I bought a new copy of Hot Buttered Soul only yesterday to replace a missing CD.

The first time I heard Hayes' extraordinary, hypnotic version of By The Time I Get To Phoenix was on Richard Skinner's Rock On show on Radio One, back in the very early 80s, lying on my bed with the curtains drawn. I was so blown away that the following week I went to Woolworths and bought the album - it was only the second LP I'd ever purchased.

I can't imagine Radio One allowing anyone to play an 18 minute track on a Saturday afternoon today.

Pure unadulterated class, and the perfect opening track for practially any mixtape (even those where the titanic By The Time I Get To Phoenix is taking up half a side of a C90...)

As for being overshadowed by Theme From Shaft...well, it's not too shabby a shadow to stand in, eh?

I'll raise a glass to Ike.

What a title...briliant tune

Highly influential in whatever he did in the late 60s and early 70s....the spoken intro to 'By the Time...' is the reason Barry White had a career

...that's absolutely rotten news. 'Hot Buttered Soul' gets played practically weekly by me, it's my favourite soul album ever. I'll be sure to give it another spin (it's always a pleasure) in tribute to the great man, alongside some of his other classics.

I too like Ike, but no-one has mentioned his time as Chef on South Park. Derivative and puerile as it is, his, or rather Chefs "Hot Salty Balls" doesn't fail to raise a smile. I like to think it was being subversive rather than cashflow that led to that particular gig, even tho' I understand and support why he subsequently left the show.

It's very sad news - he was a soul hero.
Here he is coming on to the stage at Wattstax - one of the coolest and funniest entrances ever:

And I can never get enough of that giant introduction to his version of "Walk On By":

...knocked me out when I first pressed play on 'Hot Buttered Soul' in 2005 or so. It still does.

"Ain't No Sunshine", what a piece of brilliance, and in a similar strange twist to "spooky" I came across the vinyl in my garage last week. The track itself has been played regularly from the very first play (just after issue) and will continue for I hope, many years to come. "Hot Buttered Soul" gets a new audience every day, my kids (20,22 and 25) were brought up listening to it, and I defy anyone hearing it for the first time not to be grooving (yes, old git and proud!) along and toe tapping in no time. Absolute class, a head phone masterpiece indeed.

RIP Ike