Had a discussion with an old mate of mine (and many others) Kev Featherstone, about what was the first soul record? It seems a topic that creates some differing opinions, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, the introduction of strings etc etc. I've also recently been listening to Kent Records excellent Birth of Soul series off cds with many great examples of early soul.

So, what do you think is the first soul record? Don't want your favourite, just where you think it all started?

Edited Wednesday at 09:265 days by Chalky

Interesting topic…however it opens the question of “what is soul”?

Jerry Butler, For your precious love.

1953 >> Faye Adams

. . . released here in 1968 on Bell's Cellar Of Soul Vol. Two

I associate the word Soul from when Berry Gordy purchased the label for $1 from Carmen Murphy.

2 hours ago, Blackpoolsoul said:

I associate the word Soul from when Berry Gordy purchased the label for $1 from Carmen Murphy.

That was around end of summer, 1963.

I'm sure there would be lots of songs we'd call "Soul Music" released long before then. I think lots of Five Royales' recordings on Apollo Records from even 1949-53 would be considered "Soul", but also R&B; and there were hundreds of others. So, for me, there was a 5-8 year overlap of those 2 genres. So there can't possibly be a "first" "Soul" record. There were hundreds of transitional records, moving from one genre to the other.

Edited Wednesday at 18:395 days by Robbk

Got the Birth of soul cd's, great compilations. Someone wrote somewhere that they regarded the Falcons "I found a love" as one of the first, but everyone will have their own choice.

Martyn

44 minutes ago, Dark City said:

Got the Birth of soul cd's, great compilations. Someone wrote somewhere that they regarded the Falcons "I found a love" as one of the first, but everyone will have their own choice.

Martyn

1 hour ago, Robbk said:

That was around end of summer, 1963.

I'm sure there would be lots of songs we'd call "Soul Music" released long before then. I think lots of Five Royales' recordings on Apollo Records from even 1949-53 would be considered "Soul", but also R&B; and there were hundreds of others. So, for me, there was a 5-8 year overlap of those 2 genres. So there can't possibly be a "first" "Soul" record. There were hundreds of transitional records, moving from one genre to the other.

I’m with Robbie on this one on the 8 year overlap, I would say 1955 to 1963 was the overlap with a mixture of doo,wop RnB, touch of Gospel emanating into the Soul that we recognise, I always loved and enjoyed some of the great sounds pre 1964, for me all the best sounds came pre 1974, God knows what was being played and the music made in those black clubs late fifties and early 60,s and what was lost forever just wish I could have been there just for one night

Cheers Mick L

If you were living in Baltimore in 1960 & attended these 4 shows @ the Royal Theatre ...I'm sure you'd have witnessed a few PURE SOUL filled performances of these artists recordings ...

Check out these other compilations regarding early soul. Soul breakout 4 vols. 58-61 from Fantastic voyage. Soul city 6 vols. also Fantastic voyage.

14 hours ago, Robbk said:

That was around end of summer, 1963.

I'm sure there would be lots of songs we'd call "Soul Music" released long before then. I think lots of Five Royales' recordings on Apollo Records from even 1949-53 would be considered "Soul", but also R&B; and there were hundreds of others. So, for me, there was a 5-8 year overlap of those 2 genres. So there can't possibly be a "first" "Soul" record. There were hundreds of transitional records, moving from one genre to the other.

14 hours ago, Robbk said:

That was around end of summer, 1963.

I'm sure there would be lots of songs we'd call "Soul Music" released long before then. I think lots of Five Royales' recordings on Apollo Records from even 1949-53 would be considered "Soul", but also R&B; and there were hundreds of others. So, for me, there was a 5-8 year overlap of those 2 genres. So there can't possibly be a "first" "Soul" record. There were hundreds of transitional records, moving from one genre to the other.

It is just my association and you are spot on and this article probably sums it up https://timeline.carnegiehall.org/genres/soul

A strong contender IMHO is Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad" from 1955.

On 28/05/2025 at 19:38, Robbk said:

That was around end of summer, 1963.

I'm sure there would be lots of songs we'd call "Soul Music" released long before then. I think lots of Five Royales' recordings on Apollo Records from even 1949-53 would be considered "Soul", but also R&B; and there were hundreds of others. So, for me, there was a 5-8 year overlap of those 2 genres. So there can't possibly be a "first" "Soul" record. There were hundreds of transitional records, moving from one genre to the other.

Hi Rob,

I def agree with this, Do you ( or anyone else) know when "soul" first came into print in relation to music, are there any ads, charts, references in write ups ?

Appreciate this is going way back but im always amazed what info folks have

Ta...j

i think HORACE SILVER ( DISCOGS: American jazz pianist, composer and bandleader, born September 2, 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA; died June 18, 2014 (age 85), in New Rochelle, New York, USA.) may have been ( one of the one's) credited with the term Soul Music.1960.

At least 'his style was called Soul Music'.

There was a jazz album from COLEMAN HAWKINS just titled Soul (Prestige) released in 1958.

... another jazz album from HANK MOBLEY titled Soul Station (Blue Note) released in 1960.

Also yet another jazz album from BARBARA LONG just titled Soul (Savoy) in 1961.

Also in 61; Ray Charles had his Genius + Soul = Jazz LP (Impulse) out.

So the term was out there before & around the start of the decade, but was being used in a musical sense by jazz artists. In fact JAZZ had it's own (almost) complete language ... jazz slang ... where 100's of different terms were used on a regular basis ... one of these was ...

SOUL JAZZ -- which was a genre of music that emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s, blending elements of jazz, R&B, and gospel music all together.

GOING BACK TO THE RAY CHARLES ALBUM ... the sleeve notes state that this album demonstrates Ray Charles pushing the boundaries of music utilising the Hammond organ. The music is out & out jazz with an emotional projection ... as SOUL MUSIC was really R&B fused with gospel, I'd guess that would be R&B with an emotional projection ...

Edited Friday at 13:513 days by Roburt

On 30/05/2025 at 05:21, Pigeon Thing said:

Hi Rob,

I def agree with this, Do you ( or anyone else) know when "soul" first came into print in relation to music, are there any ads, charts, references in write ups ?

Appreciate this is going way back but im always amazed what info folks have

Ta...j

There are always outliers, so a stray was probably before 1958. But we started to see that term for a music style in 1958 and 1959. And by 1960-61, it was fairly common. By 1963-64 it was entrenched as a new genre of Music, now detached from R&B (but lots of songs were transitional, and had several elements of both. I'd like to read The Yank's answer to this question, to see if it differs at all.

Whilst I agree the transition from say blues/R&B to soul was over a few years there are, like in any genre certain records that kick things off, Ray Charles in the 50s often given as an example. Sam Cooke often cited for when Soul went mainstream.

On 28/05/2025 at 10:59, Roburt said:

1953 >> Faye Adams

. . . released here in 1968 on Bell's Cellar Of Soul Vol. Two

Nice song to chill to .

I think it was Dave Godin who cited Maxine Brown - All In My Mind as the first Soul record .

On 01/06/2025 at 20:12, Robbk said:

There are always outliers, so a stray was probably before 1958. But we started to see that term for a music style in 1958 and 1959. And by 1960-61, it was fairly common. By 1963-64 it was entrenched as a new genre of Music, now detached from R&B (but lots of songs were transitional, and had several elements of both. I'd like to read The Yank's answer to this question, to see if it differs at all.

Picking the 1st Soul record will always be debatable. The same thing goes for when the term "Soul" first appeared. I don't think it was the 1st time it was ever used but the examples below are a good starting point. The album was released in early 1961 and here's a part of the liner notes- "Soul in the last few years has become a very successful commercial term, more often than not, it is just a commercial term". So even in 1961, the term seems to have been around for awhile. I'm sure there are earlier examples of the term being used , hopefully someone will add to the thread.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by The Yank