Sam & Dave - I Thank You (1968)

Issued in 1968 after the mega hits, "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man," Sam & Dave became interested in the emerging funk sounds happening throughout the R&B scene. Thankfully, so was the writing team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, who wrote one of he singles from this set, the burning, gritty "I Thank You." Many don't see I Thank You as such a strong recording in contrast to the pair's earlier showings, but simply put, they're wrong. Hayes' production is ambitious, multi-dimensional, and pointedly accents the individual strengths of both singers. Check out the contrast in vocal styles on "Everybody Got to Believe in Somebody." Hayes puts them front and center and surrounds them with a rich, swirling string arrangement. The hit from the album is the wooly groover "Wrap It Up," where the pair rise above a killer Memphis Horn arrangement and Steve Cropper's funky guitar to wail in call and response on the choruses. The greasy, grainy, in-the-pocket instrumental production on "Ain't That a Lot of Love" lends itself to the rough-and-tumble execution by Sam & Dave; this is the kind of track they must have had a ball recording. It is one of the many great under-heard tunes in the pair's catalog. I Thank You stands the test of time very well.