60 years ago this summer, some of Stax Records’ biggest stars went to Los Angeles for a two-night residency at South LA’s 5-4 Ballroom. Billed as The Stax Revue, the visit was a milestone for the young Memphis Soul label and marked the first time that many of the artists on the bill had played in LA. This included Rufus & Carla Thomas, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, The Mar-Keys, The Mad Lads, Wilson Pickett, and William Bell. The event took place on August 7^th and 8^th, 1965, and was also “set against a backdrop of racial tension—just days before the Watts Rebellion.”

The audio from this historic concert was shelved for decades, with highlights initially released in 1991 as Stax Revue Live At The 5/4 Ballroom. Now, Craft Recordings has announced Stax Revue: Live in ’65!, a deluxe collection that not only includes the Los Angeles engagement, but also unearths a hometown showcase, captured earlier that summer at Memphis’ Club Paradise, featuring David Porter, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, The Astors, and Wendy Rene.

As a bonus, the expanded album features previously unreleased recordings from both cities’ shows, including a set by Porter, a performance of “In the Midnight Hour” by Pickett, a jam of “The Dog” by Rufus Thomas, and a high-energy rendition of “Boot-Leg” from Booker T. & The M.G.’s which is available to stream now.

Available August 8^th, 2025 on 2-LP, 2-CD, HD digital, and standard digital, Stax Revue: Live in ’65! features newly remastered audio by Grammy-nominated engineer Joe Tarantino, while lacquers for the LP were cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl.

Rounding out the physical formats are insightful new liner notes from Grammy-winning author and journalist Lynell George and the compilation’s Grammy-nominated producer, Alec Palao.