Stax Records was born in Memphis in 1957. Ten years later – a decade of era-defining records from the likes of Rufus Thomas, Booker T and the MGs, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, Albert King and more – the 1967 Stax/Volt European tour took their music across the Atlantic for the first time.
Eddie Floyd, Arthur Conley, Sam & Dave and Otis Redding were the stars and the backing band were Booker T & the M.G.s and the Mar-Keys. They had no idea what kind of reception awaited them. “They treated us like we were the Beatles or something,” guitarist Steve Cropper said later. “It pretty much overwhelmed everyone in the band. It was a total mind-blower. Hell, we were just in Memphis cutting records; we didn’t know. Then we go over there, there were hoardes of people waiting at the airport, autograph hounds and all that sort of stuff.”
