I'll Take You There

Recorded in 1972 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama, with the Staple Singers fronted by Mavis Staples and backed by Pops, Cleotha, and Yvonne Staples plus the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section; the horn and string parts were cut at Artie Fields Recording Studios in Detroit, Michigan. It was produced by Al Bell. The single became the Staple Singers’ first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 and also topped the R&B chart, making it a breakthrough crossover hit for Stax in 1972. It is widely remembered as one of the defining Stax-era soul records and was later recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song has remained one of the group’s signature recordings, celebrated for its Muscle Shoals groove and enduring gospel-soul appeal. It has been repeatedly sampled and covered, and the original was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.