Some Words on Soul Music

Soul is still a remarkably popular music type of which grew out of 50’s rhythm and blues. There were two remarkably diffined record labels which dominated this era, Stax and Tamala Motown.

The record label Stax started life in Memphis in 1959, founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Around the same time Berry Gordy has been creating the two record labels, Tamla and Motown in Detroit. Stax and Tamla Motown became the biggest of rivals for record sales throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Their music idiom has been the same, with a focus on the Black music form soul, but marketing and style differed meaningful ly.

Motown took the music market by storm at a time when white audiencess were ignoring many black music forms. Their success was attributed to their light soul style with their image being aimed at the middle class market. Producing hits such as ‘Stop! In the name of love’ by the Supremes, released in 1965, and ‘Heard it through the grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye, released in 1968. musicians such as the Supremes, the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye developed a clean-cut image, appearing on record sleeves and in performances wearing formal clothes such as tuxedos and evening dresses.

Stax records concentrated more on the original form of Black American Southern soul. For Stax records the original music form was more vital than image and marketing. musicians and songs included ‘In the midnight hour’ by Wilson Pickett, released in 1965, and ‘Sittin’ on the dock of the bay’ by Otis Redding, released in 1968.

Soul music has stayed one of the the majority popular music styles right through into the 21st century mainly due to the uncommonly reason in the title, the music gets into your ‘soul’. A nice choice for both young and old!