The Staple Swingers

The Staple Swingers
The Staple Swingers
Studio album by The Staple Singers
Released	June 15, 1971
Recorded	1970-1971
Studio	Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Genre	Pop-soul
Length	45:06
Label	Stax
Producer	Al Bell
The Staple Singers chronology

The Staple Swingers is a soul album by the Staple Singers released on June 15, 1971.

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B^[1]

This would be The Staple Singers first album to be produced by Al Bell and recorded in Muscle Shoals. Other changes saw brother Pervis Staples be replaced by sister Yvonne Staples prior to the recording of this album. Released during 1971, this album would chart at number nine on the Billboard Top Soul Albums charts.

Track listing[]

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"This Is a Perfect World"	Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, Tommy Tate	4:20
2.	"What's Your Thing"	Mack Rice	4:21
3.	"You've Got to Earn It"	Smokey Robinson, Cornelius Grant	3:28
4.	"You're Gonna Make Me Cry"	Deadric Malone	5:04
5.	"Little Boy"	Carson Whitsett	3:25
6.	"How Do You Move a Mountain"	Myrna March, Morris Levy	2:34

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Almost"	Harold Thomas, Leroy Mason	4:16
8.	"I'm a Lover"	James Mabone, Charles Bevel	3:43
9.	"Love Is Plentiful"	Bettye Crutcher, Bobby Manuel	2:30
10.	"Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)"	Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom	2:58
11.	"I Like the Things About You"	Martha Stubb, Roebuck "Pops" Staples	3:21
12.	"Give a Hand, Take a Hand"	Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb	3:55

Personnel[]

Cleotha Staples, Mavis Staples, Yvonne Staples - lead and backing vocals
Roebuck "Pops" Staples - vocals, guitar
Terry Manning – melodica, guitar, harmonica, vibraphone
The Memphis Symphony Orchestra - strings, horns
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Dale Warren - arrangements
the Bar-Kays - horn arrangements

Technical

Jimmy Evans, Larry Hamby, Terry Manning - engineer
Joel Brodsky - photography

Charts[]

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Billboard Pop Albums^[3]	117
Billboard Top Soul Albums^[3]	9

Singles[]

Year	Single	Chart positions^[4]
Year	Single	US Pop	US Soul
1970	"Love Is Plentiful"	-	31
1971	"Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)"	27	6
1971	"You've Got to Earn It"	97	11

External links[]

The Staple Singers-The Staple Swingers at Discogs

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Bowman, Rob. The Staple Singers: The Staple Swingers > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 07 October 2011.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "The Staple Singers US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
^ "The Staple Singers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.

[CG-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

[2] Bowman, Rob. The Staple Singers: The Staple Swingers > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 07 October 2011.

[allmusic_albums-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b "The Staple Singers US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.

[allmusic_singles-4] "The Staple Singers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.

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hide v t The Staple Singers
Pops Staples Cleotha Staples Pervis Staples Yvonne Staples Mavis Staples
Albums	Freedom Highway (1965) The Staple Swingers (1971) Be Altitude: Respect Yourself (1972) Be What You Are (1973) City in the Sky (1974) Let's Do It Again (1975)
Singles	"Respect Yourself" "I'll Take You There" "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend" "Let's Do It Again"
Soundtrack	Soul to Soul (1971)
Filmography	Soul to Soul (1971)