Music Minute - Soul Music Playlist

Hope y'all enjoyed listening to some of the gospel & soul songs of the Civil Rights Movement last time. This week we're taking a look at soul music, since it's still Black History Month.

Satellite Records was founded in 1957 in a movie theater in Memphis, in just a regular neighborhood. In 1961, they changed the name to Stax Records, and by 1965, Stax would be Motown Records' biggest rival. Specializing in Southern soul music and particularly what was called the "Memphis Sound," Stax (and its sister label Volt) used the movie theater itself, which still had the sloping floor from under the seats, to record some of the biggest hits of the 1960s and 70s. Audio recordings are shaped in part by the acoustics of the room they're recorded in, and the odd shape of the studio helped to give the Stax recordings a great big sound.

In 1962, Otis Redding was signed to the Volt label and was the first of many commercial successes for the label. Stax/Volt also produced records by Booker T & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave, The Mad Lads, Wilson Pickett, Elvis Presley, and The Staple Singers (remember them?).

So why am I talking about a record label today? A couple of reasons. One is that Stax/Volt was started as an independent record label by two white executives, and featured several bands that were racially integrated. We don't tend to think of this as a big deal now, but back in the day an integrated record label in the South really meant something.

Another reason is that we don't typically think of record labels as specializing in one "type" of music. Hip-hop labels are obviously an exception, but a major label like Warner Brothers Records has artists ranging from Blake Shelton to Seal, a kind of variety that is much more common. And the Stax/Volt label is, like Motown, renowned for their creativity, artist development, historical significance, and social influence.

So what happened to Stax/Volt? It was sold in the 70s, went through some new management, and was forced into bankruptcy in 1975. In 1981, the Stax studio and headquarters was sold to a church for $10. And in 1989, the church tore down the original building, which suffered from years of neglect. But in 2003, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music was built and opened in the same spot, and contains a replica of the original studio, a music school, a museum, and an actual wooden church from the Mississippi Delta that is over 100 years old. In 2006, the label began operating under the Stax name again to bring soul music to a whole new generation of listeners. (If you're ever in Memphis, you should visit the museum. You'll be dancing by the time you leave.)

What should you know about soul music? Modern R&B comes from soul. It has roots in blues and gospel music. Rhythm is a big deal in soul music, and you'll usually hear big productions in the music—multi-piece bands, brass, background singers, pianos, and often a rhythm section. Soul is usually very danceable, emotional music and you might hear what's called a call-and-response structure in it, where the background singers echo the lead singer. Ray Charles is sometimes called the inventor of soul. Aretha Franklin is probably the most famous soul singer, but James Brown, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye are also names you might recognize.

All right, time to stop talking and get to listening. Y'all grab your headphones and take a musical tour of Ten Soul Songs You Shouldn't Miss. They're in no particular order. They will be probably be familiar songs, but try to listen with new ears. Enjoy!

10. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Aretha Franklin

9. I Can't Stop Lovin' You, Ray Charles (Probably more R&B than soul, but still a classic.)

8. Soul Man, Sam and Dave

7. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding

6. Stand By Me, Ben E King

5. Green Onions, Booker T and the M.G.s (This song was apparently named after a cat named Green Onions, for his distinctive walk.)

4. What's Goin' On, Marvin Gaye (This song is a social/political kind of sign-of-the-times song.)

3. The Tracks Of My Tears, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles

2. My Girl, The Temptations

1. I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown