A Brief History of Soul (1962-66)

Рет қаралды 615

Күн бұрын

1) The Mar-Keys-Pop-Eye Stroll (1962)
Po-Dunk segues into Pop Eye Stroll by the Mar-Keys. Both were B-sides on Atlantic. Here's the bio of the group from Stax’s website:
"Despite scoring only one national hit, the 1961 instrumental smash ‘Last Night,’ the Mar-Keys remain one of the most important groups ever to emerge from the Memphis music scene. As the first house band for the legendary Stax label, they appeared on some of the greatest records in soul history, with their ranks also producing such renowned musicians as guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald 'Duck' Dunn. The Mar-Keys formed in 1958 and included drummer Terry Johnson, pianist Jerry Lee 'Smoochie' Smith, saxophonists Don Nix and Charles Axton, and trumpeter Wayne Jackson in addition to Cropper and Dunn."
2) King Curtis-New Dance (1962)
From The Capitol Years 1962-65 (by Bear Family Records, 1992); personnel unknown (recorded August 1962, Capitol Studios, New York City).
3) Rudy Robinson-The Mustang (1965)
A blurb about the track, from the CD booklet Instrumentals Soul Style 3: "Rudy Robinson was Mike Hanks's music director and house organist at D-Town. His first band Roosevelt Fountain and the Pens of Rhythm hit with Red Pepper (Soul Instrumentals Vol. 1) in '62. Freddy Butler is almost certainly the tasty-sounding guitarist..." (Nick Duckett 2021)
4) Merl Saunders-How's That (1965)
A blurb about the track, from the CD booklet Instrumentals Soul Style 3: "Merl Saunders joined Fantasy Records in 1964 but his output was limited to one 45 a year until the Soul Grooving album came out in '68. How's That was his first release and Soul Roach was issued initially as two sides of a 45 on Early Bird." (ND)
5) Mark III Trio-Blues For Elmer (1966)
A blurb about the track, from the CD booklet Instrumentals Soul Style 3: "Lorenzo Holden was Johnnie Otis's tenor sax player back in '49. The only discs we could trace to his name were a couple on Mambo Records from '55 and The Wig from ten years later. Drummer Ricardo Lewis was one of the pioneers of the Bay Area Latin jazz and salsa scene in the mid-60s. Together with brother Johnny on guitar and Edwin Kelly on the organ, he formed the Mark III Trio. ...Blues for Elmer was issued on Ricardo's Own In Records." (ND)
6) The Dyna-tones-Hole in the Wall (1966)
From the LP liner notes (The Fife Piper):
"...[J]ust a short time ago, four sharp young college students from Salem College in Clarksburgh, West Virignia came to Pittsburgh to make their recording debut, and a still new musical sound came into being. Enter the Dynatones, bringing with them a unique brand of music spotlighting the fife, an instrument written about down through the ages. Under the guiding hand of Jules Cruspir, who was also responsible for the emergence of The Marcels, The Dynamics and The Cameos, among others, these four stalwart students were solidly accepted by the record listening public, and all by means of one single hit record ‘The Fife Piper.’
"The Dynatones have been performing together for about five years, having started in high school. The fife player is 23 year old Ray Figlar (he also plays the saxophone), whose lilting, almost jazz-like in quality sound is the lead instrument. The fife, with its flutish sound, is capable of riding mightily above the bass guitar, electric piano and drums. Ray has been on the teaching staff of a West Virginia high school since graduating from Salem. Drummer Jack Wolfe, 21, is a Salem junior, majoring in music, as is bass guitarist Gary Van Scyoc, 19, the youngest member of the group. Gary handles the vocal chores for The Dynatones, but since the success of ‘The Fife Piper,' everybody forgot about vocalizing, and the word has been, ‘play, man,’ not ‘sing, boys.’ Electric pianist Eddie Evans, 21, a senior at Salem, also majoring in music, worked with The Dynatones during their formative years, but has been replaced by Pat Wallace.'"
7) The Righteous Brothers Band-Green Onions (1966)
A blurb about the track, from the CD booklet Instrumentals Soul Style 3: "The Righteous Brothers Band managed to turn Green Onions into a hard-rocking 60s TV theme tune-style number."
8) King Curtis-Slow Drag (1962)
From The Capitol Years 1962-65 (by Bear Family Records, 1992); personnel unknown (recorded August 1962, Capitol Studios, New York City)
To my knowledge, after conducting a diligent search, there is no current and exclusive license for any of these pre-1972 sound recordings. Please contact me if you have information that suggests otherwise.
This history of soul is not meant to be comprehensive…