The Original "Soul Men: Sam and Dave" Performance Documentary To Be Released On DVD 5th May, 2008

March 14, 2008

Film focuses on the Music and Careers of Legendary Soul Duo and ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME inductees  Including their influence on the original “BLUES BROTHERS” and the post Sam & Dave career of SAM MOORE.

"When you hear Sam & Dave you hear the black church"– AL BELL (Former Owner, Stax Records)

Historic Music and Universal Music Group International are proud to announce the April 25th release of the performance-documentary The Original SOUL MEN: SAM AND DAVE. The two-hour plus DVD tells the story of two legendary singers, Sam Moore and Dave Prater Jr. through their early years as young Gospel performers who, under the spell of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson  abandon the Church to form the greatest Soul Duo of all time. The story is told with the help of 22 complete vintage concert and television Performances from 1966-80 as well as an incredible performance of Sam Moore filmed in Japan in 2007.

Also featured in the film is an extensive interview with SAM MOORE ("Sam") who traces his early career as a Gospel performer in Miami, Florida where he met Dave Prater (“Dave”) at a Talent Contest he was hosting at the legendary KING OF HEARTS Nightclub, through the hit years touring with the likes of OTIS REDDING, BOOKER T & THE MGs and THE STAX REVIEW. Sam explores his career in detail and reveals shares many anecdotes, which are presented in THE ORIGINAL SOUL MEN: SAM AND DAVE for the first time. Also interviewed is ROSEMARY PRATER, the “widow” of DAVE PRATER, DAN AYKROYDand PAUL SHAFFER who discuss the profound influence they garnered from SAM & DAVE and how that influence helped guide them in creating the persona of the legendary "BLUES BROTHERS" with JOHN BELUSHI.

In addition STAX VOLT/ BOOKER T & THE MG's bassist DONALD "Duck" DUNN shares his personal stories of touring and recordin g with SAM AND DAVE and former STAX  former owner AL BELL gives an insiders point of view to the phenomenon which was SAM AND DAVE.

Beginning with their first surviving performance taken from the African American Music Variety Show THE BEAT (1966) and progressing through SAM & DAVE’s greatest years including recently discovered performances of their mega-hit SOUL MAN from the German TV Program BEAT BEAT BEAT.  Incredible performances of HOLD ON I’M COMING  (London, 1967), YOU DON’T KNOW LIKE I KNOW (a rare out-take from THE BEAT!), an electrifying medley from THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW of SOUL SISTER BROWN SUGAR & LUCKY OLD SUN and a rare performance of WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY taken from the thought to be lost African American TV Program SHADES OF SOUL are just a few of the program’s many rare and exciting highlights.  SAM AND DAVE’S incredible Orchestra are also featured in a solo spot, which highlights the band’s legendary choreography and illustrates the excitement they created on stage during all of the SAM AND DAVE concert dates.

The Original SOUL MEN: SAM AND DAVE also includes a --- page booklet with extensive essays by awarding wining writers GERI HIRSHEY and ROBERT GORDON. The booklet also features rare photographs and memorabilia much of which being published for the first time. A bonus section on THE ROOTS OF SAM & DAVE features three 1963 video performances by legendary Gospel performers THE SOUL STIRRERS, THE DAVIS SISTERS and BROTHER JOE MAY who profoundly influenced the style and sound of SAM AND DAVE.

For The Original SOUL MEN: DAM AND DAVE every effort has been made to locate the best possible sound and video; each performance has been re-transferred and re-mastered from the best-quality original masters (some resting in the television vaults for over forty years). In the case of the 2 pre video era video style lip-sync performances, the original multi-track master recordings have been used, replacing the original TV broadcast audio and making for far superior viewing and listening than ever was possible when the programs were originally broadcast.

HISTORIC MUSIC INC. is the world’s leading music footage and historic stock footage library and provides historical music performance to everyone from THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME to MARTIN SCORSESE’s GRAMMY AWARD winning series THE BLUES as well as producing several award winning music documentaries including THE SUPREMES: REFLECTIONS, THE HOWLING WOLF STORY, LOUIS PRIMA: THE WILDEST! and THE BEST OF HOOTENANNY. HISTORIC MUSIC is currently putting the finishing touches on the first ever feature length retrospective history of Gospel Music to be released theatrically by MAGNOLIA PICTURES in the fall.

The legendary SAM MOORE and his wife JOYCE (associate producer of the project) are available for interviews (individually or together).

Producer and Director JOE LAURO is available for interviews.

Please contact [email protected] +44 (0) 207 471 5634 for further info and to arrange interviews.

TRACK LISTING

SOUL MAN  (1967)
I TAKE WHAT I WANT (1966)
YOU DON’T KNOW LIKE I KNOW (1967)
SOOTHE ME (1967)
ROAD RUNNER (1967)
WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY (1969)
HOLD ON! I’M A COMIN’ (1967)
YOU GOT IT MADE (1967)
YOU GOT ME HUMMIN’ (1969)
I DON’T NEED NOBODY (TO TELL ME ABOUT MY BABY)  (1967)
SOUL SISTER BROWN SUGAR (1969)
LUCKY OL’ SUN (1969)
MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF (1970)
BORN AGAIN (1969)
I THANK YOU (1969)
LUCKY OL’ SUN ( w Mike Douglas) (1969)
BABY DON’T STOP NOW (1970)
SOUL MAN (1980)
YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL (2007)

BONUS PERFORMANCES

SOUL MAN ( The Blues Brothers, 1977)
I TAKE WHAT I WANT (1969)
SECRET AGENT MAN (1966)
YOUR GONNA NEED HIM AFTER A WHILE ( Ruth Davis & Brother Joe May, 1963)
WE WILL UNDERSTAND IT BETTER BYE AND BYE ( The Davis Sisters, 1963)
I AM A PILGRIM ( The Soul Stirrers, 1963)