Soul Music UK

soul music uk

Soul music UK can sometimes be taken for granted or overlooked, yet this genre boasts a rich heritage which should be celebrated and is an integral part of British culture.

This list honors some of the UK’s pioneers of genre music and subverts the narrative that these artists were simply replicating what had taken place elsewhere in America.

Origins

Soul music’s origins can be traced back to the 1950s and early 1960s when African American musicians blended elements of gospel music, rhythm & blues, jazz, dance music, hip hop and contemporary R&B into one genre known as soul. This form became immensely popular among both black and white audiences alike and went on to influence many later genres like funk dance music hip hop R&B contemporary R&B

Soul music originated in the United States, with its roots firmly established in African American church music known as gospel. By the late 1950s, gospel songs had begun being converted to secular forms that evolved into soul music.

Soul music became increasingly popular throughout the South due to artists such as James Brown and label-specific labels like Stax/Volt that produced records combining R&B’s driving rhythms with elements of gospel music from this region. Two main styles emerged – deep soul and Memphis soul.

Styles associated with R&B music can often be heard on radio stations today and included into numerous songs, making this genre one of the most influential genres ever to come out of music history.

Soul music was also an effective force of social change in America during the 1950s and 1960s, particularly among African Americans who used it to express their feelings and affirm their identity as people of African descent. Additionally, its success helped break down racial barriers within music industries while aiding civil rights movements.

As a result, various forms of soul were produced, which had an enormous effect on modern pop music. Notable soul singers include Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin.

Soul music may have its roots in African American culture, yet remains immensely popular across all races and religions today – in fact it is one of the most-sung genres worldwide!

Soul music is widely recognized for its catchy rhythms, handclaps and spontaneous body movements; call-and-response between lead vocalist and chorus; call-and-response between chorus members and lead vocalist; call-and-response with lead vocalist as lead singer responds back; improvisation and additional sounds. Soul performances are known to elicit strong emotions during live performances and can create quite the spectacle!

Influences

Soul music’s roots lie in African-American gospel singing, but its popularity exploded throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It combines elements from multiple musical styles – jazz, R&B – along with various timbres and expressions, from raspy to smooth vocalizations.

Early forms of soul music were heavily influenced by African-American blues singers like Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Huey Piano Smith who sang traditional gospel songs with an R&B flair. Furthermore, rhythms and harmonies from early rock & roll, particularly that of Elvis Presley became integral components of soul.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, various soul music subgenres emerged in America. Many artists attempted to break through by including pop-styled vocals into their music with soul influences.

Some artists such as Hall & Oates from Philadelphia and Oakland’s Tower of Power achieved mainstream success; others, like New York-based street-corner harmony group the Delfonics or Howard University’s Unifics produced more traditional soul music.

Though these styles weren’t as commercially successful, they did serve as a blueprint for later R&B artists. Some created more refined, sophisticated versions of their genre while others stayed true to their initial style and remain influential today.

These influences helped to form an individual style of soul music that combined rawness and sophistication, influencing hip-hop and funk music in turn.

Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee was home to some of the greatest soul artists ever seen: Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Booker T & the MGs were just three examples. These labels each had their own distinct sound featuring prominent horn lines and a pummeling rhythm section creating a vibrant aural tapestry that made up soul music’s rich tapestry of sounds.

New Orleans was another center for soul music during the 1960s, with Irma Thomas, Jessie Hill, Chris Kenner, and Benny Spellman creating an innovative mix of R&B, jazz, and funk that had an enormous effect on American culture – so much so that its success led directly to its own genre – Funk.

Artists

British soul music has an extensive and distinguished history that has had profound influences on British musicians and culture. Beginning in the sixties and seventies, audiences around Britain would relish in hearing black sound of soul from America – especially at air bases scattered all across England where dancers would perform gymnastic moves to songs such as Dusty Springfield’s “Dark End Of The Street” or Tom Jones “I’m A Man”.

However, when successful soul acts first emerged in the 1960s, most were white artists like Dusty Springfield who toured internationally and helped define the genre. By contrast, during the Eighties there was a shift in attitude towards soul in Britain with events like Soul Britannia tracing its development; concerts at The Barbican tracked its spread, while new talent like Sade Adu and Soul II Soul began breaking into mainstream audiences.

One major part of this transformation was the emergence of new styles that were heavily influenced by contemporary R&B, like neo-soul which emerged as an international phenomenon during the 1980s and 90s. Neo-soul combined hip-hop with classic soul and funk to produce music with powerful yet funky undertones.

Children of Zeus is an exceptional Manchester duo composed of DJ/MC Konny Kon and vocalist/MC Tyler Daley that combined neo-soul with hip-hop to produce music that was both hip and soulful – their debut album Travel Light and subsequent releases, Balance and Bound, showcase their musical abilities while showing how neo-soul can fuse classic soul music with contemporary hip-hop to make something truly unforgettably distinct.

In 2022, we saw the rise of artists like Kadeem Tyrell and Sam Wills who are bringing classic soul influences to contemporary audiences. Based in Battersea, Sam Wills blends elements from neo-soul, future beats, alt pop into an immersive feel-good sound that makes people move.

We’re so delighted that the UK boasts such an exciting and vibrant soul scene, and are so pleased that its growth continues apace. It is incredible to witness R&B music bloom here as an international hub; there are countless talented artists pushing the limits and creating waves across industries in Britain today.

Labels

The UK is home to numerous soul labels. Some are small indie labels while others are large and influential. These soul labels produce genres like alternative R&B, grime and dubstep music as well as other forms of electronic, indie and punk rock music.

Atlantic Records is one of the world’s premier soul record labels, providing home for artists like Lizzo, Janelle Monae and Cardi B as well as Lil Wayne, Drake and Childish Gambino – two names familiar to millions.

Motown Records has also had an enormous influence on soul music over time, producing some great soul tunes as well as some of the biggest pop hits ever released by them.

This label offers some of the most memorable soul songs of all time and are known for releasing quality records not often heard in the UK today.

They have collaborated with some of the great soul singers of all time such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Eddie Floyd.

Xtra Mile Records is a London-based label established in 2003 that specialises in multiple genres and features some of the greatest artists around, such as Fleet Foxes and Foals.

Bella Union is another longstanding label. They have long been home to Cocteau Twins and many other talented bands; additionally they are well known for collaborating with Beach House and Explosions in the Sky among others.

Label is also famous for hosting all-night dance parties – an integral component of Tempa music scene, hosted by DJ Youngsta as the face of their label.

Stolen Recordings has left its mark on the UK music industry. They have released some of the world’s most well-known artists and remain an essential player in dubstep culture.