This one is pretty simple. Either you’ve got soul or you don’t.
The Daily Vault likes to think it has a little bit, which is why it will spend April honoring classic soul as our Genre of the Month.
As rhythm and blues music became more commercial and urbanized in the 1960s, the term “soul” came to describe several R&B-based styles of music. From Motown to Philly soul, the diversity was impressive, made more so by how each region of the country would puts its own stamp on the genre.
Detroit, for example, focused on a pop sound influenced by both gospel and rock, while in Chicago and Philadelphia the music focused more on vocal interplay and smoother production, which is typically what one thinks of when they hear “soul.” And in the South, the music became tougher, with a reliance on horns and raw vocals.
Together, these three branches formed the genre, which enjoyed success on both the black music charts and the regular Top 40 charts for a while. Even today, traditional soul continues to influence many a musician – and for raw passion and emotion, soul music still can’t be beat.
Because the genre is so diverse, our April retrospective will focus specifically on classic soul artists. The list will careen from Marvin Gaye and Sly & the Family Stone to Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. You can expect Isaac Hayes and James Brown to be here, Stevie Wonder will make an appearance and both Smokey Robinson and Curtis Mayfield will be around. And what would a soul retrospective be without Jackie Wilson, Barry White or the Temptations? Expect a few surprises as well, as most of these reviews will appear on the Vault for the first time.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured more than 5,300 reviews of more than 2,500 artists covering almost the entire musical spectrum, written by a volunteer staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including the Beatles, Dan Fogelberg,
