Soul in Black Popular Music

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Soul was a term adopted to describe Black popular music as it evolved from the 1950’s into the 1960’s, and through to the early 1970’s. Many people saw it as merely a new term for Rhythm and Blues. Soul was a return to the roots of Black music, to the Blues and in particular to Gospel and the church. Soul preserves similarities from the Blues such as the emotional honesty, the vocal intensity and the use of call and response. The musical form of soul known as the Motown sound came from Detroit. Soul commentators and historians, since the mid 60’s judge it from going astray from the directed audience. Motown is a lighter, more pop oriented approach and its determined effort was to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, making it less authentic than the traditional southern Soul sound. Motown was often regarded as inferior simply because it managed to appeal to the White teenage audiences as well as the traditional Black market place. Soul wasn't just about the southern states and Detroit. Chicago followed up next, and then New Orleans brought a funky, expressive flavor of Louisiana. And the music continued to evolve, going into Philadelphia with its own unique sound. In times, soul has become an undying part of the language of American popular culture.

1. The Temptations. “My Girl.” The Temptations Sing Smokey. Motown, 1964.

“My Girl” was released in December of 1964 and was recorded in Hitsville, USA. The song was written and produced by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. Robinson wrote the lyrics, which were inspired by his wife, Claudette. 1964 marks one of the most important years in American history containing the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It was also the rise of American soul music with the introduction of ...

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...nited. Motown, 1967.

Marvin was born April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C. In his youth, Marvin Gaye would sing in his father's church. Later in life he sang in the Moonglows before finally signing with Motown. He was blessed with a smooth tenor and a three-octave vocal range; Gaye was among the most gifted composers and singers of his era. He was known as "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". For three years, Gaye and Tammi Terrell wooed the country with their outstanding duet performances. Unfortunately, their reign as the Royal Couple of R&B ended in 1970 when Terrell succumbed to a brain tumor. Terrell’s death left Gaye depressed and he swore never to partner with another female vocalist. Gaye was killed on April 1, 1984 by his father during a dispute. Three years after his tragic death, Marvin Gaye Jr. was honorably inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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