther Ingram (“If Loving You is Wrong (I Don’t Want to Be Right)”), and even non-Stax artist Wilson Pickett (whose “634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)” can be heard above, in co-writer Eddie Floyd’s original pass); and works by some of the greatest names to pen for Stax, including Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Carla Thomas and the team known as We Three (Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher and Raymond Jackson).

Compiled and annotated by Cheryl Pawelski, the set will also feature essays by Grammy-winning writer/historian Robert Gordon as well as Deanie Parker, Stax’s original publicity director. Michael Graves has remastered these many rare tracks. Written in Their Soul will hit stores June 23 and can be pre-ordered below.

Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (Stax/Craft Recordings, 2023) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

All track previously unreleased except where noted

Disc 1: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part 1)

1. Comfort Me – Carla Thomas
2. You Make a Strong Girl Weak – Jeanne & The Darlings
3. What Did I Do Wrong – William Bell
4. Another Night Without My Man – Carla Thomas
5. I Got Everything I Need – Eddie Floyd
6. Mister Fix It – Eddie Floyd
7. I’ll Always Have Faith in You – Eddie Floyd
8. Got to Make a Comeback – Eddie Floyd
9. I’ve Seen What Loneliness Can Do – Homer Banks
10. Slow Train – William Bell
11. Hear My Call, Here – The Staple Singers
12. Top of the Mountain – The Staple Singers
13. I See It – The Staple Singers
14. The Ghetto – The Staple Singers
15. You Can’t Win with a Losing Hand – Eddie Floyd
16. Sweet Sensation – Carla Thomas
17. Spare Me the Hurt of Losing You – The Newcomers
18. Third Child – Bettye Crutcher
19. Respect Yourself – Mack Rice
20. People Come Out of Your Shell – Bettye Crutcher
21. I’ll Be Your Shelter (in Time of Storm) – Homer Banks

Track 16 released on Carla Thomas’ Hidden Gems – Ace (U.K.) CDSXD 039, 1991
Track 17 released on The Newcomers’ Mannish Boys: The Stax, Volt & Truth Recordings 1969-1974 – Ace (U.K.) CDUX010, 2013
Track 18 released on The Staple Singers’ Faith & Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976 – Concord STX-36969-02, 2015

Disc 2: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part 2)

1. Get Up About Yourself – Homer Banks
2. All Day Preachin’ – Bettye Crutcher
3. (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right – Homer Banks
4. We the People – Carl Smith
5. Do the Sweetback – March Wind
6. What Would I Do – Leon Moore
7. Heaven Knows – Homer Banks
8. I May Not Be All You Want (But I’m All You Got) – Homer Banks
9. True Love Don’t Grow on Trees – Veda Brown
10. (I Didn’t Know What Losing Was) ‘Til I Lost You – Eddie Floyd
11. Until I Lost You – March Wind
12. Drown Yourself – Bettye Crutcher
13. If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me) – Homer Banks
14. I Got to Be Myself – Carl Smith
15. You’re Spreading Yourself a Little Too Thin – Bettye Crutcher
16. Take a Walk Down My Street – Bettye Crutcher
17. Before the Honeymoon – Homer Banks
18. Nobody But You – Mack Rice
19. Hot Line to Jesus – Mack Rice
20. I Hear Footsteps (Coming Closer) – William Brown

Track 9 released on Judy Clay & Veda Brown’s The Stax Solo Recordings – Kent Soul/Ace (U.K.) CDKEND 302, 2008

Disc 3: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part 3)

1. I’ll Be the Other Woman – Shelbra Bennett
2. We’ve Got Love on Our Side – Bettye Crutcher
3. It’s So Wonderful – Frederick Knight
4. That’s What Friends Are For – Mack Rice
5. Sugar Daddy – Bettye Crutcher
6. Woman to Woman – Henderson Thigpen
7. So Glad to Have You – Bettye Crutcher
8. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ – Mack Rice
9. Dy-No-Mite (Did You Saw My Love) – Mack Rice
10. Your Love is Amazin’ – Eddie Floyd
11. Walk On to Your New Love – Bettye Crutcher
12. Something Ain’t Right – Mack Rice
13. There is a God – Bettye Crutcher
14. Packed Up and Took My Mind – Denise LaSalle
15. Don’t You Know That It’s All Right – Joe Shamwell & Eddie Floyd
16. Who Made the Man – Mack Rice
17. It Don’t Pay to Get Up in the Morning – Mack Rice

Track 3 released on various artists promotional compilation The Hits – Irving Music/Rondor International EM05008, 1984
Track 11 released on Bettye Crutcher’s As Long As You Love Me – Ace (U.K.) CDSXD-141, 2013

CD 4: Moonlighting – Stax Writers, Non-Stax Releases

1. Don’t Let the Love Light Leave – Carla Thomas
2. I’ve Got No Time to Lose – Deanie Parker
3. A Woman’s Love – Carla Thomas
4. 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) – Eddie Floyd
5. Linda Sue Dixon – Mack Rice
6. Told You for the Last Time – Delaney Bramlett
7. Let Me Know – Mack Rice
8. Let Me Be Yours – Joe Shamwell
9. We Can Love – Eddie Floyd
10. Without You – Mack Rice
11. Shouting Out Love – Veda Brown
12. Take My Body – Bettye Crutcher
13. I’ve Got a Feeling (We’ll Be Seeing Each Other Again) – Homer Banks
14. I Could Never Be Satisfied – Mack Rice
15. Everybody’s Hustling – Mack Rice
16. Either You Love Me or Leave Me – Homer Banks
17. I’ve Never Been This Close to Jesus – Mack Rice
18. Pussy Footing Around – Mack Rice
19. This Time Yesterday – Mack Rice
20. Are We Slipping Away – Mack Rice
21. I Wanna Slow Dance Wit’cha – Frederick Knight
22. What You Did to Me Last Night – Bettye Crutcher

Disc 5: Uncut Songs (Part 1)

1. Got to Make You Mine – Eddie Floyd
2. Come On Dance with Me – Rufus Thomas
3. I Got to Go for That – Rufus Thomas
4. Spin It – Deanie Parker
5. Nobody Wants to Get Old – Deanie Parker & Mack Rice
6. Such a Feeling – Eddie Floyd
7. Never Say No to the One You Love – Eddie Floyd
8. Looks Like Another Hot Summer – Steve Cropper & Eddie Floyd
9. Give You All the Love I Got – Eddie Floyd
10. It’s Up to You – Carla Thomas
11. Let’s Be Sure – Carla Thomas
12. Oo-We Baby What You Do to Me – Booker T. Jones
13. Coming Together – Homer Banks
14. It’s Over – Homer Banks
15. Break Out (aka Bust Out) – Wendy Rene
16. Walk On Back – Unknown
17. Come On Down – Mack Rice
18. Can’t Make Enough – William Bell
19. Love is You – Eddie Floyd
20. Let’s Get Down to Business – Bettye Crutcher
21. Stone for Stone – Henderson Thigpen
22. I Won’t Do You No Dirt – William Bell
23. Just Too Right to Be Wrong – Mack Rice
24. Song #2 – The MG’s

Disc 6: Uncut Songs (Part 2)

1. Too Much Sugar for a Dime – Homer Banks
2. Too Much Sugar for a Dime – Bettye Crutcher
3. You Knock Me Out – Homer Banks
4. I Should Have Changed My Ways – Jimmy Hughes
5. ‘Til You’ve Been Loved by Me – Eddie Floyd
6. Deaf and Dumb – Mack Rice
7. It’s No Secret – William Bell
8. Somebody’s Got You Baby – Marshall Jones
9. Something Keeps Holding Me Back – Mack Rice
10. Take It All Off – Bettye Crutcher
11. Don’t You Know I’m All Alone – Eddie Floyd
12. Sweet Dreams (I Had of You) – Eddie Floyd
13. Ain’t No Love Like My Baby’s Love – Bettye Crutcher
14. Just the Way You Loved Me – Bettye Crutcher
15. Glory Glory I Love Him – Eddie Floyd
16. Stay with Me – Eddie Floyd
17. Three Meals a Day – Mack Rice
18. Everybody is Talking Love – Bettye Crutcher
19. Didn’t Love Straighten It Out – Homer Banks
20. We Don’t Need Stone Walls – John KaSandra
21. You’re Funny Boy – Carl Smith

Disc 7: Uncut Songs (Part 3)

1. Shadows on the Wall – Eddie Floyd
2. Grandpa’s Will – Homer Banks
3. Whatcha Gonna Do (When You Find the One) – Bettye Crutcher
4. I Got to Keep On Taking Chances – Jimmy Hughes
5. Thank You For Loving Me – William Bell
6. Do Me Wrong – Eddie Floyd
7. Put It to a Vote – Carl Smith & Marshall Jones
8. Dammit – Eddie Floyd & Mack Rice
9. The Yard Man – Bettye Crutcher
10. Don’t Stay Gone Too Long – Bettye Crutcher
11. How Can I Win Your Love – Eddie Floyd
12. Every Now and Then – Mack Rice
13. Somewhere in Somebody’s Heart – Willie Singleton
14. Love Treaty – Willie Singleton
15. Staying with My Man – Eddie Floyd
16. Bread Winner – Mack Rice
17. GottTo Be Somebody For Me – Eddie Floyd
18. Hometown Lover – Eddie Floyd
19. Do You Want Me to Lie to You – Bettye Crutcher
20. I Don’t Care Anymore – Shirley Brown
21. I Like the Way You Groove Me – Frederick Knight