Soul music

For the book, see Discworld#Soul Music (1994).

Soul music is a popular music genre originating in African-American communities throughout the United States combining elements of gospel music, rhythm and blues, and jazz. The genre emerged from the power struggle to increase black Americans' awareness of their African ancestry, as a newfound consciousness led to the creation of music that boasted pride in being black.

Quotes

• Soul music … arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying.
  • Otis Redding biography at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• Soul is truth, … no matter where it comes from, no matter how it is presented.
  • Lou Rawls, Pop Chronicles: Show 52 - The Soul Reformation: Phase three, soul music at the summit. [Part 8], interview recorded 10.12.1967.

• God would be a very selfish god if he gave all the soul to one race. … When one sings from the heart and it reaches another heart, that's soul.
  • Little Richard, Pop Chronicles: Show 15 - The Soul Reformation I: A symposium on soul, interview recorded 1.2.1968.

• There's not many Americans, certainly not many of the teenagers I met when I first went to America, knew anything about [rhythm & blues artists] at all. … They do now, which is very groovy.
  • Mick Jagger, Pop Chronicles: Show 30 - The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!: The U.S.A. is invaded by a wave of long-haired English rockers. (Part 4), recorded 2.6.1968.

• But now if I can wrap myself up in that song, and when that song gets to be a part of me, and affects me emotionally, then the emotions that I go through, chances are I’ll be able to communicate to you. Make the people out there become a part of the life of this song that you’re singing about. That’s soul when you can do that.[1]
  • Ray Charles on the Pop Chronicles: the Soul Reformation, interview recorded 3.8.1968.

• Rhythm and blues used to be called race music. … This music was going on for years, but nobody paid any attention to it.
  • Ray Charles, Pop Chronicles: Show 55 - Crammer: A lively cram course on the history of rock and some other things, interview recorded 3.8.1968.

• When I think of soul, I think of grease 'cause ain't nothin' no good without the grease.
  • Tina Turner, spoken interlude during Respect, live at Basin Street West, San Francisco, 22 February 1969, Video on YouTube

• What they call rock and roll now is rhythm and blues: I've been playing for 15 years in New Orleans.
  • Fats Domino, The History of Rock and Roll, 1978, Hour 1: "The Birth of Rock & Roll".