BILLBOARD #1 HITS: #263: “THEME FROM SHAFT”- ISAAC HAYES – NOVEMBER 20, 1971

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Isaac Hayes - Theme From "Shaft" / Cafe Regio's (1971, Vinyl ...

Billboard #1 Hits: #263: ” Theme From Shaft”- Isaac Hayes. November 20, 1971. #1 for 2 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.

  • Single:”Theme From Shaft”- Isaac Hayes
  • Record Company- Enterprise
  • Genre: Soul- Funk
  • Written by Isaac Hayes
  • Time: 4:34
  • B-side:” Cafe Regio’s”
  • Album-Shaft
  • Grade: A
  • Peaked at #1 2 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.

Until the 1968 when he released his debut album- Isaac Hayes was a behind the scene guy at Stax Records in Memphis- a songwriter and producer. He had his first hit single in 1969 with “Walk On By”/ “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.” The “Theme From Shaft”would shoot him into stardom- going to #1- his only Top 10 hit. Some claim “Theme From Shaft” as the first disco song.

My friend Helmet and I were talking recently about ‘cool” and how years ago there were so many “cool” celebrity types- we traced ‘cool’ back to Humphrey Bogart in the early 1940’s. Maybe a case could be made for Bing Crosby a decade earlier. Anway- Isaac Hayes was cool. He made shaving your head- cool also. Hayes finest moment to me was when he took the Jimmy Webb written song- popularized by Glen Campbell- from the 2 minute 42 second single to an 18 minute 40 second tour de force.

4 responses to “BILLBOARD #1 HITS: #263: “THEME FROM SHAFT”- ISAAC HAYES – NOVEMBER 20, 1971”

  2. I agree…this guy was cool and in control. Love this performance.

    Off Topic: Just heard that the Dodgers are close to signing Mookie Betts to a long contract…if so it will be the first non Dodger to get a giant contract since Friedman got there. He has always wanted Betts though.

    • Betts would be a great signing- he’s still young- I never understood teams signing guys to big contracts- who were aging and out of shape- like Red Sox signing Kung Fu Panda. I can’t think of a worse signing.

    • I knew that was bad… it was shown how he was with the Giants… Betts is 27 so that is a great age to lock up. I’m shocked they are doing it though.

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