Soul and Motown

The 1960’s  Time of change – “The 1960’s reflected more intense change in the United States than any other time since the Revolutionary War.”  Charles T. Brown, The Art of Rock and Roll

60’s cont.  1950’s were conservative (Republican)  1960’s were liberal (Democratic)  Politics based on philosophical values  Much tumult and confusion

Important 60’s persons  John F. Kennedy  Elected President in 1960  Young, handsome family man  Great speaker, held crowds captive  Proposed a “New Frontier”  Spread wealth to all America  Help in other parts of the world

 Administration compared to “Camelot”  Symbol of hope for the young and oppressed minorities  Was not a W.A.S.P. (White Anglo Saxon Protestant)  Assassinated in 1963

Important 60’s persons  Martin Luther King, Jr.  Civil rights leader, minister  Advocated non-violent change  Declared “I have a dream” – famous speech given in Washington D.C.

 Presented optimistic view of social change  View changed with the Watts (part of Los Angeles) riots of 1967  Assassinated in 1968  Changed the face of civil rights movement

Important 60’s persons  Lyndon B. Johnson  Kennedy’s Vice-President  Responsible for legislating most of Kennedy’s dreams  Peace Corps  Civil Rights Act of 1964  Nuclear arms limitations

Johnson cont.  Viet Nam War escalations caused him to lose credibility  Did not seek a second term  Also remember – Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X (assassinated)

1960’s trends and things  Hippies / flower power / “goin’ to San Francisco”  Haight-Ashbury district  Drugs / counter-culture / “purple haze”  LSD new drug  Black Panthers / violent black power  SDS, Weathermen/ violent white groups  Sexual revolution / “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”

 Student protests / “four dead in Ohio”  Focused on moral, philosophical issues  Draft  Viet Nam War  Civil rights

 Many student protests on college campuses  Some protests became violent  Kent State University in Ohio  4 students killed by National Guard

Soul Music  1964 – Billboard replaced “R&B” with “Soul”  New description for black music  Included gospel and blues  Early development centered in Memphis  Southern influences

 Muscle Shoals  Southern recording center  Often recorded here for a more “hometown type of production”  Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section  Served as backup band for a variety of performers and styles

 Soul style description  Blues / shouting / gospel style  From Afro-American blues style  Call-and-response  Emotional and physical (preaching)  Harder edge than Motown

Soul Performers  Aretha Franklin – “1 st Lady of Soul”  Born in 1942 – Memphis  Father was a reverend in Detroit  Began as a gospel singer  1 st church age 12

 Followed career path of Sam Cooke - close friend  Large gospel influences  Very polished sound  Could have been Motown?  Big hits  “Respect” – # voice for Black Power “Think” “Natural Woman” “Chain of Fools” many others

Soul performers cont.  James Brown – “Godfather of Soul”  Born in Georgia in 1933  Began in gospel choirs  Harsh guttural screaming  Very physical performer  Gyrating, splits, sweat

 Sounds of early funk  Choked guitar  Staccato bass  Full horn section  “The hardest working man in show business”

James Brown Radio  1965 bought 1 st radio station  WJBE in Knoxville, Tenn.  Soul, gospel, jazz format  Training ground  Advertising, programming, management  Talk shows / editorials  Kids stay in school  Parental support

 Otis Redding  Born in Georgia in 1941  Father was a part time preacher – Otis sang regularly in church choirs  Inspired by Little Richard, James Brown, Lena Horne  Began as a Little Richard impersonator

 Appeared at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967; introduced to white audiences  “I Can’t Turn You Loose” “Respect” (Aretha Franklin biggie)  “Dock of the Bay”  Last album released  Considered the “Dictionary of Soul”

 Established summer camp for underprivileged children  Died in a plane crash 1967  “Dock of the Bay” reached #1 on the pop charts 3 months later

Other soul biggies  Sam and Dave – from Georgia “Soul Man”  Percy Sledge – from Alabama “When a Man Loves a Woman”  Wilson Pickett – Alabama “In the Midnight Hour”

 Soul would continue  “... there is no question that the soul/blues/shouting/gospel tradition continued in the funk, rap and fusion music of the 1970’s and the 1980’s” Charles T. Brown The Art of Rock and Roll

Motown  Short for Motor Town (Detroit) singles in 1960’s made charts - 67% success rate (10% normal)  Doo Wop roots  Background vocal groups of 50’s  Non-sense words often sung

Motown cont.  Berry Gordy, Jr.  Founded and created Motown  Born 1929 in Detroit  Had vision to create new black music  Understood what would sell  Maniacal drive to succeed

 Opened Motown records in other black labels folded - “where it was happening in black music”  Trained his performers in showmanship, musicianship, etiquette, speech, behavior – succeed in white world

Motown style  Not hard edge of soul  Smooth and light texture  Easily understandable lyrics  Few blues tunes used  Chord progressions based on white forms

(style con’t.)  Technically precise music  Gordie influence  Only the best were released  Car radio speaker used to sound test the song  Where most music was heard  If it sounded good here, it was ready

 Holland-Dozier-Holland “one of the greatest songwriting teams of all time.” Rolling Stone  28 Top 20 hits in a three year span  Wrote for many Motown groups (others)  “Heat Wave”  “How Sweet It Is to be Loved by You”  “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”  “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”  Many, many others

Motown Performers  Supremes (Diana Ross)  Biggest success of Motown  10 #1 hits from 1964 to 1970  “Where Did Our Love Go”  “Love Child”

 Marvin Gaye  Signed with Motown in 1961 as drummer – singer in 1962  Early hits  “How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You”  “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”  “Can I Get a Witness”  more

 Style changed in 1971  Gained autonomy over his music  Left Motown in 1982  Began writing his own songs  “What’s Goin’ On”  Biggest selling album  1 st concept album  Dealt with racism, war, ecology, etc. “What’s Goin’ On” “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology Song)” “Inner City Blues”

 Personal problems in later life – drugs, alcohol, marital  Died April 1, 1984  Shot by father during violent argument  Father later acquitted (self defense)

 Stevie Wonder  Started as Little Stevie Wonder  Began as Ray Charles impersonator  Very popular teen star (the Rolling Stones were his opening act in 1964 – movie cameos)  “Finger Tips (Part 2)” – 1 st hit  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”

 Gained autonomy over his music  1 st Motown artist to do this  “He broke out of the Motown mold to compose and produce a new kind of black music” Rolling Stone  Played most instruments on his recordings  “Superstition” – 1 st #1 hit  “Livin’ for the City”  “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”  “Sir Duke”

Other Motown Biggies  The Temptations -”My Girl”, “Get Ready”

 Smokey Robinson, Jackson 5, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, etc.

Soul and Motown “Immortals”  James Brown #7  Aretha Franklin #9  Stevie Wonder #15  Marvin Gaye #18  Otis Redding #21  Smokey Robinson #32  Michael Jackson #35