STEVE CROPPER
At the very least, if you’ve ever heard anything on the Stax Records label, then you’ve heard his masterful guitar playing, and he might well have also written it and produced it.
Interview: Rob Hughes
The guitarist with Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Stax Records’ house band, Steve Cropper backed scores of soul greats during the 60s as well as being a go-to producer. He’s also a songwriter whose compositions include classics such as Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour, Eddie Floyd’s Knock On Wood and Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay. He has also done studio work with John Lennon, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison, Jeff Beck and many more, and was a founder member of the Blues Brothers band. He’s still in great shape at 79, as evidenced by his latest solo album, the groove-laden Fire It Up.
How did Fire It Up come about?
It wasn’t contrived or conceived, it’s just something that came about during lockdown. I consider it my first real album since [1969 debut] With A Little Help From My Friends, because that was very spontaneous too.