70's Soul - what was it about that era and it's genius

[Taverner]

Will it ever be repeated??

FTR...Sly and the Family Stone
Curtis Mayfield
Issac Hayes
Superfly
Aretha Did her best work during this era
Marvin Gaye did his best work during this era (although What's going on came out in 68)
George Clinton

soul has never EVER been close to this since. The 80's turned soul into pablum, and then the 90's took what shreds of soul were in soul and cast them aside.

[mulsh]

1. The era's music had a mostly positive message.

Even songs like Marvin Gaye's album length "What's Going On" and Sly and the Family Stone's "Don't Call Me Nigger" hell even Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack had positive messages. none of this bust a cap in yo ass crap.

[Taverner]

3. Yup

Although the music was key too. None of this single bass drum beat shit. Complex rhythms, intricate grooves the stuff was years ahead of its time.

[Sock Puppet]

13. Please, do show me all the contemporary soul that discusses caps

and the asses they bust in.

[Taverner]

20. It depends - are we including Hip Hop and Rap with Soul?

certainly India Irie and Macy Gray are exceptions - but would anything they've done begin to even tough Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"?

[Sock Puppet]

25. I am not comparing India.Arie to Marvin Gaye

I am just reacting to people categorizing contemporary soul as being about busting a cap in an ass. That's utter bullshit.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

27. Oh please.

What is this, Mr. Rogers? Why does something have to have a "positive" message?

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. I used to reject that stuff while growing up.

Now I stop in my tracks whenever I hear it. The musicianship, the recording and mixing quality, the overall goodness...

You're right, it's seemingly gone.

[Taverner]

4. Gnarls Barkley tried to go for it recently

But they weren't even close. Hats off to them for trying.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. Jamiroquai (sp?) seemingly wants to bring back the early Stevie Wonder thing.

But may have run into more resistance for similarity than acceptance.

[Taverner]

7. True...trying to cross Northern Soul with 70's Soul...

And he had some good tracks.

But it still never had the quality you'd find in an album like "Curtis,""What's Going On" or "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

[Phillycat]

6. You're forgetting Ray Charles and Stevie! :)

My all time favorite era of music - I could listen to ONLY 70's R&B/soul/funk for the rest of my life and be happy.

[Taverner]

8. I'm sure I forgot a lot...

Prince, although an 80's artist, had the style and talent of a 70's funkmeister.

There's also Donnie Williams, James Brown and many many others.

[Phillycat]

9. Donnie Hathaway is often overlooked.

I could die happy listening to his voice. *swoon*

[Taverner]

11. That's it - not Williams, Hathaway

[Fire Walk With Me]

15. Soooo true. Early Stevie is incredible.

[NightWatcher]

10. Not just the Soul, but the FUNK

[Taverner]

12. Get the funk outa here!

Bootsy!

[KamaAina]

14. All that, and Earth, Wind and Fire, too!

there must be still others not yet mentioned...

[Phillycat]

17. Oh yeah, dozens of 'em.

Charles Wright comes to mind.

[davsand]

16. I was a white girl in a farm town listening to soul.

Yep, I was not exactly mainstream for my location. I was listening to a lot of soul, jazz, and blues at a time when my friends were listening to Grand Funk, Steve Miller, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart or even Kiss.

I have to got say, however that you overlooked some other good folks from that time like James Brown, Etta James, Koko Taylor and Alberta Hunter. George Benson released Breezin in 1977 and I think that won album of the year (might have been earlier, but I'm thinking it was 77.)

There was some great stuff coming out of that era, and I doubt we will ever see its equal again. I also think that I have become and old fart that is listening to an oldies station too often.


Regards!


Laura

[Taverner]

19. Yeah, if I were to list all of the soulmeisters from the 70's I'd fill up DU's server

There were sooo many

[darkstar]

18. Gaye's "Inner City Blues"

is a personal high-point for me. Can there be anything more perfect than that bass line?

And in general, I think the complete involvement from song, to playing, to arrangement, to *production* has a ton to do with it. That was an era of Wilsons and Gayes and Rundgrens etc, and the "complete vision" thing really stamped some notable hallmarks on artists allowed to follow that path. Not, "Here work with this songwriter, this guy's got some beats for your next project, have we got a producer for you, what's the follow up to the first single," and on and on and on.

Modern country is the worst for that. Everything by committee until there is no essence left.

[Taverner]

21. And then that shift 3/4 of the way through the song

Seamless....I don't think I've heard a key shift that smooth...EVER!

[conscious evolution]

22. Music education in schools

They had it.
Todays kids don't.

Music education was cut in part to dumb down students.And it shows in the music.

[Taverner]

23. Aye

Agreed.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

28. Bullshit

There's just as much quality music now as there was in the 60's and 70's. The boomers don't hold sole ownership over good music even though they like to think they do.

[Taverner]

30. I'll take you up on your challenge

Give me 5 great Soul albums made after 1990. I will download them and listen to them - and not just skip through the first few bars and see how I like the intro, but truly listen to them

I'll admit today's indiepop is far better than the pop of the 60's and 70's.

But the one thing soul in the 60's and 70's had going for it were backup bands that were hands down perfectionists. Today those folks become Jazz musicians or session musicians.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

31. I admittedly don't know much about Soul.

I was just talking music in general. I think that one may have to dig for the good stuff but it is there.

[Taverner]

32. Damn! I was hoping youd give me some new music

I eat music :) Seriously! I'm always looking for something new.

[kwassa]

24. It is the era of P-Funk, the ultimate funk machine

watch George Clinton descend from the Mothership

Flashlight! best funk song ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JbUP-skb7E

[Tikki]

26. My favorite 70's Soul protest song.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bLCGSSBzg








Tikki

[elaineb]

29. Al Green!

And the countless groups from that era, like the O'Jays, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Chi-Lites, the Brothers Johnson...

I can hear any other kind of 70's pop song from that era, and, yeah, they might bring back faded memories of the 70's, but nothing takes me *emotionally* back like hearing the soul songs of that era.

Can ya dig it?

[CreekDog]

33. Post Civil Rights, black musicians running their own record labels and production

And I love Teddy Pendergrass (aka Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes) for their songs..."Wake Up Everybody" and "The Love I Lost" (the latter apparently a prelude to disco for its use of the highhat).

Second, the Spinners: "Games People Play"...was that jazz that made the pop chart? And of course, "Then Came You" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love".

Pop music never soared so high.

[AspenRose]

34. In addition to groups and acts mentioned, my parents listened to a lot of

The Isley Brothers
Isaac Hayes (Hot Buttered Soul)
Barry White
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
The Temptations
The Four Tops
Ohio Players
Teddy Pendergrass
Kool and the Gang (the "Jungle Boogie" phase)
Eddie Kendricks
The Staple Singers
Bill Withers

...and I remember a cousin who practically worshipped Chaka Khan (as in Rufus w/Chaka), an uncle who practically worshipped Earth, Wind & Fire....

Before they got wussy, Elton John, Hall & Oates and Rod Stewart had occasional flashes of soul, too.