Multiple Mondays: Theme From Shaft

All right. I've been sitting on these way too long, so let's get this done!

Everyone who knows anything about music or pop culture knows Isaac Hayes' iconic "Theme From Shaft." Here are ten of the best recordings related to that track.

The legendary hi-hat riff was first heard in Otis Redding's 1966 version of "Try A Little Tenderness," which had been arranged by Ike while Booker T. Jones was at university. Five years later, Hayes reused the riff, and a stuttering wah-wah guitar, to secure his status as a legend of funk and soul music, with the theme to a major film hit.

The Ventures covered the song the next year, and at about the same time the original backing musicians from Ike's version recorded a sequel, "Son of Shaft." Now we'll leave behind any attempt at chronological organization, as we jump forward a few decades to Malik Adouane's Arabic pop cover. (video) The Central Band of the Canadian Forces play you a representative marching band version, and then we come to Sammy. Sammy Davis, Jr. reused the original backing band (but not the original lyrics) to record his own Rat Pack take on the song, in which "Shaft is the man."

To round out this post, I've added Cookie Monster's note-perfect parody (be sure to watch the video), and a cover by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Finally, we'll listen to Isaac Hayes revisit the song in 1978's disco remix "Shaft II."

As always, you can cherry pick if you insist, but there's a special little surprise in the zipfile you can't get otherwise. I'm planning a second edition of this song soon -- if you have requests for any particular versions, just shout them out in the comments section.

zipfile

01. Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness 1 2
02. Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft 1 2
03. The Ventures - Theme From Shaft 1 2
04. The Bar-Kays - Son of Shaft 1 2
05. Malik Adouane - Shaft 1 2
06. The Central Band of the Canadian Forces - Theme From Shaft 1 2
07. Sammy Davis, Jr. - John Shaft 1 2
08. Cookie Monster - Cookie Disco 1 2
09. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Theme From Shaft 1 2
10. Isaac Hayes - Shaft II 1 2

Multiple Mondays (kinda): (Ghost) Riders In The Sky

I missed last week's Multiple Monday, and I'm in the middle of compiling a monster for next week. But I couldn't let two Mondays in a row go by without something. So I'm going to let someone else do my work for me. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you lilgorgor, and his tribute to (Ghost) Riders In The Sky!

(For background on the song, click through to Wikipedia's entry.) My favorites on this page are, in no particular order:

Johnny Cash
Frankie Laine
The Ventures
Peggy Lee (edited to add this, so as to point out that it's Peggy Lee's birthday today!)
And Walter Brennan's spoken version (I haven't been able to verify this yet, but I'm almost positive the backing vocals are from The Mellomen, one of whom is, yes, our patron saint, Thurl Ravenscroft).

The more observant among you will note that I also used another of these versions as a secret bonus track on a recent collection here. I won't tell you which -- that will remain an exercise for the reader.