Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images North America)
*The son of soul legend Isaac Hayes has slammed the filmmakers behind the “Shaft” reboot for not using his father’s music in the latest installment of the franchise.
Hayes’ Grammy Award-winning “Shaft” album—originally released in 1971— is considered his best-known work, and Craft Recordings recently announced that a new deluxe reissue will drop June 14, The Source reports.
This latest “Shaft” film opens in theaters Friday (June 14) but as noted by Okay Player, the franchise’s iconic Hayes-helmed theme is not included.
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Hollywood flashback: #Shaft ignited a Blaxploitation movie craze in 1971 https://t.co/LmSRkskaGU pic.twitter.com/dU8ItpY1oX
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 9, 2019
In a Billboard op-ed, Isaac Hayes III recounted his attempt to offer the studios behind the film access to hundreds of unreleased songs from his late father for the soundtrack. But they wanted no part in it.
He writes:
On the call, I expressed interest in having the estate participate in the creation of the new Shaft soundtrack, a decision that I learned at the time would be up to New Line Cinema. After we hung up, I felt very confident that the studio and the estate would be able to work together to create a dope, contemporary Shaft soundtrack. It was a no-brainer. Unreleased Isaac Hayes masters to be made into new records for a Shaft soundtrack? This would be genius marketing and a great way to honor and continue Isaac’s musical legacy.
To provide some context into making such a bold attempt on my part to create the soundtrack, I let them know that Isaac Hayes samples have been a part of five multi-platinum, platinum and gold records over the past five years. Songs like “Here” by Alessia Cara, “6 Inch” by Beyoncé and “Transportin’” by Kodak Black, are all built on Isaac Hayes samples. Even today, the No. 1 adult R&B song for the fourth week in a row is “You” by Roc Nation artist Nicole Bus, featuring another Isaac Hayes sample. There was also expressed interest from Def Jam, Motown, Hitco, Atlantic and Roc Nation about partnering with our label [Hot Buttered Soul Recordings] to produce and distribute the soundtrack.
But after numerous attempts at creating something epic and unique, we were given no seat at the table. New Line and WaterTower failed this movie, the legacy of Shaft, Isaac Hayes, and the fans of black motion picture soundtracks. The soundtrack released today is nothing more than previously-recorded songs licensed for the film and the score. No new original songs except for the Quavo-recorded “Too Much Shaft,” which doesn’t even sound finished or mixed by the studio. It doesn’t have one Isaac Hayes record. They put a James Brown song on the Shaft soundtrack, but no Isaac Hayes.
The new film’s soundtrack is out now, featuring James Brown, Barry White, Rick James, Switch, and Bobby Bland.
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