So Who Was Soul Brother Number 1?

[Guest]

Ok get the grey matter working you knowledgeable ones!

Who was soul brother No1? Who do we, on SS feel is the No1?

Who & what choon started it all way back when - the real roots.

Now my fave all time vocalist is Jackie Mr Entertainment Wilson

BUT (and here are a few nudges/clues) was it

Little Willie John/Ray Charles/Sam Cooke/Big Joe Turner/Buddy Ace the list goes on but there's a few to chew on!

Who is soul brother No1 - not your fave, or best singer, or best rrecord - just the No1 (with your facts if you will)

Should be highlighting if the knowledge is forthcoming - appreciate comment - ta very much.

[Shinehead]

Marvin for me , did it all the Motown 60s artist thing, then into the political awareness and thus producing a true masterpiece in Whats Going On, then the love man giving us the great Lets Get It On album . The man was flawed but all genius are. He still moves me today a all time great .

[Kris Holmes]

James Brown

[Guest giant]

motown magic man mr marvin gaye

[boba]

James Brown

yeah, I don't see how anyone can bestow that specific title on anyone else when James Brown *is* Soul Brother Number 1. It's a more embedded title than Aretha being the "Queen of Soul" or Elvis being "the King of Rock and Roll"

I also think it's funny that I've read twice on here that James Brown "there was a time" was a cover of Gene Chandler.

[Guest]

al green for me

[spike1]

Marv Johnson is the artist who performed on the first record ever to come from Motown, and he went on to put two songs in the top ten.

Born in 1938 in Detroit, Marv performed as a teenager with a group known as the Serenaders in the mid-50's. He managed to become a talented singer, songwriter and pianist. One day in the late 50's he was singing on a float in a carnival, and he was noticed by a young entrepreneur named Barry Gordy. Gordy offered him a recording session at his fledgling Motown Records, which at the time was only a production company. Johnson recorded Come To Me and when it was issued regionally on the Tamla label, it became Gordy's first record release. Eventually United Artists picked it up and by the Spring of 1959 it reached the top thirty nationally.

From 1959 to 1961, Marv Johnson put nine records in the top 100. Two in particular were big hits, and top ten records in the United States: You Got What It Takes and I Love The Way You Love. In late 1960 his final top forty hit in the US (You've Got To) Move Two Mountains reached the charts.

Johnson's records were also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially You Got What It Takes. It reached number five there and inspired a cover by the Dave Clark Five, who brought it back to the top ten in 1967. On many of his songs including his biggest hits, Marv Johnson was backed by a group of Motown singers known as the Rayber Voices. Johnson continued recording throughout the 60's.

Marv Johnson's recordings from 1959 and 1960 gave a preview of the Motown sound and the hits that were to pour out of Motown throughout the 60's. In the early 70's, he worked in sales and promotion for Motown.

[spike1]

Or could it be ????

General Norman Johnson, at the age of twelve, formed the group The Humdingers that would eventually become The Showmen. In the late 1950s, Noah Biggs began managing The Humdingers. He sent a demo to Banashak. The songs on the demo were "The Owl Sees You", "For You My Darling", "Skinny McGinny" and "I Go On Loving You". Banashak arranged for Toussaint to record The Humdingers.

"Our Love Will Grow" on Swan Records became a Northern soul track, listed as number 382 on the Northern Soul All Time Top 500.[citation needed

[jocko]

Little WIllie John seems to be the educated response, what little material I have heard has been very good but has been his later stuff

I have his 3 Kent CD's, which I think includes all his early stuff and his book still unopened that I am going to listen to/read over Xmas hols, I will report back.

[John Elias]

Otis Redding for me

[Daved]

Otis Redding for me too. I think he is the epitome of SOUL! If you wanted to describe what soul music is to an alien, the easiest thing to do would be to play them an Otis Redding track. He may not have been the technically most proficient but for sheer raw guts and emotion, he is it for me.

[Kev Moore]

Dave Moore

[Guest sharmo 1]

Little Richard regards Simon.

[Mickjay33]

the greatest ever jackie wilson

[Guest in town Mikey]

James Purify as Bobby wasnt really his brother ...or have I misunderstood?

Marvin for me. Another day it could be Jackie Wilson or Otis Redding or Roy Hamilton.

[John Elias]

Dave Moore

I undertsnd,

[MrsWoodsrules]

Love Marvin, but it's the one & only voice of Major Lance for me, the personification of What Northern soul is IMO.

[Guest ScooterNik]

Soul Brother Number 1? Berry Gordy, for his contribution across the board, bar actually performing!

Northern Soul Brother Number 1? Major Lance. Has to be.

[Philly]

Sam Cooke for me... even way back to his early Gospel days with the Soul Stirrers in the mid 50's then his early 60's with Bring It On Home To Me and A Change Is Gonna Come...... he just oozed Soul :wub:

[Guest soulboy]

no contest the master without a shadow JACKIE WILSON

[Steve Foran]

Gotta be Jackie Wilson AND I saw him at Station Road. His book is a good read as well.

[Diddy Morgan]

walter jackson is not to be forgotten as a legend soul brother

[Guest Mart B]

Levi Stubbs The four Tops of cause,very influential in my progression into Northern!.....

[dthedrug]

HI ALL..I have always assumed that there term SOUL BROTHER #1, was from the people who become mentors & inspired unity togetherness with a voice to promote FREEDOM from emancipation by removing the chains of slavery, by direct challenge, by facing the fear of fear, unconditionally without self reward but to achieve FREEDOM, without doubt the list would name millions, however in historical terms, Strong activists for a common cause are highlighted,

For many the struggle of life and to survive the dark side, you have to acquire Self Awareness, until you understand that the person you are today is a product of other peoples beliefs and not yours by doing this you will have acquired FAITH, by trusting others who have a strong FAITH, you will get HOPE, and with this you can educate and enlighten others by your CHARITY.

Many people would say GOD is the #As it is your GOD that you will finally turn to, there is a saying "there has never been a at the best on the battle fied?". However as a Counselor GOD does not exist nor does FATHER CHRISTMAS or the TOOTH FAIRY as a child your parents lied to you! fact, anything like that example is what we call parental as there is no factual evidence of it being true? GOD is DEAD! is an ADULT response religion is a weapon of power to keep the majority from rebelling against the rich, The BIBLE and KORAN teaches us through scriptures of how hard it is to find GOD and those who become Prophets of GOD, Have all done one thing, and it is the hardest test of FAITH there is, to spend 40 DAYS & 40 NIGHTS ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS, If you know any one that has achieved this, you have to trust them,

I have been put on BREAD & WATER for 9 days while in Borstal, so 40 days & nights is a tuff challenge, as this thread is SOUL related and through the History of Black American music and West Indian music the message if injustice is to the forefront, the reason and the logic of why the huge majority of the world can't sing SOUL is nothing to do with color it's because the BLACK MAN who lives in the AMERICAS has 300 years of imposed slavery in there Psyche every one of them, that's why apart from a very Small number of BLACK AFRICANS don't have?

So to conclude the SOUL BROTHER #1 is Dr MARTIN LUTHER KING, and supported by the many people such as MOHAMMAD ALI and even LBJ, the KENNEDY'S,

ARETHA, and the GODFATHER of SOUL Mr JAMES BROW RIP. Just by seeing these people and many many more like minded, gives you PEACE. AMEN.

DAVE KILWORTH Counselor.

[Guest in town Mikey]

I know and understand why James brown has the nickname. I put it you you, my learned friends. That if SOUL (As opposed to Northern Soul) was to decide to give it to someone else, then that person would be........... Curtis Mayfield.

Although Mark would say Gil Scott Heron, or Brother Gil as he calls him.

Edited October 28, 2011 by in town Mikey

[Guest]

'religion is a weapon of power to stop the majority from rebelling against the rich' - DAVE KILWORTH

Quite possibly the most profound and truest 15 words ever posted on Soulsource...

[Autumnstoned]

For me it would be Earl Van Dyke, maybe Jack Ashford or perhaps any of the Funk Brothers. Brilliant musicians who were instrumental in producing most of my favourite soul music.

ATB

Mike

Edited October 28, 2011 by autumnstoned

[Jules]

jackie wilson, his vocal range is incredible.

[Gene-R]

For me it would be Ike Turner.

OK, he was an arrogant, cokehead, nasty piece of work, but he started it all in 1951 when he played piano on "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston (classed by some as the first RnR record). During the 50s, he had numerous records on Federal / King with his Kings of Rhythm, and then his work with Tina Turner from 1960 onwards.

He remained a soul and blues musician right up until his death in 2007. 56 years of work (minus a few years of incarceration) must surely put him up there as one of the highest-ranking soul brothers.

Mind you, Joe Turner would also be a strong contender - his career starts in the mid '30s as a singer accompanied by Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. He died in 1985, so probably didn't notch up quite as many years as Ike as a recording artist.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Gene-R

[Simsy]

[Guest oldsoulgit]

Sam Cooke for me! such a soulful voice, cheers Jim.

[dthedrug]

I know and understand why James brown has the nickname. I put it you you, my learned friends. That if SOUL (As opposed to Northern Soul) was to decide to give it to someone else, then that person would be........... Curtis Mayfield.

Although Mark would say Gil Scott Heron, or Brother Gil as he calls him.

I Must state that my interpretation of "who is/was SOUL BOTHER/SISTER #1" Was based on the excepted political meaning of how the term arrived in the English language, the speeches of Dr KING, are so SOULFUL & INFLUENTIAL especially when you consider how the raciest society that was the norm in 60's USA, Growing up in the 60's and leaving school in the summer of LOVE 67, no mater how tuff my childhood had been, has no comparison with what your life was like as a BLACK person. bigots and racists were virtually most of our parents and the UK was the white homeland., in safe old England only the under 25s were becoming politically aware, in 69 the TROUBLES BEGAN and it was from that point we started to take notice of issues like equality? The BLACK American had been aware for 300 years,

In 68/69 I was having fun in my experimental latent years with sex drugs soul and the freedom of being a loud mouth thug, embracing fashion that I still enjoy to-day, the situation in the US for the poor whites and most BLACKS was worse than what was happening in SOUTH AFRICA,

with the Watts riots and the Detroit riots in the North, while in the South BLACK People were still segregated, and lynchings were common practice of BLACKS done by the red kneckers & the KKK,

As stated we have Little comprehension of how brave it was for people to even suggest FREEDOM, Dr KINGS stand and fight for freedom with just words as his weapon of truth is for many BLACK PEOPLE the #1 gift of how he was prepared to die, and reach his promised land. and for millions of people there is no other, only NELSON MANDELA comes to mind?

However if you are using the term as to how vocally strong in a musical context, it's all about personal taste, to join the 2 to-gather to complete this argument DAVE GODIN said in 1979 "do what's right, not what's white" a profound statement to educate readers of B&S,

So with that in mind I will say "that for this thread SOUL BROTHER #1 is the late great MARVIN GAYE with AM&J TMG734 DAVE

[ashleysoul]

Otis redding. "I've been loving you" is utter joy!

[lorchand]

When I first heard that "Whop Bop a Loo Bop," I said this man put the rhythm into soul. His voice has range and wow, can he riff. He can play that piano and what a showman. He's been the most copied performer in the world and has inspired many more. He is still pretty and he is none other than Little Richard.

Lorraine Chandler

[MrsWoodsrules]

When I first heard that "Whop Bop a Loo Bop," I said this man put the rhythm into soul. His voice has range and wow, can he riff. He can play that piano and what a showman. He's been the most copied performer in the world and has inspired many more. He is still pretty and he is none other than Little Richard.

Lorraine Chandler

Who could argue with that Lorraine. copied to death, even a certain Elvis Presley would agree with you there.

It's a Poor Dog Who Can't Wag His Own Tail!.

Aid

[Alan Bonthrone1]

Kenny Lynch.

[Spacehopper]

has to be ray charles....influenced soooo many who came after him...saw a tv programme where smokey said he had a book full of lyrics and in one afternoon ray completely arranged and re arranged them and ended up with about 20 great finished tunes...a musical genius

dean

Edited October 30, 2011 by spacehopper

[MrsWoodsrules]

has to be ray charles....influenced soooo many who came after him...saw a tv programme where smokey said he had a book full of lyrics and in one afternoon ray completely arranged and re arranged them and ended up with about 20 great finished tunes...a musical genius

dean

Yeah Spacehopper, think I saw that on Sky Arts, is that the one with Elvis Costello interviewing Smokie & also The Funkbrothers were in the house? how cool was smoke though?? He's still got it for sure.

[Guest]

Some interesting responses indeed.

Some have gone for their faves others have thought about it a wee bit more! lol

In essence I think I'm looking at earliest soul singer not a personal fave (sorry)

Thanx all so far - very interesting!

Any more thoughts???????????

[Spacehopper]

Yeah Spacehopper, think I saw that on Sky Arts, is that the one with Elvis Costello interviewing Smokie & also The Funkbrothers were in the house? how cool was smoke though?? He's still got it for sure.

yep that was the one...

[Gene-R]

When I first heard that "Whop Bop a Loo Bop," I said this man put the rhythm into soul. His voice has range and wow, can he riff. He can play that piano and what a showman. He's been the most copied performer in the world and has inspired many more. He is still pretty and he is none other than Little Richard.

Lorraine Chandler

Good call, Lorraine!

[Ritchieandrew]

My choice would be VAN Mc COY. Master Musician, Producer, Songwriter, Publisher, & a Legend who is sadly missed by many today.!!

[Guest]

Clyde McPhatter must be worth a shout? Think its 50s as music developed so much in that era - might be wrong but hey ho

keep 'em coming folks!

[Chalky]

One of the most under-rated (IMO) and one I've been listening to a lot, Tommy Tate.

[Guest]

Good call under rated singer but longevity I dunno.

[Chalky]

Good call under rated singer but longevity I dunno.

same can be said for many mentioned really, not many do have longevity and survive across the decades. Many survived maybe a decade and then resorted to oldies circuit, touring keeping their name up there.

[MrsWoodsrules]

same can be said for many mentioned really, not many do have longevity and survive across the decades. Many survived maybe a decade and then resorted to oldies circuit, touring keeping their name up there.

I think your are probably right there Chalky, but I suspect Marvin would have had the longevity over the decades, had his not met that shocking & tragic end, his great album Midnight Love had revived his career, he had sorted his personal demons out & was back at the top, he for one had the charisma, talent & pure soul, he had the lot, but like I say we'll never know now.

[Shinehead]

If we are going on the reasoning that its got to be a artist who has spanned the decades Bobby Bland has got to be up there with the best of them.

[Guest]

Nuther I had 4gotten - thanx and good call Shine!!!

[Ian Parker]

someone who stirred the soul. a man who gave us gospel tinged poetry, uptempo mastery, protest songs with feeling and 5 decades of wonderful memories. a true god, who i had the pleasure of seeing twice in the early 80's. his simple guitar playing made my hair stand on end, his silky voice brought tears to the eyes.

theres only one ..........................

CURTIS MAYFIELD