NEWS 17 Aug 2007

‘The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967’ DVD To Be Released October 2

75-Minute Concert from Legendary European Tour Includes Performances by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd and the Mar-Keys

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stax Records and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the historic Stax/Volt Revue, Stax Records (a division of Concord Music Group) and Reelin’ In The Years Productions are proud to announce the October 2, 2007 release of The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 on DVD. Featured for the first time on this 75-minute concert DVD are 18 classic full-length performances by some of the greatest soul artists of all time. Highlights include an amazing five-song set by the great Otis Redding and four blistering songs by Sam & Dave. Also featured are performances by the legendary Booker T & the MGs, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, and the Mar-Keys. Issued with the full cooperation of the artists or their estates, this DVD captures the Stax/Volt Revue on an amazing night during one of most legendary and important concert tours of the last five decades.

The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 includes a wealth of staggering performances from start to finish. Otis Redding delivers jaw-dropping versions of “Shake,” “Satisfaction,” the only known filmed concert performance of “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)” and a six-minute version of “Try A Little Tenderness” in which he comes back for four encores. Sam & Dave show why they were nicknamed “Double Dynamite,” with powerful performances of “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” and a chilling version of “You Don’t Know Like I Know.” Other highlights include Booker T & The MGs’ scorching rendition of “Green Onions,” Arthur Conley’s definitive version of his big hit “Sweet Soul Music,” Eddie Floyd’s soulful “Raise Your Hand,” and the Mar-Keys’ grooving take on their top-five hit “Last Night.”
 
Continuing in the tradition of DVDs produced by Reelin’ In The Years such as Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding, The Temptations — Get Ready! The Definitive Performances 1965–1972 and Marvin Gaye — The Real Thing In Performance 1964–1981, The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 features re-mastered sound and video as well as a host of bonus features:  Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist for Booker T & the MGs, Wayne Jackson from the Mar-Keys/Memphis Horns and GRAMMY®-award-winning Stax historian Rob Bowman contribute a warm and insightful full-length commentary track sharing memories and stories from the tour. The DVD also features additional bonus interviews with Jackson, Cropper, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), and Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, providing additional reminiscences about this legendary tour. Finally, the Bonus Features section includes an additional performance of “Green Onions,” also from Norway, that provides an interesting contrast demonstrating how unique each performance could be.

The entire concert has been re-transferred from the original master tapes that had been resting in the Norwegian television vaults for the last 40 years. The producers also discovered an additional lost reel with an extra 20 minutes of previously unseen performances from the same concert. This footage had been edited out and forgotten for the last four decades, but now the missing songs have been restored, making this DVD the longest and most complete visual record of the legendary 1967 Stax/Volt tour.
 
The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 also features a 24-page booklet with an extensive essay by Bowman (author of Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records), who also conducted the interviews and co-produced this DVD. In addition, the booklet includes rare photographs and memorabilia documenting the tour.
 
The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 also marks the 50th anniversary and reactivation of Stax Records. Concord Music Group purchased Stax Records in 2004 and is in the midst of a year-long celebration that also includes the release of Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding DVD, also produced by Reelin’ In The Years and due out September 18. The 90-minute DVD features 16 classic full-length performances by the great soul artist. Interspersed between the performances are over 40 minutes of exclusive new interviews documenting Otis’s incredible life and career. Also part of the 50th anniversary celebration are several reissue CDs, a documentary (Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, which premiered on PBS on August 1) and the re-signing of veteran Isaac Hayes as well as several new artists, who will usher in a new era of soul music. For the latest Stax 50th anniversary news, please visit http://www.stax50.com.