The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself

"Respect Yourself" is one of The Staple Singers' best known songs, a true soul classic, originally released in 1971. It was written by Stax Records singer Luther Ingram and Stax house songwriter Mack Rice. Ingram was frustrated with the state of the world and told Rice that "black folk need to learn to respect themselves". Rice liked the phrase so much that he built a funk groove around it and gave the song to The Staples who were also signed to Stax. It became a huge hit and is closely related to the black struggle and civil rights movement who were still going on at the time, carrying a universal and inspiring message of respect and equality. Great, great song! Here's a live clip from 1972.

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