Does anyone know when the music industry used 'soul' as a term to describe the "new" sound of R&B? I know the Billboard list changed from R&B to Soul in 1969, just need to know when it was used the first time. 

 

 

Does anyone know when the music industry used 'soul' as a term to describe the "new" sound of R&B? I know the Billboard list changed from R&B to Soul in 1969, just need to know when it was used the first time. 

From Tricki Wicki - sounds about right

 

The phrase "soul music" itself, referring to gospel-style music with secular lyrics, is first attested in 1961.^[6] The term 'soul' in African-American parlance has connotations of African-American pride and culture. Gospel groups in the 1940s and 1950s occasionally used the term as part of their name. The jazz that self-consciously derived from gospel came to be called soul jazz. As singers and arrangers began using techniques from gospel and soul jazz in African-American popular music during the 1960s, soul music gradually functioned as an umbrella term for the African-American popular music at the time

From Tricki Wicki - sounds about right

 

The phrase "soul music" itself, referring to gospel-style music with secular lyrics, is first attested in 1961.^[6] The term 'soul' in African-American parlance has connotations of African-American pride and culture. Gospel groups in the 1940s and 1950s occasionally used the term as part of their name. The jazz that self-consciously derived from gospel came to be called soul jazz. As singers and arrangers began using techniques from gospel and soul jazz in African-American popular music during the 1960s, soul music gradually functioned as an umbrella term for the African-American popular music at the time

the information you can get on here is amazing..Thank you....Rob

the information you can get on here is amazing..Thank you....Rob

You're welcome Rob

 

I'd like to say it was all me own work like - but that would be bull shitting stretching it a bit!

 

 

Peter

 

Thanks Peter! I might be wrong, but doesen't 1961 sounds early? Does there exsist a more "serious" web page or book with this kind of info?

From the book African American Music. An introduction:

 

From the 1930s: Race music

Billboard 1949: Rhythm & blues 

Billboard 1969: Soul

Billboard 1982: Black music

Billboard 1990: R&B

Edited December 3, 201311 yr by Tommy1

You're welcome Rob

 

I'd like to say it was all me own work like - but that would be bull shitting stretching it a bit!

 

 

Peter

 

Always 'Stretching it a bit !'

Always 'Stretching it a bit !'

And you can fook off!

 

I thought you wanted to be my mate?

 

 

Peter

 

And you can fook off!

 

I thought you wanted to be my mate?

 

 

Peter

 

No , I pressed the wrong fooking button !!!

No , I pressed the wrong fooking button !!!

Sir Bastrard!

 

Peter

 

it's actually pretty hard to trace the etymology, you can find very early uses of the phrase "soul music" but the real question is when the phrase became a mainstream term used to describe a genre. I think you need to find something very mainstream examples that were big to show that it was actually being used -- e.g. Arthur Conley's "Sweet soul music" and Johnny Taylor "Wanted: One soul singer" and Dyke and the Blazers "We got more soul". So I would put the mainstream use of the term to describe music as a genre around '66-'67.

If it's of any use, and as Bob mentioned above, the terms "soul" and "soul music" starts to frequently appear in Billboard Magazine in 1966/1967, mostly in conjunction with the release of Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music".

 

There are previous mentions of the term though and it's worth noting that Otis Redding's "Sings Soul" LP was released in September 1965 (and that was a fairly high profile record).

 

I guess the term "soul" wasn't in mainstream use until later in the decade, but I've found the following clippings/ads from 1965 Billboard issues where the "soul " term was used to describe a specific type of music.

 

 

24 JULY 1965:

 

 

 

5 JUNE 1965:

 

 

 

23 OCTOBER 1965:

 

 

Thanks Bob and Sebastian, I agree with you both! 

 

"Talked about" in music magazines: 1965

Titles in the music itself: 1966-67

The new official term for african american pop music: 1969

Worth a read.  Didn't realise the Soul Stirrers were formed way back in 1926.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Soul_Stirrers

It was obviously used as a descriptive term in the 50's in certain Jazz circles, but I assume the question is aimed at start of it describing the more generically accepted secular music style of the 60's?

Edited December 4, 201311 yr by jocko

A big jazz & pop hit in 1964 .........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFcdMhb2Mc

It was obviously used as a descriptive term in the 50's in certain Jazz circles, but I assume the question is aimed at start of it describing the more generically accepted secular music style of the 60's?

Yes I know it was, and also as above, it was probably gospel bands who used the words the first time!

I thought it started with Sam Cooke when he left the Soul Stirrers and started adapting gospel into something more acceptable to a popular audience (with as Peter says secular lyrics). He is considered one of the founders of soul, and that would be in the late 50s, early 60s. I don't think it matters when it started being used in Billboard magazine, it was around long before that.

 

Hasn't commercial soul music gone back to being called R&B thesedays?

Edited December 4, 201311 yr by Matt Male

 

 

Hasn't commercial soul music gone back to being called R&B thesedays?

From the book African American Music. An introduction:

 

From the 1930s: Race music

Billboard 1949: Rhythm & blues 

Billboard 1969: Soul

Billboard 1982: Black music

Billboard 1990: R&B

I was around from the late '40s through today.  I heard the term used here and there during the '50s, and a fair amount more during the early '60s.  I would say that it started being used a lot more in 1964, and started to be used universally in 1965 (which seems to have been corroberated by some posts on this thread.  I think that widespread use happened about the same time Funk started to come in, and "Soul" music was a term that could encompass both R&B and Funk.

I agree with Robb in the sense that you can probably find some super early use but again what's important is its use as a mainstream term by the population to describe the correct style of music. Mid-60s sounds right.

So......what about Acid Folk? 

In a 1962 US newspaper piece ...................

"Soul" brothers & sisters will find a trip to the Lyric rewarding. There they will find the "Soul Genius" Ray Charles serving up such smash hits as ......

In a 1962 US newspaper piece ...................

"Soul" brothers & sisters will find a trip to the Lyric rewarding. There they will find the "Soul Genius" Ray Charles serving up such smash hits as ......

Wow, thanks! Do you have a scan or a link to this article?

Wow, thanks! Do you have a scan or a link to this article?

A scan of the relevant bits from the Baltimore newspaper in April 62 .........

A scan of the relevant bits from the Baltimore newspaper in April 62 .........

Thank you so much! I'm writing a history thesis about soul music and this is really interesting. But as you know we need to document all referrals, so,do you think it's possible to get a scan which also shows that this is from Baltimore newspaper in April 1962? Hope I'm not askin too much!

It is askin 2 much ...............

neither jazz buffs or soul lovers would ask so much !!!!

Edited December 6, 201311 yr by Roburt

It is askin 2 much ...............

neither jazz buffs or soul lovers would ask so much !!!!

Thanks a lot mate!!!

Tommy, I'm sure you know that one of the most important uses of the term came during the detroit riots when people put "Soul Brother" signs on their businesses to try to prevent them from being burned down.

Tommy, I'm sure you know that one of the most important uses of the term came during the detroit riots when people put "Soul Brother" signs on their businesses to try to prevent them from being burned down.

Yes I do