Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
Anyone familiar with our group will know two things that we're interested in are cover songs and long songs and Isaac Hayes combined those two things masterfully and uniquely. I think his version of 'By The Time I get to Phoenix' is inconceivable until he made it seem inevitable and it was especially remarkable because – although, I'm not an expert – I think anybody who had heard of Isaac Hayes at a certain point knew him as a songwriter and so when he starts playing the records, not even writing songs on them, he's just putting this incredible stamp which you didn't know songs like 'Walk On By' and 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix' could yield until he took charge of them.