Soul

Putting The Science Into Music

Soul developed in the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s from African American gospel, rhythm and blues, blues and jazz. The genre combined gospel's emotional delivery and call-and-response tradition with secular lyrics, strong rhythm sections and arrangements built for radio, records and live performance.

Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and James Brown were among the early artists who helped establish Soul by bringing gospel-influenced vocals into popular music. Their work opened the way for regional scenes and record labels to develop distinct approaches through the 1960s.

Motown Records created a polished Detroit sound through artists including Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations. In Memphis and the American South, Stax Records and performers such as Otis Redding, Carla Thomas and Sam & Dave produced a rawer style built around horns, organ, guitar and tightly connected rhythm sections.

Philadelphia Soul developed during the late 1960s and 1970s through orchestral arrangements, smooth vocal groups and sophisticated production. Artists including The O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff helped connect Soul with the emerging sound of Disco.

Soul later expanded into Southern Soul, Deep Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Neo Soul, Funk and contemporary R&B. Its vocal techniques, rhythmic foundations and emotional directness also shaped Disco, House, Hip Hop, Jazz-Funk and many other forms of popular and electronic music.

The Soul category can include classic vocal recordings, instrumental Soul, modern revivals and related styles rooted in the same musical tradition. Its defining features stay constant: expressive performance, strong rhythm, gospel influence and close attention to melody, harmony and feeling.

At Scientific Sound Asia, soul is a defining feature of Roots, with further appearances on Marco Mei and Basement Soul.