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Home , The Impressions, The Soul Stirrers

September 12, 2013

THE SOCIOLOGY OF AMERICAN POPULAR (SOAP)

UNIT 5 NOTES

Soul, , & Funk September 12, 2013

SOUL, MOTOWN, AND FUNK was created by and for through the merging of black Gospel with rhythm 'n' blues that began in the late 1950s - most of the artists that performed soul music were Gospel singers and instrumentalists who combined some of the traditions of the black church (emotional singing, call-and-response, the stress on the backbeat, and rhythmic complexity) with the secular traditions of popular music (primarily the subject matter of the lyrics and the performance venues) - soul music represented an authentic "blackness" that supported and reinforced the Black Power and - soul singers sang for social justice, black militancy, and racial pride - the music also preached a message of nonviolence and love - it celebrated the growing Black Consciousness Movement, a time of struggle as well as unprecedented gains - soul music was tangible evidence that the psyche and attitudes in the black community were changing - the civil rights movement was empowering black people, and the new soul music celebrated rights finally won and expressed hope for the future Early Soul Music - Ray Charles - pianist/singer who was blinded by glaucoma when he was six years old - learned to read and write music notation in Braille - became an orphan at 15 and began to make his living by playing music - fused elements of Gospel and R&B - 1st recording identified as "soul" was his 1959 hit "What'd I Say" - it contained call-and-response patterns and used an electric piano that simulated the church organ sound - his practice of taking songs that were sung in the church and turning them into worldly secular pop hits was resented by many religious people September 12, 2013

Sam Cooke - started as a Gospel singer in group - started a solo, secular career with his 1957 hit "" - went on to score 19 "Top Forty" hits in the late 1950s/early ("Chain Gang," "Another Saturday Night," "Shake") Jackie Wilson - began his career in 1953 when he became the lead singer for The Dominoes - was a Gospel singer who had easily crossed over into pop - performed in an energetic style that garnered him a large fan following - had numerous hit records, many of which had an influence on the sound of Motown James Brown - known as the "Godfather of Soul," "Godfather of Funk," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One" - started singing Gospel at his church in Augusta, Georgia, later joining the Gospel group The Swanees - eventually made the move into secular music - known for his shouting, squealing, howling vocal style - also known for his physically dynamic stage presence (rhythmic dance steps, leg splits, and knee drops) - part of his performance was to collapse on stage from the emotional fervor of his singing, something he had seen African American preachers do during particularly intense worship services - used a very prominent horn section, call-and-response performance texture, and charismatic showmanship - became a star in the black community, as well as Europe and England in the mid-1960s - shifted to a style called "funk" in the mid-1960s that celebrated black heritage even more emphatically (hits included "Black Is Beautiful," "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud," "I Don't Want Nobody Givin' Me Nothin'") - in keeping with the black community helping itself in the 1960s, he helped raise millions of dollars for charity and owned five radio stations September 12, 2013

The Three Geographic Centers for Soul Music: 1) - and - Mayfield began as a Gospel singer - his soft, high-pitched tenor voice was easily recognizable, and as lead singer of the Impressions, he created a style that was distinctive and inspirational - - he developed a reputation as a thoughtful lyricist who was able to articulate the problems of race in particular and the nation in general - songs such as "," "This Is My Country," "," and "We're a Winner" were both motivational and overtly political 2) Detroit - - the "Queen of Soul" - Gospel singer was a major influence in her life - when Aretha's mother died when Aretha was ten, Jackson became her surrogate mother - going against the advice and wishes of Jackson, Aretha joined a soul circuit at age 18, touring with successful soul singers who had all come from a background: , Mavis Staples, and - her hit song "Respect" (written by ) was so popular during the riots of 1967 that the time became known as the summer of "'Retha, rap, and revolt" - in 1985, she became the 1st woman inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame 3) Memphis - The Stax/Volt Recording Label - Stax was founded in the 1960s by Jim Stewart (a white banker) and his sister Estelle Axton - the musicians, staff, and production crew were racially integrated, not a common phenomenon in the tumultuous period of the early sixties in the South - many Memphis soul artists began their careers recording for either Stax or Volt (a companion label) - by 1967, about 100 acts were signed to Stax/Volt September 12, 2013

Booker T. and the MGs - name of Memphis soul group led by organist/arranger Booker T. Jones ("MGs" stood for "Memphis Group") - in addition to their organ, guitar, bass, and drums, their recordings frequently used horns (one of their biggest hits is "Green Onions") - they performed on hundreds of recordings by artists such as and Otis Redding - they were one of the first racially integrated rock/soul groups Wilson Pickett - soul singer with Gospel roots - 1965 - recorded the hit "In The Midnight Hour" (co-written by Pickett and Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T. and the MGs) - song had overt Gospel music characteristics Otis Redding - main artist and biggest-selling singer on the Stax label - born in Macon, Georgia (birthplace of Little Richard and James Brown) - his recordings of "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Dock of the Bay" sold millions, and he was one of the 1st soul music artists to have real commercial success with white audiences Motown - the "Motown sound" was conceived/developed by Berry Gordy, Jr. - created a business operation called "Hitsville, U.S.A." in Detroit - idea was to take young, unknown artists that would become polished performers and stars by the time they came off the "assembly line" ("Motown" was a play on words honoring Detroit's role as "motor city") - Gordy's 1st record label was called Tamla, and in 1960 he started his 2nd label, Motown - eventually, the artists on this label would include an amazing lineup of stars who flourished in a consistent series of major pop hits: The Supremes, , , Marvin Gaye, The Marvellettes, The , Martha and the Vandellas, , The Jackson Five, Junior Walker and the All Stars, The Commodores, and Lionel Richie

September 12, 2013

Berry Gordy Jr.'s Commitment to Crossover and Community - through the period of riots and racial unrest in the 1960s, Gordy had his artists sing of love and the human concerns to which people of all races could relate - the company slogan was "the sound of young America" - in order to ensure crossover hits to the mainstream white audience, Gordy minimized the African-American characteristics in the music and performance style of his singers, aiming to produce clean-cut, fast-selling, crossover pop hits - when other R&B artists were performing in simple dresses or pants, Gordy's performers wore elegant evening gowns and tuxedos - he established a "finishing school" called "International Talent Management Incorporated" to train his performers to drop African- American modes of walking, speaking, and dancing so that they would be able to move smoothly in upper-class white society - in 1962, a year after the violent attacks on the Freedom Riders, Gordy the Motown Revue, a group of his artists who would tour the South (The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder were just a few of the acts) - Gordy hoped and believed that his Motown singers were helping in the fight against racism, and made generous donations to established civil rights groups - the performers faced racism throughout the tour (many restaurants refused to let them eat inside or let them use the toilets, they performed to racially segregated audiences, and encountered gunfire at the tour bus) - in 1963, in an effort to assist in the struggle for civil rights, Motown released two albums of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches - 1970 - Motown formed a new label, Black Forum, which released spoken word recordings by black poets such as Margaret Danner and Langston Hughes, and speeches by political activists such as Stokely Carmichael September 12, 2013

- 1971 - Motown released the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye - featured introspective lyrics and socially conscious themes of drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War - three songs on the album became number one hits: "Inner City Blues," Mercy Mercy Me" and "What's Going On?" - ranked number 6 on magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time - Gordy sold Motown in 1988 to MCA Records - Motown continues to record and promote contemporary artists such as Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu, Kem, and India.Arie Funk - begun by James Brown in the mid-1960s - characterized by polyrhythm, in which each instrument or instrument group repeats its own simple rhythmic pattern, creating complex rhythmic textures by overlaying these patterns - the harmonies focus on a few simple chords that are also repeated, contributing to the development of a strong "groove" - call-and-response between singers and the audience reflects the African roots - other successful funk artists include Sly and the Family Stone, Earth, Wind, and Fire, George Clinton, and Kool and the Gang ! SOAP: UNIT 5 VIDEO QUESTIONS: “The Sounds of Soul”

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1. The civil rights movement began with the teachings and music of which organization?

2. What was considered the genesis of all music?

3. In 1939, a left leaning NYC schoolteacher wrote a song protesting the lynching of African Americans. What was the title of this powerful song?

4. Between 1889 and the year the song was written, how many documented lynchings were there in the ?

5. Which famous singer sang “Strange Fruit”?

6. Back in the 1930s, which blues star outside the church began writing and singing about the South as he knew it?

7. Despite Memphis being 40% black, the music of 1948 was still geared only toward what demographic?

8. Nobody was pitching to the black audience electronically. What media had previously been the only form geared toward blacks?

9. Which up and coming famous white singer was listening to and learning from the black broadcast on WDIA Radio?

10. The black radio stations popping up across the South targeted black

audiences, but also began to reach the ______.

11. Most of the early civil rights leaders were from ______.

12. Where did Martin Luther King, Jr., hear and remember the words, “Free at last, thank God Almighty, I am free at last”?

13. According to freedom rider Catherine Brooks, music was very strong and

kept one ______on where one was going.

14. What was the title of the song that stuck with Brooks at a demonstration in Nashville?

15. What organization started the Freedom Rides?

16. In 1960, Hezekiah “Heck” Watkins was arrested upon entering the Greyhound station in Jackson, MS. How old was he at the time?

17. How did the many protestors choose to non-violently “fight” with arms linked together?

18. Which African American singer was not only brave enough to be associated with the Freedom Riders but also showed support by donating money?

19. Music empowered all races to be what kind of people?

20. The Civil Rights Movement had more ______than any other political movement in history.

21. Which song written by Peter Seeger became “the song” of the movement to which people crossed arms and held hands swaying as they sang?

22. Which folk trio sang a Bob Dylan song, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” before the March on Washington?

23. Otis Redding sang many of Sam Cook’s songs, but which one has been called one of the most soulful versions?

24. Songs were very important because they were used to determine whether

or not a community was______.

25. What was the first song that three little girls sang in Selma, AL to show they were ready for the movement?

26. Which one of Curtis Mayfield’s songs was voted as one of the top 10 best songs of all time?

27. Aretha Franklin’s famous song “Respect” became an anthem for ______.

28. Which artist canceled his concert after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and instead opted to perform live on TV?

29. Which artist’s brother’s experience in Vietnam directly influenced his music?

30. In 1972, what became the Record of the Year?

31. Which song empowered people then and still does today?

32. Apartheid could never have been dismantled without ______.