Lyrics
To start the story about The Classics, uh, really would start before
The song of "You Don't Know Like I Know" being recorded. When Sam and
Dave came to Memphis, they came as a part of a group with Jerry
Wexler, the president and founder, uh, of Atlantic Records, along
With a gentleman by the name of Ahmet Ertegun. Jerry came with Tom
Dow to Stax Records. All of the reasoning behind what precipitated
His visit for that particular time, the initial first time, I don't
Know. But over time, as the relationship evolved after the Kala and
Rufus relationship had started, a positive one between Atlantic and
Stax, uh, Jerry wanted to see if we, being Stax Records, could create
Some product on some of their artists. One of the artists, the first
Artist that was brought down, uh, was Sam and Dave. At that
Particular time, I was the only staff writer for the kind of music
That we were doing at that time. I was given a trial by Jim Stewart
Which was interesting 'cause I was given a, more or less a month
A month, but he said six months, but more or less, uh, at his will
To come up with some music that would really motivate him to want to
Maintain and keep a relationship going because the company was a
Fledgling, struggling company just getting its, its footing in R
B music. So what happened when they, when they were brought down
There was no set person to produce Sam and Dave. And so they were
Just here. And because they were just here, and I was a little bit
Aggressive, wanted to get some things happening with records
I viewed that as an opportunity for me to, to grab those guys and
Record something. So, no one stopped me, I, I just simply went and
Approached the guys and said, "Guys, let's, let's work on some
Material. I have a song." The song that I had was a song called "
A Place Nobody Could Find." I got a rhythm section, went into the
Studio, and recorded the song. That ended up being something, "Let's
Do something with this." I needed a second song. Steve Cropper was
There. Isaac at that time was not a part of the staff. I had just
Started thinking about approaching Isaac, about he and I working
Together. But before that happened, I just was proactive in getting
Something going on, so I approached Steve about, "Let's write a song
" The song was "Goodnight Baby." And so, it ended up being the second
Song that was recorded on Sam and Dave. The first song was "A Place
Nobody Can Find," and that was initial, an initial record release on
Them. I don't think it was a serious release, uh, because I never
Heard of any kind of really significant promotion or push on, on it
But I certainly know that that was the first recording that was done
On Sam and Dave. Out of that came a motivation, uh, for me to talk to
Isaac about possibly he and I developing a writing relationship with
Those guys. There was no one stopping it, and Jim Stewart allowed
Isaac and I to go forward with it. He didn't hear any material or
Anything of that nature, there was no trial to see what you guys
Could do or anything like that, it was just, "Go and do it." And I
Think primarily that was because no one really knew the potential of
What the act could be, and certainly Jerry Wexler didn't know what
Direction to take the act, based on him bringing them to Memphis to
Try to find something. And so we had free reign to do what we wanted
To do. Well, when Isaac and I started talking about doing records
We were talking about finding a creative approach that would give us
An opportunity to have our own identity. You must understand during
That time, there was, uh, collaborating partnerships that were very
Very effective, but none nearly as effective as the partnership
Between Holland, Dozier-Holland, and Motown. Those guys were amazing
Coming up with record after record, and there was a unique identity
In everything that they did. So part of the conversation between
Isaac and I was, "Let's create our own style." Motown had what I'd
Like to call a straight-forward kind of rhythm to their music. They
Had great melodies on the top with the artist singing, but the
Musical rhythms of the music was what we call the straight-forward
Beat. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, and it kept
Going, and they put amazing melodies on top of that. That's not to
Say every hit record they had was that way, but certainly the up-
Tempo records at that particular time were having great success with
With that kind of rhythm. And it was that kind of rhythm that caused
Us to talk in terms of creating a signature for us. The awareness of
What that signature could be for us lived in the world of finding
Rhythmic ways to show some kind of contrast to what Motown was doing
With their up-tempos with the straight-forward beat. And so ours was
Being really motivated out of the space that Isaac and I both had
From church. Just from two Southern boys that were used to
Baptist churches and, and that whole kind of energy and spirit
That came from that kind of music, uh, from Southern churches
And so, that was the real motivation for crystallizing a direction
That we felt comfortable with in developing an identity for Sam
And Dave. We didn't know at the time of how important of a move
That was for us because it gave us a sense of rhythmic kind of
Consciousness about everything that we were to write and what
We were doing. And the interesting thing about that time was Sam
And Dave had come to Memphis not sure what to expect. They were
Two guys that were willing to trust someone to show them something
That they didn't know about, and they were comfortable in doing that
And clearly, they both could sing. But they didn't have an identity
That set them apart, and they were looking for that. And they didn't
Know what the that was, and we didn't know whether or not we had the
That. But we did know that we wanted to take the creative approach
Of being sure that we capitalize off the energy on the low end, and
We wanted to be sure that we were saying content that people could
Feel. Here, again, we wanted to have the energy that's coming from
This church spirit that people could feel. Now, "Place Nobody Could
Find" was an okay kind of song, but rhythmically and creatively, it
Wasn't nearly about the direction that could've been impactful for
Sam and Dave. And Isaac and I talked about how can we find that
That method and that mode that would give us the great opportunity
To be successful with them. And we deci- we'd made a conscious
Decision that we were gonna go at that direction creatively. So we
Came up with this song called "You Don't Know Like I Know." And to
Really appreciate "You Don't Know Like I Know," you have to know that
There were church songs that really worked off the theme of "You
Don't know like I know what the Lord has done for me." And so we knew
That there were meanings in the phrase "You don't know like I know."
That we could, we could make it mean something really special between
A guy and a girl. And so that was the idea, conceptually, in a
Lyrical way, for the song. But the rhythmic way of it was capturing
What we had decided was an approach for us, and that was doing what
We wanted to do on the low end. And so if you listen to "You Don't
Know Like I Know," you will see that there is a rhythmic signature on
The, on the bass pattern that separates that song to the extent that
You're listening to the low end rather than the mids, the middle part
Of the song. You listen to the low end and the horns. And that's
Church. And that was something that we felt really comfortable about
And wow, were we pleasantly surprised in real positive ways when it
Seemed to have started getting connections in the public. The song
Was one that got attention almost right away for Sam and Dave
Because of not only what he was saying, but the feel of the music
Around what it was saying. And that gave us an indication that we
Had something, and boy were we excited about "You Don't Know Like
I Know." And we were equally excited about a new direction that
We felt could take us to somewhere positive for Sam and Dave
Sam and Dave were great in their performance of the song. Sam had
An energy that gave a lift to anything that he was saying. And
Dave had a complement that created a balance, a happy balance
Between the two that kept you focused on what the act was singing
About and what they were saying, as well as the excitement that it
Would keep you excited about what you were hearing. "You Don't Know
Like I Know" was a door opener for Isaac Hayes and David Porter