Download or Listen to Isaac Hayes – Hung Up On My Baby

It’s Friday here at FMF, and I have to be honest, this tune has been in my head since last weekend. As a matter of fact, the song that samples it, the Geto Boys “My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me” has as well. I’ll get to that a little further down. I want to give a shout out before I get into Black Moses here, to the people at 7 Grand, and Mr. TnT, who got some shout outs to FMF from the Icon, Guru, and Super Producer Solar for the next podcast. I had originally tried to set up a Q & A with the two, who are promoting Jazzmatazz 4, but we couldn’t hook up. Hopefully I still might be able to get the Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal one to drop some science on his top 10 Jazz records of all time. We’ll see. Ok, I am excited to get into this next record. It’s neither rare nor hard to get, but an often over looked side. Here’s Isaac Hayes with “Hung Up On My Baby” from Tough Guys on Enterprise Records.

Born in 1942 in Covington, TN, Hayes’ parents died when he was an infant, and he was raised by his grandparents. Self taught on the saxophone, piano, and organ, Hayes started out singing in the church before making the trek to Memphis, TN. He would cut sides for a variety of record labels, and performed in groups such as Sir Isaac and the Doo Dads, Sir Calvin and his Swingign Cats, and the Teen Tones. From here he would start playing sax in The Mar-Keys (Last Night, Satellite Records). This is the start of Isaac’s association with Stax Records, where he was recruited to be a house keyboard player for Stax, after several successful sessions with Otis Redding. His partnership with David Porter was begining as well. This successful duo has written well over 200 songs, and I could wax poetic about the hits, but let’s face it, if you’re reading this and you don’t know about “Soul Man”, “B-A-B-Y”, and “Hold On I’m Comin’ “, step your Stax game up. 1967 would see Hayes go solo with Presenting Isaac Hayes, and the hit records would follow. 1969’s Hot Buttered Soul, To Be Continued, The Isaac Hayes Movement, and the well known Shaft Soundtrack made Hayes a household name. He lent his expertise to more Blaxploitation films in this very record from Three Tough Guys, Truck Turner, and of course the Lp’s Chocolate Chip, Joy and Groove-a-thon. It wasn’t all good times, as Hayes would soon file for bankruptcy. You can’t keep the man down though, and soon Hayes was back on his feet. He would do a string of duets with notable female singers, release a few more records up into the 1980’s, but then would shift into an acting career. Hayes did come back in the 90’s with “Ike’s Rap”, but still continues to act today, and got to a whole different level as the voice of Chef on South Park. That’s not to say he still doesn’t do and produce music, I mean seriously, he’s Isaac Hayes.

This a long one for FMF, although the Joe Farrell “Canned Funk” clocked in at over five minutes. This is everything you would expect from Isaac Hayes at this particular time. The man was noted for for throwing these sick Jazz style arrangements, combining horn sections, fuzzy guitars, a symphony, and everything but the kitchen sink. He’s a genius, and despite his questionable Scientology connection (to each his own), there is no way you can say that Hayes wasn’t one of the best composers of Funk and Soul music in the history of the genre. His involvement in Stax records, the scene in Memphis, and his contribution as a musician, songwriter, composer and arranger, and the persona of “Ike”, has kept him in the spotlight as a player his whole career. FMF celebrates Isaac Hayes and the fact that “Hung Up On My Baby” was flipped that much further by The Geto Boys to create a Hip Hop classic with it. Let’s not forget the cover by El Michels Affair, it smokes too!! Enjoy this side, and enjoy the Geto Boys video as well. Keep Diggin’!