This is a COVER! The Original - 1000 times better - is by Sam and Dave, recorded with the peerless Stax house band, Booker T and the MGs, with the Memphis Horns!
It was written, like the best Stax material, by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. You don’t know 'em? Look em up! All fantastic.
“I’m gonna treat you like the queen you are
Give you sweet things from my candy jar
You’ve got treats you ain’t ever used
Give it, give it to me it won’t get abused”
Of course if you want to hurt yourself, 3 years before the Fab T-Birds did their “roots-reverent” cover, there was this misconception by Eurythmics:
And when Eurythmics did it (with Green Gartside of Scritti Politti) on “Sweet Dreams” it was a whole 'nother animal.
The biggest problem I can see is that the women should be telling the men to wrap it up.
Two Words: Romeo Void
Came here to share the same video. Sam & Dave rule. Although I love both versions of that song (as I do both versions of “Soul Man”).
Holy hell! I thought Electric Six only went back to 2000. They were around in the eighties?
There’ve been quite a few versions of Soul Man. Which one, besides the original Sam and Dave are you referring to?
Sorry, should have said “both hit versions of Soul Man”… since we were talking about the T-Birds cover version of “Wrap It Up” (which is arguably the most famous version outside of the original), I figured most people would assume I was referring to what is certainly the most famous version of “Soul Man” outside of the original, the cover by The Blues Brothers.
Ah. I suspected you meant the Blues Brothers version, but I didn’t know that it had been an actual hit. Could have been this one though:
heh. I saw the T-Birds open for Bob Seger for my first concert. It was pretty great.
Yeah, the Blues Brothers’ version got to the top 15 on the Billboard charts, and many credit its popularity with reinvigorating a mainstream interest in Sam & Dave’s music (of which Aykroyd was a huge fan). Not sure if I’ve heard the Sam & Lou version before, or if I did, I don’t recall it.
I know that when the Black Crowes covered Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle”, it was my introduction to a lot of the forgotten gems that Otis recorded. So even though I may prefer the original, I do hold the cover version in high regard, as well, for turning me on to the original — as I do Joliet Jake & Elwood’s tribute to S&D.
Yeah, the Black Crowes were the guys who introduced me to “Hard to Handle” as well. And, yup, I’m fairly certain I first heard “Soul Man” thanks to Sam and Lou. Never have figured out what Lou was doing there, though. I mean he was hardly a hot commercial property back in '86 and he’s nobody’s idea of a soul man.
I saw Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana open for the T-birds for my second concert! As you say, pretty great.
My first real concert would have been Dokken/Aerosmith in '88, though I did see my brother’s band Horsefeathers back in '75 at the Scottish Rite Temple in San Diego. I expect it was a great show, but it was waaaayy too loud for 5-year-old Donnie P.
the devil you say. the Dead Milkmen opening for Mojo was my first all-ages show 
Duuuuuude! I’d pay ca$h money for a chance to see that show!
“Y’know what, Stuart? I like you. You’re not like all the other people here in the trailer park.”
I saw the Thunderbirds open for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble at UVA’s University Hall in 1986. Both acts put on excellent shows that night.
Hard to believe that is Donald Dunn on bass there, its so … tame…
Oh my. And no not meant in the George Takei way.
That version definitely sucked less.
I wonder what the story behind that collaboration was besides having to do with the movie of the same name?
Dunn is often less than interesting. I’m all about Stax, and I play bass - but the man is more creditable for being “just right” than “right on”. Listen to “Dock of the Bay”. Heck, “Time is Tight” is GREAT - but the Dunn thing works because he never leaves the pocket - and the verses make it work with Cropper, choruses with Jones. “Hang 'em High”? “Melting Pot”? Good to great, but always pretty close to “tame”, for me.
I love Dunn - but no Jamerson, George Porter or Bernard Odum kind of breaking out.
