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.
Hold On, I'm Comin'
Written-By – Hayes & Porter
2:30
A2 If You Got The Loving
Written-By – Porter, Hayes, Cropper
2:30
A3 I Take What I Want
Written-By – Porter, Hayes, Hodges
2:35
A4 Ease Me
Written-By – Porter & Hayes
2:25
A5 I Got Everything I Need
Written-By – Isbell, Floyd, Cropper
2:53
A6 Don't Make It So Hard On Me
Written-By – Parker, Floyd
2:45
B1 It's A Wonder
Written-By – Porter & Hayes
2:38
B2 Don't Help Me Out
Written-By – Porter & Hayes
2:55
B3 Just Me
Written-By – Parker, Frierson, Catron
2:35
B4 You Got It Made
Written-By – Porter & Hayes
2:30
B5 You Don't Know Like I Know
Written-By – Hayes & Porter
2:36
B6 Blame Me (Don't Blame My Heart)
Written-By – Cropper, Bell
2:18
Label: Stax – 708
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genre: R&B Funk, Soul
Style: Sixties Soul
I Thank You
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:53
A2 Everybody Got To Believe In Somebody
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
3:12
A3 These Arms Of Mine
Written-By – Otis Redding
3:08
A4 Wrap It Up
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:30
A5 If I Didn't Have A Girl Like You
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
4:23
A6 You Don't Know What You Mean To Me
Written-By – Eddie Floyd, Steve Carpenter
2:41
B1 Don't Turn Your Heater On
Written-By – Albertis Isbell, Steve Cropper
2:17
B2 Talk To The Man
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
3:02
B3 Love Is After Me
Written-By – David Porter, Isaac Hayes, Steve Cropper
2:20
B4 Ain't That A Lot Of Love
Written-By – Deanie Parker, Homer Banks
2:41
B5 Don't Waste That Love
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:45
B6 That Lucky Old Sun
Written-By – Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
3:10
Label: Atlantic – SD 8205
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre: R&B Funk, Soul
Style: Sixties Soul
Soul Men
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:36
A2 May I Baby
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:38
A3 Broke Down Piece Of Man
Written-By – Joe Shamwell, Steve Cropper
2:46
A4 Let It Be Me
Written-By – Gilbert Becaud, Mann Curtis, Pierre Delanoe
2:45
A5 Hold It Baby 2:35
A6 I'm With You
Written-By – Loman Pauling
2:50
B1 Don't Knock It
Written-By – Isaac Hayes & David Porter
2:28
B2 Just Keep Holding On
Written-By – Alvertis Isbell, Booker T. Jones
2:52
B3 The Good Runs The Bad Way
Written-By – Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson
2:15
B4 Rich Kind Of Poverty
Written-By – Isaac Hayes, Paul Selph
2:13
B5 I've Seen What Loneliness Can Do
Written-By – Allen Jones, Homer Banks
2:58
Label: Stax – S 725
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: R&B Funk, Soul
Style: Sixties Soul
The Very Best Of Sam & Dave
2 You Don't Know Like I Know 2:40
3 I Take What I Want 2:33
4 Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody 2:37
5 You Got Me Hummin' 2:50
6 When Something Is Wrong With My Baby 3:18
7 Small Portion Of Your Love 2:39
8 Soothe Me (Live) 2:59
9 I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down 2:42
10 Soul Man 2:40
11 I Thank You 2:46
12 Wrap It Up 2:33
13 You Don't Know What You Mean To Me 2:11
14 Can't You Find Another Way (Of Doing It) 2:20
15 Everybody Got To Believe In Somebody 3:14
16 Soul Sister, Brown Sugar 2:29
Written-By – Jones (tracks: 9), Floyd (tracks: 13), Hayes/Porter (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 12, 15, 16), Banks (tracks: 9, 14), Hodges (tracks: 3), Jackson (tracks: 14), Cooke (tracks: 8), Cropper (tracks: 13)
Label: Rhino Records – R2 71871
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: R&B Soul, Funk
Style: Sixties Soul