Too Hot To Stop (Pt. 1)
Song by the Bar-Kays
The Bar-Kays are an American group that experimented with Soul, R&B, and Funk. Initially formed in 1966 as a sextet. Formed in Memphis, Tennessee, they started as a studio group. They backed some big names at "Stax Records." In fact, in 1967 they were elected by Otis Redding to play as his backing band. They were also tutored by Al Jackson, Jr. and Booker T. Jones. The band changed its setup several times, and the most tragic change occurred due to the loss of four members and Otis Redding on December 10, 1967, after the plane crash in Lake Monona, near Madison, Wisconsin.
In their "Funk Years," in 1976, the band consisted of Larry Dodson as the lead vocal, James Alexander on the bass, Lloyd Smith on guitar, Charles Allen on trumpet, Harvey Henderson on saxophone, Frank Thompson on trombone, Winston Stewart on keyboards, and the drummer Mike Beard. Looking at the setup, "The Bar-Kays" was a big band, and their music sounds big. Flawlessly played and produced EP's and LP's sound like they were recorded with the most modern techniques and equipment. The play is so precise that you could easily switch the drummer to a drum machine. Every musician involved in this piece was at the peak of the task.
"Too Hot to Stop" was released as a single and album that carries the same name. You could say that the song is influenced by the works of the band "Earth, Wind & Fire," although it's a magical Disco Funk piece with a certain dose of boogie that has influenced many musicians and bands later in the '80s and '90s.
Production-wise this is a pure banger that possesses "freshness" in every instrument. It is a masterfully played, recorded, and produced piece that set the standards for every funky stuff released in the years later and even nowadays.
Some of the major Hip Hop and R&B artists from the '90s have sampled this tune instruments and vocals.
"Public Enemy" used parts of the vocals and lyrics for their song "Brothers Gonna Work It Out," released in 1990.
More sampling appears on the 1994 R&B hit "Fa All Y'all" by Da Brat.
"Too Hot to Stop" is a hot tune by the timeless band. Once you get into it, you won't stop listening to it. It is that one tune that will make you jump higher than "Jump Around" by "House of Pain."