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This biography of a living person does not cite any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (November 2009) Find sources: (Charles Pitts – news, books, scholar) |
Charles "Skip" Pitts (born Washington D.C., 1947) is an American soul / blues guitarist whose distinctive "wah-wah" style can be heard on Isaac Hayes' title track from the 1971 movie Shaft.
Pitts got his start briefly with The Coasters at the age of seventeen and in the sixties as guitarist and bandleader with Gene Chandler (Duke of Earl). He soon became guitarist and bandleader for Wilson Picket and the Midnight Movers until 1969 when Skip joined The Isley Brothers band. Pitt's guitar can be heard on their hit "It's Your Thing".
In 1970 Skip was hired to perform on the theatrical release Shaft by Isaac Hayes. The wah-wah guitar intro on "Theme from Shaft" was created by Pitts and very instrumental in Isaac Hayes winning the Academy Award for this 1971 release. Pitts was a member of the Isaac Hayes Movement throughout the seventies and was guitarist and bandleader for Hayes at the time of his passing in August 2008.
Pitts was on the "A"-list of session calls at Stax Records in Memphis TN in the 70s performing on hits by Rufus Thomas ("The Breakdown"),The Temprees ("This is Dedicated to the One I Love"), The Soul Children, and Albert King, among others. Pitts appeared in the 1973 documentary WattStax, and in Truck Turner, and still performs in movies today. His latest movie credits include Barnyard, Forty Shades of Blue, Black Snake Moan, and Soul Men featuring Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson.
Pitts is also the voice of Memphis TN's police ad campaign "Blue Crush". As a singer, his vocal stylings are distintive due to damage to his vocal chords at an early age, his vocal approach is along the lines of a Howlin Wolf.
Pitts still performs with many of the R&B icons from the sixties and seventies, Memphis-based R&B group The BoKeys, and the eclectic Memphis blues and soul band Elmo and the Shades who Pitts has been associated with since the early 1990s. Pitts also appears occasionally as a duo with Elmo Lee Thomas as The Skip and Elmo Show.
Pitts worked on the Al Green's album I Can't Stop with Mabon "Teenie" Hodges on guitar and Leroy Hodges on bass, as well as Rufus Thomas and Isaac Hayes.
On Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes (1971), Pitts' guitar work is noteworthy, especially on "Café Regios".
Pitts performed on The Royal Sessions by The Bo-Keys (2004, Yellow Dog Records).
Pitts performed on "Blue Memphis" by Elmo and the Shades (2009, Mudcoast Rercords). Pitts guitar work on "Icestorm's Coming Blues" and "Want You Blues".
References
External links
- Charles Pitts at Allmusic
- Charles Pitts at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview of Isaac Hayes by Anderson Cooper in which Hayes thanks Pitts for his contributions to Hayes' music.
- Douglas Wolk (2005). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Theme from Shaft". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1982. Retrieved 2006-09-06.
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