Thor? In fact, the familiar Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston are all representatives of Sol singers. The following is a detailed introduction to Sol’s music. Please take a good look~ ~~

Soul Music

1. Overview

What is Soul (Soul, also translated as "Soul Music") music? Here's how some famous solo musicians met: Otis Redding said, "I'm not a blues singer, I'm not an R&B singer, I'm a solo singer. We went into the recording session with no preparation." Studio, record what we sing, this is Sol. You can sing how you feel. ""A General History of American Popular Music" explains: Sol is "something you really want to say from your heart..." Something tangible that you think about, that's in your heart, that you see, that you feel." Aretha Franklin said: "It's an obvious fact that Sol comes from gospel songs and blues. To me, Sol is a feeling, a deep feeling, and it comes from within me. , I show it... It is such an emotion through which it affects other people. "(Milt Jackson) said: "(Saul) is something you can't get from books or studies. kind of performance. In my case, I believe that what I heard and felt in church music... was the most powerful influence on my musical career."

We can see from that. Saul emphasized the free expression of inner feelings and was associated with black religion. Therefore, one critic made the following conclusion: "If we combine the characteristics of rhythm and blues and gospel songs, and allow the musician to fully use these elements freely to express his or her inner feelings, obviously we can get close to "Soul" is summarized more concisely in "A General History of American Popular Music": "Soul is rhythm and blues with the religious fervor of gospel songs." Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that Sol is a combination of gospel songs and rhythm and blues, and is the result of the secularization and popularization of gospel songs, a religious music form.

2. Gospel songs

At the end of the 19th century, with the rise of the Pentecostal church (one of the Christian sects, mainly composed of people from the lower classes of society), gospel songs (Gospel) also Then it was born. It appeared at about the same time as ragtime and jazz. The difference is that it came from black church liturgy and was an integral part of the liturgy, but it was also spread through concerts, radio and records.

There is also a kind of song in black religious life called "Spiritual". Spiritual songs were produced earlier than gospel songs and were developed by black slaves in the American South under the influence of white hymns in the early 19th century. The themes of spiritual songs are mostly related to death, resurrection, liberation and hope. Its spread mainly relies on oral transmission. The melody and harmony are relatively simple. The rhythm contains many syncopations evolved from black labor songs. There is generally no instrumental accompaniment. The singing is often accompanied by clapping hands and stamping feet. Later, spiritual songs developed and slowly evolved into gospel songs as the jazz component became more and more important.

The lyrics of gospel songs are taken from the Bible or black life experience, and are mostly black dialect. According to some pastors, it narrates "gospel truth" and brings "good news" to people, so it is called "gospel song". When singing gospel songs, the emotions are strong and the expression is wild and free, which is very different from when white people sing religious songs. Therefore, some people say, "The religion of black people is not to approach God through meditation, but to achieve selflessness in ecstasy through physical dancing and venting shouts."

There are many forms of singing of gospel songs. , including solo, chorus, duet, unison singing, etc., most of which are fast, with many complex syncopated rhythms, many echoes between parts, interspersed with shouts, moans, wailing, and falsetto, accompanied by clapping Foot stamping and other dance movements provide counterpoint rhythm (Example 41). For example, the American movie "Sisters Are Crazy" used a large number of gospel songs as interludes in the film. The earliest gospel songs were indispensable with tambourine accompaniment. Later, there were many more. Other instruments such as organ, piano, guitar, etc. are added.

The structure of gospel songs is generally relatively simple, with many repetitions of phrases. However, due to the free play driven by emotion during singing, the melody of the song often has a sliding cadenza, and the rhythm becomes more complex.

Since 1977, the Grammy Awards have added two singing awards: traditional gospel song and modern gospel song. In 1983, it was changed to three awards for Best Gospel Song Singing: Male Vocal, Female Vocal and Chorus. Obviously, gospel songs have left the church and are no longer a mere worship service. Therefore, gospel songs have become more popular through various disseminations, and thus have entered the secular commercial society. This implicitly indicates a result: Sol music is gradually taking shape. Therefore, Sol music is the result of the secularization and popularity of gospel songs.

3. Sol singers

Since 1948, under the promotion of Atlantic Records, many Sol songs and singers have gradually appeared. By the end of the 1960s, Sol singers Musical has become an important species in popular music. Representatives at that time include Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Asa Franklin, Sam and Dave, Joe Turk Joe Tex, Otis Redding, James Brown, etc. The following focuses on three of the most famous Sol musicians: Ray Charles, Asa Franklin and James Brown.

Ray Charles

Ray Charles, born in 1930, is an early Sol singer. He became blind due to glaucoma when he was 6 years old. Before that, he began to learn piano and later became a pianist and singer. When he talked about the influence he received in the church in his early years, he said: "I went to church every Sunday, so naturally, I was surrounded by church music. The preacher would preach a few lines, and the whole church would sing what he said, This was completely improvised. In Ray Charles's early recordings, he improvised secular lyrics into gospel songs that he was familiar with, often combined with some jazz and blues elements. By the early 1960s, this secularism was becoming more prevalent. Black music that is combined with religion and has strong emotional color is sometimes called "Funk". At the same time, the term "Sol" is also used more and more, and its meaning is almost the same as "Funk". Nearly the same. ("Funk" combines the characteristics of gospel songs with the complex polyrhythms of African music. It is characterized by improvising introduction-like fragments based on one or two chords, repeating them continuously, extending the time, and It has a strong syncopated rhythm; its tempo is usually suitable for dance). Compared with gospel songs, the beat of sol (or funk) has become more powerful, and the band has added electroacoustic instruments to form the overall musical framework. More fixed. But the Saul singers always maintained full freedom of expression in gospel songs: free pitch, timbre, rhythm and structure.

Aretha Franklin

Asa Franklin was born in Memphis in 1942 and moved to Detroit with her family when she was two years old. Her father was a pastor and her mother was a gospel singer. Franklin grew up in a church environment and started singing in the church in the early 1960s. She sang pop songs for 6 years and recorded 4 albums, but the results were not good. Jerry Wexler, the producer of Atlantic Records, had long discovered that Franklin had a foundation in gospel songs and should look for it. Therefore, in 1967, when Asa Franklin's contract with Columbia Records (former signing company) expired, Wexler immediately signed her to Atlantic Records for her long accumulation of gospel songs. The singing talent was immediately reflected. If Atlantic Company has become the representative label of Sol's music, then Asa Franklin is the first bright star on this label and is still the main audience for most of Sol's singers. Black people may occasionally enter the white market. Asa Franklin does not change Sol's characteristics, but has a large audience among both blacks and whites. Asa Franklin's voice range is very wide, and she can often sing passionately. A low alto quickly turns to a shouting gospel soprano, no matter what song she sings, whether it is a traditional folk song or a work by a Broadway composer, she will put her own stamp on it.

James Brown

Just like Asa Franklin is the representative of the female singers of Sol, James Brown is the representative of the male singers of Sol, but the two The styles are not the same. Asa Franklin controls her pitch and timbre precisely, and her voice is clear and powerful. James Brown's voice was also powerful, but it was harsh, shouting, and straight-forward.

James Brown was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1933. In the mid-1950s, he formed a gospel singing group, named it "Famous Flames", and signed a contract with King Records. In the early 1960s, James Brown led the 40-member "James Brown Song and Dance Troupe" to tour the country. It was during this period that he developed his unique acting personality. He always sang with all his strength, combined with gasping, shouting, whimpering, etc., and became famous as the "hardest worker" in the entertainment industry. By the end of the performance, his face was dripping with sweat and his knees were bent, as if he was about to faint on stage. At this time, someone came up to help him out, but he would turn back and continue singing desperately. Several back and forths plunged the audience into crazy excitement. His dancing is also famous and has influenced the performances of many people from Michael Jagger (lead singer of the "Rolling Stones") to Michael Jackson. Some people also say: "James Brown's eccentric behaviors and dance scenes in live performances have become an important part of his art."

In the mid-1960s, James Brown's singing became more primitive and rough , emphasizing "shout", but the music has become very simple, often relying on two or three chords and relying on improvisational repetition of sound patterns, the so-called "repeated" technique, to make emotions warm and exciting. 1967 was James Brown's heyday, with an estimated 3 million people attending his concerts and 50 million records sold. From 1967 to 1972, most of his compositions were number one on the R&B charts. He became a black symbol with global influence. By the mid-1970s, the style of the pop music scene had changed, and many black people danced disco. Since then, James Brown's results have been "mediocre".

4. Motown Music

In the mid-1950s, with the emergence of rock and roll, pop music seemed to have a unified market, although other aspects of society, such as racial segregation, were still very different. serious. However, by the 1960s, when society was working toward the elimination of segregation, the music industry retreated into segregation. In the early 1960s, the idols of teenagers, such as surf music, folk rock, the Beatles, etc., were all white. And Sol is basically only popular in the black market. Sol singers were rarely white, and most performed in black clubs or in the ghettos of cities. Their best songs could only be ranked on the rhythm and blues charts, with only occasional breakthroughs. At this time, a record company tried every means to combine Sol-leaning black music with pop music to penetrate the white market, making it famous not only in rhythm and blues but also in pop charts. This record company was called "Motown", and it achieved great success, and Motown became a representative style of pop music.

Motown’s Sol music has the same roots as real Sol music: gospel songs and rhythm and blues. However, because Motown's Sol absorbed the elements of Pop, on the one hand, it has a wider audience and achieved greater commercial success; on the other hand, it can be said that it is no longer the real Sol. The difference between it and the real Sol is that it is not an improvisational art, and there is no room for free play (this may be the vitality of the original gospel songs and Sol). The original and natural state of Sol music Expression was no longer found in the Motown sound. On the contrary, it has been polished, processed, and professionalized, and both the vocals and the band have been precisely designed in advance. Despite this, it was a huge commercial success. So Motown Music is the product of the commercialization of Sol's music.

The founder of Motown was record producer and songwriter Barry Gordy (Berry Gordy, born in 1929). When Gordy was young, he set up a record label in his hometown of Detroit to release jazz music, but it was unsuccessful.

In 1960, he borrowed 700 yuan and established the "Motown" record company in the same city. The word Motown comes from Detroit's nickname "Motor Town" (or "Motor City"). Gordy already knows what it takes to achieve success, relying on his musical intuition and business thinking as well as past experience. Sure enough, in less than ten years, Motown launched many "pop sol" hits and a number of outstanding singers and bands. It itself has grown from a small scale to the largest black-owned and operated record company in the United States, so that its record sales exceeded any other company in the United States in the 1960s.

Gordy's success lies first and foremost in relying on talented musicians. Motown singers rarely compose their own songs. Gordy hired Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and Lamont Dozier to compose and produce records for Motown. and the Holland brothers (Eddie Holland and Brian Holland), among others. Under their careful production, a group of singers and singing groups were successfully launched. They include the Miracles singing group led by Smokey Robinson, female singer Mary Wells, male vocal quintet "Temptations", male singer Marvin Gaye Gaye), female vocal quintet "Marvelettes", male vocal quartet "Four Tops", "Diana Ross and the Supremes" singing group, etc.

Gordy's success also lies in the way he operates. He maintained tight control over Motown's product according to fixed musical styles. Motown's songs have relatively complex music arrangement techniques; they use band accompaniment including strings; the lyrics rarely contain puns or black language, avoid any major or controversial themes, and mainly describe teenage romance stories (1968 There will be breakthroughs in the future).

Motown left Detroit in 1971 and moved to Los Angeles (Sunset Strip). It continued to launch the "Jackson Five" (The Jackson Five), "The Commodores" (The Commodores), Stevie? Wonder and Diana Ross and other stars of the work and achieved success. However, Gordy's strict control made many people unable to stand it and left Motown. In 1988, Motown was finally sold to MCA Music.

In addition to the above mentioned singers and groups that have achieved success by signing with Motown, there are also the female trio "Martha and the Vandellas" (Martha and the Vandellas), Terrell (Tammi Terrell), Jr Water, etc. The following focuses on Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder.

Diana Ross

Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1944 and sang in church since she was a child. In middle school, they formed the female vocal trio "Primettes" with two friends. After graduation, they signed a contract with Motown. At first, they only served as backup singers for Wells, Marvin Gaye and others, and later changed their name to "Primettes". "The Supremes" before recording independently. Diana Ross's clear and euphemistic voice is very suitable for the theme of teenage love expressed in "The Supremes". Therefore, her voice is known as "Sweet Saul". 1965 The Supremes toured the country and abroad during the 1960s, with appearance fees sometimes as high as $100,000. As Diana Ross's solo performance became more and more prominent, with Gordy's encouragement, Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1969. ", began her solo career, and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Vocalist the following year. In 1971, she starred in the TV series "Diana" (Diana). In 1972, she filmed her first film "Woman Sings the Blues", playing the leading role - United States The famous jazz singer Billie Holliday in history. In the 1970s, she also released two albums "Diana Ross" (1976) and "Diana" (1980). A series of successes made Ross a popular music. A superstar in the field.

In 1981, "Endless Love" (the theme song of the movie of the same name) she sang with Lionel Richie topped the pop charts for nine weeks. That same year, she left Motown and signed with RCA.

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950, originally named Steveland Morris. Congenitally blind. Soon, his family moved to Detroit and sang in the local church. At the age of 10, he was introduced to Motown by members of "Miracle" and auditioned for Motown. He can sing, play piano, drums, and can play almost any instrument that can be found in a recording studio. Gordy was so impressed by his talent that he immediately signed a contract with him and renamed him Little Stevie Wonder. His fourth single "Fingertips, Part 2" (Fingertips, Part 2 was recorded based on the second part of a live performance) won the pop charts in 1963. "Fingertips" conveys the blind man's feelings about life through the touch of his fingertips. It is a strong song with the characteristics of a gospel song. The "12-year-old genius" (as everyone called him at the time) sang solo and played the harmonica. The combination of a powerful backing band left a lasting impression on many people. In the 1960s, 16 of Stevie Wonder's works entered the "Top 40", including authentic Sol songs and covers of white rock songs. In the 1970s, his childlike voice had disappeared, and he continued to expand his musical knowledge and theory, focusing on the creation techniques of his works, especially the use of harmony. Since then, Stevie Wonder has released a series of albums with his own style, all of which were produced independently by him. In order to get rid of Motown's control, he established his own recording company in 1971 and reached an agreement with Gordy. Motown was responsible for distribution and split the profits. Stevie Wonder had the final say in art. There was no precedent for Motown. In the 1972 "Talking Book" (for the blind), two songs won the first place on the charts. One was "Superstition", which combined the two styles of Sol and psychedelic rock. combine. The other song is "You are the sunshine of my love" (Example 42), which has slightly jazz-rock characteristics. The lyrics on the album Innervisions (1973) and other songs have a more social meaning.

In the 1980s, Stevie Wonder remained as glamorous as ever. His song "I Just called to say I love you" ("I Just called to say I love you") for the movie "The Lady in Red" (1984) not only topped the charts, but also won the Oscar for Best Picture Episode Award. From 1974 to 1984, Stevie Wonder won 15 Grammy Awards, setting a record in the American pop music scene.

5. Other Sol Music

In the 1970s, Sol music continued to develop. Like the entire pop music in the 1970s, it also presented a complex and diverse situation. In addition to the singers and groups already mentioned and Michael Jackson who will be mentioned later, there is also "Psychedelic Thor" of "Sly and the Stone Family"; "Earth, Wind and Fire" continues Motown style but more complex soul music and the emerging "Blue-Eyed soul" in the UK.

"Sly & the Family stone" band

Sly Stone (Sly Stone) was born in Dallas in 1944 and sang in church since he was a child. Gospel songs. Soon his family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he studied trumpet, music theory and composition for three years in college. In 1967, he imitated the hippie community in the Bay Area and organized a musical group, "Sly & the Family Stone", including black and white people, both male and female, ***7 Individuals, including Sly's sister and brother, Sly himself sings, plays guitar and keyboards.

"Sly and the Stones" combines the beats and bass lines of rock dance music with wind instruments, the looser guitar playing commonly used in psychedelic rock, and drug-related themes. Lyrics, became the first band to perform the so-called "Psychedelic Sol". When they sing, they often have two or three people singing the lead, with two distinct male parts juxtaposed with a female part, creating a unique harmonious effect.

"Earth, Wind and Fire" (Earth, Wind and Fire)

From a musical point of view, "Earth, Wind and Fire" was the best black band in the 1970s One. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by Maurice White (born in Memphis in 1941). The band has a large lineup, often with eight or nine people, and combines the music of "Earth, Wind and Fire" with complex jazz. Harmony and powerful funk rhythm, so it was later called "jazz funk"

In several of their albums in the 1970s (such as "Gratitude" 1975, "Spirit" 1976). etc.) It can be seen that the band's style is gradually maturing, with smooth singing, perfect combination of several parts, and frequent use of falsetto; the rhythm is rock-like, but richer than ordinary rock music, with drums, bass, rhythm guitar and The keyboard instruments work closely together like a complete jazz band; the wind instruments play with complex rhythms and diverse styles, including Sol-style short responses and free expressions, as well as jazz-style improvisational monologues in the 1980s, "Earth, Wind and Harmony." Important albums of "Fire" include "Raise" (1981), "Powerlight" (1982), etc.

Joe cocker

Joe Cook, born in Sheffield, England in May 1944, is a representative figure of the British "Blue Eyed Sol". Cook entered the stage at the age of 12 and joined his brother's band as a drummer and harmonica player. Influenced by rock music, blues, and Ray Charles, Cook's singing has established a unique style.

Joe Cook once worked as an oilman and a packager for a magazine publisher. Live. In 1969, his debut album "With a little help from my friends" (With a little help from my friends) made it a success, and the title song reached the top of the British charts in 1969. The album won him more honors, and the song "Delta Lady" was even more popular. In the same year, Cook held a US tour for the next two years. Fatigue and narcotic addiction caused him to temporarily leave the stage until he came back again in 1972. In 1982, the album "Sheffield Steel" combined the styles of Soul, rock, and narrative songs, and was Cook's most unique album. One of the representative albums

Van Morrison

Van Morrison was born in Belfast, Ireland on August 31, 1945. He is one of the representatives of Sol in the UK. However, Van Morrison's music style covers a wide range of areas, including blues, jazz, country, folk and Sol music. They are all revealed in his works. Sol is just him. part of the musical style.

Due to the influence of his parents (his mother was a jazz singer), he developed a strong interest in blues and jazz at an early age. He left school at the age of 15 and started working in music. In 1963, he organized the band "Them" and released two albums. In 1969, he released his first solo album "Astral Weeks" on Warner Brothers. Subsequently, "Moondance", released in 1970, was his important album, in which he organically combined rhythm and blues and jazz. In 1980, the album "Common One" had a strong country romantic sentiment. Since 1990, Morrison has released an album almost every year. In 1995, his 22nd solo album "Days like this" was released.

In 1996, he recorded a tribute album to jazz pianists Ben Sidran and Allison, Songs of mose Allison: Tell me something) is a typical jazz record. Van Morrison has been active in the music scene since the 1960s and is considered one of the most eye-catching singers and songwriters in the British pop music scene.