Soul – Conclusion

Overview

The role of African American musicians in rock and roll had changed drastically by the 1960s. Black musicians were largely relegated to roles where they took direction from major record labels, record producers, or television show producers. As rock music included more and more white performers and listeners, many African American musicians and listeners began seeking out new modes of musical expression, which came to fruition in a new genre of music that would be called soul. Soul music came in many different variations, such as sweet soul, the Motown style, and southern soul.

Objectives

Examine the roots of soul music and the cultural and economic factors that led to its creation
Identify several prominent artists from the genre of soul music including Sam Cooke, the Supremes, the Temptations, and Aretha Franklin
Identify several record labels that were critical to the development of soul music, including Motown, Atlantic, and Stax

Conclusion

Otis Redding Street Art

In the 1960s, soul music replaced rhythm and blues as the defining genre of African American popular music. However, producers such as Motown’s Berry Gordy created soul music that was intended to appeal to whites and to achieve crossover success. Motown followed the Brill Building model and released dozens of hits in the 1960s, and Gordy carefully controlled every element of his performers’ presentation in order to craft a classy, cultivated image for Motown. Atlantic Records produced the Southern soul style, which some white listeners considered more "authentic" because it drew heavily on gospel music. Under the leadership of Jerry Wexler, Atlantic made stars out of musicians such as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.

“My listening changed when I heard music from Stax, Atlantic, Motown because by that age I thought anything that my parents listened to must be square. So I had to find my own rock n' roll, as it were, and I found it in black soul music.”

-Robert Palmer

“Soul lyrics, soul music came at about the same time as the civil rights movement, and it's very possible that one influenced the other.”

-Ahmet Ertegun

"Sam Cooke was one of many R&B acts to tour extensively on the "chitlin' circuit," the name given to segregated clubs and venues that were friendly to African-American musicians during the segregated years of the 1950s-1960s. "

Songfacts