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Isaac Hayes — Theme From 'Shaft'
Album: Shaft Soundtrack
Avg rating:
8.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 581









Released: 1971
Length: 4:29
Plays (last 30 days): 0
(no lyrics available)
Comments (128)add comment
Who's the black private dick
That's a sex machine to all the chicks?
Shaft, ya, damn right!!
Did I just open up a can of Time Warp back to the early 1970's?  Old....not quite stinky but....dated....but am I seeing heads moving and bobbing to the beat?  ;-)

Highlow
American Net'Zen
Yeah.
Musically, a 7. (Production, a 5.)  As a sonic artifact of culture, place and time, it rockets off the chart. 
 ntoll wrote:
Wackadoo guitar done right....
 
You're damn right
I love the Simpson's episode where Bart and Lisa are doing karaoke to this song in the sushi restaurant where Homer eats the poison blowfish. 
Every time I hear this, I remember my high school marching band playing the hell out of it. They used crash cymbals pressed together sideways to form the high hat - the drummer just smashing it while the other guy struggling to keep the cymbals afloat. Just awesome.
I can DIG IT
If you think you're Shaft, fuck off, you're not. 
Thank you PSD
SHAFT! 
"How you doing, baby?"
"I got to feeling like a machine, and that's no way to feel."

(and thats where they really should have played the theme music) 
 Carl wrote:
And for something *completely* different (but, nevertheless close)… The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain "Theme From 'Shaft'". Dig it.

 
This is truly brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
 clwguy wrote:
PSD. It's not all about you. ...Thanks Bill.


DaveInVA wrote:
I heard this enough for 100 lifetimes back when it came out. Don't really need to hear it again now.

 

 
Wait, what?!?!  It's not all about DaveInVA?  Bite your tongue! 
 MinMan wrote:
The epitome of Black-ploitation - how to turn a buck off a stereotype.

 
Unofficially, the genre is called "blaxploitation" - Gordon Parks directed this film.  
oh, yeah!  it's like a trip in The Wayback Machine.
The epitome of Black-ploitation - how to turn a buck off a stereotype.
This song is simply the best "cool" song..ever.
And for something *completely* different (but, nevertheless close)… The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain "Theme From 'Shaft'". Dig it.
One of THE best intros ever...and best horn, etc arrangements!
 Webfoot wrote:
I must have been around 8 when I watched this performed on the Academy Awards.  Isaac Hayes was wearing some sort of chain outfit.
 
Probably this one, but I think he had a few varieties.

Isaav Hayes in chain outfit
Luv that! Damn right!

Afro 
 DaveInVA wrote:
I heard this enough for 100 lifetimes back when it came out. Don't really need to hear it again now.

 
"....shut your mouth!"
Right On. 

Needed to hear this. Thanks, RP.

 
 kazoo wrote:
Chef!

Love your lady real good Kyle Broflovski
 


 DaveInVA wrote:
I heard this enough for 100 lifetimes back when it came out. Don't really need to hear it again now.

 

Do I still think this is cool...DAMN RIGHT!

100 lifetimes in 43 years...Man, that's a WHOLE LOTTA LIVIN!


Chef!
PSD. It's not all about you. ...Thanks Bill.


DaveInVA wrote:
I heard this enough for 100 lifetimes back when it came out. Don't really need to hear it again now.

 


Great Friday morning!!
{#Bananajam}
They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother...

 SHUT YOUR MOUTH!   {#Devil_pimp}

I heard this enough for 100 lifetimes back when it came out. Don't really need to hear it again now.
Didn't appreciate this back in the day, missed opportunity gets a second chance
I must have been around 8 when I watched this performed on the Academy Awards.  Isaac Hayes was wearing some sort of chain outfit. Seared in my memory.  Right on!!!  10 all the way! 
Youll play this but not strawberry letter 23? Why?
Top Ten riff.
Yes RP! Serve. It.
 
 
so cool , I remember watching this show as kid...........I really like this song!
 Egrey wrote:

I am going to put this comment to the test!  {#Dancingbanana}

 
{#Dancingbanana_2}This one is more "in rythm" I think, but it does'nt matter, it's so good...
Carl!? Gimme that wah-wah thing Carl!
!
This song has one of the best instrumental buildups I've ever heard.

SHAFT!

Can you dig it? 
Shut your mouth
From Avicii to Isaac Hays.
From the ridiculous to the sublime.
What a relief. 
 NeuroJoe wrote:
The real trippy thing is that the dancing banana emoticon keeps perfect time with the beat.

 
I am going to put this comment to the test!  {#Dancingbanana}
The real trippy thing is that the dancing banana emoticon keeps perfect time with the beat.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Hayes
Isaac Hayes - What a musical talent and what a larger-than-life character! The PBS Stax special had a nice summary of his career. May he rest in peace.

Howard


Zep wrote:
"Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow" IIRC...
I'm thinking that's Baretta.
rascal420 wrote:
I thought this might be the theme from "SWAT" when it started, but this is better.
"Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow" IIRC... Kinda similar riff, especially if you haven't heard them in two decades...
Really surprised to hear this junk on RP. But I seem to be in a minority looking at the comments. So I'll just click on the '2' (to avoid egg sliding down my head..) turn the volume waaaay down and wait for something good to come on
I hear this song and I am 12 years old, living in Vancouver trying to get a handle on 70's "cop shows". Eh?
MCKY wrote:
This is great-but I do think Sammy Davis Jr version nailed it better. Anyone remember Issac hayes as gandolf on the Rockford Files. So cool.
Yeah, and he WHOMPED on Angel!
CLASSIC TRACK FROM A GREAT SOUNDTRACK
Yeah, baby... you know you love it!
Man...I mean...MAN! Sooooo cool.
Ya see, this cat Isaac Hayes is a baaaad mother...(shut yo mouth!)..well, I'm talkin' about Isaac! (Well, we can dig it!)
Wackadoo guitar done right....
Was this a sort of Matrix of the 70s? or 80?... just asking for enlightment..
dmax wrote:
Someone rated this a "1"?
Maybe it was the bald man with the raw egg sliding down the back of his head.
This song just makes me slide down the back of my chair like a freshly cracked egg on a bald mans head. Smoooooooth.
Oh, this one is just not played nearly enough! Too cool, way too cool.
This is great-but I do think Sammy Davis Jr version nailed it better. Anyone remember Issac hayes as gandolf on the Rockford Files. So cool.
Go Chef!
Badass sideburns too.
alright Chil'rens nah this here is Muzik. Dig it? I do.
redeyespy wrote:
That statement suggests that there are no high standards of art, no gold standard against which to measure. What distinguishes Dom Perignon from Boone's Farm Strawberry? The Last Picture Show from Texasville? If you have to ask....
Well, Cybil Shepherd gets naked in one.
rcurrier wrote:
I really don't get this modern "all opinions are equal" crap.
Me neither. That statement suggests that there are no high standards of art, no gold standard against which to measure. What distinguishes Dom Perignon from Boone's Farm Strawberry? The Last Picture Show from Texasville? If you have to ask.... You may like a particular piece of media, but that doesn't make it "good." Your opinion and the quality of the piece may be mutually exclusive. There must be some baseline, some criteria for excellence, or that very quality would cease to exist. Who defines such a baseline for music, film, literature? Those who know the respective disciplines inside and out, backwards and forward, have a reverence and knowledge of historical works in the field, and create something which represents the discipline at its zenith. Or, the artist creates new rules, on occasion. Having a sensibility of quality also allows the artist to know when to hold back. When someone is described as having "discerning taste," I take it to mean someone who has sampled many varieties, and discovered the pinnacle of quality. One may think Dave Koz is a better saxophone player than John Coltrane. "Better," hmmmm. Perhaps one may find Koz's smooth jazz stylings easier to listen to than Coltrane's notes, but if a knowledgeable person lays the charts side by side, and then listens comparatively, the answer as to what is of a higher quality should be patently obvious. Perhaps some of my comparisons are an "apples and oranges" thing, but hopefully you get the gist. Of course, one could get into a discussion of an individual's educational level (musically and otherwise) and environment and how such influence taste but I'll just stop right there.
mxdcec wrote:
This song could make a Republican feel cool!
Coolness is a completely nonpartisan thing.
Look around for the version that Sammy Davis Jr. recorded with Issac Hayes playing and producing. Even cooler than this version
This song could make a Republican feel cool!
Did anyone ever see Sandra Bernhard and Isaac Hayes do this together?mxdcec wrote:
Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft Who's the black private dick That's a sex machine to all the chicks? SHAFT! Ya damn right! Who is the man that would risk his neck For his brother man? SHAFT! Can you dig it? Who's the cat that won't cop out When there's danger all about? SHAFT! Right On! They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft. THEN WE CAN DIG IT! He's a complicated man But no one understands him but his woman JOHN SHAFT!
Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft Who's the black private dick That's a sex machine to all the chicks? SHAFT! Ya damn right! Who is the man that would risk his neck For his brother man? SHAFT! Can you dig it? Who's the cat that won't cop out When there's danger all about? SHAFT! Right On! They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft. THEN WE CAN DIG IT! He's a complicated man But no one understands him but his woman JOHN SHAFT!
Daaaaaaaaamn right.
Someone once made the comment to the effect of Shaft having the best intro music, and all he does at the beginning of the movie is walk around. Kinda funny, that.
Among the most forgetable movie sequels was Shaft 2. He goes to Africa. The movie tagline was "The Brother-Man in the Motherland". Can you imagine that?
That is some seriously badass s**t.
I never liked this song, but I have to admit it sounds kind of retro-cool, now. And I appreciate the diversity on RP.
I thought this might be the theme from "SWAT" when it started, but this is better.
M A S T E R P I E C E
Shut your mouth! We can dig it!
Derecho wrote:
And all I can think of is The Tick. TAFT!!!
mustache...
ploafmaster wrote:
People are entitled to their opinions.
Sure they are. But that doesn't make them any less wrong. I really don't get this modern "all opinions are equal" crap.
technoshaman wrote:
And yet, that just makes it all the better for me.
Exactimundo !!!!
Pyro wrote:
Ever since Isaac started playing a character in South Park (Chef), I only hear "Chef" instead of "Shaft"....
And all I can think of is The Tick. TAFT!!!
kestrel wrote:
OK, today, based on the goosebumps on my arm, I bumped it to a 10! And I guess that music hater is back on RP - a ONE!? How can someone POSSIBLY EVEN CONSIDER THIS TUNE TO BE A "ONE"? SUCKO BARFO? Go listen to Clear Channel for a daily dose of "real" SUCKO BARFO!
Ah, the trademarks of the over-sensitive. The insulting of somebody who doesn't agree with his/her musical tastes. The suggestion to go listen to Clear Channel... I rated this an 8, but unless you're joking in your attack, chill man. People are entitled to their opinions.
Pyro wrote:
Ever since Isaac started playing a character in South Park (Chef), I only hear "Chef" instead of "Shaft"....
And yet, that just makes it all the better for me.
OK, today, based on the goosebumps on my arm, I bumped it to a 10! And I guess that music hater is back on RP - a ONE!? How can someone POSSIBLY EVEN CONSIDER THIS TUNE TO BE A "ONE"? SUCKO BARFO? Go listen to Clear Channel for a daily dose of "real" SUCKO BARFO!
I love the episode of The Simpsons in which Bart and Lisa do this song at a karaoke bar!
A little hot buttered soul
Complicated. Dig it!
Suddenly, I'm 12 years old again. Wow.
Ever since Isaac started playing a character in South Park (Chef), I only hear "Chef" instead of "Shaft"....
maryte wrote:
I'm waiting for the troll that gives *every* song a "1" to come online...
Sadly s/he just arrived. Me, I gave it a 9.
This is a cool reply, I love the language in it: Poplars wrote:
A-MAZ-ing. Sometimes i bike at the gym to this. i'm like "who's the black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks? Me? Damn right." Yes, i'm a white girl. So?
I believe you. :grin:
Isaac Hayes IS the man!! He's just another example of a great musician from here in Memphis.
maryte wrote:
I think the poster meant "cartoon chef" - South Park, of course!
Not to mention, Academy Award winner. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005002/awards
Poplars wrote:
A-MAZ-ing. Sometimes i bike at the gym to this. i'm like "who's the black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks? Me? Damn right." Yes, i'm a white girl. So?
you said 'dick'
radiojunkie wrote:
He's a cartoon chief? Isaac Hayes played Pocahontas's father? Must have been on "West Park"
I think the poster meant "cartoon chef" - South Park, of course!
I'm waiting for the troll that gives *every* song a "1" to come online...
Lowest rating is a 7 right now with 43 ratings. Ha. The Beatles can't even beat Issac!
MUY BUENO!!
A-MAZ-ing. Sometimes i bike at the gym to this. i'm like "who's the black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks? Me? Damn right." Yes, i'm a white girl. So?
Takes me back. Waaaay back. This makes me think of sitting in front of the TV with my little brother, both of us in pajamas, watching all those 70's cops and robber shows. We loved "Baretta" and "Starsky and Hutch" and "SWAT"........ sorry, probably shouldn't have gone there but couldn't fight the groove of this song
A glaring omission from the playlist, corrected. Dig.
I was in a meeting I missed such unbelievable RP, I was robbed, ROBBED I tell you. This song, is the fount of all wokka chicka. The song that launched a thousand wah wah pedals. Lesser wokka chicka, must bow down. PLEASE play this again soon.
michaelc wrote:
that shaft he's a bad M... issak was cool then, now he's a cartoon chief.
He's a cartoon chief? Isaac Hayes played Pocahontas's father? Must have been on "West Park"
c'mon, nobody does the wah-wah pedal anymore. I kin dig it.
timandjuliet wrote:
Shut your mouth!
I'm jus' taking about Shaft. :D/
timandjuliet wrote:
We're all so predictable
We knew you were going to say that.
coooool 8)
michaelc wrote:
looks like we all remember the same line.
timandjuliet wrote:
Shut your mouth!
Just talkin' 'bout Shaft.
radiojunkie wrote:
Yes, I can!
Oh, lord, here we go again on 8-track day for the old farts! Let's see . . . we've had Traffic's John Barleycorn, Yes' Roundabout, and now we're picking up Shaft. I don't think I can take it, but at least I'm going to get fired for good reason.
We're all so predictable
looks like we all remember the same line.
Dave_Mack wrote:
They say that Shaft is a bad mother---
Shut your mouth!