Soul music is a genre that blends rhythm and blues with gospel. Its catchy rhythms are highlighted with hand claps and extemporaneous body movements; furthermore, soul features an intimate vocal sound as well as call-and-response singing.
Socially aware artists like James Brown and Aretha Franklin had an indelible imprint on R&B music history, as did New York-based Vee-Jay Records, Motown, Atlantic Records and Chess/Stax/Volt from Chicago.
Origins
Soul music emerged during the 1950s and ’60s as an amalgamation of gospel, rhythm & blues and jazz genres. At that time of social upheaval and change, this style captured people across America with its emotive soundscape. Furthermore, black people were liberating themselves from church structures to form independent groups which helped them feel prouder of their heritage; something reflected by its musical style; which can still be recognized today.
Early soul music was vocal-led like doo-wop and gospel. Over time, however, its development shifted more toward sound producers’ skills as arrangers and producers became more integral parts of its sound style. This process took place mainly in four major urban areas such as New York, Memphis, Detroit and Philadelphia, which all had independent record labels that supported soul artists including Atlantic (founded by white songwriter Ahmet Ertegun), Stax Records (created by white music producer Jim Stewart), Tamla Motown (established by black enterpreneur Berry Gordy), International (founded by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff).
Soul music has also been influenced by its singers. Vocal harmonies and melodies play an integral part in soul music, and call-and-response vocals can add an emotive dimension to this genre. These melodies often incorporate intricate turns that add dimension and soulfulness to this genre.
Blues music’s harmonic structure is also an influence on soul, as can be seen through its emotive vocals of soul artists that create an emotional bond with listeners. Soul musicians also draw heavily upon jazz and doo-wop as additional musical sources that influence their songs’ instrumentation, harmony, improvisational elements and general style of their performance.
In the 1990s, neo soul music emerged as a modern variation of this genre. Neo soul is characterized by a blend of 1970s-style soul vocals and instrumentation combined with contemporary R&B sounds, hip-hop beats and poetic interludes to produce a style that’s both soothing and soulful; many popular artists including Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone and Raphael Saadiq can all be found making this style.
Styles
Soul music’s immense popularity spawned numerous subgenres. Its hallmark qualities, such as emotive delivery and ethnic pride, live on in contemporary R&B, funk, and hip-hop genres.
Otis Redding, Little Richard and James Brown pioneered rhythm and blues by mixing gospel music with rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles. These musicians employed powerful vocals and call-response techniques that expressed themes such as love, heartbreak and social injustice in their songs.
Motown Records and Stax Records both fostered their own distinctive sounds. Motown artists featured catchy rhythms and pop-friendly melodies; Stax artists focused more on bass guitar, strings and vibrant horns for an earthier sound; these included Al Green, The Staple Singers and Ann Peebles as Stax musicians.
Soul music reached its pinnacle during the 1960s in America and worldwide, providing artists such as Timmy Thomas, Aretha Franklin, and Sam Cooke an opportunity to support the civil rights movement through lyrics and performances that served as rallying cries for change. Artists such as them sang songs that became rallying cries for civil rights movements around the world.
At its height in the late 60s and early 70s, soul music began incorporating elements of funk and disco into its style. Musicians like James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield began creating more mass produced forms of soul.
Though soul has evolved into multiple genres, its roots in African American culture and black church remain strong. Edgy vocals, catchy rhythms, improvisational additions, twirls and swirls remain hallmarks of soul music; others features include chugging guitar, deep bass notes and the swirling Hammond B-3 organ.
Soul has had an enormous influence on other genres of music, from rock and pop to rhythm and blues and R&B. R&B gained mainstream status during the 1970s thanks to artists like Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Luther Vandross producing smoother styles like contemporary soul R&B. Additionally, young artists embracing raw sounds of funk/soul with urban hip hop beats have created new sounds known as Neo Soul which include singers such as Me’Shell NdegeOcello Maxwell Lauryn Hill among many others.
Influencers
Soul music emerged through the combination of rhythm and blues with African-American gospel music in the 1950s and 60s. While rhythm and blues was already an established genre of music, African-American gospel had roots in African traditions including call-and-response vocal techniques used during worship services. Together these genres resulted in soul’s creation which eventually flourished into modern genres like hip hop and dance music today. Ray Charles played an integral part in its development and his influence can still be felt today through genres such as hip hop and dance music today!
Early Soul was an international movement. In England, Northern Soul was popular in nightclubs while DJs in America often performed it at clubs. Producers at Atlantic Records like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin produced hit after hit of soul music; Chips Moman collaborated with female gospel artists like Percy Sledge on hits like When a Man Loves a Woman while Stax Records in Memphis Tennessee led by producers Booker T and the MGs and Al Green produced raw soul that was more gritty than contemporary R&B music.
In the 1970s, more mature soul music emerged with singers like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield recording songs that expressed intense feelings related to social and political issues. James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone introduced more funk elements while Al Green took his music closer towards pop.
As disco and funk gained in popularity, soul music began its transformation. By the 1980s, soul had integrated electro elements, with its sounds becoming far removed from its rhythm and blues roots. Since 2001, Brooklyn-based label Daptone has fuelled a resurgence of authentic soul with artists such as Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley; Nashville producer Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye studio also keeps soul alive.
Other major contributors to soul include New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint, who championed boogie-woogie music for artists such as Irma Thomas and Lee Dorsey. Philadelpia producer Kenny Gamble played an invaluable role in reinvigorating soul through Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Delfonics & O’Jays he produced during this era.
Messages
Soul music became increasingly influential during the 1960s. Though many songs focused on love, many also addressed social commentary that promoted equality and peace through songs by Gil Scott-Heron (“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, Marvin Gaye (“What’s Going On”, and Sam Cooke (“A Change is Gonna Come”) that spoke directly to African American struggle and became iconic anthems of civil rights movement.
Funk and disco were integral in creating soul music’s foundation, which then gave way to other genres such as contemporary R&B, smooth jazz and hip hop. Artists like Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston continued producing smooth commercial soul, while D’Angelo Maxwell Lauryn Hill created more aggressive forms known as Neo Soul.
Soul music’s hallmark lies in its vocals, featuring intricate harmonies more akin to classical than other pop forms. Call and response vocals, handclaps and body movement may all help convey its emotional depths; many soul musicians even utilize doo-wop style melodies with unpredictable twists and turns that keep listeners interested.
Some of the greatest advances in soul music happened through major record labels, like Tamla Motown in Detroit founded by Berry Gordy and Atlantic Records established in New York City by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Both labels provided essential support to legendary soul artists including Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers and The Miracles; other influential labels like Quincy Jones-owned Chess Records produced sultry soul records for artists like Gladys Knight and Etta James.
Influences of soul music have extended beyond the US, with artists like James Brown bringing global audiences funk music. Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield laid down the groundwork for psychedelic soul, while Earth, Wind & Fire combined both elements into their music. Other artists have bridged between soul and other genres as well, with Otis Redding’s ballads considered both soul and funk while Parliament/Funkadelic, The Chamber Brothers & Rick James represent both soul & blues music respectively.