Southern Soul pt. 2

MUS 1240Fall 2014

Ahmet Ertegun Jerry Wexler (w/Aretha Franklin)

Atlantic Records• Atlantic had success with “sweet soul” in the late 1950s

– Drifters– Coasters– Ben E. King

• “Sweet Soul” is more restrained; Atlantic moves toward a rougher style of soul in the 1960s known as “Southern Soul”.

• In general, both white and black listeners saw Southern Soul, with its heavy influence of gospel, to be more authentic to the African-American experience.– Black listeners were looking for music that tackled the issues of Civil Rights

more head-on, while white listeners were fascinated with black culture and were looking to find the most authentic music from that culture.

• Jerry Wexler – producer who had a large part in the growing success of “southern soul” in the mid 1960s

Booker T and the MG’s

Memphis Soul (“Soulsville”): Stax Records

• Stax Records had a distribution deal with Atlantic at this time– Distribution deals were mutually beneficial:

• The small company was opened to larger markets as well as receiving assistance with logistics, manufacturing, etc.

• The large company got a share of the profits, as well as benefiting from the innovation that was often going on in these small record labels

• First hits from Stax included “Green Onions” by Booker T and the MG’s (US #3 1962)• Like Motown, they relied on their house band, Booker T and the MG’s. Backing tracks

were created on the spot.– Booker T. Jones – organ, Donald “Duck” Dunn – bass, Steve Cropper – guitar, Al Jackson Jr. –

drums, Andrew Love – sax, Wayne Jackson – trumpet – Dunn and Cropper also were part of the Blue Brothers band

• Unlike Motown, the production and songwriting duties were shared among whomever was present at that particular session. Stax didn’t really have production teams like Motown.

• In reality, Motown and Stax were similar even with their differences. Music was often created spontaneously in recording sessions.

“The Stax Sound”

• “Delayed Backbeat”• Horns• No Backup Vocals• Spontaneous quality to the entire feel of the

song, giving the listener the idea that another performance could differ greatly

• Compare “Baby Love” by the Supremes with “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett to hear the differences between Stax and Motown.

What’s That Sound?:An Introduction to Rock and its History, 3rd EditionCopyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

Otis Redding• His success brought the “Stax sound” to a national audience• Vocals were very gospel-influenced• Less-polished than the cosmopolitan style coming out of Motown• Made an appearance at the Monterrey Pop Festival in spring of

1967– The hippie movement embraced his music, influencing the white

audience to get more into the Southern Soul style.• Earlier hits: “Respect” (US #35)• Biggest hit: “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” (US #1 1968) –

released after his tragic death in a plane crash• Pg. 190-193 in PRS – great snippet of an interview with Redding,

where he gives some insight into the Stax sound vs. Motown

Wilson Pickett• Wilson Pickett was a fiery man, with a heavy gospel fire and

brimstone type of voice.• Jerry Wexler signs him to Atlantic, has a few unsuccessful

projects. Takes him to Stax in Memphis in hopes of getting some of the more relaxed sound common to Otis Redding’s work.

• Wexler demonstrates a dance to the musicians during the recording of “In the Midnight Hour” which introduces a “delayed backbeat” style; this would become a hallmark of Southern Soul.

• Reading pg. 171 – great story of the recording of “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett

• “In the Midnight Hour” – (US #23, R&B #1 1965) – same time as folk rock was also becoming popular

Muscle Shoals, Alabama• Stax owner Jim Stewart began denying all outside productions at his studio,

wanting to keep creative control over the artists that recorded at his studio.• Wexler was forced to take Pickett somewhere else to record in the South.

– Sam and Dave loaned to Stax – produced with David Porter and Issac Hayes (they had most of their success with Sam and Dave)

• Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL becomes the next home of Southern Soul, as well as Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

• Also had a house band• Songs recorded there include Pickett’s “Land of 1000 Dances” and “Mustang

Sally” as well as “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge.• Muscle Shoals becomes a very popular place to record due to Pickett’s success

here as well as others• Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, among

those who have recorded here. More recently, The Black Keys’ 2010 album Brothers was recorded here.

Aretha Franklin (b. 1942)• The “Queen of Soul”• Sang in her father’s gospel church choir

– Father was C.L. Franklin, who led one of the nation’s largest and most prominent African-American congregations in Detroit.

• Leaves for New York to try a career as a singer; signed to Columbia Records -1960– Recorded traditional mainstream pop songs with little success; let go in 1966

when her contract expires• Signed by Atlantic Records in 1967, goes to Muscle Shoals to record debut record

for Atlantic– Recorded gospel-influenced music– Sessions gets moved to New York after a dispute in AL; Muscle Shoals

musicians get flown in for the sessions.– Much more success from these recordings:

• “Respect” – (US#1 1967), “Natural Woman” – (US#2 1967), “Chain of Fools” – (US#2 1968), “Think” – (US#7 1968)

– 1967-1972 13 Top 10 pop hits

Aretha Franklin’s Style

What’s That Sound?:An Introduction to Rock and its History, 3rd EditionCopyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

Listening: “Respect”

• Cover of a 1965 hit by Otis Redding • Number One pop and Number One R&B in

1967• Song builds to the word “respect,” at which

point the backing group joins in call and response with Franklin.

Issues of Blackness

• Stax and Atlantic often are said by critics to be truer to black culture than recordings made by Motown during this time– Motown was seen by critics as a sellout to the white market

• Most likely each studio was simply directing their music to a certain part of the buying public.– Motown had almost an all-black corporate structure; Stax and Atlantic

were both owned and mostly operated by white producers, execs, etc.– Both the bands at the studios were integrated; no one band was

“more black” than the other on the surface.• So, why do we think that one is “more black” than the other?

Does it have to do with the musicians? Does it matter who the executives are? Producers?

1968• Pivotal Year for black music

– Assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 and Robert F. Kennedy in June of 1968.

– Economic problems at Stax• Atlantic had been sold to Warner Brothers in late 1967; Stax had 6 months to continue with

WB or terminate the agreement.• Atlantic had put a clause in their contract with Stax that gave Atlantic ownership of all the

master recordings from Stax’s time with Atlantic.• Sam and Dave were on loan to Stax, and would revert to Atlantic.• Otis Redding dies in 1967 in plane crash• Jim Stewart sells the company; it continues, but is not really the same…

– Motown at a crossroads• Riots in Detroit in 1967 made people apprehensive about working at Motown.• HDH leaves Motown in 1968• Berry Gordy was not as involved in the recording process anymore, as he was focused on

moving the company to LA to become involved in the film industry.• The music of Motown would begin to reflect more of a political stance from certain artists,

especially when it came to issues of civil rights after MLK’s death.

James Brown (1933-2006)

• The “Godfather of Soul” and “Soul Brother Number One”

• No other single musician influenced the sound and style of black music like James Brown.

– Brown’s records are sampled by hip-hop artists more than those of any other musician, especially in the early days of hip-hop during the late 70s/early 80s. (Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, etc.)

• Rough, unrestrained vocals; relentless rhythms; active, open textures

James Brown• Begins his career as a stand-in for Little Richard• Signed with Cincinnati-based King records; they released most of his records until

the 1970s.• First hit was “Please Please Please” in 1956. This was more of a gospel-based doo-

wop record than what would become his signature style later:– Style

• Focuses on single words and syllables• Movement• Charisma in performance• Vocal improvisation• Secular preacher

• He exhibited total control over his career, unlike many artists of this period. He made his own business decisions and wrote his own material. Produced his own material as well.– Independence in business paralleled people like the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Brian Wilson– As a bandleader, would rehearse vigorously. Would even fine players that made mistakes

in performances. His bands were extremely tight during his career, in part due to these high levels of expectations.

Listening: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”

• Brown’s most successful pop record—#9 on the pop charts

• Stops at end of verses distinguish this from a Stax recording.

• Established the mature “James Brown sound”– Riffs in brass– Syncopation– Percussive style of playing guitar, bass, and brass– Call and response– Twelve-bar blues form broken up with an eight-bar bridge– Complex polyrhythms

“Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud”

• Reached #1 on the R&B charts and #10 on the pop charts in 1968– For all intents and purposes, a rap number—a striking

anticipation of important black music to come

• His hard-edged style, political leanings in his music, and his uncompromising business practices made him a major figure in black culture by the end of the 1960s.