She will perform Stax record classics during stops in New Brunswick and Atlantic City this weekend
Singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge has taken musical cues and inspiration from musicians across the spectrum, including some of the immortals -- including Otis Redding and Mavis Staples -- who recorded on Memphis' Stax record label.
Likewise when she went back and tackled some of that classic Stax fare for her latest album, "MEmphis Rock and Soul," she infused those recordings with her unique growl and 12-string power.
"It takes a lot of nerve to say, 'I'm going to sing these great classic pieces and I want to rearrange the furniture a bit, do a little thing to it,'" Etheridge said in an interview with NJ.com. "I wanted to serve the songs and their souls and the intensity behind them. That's what made those songs so great."
Etheridge's tour supporting her new album stops at New Brunswick's State Theatre New Jersey Friday and at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City on Saturday. Fans who have followed the singer since her 1988 self-titled debut will hear all of their favorites and more, she promises.
"I look at new albums as opportunities to strengthen a great show," she said. "I can't go anywhere without singing 'Come to My Window.' ... "I have at least five songs I do every night because they are fan favorites.
Some of the new recordings are destined to join that perpetual line-up. The album's 12 songs were recorded in 10 days in Memphis' historic Royal Studios. (The original Stax studio, known for its unique acoustics, was torn down in 1989.) Most of the songs took no more than three takes. Most of the vocals are live.
Founded in 1957, Stax was best known for the quality of its soul and R&B productions and for having a racially-integrated staff and performers in a segregated city. A rival to Motown, Stax had more than 167 songs on the Top 100 pop charts and 243 songs on the Top R&B charts in a 15-year span. Besides Redding and Staples, its line up included Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor and Freda Payne.
"MEmphis Rock and Soul" offers Stax hits as well as lesser-known gems. Having long cited Redding's emotional live version of "I've Been Loving You Too Long" as an inspiration, Etheridge recorded a passionate take of her own. She considered other Redding hits as well.
"I love 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,' but there's nothing that screams 'Melissa!' I did 'Try a Little Tenderness' and it didn't thrill me more than anyone else's version," she said. "When I release a collection of music, it's always connected to myself: my past, my influences, the ingredients that make me. These songs and the feelings behind them, the passion and the soul.
"It didn't matter to me if someone had heard the songs before or not. It was which of these songs is going to make me sing with everything I have and excite me to play this live."
In some cases, she literally added to these classics: She partnered with songwriter Priscilla Renee to update some lyrics of "Respect Yourself," a hit for The Staple Singers in the early 70s. The original addressed African-American pride and empowerment. Etheridge's version broadens that message to all groups, including the LGBT community, wth one line noting "the pride of the tribe is crying for change and it begins right here."
"It's definitely taken on my voice. I feel that helps me sing better and gives it the respect it deserves," she said.
And that Etheridge spice that she brings to these classics, if she had to compare it to an actual spice, which would it be?
"Lemon pepper," she said without hesitation. "I'll bring a little bit of tart and a little spice and I make everything so intense."
Melissa Etheridge
Jan. 13, 8 p.m
State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick.
Tickets: $45-95
Jan. 14, 8 p.m.
Tropicana Casino and Resort, Atlantic City.
Tickets: $45-85