In its heyday, Stax Records was synonymous with soul music’s biggest stars – from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas to Sam & Dave and the Staple Singers. But behind their iconic hits was a talented team of songwriters. Craft Recordings celebrates the work of these unsung heroes with a brand-new collection, Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos. Set for release on June 23 and available for pre-order today on CD and digital, the 7-disc box set includes 146 demos (140 previously unreleased) from Stax’s legendary roster of songwriters, including Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, and William Bell. From early sketches of classic ’60s and ’70s hits to never-before-heard songs with full-blown arrangements, Written in Their Soul offers fans a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the storied Memphis label.

Compiled by multiple GRAMMY®-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and restored/mastered by multiple GRAMMY®-winning engineer Michael Graves, the songs featured on Written in Their Soul fall into three categories: demos that were released by artists at Stax or its subsidiary imprints, including Volt, We Produce, and Enterprise (CDs 1–3); demos by Stax songwriters that were released by artists on other labels, such as Atlantic and Decca (CD 4); and a trove of hit-worthy recordings that were never released (CDs 5–7). Adding context to these songs are notes by Pawelski, plus a new essay by Emmy® and GRAMMY-winning writer/producer Robert Gordon (Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story) and Stax’s original Director of Publicity and 2x Emmy® winner Deanie Parker, who later served as the founding President and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, which encompasses the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, among other educational organizations. Ms. Parker, who joined the Stax fold in 1962, was also a songwriter at the label.

Beginning today, fans can hear a first taste of Written in Their Soul with a demo of “634-5789 (Soulsville, USA).” Written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper, the song was famously recorded by Wilson Pickett, who made it a No.1 R&B hit and Top 20 pop single in 1966. Released on Atlantic Records, the song’s title was inspired by the Marvelettes’ 1962 hit, “Beachwood 4-5789,” while the enduring tune would later be recorded by Tina Turner, Ry Cooder, and Bon Jovi. Stream it here.

“Demo recordings are often tossed off without inhibition, just writer and tape recorder sharing an intimate space,” writes compilation producer Cheryl Pawelski. “I love all these songs as they tumbled out for the first time. They’re filled with the joy and magic of discovering something that wasn’t there moments before. Suddenly, there it is, a song filled with the hope of finding an audience, of saying something, of moving someone.” That magic is palpable throughout Written in Their Soul, which captures some of America’s best songwriters laying down their ideas (often for the first time) on tape.

What fans might find the most striking is hearing the label’s biggest singles in their earliest incarnations. Such examples include Mack Rice’s acoustic demo of “Respect Yourself” (a 1971 hit by the Staple Singers), written alongside Luther Ingram. Gordon and Parker include an anecdote from Rice, who revealed that the song came about from a conversation with Ingram. “One of us said, ‘A guy got to respect himself out here to get anyplace, you know?’ So it hit us both at the same time – that’s a good title, ‘Respect Yourself’ is a good title.”

“I have my old guitar upstairs,” Mack continues, “I’m messing with that… And I started writing the song. The words just hit me, like God just give me the words. About thirty minutes, I had the whole song.” Fellow songwriter Bettye Crutcher suggested giving it to the Staple Singers, and an R&B classic was born. Yet, Gordon and Parker emphasize how demos (like this one) can differ vastly from the final version. “Some demos become the exact map followed and some, like ‘Respect Yourself,’ spark a new interpretation…. When Mack created it on an almost-tuned guitar, it sounds a lot more like Talking Heads or some other driving punk rock song than it does the epitome of the Staple Singers’ message music.”

Another fascinating example is Henderson Thigpen’s “Woman to Woman,” which became a signature hit for Shirley Brown in 1974. The idea for the song first came to Thigpen when he heard his wife talking about two women fighting over the same man. “When two men get serious,” Thigpen recalled, “they say, ‘Let’s talk man to man,’ so I thought of these ladies saying, ‘Woman to woman, let’s hash this out.’”

Gordon and Parker point out that the “Woman to Woman” demo is notable in that it is voiced by a male artist, but written from a female perspective. This, they say, “is an expression of a great songwriter’s skill – the ability to inhabit any character, even those not of their gender. While it was a matter of economics for the songwriter to sing across gender boundaries – if the writers brought in an outside vocalist, they’d have to pay them or have a fee taken from their royalties – the real achievement is the writers’ ability to so comfortably imagine themselves as someone else.”

Not all of the demos stray far from their final versions – in fact, fans may recognize some songs immediately. Homer Banks’ demo for “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (written with Carl Hampton) is a prime example. Originally intended for the Emotions, the song was shelved, only to be discovered two years later by Luther Ingram. The singer-songwriter, who stayed true to Bank’s demo, turned the song into one of the biggest hits of 1972.

Gordon and Parker note that the strength of this demo gave the songwriting duo greater creative responsibilities. “The similarity between [the] demo and Luther’s final release was strong enough to push Homer and Carl into taking more control of the sessions. ‘We found other producers were literally copying the demos and having hits,’ Homer [recalled]. ‘So…we simply decided that we were going to produce!’”

Another hitmaking duo, David Porter and Isaac Hayes is also represented in this collection, leading a sweetly harmonized demo of “You Make A Strong Girl Weak,” written for and performed by one of the few girl groups at Stax, Jeanne & the Darlings. While the trio never released the song, it was issued in 1965 as a B-side by the short-lived group, the Premieres.

Stax was also home to several female songwriters – a rarity at that time. One of the label’s first big stars, Carla Thomas, was a prolific writer who penned her debut hit, “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” when she was just 15. Thomas’ work is exemplified here on multiple demos – the majority of which she would record herself – as well as several unreleased songs, including “Let’s Be Sure” and “It’s Up to You.” In 1964, while under contract at Atlantic Records, Thomas also scored a hit with the Deanie Parker/Steve Cropper tune, “I’ve Got No Time to Lose,” the demo of which is featured in this box set. Some of Parker’s unreleased work is also highlighted, including demos of “Spin It” and “Nobody Wants to Get Old” with Mack Rice.

Among Stax’s most prolific songwriters was Bettye Crutcher, whose songs in this collection include solo compositions as well as collaborations, including works with her hitmaking team We Three (featuring Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson). But Crutcher had plenty of challenges to overcome, explains Parker. “She realized that there were barriers, that the writers had turf, and to be a woman in that environment was extremely difficult.

Crutcher, who passed away last October, told Gordon and Parker, “These guys just didn’t want to accept a girl coming in there doing what they were doing… I really was going to have to win them with my work, they were not going to give me any edge.” Written in Their Soul offers more than two dozen demos by Crutcher – a testament to her talents and tireless work ethic. Adds Parker, “I’ve never seen anybody who could write as many songs in one sitting as Bettye – she was like a machine!”

In the late ’60s, when Stax split with Atlantic Records and became an independent force, that productivity helped keep the label afloat, as Crutcher penned a string of hits for newcomers like Johnnie Taylor and the Staple Singers. The latter group, which is represented throughout Written in Their Soul, performs a particularly powerful demo of “Top of the Mountain,” written by Crutcher and Marvell Thomas. The stripped-down recording, which showcases Mavis Staples’ powerful vocals, appeared on the group’s 1968 Stax debut, Soul Folk in Action. Another demo from that album, the William Bell/Booker T. Jones-penned “Slow Train” (performed by Bell) is another standout track.

Other highlights from Crutcher’s rich collection of work include the previously-unreleased feminist anthem by We Three, “Too Much Sugar For A Dime.” Written In Their Soul includes two versions of the song: a raw demo, performed by Homer Banks, followed by a flashier rendition by Crutcher that features a full band, backup singers, and supremely funky guitar licks by Bobby Manuel, who frequently collaborated with the songwriter. Manuel and Crutcher also shine in the full-band demo for “All Day Preachin’,” which was recorded by the Soul Children in 1972.

While it is thrilling to hear the early workings of classic Stax tracks, an equal portion of Written In Their Soul is devoted to the songs that never made it out into the world. Many of these tracks are fully-realized studio recordings that were sent to publishers for copywriting purposes. In addition to the previously-mentioned unreleased demos, highlights from this section include two tracks featuring Otis Redding sound-a-like, Willie Singleton. Working with Henderson Thigpen and his team, the Rochester, NY singer performed the songs “Somewhere in Somebody’s Heart” and “Love Treaty,” both of which could have easily been soul classics. Other notable selections include would-be hits that were written and performed by stars like Frederick Knight (“I Like the Way You Groove Me”), Eddie Floyd (“Don’t You Know I’m All Alone” and “‘Till You’ve Been Loved By Me,” both collaborations with Steve Cropper), and William Bell (“It’s No Secret,” written with Booker T. Jones).

Looking back at the breadth of demos collected here, Parker marvels, “This music has lasted over fifty years, and it’s still being studied, emulated, enjoyed. It has earned the right to become a tool used to teach a new generation: Culture. Music. Arts. Man’s humanity to man. There’s so many lessons to be learned from these demos, from the Stax vault, from the songwriters at Stax…. But every great song starts with something that hits you.”

Click here to pre-order Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos tracklist (CD)

Disc One: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part One)

1. Comfort Me – Carla Thomas

2. You Make A Strong Girl Weak – Jeanne & The Darlings

3. What Did I Do Wrong – William Bell

4. Another Night Without My Man – Carla Thomas

5. I Got Everything I Need – Eddie Floyd

6. Mister Fix It – Eddie Floyd

7. I’ll Always Have Faith In You – Eddie Floyd

 8. Got To Make A Comeback – Eddie Floyd

9. I’ve Seen What Loneliness Can Do – Homer Banks

10. Slow Train – William Bell

11. Hear My Call, Here – The Staple Singers

12. Top Of The Mountain – The Staple Singers

13. I See It – The Staple Singers

14. The Ghetto – The Staple Singers

15. You Can’t Win With A Losing Hand – Eddie Floyd

16. Sweet Sensation – Carla Thomas

17. Spare Me The Hurt Of Losing You – The Newcomers

18. Third Child – Bettye Crutcher

19. Respect Yourself – Mack Rice

20. People Come Out Of Your Shell – Bettye Crutcher

21. I’ll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm) – Homer Banks

Disc Two: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part Two)

1. Get Up About Yourself – Homer Banks

2. All Day Preachin’ – Bettye Crutcher

3. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right – Homer Banks

4. We The People – Carl Smith

5. Do The Sweetback – March Wind

6. What Would I Do – Leon Moore

7. Heaven Knows – Homer Banks

8. I May Not Be All You Want (But I’m All You Got) – Homer Banks

9. True Love Don’t Grow On Trees – Veda Brown

10. (I Didn’t Know What Losing Was) ’Til I Lost You – Eddie Floyd

11. Until I Lost You – March Wind

12. Drown Yourself – Bettye Crutcher

13. If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) – Homer Banks

14. I Got To Be Myself – Carl Smith

15. You’re Spreading Yourself A Little Too Thin – Bettye Crutcher

16. Take A Walk Down My Street – Bettye Crutcher

17. Before The Honeymoon – Homer Banks

18. Nobody But You – Mack Rice

19. Hot Line To Jesus – Mack Rice

20. I Hear Footsteps (Coming Closer) – William Brown

Disc Three: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part Three)

1. I’ll Be The Other Woman – Shelbra Bennett

2. We’ve Got Love On Our Side – Bettye Crutcher

3. It’s So Wonderful – Frederick Knight

4. That’s What Friends Are For – Mack Rice

5. Sugar Daddy – Bettye Crutcher

6. Woman To Woman – Henderson Thigpen

7. So Glad To Have You – Bettye Crutcher

8. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ – Mack Rice

9. Dy-No-Mite (Did You Saw My Love) – Mack Rice

10. Your Love Is Amazin’ – Eddie Floyd

11. Walk On To your New Love – Bettye Crutcher

12. Something Ain’t Right – Mack Rice

13. There Is A God – Bettye Crutcher

14. Packed Up And Took My Mind – Denise LaSalle

15. Don’t You Know That It’s All Right – Joe Shamwell & Eddie Floyd

16. Who Made The Man – Mack Rice

17. It Don’t Pay To Get Up In The Morning – Mack Rice

Disc Four: Moonlighting – Stax Writers, Non-Stax Releases

1. Don’t Let The Love Light Leave – Carla Thomas

2. I’ve Got No Time To Lose – Deanie Parker

3. A Woman’s Love – Carla Thomas

4. 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) – Eddie Floyd

5. Linda Sue Dixon – Mack Rice

6. Told You For The Last Time – Delaney Bramlett

7. Let Me Know – Mack Rice

8. Let Me Be Yours – Joe Shamwell

9. We Can Love – Eddie Floyd

10. Without You – Mack Rice

11. Shouting Out Love – Veda Brown

12. Take My Body – Bettye Crutcher

13. I’ve Got A Feeling (We’ll Be Seeing Each Other Again) – Homer Banks

14. I Could Never Be Satisfied – Mack Rice

15. Everybody’s Hustling – Mack Rice

16. Either You Love Me Or Leave Me – Homer Banks

17. I’ve Never Been This Close To Jesus – Mack Rice

18. Pussy Footing Around – Mack Rice

19. This Time Yesterday – Mack Rice

20. Are We Slipping Away – Mack Rice

21. I Wanna Slow Dance Wit’cha – Frederick Knight

22. What You Did To Me Last Night – Bettye Crutcher

Disc Five: Uncut Songs (Part One)

1. Got To Make You Mine – Eddie Floyd

2. Come On Dance With Me – Rufus Thomas

3. I Got To Go For That – Rufus Thomas

4. Spin It – Deanie Parker

5. Nobody Wants To Get Old – Deanie Parker & Mack Rice

6. Such A Feeling – Eddie Floyd

7. Never Say No To The One You Love – Eddie Floyd

8. Looks Like Another Hot Summer – Steve Cropper & Eddie Floyd

9. Give You All The Love I Got – Eddie Floyd

10. It’s Up To You – Carla Thomas

11. Let’s Be Sure – Carla Thomas

12. Oo-we Baby What You Do To Me – Booker T. Jones

13. Coming Together – Homer Banks

14. It’s Over – Homer Banks

15. Break Out (aka Bust Out) - Wendy Rene

16. Walk On Back – Unknown

17. Come On Down – Mack Rice

18. Can’t Make Enough – William Bell

19. Love Is You – Eddie Floyd

20. Let’s Get Down To Business – Bettye Crutcher

21. Stone For Stone – Henderson Thigpen

22. I Won’t Do You No Dirt – William Bell

23. Just Too right To Be Wrong – Mack Rice

24. Song #2 – The MG’s

Disc Six: Uncut Songs (Part Two)

1. Too Much Sugar For A Dime – Homer Banks

2. Too Much Sugar For A Dime – Bettye Crutcher

3. You Knock Me Out – Homer Banks

4. I Should Have Changed My Ways – Jimmy Hughes

5. ’Til You’ve Been Loved By Me – Eddie Floyd

6. Deaf And Dumb – Mack Rice

7. It’s No Secret – William Bell

8. Somebody’s Got You Baby – Marshall Jones

9. Something Keeps Holding Me Back – Mack Rice

10. Take It All Off – Bettye Crutcher

11. Don’t You Know I’m All Alone – Eddie Floyd

12. Sweet Dreams (I Had Of You) – Eddie Floyd

13. Ain’t No Love Like My Baby’s Love – Bettye Crutcher

14. Just The Way You Loved Me – Bettye Crutcher

15. Glory Glory I Love Him – Eddie Floyd

16. Stay With Me – Eddie Floyd

17. Three Meals A Day – Mack Rice

18. Everybody Is Talking Love – Bettye Crutcher

19. Didn’t Love Straighten It Out – Homer Banks

20. We Don’t Need Stone Walls – John KaSandra

21. You’re Funny Boy – Carl Smith

Disc Seven: Uncut Songs (Part Three)

1. Shadows On The Wall – Eddie Floyd

2. Grandpa’s Will – Homer Banks

3. Whatcha Gonna Do (When You Find The One) – Bettye Crutcher

4. I Got To Keep On Taking Chances – Jimmy Hughes

5. Thank You For Loving Me – William Bell

6. Do Me Wrong – Eddie Floyd

7. Put It To A Vote – Carl Smith & Marshall Jones

8. Dammit – Eddie Floyd & Mack Rice

9. The Yard Man – Bettye Crutcher

10. Don’t Stay Gone Too Long – Bettye Crutcher

11. How Can I Win Your Love – Eddie Floyd

12. Every Now And Then – Mack Rice

13. Somewhere In Somebody’s Heart – Willie Singleton

14. Love Treaty – Willie Singleton

15. Staying With My Man – Eddie Floyd

16. Bread Winner – Mack Rice

17. Got To Be Somebody For Me – Eddie Floyd

18. Hometown Lover – Eddie Floyd

19. Do You Want Me To Lie To You – Bettye Crutcher

20. I Don’t Care Anymore – Shirley Brown

21. I Like The Way You Groove Me – Frederick Knight