Apart from Maxine Brown's 1960 - All In My Mind and Jerry Butler's 1958 - For Your Precious Love how many Soul records ( and not R&B or Doowop )were made before 1963. Another contender must be this super smooth Jerry Butler from 1962 - I'm Aware of Love. But is it really Soul or Pop?

Jerry_Butler___Aware_of_love.mp3

I suppose we'll never be able to pin this down to a specific record, but James Brown & The Famous Flames first ever audition for King Records had King A&R director Gene Redd scratching his head wondering what this strange form of R&B the Flames were playing was all about (initially he was reported as saying "that's not even music"). The song was Please Please Please and the year was 1956.

Little Willie John's Need Your Love So Bad (1955 or 56?) was a similarly incendiary case of a blues ballad being sung with 100% gospel sincerity.

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

One of the Earliest coming out of Doowop to Soul & N/S i thought that had all the hallmarks of been into more the Real Early N/S direction.

The Creations / This is our night, MEL-ODY 101

Certainly Elements of a new Soul/Dance type directional path are there in this recording - July 62

Sometimes wish ide never sold mine and sorry i cant put it up!

Flacons Your're So Fine & I Found A Love

Solomon Burke Cry To Me

Loads of Bobby Bland

Bobby Parker Watch Your Step

Ritchie Barrett Some Other Guy

Plus many more!

Apart from Maxine Brown's 1960 - All In My Mind and Jerry Butler's 1958 - For Your Precious Love how many Soul records ( and not R&B or Doowop )were made before 1963.

so R&B or Doowop can't be soul they're all R&B records

One of the most well known is proberly Sam Fletcher - I'd think it over 1962 or 63 cant remember now.

What year was the Parakeets - i love you like i do, they were a early doowop group

"There Goes My Baby" by The Drifters (from 1958 I think) is a possible contender. But it depends upon how you define a "soul" record as opposed to an "R&B" record. Many records contained elements of both (and more).

Paul Mooney

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

Quite nice Gareth, certainly reminded me of 'Earth Angel'.............Now that is a early record and any one say's it aint got soul to it needs there head checkin

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

New it rang a bell a quick flick through the box upstairs! and its on the flip too 'Lovin' Time' thats a great record too, might not be too every ones taste but certainly good

I hear a lot of soul in this voice - from September 14 1955. And so did Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and James Brown... it seems.

I_M_JUST_A_LONELY_GUY_2.mp3

I hear a lot of soul in this voice - from September 14 1955. And so did Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and James Brown... it seems.

However, as Richard himself has freeley admitted on many an occasion, he and JB got most of their inspiration from the great Billy Wright, a fellow Georgian whose best early 1950s records have just been reissued on a Rev-Ola CD. The live version, from 1953, of "Do Something For Me" will be especially revealing to those who though that James, especially, arrived with his style already fully formed...

Although I maintain that Little Willie John was the first soul singer in the fact that his style looked forward to soul rather than back at R & B, there's a strong claim to be made for Billy Wright as "the daddy of them all"...

TONE

Here's the original list I put together for a post on here in April 2004, with a few extra additions. I know many of these are R&B, but anyway, here we go!:

JO ANN HENDERSON: Baby Please Don't Go (Phonograph) circa 1953 - 1955

VARETTA DILLARD: That's Why I Cry (RCA) 1958

RICHARD BERRY: Have Love Will Travel (Flip) 1959

JOHNNY ADAMS: Come On (US Ric/UK Top Rank) 1959

IRMA THOMAS: Don't Mess With My Man (Ron) 1960

LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: I'm Shakin' (King) 1960

CHARLES SHEFFIELD: It's Your Voodoo Working (Excello) 1961

BETTY O'BRIEN: She'll Be Gone (Liberty) 1961

SHERRI TAYLOR: He's The One That Rings My Bell (Gloreco) 1961

JOE SIMON: I See Your Face (Hush) 1961

DICK JORDAN: I Want Her Back (US Jamie/UK Piccadilly) 1961

CLYDE McPHATTER: I Never Knew (Mercury) 1961

THE FLAMINGOS: I Know Better (End) 1961

THE PENTAGONS: Gonna Wait For You (Sutter) 1961

TOMMY FRONTERA: (You're My) Leading Lady (Hi-Lite) 1961

JUSTIN JONES: Dance By Yourself (US Flippin'/UK London) 1961

TED TAYLOR: I Lost The Best Thing I Ever Had (Dade/Soncraft) 1961

BENNY SPELLMAN: This Is For You My Love (Alon) 1962

DEAN BARLOW: Third Window From The Right (Lescay) 1962

BARBARA DANE: I'm On My Way (Trey/Capitol) 1962

THE CHESTERFIELDS: You Walked Away (Philips) 1962

DANNY MOORE: Somebody New (Allrite) 1962

ROY HAMILTON: Earthquake (Epic) 1962

THE DRAPERS: Your Love Has Gone Away (Gee) 1962

THE SQUIRES: Don't Accuse Me (Gee) 1962 (the next release after the Drapers!)

MAXINE BROWN: Am I Falling In Love (US ABC/UK HMV) 1962

H B BARNUM: It Hurts Too Much To Cry (US RCA/UK RCA Victor EP) 1962

BARBARA REDD: I'll Be All Alone (SPQR) 1963

TIMI YURO: Insult To Injury (Liberty) 1963

LARRY TRIDER: Carbon Copy (Coral) 1963

THE DELCOS: Arabia (Showcase/Ebony/Show Me) 1963

THE CLEFTONES: There She Goes (US Gee/UK Columbia) 1963

THE DIPLOMATS: Cards On The Table (Arock) 1963

TONY WILLIAMS: How Come (US or UK Philips) 1963

ELMORE MORRIS: Before I Turned My Back On You (Crackerjack) 1963

THE SHUFFLERS: Always Be Mine (Crackerjack) 1963

Edited April 18, 200619 yr by Gene-R

Bobby Glover,"little girl",RCA 7"ep..........from the 5ts,cant remember exactly

I`m surprised no one has mentioned Ray Charles .......... "what i say " a lot of his late 50`s recordings were blending church & R&B.

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

That's more doowop than soul

Here's the original list I put together for a post on here in April 2004, with a few extra additions. I know many of these are R&B, but anyway, here we go!:

JO ANN HENDERSON: Baby Please Don't Go (Phonograph) circa 1953 - 1955

VARETTA DILLARD: That's Why I Cry (RCA) 1958

RICHARD BERRY: Have Love Will Travel (Flip) 1959

JOHNNY ADAMS: Come On (US Ric/UK Top Rank) 1959

IRMA THOMAS: Don't Mess With My Man (Ron) 1960

LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: I'm Shakin' (King) 1960

CHARLES SHEFFIELD: It's Your Voodoo Working (Excello) 1961

BETTY O'BRIEN: She'll Be Gone (Liberty) 1961

SHERRI TAYLOR: He's The One That Rings My Bell (Gloreco) 1961

JOE SIMON: I See Your Face (Hush) 1961

DICK JORDAN: I Want Her Back (US Jamie/UK Piccadilly) 1961

CLYDE McPHATTER: I Never Knew (Mercury) 1961

THE FLAMINGOS: I Know Better (End) 1961

THE PENTAGONS: Gonna Wait For You (Sutter) 1961

TOMMY FRONTERA: (You're My) Leading Lady (Hi-Lite) 1961

JUSTIN JONES: Dance By Yourself (US Flippin'/UK London) 1961

TED TAYLOR: I Lost The Best Thing I Ever Had (Dade/Soncraft) 1961

BENNY SPELLMAN: This Is For You My Love (Alon) 1962

DEAN BARLOW: Third Window From The Right (Lescay) 1962

BARBARA DANE: I'm On My Way (Trey/Capitol) 1962

THE CHESTERFIELDS: You Walked Away (Philips) 1962

DANNY MOORE: Somebody New (Allrite) 1962

ROY HAMILTON: Earthquake (Epic) 1962

THE DRAPERS: Your Love Has Gone Away (Gee) 1962

THE SQUIRES: Don't Accuse Me (Gee) 1962 (the next release after the Drapers!)

MAXINE BROWN: Am I Falling In Love (US ABC/UK HMV) 1962

H B BARNUM: It Hurts Too Much To Cry (US RCA/UK RCA Victor EP) 1962

BARBARA REDD: I'll Be All Alone (SPQR) 1963

TIMI YURO: Insult To Injury (Liberty) 1963

LARRY TRIDER: Carbon Copy (Coral) 1963

THE DELCOS: Arabia (Showcase/Ebony/Show Me) 1963

THE CLEFTONES: There She Goes (US Gee/UK Columbia) 1963

THE DIPLOMATS: Cards On The Table (Arock) 1963

TONY WILLIAMS: How Come (US or UK Philips) 1963

ELMORE MORRIS: Before I Turned My Back On You (Crackerjack) 1963

THE SHUFFLERS: Always Be Mine (Crackerjack) 1963

Suprised to see Danny Moore is 1962, didn't think it sounded so early.

Fair point Tony but.... Billys recordings sound a bit tamish when you consider what came next. Richards 1951 cut of "Every Hour' which Billy covered as "Every Evening" shows how much Richard copied Billy vocally early on at least- something Richard himself acknowledges freely.

But I do think "I'm Just A Lonely Guy' takes everything into very soulful (i.e. emotional) territory. But then I'm totally and utterly biased !

1962 I think. The Driveller has one. Pained me to leave the last 100 Club without it.

Edited April 18, 200619 yr by Simsy

1962 I think. The Driveller has one. Pained me to leave the last 100 Club without it.

Rings a bell that Ian! you got a sound file? sure i see it in a box last 100, proberly why it rings a bell

Rings a bell that Ian! you got a sound file? sure i see it in a box last 100, proberly why it rings a bell

However, as Richard himself has freeley admitted on many an occasion, he and JB got most of their inspiration from the great Billy Wright, a fellow Georgian whose best early 1950s records have just been reissued on a Rev-Ola CD. The live version, from 1953, of "Do Something For Me" will be especially revealing to those who though that James, especially, arrived with his style already fully formed...

Although I maintain that Little Willie John was the first soul singer in the fact that his style looked forward to soul rather than back at R & B, there's a strong claim to be made for Billy Wright as "the daddy of them all"...

TONE

Damn, I was just going to say all that..... Wasn't really and beautifully put, Mr Rounce Interesting thread Jo

Great record that, cheers Ian another one for the 'wants' list, what did you pay for it if you dont mind me asking

Great record that, cheers Ian another one for the 'wants' list, what did you pay for it if you dont mind me asking

Not paid for it yet. Could be why I left without it £225.

Fair point Tony but.... Billys recordings sound a bit tamish when you consider what came next. Richards 1951 cut of "Every Hour' which Billy covered as "Every Evening" shows how much Richard copied Billy vocally early on at least- something Richard himself acknowledges freely.

But I do think "I'm Just A Lonely Guy' takes everything into very soulful (i.e. emotional) territory. But then I'm totally and utterly biased !

I couldn't agree more about LR & this track in particular. I bought it in the early 60s on an EP LR & His Band, it also included the manic & clever Slippin' & Slidin'. I'm biased too as LR was The One who brought R&B in its wildest form to the UK airwaves (what little you could get) and influenced many a young collector to focus on black music and other artists singing in that style which eventually moved along with Ray Charles, Bobby Bland etc into soul

so R&B or Doowop can't be soul they're all R&B records

What about Donna Hightower 'Ain't that Love' Capitol 1958

Not paid for it yet. Could be why I left without it £225.

Boll**k's thats one that will have to wait then.

Edited April 18, 200619 yr by Baz

Boll**k's thats one that will have to wait then.

Yeah only other one one I've seen went for about £170. But that was May last year and it wasn't a picture cover.

BTW anyone know what year this Roy H ditty is? Early I think 57'?

Edited April 18, 200619 yr by Simsy

BTW anyone know what year this Roy H ditty is? Early I think 57'?

As you were, 62'.

1962

Love some of these early numbers. Takes up the slack for some of those awful modern tunes!

How many Showmen tunes pre 63' I wonder ...?

Great thread.

Great year 62!

Whoa there Simsy, getting carried away! Go to bed!

How many Showmen tunes pre 63' I wonder ...?

i Heard Country Fool (1961) at Friday street recently

A lot of the tracks mentioned are R&b aren't they? R&B being music with more or less pop production but blues chord changes.

If you include Varetta Dillard 'That's why I cry' than you can include 10000 other R&B tracks.

That Four Bars is more what I think of as 'early soul'. It starts with an R&B sound but the changes thereafter are not traditional blues changes.

Lamont Dozier - 'dearest one', Marv Johnson ' the man who dont believe in love', Sam Fletcher, Freddie Houston, Younge Jessie ' you were meant for me'...that's the sort of sound that I'd describe as 'early soul' and being a different style to R&B, or a different style of R&B at least.

A lot of the tracks mentioned are R&b aren't they? R&B being music with more or less pop production but blues chord changes.

Surely rhythm and blues was a generic title for all black music with the exception of 12 bar blues and gospel? It was coined in the late 40s by someone like Jerry Wexler to replace the perjorative terms "race music" and "Harlem hit parade".

If you look at the R&B charts from the 50s they include jump blues, Chicago blues like Muddy Waters, etc, Roy Hamilton's ballads, Fats Domino, and some white records that were successful with black record buyers, e.g. Johnny Ray's Cry, and some early rock'n'roll by Bill Haley, Elvis, Carl Perkins, etc.

It would be impossible imo to say such and such a record is the first soul record, changes in musical style are a gradual process. However For Your Precious Love (Jerry Butler & The Impressions), Need Your Love So Bad (Little Willie John) and There Goes My Baby (The Drifters) certainly must be in the reckoning. Also the Isley Brothers' Shout. Clyde McPhatter bought a touch of the church to his records, originally with the Dominoes and then the Drifters. And of course Ray Charles achieved success when he went to Atlantic and used gospel infuences.

Personally I find this a fascinating subject.

I too am surprised that Danny Moore's Somebody New is from 1962, doesn't sound that early to me, but what do I know? Also what year was Sam Fletcher's I'd Think It Over Twice recorded? Sounds late 60s to me, but again what do I know?

Surely rhythm and blues was a generic title for all black music with the exception of 12 bar blues and gospel? It was coined in the late 40s by someone like Jerry Wexler to replace the perjorative terms "race music" and "Harlem hit parade".....

It would be impossible imo to say such and such a record is the first soul record, changes in musical style are a gradual process. However For Your Precious Love (Jerry Butler & The Impressions), Need Your Love So Bad (Little Willie John) and There Goes My Baby (The Drifters) certainly must be in the reckoning. Also the Isley Brothers' Shout. Clyde McPhatter bought a touch of the church to his records, originally with the Dominoes and then the Drifters. And of course Ray Charles achieved success when he went to Atlantic and used gospel infuences.

Personally I find this a fascinating subject.

I too am surprised that Danny Moore's Somebody New is from 1962, doesn't sound that early to me, but what do I know? Also what year was Sam Fletcher's I'd Think It Over Twice recorded? Sounds late 60s to me, but again what do I know?

I obviously can't speak for Mik Parry but I think his use of R&B is one understood by most people as being post blues and pre-soul. And he's certainly right as far as I am concerned regarding the tracks mentioned as being R&B as opposed to Soul records."I'm all alone" is a great record but a Soul record it isn't. Even the piano is trademark R&B.

Agree with you about Jerry Butler & The Impressions 1958 Vee-Jay "For Your Precious Love" as being in the running. I'd go futher and say it was the very first. Yes, James Brown's (Federal?) PLeae, please does have something about it that makes it different from R&B as does Little Williw John's "I'm Shaking", mentioned by Gareth X and Tony Rounce respectively, but "For Your Precious Love" is Soul through and through - I wish I had the musical vocabulary to expalin what I mean by that!

Agree too that Sam Flketcher sounds much much later than 1962.At leasst 1965 I would have thought.

Jerry_Butler___For_Your_precious_Love.mp3

I think few people outside the world of rare soul would seriously consider Sam Fletcher as a defining example of early soul: it's from about 1964 and far too idiosyncratic in its approach to be considered alongside such definitive gems as The Falcons or The Impressions as mentioned above. A great record, but isn't it just very dramatic and very well-sung pop music by an artist who just happened to be black?

Has anyone got a soundfile of The Falcons "Long Lonely Nights" on Lupine (the reverse of "Has It Happened To You Yet") To me this record is a milestone: a group ballad which has roots in doo-wop but is unashamedly and dynamically a SOUL record, and a breathtaking example of one at that.

I suppose we'll never be able to pin this down to a specific record, but James Brown & The Famous Flames first ever audition for King Records had King A&R director Gene Redd scratching his head wondering what this strange form of R&B the Flames were playing was all about (initially he was reported as saying "that's not even music"). The song was Please Please Please and the year was 1956.

Little Willie John's Need Your Love So Bad (1955 or 56?) was a similarly incendiary case of a blues ballad being sung with 100% gospel sincerity.

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

Good call Gareth......that's one of my all time faves of all time!

Good call Gareth......that's one of my all time faves of all time!

erm Bertha Tillman, that is!

I think few people outside the world of rare soul would seriously consider Sam Fletcher as a defining example of early soul: it's from about 1964 and far too idiosyncratic in its approach to be considered alongside such definitive gems as The Falcons or The Impressions as mentioned above. A great record, but isn't it just very dramatic and very well-sung pop music by an artist who just happened to be black?

Has anyone got a soundfile of The Falcons "Long Lonely Nights" on Lupine (the reverse of "Has It Happened To You Yet") To me this record is a milestone: a group ballad which has roots in doo-wop but is unashamedly and dynamically a SOUL record, and a breathtaking example of one at that.

agreed about Sam Fletcher, probably applies to my other examples as well. The group sound is more a soul sound than the beat ballads etc, you can hear the gospel influence.

5 Royales I think is not doo wop and not R&B...that's the kind of sound that's more accurately 'early soul'.

Dont know about that Jerry Butler though, nice as it is, it could just be a pop ballad from that era to me, by Elvis or Righteous Brothers

Edited April 19, 200619 yr by mik parry

Also what year was Sam Fletcher's I'd Think It Over Twice recorded? Sounds late 60s to me, but again what do I know?

Precisely June 1964, Geoff! It even shares my birthday, give or take a few days!

Edited April 19, 200619 yr by Gene-R

Any fans of this 1960 "Will you Ever Be Mine" Red Top by Donnie Elbert. Dwfinitely in the style of Little Williw John but great in its own right. Check out the sax.

Donnie_Elbert___Will_you_ever_be_mine.mp3

"Precisely June 1964, Geoff! It even shares my birthday, give or take a few days!"

Thanks for the information Gene, good year for soul imo. Wish it had been available over here then, it's one I love to dance to.

See you Friday!

See you Friday!

Sure will Geoff - I look forward to it mate!

Fair point Tony but.... Billys recordings sound a bit tamish when you consider what came next. Richards 1951 cut of "Every Hour' which Billy covered as "Every Evening" shows how much Richard copied Billy vocally early on at least- something Richard himself acknowledges freely.

But I do think "I'm Just A Lonely Guy' takes everything into very soulful (i.e. emotional) territory. But then I'm totally and utterly biased !

...I would never, ever hear a bad word about Richard and, in fact, I'm listening to "Send Me Some Lovin'" even while I'm typing this. He's been a hero of mine since I was a kid in the 50s and, I'm pleased to say, my one year old baby girl's own current playlist includes his "Shake It All About" CD of kids songs.

Now, if you want to know what "The Hokey Cokey" really IS 'All About", who better to tell you than The King (And Queen!) of Rock 'n' Roll!

While we're talking Richard, let's have a big shout out for his fabulous 1973 Green Mountain 45 "In The Middle Of The Night", and the astounding Veejay 45 "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me". If anyone ever asked me for one record that defines deep soul in under three minutes, the latter would never be far from the top of my head - or my list...

TONE

PS: Yes, I suppose Billy Wright is a bit tame compared to Richard, but so is thrash metal....

While we're talking Richard, let's have a big shout out for his fabulous 1973 Green Mountain 45 "In The Middle Of The Night", and the astounding Veejay 45 "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me". If anyone ever asked me for one record that defines deep soul in under three minutes, the latter would never be far from the top of my head - or my list...

This sounfdile is taken from the Vee-Jay album A Taste of Soul. At 4 minutes plus Little Richard is taking taking a bit longer than 3 mi nutes to define Deep Soul. The 45 featured parts 1 and 2. Is this cut parts 1 & 2 I wonder? Interestingly, the sleeve notes mention that the guitarist is a pre- Experience Jimi Hendrix.

Little_Richard___I_don_t_know_what_you_got_but_it_s_me.mp3

This sounfdile is taken from the Vee-Jay album A Taste of Soul. At 4 minutes plus Little Richard is taking taking a bit longer than 3 mi nutes to define Deep Soul. The 45 featured parts 1 and 2. Is this cut parts 1 & 2 I wonder? Interestingly, the sleeve notes mention that the guitarist is a pre- Experience Jimi Hendrix.

I could be a smartarse and say that I was only talking about part one of the 2-part 45s but I'll admit that I had a jagged time lapse of the old grey matter, for a moment there

That's true about Hendrix, by the way...

TONE

I think few people outside the world of rare soul would seriously consider Sam Fletcher as a defining example of early soul: it's from about 1964 and far too idiosyncratic in its approach to be considered alongside such definitive gems as The Falcons or The Impressions as mentioned above. A great record, but isn't it just very dramatic and very well-sung pop music by an artist who just happened to be black?

Has anyone got a soundfile of The Falcons "Long Lonely Nights" on Lupine (the reverse of "Has It Happened To You Yet") To me this record is a milestone: a group ballad which has roots in doo-wop but is unashamedly and dynamically a SOUL record, and a breathtaking example of one at that.

That reminds me of another early 'soul' record as a new release in the UK on London, the incredible I found A Love by the Falcons (Wilson Pickett). I remember at the time being taken abackby this as absolutely nothing like it had been heard here before (well I hadn't). In those days R&B was thought of as classic stuff like Muddy Waters etc. Another UK release around that time that was not considered R&B was the manic Shout & Shimmy by James Brown.

That reminds me of another early 'soul' record as a new release in the UK on London, the incredible I found A Love by the Falcons (Wilson Pickett).

Amazing really that noone else has mentioned this one. Sadly, I didn't get to hear this on its release in the UK. It would be another 22 years befoer I got to listen to it on 1984 Atlantic Best of Wilson Pickett CD. Up until then I thought Wilson was all about Mustanfg Sally and In the Midnight Hour etc. This earlier Falcons record stood out immediately on that CD.

Wilson_Pickett___I_Found_A_Love.mp3

...I would never, ever hear a bad word about Richard and, in fact, I'm listening to "Send Me Some Lovin'" even while I'm typing this. He's been a hero of mine since I was a kid in the 50s and, I'm pleased to say, my one year old baby girl's own current playlist includes his "Shake It All About" CD of kids songs.

Now, if you want to know what "The Hokey Cokey" really IS 'All About", who better to tell you than The King (And Queen!) of Rock 'n' Roll!

While we're talking Richard, let's have a big shout out for his fabulous 1973 Green Mountain 45 "In The Middle Of The Night", and the astounding Veejay 45 "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me". If anyone ever asked me for one record that defines deep soul in under three minutes, the latter would never be far from the top of my head - or my list...

TONE

PS: Yes, I suppose Billy Wright is a bit tame compared to Richard, but so is thrash metal....

It wouldn't be fair to totally hijack this thread but....Tony, were you and I seperated at birth maybe ? I've been a Richard fan since I was four years old when i used to HAMMER the same four track E.P. that s Slimharpo mentioned (She's Got It/I'm Just A Lonely Guy/Slippin and Slidin and Heeby Jeebies which I still have although the sleeve went a loooong time ago). I can talk Richard for days on end without pausing for breath. But as you've mentioned the Greene Mountain 45 I'll post it here. The flip's good too but a bit more 'country'. I won't post up "Hokey Cokey" or even Richards version of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story but if anyone wants to hear either of them drop me a line ! Regards to "I Don't Know What You've Got" it exists in two different forms with different vocal takes and one is without the wobbly organ. Don Covay wrote it and if my ears don't decieve me its Don harmonising on the record. I've had it listed as my favourite sound on my profile for a while- the problem for me is that if anyone asks what my favourite record is, then I have to list all of Richards recorded work first (even the bad ones) then all the other records I like by other artists. But this is all away from 'early' soul records. We've had some great examples though. here's the Greene Mountain 45 from 1973

IN_THE_MIDDLE_OF_THE_NIGHT.mp3

Edited April 20, 200619 yr by Simon White

That reminds me of another early 'soul' record as a new release in the UK on London, the incredible I found A Love by the Falcons (Wilson Pickett).

Their first release in the UK was "You're So Fine/Goddess of Angels" on London - the A-side of which is another very nice nid-tempo soul/R&B track from 1959.

This line up for this apparently featured Joe Stubbs, Eddie Floyd, Lance Finnie, Willie Schofield and Bonny "Mack" Rice.

Edited April 20, 200619 yr by Gene-R

This 1960 Dee Clark is very pretty. The boys behind Dee are The Dells.

Dee_Clark___Your_friends_Vee_Jay_1960.mp3

I suppose we'll never be able to pin this down to a specific record, but James Brown & The Famous Flames first ever audition for King Records had King A&R director Gene Redd scratching his head wondering what this strange form of R&B the Flames were playing was all about (initially he was reported as saying "that's not even music"). The song was Please Please Please and the year was 1956.

Little Willie John's Need Your Love So Bad (1955 or 56?) was a similarly incendiary case of a blues ballad being sung with 100% gospel sincerity.

A personal favourite of mine in the early soul stakes is Bertha Tillman's "Oh My Angel" on Brent.

bertha had a uk release on oriole which im chuffed to own ... i prefer the other side personally ... most of gene chandlers pre 63 releases could be classed in the genre of soul imo ..

Ruth Brown

Della Reese