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The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.
Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.
If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.
lesson:
The Memphis Sound and Racial Integration
How has Memphis music culture provided one example of art’s capacity to challenge the racial boundaries that have so often structured American life?
lesson:
Soul Music and the New Femininity
How did Aretha Franklin represent a new female voice in 1960s popular music?
lesson:
Music and Political Movements
How did Sixties Soul help give voice to the Civil Rights movement?
lesson:
The Civil Rights Movement: A Document-Based Question
In what ways did the Civil Rights Movement mark a turning point in United States history?
Video
video:
ABC News Closeup
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
The Impact of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions on the Civil Rights Movement
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
The Birth of Motown
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
Civil Rights
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
The Merv Griffin Show
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
Man to Man
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
Green Onions
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
video:
Walk in My Shoes
<p>The sound of Sixties Soul was built on elements of Gospel, R&B, Blues, and Country. These ingredients, drawn from across the American musical landscape, paralleled the mixing that was happening in the recording studios as black and white players cross-fertilized musically and culturally. In the years prior to the death of Martin Luther King, it almost seemed like recording studios provided a kind of world apart, an environment in which the trouble of race relations was lifted, so long as the music was at the center. With the infectious groove of R&B, the emotional power of Gospel in its lyrics and vocal stylings, and a mix of America’s Folk music sprinkled throughout, Sixties Soul brought the people together.</p> <p>Seen from the 21st century, Sixties Soul music is without question one of America’s great contributions to world culture. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, the whole of the Motown Records stable, and many others made recordings that continue to affect audiences aross the globe. The remarkable performances and deep groove of Soul, together with its social message, influenced much of what happened in later R&B and Hip Hop. And among the most significant aspects of the Sixties Soul story is the connection between the music and the then-burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p> <p>If a group such as Booker T. and the MGs contributed key recordings to the Sixties Soul catalogue, they were also a mixed race band, a symbol of what the Civil Rights movement hoped to achieve. From another angle but in the same period, Motown’s Berry Gordy was making recordings he pitched as “The Sound of Young America,” tracks that featured black performers but aimed for a mixed audience. In both cases, music culture proved itself to be ahead of the society from which it sprang, bringing people from very different backgrounds into a meaningful dialogue that challenged the racial dynamic in America.</p>
Print Journalism
article:
Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
SOME PEOPLE are going around saying that Aretha Franklin is the Queen Of Soul, many people are buying her records, and one person (show compère Johnnie Walker) even said that she was the best coloured girl singer ever to make records. Now it isn't every girl singer who is fortunate enough to have these things said about her or happen to her, whether you go along with them or not. After chasing around and about the metropolis, I tracked Aretha down to her hotel (in the Penthouse Suite) and asked her a few questions, some of which she answered in...
article:
Solomon Burke: The Burke v. Brown Feud
"TELL ME," I said, "all about you and James Brown. There was a two-second hush, and then Solomon Burke, king of rock & soul, launched into a torrent of attack upon fellow-R&B singer James Brown. Here's the printable, edited version. "Man, you wanna know about James Brown? You must be crazy. Listen, this James Brown, he wouldn't come within 500 miles of me. On or off stage. I know all about him. "He says he's sold over a million records in Britain on the Ember label. He says that he don't record for America anymore, only for Britain. Well I found...
article:
Berry Gordy: Motown Magician
Until recently little was known of Berry Gordy Jnr’s background. Such information as was available made no sense at all except on a romantic level, and Motown’s official version of its own origins is curiously blunt. The aggressive young car-worker is said to have started the company that revolutionized the record industry on nothing more than an 800 dollar loan from his family’s credit union. But this rags-to-riches account overlooks two factors. In the first instance, Gordy was among the hottest songwriters of the late Fifties and had several million-selling compositions to his credit. Moreover, he came – to borrow...