General Introduction to Soul Music

General Introduction to Soul Music (Definition and History)

In various music styles, many people might be more familiar with pop, classic, and jazz music. Here, we would like to introduce one specific music style, which also has a great influence on music development and has a widespread popularity— soul music.

Soul music is a music style which fuses gospel and blues. It combines both the sacred and the secular. In soul music, the melodies are featured with its emotional vocal, twirls, backup chorus, handclaps, body moves, and rhythmic instrumental music. It is hard to define the exact year when soul was created. What we know is that soul started its influence in late 1950s in the United States, and it popularized in 1960s. In 1970s, soul music was smoothed; in 1980s and 1990s, soul was rooted in part of pop music.

Motown Records, and Fame Studios in Florence, Alabama, are considered having an important role in soul music recording. As to singers, in 1950s, James Brown and Ray Charles were outstanding soul singers. People admire their achievements and regard them as the Godfather of Soul and the Father of Soul. They paved the way of soul music. In 1960s, Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, showed her brilliance in soul singing. In 1980s and 1990s, singers, such as Whitney Houston, were also affected by soul music.

In 1980s and later, some musicians fused soul with hip hop music, and soul influences contemporary R&B, and House (a dance genre). Soul also has great influence on funk, neo-soul, pop music, and other music styles. People can see the marvelous performances and widespread impacts of soul in the halls of music.

Written by Emma

Works Cited

Soul music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2008.
24 May 2008.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music>.

A History of Soul Music. 2005. Piero Scaruffi. 24 May 2008.
<http://www.scaruffi.com/history/soul.html>.

A Definition & History of Soul. 2008. About.com. 24 May 2008.
<http://randb.about.com/od/rb12/p/SoulMusic.htm>.

“Soul music.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2008. Grolier Online. 24 May 2008.
<http://gm.grolier.com/cg-bin/article?assetid=0272060-0>.

Subgenre of Soul Music 1-- Southern Soul & Northern Soul

Southern Soul vs. Northern Soul

In western music, there are numerous genres, and each one of them has also several subgenres, and sometimes each type might mix with another type or other types. For example, R&B is a music genre blending rap music into the blues; soul music combines R&B and gospel music. Here, I’m going to introduce two special subgenres of soul music—southern soul and northern soul—and see what they are and how they sound like respectively.

Southern soul, also called deep soul, emerging from the southern United States, is driving and energetic. It combines with styles: blues, country and western, early rock and roll, and southern United States gospel music sounds. The focus of the music is not on its lyrics but on the “feel” or the groove. Originally, it was contributed to by Stax Records, and their house band Booker T. & the MGs. Stax Record put vocals further back in the mix than most contemporary R&B records, using vibrant horn parts in place of background vocals, and focused on the low end of the frequency spectrum. Moreover, groundbreaking pioneers of this genre also include singers Georgia natives Ray Charles and James Brown. The peak of southern soul was during the 1960s. In that time, there were lots of notable artists such as Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and many others. The following are two specific examples of southern soul from Wilson Pickett.

Wilson Pickett—In the Midnight Hour



Wilson Pickett—Everybody Needs Someone to Love


On the other hand, northern soul, also modern soul, is a type of mid-tempo and up-tempo heavy-beat soul music that was popularized in Northern England in the mid 1960s. The term was primarily coined by journalist Dave Godin and popularized in 1970 through his column in Blues and Soul magazine and now used in the United Kingdom. At first, the term northern soul referred to rare soul music that was played by DJs at nightclubs in northern England. Therefore, gradually it involves with dancing as well. Now, northern soul also means the associated dance styles and fashions that emanated from the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester and spread to other dancehalls and nightclubs, such as the Golden Torch in Stoke on Trent, the Wigan Casino, and the Blackpool Mecca. The dancing was usually athletic, resembling the later dance styles of disco and break dancing. Featuring spins, flips, and backdrops, the northern soul dancing style was inspired by the stage performances of visiting American Soul Acts such as Jackie Wilson and Little Anthony & The Imperials. The following are their videos.

Jackie Wilson—Lonely Teardrops


Northern Soul Dancers


As a result, we can find that basically, the biggest differences between southern soul and northern soul are the region and the mode. While southern soul mainly emphasizes on the vocals and music, northern soul focuses on the dancing style. Southern soul represents a type of southern American music, yet northern soul means a dancing fashion from northern England. Some confusion regarding the two terms is due to the prevalence of the two contemporary genres, but the “southern” and the “northern” doesn’t indicate the same geographic location (one in the U.S. while the other in the U. K.), despite the fact that the music is almost exclusively American in origin.

written by Angel

References:
“Soul Music.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.” 01 June, 2008. 01 June, 2008 . <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music>.
“Southern Soul.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.” 03 May, 2008. 01 June, 2008 . <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_soul>.
“Northern Soul.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.” 28 May, 2008. 01 June, 2008 . <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul>.
NORTHERNSOUL.NET. 02 June, 2008 . <http://www.northernsoul.net/>
Southern Soul RnB.Com. June, 2008. SouthernSoulRnB.com, LLC. 02 June, 2008 . <http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/>.

Subgenre of Soul Music 2-- Neo Soul

Sub-genre of soul music-Neo Soul

Neo soul, known as nu soul, is usually a hybrid of 1970s---influenced by soul music and mixing with influences from jazz, funk, hip hop and house music. The term “neo soul” was originated by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s. Originally, neo soul's audience tended to be underground, preferring that the music favored underground credibility and soulfulness over mainstream popularity.

There are two origins of neo soul developing from. The first one is originated from the band, “Tony! Toni! Toné!” in the mid-1990s, but the term began to be used after Joi Gilliam’s debut released, which contained the elements of Rock and early 1970s style. It resurfaced when D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar which featured the elements of classic soul showed to the public. However, it was not considered as a modern African-American mainstream music genre at that time. Another origin is possibly from the UK acid jazz scene of the early 1990s with artists such as Jamiroquai. The following are the related videos.


This is Tony Toni Tone’s “slow wine”



The above is Joi Gilliam’s Nicole



It is another origin of neo soul, acid jazz from UK’s Jamiroquai---When You Gonna Learn.

Why neo soul goes into mainstream was because of Lauryn Hill who succeeded in commerce of the album “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1998, and garnered five Grammy Awards. After Hill’s success, there are a number of well-known and popular neo-soul artists affecting Taiwanese teenagers such as Alicia Keys, John Legend, Joss Stone, Aya, Macy Gray, and so on. There are some hyper links of the above singers as follows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq9EKwanJE&feature=related

Alicia Keys- If I ain’t got u

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nan3TAYEA

joss stone- spoiled

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsTk2xp0nvY

Macy Gray- I try

Although there are more and more new soul singers on the mainstream, there are far more singers staying underground. Through the TV programs, some of them surely did a great job to attract other’s attention. For example, originally, Alicia Keys was a talented songwriter and pianist in a music school. After she released her first album, Songs in A Minor, her music hit the chart number one and swept Grammy Awards. Her glamor and charisma is still attracting fans’ hearts until now. As for Macy Gray, her millennium single, “I Try,” totally shows her vocal attraction, and brings fame to her. Her vocal is still charming; nevertheless, the songs she sings after “I try” are not so great to invoke her profound vocal song and to make listeners to indulge in her music.

Neo Soul is an emerging music genre, blending with other genre to make it multifarious. The specialty of soul music is that the singer should possess a soulful, profound, and touching vocal no matter how soul music is blended and changed. The beautiful voice of the artists is still the core hovering in the listener’s heart.


Reference:
“Neo soul wikipedia. ”Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 1. June. 2008. 7 June. 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_soul>

“A brief history of soul music.” Piero Scaruffi’s Music Database. 1 June 2008. 7 June. 2008 < http://www.scaruffi.com/history/soul.html>


Written by Ann C.

Soul Singer Profile 1 -- Godfather of Soul: James Brown

James Brown

James Brown, commonly referred to as “the Godfather of Soul,” was one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. He was renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and his unique rhythmic style. As a prolific singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer, Brown was a pivotal force in the evolution of gospel and rhythm and blues into soul and funk.

Brown began his professional music career in 1953, and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performance and string of smash hits. When I first saw his videos on the Net, except for his extraordinary shouting vocals, his dance impressed me the most. The power out of his throat and his body was like there was an engine installed inside of his stomach. “How could he be so energetic?” Let’s see one of his best-known songs, “I Feel Good,” and you’ll understand what I was saying.



Isn’t his dance and music incredible? Even Michael Jackson is a huge fan of him. From several similar steps, we can clearly observe that the great dancer, Michael, is partially influenced by Brown. Also, Michael had once said that he loved James Brown. In the age of mine, I consider Michael Jackson as a legend of music, especially of dancing. As a result, to know about James Brown is like meeting the idol of my idol, and the feelings are complicated but wonderful.

Michael Jackson & James Brown


Brown also had another trademark feature in his stage performance—the cape. For several times, when he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance and was going to get off the stage, the MC would drape a cape over Brown’s shoulders so as to escort him off stage. As Brown was escorted by the MC, Brown’s vocal group chanted the background vocals “Please, please don’t-go-oh.” Then Brown would suddenly shake of the cape and staggered back to the microphone to perform an encore, often singing the hit “Please, Please, Please.”

Brown also had taken part in a movie of Jacky Chen, named “The Tuxedo,” and it was also the first time I heard about him. Being a successful musician and entertainer, Brown enjoyed his profession but had a rather tough life. He had had troubles with wine, politics, religion and also relationships. He had been in jail, described as a social activism, and was married for four times. It seems that it’s not easy for an entertainer to succeed in both career and life.

To conclude, no matter how ridiculous the life James Brown had lead, the contribution of Brown to music is certain. His talent and his work on Soul and the later Funk and other types of music are unquestionable. In my opinion, even though he had passed away, his music always will be classic and never going to fade away.

James Brown—Please, Please, Please

written by Angel



References:
Collins, Willie. "James Brown." BNET. 29 January, 2002. FindArticles.com. 01 June, 2008 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419200141>.
“James Brown.” The History of Rock 'n' Roll. 01 June, 2008 <http://www.history-of-rock.com/james_brown.htm>.
“James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul,’ dies at 73.” CNN.com. 25 December, 2006. 02 June, 2008 <http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/25/obit.brown/index.html>.
“James Brown.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.” 02 June, 2008. 02 June, 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown>.

Soul Singer Profile 2 -- the Father of Soul: Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Here is a music video clip of Ray Charles’ great hit, “What I’d Say”



Ray Charles is known for his talent in various fields of music. He is a pioneer in the development of soul music and honored as the Father of Soul. Ray’s prolific music styles create his own music taste and characteristics. His extraordinary music achievement wins great popularity. His legendary life also inspires a lot of people.

Ray Charles was born in Georgia, the United States. He was completely blind when he was only seven years old. Due to his courage and his mother’s wise instruction, he learned how to deal with things and gradually overcame his losing sight. However, there were two tragedies falling upon him: his lost of his brother and mother. His brother was drowned while Ray played in the backyard with him, and it was a trauma for Ray Charles in his life. Ray’s mother died when he was fifteen, and it devastatingly stroke him. After talking with a considerate old lady, Ray braced his heart and walked out of depression. To Ray Charles, the two great tragedies eventually turned out to be the positive elements for him.

Ray made a lot of efforts in learning music. When He studied music, Ray read the music with his fingers. He was fond of listening and playing jazz and blues. Several years passed by, he started to work with bands. At that time, Ray was fascinated by Nat King Cole’s music. Ray was affected by Nat King Cole and turned to imitate his singing styles. One morning when he woke up, he sank in a deep thought, “where is Ray Charles? ” After that, he decided to sing like himself. He played dance halls in many cities; later, he started to make records, cooperated with Atlantic, and then with ABC. He made several hits on music charts. He experimented music and combined different music genre. For example, he mixed gospel music with blues (the two music styles had greatly influenced him since he was little) to create what is called, “soul music.” He sang with the Raelettes, the backup singers, creating call and response in his songs. Expanding 58 years, Ray Charles released more than 250 albums, from blues, jazz, R&B, funk, country to soul music. Ray grasped the attention and the passion from the multitude, and he inspired lots of musicians and had splendid sparks between them.

For Ray Charles, music can not be divided from his life. Just as what He said, “Music to me is just like breathing.” Music is so naturally flowing in his blood, and it blooms in his talent and perseverance, releasing its wonderful scents to the mass. Though Ray Charles passed away, his great impact on soul music and other genre is well remembered. His genius shines through decades, and his great music leaves deeply in people’s heart.

Written by Emma

Works Cited

Ray Charles. 2004. Ray Charles Enterprises, Inc. 24 May 2008.
<http://www.raycharles.com/>.

Ray. Dir. Taylor Hackford. Perf. Jamie Foxx. Kerry Washington. 2004. DVD. Universal Studios.

Soul Singer Profile 3 -- the Queen of Soul: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is a well-known American soul singer, also called the Queen of Soul by the fans. She is renowned for her soul recordings, and is famous for her soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range. In her early life and career, her parents were separated when she was six, and her mother was died when she was ten. Then Aretha with her father, a minister, moved to Detroit, starting her singing career in the church, and then her father helped her to release her first gospel records. There is her most famous gospel soul music, “Amazing Grace” as followed.




Why is she called the Queen of Soul? She has done many prominent records and singles, some of which have landed in the music chart for a long period of time and have even broken the record such as the song “Respect” which hit the chart on number one for eight weeks and became her feminist version of her signature tune of life. In her singing career, she has won eight Grammy Awards in a row. The copy of her albums was sold out. Besides, she has a great influence on black female singers such as Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, and Donna Summer. The Following are the related videos of Franclin’s featuring music.




The above one is her most well-known song “Respect.”




This is another song ”Think” brought by Aretha Franklin.


After the peak of her singing career, Franklin met the failure of her contract with the company where she belonged. The company neither wanted to solve the tax problem nor had desire to renew the strategy. Because of this incident, she should pay the taxes of her albums back and break the recording contract with the company. Unfortunately, at the same time, Franklin’s minister father was severely wounded by the attempted robbery. A few years later, he died. This stroke Franklin very much. With the failure of the career and her father’s death, she rethought and adjusted her style of singing, blending other elements into her music like pop and disco; as the result, it made another summit to her singing career and created a fashion of music genre. The following video is her song, bringing her in another peak of her career, “I Knew You Were Waiting.” featuring with George Michael.




Her profound, agile voice gives us much enjoyment. She sang a lot of well-known, beautiful, and soulful songs to us, and even some of singers have chanted the cover version of her greatly popular songs. Undoubtedly, Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul in American Soul Music.


Reference:
“Aretha Franklin-Wikipedia.” Wikipedia-the Free Encyclopedia. 1. June. 2008. 7. June. 2008.< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin>

“Time 100: Aretha Franklin.” Time. 25 May. 2008. 7. June. 2008. http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/franklin.html

Written by Ann C.

Reflection

Angel:

Having done the research of Soul music, I, finally, was able to understand more deeply about one of the many genres in the western music. Since Taiwan has mainly pop music in the market, most of the Taiwanese don’t know how to distinguish each type of music precisely. However, thanks to this homework, it provides me the motivation to make a study of Soul music, and therefore I found that it is actually very different from I expected. I previous thought that Soul music should be some kind of calm and restful music genre, just like its name; however, it is very energetic on the contrary. As a result, if time is available, I would like to do more research on other music genres in this summer, and maybe I will be surprised again.

Ann:

Before I thought the melody of soul music was slow and gloomy, I was totally wrong. The soul music mixes other genres into its core of spirit and is developed into some branches of its own. The most amazing part of soul music is that the disco music is also derived from soul music. When I collected information, I not only acquire a lot of knowledge from the process but also gain far more fun and delight from it because the subject we picked is so closed to our daily lives. It is no denying that music is a cuisine to life, and I enjoy tasting it.

Emma:

Before, I never realized the amazing vitality of soul music. After watching the music video of those great soul singers and reading materials from Internet, I start to step in the world of soul music. I learn how charming and marvelous soul music is. When I listen to it, l cannot help moving my body with the rhythm and appreciating the vocal. Whether soul music is the mainstream in the music chart or not, soul is an influential music style that touches lots of people.

Opening

Soul Music

Group project for English composition 2

Group members: Angel, Ann, Emma