Who cares about quantity? So K-Tel guy has the "record collection capital of the world"?
well, I'm just going by what it said on the original question...
Ok so pound for pound, which US city would you say gave us the greatest[/b] soul and funk music?
As I have already proved. The GREATEST soul music comes from NYC. If someone wants to argue that the greatest funk music comes from Cleveland or NOLA, I'm ready to listen.
Sorry Detroit and Chicago, but if your groups were any good they would have gone to NYC.
Ray Charles,Aretha,Otis Redding were from the south.... not NYC (which I'm sure you're well aware of)
There should be a regional DJ competition where DJs spin 2 hours of the best 45s from their state and a panelist of British judges breaks it down Simon Cowell style.
Ray Charles is from Georgia. He recorded in LA before going to NYC[/b] to record for a NYC[/b] with a NYC[/b] producer. Soul music was invented by Ray Charles in NYC[/b]. All you all are playing catch up.
Aretha is from Detroit, and left as soon as she had musical aspirations. He vision was first realized in NYC[/b] with the song Soulville. She then extended that vision when she signed to an independent NYC[/b] record label and her NYC[/b] producer recorded her for one song in Muscle Shoals. All of her other soul hits were recorded in NYC[/b] usually with NYC[/b] studio musicians, tho it is true some Southern musicians came up to record with her.
Otis Redding was from Georgia. He recorded in Memphis. He recorded for a Memphis label that was all but owned by the same NYC[/b] label that Aretha would record for.
Where they are from means nothing in this discussion.
Pound for pound, greatsest for greatest, Atlantic Records released more soul music than Detroit and Chicago combined.
Sure some soul stars played at little Detroit armature hour clubs. And they all played at the Regal in Chicago, but they were nothing until they played at the Apollo in NYC[/b]. Why? Because NYC[/b]
was the greatest soul city.
Christ, I hope this is a joke.
If not, we need a "Lost In The Sauce" graemlin up here immediately.
No shit..and as far as Stax being "all but owned" by a NYC company, I call bullshit...Shady acquisition moves does not constitute "ownership" in the true sense of the word. I aint buying this "Stax is NYC" bullshit. Otis' soul output is a product of Memphis. Hell, he was a Little Richard imitator more or less before he recorded in Memphis..and Aretha recorded soul music before she was on Atlantic. Also, Atlantic was copying/exploiting and importing the southern soul sound...they didnt invent it in any sense...yeah they got the records in the shops and you cant front on that, but please dont come on here and tell us the music wouldnt have been created if it wasnt for NYC.
No, no, I am joking.
I think the basic question is a joke.
There is no soul capitol or creator or greatest.
I just thought it would be fun to argue for a city, and I thought NYC would be easy, and I thought I did a good job. I said I was joking in most of my posts.
Atlantic was a great label and that greatness extended to their realization that Stax, Muscle Shoals, Fame, Dixie Fliers and Miami had/were great studio bands that their artists would do well to work with. I'm thinking that Atlantic signed Otis and gave him to Stax to record for. Maybe I have him mixed up with someone else.
Soul is to big for anyone city to claim.
I was hoping that Harvey would make an impassioned case for NOLA. They have as much claim to being the greatest soul/funk city as anyone else.
Even though the mix idea was in jest...lets do this..1 hour mix, no more or no less than 6 big hits ( #10 or higher on the Billboard R&B chart), the other 45 minutes repping the other gems from the respective cities...Ill give the Memphis mix a try.
Also, for a record to be claimed by a city it must have a combination of 2 of the following...artist, studio/label, producer, and or songwriter have to based in the respective city. For example, The Dramatics would not be eligible as a Memphis record because it only meets one of the criteria (label). Any other guidelines need to be met?
Even though the mix idea was in jest...lets do this..1 hour mix, no more or no less than 6 big hits ( #10 or higher on the Billboard R&B chart), the other 45 minutes repping the other gems from the respective cities...Ill give the Memphis mix a try.
Also, for a record to be claimed by a city it must have a combination of 2 of the following...artist, studio/label, producer, and or songwriter have to based in the respective city. For example, The Dramatics would not be eligible as a Memphis record because it only meets one of the criteria (label). Any other guidelines need to be met?
Sticking to that argument. Let's take Motown straight out of the mix. Detroit what you got now?
Almost the entire stables of Invictus, Hot Wax, Ric Tic, Golden World, Ollie McLaughlin's labels (Carla, Karen, etc.) and Revilot.
...FORTUNE!!!
I intentionally left Fortune out because they seem to have released more R&B than soul, if you get my distinction.
I'm not doubting you - maybe they did release a grip of soul 45's (the Flaming Ember, back when they were the Flaming Embers[/b], were on Fortune). They just haven't reached my ears yet.
I'd definitely consider Solar Records to be an example of the L.A. sound during the late seventies and early eighties.
I don't know if I'd call Los Angeles a soul "capital," but they definitely have a history, stretching back to the sixties with Brenda Holloway, the Blossoms, Brenton Wood (and the rest of the soul artists who recorded for Double Shot/Whiz), Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band, Magnificent Montague's instrumental productions (the Packers, the Romeos), Barry White's productions on the Bronco label (including Felice Taylor), Billy Preston, Bobby Womack. Honorable mention: the Latin groups from East L.A. like Thee Midniters and the Village Callers.
But as far as an identifiable L.A. sound? First thing I think of is Mirwood Records, which gave us Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and the Olympics'"Baby, Do The Philly Dog." Mirwood pioneered what we now call Northern soul; the typical release on that label basically sounded like Motown with a vibraphone player.
But as far as an identifiable L.A. sound? First thing I think of is Mirwood Records, which gave us Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and the Olympics'"Baby, Do The Philly Dog." Mirwood pioneered what we now call Northern soul; the typical release on that label basically sounded like Motown with a vibraphone player.
But as far as an identifiable L.A. sound? First thing I think of is Mirwood Records, which gave us Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and the Olympics'"Baby, Do The Philly Dog." Mirwood pioneered what we now call Northern soul; the typical release on that label basically sounded like Motown with a vibraphone player.
That is the Motown sound.
I stand corrected, but Mirwood used the vibes about a 1000x more.
I can think of a gang of seminal hits from Motown's prime (1964-67) that didn't have a vibraphone - where are the vibes on "My Girl," "Uptight," "Shotgun," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "My Guy," "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?," "I Second That Emotion," etc.? On the other hand, I have a Mirwood compilation of obscurities (geared towards Northern Soul fans), and I'll be damned if they don't break out the mallets on each and every song.
But as far as an identifiable L.A. sound? First thing I think of is Mirwood Records, which gave us Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and the Olympics'"Baby, Do The Philly Dog." Mirwood pioneered what we now call Northern soul; the typical release on that label basically sounded like Motown with a vibraphone player.
That is the Motown sound.
I stand corrected, but Mirwood used the vibes about a 1000x more.
I can think of a gang of seminal hits from Motown's prime (1964-67) that didn't have a vibraphone - where are the vibes on "My Girl," "Uptight," "Shotgun," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "My Guy," "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?," etc.? On the other hand, I have a Mirwood compilation of obscurities (geared towards Northern Soul fans), and I'll be damned if they don't break out the mallets on each and every song.
The vibes and the honking baritone sax are the two biggest Motown motifs that get repeated/magnified in Northern Soul, or at least what has been classified as Northern after the fact.
Comments
I thought norman lear ended up buying stax
No, no, I am joking.
I think the basic question is a joke.
There is no soul capitol or creator or greatest.
I just thought it would be fun to argue for a city, and I thought NYC would be easy, and I thought I did a good job. I said I was joking in most of my posts.
Atlantic was a great label and that greatness extended to their realization that Stax, Muscle Shoals, Fame, Dixie Fliers and Miami had/were great studio bands that their artists would do well to work with. I'm thinking that Atlantic signed Otis and gave him to Stax to record for. Maybe I have him mixed up with someone else.
Soul is to big for anyone city to claim.
I was hoping that Harvey would make an impassioned case for NOLA. They have as much claim to being the greatest soul/funk city as anyone else.
Even though the mix idea was in jest...lets do this..1 hour mix, no more or no less than 6 big hits ( #10 or higher on the Billboard R&B chart), the other 45 minutes repping the other gems from the respective cities...Ill give the Memphis mix a try.
Also, for a record to be claimed by a city it must have a combination of 2 of the following...artist, studio/label, producer, and or songwriter have to based in the respective city. For example, The Dramatics would not be eligible as a Memphis record because it only meets one of the criteria (label). Any other guidelines need to be met?
I have several Philly and NOLA mixes here (and one Chitown mix...)
One Philly funk, one general Philly soul and one Philly Northern soul.
THree NOLA funk mixes (four if you include the Lee Dorsey mix) , two NOLA soul mixes, and the one Chitown soul mix is a personal fave.
My (relative) silence on this matter contains more passion than a million record discographies ever could.
lol. Yes!
I love watching SoulHawk and Carfagna argue, btw. These two need their own TV show. The Odd Couple 2008 or some shit.
...FORTUNE!!!
WINGATE!!![/b]
I intentionally left Fortune out because they seem to have released more R&B than soul, if you get my distinction.
I'm not doubting you - maybe they did release a grip of soul 45's (the Flaming Ember, back when they were the Flaming Embers[/b], were on Fortune). They just haven't reached my ears yet.
Yeah, but this is a train wreck about people who know what they're talking about (i.e. the best kind).
...or like Sound Opinions with men that are, as my mother would say, on the ball.
Hands where I can see them, sir.
By the time the Solar sound came along, the two terms were just about interchangeable.
And there was no way in hell that the term "urban contemporary" was gonna catch on with Brotherman and Sisterwoman in the street...
Haha.
Lets say Solar was LA Soul, couldnt their dominance on the national airwaves be factored into this?
Button asked earlier if LA had a "Sound". If Solar isnt an example of a homegrown style of Soul/R&B I dont know what is.
The Whipsers (Watts,Ca) are a Soul/R&B outfit right?
Just givin LA a chance in this discussion.
I know my peoples were still using Soul and R&B interchangable in the late 70's early 80's.
And....where does Motown's move to LA weigh in?
I don't know if I'd call Los Angeles a soul "capital," but they definitely have a history, stretching back to the sixties with Brenda Holloway, the Blossoms, Brenton Wood (and the rest of the soul artists who recorded for Double Shot/Whiz), Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band, Magnificent Montague's instrumental productions (the Packers, the Romeos), Barry White's productions on the Bronco label (including Felice Taylor), Billy Preston, Bobby Womack. Honorable mention: the Latin groups from East L.A. like Thee Midniters and the Village Callers.
But as far as an identifiable L.A. sound? First thing I think of is Mirwood Records, which gave us Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and the Olympics'"Baby, Do The Philly Dog." Mirwood pioneered what we now call Northern soul; the typical release on that label basically sounded like Motown with a vibraphone player.
also aren't most African Americans technically from the south ?
My parents are, I'm not.
That is the Motown sound.
I stand corrected, but Mirwood used the vibes about a 1000x more.
I can think of a gang of seminal hits from Motown's prime (1964-67) that didn't have a vibraphone - where are the vibes on "My Girl," "Uptight," "Shotgun," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "My Guy," "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?," "I Second That Emotion," etc.? On the other hand, I have a Mirwood compilation of obscurities (geared towards Northern Soul fans), and I'll be damned if they don't break out the mallets on each and every song.
The vibes and the honking baritone sax are the two biggest Motown motifs that get repeated/magnified in Northern Soul, or at least what has been classified as Northern after the fact.