We all know that soul is heavily indebted to gospel music, and that many soul songs are just secularized versions of gospel songs.... but how did the intellectual property rules deal with it? 

For example, I finally just got a copy of "I thank the Lord" by the Mighty Voices of Wonder (on the Revival label from Michigan... credit given to "A. Henry") and the song is largely the same as the Sam and Dave song "I thank you" (credit given to Hayes/Porter). Were they both based on some older song?

Any thoughts on this? Other examples? How would this be dealt with today? Any different?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 20195 yr by ljblanken

I would have thought gospel songs could date back a long long time, and possibly difficult to find original writers?

There is also the flip side where a gospel tune is derived from a pop tune, ' showdown' for example.

Many soul singers did originate in gospel church choirs, so no doubt brought musical ideas from that into their song writing.

Good topic!

Ed

The Mighty Voices of Winder 45 is from 1971 - three years after Sam and Dave. 

In a similar way I've wondered recently how there are loads, and I mean loads of dance 12"s at the moment that sample old soul records without even mentioning the original artist on the label - often the track gets called a different name and credited to a different artist

i.e. (and this is a very small sample - I can think of about 50 off the top of my head):-

Secret Sounds / Al Kent - Come back home (JJ Barnes - Baby please come back home)
Coeo - Like it is (Luther Ingram - do you think there's a chance)
Chevals - La Bouteille / Under your command (Bataan - the bottle / Connie Laverne - can't do without you)
Chevals - See you when I get my heart broken (Lou Rawls - see you when I get there)

A bit like c/ups really

How come they don't have to credit the original artist? Seem to recall in the 80's and 90's dance tracks used to say 'contains a sample from .......'

One of the weirdest things that happened in the Gospel to Soul transition occurred when the Valentinos

covered the Womack Brothers "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" and turned it into "Lookin' For A Love".  Same

group, same arrangement, just different lyrics.

 

Edited May 28, 20195 yr by The Yank