Dusty Springfield’s silky vocals and its philosophical message — hallmarks of soul music— capture love and loss with poignancy that transcend genre. This classic of soul music will always remain relevant.
Northern soul was an unregulated genre that didn’t follow an official canon; any song discovered during a DJ buying trip could fall under this genre’s purview.
What’s Going On
Most music fans mistakenly believe that today’s black musicians perform either rap music or “smooth jazz.” Truth be told, a small but vibrant community of artists are actively creating music in near-obscurity: southern soul performers of an older generation that have perfected their verse-and-chorus craft in club circuits across America. Bobby Rush, Melvin Van Peebles, and Sheba Potts-Wright – contemporary chitlin’ circuit rhythm and blues artists who first brought classic R&B into popular consciousness – are creating a revival in verse-and-chorus R&B through Motown, Memphis, Philly and Chicago styles of rhythm and blues, gospel country rock as exemplified in hits like Brook Benton’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. Here is their story.
Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone
“Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” originally recorded by Undisputed Truth in 1972, became even more well-known when a Temptations cover was released later that same year. A seven-minute single when edited down for release became one of Motown history’s longest #1 hits; its cinematic soul composition boasts tension-laden hi-hats and bass lines as pulsing with tension before opening up into an array of guitar tumult, panicked trumpet blasts and majestic strings with Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin Richard Street and Damon Harris (who replaced Eddie Kendricks as falsetto vocalist) taking turns asking their mother about their absent father.
The lyrics of “Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss” are unforgiving in their criticism of absentee parents. Deriving its name from an old saying about gathering no moss from rolling stones, it focuses on dismantling both fatherhood and 1960s ideology which advocated open sexuality without regard for its consequences.
The Temptations were never particularly fond of this song as Whitfield placed too much emphasis on instrumentals whereas they preferred singing ballads instead. Their discontent with Whitfield led him to be dismissed as their producer; nevertheless they sound absolutely amazing on record with voices colliding into an intricate mass of emotion – something which helped establish them as one of Motown’s great groups.
Midnight Train To Georgia
R&B music began as an expression of black American art during World War II and has evolved ever since, taking elements from gospel, jazz and funk genres and creating its own distinctive style of expression and emotion. R&B legends such as Marvin Gaye and Erykah Badu have pioneered its creation; its influence can still be felt today with H.E.R and Daniel Caesar pushing its limits forward.
Gladys Knight and the Pips switched record labels in 1973, with this song as their debut release on Buddah Records. Written by Jim Weatherly after playing rec-flag football with Lee Majors of Six Million Dollar Man fame and Farrah Fawcett (then dating Majors). One day during their conversation on the phone they mentioned they needed to catch an overnight train for Houston; that phrase stuck with Weatherly who wrote the entire tune within half an hour!
Knight and the Pips’ signature song was “Tupelo Junction,” an excellent showcase for their famous choreography (spins, synchronized steps, pulling-a-train-whistle little kids would do when seeing trains on the highway). But our Senior Producer Geoff Turner — son of a rail enthusiast himself — always had suspicions there wasn’t an overnight train that left Los Angeles bound for Georgia in August 1973.
Let’s Get It On
Marvin Gaye’s most sensuous album in a career full of them was Let’s Get It On, setting new sexual frontiers in R&B/soul music. The title track alone is an irresistibly sensual groove; from its emotive strings to its infectious rhythmic pulses, Gaye made his intentions known: Let’s Get It On is all about casual yet passionate love affairs that can span generations – yet there was much more going on than meets the eye here.
Gaye wrote the track during a period of stress and self-doubt in his life. He had recently seen success from “Grapevine”, an album he felt wasn’t his, while also mourning Tammi Terrell’s passing away as his old duet partner; while his brother was off fighting in Vietnam.
Ed Townsend–an accomplished doo-wop singer known for his hit single “For Your Love,” which peaked at #13–co-wrote the lyrics that would become this hit, which initially explored religious topics but were altered over time to focus more on sexual liberation than religion. Gaye and Townsend worked closely together on revising and editing them, transforming the tune to suit Gaye and Townsend’s vision of sexual freedom in its lyrics. Gaye would go on to become Motown’s latest heartthrob thanks to this successful song. The Deluxe edition of Gaye’s album contains alternate versions and demos that provide listeners with new perspectives, particularly an early rendition of “Distant Lover,” which highlights his vocal prowess; particularly an emotional rendition with deep sighs and powerful wails that bring chills down spines; even its captivating chorus’s interlacing harmonies are striking; plus it marks the debut appearance of famed studio musicians known as Funk Brothers!
Let’s Stay Together
R&B (Rhythm & Blues) music blends elements of gospel, jazz and funk to form its distinct sound. Over its history it has given rise to many iconic artists, such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu; today H.E.R and Jorja Smith continue the genre’s flourishment.
Al Green’s 1972 romantic Soul hit, “Let’s Stay Together”, is an irresistibly romantic tune, combining his golden voice with producer Willie Mitchell’s keen ear for vocal perfection. Though initially reluctant, Green eventually gave in after heavy persuasion from Mitchell; and it went on to become a top-10 hit and reach number one on R&B charts. Additionally, this song made Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of 500 Greatest Songs as well as being covered by Tina Turner for her comeback single release (released as her comeback single) released as part of her comeback single in 1983 – both releases featured heavily as part of an episode “Road Trip”.