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Theme from Shaft

"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Shaft.[1] The theme was released as a single (shortened and edited from the longer album version) two months after the movie's soundtrack by Stax Records' Enterprise label. "Theme from Shaft" went to number two on the Billboard Soul Singles chart (behind "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" by Marvin Gaye) and to number one on the Billboard Hot 100[2] in the United States in November 1971, and number one in Canada in December.[3] The song was also well received by adult audiences, reaching number six on Billboard's Easy Listening chart[4] and number four in Canada.[5] The song is considered by some to be one of the first disco songs.[6][7]

"Theme from Shaft"

"Cafe Regio's"

September 30, 1971

1971, Stax Recording Studios, Memphis, Tennessee

Soul, funk, disco

3:15 (single edit)
4:34 (album version)

Enterprise
ENA-9038

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes

The following year, "Theme from Shaft" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song,[1] with Hayes becoming the first African American to win that honor – or any Academy Award in a non-acting category – as well as the first recipient of the award who both wrote and performed the winning song. Since then, the song has appeared in numerous television shows, commercials, and other movies, including the 2000 sequel Shaft, for which Hayes re-recorded the song.[8][9] In 2004 the original finished at #38 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top songs in American cinema.


In 1972 at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards, Isaac Hayes won 2 Grammys, one for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Theme from Shaft" and one for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special for Shaft.[10]


In 1999, the 1971 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[11]

In a 1974 by Film Communicators, "It's Your Life," the Shaft theme was played when a woman entered her house, and went to her bedroom using hair spray. Afterwards, she tried to light a cigarette with a lighter. When the song stopped playing, and all of a sudden, the woman's head and hair caught fire and suffered severe burns to her scalp, as a result of her carelessness. She screamed in pain and tried to put the fire out.

educational film

In 1974, it was used as a theme song for the unsold game show pilot Big Spenders hosted by Pat Harrington.

[17]

The song has been played or parodied in television shows, including (1990–1996), The Simpsons (1989–), Family Guy (1999–), Sesame Street (1969–), Scrubs (2001–2010), The X-Files (1993–2002), Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Fast Show (1994-2000), Father Ted (1995–1998), ER (1994–2009), The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002–2006), Histeria! (1998–2000), The Wire (2002–2008) and Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010).

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

On a parodied version of the song, "Cookie Disco", was about Cookie Monster, dressed as Isaac Hayes, who ends up eating the set.

Sesame Street

The song was featured in the episode titled: "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away" (Season 1, Episode 19) to spoof 70s style action movies with slow-motion sequences.

Friends

The song was featured in the 1988 film , where one of the characters, John Slade, is a parody on Shaft (Isaac Hayes was in the film in a different role). In the film, Slade counsels a young black action hero named Jack Spade on the importance of theme music: "Every good hero has one." At the end of the film, we find that Spade has followed Slade's advice, exiting the movie to his own theme song, performed by Boogie Down Productions.

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

The 1989 comedy film (co-written by and starring "Weird Al" Yankovic) featured a mock trailer segment on television parodying the 1982 movie Gandhi called Gandhi II, set to music meant to resemble the Shaft theme.

UHF

A 1998 marketing campaign featured Hayes singing a retooled version of the song, with lyrics now alluding to Mr. Potato Head, who is seen dancing on the piano that Hayes plays.

Burger King

Another Burger King commercial from 2002 promoted the Shaq Pack, where the lyrics alluded to .

Shaquille O'Neal

Hayes also parodied "Theme from Shaft" with "Two Cool Guys", the opening theme song for the 1996 film (1993–1997), in which Hayes adapts the Beavis and Butt-Head television theme as a rhythm guitar line for a "Shaft"-esque song about the title characters.

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

In the series (2003–2015), there were occasional references to the song, including one episode where Alan, Herb, Gordon, and Jerome are seen singing the song as a barbershop quartet.

Two and a Half Men

Since very early in the 1970s, the Swedish national television network sports show on Sundays, Sportspegeln (Sports Mirror), has used different variations of the end of "Theme from Shaft" for its opening theme; roughly the same samples have also been used for daily sports news bulletin Sportnytt.[18]

Sveriges Television

Also since the early 1970s, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio current affairs show has used the theme as bumper music.

As It Happens

An instrumental version of the song served as the news theme for Memphis television station for a time in the 1970s.

WMC-TV

In Australia, an edited instrumental version was used as the theme for "Seven's Big League" broadcasts hosted by Rex Mossop in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as preview music for upcoming scenes from the Network Ten serial series Number 96 (1972–1977).

rugby league

In Lebanon, during the war of 1975-1989, the theme was used by Radio station to announce breaking war news with the voice over from Maguy Farah "Matkab al tahrir fi khabar jaded" (We interrupt the program to bring you breaking news), it became the theme associated with war.

Voice of Lebanon

recorded a cover version of this song titled "John Shaft" with extended lyrics for his 1972 album Sammy Davis Jr. Now.

Sammy Davis Jr.

did a brassy big band version of the song with a slightly different arrangement and released in 1972 on his M.F. Horn Two album.

Maynard Ferguson

recorded a Latin version in 1972.

Joe Bataan

recorded an instrumental version on pianos in 1973 from their album, Play the Hit Themes.

Ferrante & Teicher

The song was sampled in the 1973 break-in record, "" (US #31).

Super Fly Meets Shaft

performed "Shaft" on their 1970s television series, Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974–1976). This was particularly significant, as Telma Hopkins was a backup singer on the Isaac Hayes single. Tony has also performed it in his solo live shows.

Tony Orlando and Dawn

Los Angeles punk band included a cover of the song on their 1979 debut album, Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie.

Black Randy & The Metrosquad

UK electronic group recorded a cover version in 1981; it was later given a wider release on 1988's 8 Crepuscule Tracks.

Cabaret Voltaire

A version by was a No. 13 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1985.[1] This version was used in "Going to America", the final episode of Father Ted.

Eddy & The Soul Band

sampled it on his "Know How" track off his 1989 album Stone Cold Rhymin'.

Young MC

UK band recorded it as part of their 1992 release Hit Parade 2.

The Wedding Present

Hip hop producer sampled it for "Hurt U", a song from his 2008 album White Van Music.

Jake One

sampled the song on the track "Reservoir Dogs" featuring The Lox, Beanie Sigel and Sauce Money from the rappers 1998 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life album.

Jay-Z

French musician Malik Adouane recorded an version of the song for the Volume 1, CD2 Buddha Bar album (1999) by DJ Claude Challe.

Arabic

on their 2007 album Precious Little.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

UK psychedelic rock band recorded a version in 1972. Intended for their third album, it was not released until 2022, as part of the band's box set Live for the Minute.

Complex

– lead vocals, keyboards, lyrics, arrangements

Isaac Hayes

– backing vocals

Pat Lewis

Rose Williams – backing vocals

Mitchell Butler – backing vocals

– backing vocals

Telma Hopkins

Lester Snell –

electric piano

David Becker – viola

– guitar

Charles Pitts

Michael Toles – guitar

Marc "Dr. Love" Davis – guitar solo

– bass guitar

James Alexander

Richard "Johnny" Davis – trumpet

– flute

John Fonville

Gary Jones –

congas

– drums

Willie Hall

List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1971

on YouTube

Isaac Hayes winning an Oscar® for "Shaft"

on YouTube

"Theme from Shaft" (album version) by Isaac Hayes