History Main / Soul

** ''Music/LiveAtTheOlympia''

** Music/MarvinGaye: Renowned as one of the best soul singers of them all, Gaye got his start as a session musician and songwriter before he stepped into the spotlight himself. Like Wonder, he struggled for creative freedom and won, and the result was the expansive, socially-conscious ConceptAlbum ''Music/WhatsGoingOn''.

** The Jackson 5: You know who these guys are. Yes, it's the group that featured MichaelJackson and his brothers, put together largely on the initiative of their father, Joe. Even though they were very successful in the early 1970s and had several hits that are still remembered, today they're probably thought of pretty much as "Michael Jackson's old group".

* AmyWinehouse: Responsible for kicking off [[NeoSoul a major soul revival in the mid to late late 00's]], in not only the United Kingdom but all around the world. Her music directly inspired and paved the way for other notable soul singers of that period including {{Adele}}, Paloma Faith, Shannon Jones and the Dap Kings, {{Duffy}}, Rebecca Ferguson, Azaelia Banks, Rebecca Ferguson and Emilie Sande. Many have dubbed the recent influx of British soul singers enjoying success on the American charts, which was led by Winehouse, a third British Invasion or a British Soul Invasion.

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to White audiences. Despite the differences--and the commercial rivalry between Stax and Motown--there was a definite sense they were one style, with a lot of cross-pollination. This soul--the "classic" soul--was the soundtrack of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, and everything associated with "good" and authentic Black culture was called "soul" something by analogy (most famously, the term [[UsefulNotes/CuisinesInAmerica soul food]] stuck for referring to traditional Black American cuisine). Later, in the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], a third soul "sound" appeared when some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of {{Funk}} and BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

** Music/MarvinGaye: Renowned as one of the best soul singers of them all, Gaye got his start as a session musician and songwriter before he stepped into the spotlight himself. Like Wonder, he struggled for creative freedom and won, and the result was the expansive, socially-conscious ConceptAlbum ''What's Going On''.

* Music/JamesBrown: His stage names have included "the Godfather of Soul" and "Soul Brother Number One" and he essentially became the number one performer in the genre after Sam Cooke died and Ray Charles began to diversify his sound. A major connector between Soul and {{Funk}}, his ''Live At the Apollo'' album is recognised as the starting point for the latter style.

Every now and then, soul makes some kind of resurgence. For some reason, white folks tend to really like doing these things; this is generally called "blue-eyed soul," since calling it "white soul" would be a touch obvious. Strangely, the British are the most likely to try a soul-influenced sound: Music/DavidBowie broke into the American market after he switched from glam rock to soul (with the NewSoundAlbum ''Young Americans'', recorded in Philadelphia), and two of the biggest soul acts of the past decade are Music/AmyWinehouse and Music/{{Adele}}, both as English as they come. Oh, and the term "plastic soul" itself came from an older African-American's characterization of Music/TheRollingStones (which prompted Music/TheBeatles to name their next album ''Rubber Soul'', 'cos, wouldn't you know it, they were high at the time and thought that was funny).

* AmyWinehouse: Responsible for kicking off [[NeoSoul a major soul revival in the mid to late late 00's]], in not only the United Kingdom but all around the world. Her music directly inspired and paved the way for other notable soul singers of that period including {{Adele}}, Paloma Faith, Shannon Jones and the Dap Kings, {{Duffy}}, Rebecca Ferguson, Azaelia Banks, Rebecca Ferguson and Emilie Sande. Many have dubbed the recent influx of British soul singers enjoying success on the American charts, which was led by Winehouse, a third British Invasion or a British Soul Invasion.

!!soul acts include (in roughly chronological order):

!!Famous soul acts include (in roughly chronological order):

* Music/Cameo

* Amy Winehouse: Responsible for kicking off a major soul revival in the mid to late late 00's, in not only the United Kingdom but all around the world. Her music directly inspired and paved the way for other notable soul singers of that period including Adele, Paloma Faith, Shannon Jones and the Dap Kings, {{Duffy}}, Rebecca Ferguson, Azaelia Banks, Rebecca Ferguson and Emilie Sande. Many have dubbed the recent influx of British soul singers enjoying success on the American charts, which was led by Winehouse, a third British Invasion or a British Soul Invasion.

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to White audiences. Despite the differences--and the commercial rivalry between Stax and Motown--there was a definite sense they were one style, with a lot of cross-pollination. This soul--the "classic" soul--was the soundtrack of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, and everything associated with "good" and authentic Black culture was called "soul" something by analogy (most famously, the term [[UsefulNotes/CuisinesInAmerica soul food]] stuck for referring to traditional Black American cuisine). Later, in the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], a third soul "sound" appeared when some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to White audiences. Despite the differences--and the commercial rivalry between Stax and Motown--there was a definite sense they were one style, with a lot of cross-pollination. This soul--the "classic" soul--was the soundtrack of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, and everything associated with "good" and authentic Black culture was called "soul" something by analogy (most famously, the term [[UsefulNotes/CuisinesInAmerica soul food]] stuck for referring to traditional Black American cuisine). Later, in the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to White audiences. Despite the differences--and the commercial rivalry between Stax and Motown--there was a definite sense they were one style, with a lot of cross-pollination. This soul--the "classic" soul--was the soundtrack of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Later, in the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to white audiences. Despite the differences--and the commercial rivalry between Stax and Motown--there was a definite sense they were one style, with a lot of cross-pollination. This soul--the "classic" soul--was the soundtrack of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Later, in the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to white audiences. In the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of BigBand {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Berry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to white audiences. In the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of big-band {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Creator/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Barry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to white audiences. In the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of big-band {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

In the heyday of soul--starting in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and running through the [[TheSixties 1960s]]--it was initially divided into two camps: Northern and Southern. Southern soul, whose flagship studio was Stax Records in Memphis, was noted for a rougher sound and harder-edged lyrics, and was mostly marketed towards Black audiences. Northern soul, whose flagship studio was Music/{{Motown}} Records in, erm, [[UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Motown]], was noted for a softer, poppier sound with more "family-friendly" lyrics, and was specifically engineered by studio head Barry Gordy[[note]]Fun fact: His son and grandson formed Music/{{LMFAO}}, which couldn't be more different[[/note]] to have crossover appeal to white audiences. In the mid-to-late 60s and into the [[TheSeventies 70s]], some artists in UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} began incorporating elements of big-band {{Jazz}} to produce the sweet-sounding variant called "Philadelphia Soul", a.k.a. "Sweet Philly," which in retrospect was probably one of the strongest influences on the nascent Music/{{Disco}} (listen to some Philly soul and you'll probably remark how incredibly 70s it sounds).

Every now and then, soul makes some kind of resurgence. For some reason, white folks tend to really like doing these things; this is generally called "blue-eyed soul," since calling it "white soul" would be a touch obvious. Strangely, the British are the most likely to try a soul-influenced sound: Music/DavidBowie broke into the American market after he switched from glam rock to soul (with the NewSoundAlbum ''Young Americans'', recorded in Philadelphia), and two of the biggest soul acts today are Music/AmyWinehouse and Music/{{Adele}}, both as English as they come. Oh, and the term "plastic soul" itself came from an older African-American's characterization of Music/TheRollingStones (which prompted Music/TheBeatles to name their next album ''Rubber Soul'', 'cos, wouldn't you know it, they were high at the time and thought that was funny).

Needs lots more WikiMagic.

[[redirect:OurSoulsAreDifferent]]