Epilogue: Oh Shi... He’s Got More to Say?
While I’ve gone fairly in-depth, here, don’t think for a second that I’ve said all there is to say about soul music. I trimmed out some fat along the way, and tried to keep it moving but hell, people write books about soul. I’ve given you a small, hopefully informative brochure.
There are dozens of artists I haven’t mentioned deserve mention, sub-genres I failed to note and so on and so forth. Didn’t really do that because they were unimportant, just because in my eyes (and within the scope of my knowledge,) they were somewhat secondary. I’m no complete expert on the subject, after all (although I might feel like one after finishing this eight page here.)
I’d like to go out with snippets from a poem that I think accurately summarizes the very nature of soul music, if you don’t mind. Here it goes...
What is soul?
I don't know, huh!
Soul is a hamhock in your cornflakes, yeah
What is soul?
I don't know
Soul is the ring around your bathtub
What is soul?
I don't know
Soul is a joint rolled in toilet paper
What is soul
Man, I don't know,
Soul is rusty ankles and ashy kneecaps
What is soul
Man, I don't know
Soul is chitlins foo yung
Soul is you, baby
Soul is you, big mama
____________________
Sample Songs: (Limited Time Offer! Ends Sept. 8th or something.)
1957-1960
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(1957) Ray Charles - Come Back Baby
(1957) Sam Cooke - You Send Me
(1958) Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite
(1960) Bobby “Blue” Bland - I Pity the Fool
(1960) James Brown - Think
1961-1968
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(1962) Solomon Burke - Cry to Me
(1964) The Four Tops - Baby, I Need Your Loving
(1964) Wilson Pickett - In the Midnight Hour
(1964) Diana Ross and the Supremes - Come See About Me
(1965) The Impressions - People Get Ready
(1967) Otis Redding - (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
(1968) Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
(1968) Aretha Franklin - Ain’t No Way
1969-1973
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(1969) Isaac Hayes - Walk on By
(1969) Dusty Springfield - Natchez Trace
(1971) Gil Scott-Heron - Home is Where The Hatred Is
(1973) Ann Peebles - I Can’t Stand the Rain
(1972) O’Jays - Back Stabbers
(1970) Curtis Mayfield - The Other Side of Town
(1972) Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
(1973) Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
1974-1987
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(1974) Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
(1975) Smokey Robinson - The Agony and the Ecstacy
(1979) Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe
(1979) Michael Jackson - Rock With You
(1981) Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
(1987) Prince - It
1988-present
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(1988) Guy - Groove Me
(1989) Janet Jackson - Black Cat
(1994) Mary J. Blige - Reminisce
(1995) D’Angelo - Brown Sugar
(1998) Lauryn Hill - Ex-Factor
(2004) Cee Lo Green & Pharrell - Let’s Stay Together
(2001) Erykah Badu - Penitentiary Philosophy