Music – 1970 – The Staple Singers – The Weight – Take A Load Off Annie

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul and R&B singing group…..as Roebuck “Pops” Staples was the patriarch of the family….who formed the group with his children Cleotha,  Pervis and Mavis….whereby Yvonne replaced her brother when he was drafted into the U.S. Army….and again in 1970. They are best known for their 1970’s hits “Respect Yourself”, “I’ll Take You There”, “If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me)” and “Let’s Do It Again”.  While the family name is Staples, the group used “Staple” commercially.

The Staple Singers signed to Curtis Mayfield’s label, Curtom Records….and released “Let’s Do It Again”….which was produced by Mayfield….as the song became their second # 1 pop hit in the U.S…. and the album was also successful. 

In 1976, they collaborated with The Band for their film The Last Waltz….as seen in this video herewith….while performing on the song “The Weight”…..of which many called it “Take A Load Off Annie”…..which The Staple Singers had previously covered on their first Stax album.   

However, The Staple Singers were not able to regain their momentum from their past two decades….while releasing only occasional minor hits. The 1984 album Turning Point featured a cover of the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” ….which reached the Top 5 on the Dance chart….and in 1994, they again performed the song “The Weight” with country music artist Marty Stuart for MCA Nashville’s Rhythm, Country and Blues compilation.