The Bar-Kays released their first single "Soul Finger" in April 1967. That same year they were chosen by Otis Redding to play as his backing band. In December Otis and four of the Bar-Kays band members died in an airplane-crash. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, Bassist James Alexander and producer Allen Jones assembled a new lineup and became the Stax house band. The 1978 they released 'Money Talks', in fact an album of unreleased Stax material. 'Money Talks' is the essence of late 70's funk. The title track is the most mainstream cut, but that's just an aperitif for the rest of the album. Two superb versions of their top ten hit-single "Holy Ghost" with a sheer percussive joy held together with prototypical Stratocaster work. 'Money Talks' is for sure a 100% Soul-Funk classic!

One of the albums that the Bar-Kays cut for Stax in the early '70s after they revamped the group following the disastrous late-'60s plane crash that killed all but two of the originals…

Some vigorous funk and an occasional soulful ballad by The Bar-Kays, who were re-establishing their funk credentials and rebuilding after recovering from the '67 plane crash. This album included the title track and several other short, peppy vocal and instrumental numbers, although it wasn't as well-produced as some later '70s and '80s efforts.

In the wake of the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of four of their bandmates and soul legend Otis Redding, trumpeter Ben Cauley and bassist James Alexander formed a new edition of the Bar-Kays to cut Gotta Groove, a celebration of life and music that ranks among the funkiest, hardest-driving LPs ever released under the Stax aegis…