The origin of SOUL as a musical genre??
cheebahaze
235 Posts
What was the first acknowledged soul recording/release??? You know, the one that made a soul record a 'SOUL' record....The reggae story goes:As far as Jamaican record-buyers are concerned, the word reggae was coined on a 1968 Pyramid dance single, "Do the Reggay (sic)," by Toots and the Maytals. Some believe the term is derived from Regga, the name of a Bantu-speaking tribe on Lake Tanganyika. Others say it is a corruption of "streggae," Kingston street slang for prostitute. Bob Marley claimed the word was Spanish in origin,meaning "the king's music." Veteran Jamaican studio musicians offer the simplest, and probably the most plausible, explanation."It's a description of the beat itself," says Hux Brown, lead guitarist on Paul Simon's 1972 reggae-flavored hit, "Motherand Child Reunion," and the man widely credited with inventing theone-string quiver/trill that kicked off Simon's single as well as many of the top island hits of the preceeding years. "It's just a fun, joke kinda word that means the ragged rhythm and the body feelin'. If it's got a greater meanin', it doesn't matter," Brown said.(CATCH A FIRE: THE LIFE OF BOB MARLEY)..Just curious...
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I've heard some people say it's earlier stuff such as Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman"...1955 or James Brown's "Please Please Please" 1956
That sounds about proper to me. It was all about when R&B started acknowledging its' gospel influences. I'd throw Nappy Brown in there somewhere.
I don't think it was one song that jump-started the whole thing; it just kinda gradually came together. If you ask Solomon Burke, he'll tell you HE was the first person to come up with soul when he signed with Atlantic in the late fifties. Producer Jerry Wexler says that a little bit before that, when Ray Charles & Milt Jackson did those duet albums on Atlantic, both elpees had the word "soul" in the title, and that was supposedly Wex's idea.
james brown talks about the origin of soul music in his autobiography, which i recommend. of course, james brown attributes the first soul song to james brown, it being the one mentioned before "please, please, please". he does give other soul ground-breaking artists their due as well though. i don't have the book handy now, but he describes soul music as being a combination of rhythm & blues, gospel, and jazz. he gives some musical qualities of soul music that are taken from jazz.
of course, in the autobiography james brown gives himself credit for the invention of both soul and funk music. of course there is argument for this to be the case, i just thought it was funny.
man, if james brown didnt invent funk music, I dont know who did.
i'm on board with the statement, it's just funny how one of the general themes of the autobiography is james brown claiming to be the sole creator of various genres.
this sounds right.
Professor Longhair.
If The Professor was just putting second line rythyms on the keyboard, then we should say the second line created funk. Thus funk is folk music created by the people on the streets of New Orleans. Of course Cold Sweat (1967) is the song that changed the course of music[/b] . Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (1965) I Feel Good (1965) Aint That A Groove (1966) Bring It Up (1967).
I think there is a good case for soul coming from Atlantic Records who used it to describe Ray Charles music in general, and eventually all gospel influenced R&B.
Can we come up with pre I've Got A Women R&B?
Wynonie Harris Good Rockin Tonight (1948)?
Faye Adams Shake A Hand (1953)?
...after he heard Dyke & the Blazers' "Funky Broadway," which was out first. Not to take away from JB, who was already heading in that direction, but... (I'd explain that statement, but we're talkin' about the earliest soul records and I don't want to derail the thread. Another time.)
How about "It's Really You" by Nappy Brown (1955)?
I love this song, but I don't know if I'd call this the beginning of soul; it just sounds like a typical jump-blues record of the time.
More like it.
which reminds me of the Five Royales. no specific record, just in general, as far as R&B-evolving-into-soul. you could also put the isley brothers'"shout" in there, too. looks like to me soul was the result of a lot of different things, not just one landmark record.
but thats the south. Up north Berry Gordy was putting out straight up doo-wop vocal group stuff and that eventually evolved into the Motown sound.
Hey Poust, LET'S PARTY!
Yeah, it's getting to be that time, huh? What the hell I'll spin on a bill with two psych bands, however, is anyone's freakin' guess! See you on the 2nd!!!
Not really, 'cause (1) the group was actually based in Detroit, and (b) Wilson wasn't in the group at that time. (Don't know offhand about Eddie Floyd's status...)
Yeah, Brian, I intend to holla at you when you get to Chicago in a couple weeks...last time, between Swamp Dogg at Bluesfest and the MC5 concert in the same weekend I totally missed ya. PM me, let me know when you're coming to town. My band is playing on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, maybe we could hook up at the gig if you're in town. (And tell Brian P. that James sez hey.)
And for the rest of you: sorry for the thread derailment - carry on!
I can't belive I am in the position of attaking Professor Longhair. I love PL, I love Big Chief. [Big Chief is a Mardi Gras Indian chant, existed complete with the second line rhythm decades before PL recorded it.]
Like the soul thing we can point to many songs that were funky before any other given song. Lee Dorsey had a whole string of funky hits in 1965 and 1966 that were funky with none other than the Meters backing him up.
To paraphrase Pickwick "looks like to me FUNK was the result of a lot of different things, not just one landmark record".
All that said I still belive that Cold Sweat is THE LANDMARK funk record. It traded traditional song form in favor of riding a groove. It owes more in that sense to something like Lee Morgans Sidewinder, than to any NOLA or James Brown record that came before it.
Dan
i think its hyperbole myself.
there are very few genres where you can pinpoint the first record. in the late fifties, soul was just in the wind, you know? if ray hadnt-a done it, then jerry butler and curtis mayfield would have, or nappy brown would have taken a crack at it, or sam cooke, or solomon burke, or brook benton. it was just an idea whose time had come.
if i had to pinpoint the first soul record, i'd wind up with a 20-track CD.
Bingo. Solomon always seemed more like a Country/Western-cum-Soul singer, whereas Sam seemed more like a Gospel-cum-Soul singer. Either way, Sam was definitely first.
And folks, let's not forget Little Willie John in all this. The Godfather himself said that Willie John was his primary influence early on.
In another thread we were talking about how R&B, Soul and Urban were just ways of saying Black popular music. I agree that there was no one record that changed the course of music from R&B to Soul. I've Got A Woman and For Your Precious Love and Please Please Please were very important records that define early soul.
A decade later I've Never Loved A Man was nearly as ground shaking.
Just to argue with myself, I agree with Pickwick, funk would have happened even without James Brown. Professor Longhair, the Meters and Sly Stone were heading in that direction.