Classic soul is a form of rhythm and blues music with roots in African American gospel music, which has greatly influenced various contemporary popular genres such as hip-hop, disco, and funk music.
Many soul artists began their musical careers as church choir members, drawing upon gospel singing traditions such as call-and-response vocals to influence modern soul. Additionally, deeper soul and southern soul genres remain influential within modern soul music; their distinct sounds combine R&B’s energy with gospel sounds from southern United States gospel music sounds to create engaging melodies that often combine vocal harmony.
The Impressions – “Move On Up”
Curtis Mayfield was one of the greatest soul singers and songwriters of the ’60s; as lead singer/songwriter with The Impressions. His songs addressed social issues while still remaining upbeat; this talent enabled Mayfield to foster Black pride and unity during civil rights marches across America, leading them to sing collectively People Get Ready and Keep On Pushing as part of their struggle anthems like People Get Ready.
Soul music’s roots lie firmly within Black church traditions, as do its vocal styles and call-and-response vocal language characteristic of Black gospel music and blues harmony are at play in its sound – examples being The Impressions, Sam & Dave, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles all featuring elements of these genres in their recordings.
Philadelphia soul was created from the merging of these styles, best seen through recordings by Patti LaBelle, the O’Jays, The Delfonics and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Philly soul is best remembered for its lush string and horn arrangements produced by Thom Bell and Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff; more modern musicians from genres such as disco/funk/hip-hop have been greatly influenced by soul; D’Angelo/Erykah Badu/ Bobby Womack have all taken part in celebrating its tradition of expressive intimacy and mutual catharsis.
Sam & Dave – “Soul Man”
At their height of success during the late 1960s, Sam and Dave were an irresistibly alluring act for soul music fans. Combining elements from both Motown showmanship and hippie movement energy into an impressive live act, their combination of vocal harmony and charismatic stage presence led to numerous hit singles on Stax Records including their flagship song “Soul Man”, an example of Memphis soul sound which helped pave the way for future artists’ crossover into pop music.
Co-written by David Porter and Isaac Hayes (who would become iconic as one of Shaft’s central characters a decade later), this song honors hardworking men despite life’s obstacles, with Memphis Horns and Booker T & the MGs providing a pounding arrangement to complement both singers’ distinctive styles of singing.
It was only ever released once, yet was so well received it eventually earned a place on both GRAMMY Hall of Fame and Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Since its release, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Prince, The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi), as well as 1986 comedy film Soul Man have covered it and covered it themselves!
Clyde McPhatter – “A Lover’s Question”
Clyde McPhatter was one of the 1950s’ most emotive vocalists as the lead singer of The Drifters and an established solo artist during this era, earning massive crossover chart success thanks to his high tenor voice that predated both rock and soul music developments. Bill Millar published The Rise And Fall Of The Black Vocal Group which declared McPhatter an “indelible part” that popular music will never recover from.
The Drifters were certainly hit with a dip after leaving Atlantic Records in 1958, yet their final hit “A Lover’s Question” remains an iconic classic of romantic ballad. It remains relevant today thanks to its exploration of timeless themes such as love and heartache that remain relevant today.
Success of “One Song Away” also attested to its creators – Brook Benton and Jerry Wexler. Wexler’s orchestral soul tune perfectly fit the vocalist.
Billy Sherrill-penned Sweet And Innocent and Solomon Burke-style testifier Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool are equally impressive examples of this genre, while Money Honey and You’re My Sunshine still hold up well today despite becoming somewhat outdated over time. While without Love (There Is Nothing) may not reach its chart peak anymore, its depth makes it one of the highlights in this collection.
Smokey Robinson – “The Tracks Of My Tears”
Smokey Robinson was one of the most influential and successful songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s, writing hits for Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas and many more. He amassed more than 4, 000 songs throughout his career – earning two Hollywood Walk of Fame inductions: one solo artist award and another as part of The Miracles; in 2016, Robinson also received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize in recognition of his contributions to popular music.
Smokey’s signature high tenor voice and impeccable melodic sense was key in giving soul music its distinctive identity. While its roots lie in African American gospel music and rhythm and blues, soul music quickly spread worldwide as dance music for dancing and listening alike, eventually even inspiring rock and African genres of music.
Clyde McPhatter and Etta James were pioneers of soul music who used backing vocals to add depth and emotion to songs, while Ray Charles’ series of hit singles from the 1950s to 1960s helped popularize soul music even further.
Philadelphia International record label and producers Thom Bell, Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff were instrumental in pioneering the Philadelphia soul style, featuring lush string and horn arrangements with doo-wop inspired vocals. Later adopted by artists such as Patti LaBelle, Three Degrees, O’Jays and Delfonics.
The Temptations – “Get Ready”
The Temptations were an immensely popular all-male group on Motown Records and one of its premier acts. Though they wrote most of their material themselves, Berry Gordy would oversee releases to ensure chart success; when this song failed to do so, Gordy turned over writing duties to Norman Whitfield who eventually became their primary writer and producer.
After their Motown 25 TV show became an unexpected hit, The Temptations’ original lineup reunited for a tour. Unfortunately, this reunion did not last very long: Eddie Kendricks’ voice had begun deteriorating after years of chain smoking; David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards left, creating tension among remaining members.
Ron Tyson and Theo Peoples from Sunliners fame joined The Tempts’ new lineup as lead vocalists on Phoenix Rising in 1997; its title track became their 1998 tour opener and helped introduce them to an entirely new audience.
“Get Ready” has been covered by numerous artists over time, some re-imaginings like Rare Earth’s version in 1969 being bigger hits than its original. Others simply provided unique takes; most recently The Temptations recorded “Get Ready” again as part of CBS television promos in 1990.
Erykah Badu – “On & On”
Erykah Badu quickly established herself as one of the pioneering figures of neo soul following the release of her critically-acclaimed debut album Baduizm, quickly rising to become an industry staple in neo soul music. With introspective lyrics and jazz-influenced sounds that earned comparisons to Billie Holiday, as well as her sophisticated vocal approach pushing boundaries of genre, Erykah Badu became a leader within this emerging subgenre.
While her label put pressure on Badu to release new material each year, she took more interest in exploring her creative abilities and taking her time – an approach which enabled her to produce an extensive body of work as diverse as Black music itself.
Badu’s music was steeped with spiritual guidance and individualism. Her most underrated song, Dial’Afreaq – which parody’s 1980s West Coast funk group Uncle Jamm’s Army’s song of the same name from their West Coast album Uncle Jamm’s Army) combines hip-hop and jazz elements, using delicate samples that create an aura around Badu’s lyrics – was one of her signature tracks.
Badu is known for her music’s emphasis on self-growth and inner peace rather than politics, being described as a mother first, touring artist, community activist, 25-year vegetarian/recycler and conscious spirit – traits which she applied in her music without becoming overtly political or aggressive.