Soul and Funk Flashcards
Why is Star Trek notable?
Diverse cast, including a black female bridge officer
Who . played Lt. Uhura in Star Trek?
Michelle Nichols
Who convinced Michelle Nichols to stay on Star Trek?
MLK Jr
What events lead to soul music
Growing Civil Rights, rejection of R&B as music of the past/slavery/south. Need a . more optimistic, urban sound
What styles is soul a fusion of?
Gospel - Vocal Styling
R&B - Rhythm & Backbeat
TPA - Arrangementsand lyrics
What sparked the move to TPA lyrics?
sense R&B lyrics were too vulgar, want to clean it up a bit
What type of labels dominate soul?
Small, independent labels
What are the two major soul labels?
Motown & Stax
Where is Motown located?
Detroit, MI
who founds Motown?
Berry Gordy
What makes Motown notable?
First major label founded by an African American
When is Motown founded?
1959
How is Motown influenced by detroit
practices taken from automotive sector:
- get everything needed to make the record under one roof
- division of labour
What roles were present in Motown?
Songwriters, finishing school, choreographers, house band
What was the only thing that changed between motown songs?
The singer
Who were the songwriters employed by motown?
Holland/Dozier/Holland, Smokey Robinson
Who ran the finishing school at motown
Maxine Powell
what criticism was made about motown
whitening up the artists
Who created choreography for motown
Cholly Atkins
Who were the house band at Motown?
The Funk Brothers
What did the house band at Motown do at night?
Jazz
What are two examples of motown hits
You’d better Shop Around, Stop in the Name of Love
Who performs “You’d Better Shop Around”?
Smokey & the Mirrors
when is “You’d Better Shop Around” released?
1960
What is distinctive about the performance of “You’d Better Shop Around”
restrained conservative approach, with smooth, controlled choreography
Who are The Supremes?
Female Vocalist Trio from Motown
Who is the Lead Singer of The Supremes?
Diana Ross
Why do some suggest Diana Ross was selected as lead singer of The Supremes?
Having an affair with Barry Gordy, voice has a larger appeal because it doesnt have a large gospel sound (appeals to white audiences)
What is an example of a Supremes song?
Stop In the Name of Love
When is Stop in the Name of Love released?
1965
What type of sound did Motown try to avoid?
Gospel (want to appeal to white audiences)
What instrument does Stop in The Name of Love Feature?
Vibraphone, Tambourine
why does barry gordy love tambourine
Great high end sound. (White people love high end? - R&B likes low end)
What genre is the vibraphone associated with?
Jazz
What does the inclusion of a vibraphone indicate?
Vibraphone is a symbol of black artistry - white people are taking black art seriously.
What areas does Motown focus on with Stop In the Name of Love
arrangement (personally signed off by barry gordy), clarity of sound (especially high end), accuracy of performance (no errors)
What practice does motown do to remain relevant
Would regularly listen to top 40 and release any song they have which was similar to current hits
When was STAX founded?
founded in 1959 as Satellite Records, changed to STAX in 1961
Who are the founding members of STAX?
Jim Stewart (music) & Astell Axton (money)
what is STAX’s house band?
Booker T & the MGs
what is remarkable about Booker T & the MGs?
Integrated band in the south
where was STAX located?
Memphis Tennessee
what song is Booker T & the MGs known for?
Green Onions
What was Stax’s approach to recording?
- no multitrack
- voting on which take to use
- emphasis on energy
- less emphasis on arrangement (less background vocals, simpler horns & strings)
Who tried to convince Stax to use multitrack?
Atlantic records (sent them a machine, ended up being used as a doorstop)
What is an example of a Stax artist?
Otis Redding
what is an example of an Otis Redding song?
Try a little tenderness
when was try a little tenderness released?
1966
why is Otis Redding’s sweat important
sweat = emotional investment/ intensity. For Stax, appearance is secondary energy
Who originally recorded “Try a little tenderness?”
Bing Crosby, 1933, composed in TPA in the 20s
How does Otis Redding’s career end?
Plane Crash
What is an example of a Sam & Dave song?
Soul Man
what is Soul an analogy for?
black culture
when was Soul Man released?
1967
What range of the audio spectrum is emphasized in Soul Man?
Low end (no high end present)
Which labels represented product vs process focus in soul music?
Motown: Product
Stax: Process
What events are credited with reducing the optimism in soul music?
Death of Kennedy, stalling of the Civil Rights movement
Which Arethra Franklin song did we listen to in class?
“Respect”
When was respect released?
1967
who originally released respect
Otis Redding
What purpose does “Respect” serve?
An athem/ call to arms for civil rights
Where does Respect fall between Stax & Motown
In the Middle. Tambourine & arrangement are motown style, gospel influence and vocal power are attributes of stax
Who is Soul Brother #1
James Brown
What are some nicknames for James Brown
Soul Brother #1, Godfather of Soul, Hearst working Man in Show Business
What is James Brown’s first hit?
Please, Please, Please - 1965
How does james brown shape soul music?
shapes transition from R&B -> soul
What is the first album to sell 1M copies?
Live at the Apollo - James Brown (1963)
What are some James Brown crossover hits?
Papas got a brand new bag (1965), I feel Good (1964, but released after)
What was James Brown’s biggest Pop hit?
“I feel good, 1965”
How is “I feel Good” structured?
12 bar blues structure, formatted as an AABA (4 bar break, 8 bar bridge in the B section)
How did James Brown appeal his music to white audiences?
“Black folks like the blues, White folks something different in the middle”
what genre does James Brown invent?
Funk
what events embody the frustration at the stalling of civil rights?
Race Riots (1965-1967)
What is the largest race riot?
Detroit, 1967
When and where is MLK assassinated?
April 4, 1968, Memphis, TN
What movement is inspired by the stalling of civil rights?
Black Panther movement (Black Power). seek peaceful resolution but will respond to violence with violence
What movement grows in the late 60s
Re-Africanization. Move to adopting traditional clothing, styles, hairstyles, languages and names with goal to break white opression
When is Funk created?
1967 (James brown)
What is an example of a Funk song?
Get Up ( I feel like a) Sex Machine
When is Get up released?
1970
How does Funk radically change style?
No real melody, no chord changes. focus on rhythm and articulation. (deprivilege melody & harmony, priviledge rhythm and articulation)
What practice is funk based on
Interlock Groove, based on West African drum circles
What are the features of a drum circle
Master drummer - sets the pace (count in), every element has a spcifc riff which combines to make the interlock groove
What does the master drummer do on top of the interlock groove in a drum circle?
Improvise
What features are important in drum circles & funk?
input from the band /circle.
What rhythmic form is important in funk music
“The One” - everything syncs up on the downbeat every couple bars to anchor the rhythm
How is funk recieved by white audiences
Its not embraced (who cares that’s not the point)
How is the structure of a song changed from soul -> funk?
Changes a linear progression into a cyclic composition (no progress)
What was James Brown’s original band called?
Famous Blames
How did James Brown get his break?
Impromptu performance at a Little Richard show, impressed Little Richard’s manager
How did Little Richard affect James Brown’s success?
Was a stand in for Little Richard during tour dates after Little Richard got his break
When was James Brown’s first record released?
1956 (King Records)
What style was James Brown’s music originally?
Doo-Wop
What was James Brown well known for?
aggressive singing, rhythmic groove. Athletic dancing (closing number in which he is exhausted and carried off stage)
What distinguishes Brown from Stax & Motown
Stax - tight arrangement, attention to detail.
Motown - lack of background vocals. energy is produceed by brown
Why was James Brown valued as a black artist.
Political lyrics and hard musical style, arranges his own affairs - gives the image of an uncompromising black artist
What was the impact of MLK Jr’s death on black culturee
Shift away from non-violent ideals, growth of anger
What led to the breakup of Stax
Atlantic sold to Warner, realized they didn’t own their masters
What lead to the decline of Motown
Felt uncomfortable worknig in detroit ? (unclear)
