Cover Story #14: Pickled Priest's 40 Favorite Stax/Volt Album Covers

House of the Holy

Pickled Priest's love of Memphis's Stax Records and its spinoff Volt Records (and to a lesser extent, stepchild Enterprise Records) is well-documented on our pages. In fact, we consider them the holy trinity, our Holy Grail, and our ground zero for everything else we love. We've written a lot about the music, but now it is time to look at the album art side of the house. In this post, we see if the visual aspect of their records matched the audio genius. And, as laways, please remember the difference between favorite and best.

PICKLED PRIEST'S 40 FAVORITE STAX/VOLT ALBUM COVERS

40 Frederick Knight | "I've Been Lonely for So Long"

Well, Freddie, your fortunes are about to change, for you will not be lonely for much longer in that pimp-worthy, squirrel-fur and leather-quilted jacket, my friend. You're gonna get some leg tonight for sure!

39 Booker T. & the M.G.s | Green Onions

In an era when a picture of the artist was pretty much always the cover art, I applaud this simple photo of some farmstand onions. It piggybacks on the album's smash hit title track and certainly cannot be viewed as selling out in any way whatsoever, so it gets a spot on our list as a reward. Also, notice how the color of the twist ties matches the band's name. A subtle, but appreciated, touch.

38 Booker T. & the MG's | 'Hip Hug-Her'

Where da white women at? Nothing says gritty Memphis soul more than a bunch of pale-skinned Carnaby Street models with thin waists and trendy pants, but that's what was "in" at the time, so the MG's named one of their best instrumentals after the "hip hugger" trend of the mid 60s (taking some liberties with the spelling in the process). There's no denying this colorful cover has enough panache to draw the eye even though it doesn't quite reflect the music within, but how many fashion trends have a great soul instrumental to go with it anymore? This cover is also notable for being the first on this list designed by frequent Stax Art Director, Loring Eutemey, who was an accomplished graphic designer responsible for countless classic jazz, soul, and blues record covers for Atlantic Records in the 1950s and 60s and since Stax was distributed by Atlantic in the 60s, he found himself jobbing for Stax as well. White girl fetish aside, the guy was a creative dynamo.

37 David Porter | Gritty, Groovy, & Gettin' It

Perhaps the most sexual use of the Oxford comma in soul music history? Discuss. This cover is for that one person left on the planet that doesn't understand by the photo alone that David Porter is "gettin' it" whenever and wherever he so chooses. Photo by legendary rock photographer Joel Brosky, who will be a regular on this list going forward.* Now let's let Mr. Porter get back to fucking before his death stare becomes uncomfortable for all of us.

Brodsky's credits include too many classic album covers to count, but here's a few: Kiss's self-titled debut, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, the Stooges first album, several Doors records, Funkadelic's Maggot Brain, and Parliament's Free Your Mind...and Your Ass Will Follow. Quite an impressive resume!

36 Albert King | Live Wire/Blues Power

A photo in front of an electrical transmission tower is a logical idea considering the album's title, but having Albert place a lone dandelion in his mouth for the shot adds just the right amount of humanity to the picture. It goes to show that a taste of the unexpected is never a bad thing.

35 William Bell | Bound to Happen

If labelmate Otis Redding was the King of Memphis Soul, then the tragically underrated William Bell surely had to be his nominee for Ambassador to Russia. I mean, he's got the look down pat, complete with nosewarmer pipe and karakul hat. Here, he appears to be riding a horse (with the dignified posture of a diplomat) or perhaps he's just taking a leak. Either way, the Russians have got you covered, wink wink.

34 Jean Knight | Mr. Big Stuff

I've been listening to this feminist smackdown with glee for my entire lifetime now and I have not once conjured this image as the corresponding visual representation of "Mr. Big Stuff," but now I'll never get the image out of my mind, thanks mainly to its uncomfortably suggestive vantage point, and that makes me a little sad, to be honest. Acclaimed photographer Joel Brosky is to blame, although it is kind of funny, too, which counts for a lot around here.

33 Eddie Floyd | "You've Got to Have Eddie"

It's clinically proven: four out of five soul music lovers agree that you simply have to have Eddie, and the more the better! Eddie had a chubby-cheeked baby face well into in his prime and here he augments that trait with a wide-eyed, naive stare, but let's face it, his tie selection is the star of this show. It's the colorful focal point thanks to a stiff headwind and a pretty stylish green and gold pattern. You can't not notice it mainly because it's the only splash of vibrant color on the whole cover. I also like that it "ties" in nicely to the coloring of Eddie's name and album title to give the whole thing a subtle, subdued feel much like a tastefully executed watercolor portrait. Deceptively pleasing to the eye.

32 Otis Redding & Carla Thomas | King & Queen

Why nobody has made a deck of cards like this for public purchase is anyone's guess, but they should. I'd be all over a Stax tribute deck. Maybe the folks at Theory 11 are listening. I like the playfulness of this approach, but I might've executed it a bit differently—Otis and Carla are done no favors by their renderings—but overall it gets the point across just fine. Otis & Carla were royals, plain and simple. The design is the first of many credits on this list for Stax regular designer Ronnie Stoots, also responsible for creating the original Stax logo (see below)!

Ronnie be good.

31 Eddie Floyd | Soul Street

This realistic representation of the evolution of an inner-city street was done by Memphis artist Ellis Chappell, most known for his portraits these days, but he contributed to several Stax covers in his early years. For anyone who has ever ventured off the beaten path into the real neighborhoods of a city, this scene rings true. The pharmacy is now a clothing store that also makes personal loans and rents rooms to transients*, the hardware store is now a 'Bar BQ' restaurant, and another shop is boarded up waiting for its next occupant. A very nicely rendered slice of life, looking a little washed out and used, just like the typical neighborhood street.

*All mostly speculation, but you get the idea.

30 The Mad Lads | In Action

This album cover is bright and colorful—downright cheerful, in fact—but it's also big-time fucked up. One image shows a woman being dragged by her hair, one features a sadistic hunchback licking a long knife while a woman is chained to the wall behind him, and another features a businessman about to blow his brains out. The remaining panel features a guy (possibly the same nut from the first frame) straightjacketed for our, and his own, protection. That's a relief! I presume Stax art director Loring Eutemey thought this an amusing personification of the band's moniker at the time, but it hasn't aged well to say the least. But then again, when has taste been a prerequisite for a record cover? This got my attention with its colors, it kept my attention with its content, and it's the cover many will remember the most, for better or worse. Bad press is good press, too, as we've proven time and time again in our past Album Art posts. This one is controversial, yes, but undeniably hard to ignore.

29 The Mar-Keys | The Great Memphis Sound

You can almost feel yourself swirling down this Twilight Zone-esque vortex as you look into it, your eyes the victim of a colorful optical illusion. I'm game if my acid trip takes me to Memphis like this one does, where at the very least I'll be treated to some top-notch soul instrumentals as I come back to reality.

28 Mavis Staples | Mavis Staples

Considering what a beloved American icon she has become since, it can be a little disarming to see this version of Mavis, still only 30-years-old upon release of her first solo record away from the Staple Singers. Take a while to stare into her eyes—it's like she's peering into your soul, fully ready for her close-up. Ironically, she's got a star decoration on her forehead, as if anyone needed any more than a few seconds of hearing her voice to figure out her star power on their own.

27 Booker T. & the M.G.'s | Soul Limbo

A hot girl holding court under the pier with some adoring fellas surrounding her was a lot more innocent in the 60s than it would be now, where she'd surely have a can of mace concealed in her hidden left hand. That said, the fish out of water nature of seeing Memphis's own flirting on the beach makes this a unique cover in the Stax catalog. I would've gone the easy route, with the boys holding a bamboo pole and the girl doing the limbo under it, but what do I know?

26 Various Artists | Fillet of Soul

This cover, from a pretty great Stax compilation from 1972, is an attractive visual until you realize this "fresh catch" mermaid is likely going to be eaten for dinner tonight, filleted and seared over an intense flame doused in spicy Memphis hot sauce. But until then, look how the sweep of her tail makes perfect use of the cover's ample white space—it's really a beautiful cover to stare at for a while until dinner's ready. I secretly hope we get a picture disc of this on some Record Store Day to be named later.

25 Isaac Hayes | Shaft

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The composer of your movie's theme song shouldn't be cooler than the main character the movie is based on, especially because the writers had free range to make him as cool as they wanted. After all, he was fictional! This is a perfectly acceptable cover, but it still isn't as cool as it shoulda been. I do like the chunky purple line work with the three-dimensional shading and I do like the Richard Roundtree action still from the film. But c'mon, people, nobody should put Mr. Cool himself, Isaac Hayes, in a little inset box in the corner! There is simply too much testosterone for this pan to handle. Perhaps a gatefold was in order.

24 Johnnie Taylor | Taylored in Silk

Man, if they still sold the "Johnnie Taylor" at Men's Warehouse, I'd now have a sweet silk-lined suit like this one hanging in my closet right now—whether I could pull it off or not (I couldn't) is irrelevant. Rest assured, our boy Johnnie was a smooth cat back in the day, making love so often that he was out of his suit more than he was in it. That's the implication here, I assume. An original take on a pretty worn-out concept. Pardon the pun.

23 Albert King | Born Under a Bad Sign

An album title like this one really takes care of itself. There are only so many directions you can go. So here, we get several bad omens at the same time. Snake eyes, a black cat, the ace of spades, and Friday the 13th. If this cover doesn't bring you bad luck, it won't bring you any luck at all. Oddly, there is nothing Zodiac-related on the cover other than the title. Surely, something could've been squeezed in. That said, it's also a pleasing color palette with just the right amount of the most foreboding colors—black, white, and red—but with a tiny hint of olive green to mix things up a bit. Very nice.

22 Otis Redding | Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul

Stax's in-house designers loved their white girls that's for sure, and Loring Eutemey led the charge. Here we see a pretty blonde enraptured by the unrivaled passion of Otis's voice. I look the same way when I hear his music, but nobody's interested in photographing me. The graininess of the image is perfect, the dark shadows fitting, for this is music to immerse yourself in fully.

21 Otis Redding | The Soul Album

Stax Art Director Loring Eutemey took a little heat for the white girl on the cover of Otis Blue, so for Otis's next record he gave us this striking photo of model and actress Fluerette Carter to atone. The photo is captivating, too, worthy of a National Geographic cover shot. It's a cover to lock eyes with as the record spins. The rich, black background really makes the image pop and miraculously the neon coloring of the font works perfectly. I wouldn't have gone that route, but it adds to the vitality of an already stunning cover.

20 Carla Thomas | Memphis Queen (1969)

A perfect portrait (by photographer Bob Stone) worthy of the undisputed Queen of Memphis Soul. Pure, unofficial, earned royalty. The best kind. Dress/font color match appreciated, too. Long live the queen!

19 Little Milton | Waiting for Little Milton

Something tells me Little Milton ain't so little after all. How else to explain what awaits him at home*? With a painted brick wall substituting for white space, the window is cleverly offset providing us with a voyeuristic view from just the right angle. I've seen windows used on covers before, but never this effectively.

*I didn't intend to belabor the point, but yes, another white woman. While Stax is infamous for its history of having musicians of both races working in harmony (for most of the time, at least), and that is one of my favorite historical aspects of the label, it is still a little odd how often the default setting for many black musicians (and designers) was white.

18 Albert King | Lovejoy

A tribute to the beloved tour bus, she of questionable comfort, blown shocks, belching fumes, and a golden hearted driver named Gus. I love how her "face" takes up the whole frame, which can be seen with a little imagination. A portrait of the lady as an old woman. Photo, once again, by rock shutterbuging legend, Joel Brodsky. Ubiquitous!

17 The Bar-Kays | Soul Finger

Loring Eutemeny loved to work with colors. In fact, this cover looks like a kid's menu at a local diner; just supply a small box of crayons and let the adults talk. In fact, you can even see the coloring marks if you look closely. Now get an order of fries, some chicken tenders, and a chocolate shake out here stat. It's a little bit trippy for my tastes, but you cannot deny that its colorful approach grabs your eyes immediately. Mission accomplished.

Note: I have to say it, there's no turning back now: 8 of 11 shown are white people.

16 Otis Redding | In Person at the Whisky A Go Go

These thirty time-lapse photos capture Otis's onstage kinetic energy in all its force of nature glory. The images were all taken by legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall. I love the use of black throughout. It provides the whole thing a midnight hour feel just perfect for a night of gut-bucket soul.

15 Sam & Dave | Hold On, I'm Comin'

A ludicrous creation by all accounts, but somehow I still love it for that very same reason. The origin story of the song is a classic. David Porter and Isaac Hayes were writing songs in the studio, when Dave had to take a dump. Isaac then came up with a possible song idea and was urging Porter to finish up and come back to the studio to record it. David then yelled the now iconic title phrase back to Isaac and the rest is music history. I assume Isaac has long forgotten his original idea. For the eventual cover, however, they went with a comedic angle, thanks to whimsical designer Ronnie Stoots. He thought, "What could be more aggravating than finding out the people you are impatiently waiting on are arriving on the back of a large, green, cartoon turtle?"* It's a colorful goof, and an endearing one at that.

*This is how I imagine it went at least!

14 Rufus Thomas | Do the Funky Chicken

The Crown Prince of Stax had some seriously gritty pipes in addition to the lively, loveable spirit that made him a Memphis legend. He may be most famous for "Walking the Dog," but his "Funky Chicken" was equally entertaining. This cover answers the burning question, What exactly is a funky chicken? A picture is worth a thousand words.

13 Otis Redding | The Dock of the Bay

If I can refer you to one album cover to show the true passion of soul music, it would be this one. That it was for a posthumous album almost makes it too much to bear. This is the Big O in action, pouring his heart out. It's an iconic image of the greatest, most genuine voice in R&B bar none. Would I have cut out some dead space at the top and made the picture a bit larger? Yes, I would've. If you're into photographers, this one also by Jim Marshall.

12 Melvin Van Peebles | Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (Soundtrack)

Melvin's soundtrack to the titular film (objectively a brilliant title) has him looking more than a little like Will Smith at the Oscars, but he still looks the part of Mr. Sweet Sweetback here, a total bad motherfucker, named and raised by prostitutes, on the run from a bunch of white cops. This movie's reputation as a militant blaxploitation film is only underlined by the "Rated X by an All-White Jury" claim on its movie poster.

11 Rufus Thomas | "Crown Prince of Dance"

Rufus was one of Stax's original artists despite being well over 40 at the time of his first recordings for the label. He was a beloved local legend, radio DJ, performer, comic, clown, and dance craze creator. On top of that he fathered Stax's very own diva, Carla Thomas. Even on his last Stax release, now approaching 60, he had the audacity to record a song titled "Funkiest Man Alive" (also the title of his biography) and pretty much pull it off, with no apologies to James Brown offered or intended. Fittingly, even his last release gets a killer "under the glass coffee table" cover photo to stress his credentials as a trend setter and groove master. These shoes were made for dancin' and he was far from out of a gas at this point. It's only fair that the father of the Queen of Memphis Soul also got an honorific to reward his lifetime of achievements. This captures the man in all his glory. Once again, Joel Brodsky with the camera.

10 Johnnie Taylor | Wanted One Soul Singer

I do love a complete concept when it comes together. Here, Johnnie pores over the want-ads on one of those indestructible park district benches in the city, trying to find someone who needs a soul singer. I love how the actual want-ads are shown in the blue backdrop (if you look closely, all the ads are all the same!). The title, in big white letters, also works. If the matching purple slacks, shirt, and jacket don't get him the job, his voice surely will. Another Ronnie Stoots production. The guy had a sense of humor, that's for sure.

09 Sam & Dave | Double Dynamite

Technically, quadruple dynamite, but who's quibbling? Together, Sam & Dave were already known as Double Dynamite and if any duo earned that nickname it was Sam Moore and Dave Prater (sadly, both now resting in peace as of last year). So, doubling down on the duo by doubling each image only made it doubly confusing. It still works, thanks to heavy use of purple throughout, including their silk shirts (two purple shirts in a row on this list, if you're keeping track), which makes this colorful cover stand out from the LP racks at your local record store. And, yes, Ronnie Stoots strikes again!

08 Sam & Dave | Soul Men

When it comes to capturing the surging energy plant that was Stax Records in the 1960s, nothing does the job quite like a live shot of their artists in action onstage, making things shake and sweat. And nobody, with the exception of Otis himself, brought the sweat with as much frantic energy as Sam & Dave in their prime. This cover is just one still from soul music's ultimate tandem act. Matching suits an added bonus. Just as with their breakthrough album, Hold On, I'm Comin', they again used an eye-catching green color palette. But no turtles this time, just two soul men living up to an album title. Design by Loring Loring Eutemey, photo by prolific music photographer Jean-Pierre Leloir.

07 Otis Redding | Live in Europe

Few people in history could match Otis Redding's stage presence. Talk about your short lists! Here we get the next best thing to being there with Otis's Live in Europe record, where he dominated stages across the pond with his voice, charisma, passion, and, it should be said, his fabulous red suit. Has he ever looked better? So here's what we call a no-brainer. Otis alive and delivering in the spotlight where he belonged, looking resplendent, in the process of destroying an unsuspecting crowd with his once in a lifetime talent. Oh, to have been there. Photographer Jean-Pierre Leloir took the shot, his second in a row on this list!

06 Carla Thomas | Carla Thomas

As Stax's top female star, Carla needed a statement album cover to cement her status at the label and her self-titled record from 1966 (her third record overall) did just that. A talent deserving of the name in giant letters treatment, this attractive cover is a stunning mix of colors, shading, and composition. I love how Carla interacts with the letters of her name—standing on the C, cradling the first A, and giving us a booty shot on the second A for good measure. She looks fabulous in gold lame, too, which only cements her eventual status as the definitive female voice at Stax.

05 Booker T. & the M.G.'s | McLemore Avenue

This Memphis soul take on the Beatles Abbey Road was an inspired idea, with the photo taken just outside of Stax studios right there on McLemore Avenue, a street that is as important to soul music die-hards as Abbey Road is to fans of the Fab Four. Here, they follow the same approach, albeit with no budget. You've gotta admit, though, that these guys walk like a soul band should walk—with some serious swagger. Booker T. (far left) even breaks with convention a bit by giving a peace sign to the camera. And surely someone would've been barefoot to mimic the Beatles, but in South Memphis there's too much broken glass on the street to make that possible. Still, this has an appropriately gritty feel to it that perfectly prepares you for the music within—a soulful take on the Beatles classic album in its entirety. The only thing I would change is the decision to add "Booker T. and the M.G.s" to the small billboard top right. It looks cheap, clearly added after-the-fact, and unnecessarily deviates from the album's original inspiration, which didn't need any words to become one of the great album covers of all time.

04 Isaac Hayes | Black Moses

If you're gonna name an album Black Moses, you had better live up to the title and Isaac Hayes and his design crew did just that for the cover of his legendary 1971 album. The cover proper, with Isaac in a Pottery Barn bathrobe and his trademark shades, captures one of the coolest dudes of the era totally pulling off the vibe of his Biblical inspiration. Audacious as it may have been at the time, he plays the role convincingly, despite his own initial reservations about the concept. I'd follow this guy through the desert for a few years no questions asked. Just tell me where to go. As a standard 12"x12" piece of art, it's fantastic, but the five-panel fold-out gave us the full Black Moses blessing us on the water's edge, a baptism seemingly in the offing for all interested parties. That the fold-out turned into the shape of a cross is perhaps the most realized example ever of doubling down on a controversial concept. Nobody should mind that, right? Kudos to all for the brass balls to pull this off.

03 Johnnie Taylor | One Step Beyond

Proving soul music wasn't immune to the post-moon landing space mania, this Johnnie Taylor album is possibly the most original and artistically advanced album cover in the whole Stax catalog. There's not another album in the label's history that captures the same feel of One Step Beyond. It was an inspired idea to put Johnnie in a space helmet, an Ass-tronaut if you will, but the shadow images behind him only make the picture (taken by Joel Brodsky, of course) that much more otherworldly and borderline mysterious. Even the title has the letters reverberating as if echoing back from deep space. The whole thing has the feel of a sci-fi book cover and there's enough intrigue present to last for the entire record.

02 William Bell | The Soul of a Bell

The great unsung hero of the Stax roster was William Bell. I could make you a mixtape that would prove that claim beyond an unreasonable doubt, let alone a reasonable one. The cover of his masterpiece, Soul of a Bell, gave him an almost 007-esque mystique and sure enough he was one of the coolest, classiest, and most talented guys on the whole label for many years, so it worked just perfectly. With a last name of Bell, it was a no-brainer to use the peel of a giant bell as a ringing endorsement of his vocal talents. Also love the purple/yellow contrast, it surely sold a lot of records.

01 Isaac Hayes | Hot Buttered Soul

One of the most distinctive, recognizable, and iconic album covers in music history is merely a bird's eye view of Isaac Hayes's trademark bald head and sunglasses, ubiquitous and essential components of the man's badass image. Add in a gold-chain that would make any rapper jealous and the deal is officially sealed. I am always amazed when a simple photograph has such as massive impact as this one has. It was taken by a guy named Bob Smith whom you may remember from Mavis Staples' debut album covered previously. Also, credit to cover conceptualists Larry Shaw and Ron Gorden, not to mention Christopher Whorf, all combing their talents to come up with the ultimate Stax album cover. Go look at it again. It's in your collection, I'm sure. Or it should be.

Note: Originally released on Stax's jazz label, Enterprise, in the US. It was issued on Stax everywhere else.

And, as always, a few covers that completely missed the mark...

David Porter | Victim of the Joke?

This photo answers the album title's question. Yes Mr. Porter, you are the victim of a cruel, inhumane practical joke.

Lena Zavaroni | Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me

Believe it or not, a real Stax release meant to capitalize on the sudden success of ten year old Scottish singing sensation Lena Zavaroni. This just screams Stax soul, doesn't it? Oh, and shall we address, while we are here anyway, why a 10-year-old would need to title her album Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me? Beyond creepy.

William Bell | Phases of Reality

There are things I like—the border, the texture, the principle that a man's life is made up of experiences that are always a part of him—but the execution is where it loses me. The chin embryo might've been the final straw. Yup, it was definitely the chin embryo.

Glenn Yarbrough | My Sweet Lady

Nothing says Stax like a white fisherman with a boat named My Sweet Lady.

Jimmy McCracklin | Yesterday is Gone

Jimmy McCracklin and I don't care. I get the idea that time is the avenger, but is he supposed to be wearing a t-shirt with a picture of himself at a younger age on it or does it only look that way?

Jimmy Hughes | Something Special

There nothing special about a guy with green cowboy boots, yellow pants, a green turtleneck, and an amulet mounted on a beaded chain. Although I do appreciate that they matched the colors to both the album graphics and the Volt logo. Now let's get this meeting with your guidance counselor over with so we can move on with our lives.

The Bar-Kays | Do You See What I See?

Rule #1: No clowns. Is that clear? Especially, some freaky MAGA clown dressed as card-carrying NRA Uncle Sam.

_____________________________

May your life be hot buttered until we meet again.

Cheers,

The Priest