Mixtape Monday: DJ Crimson's Tribute to Stax

I ‘ve never been shy about my love for the wonderful soul music the Stax/Volt label released through out its lifetime, and I’ve been planning a tribute mix for the label for years. Of course, someone beat me to it… but for a change I’m not mad at all!

About a month ago, I saw that my homeboy DJ Crimson posted on his facebook that he was waiting for a guitarist so that he could finish his mixtape. I was super intrigued by the idea that a DJ would bring live instrumentation into a mixtape—it struck me as really unique and creative. Of course, having seen Crimson work with live artists on a regular basis at the Skillet, it knew we would be in for a treat. When he told me later that all this work was going to result in a Stax mixtape, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, and it was well worth the wait. Of course I had to do a feature, and Crimson was very accommodating and gave us a great mix and a great interview to break down the entire process as well!

Download and listen to the mix below, and while you’re listening, check out the insightful interview! After the interview is the tracklist and two bonus tracks from Crimson!

Delgado: First of all, what was your inspiration for this mix? What do you want your audience to come away with?

DJ Crimson: A couple years ago I was posting up some of my mixes, and I realized that I had never really let myself go all out on a mix. I wanted to create something that would stand alongside some of the classics: Vinroc’s Reconstruction, Spinbad’s 80′s mixes, the homies Icewater and Platurn’s mixes, etc. There were also a couple of really solid mixtapes that came out when I started on this project: Boogie Brown’s Legends of Soul mix, which is divided up into 6 segments each paying tribute to a different soul singer that had passed, and B Cause’s best of Roger & Zapp. Those two mixes gave me some kind of framework and inspiration as far as how to go about putting together a theme-based mix.

Of course there was also the fact that I loved the music and wanted to pay tribute to it, and like Bink$ says, to pay tribute to the whole era. One goal was to make this music that may sound dated more accessible, to show how timeless it is. That’s why I included things like the conversation snippets where we’re talking and cracking jokes. I wanted it to have a warm, loose feel, like we were right there in the room chopping it up with you about the music. The scratching, the rapping, the conversation, it all brings this music into the present.

Delgado: I know that for me, the Stax label was really one of the first types of music that I could connect with even though the songs were older than I was. What was your first introduction to the label?

Otis!

Crimson: Honestly, I grew up on hip hop. So I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first introduction to the Stax sound was through the samples, like the Rza and Biggie samples that most hip hop fans of my generation recognize. Of course I had heard Otis Redding, but some of those songs, like “Dock of the Bay,” are so ubiquitous that it’s hard to get into them. For me it wasn’t until I dug further into the catalog that I really started loving the sound. Then I circled back around and was able to appreciate the more mainstream stuff. One of the things I love about the label is that a lot of the songs really do have a darker, grittier sound. That’s probably why hip hop producers have sampled Stax material so much. Take “Walk On By” by Isaac Hayes, which came later than the era I focused on. It was nine minutes long, it was hella slow and dark, the track runs for like two minutes before the vocals even come in. And it was a huge multiplatinum success! That right there is the essence of Stax for me.

Delgado: In these days of digital music making everything available, I cannot imagine the challenge of breaking down the Stax catalogue to fit on one mix. How did you select the songs you used? Any particular songs that you really just HAD to build the mix around?

Crimson: Well, not to dash anybody’s illusions of me digging through stacks of 45′s for years, but I built this mix from a box cd set of the complete Stax singles from 1959-1968. That gave me some structure to work with, even though I allowed myself to use outside sources when it made sense. I knew I had to include at least some of the classics, so I started with Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Booker T. & the MGs. Of course, there were the sampled songs that Rza used. Aside from that, some of the more obscure songs I felt like I had to include were “Soul Girl,” “Bar-b-q,” and “Don’t Hit Me No More.” ”Soul Girl” was an unsuccessful attempt to duplicate the success of “Soul Man.” At the time it came across as a corny sequel, but now it sounds dope. “Bar-b-q” was a song that Wendy Rene sang, and she said that when she was recording it she just assumed it was for a commercial. Then after she was done they were like, “no, we’re pressing this up as your record.” “Don’t Hit Me No More,” maybe some people would find it offensive or just depressing, but it’s definitely a song you don’t forget. It shows how much has changed in society and in songwriting since then. It’s a subject that’s pretty close to being untouchable nowadays, and it never would have come out back then on a more mainstream label like Motown. I had to include it as a historical artifact, at least.

Delgado: When we spoke the other day, we both mentioned how Stax was in some ways “underrated” as a label, and not heard as samples or original songs today nearly as much as some of the other labels at the time. Why do you think that is?

Crimson: I think of Stax, especially in those early years, as an extended family first and a business second. Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the founders, were brother and sister; a lot of the writers and performers were neighborhood kids who hung out in the record store in front of the studio. It seemed like it all came about real organically. But the other side of it is that I don’t think the artists had much of a sense that the larger world was listening, and the label as a whole didn’t have the full business and marketing vision that Motown had. Later on when Al Bell took over, they did develop that branding sensibility, but then the original vibe was somewhat lost. So it’s a tradeoff.

Delgado: I know you did some pretty unusual things on this mix, like use classic songs right along side your own productions, and using some live instrumentation and vocals on the mix. Once you had the songs selected, what was your workflow?

Crimson: Once I figured out what songs I wanted, I spent a lot of time just playing with the

music and putting together the order. The fact that Booker T. & the MGs were the house band gave all the music a consistent feel, so I could make connections between different songs that weren’t necessarily just based on beats per minute. I developed an outline of what I wanted to do, the order of each song, and I just kept working on it chronologically. With every mix I do, I have to fight the urge to constantly make it more and more intricate, but with this one I gave myself a lot of room to do whatever creative things I wanted. There were a few times when I put the project down for months at a time and I wasn’t sure if I would finish it, but I had already done too much to just quit. After I had a complete mix, I gave it to the guys to listen to. I basically told them to just put their stamp on it wherever they saw fit, whether it was an 8 bar verse, full song, intro, or whatever, just find their niche and go in. They listened to it for a while and got familiar with it. Then I got invited to do the release party with the Motown on Monday folks, so all of a sudden there was a big rush to record all the vocals and finish it. I was hella nervous because I hate putting that kind of time pressure on people. But we hit the studio that first time, and they knocked out “My Type” and “Green Onions” and a few other verses in one session. That’s when I knew it was gonna be all right.

The last session was like three days before the release party. We went in and recorded the conversation in the studio while the music was playing. That was a historic occasion, because they convinced me to partake in the herbal arts, if you will, for the first time. If you listen to the intro, that’s me asking them how to light the blunt and us cracking up about it.

At the very end of that last session I asked K.nightshift to run through the mix one more time and host it a little bit. He hosts my Skillet parties and kills it, so I knew it would be dope. And editing down his vocals was one of the hardest parts, because I was cracking up so much. He basically did like a freestyled 30-minute standup comedy routine. There are some hilarious outtakes that I just couldn’t find a way to work into the mix. To me, my favorite part of the whole mix is when he does that bit about going out to your car and finding a 45 player. And then he couldn’t remember the name of the song, and it made it even funnier.

Delgado: One thing that set you apart from most current DJs is that you work pretty consistently with a few artists as a producer as well. How does your production experience impact the way you DJ and vice versa?

Crimson & the Fellas

Crimson: Talking about music with other djs is one thing, but talking about it with musicians and songwriters gives me a deeper appreciation for the craft. I get together with K.nightshift and Chioke (from The Dime) and Bink$ Win$ton pretty regularly to rehearse, and we always kick it outside and chop it up for a bit before we get started. One time I was playing “Save Their Souls” by Bohannon, which Jay-Z sampled on his first album. Bink$ was listening to it and he pointed out how sometimes the simplest lyrics are the most powerful. That song is basically just three lines repeated, but it hits home. I had never paid much attention to the lyrics before, and it gave me a different perspective on the song and a deeper appreciation for it. I guess it just makes the music more of a living, breathing thing done by real people, instead of just being a hot sample or whatever.I’m still learning how to work with other people on recording music, and it’s definitely an art. There’s a balance to be struck between giving people your vision and making sure they’re on the same page, but not micromanaging and trying to control every little thing, because that just kills the spirit of the music. And with this project especially, I made a decision to just let go and let them do their thing. Fortunately they know what they’re doing, so it worked out.

One funny thing is that when we were getting ready for a show about six months ago, they asked me if I had “Green Onions,” because they wanted to write something to it. And I was like, yeah, it’s already on my mix. It was just one of those things that tells you it was meant to happen. I was hella surprised, too, because that’s definitely not an easy song to rap over. But they killed it.

Delgado: I always have to ask the nerdy question, because now I know for sure I’m not the only DJ who reads these interviews. What kind of equipment do you have in the studio? What did you use to record the mix?

Crimson: The setup at home is this: turntables, Rane 56 mixer, pro tools. I’ve been really stubborn about the idea that I’m a dj, not a producer. Part of it was pride in the whole turntablism thing, and part of it was fear that if I had a bunch of fancy production equipment I would just get overwhelmed and quit. I’m slowly letting go of that mentality, but I think I’ll always be someone who works better with a smaller setup. I’d rather master one or two instruments than dabble in a lot of things. My philosophy about music is that it should bring people together, it should come about organically. The experience of how it’s created is important. Staring at a laptop in an isolated room for hours on end is not the way I want to go as far as music production. So I definitely believe in working with live musicians and with generally keeping the process more loose and natural. I mean, that’s what the Stax musicians did, right?

Delgado: Lastly, you mentioned you were going to use this CD as your business card. I do the same thing, but there was a time when we used to make a sizable portion of our money from selling our mixes. What makes you stay committed to making quality mixes?

Crimson: Well like I say, going all out on a mix like this was a first for me. So I haven’t committed to anything yet! (Ha.) But really, I guess it comes down to just doing things for yourself and the love of the music first. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Even with gigs, I don’t pursue gigs anymore if they don’t feed my soul in some way. I can’t try to be that dj that’s playing electropop with my sunglasses on for the bottle service crowd. Bringing a mix like this into reality, or doing a party like the Skillet, or putting together a creative set with The Dime, those things keep me motivated to keep moving forward and trying new things. When you push the envelope and people actually respond to it, there’s no better feeling than that.

Big thanks to everyone who played a part in putting this together: The Dime, K.nightshift, Bink$ Win$ton, Conrad Anthony (bass & guitar player on “My Type”), Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Sound, Charles Stella (mastering engineer), Malachi Padron (cd pressing) Reid McNally (photography), Justin Marine/Mixerfriendly (graphic design), and Hiro at East Bay Digital. A special shout out goes to my crew, the Record Rockers, for all the support and inspiration, and to all the dope djs out there who do what they love. And finally, thanks to the family of musicians at Stax who brought this timeless music into the world.

Thanks again to DJ Crimson, be sure to check out his blog, the monthly Skillet, and follow him on facebook and twitter. The Dime and Bink$ Win$ton, whom you hear on the album, are well worth following, too!

Here are the bonus tracks from Crimson:

My Type, with the live instrumentation

Tracklist:

1. Don’t Have to Shop Around – The Mad Lads
2. I Thank You – Sam & Dave
3. The Memphis Train – Rufus Thomas
4. I’m Going Home – Prince Conley
5. Knock On Wood – Otis Redding
6. Tramp – Otis & Carla
7. Hold On I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
8. Pop-Eye Stroll – The Mar-Keys
Reefer Man (Skit) /
9. Making Love and Sniffing Cocaine – DJ Crimson
10. Jump Back – Rufus Thomas
11. Grab This Thing (Part I) – The Mar-Keys
Isaac Hayes on writing Soul Man
12. Soul Man – Sam & Dave
13. Soul Girl – Jeanne & The Darlings
14. Born Under a Bad Sign – Albert King
15. Tearz – Wu Tang Clan
16. After Laughter (Comes Tears) – Wendy Rene
17. No Tears – The Tonettes
18. C.R.E.A.M. – Wu Tang Clan
19. As Long As I’ve Got You – The Charmels
20. Closer to My Baby – Dorothy Williams
21. What Can I Do – Bobby Marchan
22. My Type – K.nightshift (The Dime) with DJ Crimson and Conrad Anthony
23. My Services – Bink$ Win$ton
24. Can’t See You When I Want To – David Porter
25. A Place Nobody Can Find – Sam & Dave
26. Motown vs. Stax (Booker Loo) – Booker T & the MGs
27. Rollin’ / Groovin’ – Bink$ Win$ton / Booker T & the MGs
28. Be My Lady – Booker T & the MGs
29. Boot Leg – Booker T & the MGs
30. Soul Dressing – Booker T & the MGs
31. Frog Stomp – Floyd Newman
32. Green Onions 2012 – K.nightshift & Bink$ Win$ton
33. Burnt Biscuits – The Triumphs
(Midnight Hour – Reflection Eternal)
34. Bar B -Q – Wendy Rene
35. The Hawg, Part I – Eddie Kirk
36. Bush Bash – The Mar-Keys
37. Cold Feet – Albert King
38. Ain’t That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) – Johnnie Taylor
39. Empty Yo Pockets – Bink$ Win$ton
40. Each Step I Take – Deanie Parker
Jake (Skit)
41. Bang for Your Buck / Can’t Ever Let You Go – Bink$ Win$ton / Rufus Thomas
42. Can’t Explain How It Happened – Ivory Joe Hunter
43. When My Love Comes Down – Ruby Johnson
44. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) – Otis Redding
45. That’s How Strong My My Love Is – Otis Redding
46. Don’t Hit Me No More – Mable John
47. If I Ever Needed Love (I Sure Do Need It Now) – Ruby Johnson
48. I’ll Show You – William Bell
49. Winter Snow – Booker T & the MGs
50. Ghost Dads – K.nightshift (The Dime)