Southern Soul

Southern Soul is soul music from the southern United States with typical characteristics.

The style is slower and more earthy than the danceable Motown Soul of the Northern states, however, is impulsive and energetic. Rhythm'n'blues is combined here with pulsating südstaatlichem Gospel. The era of the original Southern Soul began in the early 60s and ended in the mid- 70s. Southern Soul is closely related to Memphis Soul. The two styles were mostly represented by the same artist. Southern Soul was (or is ) a bit rough in contrast to the melancholic and soft Memphis Soul.

Representatives

The best-known labels, this style of music was Stax Records in Memphis (Tennessee ) and Atlantic Records in New York. The two house band of Stax were, first, Booker T. & the MG's and secondly, The Memphis Horns ( part of the group The Mar- Keys). Well-known artists from Stax or the Southern Soul were Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Staple Singers, Eddie Floyd, Candi Staton, Millie Jackson and Isaac Hayes later. Another stronghold of Southern Soul was the city of Muscle Shoals in Alabama, where many hits were produced. Also some Stax artists such as Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding worked there, as Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin was also at Atlantic Records.

Musical Features

Characteristics in the arrangement were that the voices in the mix a little further back (quieter) than were other contemporary R & B recordings, as well as the use of brass instead of backing vocalists. As for the sound image focusing on the deeper part of the frequency spectrum is typical. Elements of the gospel found in the question -and-answer vocals ( call and response ), in the form of communal singing about the suffering of the main character and in the lilting rhythm.

Topics

The matters of content topics of the Southern Soul are ostensibly human problems and dramas, moral concerns and conflicting situations. It is also about abandonment, adultery and love triangles. The special feature of these issues in Southern Soul is the visible effort to pull out of the problem situations, failures and setbacks as a basis for a better future. The texts represent the same time, the then rings the African American population to social acceptance and political integration. The quest for the right life for personal and social freedom connects the statements.