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Soul
Soul music materialised in the early 1950's; it was raw, with its roots firmly planted in American gospel and performed primarily by black musicians almost exclusively to a black audience. Ray Charles (aka 'The Genius') was a major force in the early development of soul music with his unique style, which was of a rich blend of gospel, rhythm and blues and Jazz.
The Motown Sound
In the 1960's soul music came into his own with the Motown sound. At a time when the struggle for racial equality was paramount in America soul music played a major role in black pride. The sound was joyous, uplifting and confident and accompanied the Civil Rights movement at every turn with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. With a blend of gospel piano, percussion, brass and strings the Motown sound reached out to the whole population with acts like The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and The Four Tops rarely out of the charts.
The Stax/Volt Sound
The Stax sound dominated the sixties alongside the Motown sound and continued to thrive well into the seventies. Very different from Motown, Stax had an earthier, bluesy feel, often powered by the classic Booker T and the MGs rhythm section. The music was concentrated around the organ and the low brass sound; raw and unsophisticated, its appeal was huge. Check Wilson Pickett, Rufus Thomas and Isaac Hayes.
Atlantic Soul
Stax's rival label, Atlantic, launched the career of singers like Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge and Otis Redding as well as being home to Ray Charles.
Northern Soul
A style of music derived from Motown soul but produced by other labels. Northern soul spread throughout the UK in the seventies, hitting every youth club, disco and dance mainly in the north of England, hence the name. The music was rare and obscure, and this new underground scene rapidly developed with an almost cult following.
Disco
Disco music originated from the New York Gay scene, discotheques and clubs that played nothing but music for dancing. DJs would play two copies of the same 7 inch single to extend the playing time, using records with a strong and heavy groove. DJs soon started to prepare their own extended versions with added instruments and longer introductions. This style of music, epitomised by the slick studio funk of Bernard Edward's and Nile Rodgers productions for Chic and Sister Sledge, was eventually recognised in its own right in the early seventies. The classic disco era lasted until the late seventies.
The Philly Sound
The Philly Sound derived directly from the Motown and Stax sounds; however Philly soul added sweeping strings, melodic horns to the soulful vocals of groups like the O' Jays, MFSB, and Harold Melvin. This highly produced, slicker and smoother sound (masterminded but the duo of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff) provided a richer production that made Philly soul so distinctive and has paved the way for the new urban sounds that can be heard today.
Jazz-Funk
Jazz-Funk, which was originally referred to as 'Soul-Jazz', in it's earliest form was a mixture of jazz and southern soul. Whereas as soul-jazz was a more laid back groove, jazz-funk had a prominent backbeat with the vocals often replaced by instrumental melodies. The seventies and early eighties saw the merger of jazz with synthesisers and funky bass lines, however the link with soul was never lost. The jazz-funk sound experienced a revival in the nineties which brought it to a newer, wider audience.
Eighties Soul/Urban
Urban is term given to soul music of the eighties and nineties. the urban sound was very slick Whether Romantic ballads or uptempo dance tracks, the earthy grit of previous soul was replaced with a more pop-orientated, slicker sound, characterised by the 80s work of Michael Jackson. Urban lacked raw soul but proved to be very successful with its strong crossover appeal.
Source: bbc.co.uk/music/bluessoulreggae/guide_soul.shtml
