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The Memphis Horns

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The Memphis Horns
OriginUnited States
GenresSoul, blues, rock, horn section
LabelsStax, Island
Past membersWayne Jackson
Andrew Love

The Memphis Horns were an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever."[1] Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson (November 24, 1941 – June 21, 2016) on trumpet and Andrew Love (November 21, 1941 - April 12, 2012)[2] on tenor saxophone.

The Memphis Horns appeared on nearly every recording for Stax that included a horn section — with Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Sam and Dave and others — as well as on other releases, including The Doobie Brothers' What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits and U2's Rattle and Hum, as well as a few solo records.

In the 1970s, they recorded with Al Green, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, Mike Harrison, Don Harrison Band, and Stephen Stills. They toured with Stills in 1971. In the 1980s, they played behind Sting and Peter Gabriel.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Jackson and Love worked extensively with the blues outfit, The Robert Cray Band. They provided their trademark funky/soul horns backing to five of the band's albums: Strong Persuader (1986); Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1988); Midnight Stroll (1990); I Was Warned (1992); Sweet Potato Pie (1997).

In 1992, they released their own album Flame Out, produced by fellow Stax alumnus Terry Manning.

Following the retirement of Love, Jackson and another musician who had been working with Memphis Horns, Tom McGinley, continued to record on projects such as Neil Young's Prairie Wind (2005).

In 2007, Jackson reunited with former longtime member Jack Hale, reforming The Memphis Horns (also including McGinley) in order to join a supergroup backing singer-songwriter Andrew Jon Thomson on his "All Star Superband" multi-album project. In 2008, this line-up of Memphis Horns played on some songs on the Raconteurs record, Consolers of the Lonely. The same year the Memphis Horns recorded with Jack White (White Stripes, the Raconteurs) and Alicia Keys on the song "Another Way to Die," for the 22nd James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. In 2008, the Memphis Horns were also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN.[3] In 2017, the group was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

In 2012, the Memphis Horns received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding artistic significance in music.[4]

Personnel

Discography

Selected recordings

1965

Artist Song title Date US charts R&B charts UK charts Notes
Wilson Pickett In the Midnight Hour May 12 1965 21 1 12 date is date recorded
Wilson Pickett 634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A.) December 20 1965 13 1 36 date is date recorded

1966

Artist Song title Date US charts R&B charts UK charts Notes
Wilson Pickett "Land of a Thousand Dances" May 8-11, 1966 6 1 22 date is date recorded
Wilson Pickett "Mustang Sally" October 13, 1966 23 6 28 date is date recorded

References

  1. ^ *Wynn, Ron. Biography of The Memphis Horns at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  2. ^ "» Died On This Date (April 12, 2012) Andrew Love / The Memphis Horns The Music's Over". Themusicsover.com. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2008-10-29). "Kid Rock, Keith Richards Help Induct Crickets, Muscle Shoals Into Musicians Hall of Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  4. ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award: The Memphis Horns". Grammy.com. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2015-12-19.