On April 20, 2024, Record Store Day, Alligator Records will release the deluxe 20th Anniversary 2-LP vinyl reissue of soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples' landmark 2004 release, Have A Little Faith. The album, when first released, sparked Mavis' solo career and launched her into the musical mainstream.
Have A Little Faith is an exhilarating collection of timeless, uplifting songs deeply seated in Mavis’ faith and spirituality. It has now been remastered and will come in a deluxe gatefold jacket with expanded artwork. The set also features a spirited remembrance of how the record came to be by Mavis herself. The two 12-inch records, pressed on silver vinyl, will spin at 45 rpm, and will deliver the best possible sound.
 | Mavis Staples enjoying herself (and thrilling
crowd) at Doheny Blues Festival in May 2011.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler |
Mavis possesses one of the most recognizable and treasured voices in contemporary music. From her early days sharing lead vocals with her groundbreaking family gospel group, The Staple Singers, to her storied solo recordings, Mavis Staples is an inspirational force in modern popular culture and music.
So it was surprising, upon the passing of Mavis' father -- family patriarch and Staple Singers leader Pops Staples -- in 2000, that Mavis' future was uncertain. She self-financed and recorded her own solo album, and after being turned down by major labels unable to see the commercial appeal of this legend’s fresh, genre-busting approach to spiritual music, it was embraced by Alligator Records. The label's unbridled enthusiasm in working the album to press, radio and the public helped Mavis fulfill her dream and ignite her solo career.
Upon release, Have A Little Faith brought Mavis' powerful music and message songs into the 21st century. From the positive and uplifting title track to the spiritual fervor of God Is Not Sleeping to the reinterpretations of Staple Singers classics Will The Circle Be Unbroken and A Dying Man's Plea (with Mavis singing lead on these two songs for the first time), the album re-introduced the world to Mavis Staples.
"I was a Staple Singer," Mavis remembers in the album's new liner notes. "I wasn’t no Mavis Staples, the solo artist. But, all of a sudden, I was so busy with interviews and television shows and radio stations and concerts. That was a shock to me, because I started asking myself, 'Now how long can this last?' Because they were playing that record everywhere, and the record sounded pretty good!"
Ever since the release of Have A Little Faith, Mavis has been embraced by new generations of fans through her collaborations with the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Run The Jewels, Neko Case, Ry Cooder, Justin Vernon and many others. On April 18 in Los Angeles, an all-star 85th Birthday Party concert celebration will take place at the YouTube Theatre, featuring some of today's biggest musical stars, including Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Jackson Browne, Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Black Pumas, Grace Potter, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’, Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal and others. This is a testament to the far-reaching, ongoing influence of Mavis Staples, and the lasting impact and beauty of Have A Little Faith. |
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