Soul music‘s roots can be traced back to gospel and blues music, where its characteristics such as call-and-response vocals between lead singer and chorus can still be heard today in many soul songs.
Southern states developed their own distinct musical genre known as deep or southern soul music. Memphis-based label Stax Records and Florence Alabama’s Fame Studios (known by some as Muscle Shoals Sound) produced this style that featured Hammond organ and powerful horn sections to craft its distinctive sound.
Origins
Soul music emerged during the 1950s and 1960s from roots in rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and rhythm and blues. It features vocal-heavy tracks with rich harmonies, soaring vocals and catchy rhythms; often including lyrics about personal experiences from artists themselves. Soul became one of the most beloved styles in America at that time; also inspiring subsequent genres such as funk, disco and contemporary R&B music styles.
Black church music played an essential part in the creation of soul music. Many early soul performers began performing within church groups. R&B emerged from these church ensembles as an expressive form while still keeping elements of gospel alive; when African Americans moved from rural Southern areas into urban communities, these genres came together into what would eventually become soul music.
Motown Records and Stax/Volt labels produced the early soul recordings that became so iconic of soul music in Detroit. Many of their recordings crossed over into popular charts and became favorites among white audiences as well. Aretha Franklin, who began her career at Columbia Records in the early 1960s, epitomized soul music – she combined religious background and powerful singing voice into music that could resonate both among black churchgoers as well as mainstream Americans alike.
James Brown played an essential part in shaping soul music’s history. His powerful and emotive performances set a new standard for soul music; his powerful performances set new standards of emotion-inducing performances that combined gospel call-and-response style songs with instrumental backing to create dialogue between voice and instrument. Other soul musicians drew upon inspiration from church services while using secular lyrics and modern instrumentation.
In the late 1960s, soul evolved into an accessible genre marked by an infectious beat and sophisticated arrangements – Curtis Mayfield’s albums People Get Ready and Superfly were classic examples of this music style. When popularity for soul began to decline during the early 70s, its form morphed into funk before eventually giving way to contemporary R&B genres that eventually led to offshoots such as rap music, hip hop and electro.
Styles
Soul music, an amalgamation of American gospel music, rhythm and blues music and jazz became immensely popular for dancing and listening throughout the United States during the 1950s and 60s. Soul’s prominence increased significantly at a time of civil rights movements and social change when many iconic soul musicians used their voices to send powerful messages through this style of music. Soul’s influence can still be felt today with genres like rock n roll, funk R&B hip hop etc all making use of its musical qualities.
Soul music’s early forms melded gospel, rhythm and blues and jazz together with catchy beats and an emphasis on emotional delivery. Its initial forms often involved vocalists singing directly into microphones with minimal instrumentation behind her; this style was popularized by Ray Charles who brought gospel-influenced songs into mainstream society such as You Don’t Know Me (1951) and I Got a Woman (1952). By mid to late 50s however, soul had evolved further with more sophisticated styles like Motown.
These styles subsequently blossomed into distinctive subgenres in four cities: New York, Memphis, Detroit and Philadelphia. Coinciding with this development were independent record labels: Atlantic (founded 1947 by white songwriter Ahmet Ertegun); Stax (established 1959 by black businessman Jim Stewart); Tamla Motown (established 1969 by Berry Gordy); and International (established 1971 by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff).
Jerry Ross and Phil Spector produced soul hits by Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder for New York-based producers like Jerry Ross and Phil Spector; Memphis’ Stax Records featured Booker T and the MGs, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas; while in Philadelphia Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff covered Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes and Delfonics using lush string arrangements with pointed brass. Later disco adopted these smoother sounds, but their authenticity can now be heard through Brooklyn Daptone Records with musicians like Jill Scott.
Soul songs have traditionally incorporated elements from African-American gospel and rhythm and blues music, but what truly defines soul songs as being soul is their ability to reach and appeal to masses of listeners. This goal was met through employing more populist melodic styles that traded some roughness of traditional rhythm and blues for catchy hooks and themes that resonated more with white audiences.
Influences
Soul first burst onto the pop scene during the 1960s as an African-American genre, dominating black music charts while simultaneously crossing over to white ones. Over time however, soul became an umbrella term covering an array of R&B-influenced styles; such as dance-oriented acts such as the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder of Motown Records in Detroit to “deep soul” performers like Percy Sledge and James Carr who explored more traditional blues themes.
Early soul artists drew heavily upon gospel traditions for inspiration. Call-and-response vocals between a lead singer and chorus were common, as was an emphasis on spiritual themes like love, heartache and social justice.
American soul had deep roots in the American South, with labels like Stax (home to Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and Wilson Pickett), Hi (which released Reverend Al Green’s music), and Jerry Wexler creating different forms in Philadelphia using instruments such as horns and Hammond organ to produce a dynamic sound with The O’Jays and similar acts.
Chicago had an indelible impact on soul music with artists like Curtis Mayfield blending gospel and R&B to craft timeless hits like People Get Ready. Later his style would pave the way for earthier funk in the 1970s; his influence could later be found among artists like Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind and Fire.
By the mid 1960s, soul music had begun its mainstream rise, with artists like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles blending gospel, rhythm & blues, rock n roll and other forms into their songs. This blend became one of the most beloved genres in contemporary music as it left an indelible mark on subsequent styles such as funk disco and hip hop.
Musicians
Soul music has been greatly shaped by many musicians over its history, with many artists known for their striking vocal performances. Soul’s singing style can be traced back to gospel with call-and-response techniques that emphasize themes such as love, heartbreak and social injustices that resonate deeply with listeners’ emotions while encouraging positive thinking. Soul also boasts its own distinctive sound characterized by horns and Hammond organ often featuring prominently.
At first, soul music was developed through combining existing styles. Ray Charles first popularized soul music during the 1950s by fusing gospel with rhythm and blues music – pioneered by Little Richard and James Brown during this era. By the late 1960s, however, soul had emerged as its own genre thanks to Motown Records – with singers like Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder scoring hit after hit under label owner Berry Gordy’s watchful eye!
Soul music began influencing other musical genres during the early 1970s. Motown soul music’s sleek production paved the way for doo-wop artists such as Hall & Oates and Teena Marie to gain mainstream success, while “street-corner harmony,” or city soul bands like The Delfonics and Howard University’s Unifics achieved top positions both on the soul charts as well as pop charts.
Southern Soul was a regional variation on soul music that emerged through labels like Stax Records (home to Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett) and Hi Records (which launched Al Green’s career). These recordings utilized an upbeat sound with prominent horns, an irresistibly mellifluous rhythm section and elements borrowed from gospel such as call-and-response singing styles with hand clapping accompaniments.
Neo-soul was developed during the mid to late 1990s as a contemporary version of soul, characterized by synthesizers and drum machines to add an electronic vibe, with sophisticated melodies and lyrics less raw than its rhythm and blues predecessor. Singers like Beyonce became extremely successful at popularizing this form.