Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedI’ll Take You There
Soul1970s102BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriter of record (Al Bell), no formal legal dispute found. Two honest layers of uncredited use are documented factually in Rights Status — Mavis Staples’ missing co-writing credit, and the Hippy Boys beneath “The Liquidator” — rather than smoothed over.
Quick Facts
Released1972
AlbumBe Altitude: Respect Yourself
GenreSoul, Gospel, R&B
LabelStax Records
ProducerAl Bell
Recorded atMuscle Shoals Sound Studio
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter of record — Al Bell (Alvertis Isbell)
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Stax; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A #1 soul landmark — but note two honest layers of uncredited use documented in Rights Status: Mavis Staples’ missing credit, and the Hippy Boys beneath “The Liquidator.”
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriter of record and no formal dispute at either level.
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Al Bell (Alvertis Isbell)
A confirmed uncredited borrowingThe famous intro and bassline were lifted, uncredited, from “The Liquidator” — a 1969 reggae instrumental (a #9 UK hit) written by Harry Johnson (Harry J) and performed by the Harry J Allstars.
Mavis Staples’ own grievance over creditMavis Staples has been directly, publicly furious about never receiving a co-writing credit on this song — a grievance reportedly part of why the Staple Singers ultimately left Stax Records in 1975.
A deeper, honest layer beneath thatPer a WhoSampled community account, Stax reportedly paid Harry J a sum for using “The Liquidator”’s musical concepts (helping fund his first studio) — but the Hippy Boys, the backing band who actually played on “The Liquidator,” reportedly never received proper credit or reward from that arrangement. Compensation flowed to one level but not down to the performing musicians.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The band thought it was just a demo
Al Bell, who made frequent trips to Jamaica, brought “The Liquidator” into the session and played it for the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section as a direct template. Bassist David Hood has confirmed the band genuinely believed it was simply a demo Bell had made — only learning years later they’d lifted an existing released song. No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A #1 Hot 100 soul landmark (Grammy Hall of Fame)
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
IT
Al Bell (Stax)
The confirmed songwriter of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 12)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass