Sam and Dave
Sam & Dave were a pioneering American soul and R&B duo known for their high-energy, gospel-infused performances that bridged Black church traditions with mainstream pop music.
Sam Moore (tenor, born Samuel David Hicks on October 12, 1935, in Miami, Florida; died January 2025 in Coral Gables, Florida) and Dave Prater (baritone/tenor, born May 9, 1937, in Ocilla, Georgia; died April 9, 1988, near Sycamore, Georgia) met on the gospel circuit and in Miami clubs around 1961. They first sang together at the King of Hearts nightclub, quickly developing a call-and-response style, and were signed by producer Steve Alaimo to Marlin Records after he spotted them performing.
In 1965, Atlantic Records paired them with Stax Records in Memphis, where producers Isaac Hayes and David Porter crafted their hits alongside Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Key tracks from 1965–1968 include "You Don't Know Like I Know," "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "Soul Man" (their biggest hit, peaking at No. 2 on the pop chart in 1967), "I Thank You," and "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby." They earned nicknames like "Double Dynamite," "Sultans of Sweat," and "Dynamic Duo" for their sweaty, electrifying live shows.
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they were hailed as the most successful soul duo ever, influencing artists like Bruce Springsteen, Al Green, Tom Petty, Michael Jackson, and the Blues Brothers, who covered "Soul Man" and emulated their act. They placed 10 straight singles in the R&B Top 20.
The duo split in 1970 amid personal tensions but reunited sporadically until 1981. Despite their onstage chemistry, Moore and Prater reportedly seldom spoke offstage.
Double Dynamite
A2 Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody (Hayes & Porter 2:36)
A3 That's The Way It's Gotta Be (Jones & Caple 2:34)
A4 When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (Hayes & Porter 3:14)
A5 Soothe Me (S. Cooke 2:30)
A6 Just Can't Get Enough (Isbell, Jones 2:01)
B1 Sweet Pains (Hayes & Porter 2:33)
B2 I'm Your Puppet (Penn, Oldham 3:03)
B3 Sleep Good Tonight (Wells, Parker, Catron 2:40)
B4 I Don't Need Nobody (To Tell Me 'Bout My Baby) (Jones, Parker, Catron 2:55)
B5 Home At Last (Toombs 3:03)
B6 Use Me (Hayes & Porter 2:30)
Label: Stax – S712
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Sixties Soul, Southern Soul
Double Dynamite is the second album by the American soul duo Sam & Dave, released in late 1966 on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label. The album is considered an explosive Stax soul classic that cemented the duo's signature gospel-influenced, call-and-response vocal style and significant crossover appeal.
The album is a quintessential example of Southern Soul and Memphis Soul, showcasing the raw, energetic Stax sound. Their performances embodied the "secularization of gospel" into popular music, earning them nicknames like "The Sultans of Sweat" and, of course, "Double Dynamite".
The record was largely driven by the burgeoning songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They provided much of the strong material that, along with the duo's powerhouse vocals, set the bar for the genre.
As with most Stax recordings, the duo was backed by the impeccable Stax house band, which included members of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The album helped establish Sam & Dave as major stars, with several singles clicking with both R&B and Pop audiences.