Let's Do It Again
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Album Summary
"Let's Do It Again" came roaring out of Curtom Records in 1975, and baby, when Curtis Mayfield got behind the boards with The Staple Singers, something truly special was bound to happen. Produced by the legendary Curtis Mayfield himself, this record found Pops Staples and his family stepping into the lush, groove-heavy world of mid-seventies soul and funk with a confidence and grace that only a group with their roots could carry. Curtom was Mayfield's own house, and he treated The Staple Singers like royalty in it — wrapping their timeless voices in warm, sophisticated arrangements that honored their gospel foundation while planting them firmly in the contemporary sound of the era. This was a meeting of giants, and the music knew it.
Reception
- The title track "Let's Do It Again" climbed into the top tier of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the defining soul singles of 1975 and proving The Staple Singers were far from finished as a commercial force.
- The album resonated deeply on the soul and R&B charts, connecting with longtime devotees of the group as well as a younger generation who found themselves swept up in its irresistible funk-drenched grooves.
- "Let's Do It Again" earned Grammy recognition for Best Rhythm & Blues Song at the 1976 Grammy Awards, a testament to the enduring craft behind the record.
Significance
- "Let's Do It Again" stands as a defining moment in The Staple Singers' artistic journey — proof that a group born in the church could step into the secular world of funk and soul without losing a single thread of their spiritual dignity or vocal power.
- Curtis Mayfield's production on this album illustrated how the creative ecosystem of Black music in the 1970s was deeply interconnected, with gospel roots feeding soul, soul feeding funk, and all of it lifting each other higher.
- The album reinforced The Staple Singers' place as one of the most versatile and enduring acts of their generation, demonstrating that artistic authenticity and mainstream relevance were never mutually exclusive in the hands of true masters.
Samples
- "Let's Do It Again (Long Version)" — the groove laid down in this extended version became a rich well for hip-hop and R&B producers to draw from, with the track's warm bass lines and rhythmic pulse appearing across numerous samples in later decades.
Tracklist
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A Let's Do It Again (Edited Version) —
3:28
-
B Let's Do It Again (Long Version) —
4:52
Artist Details
The Staple Singers were a Chicago-rooted family gospel and soul group — led by the smooth-stringed patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples alongside his children Cleotha, Pervis, Yvonne, and the incomparable Mavis — who brought the church straight to the streets, blending deep Mississippi gospel roots with earthy soul and funk to create something that felt like a prayer and a party all at once. Rising to prominence in the 1950s and hitting their commercial peak in the early 1970s with Stax Records anthems like "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself," they stood at the powerful crossroads of the Civil Rights Movement and popular music, using their platform to preach unity, dignity, and liberation without ever losing the groove. Their legacy is monumental — they proved that music rooted in faith could move not just the spirit, but the whole of American culture.
