Rock and Roll Flashback Podcast
Aug 10, 2026 · 28 min · 10 segments
Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback! I'm Jumpin' John, and this podcast episode will review the highlights of the career of the American soul and R&B duo also known as "Double Dynamite": Sam & Dave!…
Samuel Moore and David Prater were both raised in the South, and both men grew up listening to and singing gospel music in their homes and churches.
In 1954, Sam recorded with The Majestics, a doo-wop group, and later with gospel groups The Gales and The Melanaires.
In 1961, the two men met at the King of Hearts Club in Miami, Florida, during an amateur night singing contest.
The singers joined forces to become a duo and soon became a popular local Miami act.
Their live act featured gospel-inspired call and response, and their sound blended Moore's soaring tenor voice with Prater's raspy baritone.
They cited Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke as influences, as well as Little Willie John, who they frequently opened for in the early 1960s.
Then, in early 1962, Marlin's owner, Henry Stone, assisted in signing the duo to New York City's Roulette Records.
Prater sang lead vocals on the majority of these songs, with Moore providing harmony and alternate verses.
In the summer of 1964, Henry Stone introduced the duo to producer Jerry Wexler, who signed them to Atlantic Records.
Wexler wanted to capture the Southern roots and gospel style of their live performances, so the pair were loaned to Atlantic's Stax subsidiary to record, although they remained Atlantic Records artists.
When Sam & Dave arrived at Stax in Memphis, Tennessee, they worked with producer and engineer Jim Stewart.
Moore and Prater shifted their recording style to a more live, more energetic gospel call and response feel and beat-driven soul style the group is known for today.
The creative engineering and mixing by Stax founder Jim Stewart greatly enhanced the duo's recordings.
Samuel Moore and David Prater were both raised in the South, and both men grew up listening to and singing gospel music in their homes and churches.
In 1954, Sam recorded with The Majestics, a doo-wop group, and later with gospel groups The Gales and The Melanaires.
In 1961, the two men met at the King of Hearts Club in Miami, Florida, during an amateur night singing contest.
The singers joined forces to become a duo and soon became a popular local Miami act.
Their live act featured gospel-inspired call and response, and their sound blended Moore's soaring tenor voice with Prater's raspy baritone.
They cited Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke as influences, as well as Little Willie John, who they frequently opened for in the early 1960s.
Then, in early 1962, Marlin's owner, Henry Stone, assisted in signing the duo to New York City's Roulette Records.
Prater sang lead vocals on the majority of these songs, with Moore providing harmony and alternate verses.
In the summer of 1964, Henry Stone introduced the duo to producer Jerry Wexler, who signed them to Atlantic Records.
Wexler wanted to capture the Southern roots and gospel style of their live performances, so the pair were loaned to Atlantic's Stax subsidiary to record, although they remained Atlantic Records artists.
When Sam & Dave arrived at Stax in Memphis, Tennessee, they worked with producer and engineer Jim Stewart.
Moore and Prater shifted their recording style to a more live, more energetic gospel call and response feel and beat-driven soul style the group is known for today.
The creative engineering and mixing by Stax founder Jim Stewart greatly enhanced the duo's recordings.
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