Neo Soul. Neo soul is a term coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B.[1] Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart,[1][2] with incorporated elements ranging from jazz, funk, and hip hop to pop, fusion, and African music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence. Etymology[edit] "By definition, neo-soul is a paradox. Neo means new. Soul is timeless.
All the neo-soul artists, in various ways, perform balancing acts, exploring classic soul idioms while injecting a living, breathing presence into time-tested formulas. Characteristics[edit] History[edit] 1980s–early 1990s: Origins[edit] Mid–late 1990s: Mainstream breakthrough[edit] 2000s: Apex and mainstream decline[edit] Chicago. Chicago soul is a style of soul music that arose during the 1960s in Chicago.
Along with Detroit, the home of Motown, and Memphis, with its hard-edged, gritty performers (see Memphis soul), Chicago and the Chicago soul style helped spur the album-oriented soul revolution of the early 1970s. The sound of Chicago soul, like southern soul with its rich influence of black gospel music, also exhibited an unmistakable gospel sound, but was somewhat lighter and more delicate in its approach. Chicago vocal groups tended to feature laid-back sweet harmonies, while solo artists exhibited a highly melodic and somewhat pop approach to their songs.
Accompaniment usually featured highly orchestrated arrangements, with horns and strings, by such notable arrangers as Johnny Pate (who largely worked with horns) and Riley Hampton (who specialized in strings). This kind of soul music is sometimes called “soft soul”, to distinguish it from the more harsh and gospelly “hard soul” style.
Notable labels[edit] British Soul. However, a clear genre of British soul did not emerge until the 1980s, when a number of black and white artists who made soul their major focus, influenced by contemporary R&B, began to enjoy some commercial success. British soul artists began gaining popularity in the United States in the late 2000s, leading to talk of another British Invasion, this time a soul invasion (in contrast to the 1960s rock and 1980s synthpop invasions). History[edit] Origins[edit] Widespread British interest in soul music developed after the advent of rock and roll from the mid-1950s and the subsequent interest in American music.
In the early 1960s, rhythm and blues, including soul, was particularly popular among some members of the beat music boom, including The Beatles,[1] and among bands of who contributed to the British blues boom, including The Spencer Davis Group, The Small Faces, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who. 1960s[edit] 1970s[edit] 1980s[edit] 1990s[edit] 2000s[edit] 2010s[edit] Notes[edit]
Memphis. Memphis soul, also known as Memphis sound, is stylish, funky, uptown soul music that is not as hard-edged as Southern soul. It is a shimmering, sultry style produced in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax[1] and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee, featuring melodic unison horn lines, organ, bass, and a driving beat on the drums. Many of the songs in this style were performed by vocalists backed by the house bands for Stax and Hi Records.
The Memphis soul sound was different from the Motown Sound from Detroit Michigan. After the rise of disco in the late 1970s, Memphis soul declined somewhat in popularity. Stax Museum of American Soul Music is dedicated to preserving the Memphis sound. History[edit] For the next 14 years, Stax Records launched the careers and recorded hits for the likes of Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Booker T. and the MGs, Sam & Dave and Isaac Hayes. Stax' rhythm section was the epitome of the label's integration. Psychedelic. History[edit] Origins[edit] Development[edit] Decline and influence[edit] While psychedelic rock began to waver at the end of the 1960s, psychedelic soul continued into the 1970s, peaking in popularity in the early years of the decade, and only disappearing in the late 1970s as tastes began to change.[2] Acts like Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang and Ohio Players, who began as psychedelic soul artists, incorporated its sounds into funk music and eventually the disco which partly replaced it.[7] Notable psychedelic soul artists[edit] See also[edit] Notes[edit] ^ Jump up to: a b J.
Northern Soul. The northern soul movement, however, generally eschews Motown or Motown-influenced music that has met with significant mainstream success. The recordings most prized by enthusiasts of the genre are usually by lesser-known artists, released only in limited numbers, often by small regional American labels such as Ric-Tic and Golden World Records (Detroit), Mirwood (Los Angeles) and Shout and Okeh (New York/Chicago). Northern soul is associated with particular dance styles and fashions that grew out of the underground rhythm & soul scene of the late 1960s at venues such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. This scene and the associated dances and fashions quickly spread to other UK dancehalls and nightclubs like the Chateau Impney (Droitwich), Catacombs (Wolverhampton), the Highland Rooms at Blackpool Mecca, Golden Torch (Stoke-on-Trent) and Wigan Casino.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, popular Northern Soul records generally dated from the mid-1960s. History[edit] 1970s[edit] Rarity[edit] Philly. Philadelphia (or Philly) soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly, is a style of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a vibraphone can often be heard in the background of Philly soul songs. The genre laid the groundwork for disco and what are now considered quiet storm and smooth jazz by fusing the R&B rhythm sections of the 1960s with the pop vocal tradition, and featuring a slightly more pronounced jazz influence in its melodic structures and arrangements.
Style[edit] Due to the emphasis on sound and arrangement and the relative anonymity of many of the "style's" players, Philadelphia soul is often considered a producers' genre.[1] The Salsoul Orchestra was composed of key players from MFSB. Salsoul Orchestra, as its name implies, leaned toward R&B-Latin-fused musical flavor.
Notable artists[edit] Notable Philadelphia soul artists include: Deep or Southern. History[edit] Southern soul was at its peak during the 1960s, when Memphis soul was created. In 1963,Stan Lewis would go on to found Jewel Records in Shreveport,LA along with two subsidiary labels, Paula and Ronn. Jewel and Ronn Records were the leaders for R&B, blues, soul and gospel tunes. Lewis signed artists such as John Lee Hooker, Charles Brown, Bobby Rush, Buster Benton, Toissaint McCall, Lightin’ Hopkins, Ted Taylor, Little Johnny Taylor and The Uniques. In 1966, the Shreveport based Murco Records released “Losin’ Boy,” by “Eddie Giles’ which registered for five weeks on Cashbox magazine’s Hot 100. The most significant contributors were Stax Records and their house band Booker T.
& the MGs. Present[edit] Notable artists[edit] Rhythm sections[edit] Songwriters[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] All Music Guide to R&BSouthernSoulRnB.com – Daddy B.