The Bar-Kays: Soul Finger (1967)

     The Bar-Kays were a group of session musicians out of Memphis working with the Stax label. In 1967 they joined Otis Redding as his backing band. Late that year all but two of them died in the plane crash that also took the life of Redding. Trumpet player Ben Cauley who was the only survivor of the crash, and bassist James Alexander who was on another plane, rebuilt the group into more of a dance/funk outfit in the 70's. 

     The kids you hear in this recording had been hanging around outside the studio and were asked to join in the recording by shouting, "soul finger" when asked. They were paid with bottles of coke. The song has been heard in a couple of movies over the years. "Spies Like Us", the 1985 release with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, and just recently in 2009 with, "Soul Men" with Samuel L. Jackson, and the late Bernie Mac.