Development of Soul music

Putting here songs that are considered to be part of the early development of soul>

The origins of soul music are seen to be a blending of R&B and Gospel. Blues is also seen as part of the mix in the early development.

Some observers see Etta James as being part of the development of soul music. Her most famous song is the 1960 "At Last!" which is a lush and attractive song, certainty in a similar style to songs by Sam Cooke

Sam Cook is often lauded as not only the "King of Soul" but also, according to Bruce Eder writing for AllMuic, as the "Inventor of Soul".  Sam Cooke's first major single was the 1957 "You Send Me",  a smooth middle of the road piece of popular music. His most soulful single was the 1962 "Bring It On Home To Me" which is very obviously early soul. But, even though he is credited with writing it, it's a copy of  (and a significant improvement on) Charlie Brown's "I Wanna Go Home". While Cooke's version is smoother and more recognisably soul compared to the more firmly R&B of Brown's original, it does carry the same elements, so is more a minor development than an invention.

Clyde McPhatter is named as an early soul singer - as backing singer with The Dominoes in 1950 on "Sixty Minute Man" he is regarded by some as the first to bring an emotional gospel tenor to a R&B beat; though others regard Roy Brown's vocals to also be gospel tinged, and he was earlier, as here in 1947 on "Good Rocking Tonight".  However Louis Jordan was doing similar - 1939 "Keep A Knocking",  1946 "Caledonia", 1949 "Saturday Night Fish Fry". Another singer considered to bring in a gospel passion but allied to secular lyrics to a R&B beat is Hank Ballard who with The Midnighters had the 1954 hit "Work With Me Annie" and also wrote and performed "The Twist" in 1959.

Ray Charles, frequently seen as the main originator and populariser of soul music, gave the Pilgrim Travellers as one of his influences - 1949 "Jesus Met The Woman At The Well"  - who in turn were influenced by The Soul Stirrers, who had been singing in one form or another since 1926, developing Black religious singing into the recognised gospel style, and highlighting the word "Soul" (they had been named such as their singing stirred the soul). 1950, led by R H Harris "In That Awful Hour". In the 1950's Sam Cooke became their lead singer - 1952 "Jesus Gave Me Water". Live version of  "Nearer My God to Thee". at The Great 1955 Shrine Concert - without a doubt Cooke's greatest performance, an impassioned throat ripping moment.


Clyde McPhatter with The Drifters in 1953 "Money Honey"

James Brown 1956 "Please Please Please" 

Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Writer Peter Guralnick is among those to identify Solomon Burke as a key figure in the emergence of soul music, and Atlantic Records as the key record label. Burke's early 1960s songs, including "Cry to Me", "Just Out of Reach" and "Down in the Valley" are considered classics of the genre. Guralnick wrote:

"Soul started, in a sense, with the 1961 success of Solomon Burke's "Just Out Of Reach". Ray Charles, of course, had already enjoyed enormous success (also on Atlantic), as had James Brown and Sam Cooke — primarily in a pop vein. Each of these singers, though, could be looked upon as an isolated phenomenon; it was only with the coming together of Burke and Atlantic Records that you could begin to see anything even resembling a movement."

Ben E. King also achieved success in 1961 with "Stand By Me", a song directly based on a gospel hymn. By the mid-1960s, the initial successes of Burke, King and others had been surpassed by new soul singers, including Stax artists such as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, who mainly recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. According to Jon Landau:

"Between 1962 and 1964 Redding recorded a series of soul ballads characterized by unabashedly sentimental lyrics usually begging forgiveness or asking a girlfriend to come home.... He soon became known as "Mr. Pitiful" and earned a reputation as the leading performer of soul ballads."

The most important female soul singer to emerge was Aretha Franklin, originally a gospel singer who began to make secular recordings in 1960 but whose career was later revitalised by her recordings for Atlantic. Her 1967 recordings, such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect" (written and originally recorded by Otis Redding)

Solomon Burke - Solomon Burke (1962) A compilation of his 50's hits.

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