Sam & Dave electrified audiences with livewire performances, blending gospel-rooted vocal interplay and exhilarating stage presence. Their music pulsed with energy, driven by the call-and-response firepower of Sam Moore and Dave Prater. However, their voices alone weren’t enough to define their legacy—it took the songwriting brilliance of Stax’s Isaac Hayes and David Porter to tailor anthems that matched the duo’s intensity as performers. As a collective, the four men created two of the most enduring soul records of the 1960s: Hold On, I’m Comin’ and Soul Man—songs that not only solidified Sam & Dave’s place in history but also claimed the No.1 spot on the U.S. R&B charts, making the stable of soul music practitioners an undisputed and enduring cultural fascination.

Before their breakthrough at Stax, Sam & Dave were grinding through the Florida R&B circuit. Sam Moore, from Miami, and Dave Prater, from Georgia, both came from gospel backgrounds before turning to secular music. They met in 1961 at Miami’s King of Hearts club, where an impromptu duet revealed their undeniable chemistry.

Recording for local labels like Marlin and Roulette, they struggled to find early success together. Still, their electrifying live performances caught the attention of Atlantic Records executives Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun. After the duo signed to the major label in 1964, executives sent Sam & Dave to Memphis to work with the then-emerging Stax Records, in a distribution agreement with Atlantic. There, the group would soon find their signature sound.

Paired with Isaac Hayes and David Porter, fledgling staff writers at Stax, Sam & Dave hit their stride, first with “You Don’t Know Like I Know” in early 1966, a No.7 hit on the U.S. R&B chart. But they’d soon get a taste of what it was like on the very top of the list.

The inspiration for “Hold On, I’m Comin'” came from an impatient exchange between Hayes and Porter during a writing session. When Porter stepped away for a break, Hayes, eager to continue working, called after him to hurry back to the session. Porter shouted his response—Hold on, man, I’m coming!—and a sudden “a-ha!” moment transformed the off-the-cuff remark into the foundation of a ubiquitous hit refrain.

With Booker T. & The M.G.’s laying down a robust groove and the Memphis Horns blaring with distinct urgency, the recording captured the unrelenting elements of Sam & Dave’s stage routine. When the single hit radio in March 1966, its impact was immediate. By June 18, “Hold On, I’m Comin'” had climbed to the top of the R&B chart, becoming Sam & Dave’s first No.1 hit. It also crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at No.21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Capitalizing on the single’s success, Stax quickly released a full-length album under the same title. Hold On, I’m Comin’, released in mid-1966, wasn’t just a showcase for the hit single—it also included “You Don’t Know Like I Know” and a collection of songs primarily written by Hayes and Porter. The album itself became a chart-topper, marking Stax’s first No.1 R&B album since Otis Redding’s breakthrough a year earlier.

As Hold On, I’m Comin’ continued cementing Sam & Dave’s reputation, 1967 presented an opportunity to further their success. That summer, the United States was facing heightened racial tensions, culminating in the Detroit riots in July. As Isaac Hayes watched television coverage of the destruction, he noticed something: Black-owned businesses, marked with the word soul, were left untouched by looters. In a moment of strife, the word, to Black Detroiters in the know, was a covert symbol of solidarity, encouraging protection for Black businesses in the community.

Hayes and Porter knew they had a pervasive concept to work with, shaping “Soul Man,” deriving a personified embodiment of the phenomenon in Detroit. Porter built the lyrics around this idea, creating a protagonist who had endured hardship but emerged stronger through his connection to community and allegiance to soulfulness as a north star.

After recording the song, Sam & Dave released “Soul Man” in August 1967. The song quickly rose the charts. By October, it sat in the No.1 seat on the R&B chart, remaining for seven weeks. On the pop charts, it soared to No.2. Beyond its commercial success, “Soul Man” was an anthem—one that resonated deeply with audiences at a time when Black identity and empowerment were at the forefront of national conversations.

In early 1968, “Soul Man” won Sam & Dave a GRAMMY^® Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, beating out competition from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. The track’s popularity also carried over into their third album, Soul Men, released in October 1967.

The one-two punch of “Hold On, I’m Comin'” and “Soul Man” secured Sam & Dave’s place in music history. Not only did they achieve two No.1 R&B hits within just over a year, but they also managed to bridge the gap between Southern soul’s raw intensity and mainstream success.

Sam & Dave’s time at Stax ended in 1968 when Atlantic severed ties with the label, but their influence grew in the following years. “Soul Man,” in particular, became a cultural touchstone. In 1978, The Blues Brothers revived the song, featuring original Stax musicians Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn. In 2019, “Soul Man” was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, a testament to its enduring impact.

by Jared Boyd