BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE HELD THE SECOND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH AT 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
Thanks to BRC member David Shoemaker for presenting to us a youtube video last month about the beginnings of the Doo Wop sound also known as Group Harmony. It was very entertaining and interesting especially to see and hear from the guys and gals who were the artists recording that sound. Part 2 of the video will be presented early next year. Plan on making the meeting.
This month we will be having a ‘business meeting’ as we finish up another year and look forward to 2026. We need your suggestions, thoughts and ideals so plan on being at this meeting. But it won’t all be business as usual. We will have some fun with records and music when we finish.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Birmingham radio legend and BRC Music Hall Of Fame member Shelley ‘The Playboy’ Stewart. Shelley was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame Oct 30th in Chicago. Besides being in the BRC Music Hall Of Fame and now the Radio Hall Of Fame, Shelley is also an inductee in the Alabama Broadcasters Hall Of Fame and The National Black Radio Hall Of Fame. Congratulations, Shelley!!
THE GENRE KNOWN AS SOUL – PART DEUX
We will continue our 2-part series about the genre of music that became known as Soul Music. As I stated last month when the ideal came to me to do a piece on when did this genre of music get the name Soul I kept putting it off because I didn’t know where to start but then I decided to ask some of the guys who were part of this era of music and were playing and singing in bands before the term Soul Music became popular. We continue this month with 3 more guys you will know. Ross Gagliano, Henry Lovoy and Travis Wammack. As you will see beginning with last month’s contributor, Bunky Anderson everyone has an opinion or ideal about this topic. Here we go.
Ross started out by saying we must remember that these are his opinions and some will disagree with him…….understood. The difference between Soul and R&B is somewhat subjective. Some songs are a fusion between both. Some are mixed with Pop. I refer to those as commercial R&B.
One example would be Otis Redding – R&B mixed with Soul. When Aretha Franklin sang ‘Natural Woman’….that’s Soul! (plus Blues) When she sang ‘Respect’, that’s R&B! I’ve always felt that ‘the Blues’ are traditionally slow. When rhythm is added, it is usually faster.
As far as Blue-Eyed Soul goes, that is the singing of Soul by White people, the Righteous Brothers could sing both R&B and Soul. ‘Unchained Melody’ by Bobby Hatfield and ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ sang by both Bobby & Bill Medley. Then you have The Allman Brothers with Greg Allman singing ‘Statesboro Blues’….R&B with tons of soul. Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn did Soul with some commercial mixed in. David Clayton Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears could do R&B and Soul. In the Birmingham area we had many White guys who would be considered for the Blue-Eyed Soul genre. Len Wade of The Tikis, Bob Cain, Lawrence Shaul who sounded like Ray Charles, Jimmy Boley from The Rebellions and Henry (Lovoy) sang Soul on some songs. He could do both R&B and Soul.
I say all this and then I even question my own opinions. By the way, I left out B. B. King who was definitely Blues.
Henry Lovoy has sang and recorded songs that have covered many genres including R&B and Soul. Henry said it this way concerning differences between R&B and Soul or the beginning of music being called Soul. Soul is more about the voice the person has in his or her delivering the words and inner voice patterns. R&B is more about the beat and the notes and patterns, the feel of the song being more free and loose. Both are emotion based and there is a fine line between the two fields of music.
Finally we go to guitarist Travis Wammack. For over six decades Travis has played in bands, did session work in Memphis and Muscle Shoals, toured with many of the big names in R&R, blues, R&B and Soul and served as Little Richard’s band leader for just over 10 years. I asked him specific questions about this topic and here is what his opinions are.
He does believe there is a difference between R&B and Soul Music. He is of the opinion that Soul Music is about good times and feeling happy and that there is more feeling in the sound.
Some of the earliest Soul singers would be Furry Lewis, Joe Turner, Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker. He feels that musicians such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard are all bout R&R & R&B but not Soul. I asked him about the group harmony sound, specifically The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Drifters. He puts those acts as R&B artists. Let me add a side note to that. In the quarterly publication entitled Tin House there was an article titled Liner Note by Jonathan Letham in which he claims that the Drifters ‘There Goes My Baby’ was possibly the first Soul song. Opinions.
As far as Blue-Eyed Soul singers go, Travis agrees with the ones mentioned already and he adds Roy Head. Roy had the big hit, ‘Treat Her Right’.
Travis has performed with and/or recorded with Clarence Carter, Percy Sledge, J. J. Jackson, Candi Staton, Wilson Pickett and both of the Rigtheous Brothers, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley just to name a few that are considered Soul singers. If you are a fan of Wilson Pickett’s version of ‘Hey Joe‘ (click title to play), just know that Travis is the guitarist. And let me add something about two other singers he recorded with. Willie Hightower and James Govan have great soul voices and I know Travis enjoyed getting to be part of their session group.
Willie Hightower ‘Easy Lovin” (click title to listen to a portion of the original C/W version by Alabama’s own Freddie Hart and then Willie’s version)
James Govan ‘Jambolyia’ (click title to hear a portion of the original C/W version by Alabama’s own Hank Williams and the James’ version)
Well as we have found out over the past two months, the beginning of Soul Music, the difference between R&B and Soul and what were some of the early Soul songs is like everything else in the music world, opinions. I appreciate the guys who gave their opinions about Soul Music. And here is another opinion…..whatever the differences, whatever the early songs or whoever sang Soul first, the genre known as Soul is full of great songs and great singers who sang with a feeling that other genres do not have.
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME 2025 INDUCTEES
Over the years I have become very disappointed with the inductees the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame have included and those who are continually not included. Sounds like a BRC newsletter piece one day. Many early performers are still left out and some that do get in I just don’t understand. Of course I will say that I am not as familiar with artists who came after say about the late 70’s, early eighties. So I sure can’t say they don’t deserve being selected. Saying all that I just wanted to share the list of the 2025 inductees. There are four categories.
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Performer: Bad Company, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, The White Stripes and Chubby Checker.
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Musical Influence: Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon
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Musical Excellence: Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye
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Ahmet Ertegun Award: Lenny Waronker
See ya,
Charlie