https://www.lookatyoursoul.org

 

Just an update to say the response has been fantastic and we have some incredible sets coming up from collectors around the world: We add a new one each Saturday.

We welcome sets from anyone who wants to look at the brief and contribute.

Please look and share if you can/want

Best to all

Paul-s

Edited November 18, 20204 yr by Paul-s
update

This looks great Paul, and extremely interesting

Thanks.

It's aiming to become an evolving listening project based around soul vinyl. There is a lot of explicit history, politics told through much of the music we, as collectors, dancers, DJ's, soulies, love and listen too. Got some great sets to kick it off with, with a lot of tunes many wouldn't have heard. I hope it creates a platform for people to listen, engage, share and enjoy.

 

My biggest bug bear, especially about Grey Imprint is that people don’t listen to the lyrics (it’s all about the beat) - it’s a Molotov cocktail of a record lyrically and probably one of the best examples of political soul. 
 

another favourite of mine is 

 

Gridwood - back in 1976 with half a gram of sulphate in you - listening to James Colt Black Power - I/we didn’t care about the lyrics, it was all about the beat, fast dancing, enjoyment and a carefree time - I can only speak for myself and the people I hung around with but - we didn’t care - we were young, nothing was going to stop us - it was pure music it was pure Soul it was our Soul - it was still underground - you had to be there.

4 hours ago, Zoomsoulblue said:

Gridwood - back in 1976 with half a gram of sulphate in you - listening to James Colt Black Power - I/we didn’t care about the lyrics, it was all about the beat, fast dancing, enjoyment and a carefree time - I can only speak for myself and the people I hung around with but - we didn’t care - we were young, nothing was going to stop us - it was pure music it was pure Soul it was our Soul - it was still underground - you had to be there.

Yeah true - however lots of these tunes are being played today on the scene and folks still don’t listen. It’s maybe because I’m from a hip hop background that I concentrate on the lyrics as well as the beat. 
 

 

On 13/08/2020 at 06:51, Zoomsoulblue said:

Gridwood - back in 1976 with half a gram of sulphate in you - listening to James Colt Black Power - I/we didn’t care about the lyrics, it was all about the beat, fast dancing, enjoyment and a carefree time - I can only speak for myself and the people I hung around with but - we didn’t care - we were young, nothing was going to stop us - it was pure music it was pure Soul it was our Soul - it was still underground - you had to be there.

I can only speak for myself.

But, 1976, I was there. As a 15 year old lad I just wanted to dance too. But, when I danced, even then,  to Coit and Ghetto Kitty and Valentino's I did actually care about the lyrics, I heard them. However, because of my crap education then, I had no idea of what they actually related to politically/historically, but I 'felt it' and knew it meant something. As I grew and read and experienced life etc, it became clearer over time.

The scene stayed underground way past Wigan too and way after many Wigan-Centric soulies left. Thats when a lot of great music surfaced and listening habits evolved.

For me, as I have got older I started to listen even closer. I didn't stop, I carried on listening and dancing, I still do.

When I DJ'd DDA and Soul or Nothing I found that I was naturally drawn to 'Soul With A Message' (Tommy Sovik term). Me and Karl Heard used to call it 'Ghetto Soul.' 

I have to be 'here', in this moment in time, or whatever moment in time, and the way I listen to music relates to the historical and political environment I live in. It's not nostalgic.

For me, and I can only speak to that, the music is powerful in that way. 

I have no idea what 'pure music, pure soul is', but I do know it's a very tenuous statement and feels like another claim to authenticity, and that is always tenuous. I don't doubt it was for you: and that is all you can claim. It would also seem to infer that everything else was/is 'not'. I heard loads of shite music back then and could write lists of it for days. 

 The Look At Your Soul site isn't an accusation that you don't/didn't listen. It's an invite to listen now, not in a retrospective sense of when you were in your teens or in 1976, there is no demand from it to make excuses as to why you/we didn't listen 'then'.

Point is, we can listen now.

 

 

On 13/08/2020 at 06:37, girdwoodinc said:

My biggest bug bear, especially about Grey Imprint is that people don’t listen to the lyrics (it’s all about the beat) - it’s a Molotov cocktail of a record lyrically and probably one of the best examples of political soul. 
 

another favourite of mine is 

 

Totally agree. This is a nice track too....

Edited November 18, 20204 yr by Paul-s

Interesting stuff, looking forward to seeing / hearing the site develop.

Looking forward to this developing. Good idea Paul

Evening All

We have finally launched our platform today! 

Our 1st guest DJ set is now live 🤩

Go check it out , get listening and get involved here! :  - LOOK AT YOUR SOUL WEBSITE

Stay safe n stay soulful all 🙏

Kristen and Paul

@Paul-s

It's taken a while to get there, but we are pleased to share this resource and hope you can take time to listen, share and get involved:

Look At Your Soul invites collectors to dig out records by African American artists, recorded during 1960s and 1970s, that tell the story of Black social, cultural and political struggle through the music.

First up, with a superb mix, is Tommy Sovik from Norway, and in coming weeks and months we will be uploading more sets including  Sam Goldie (Australia), Alfredo Maddaloni (Italy) and more.....

https://www.lookatyoursoul.org

 

Best

 

Paul & Kristen

Like the sound of this initiative. Nice one Paul. 

1 hour ago, Andybellwood said:

Like the sound of this initiative. Nice one Paul. 

Thanks Andy. 

Just had a listen to Tommy Søvik's set; very interesting and varied. Good work folks.

2 hours ago, Seano said:

Just had a listen to Tommy Søvik's set; very interesting and varied. Good work folks.

Thanks. Some great stuff to come too. 

Sam Goldie is up next with another interesting and varied set. Thats how we want to progress the site if we can. Thanks for the support!

 

Found this old Soul Source post from 2008: World has still changed very little.......nice to have a site that now shares this music....

 

https://www.lookatyoursoul.org/

Paul-s

Members

3,284 posts

Posted December 5, 2008

"Not sure if thats a good term for it but hey, it does it for me.  I seem to have loads of records that have lyrics that talk about the social/political environment of the late 60's/70's. Listening to them now, it makes me realise how little the world has really progressed! For example:

ANTONIO CASTRO - Welfare

LEROY CLOFER - Mr Big Man

GHETTO KITTY - Stand Up And Be Counted

FOUR MONITORS - Dark Side Of The Ghetto

JOHNNY KING & FATBACK - Peace, Love, Not War

WALLY COCO - Message To Society

FRANKIE STATON - Speckled Rainbow Love

BETHEA THE MASKMAN - Ghetto Love

SOUL INJECTIONS - Stay Of The Moon

ESSENCE - Black Reflections

I would be really interested in other examples from the collectors out there? And what name do you give to this genre of music..?" 

Edited November 4, 20204 yr by Mike
link was messed up

https://www.lookatyoursoul.org/thelisteningbooth/sam-goldie

NEW SET by Miss Goldie is now up.🙂

Edited November 11, 20204 yr by Paul-s

The project has had great support, and that's very humbling and very much appreciated. I am hearing a lot of tunes I do not know and that sound fantastic. Soul with a message. 

Thanks to all.

www.lookatyoursoul.org 

Edited November 11, 20204 yr by Paul-s

NEXT UP on Saturday 21st is a superb set by Roual Galloway (Cordial Records).

In the coming weeks we have some brilliant sets coming to the site, so stay tuned, and thanks for the support!

Please contact me if you want to contribute a set that responds to the call out.

This week we have a set from Dave Rippoles. I get excited every week to share these amazing sets and this incredible music. Dave’s contribution builds beautifully on that with some amazing tunes

We have had such great support so far on this #listeningproject and I give massive thanks to all those who are responding to the call out so eloquently and soulfully. 🙏 

www.lookatyoursoul.org

Best

Paul-S