It Takes Two

It was recorded in January 1967 at Stax Recording Studio in Memphis during the King & Queen sessions, with Otis Redding and Carla Thomas backed by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Isaac Hayes, the Memphis Horns, and the Stax rhythm section. Jim Stewart produced the session. It was one of the duet highlights on King & Queen, the 1967 Stax album that paired Otis Redding with Carla Thomas and helped define their on-record chemistry. As a cover of the Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston hit, it fit Stax’s move toward polished soul duet performances. The track remains part of the King & Queen canon and is remembered as a showcase for one of the great Stax vocal pairings. It continues to surface in discussions of classic soul duets and the label’s Memphis soul era.