Like most things that straddle both decades, the blue-eyed soul from the 70s is slicker and smoother than its 60s counterparts. Like most things that straddle both decades, I prefer the 60s version—proof that I am officially an old fogey.
R&B/Soul
Sam Cooke
Things I resent, part 1,000,000. Children of the 50s got to listen to Sam Cooke originals in all their gritty, gravelly glory. As a child of the 70s, I was stuck with covers by wispy white folkies. Unfair! (Exception: The Spinners’ disco cover of “Cupid,” which was awesome.)
Ray Charles
The most important thing about Ray Charles is that he once recorded an album of duets with Betty Carter. OK, I guess that’s my most important thing about Ray Charles.
Prince
His name is Prince. And he is funky.
(Plus: Of all the giants of 80s pop—Springsteen, Michael Jackson, etc.—Prince is by far my favorite. And not just because he made it safe for grown men to wear all purple.)
Philly Soul
Musically, the 70s get pretty trashed for being a lousy decade. For the most part, they deserve it. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure Philly soul is the music they play in heaven, so these songs single-handedly redeem (pun intended) everything else that was on the radio for those 10 long years.
Otis Redding
Thoughts on Otis Redding: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE IDEA THAT BEING A SOUL SINGER MEANS HAVING SOME SOUL IN YOUR VOICE?
The end.
Nineties Female Vocal R&B
While their rock sisters were, uh … angry … female R&B acts in the 90s turned out some of sweetest, silkiest music since the Philly Soul days. While the sound seems best suited for love ballands, many of the songs were, inexplicably, about having a job and/or paying bills. Also: Many acts with three-letter names.
New Orleans R&B
This list came about a bit by accident. When I researching New Orleans brass bands for last Friday’s list, I realized that there is a separate, distinct New Orleans R&B genre. So you can indirectly thank Trombone Shorty for this one. (Not that I am trying to earn brownie points. Really.)
New Orleans Brass
This one’s a bit of a cheat, because it includes Trombone Shorty, who’s very much a post-2000 artist. I’m letting him in because 1) Daveon and I saw him in SF on New Year’s Eve, and the show was blow-off-the-roof awesome; 2) the two of them have the same birthday; and 3) he (Trombone Shorty, not Daveon) is carrying on a tradition that dates well back into the 19th century. I am not including him because I hope he will invite me down to New Orleans to hang out with him and his friends. Nope. Not at all.
New Jack Swing
Once upon a time, kids, R&B music was all about the beat. And no beat was beat-ier than the glory that was New Jack Swing.
Playlist of the Day 