By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 11:54 pm:

What are some of the songs that you consider the first soul songs? I know someone here mentioned "There Goes My Baby" in another thread.
What about songs like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" - Shirelles. Does that qualify?

By Eli (141.151.61.19) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 01:08 am:

When you define the word "soul" the songs which you mention are later day soul songs.
We must go back to the earlyto late fifties where we had artists like Roy Brown, Big Joe Turner, Johnny Ace, Amos Milburn, Chuck Willis, Ray Charles, Big Maybelle, Big Mama Thornton and to top it all off, Sam Cooke . Need I say more.

Of course the later day artis sing with a "soul feeling" but the Shirells are typical New York Brill Building sugarry fluff by comparison and true when Ben E. King belts out There Goes My Baby he sure does have "soul" but the record is also a harder version of a NYC Brill Building creation and maybe when you break it all down it can be construed as "Pop Soul"

Of course, music as a whole should not be put into categories and sub-catagories , but enjoyed for what it is...Music.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 01:28 am:

I know that no definitive line or point can be drawn. But still, what would you call the first "soul" songs? Didn't the term soul (in regards to music and "being cool") originate in the late fifties or early sixties? Well, what were the first songs that earned the label "soul?"

By acooolcat (61.58.181.126) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 01:52 am:

We've mentioned The Falcon's (Detroit) recording of "She's So Fine" on another thread (LUPINE); it had a different sound to the vast majority of recordings that were being made at the time - around 1959.
Another song that's often mentioned as an early soul recording is Jerry Butler & The Impressions singing "For Your Precious Love."
Graham

By acooolcat (61.58.181.126) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 03:56 am:

There's a series of CDs issued by Ace-Kent in the UK titled "The Birth of Soul" that I suggest you check out. I know of 3 volumes and the 2 that I have are full of great cuts.
Graham

By john dixon (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 10:04 am:

Julian, Bobby Eli's post is on the money, but if you're still looking for specific examples, my vote would go to "What'd I Say" or "I Got A Woman" by Brother Ray.

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.26) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 01:52 pm:

Check the archives for a previous discussion on this topic.

By Scratcher (65.132.79.9) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 02:45 pm:

The term soul started being use late Julian said in the late '50s and early '60s before that the music was classified as R&B, before that race music. Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton and those artists were always R&B to me. R&B stemmed from '40s swing and jazz music, soul music stems from gospel. A soul song can be converted to a gospel song by changing a few words and vice versa, you can't do this with an R&B based song.

By Soul Sister (65.43.153.219) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 05:29 pm:

To QUOTE Ray Charles "Jimmy Scott was singing soul long before the word was invented, Jimmy had soul way back when people weren't using the word!" We're talking since the 1940s.

By shawn1 (171.75.219.34) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 09:43 pm:

I have to say Della Reese "Call Me" .Shawn

By STUBASS (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 09:49 pm:

IN ADDITION TO RAY CHARLES...I'D SAY THAT "LITTLE RICHARD" WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CREATION OF "SOUL MUSIC"...BRINGING "RACE MUSIC" INTO HOMES ACROSS THE CULTURAL SPECTRUM!!!...STUBASS

By STUBASS (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 09:51 pm:

OF COURSE EVEN "LITTLE RICHARD" WAS COVERED SO HEAVILY BY THE LIKES OF PAT BOONE...THAT PAT PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT *HE* WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO RECORD "SOUL MUSIC"!!!...

By Jim G (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 10:01 pm:

Shawn1,

Of course Della Reese (b. Delloreese Patricia Early, 1931, Detroit) got her big break at the fabled Flame Show Bar in the early 1950s.
She got her start singing in a gospel group at age six.

By Cee Gee Dee (12.237.74.139) on Thursday, May 15, 2003 - 09:40 pm:

This is a great site, and when I need maximum R and B, I know where to go.


Has anyone ever heard Sam Cooke's gospel pre-pop/soul Stuff?


And Ray Charles definitely is in there, but how about Jackie Wilson, since this is Detroit.com.


Cheers

By medusa (66.73.14.12) on Thursday, May 15, 2003 - 09:58 pm:

What about the "Aretha",I believe she started in the early 60's, didn't she?
Ruth Brown, Etta James, ????maybe
I've heard of Clyde McPhatter, but not sure of his style of music..Shirley & Lee

By medusa9e (66.73.14.12) on Thursday, May 15, 2003 - 10:16 pm:

...and I have 2 agree with Scratcher, the so-called "Soul" music did come from Gospel Greats like
Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward etc. Truthfully, that's where Aretha's sound came from the Church.
Most of R&B(Soul) & Blues singers came from some Church, where they(Parents,Family) got their refuge & strength.
Making it through hard times, and live 2 tell about it (Testify), gave them a reason 2 sing and sometimes cry about it..singing from the soul is very, very passionate, when U have something 2 sing about...(how U got over)...as Gamble & Huff once said "There's A Message N The Music"