[Ads-l] Antedating of "Soul Music" (Motown Sound)

[Ben Zimmer]

On Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> soul music (OED, 2., Motown sound, 1965)
>
> 1964 Sepia 1 Apr. 22 (ProQuest)
>
> In the wake of the Motor Town Revue, a new musical cult was born, spurred
> on by the jazz soul of "Little" Stevie Wonder, the new high priest of soul
> music.


Here's OED's definition 2 for "soul music": "In early use: any of various
types of jazz, blues, or gospel music popularized by African Americans;
(later spec.) a kind of pop music originating in the Motown sound and
incorporating elements of rock music with rhythm and blues (now usually
shortened to _soul_ n. I.3d)."

One might take issue with the part of the definition calling it "a kind of
pop music originating in the Motown sound," as Motown-style "soul music"
had many progenitors like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Solomon Burke.
Complicating things is that Charles, who did much to popularize the use of
the term "soul (music)," was typically considered a jazz artist in the '50s
and early '60s. There are many earlier references to Charles's work as
"soul music," but that's generally more in line with what would come to be
known as "soul jazz" (jazz that incorporates gospel and R&B influences).

Stevie Wonder too was marketed as a jazz artist early on, even though he
was with Motown and releasing music on their Tamla label. The _Sepia_
citation alludes to Stevie Wonder's debut album _The Jazz Soul of Little
Stevie_, released in September 1962. His other 1962 release was _Tribute to
Uncle Ray_, covering Ray Charles songs in the "soul jazz" style. So I don't
think this is necessarily all that different from earlier references to
Charles as "soul music."

Here's an example from 1961 in which "soul music" as played by Charles is
treated as something of a liminal genre between jazz and rock.

---
News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), Mar. 15, 1961, p. 17, col. 3
"Goings On," by Raymond Lowery
While it hasn't replaced rock 'n' roll yet, "soul" music, so-called, has
excited the interest of lots of young people. A surprisingly large number
of Raleigh youngsters attended the Ray Charles concert Monday evening in
Memorial Auditorium.
"Soul" music hasn't the exaggerated beat of rock 'n' roll. Nor is it as
monotonous. Like R&R [sic], it is blues-based, but it also draws its
inspiration from (of all things) gospel music as it has been heard in
Southern churches for many years. Those who play or sing this music --
Charles is one of its current practitioners -- seem to feel it very deeply,
and this feeling gets over to the listener in a way that rock 'n' roll
never could.
Actually, the music would appear to be serving as a bridge between rock 'n'
roll and jazz. So who knows? Maybe it's just the thing that will,
eventually, chase out the Rock and turn the interest of today's youngsters
to jazz, which is superior to either form of musical expression.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-soul-music/185196553/
---

--bgz

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