THE HIT HAMMER: Isaac Hayes' "Theme from 'Shaft'"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

Isaac Hayes - "Theme from 'Shaft'"

Hit Number 1: November 20, 1971

Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks

There once was a time when TV shows' theme songs were actually good enough to become hits. Some of these songs kicked ass. But before TV shows had their theme songs become hits, it wasn't uncommon to see songs featured in films become hits. That's already happened a couple of times in this blog with "To Sir With Love" and "Love Theme from 'Romeo and Juliet'", but Isaac Hayes' "Theme from 'Shaft'" was different. It was a lot more advanced than those two songs, and with the popularity of the movie Shaft, there was a cultural shift in music taste. Hayes' song infused two genres together that would come to define a major chunk of 1970s pop music. Those genres are funk and disco, two genres of music that go about as well together as caramel and chocolate.

It should be noted that in 1971, disco was still an unheard of phenomenon. Its earliest traces were present, as seen in songs like "Want Ads", but no one could have predicted the cultural significance that it would have later in the decade. Hell, in 1971 funk was still pretty new to people. I can only imagine what the "Theme from 'Shaft'" sounded like to the music-listening public in 1971. It must've sounded like some other-worldly cool stuff pumping through the radio. It only makes sense, because Isaac Hayes himself was one cool dude. Gold chains, dark shades, chain mail vest and baritone voice all accounted for.

Just like in the past, I'm not going to spoil the plot of Shaft for anyone that hasn't seen it, but it's a crime action film about a private detective (Shaft), who's hired by a Harlem mobster to rescue his kidnapped daughter from Italian mobsters. It obviously makes for a pretty intense film, but the funny thing is, the theme song from Shaft isn't intense in the slightest. Instead, it's more relaxed, and portrays Shaft like he's the coolest man on Earth. "Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? (Shaft) You're damn right." And of course, there's the humorous line where Hayes gets called out by the backup singers for appearing to be on the verge of cursing: "You see this cat Shaft is a bad mother (Shut your mouth!) But I'm talkin' about Shaft (Then we can dig it)." Even though Hayes doesn't get the chance to say the word "fuck," he still says "You're damn right," which made "Theme from 'Shaft'" the first #1 song on the Hot 100 that uses a curse word. That was a pretty big deal back in those days, and it's hard to believe for any kids of this generation who live in a time where it's uncommon to see songs that don't use curse words. (Let me just point out here that I, for one, wouldn't mind to see less curse words being used in songs today)

Originally, Hayes and the film's producer, Joel Freeman, had a deal in place to where Hayes would record the film's theme if he could audition to play the lead role. Hayes never actually got the chance to audition, but he obviously kept his end of the deal. It's good that he did, because I can't imagine a single other artist that could have done the theme song justice. The song is oozing in coolness, and it's largely helped by Hayes himself. Hayes doesn't try to steal the show - he kind of mutters to himself about how cool Shaft is. He plays this fun call-and-response game with the backup singers, and the vocal performance is surrounded by wah-wah guitar effects (that would become a staple in '70s funk/disco music) and synthesizers that were played by Hayes. Even the drum intro is cool. It's some of the best stuff to come out of early '70s funk.

The song is also noted for its long intro, which lasts about a minute and a half. It's a chance for the listeners to get lost in the groove before Hayes' signature baritone voice snaps you back to reality. It's not a complicated song, and more than Shaft's woman can understand it. It's just a neat, cool song that paired up with a neat, cool movie. A match made in heaven.

Lastly, I just want to point out here that my mom actually had the chance to meet Hayes. About 15 or so years ago, my family lived in Memphis, where Hayes also lived until his death in 2008. My mom worked at a television station there, and had been talking with Hayes about performing the national anthem for the annual Veterans' Day parade. He gladly accepted, and talked with my mom a few times through the phone about his upcoming performance. I remember her telling me that he referred to her as "news lady." Picturing Hayes calling my mom "news lady" in his voice is one of the most awesome things I could ever imagine. He sure seemed like one bad mother-you know what.

GRADE: 8/10