Isaac Hayes Slhaft. the new film % hich launches the slickest private eyc since Philip Marlowe, also promises to launch a black rock music star in Britain, Isaac Hayes. The film's score. which is writ- ten, performed and produced by Hayes, is already the best-selling album* and single in the United States. Based in the gospel tradi- tion with black rock music and sumptuous orchestrations, it seems destined to become as successful here, As a cult it may wvl over- shadow the film and its black hero, John Shaft. At 29 Isaac Hayes is al- ready a musical phenomenon in the United States: a black Burt Baoharach with soul. His first th ree albums Hot BhJttered Soul, Move- mewt, and To Be Continued each sold more than two and a half million copies, and he is constantly referred to now in the same breath as the greatest black rock star of all time, James Brown. For although Hayes may be less dra- matic than Brown his following. particularly among black people, is becoming equally intense. In the first week of its release in Britain the single based on the film score sold 24,000 copies and be- came Number 13 in one of the pop record charts. In the same week the a,lbum soLd 7,000 copies. The record's success here is only a slight reflection of its enormous sales in the United States, where in the first few weeks of its release more than three million dollars worth of copies were bought by a public that well knows Hayes's distinctive shaven head, tribal clothes and quiet air of confi'dence. Born on a farm outside Mem- phis in 1942, Hayes started his musical career singing with semi- professional bands around the city, finally joining Stax records as a singer in the middle of the 1960s. He did not exactlv set the record- ing business alight then, and turned to writing songs with David Por- ter. Between them they managed hits for Carla Thomas, Johnny Tay- lor. and Sam and Dave. among others. As the soul boom died. how- ever. Hayes began to perform on his own again. Combining soul with complex arrangements and lengthy spoken monologues rather than vocals. he made Hot Buttered Soul. The reco.rd featured what many now describe as one of his best pieces. an 18-minute version of the original Gene Pitney song " By the Time I Get to Phoenix ". Each record since has utilized the same formula, more and more filtered through orchestration. *MGM 2659 007 " I have never actually analysed myseLf and my music". Hayes told me. " But when I stop and look at it my music is a fusion of all types. It has some African roots. blues, gospel, soul. some jazz, some pop and a bit of Euro- pean music. I love all types of music. I would like to be remembered as a black man who made a con- tributeon to music, and brought an element of credit to black people. I would like to be recognized as a black man who has brought it al-l together." Many people have suggested to him that he will get an Academy Award nomination for the score of Shtaft, and he feels optimistic. - I am convinced Shaft is a break- through ". he s4id. " because white people really dig it and it is evid- ence of the better communication betveen bla,ks and whites." Hayes cannot write or read music. He hums. sings or plays what he wants to his orchestrator, who does the rest. Johnny Allen worked with him on Slialr. and his previous orohestrator was Dale Warren. The rhythm section on all his albums is The Bar-Kays. who used to be Otis Redding's road band. The most distinctive feature of his score for Slraft, however. is the guitar work bv Charles Pitts, who 1s one of T.he Movement. a group including two guitars. bass, drums and two pianos, which Hayes uses constantly. At the film itself, the audience is perhaps slightly blacker than average, but it is not significant. For like Hayes's music, its black- ness is a curio more than an integ- ral part of it. As a film it can be judged alone. and as music Haves's work can be judged bril,liant by any standards, black or white Geoffrey Wansell Isaac Hayes