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Meet The Stars of the UK Soul Renaissance

Newspaper article discusses the future of UK soul

By Amsterdam Russ in News Archives
Published 28 Mar 2022

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From The Guardian newspaper's website: The summer of soul meets the stars of the UK soul renaissance...

I'm puzzled by the article - possibly just in the dark. Possibly, I'm at an age where I'm way outside the target audience. And the only thing I know about what's hip is in the future possibilities of hip replacements. Do bear with me...

From the article:

Quote

Across the UK, a fresh wave of writers and performers are rebooting soul music for the post-grime era.

Must admit, I don't actually know what the "post-grime era" is (guess it must be my age - or ignorance - or both), but here we go...

In-the-know writer (Blues and Soul, among many others), presenter and photographer Johny Pitts says that: 

Quote

...as a soul music lover, I was out of sync with the period during which I came of age; nothing was less cool in Britain in the first decade of the 21st century than soul music. It may not be the most dangerous of genres, but I love soul’s wisdom; in the States, they sometimes call it “grown-folks’ music”...

Next up, he says that...

Quote

I owe soul music my life, literally. I’m a northern soulchild, the product of a touring African American musician from Brooklyn and a white English mother from a working-class part of Sheffield, who met at a northern soul club in the early 1970s. By the time I was old enough to go outout, however, gone were the hitched rides to Wigan Casino to see Wilson Pickett live, gone was the unselfconscious dancing until the early morning to Jackie Wilson.

Ok, nice sincerity... but did the Wicked Pickett perform at the Casino? Just asking. I never went there. And then:

Quote

...and like soul got my mom’s generation of Brits through tough times as steelworkers or miners, perhaps it can once again offer consolation in the darkness.

Interesting statement. Personally, I find it difficult to understand that "soul" isn't a part of everyone's lives anyway. 

What follows are interviews with various groups/performers representing the "new wave of soul". In reading them, I feel incredibly out of touch, and can't say that I even associate with the artists. 

Is it age - is it that "soul music" really has moved on that much since its heyday of nigh-on 60 years ago - or is it a case of us not just getting into the modern day sense of what "soul" really means musically? 

Full article here:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/27/summer-of-soul-meet-the-stars-of-the-uk-soul-renaissance

 



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Mike

Mike 9,456

Posted

don't really get the thrust of your comments Russ

any 'current uk soul' is always gonna be a different thing than the 'soul' discussion we have on here, right?

 

 

 

Chalky

Chalky 17,401

Posted

Every decade is different to the decade previous and todays Soul music is so far removed to what we grew up with it is beyond comparison really.

Amsterdam Russ

Amsterdam Russ 5,032

Posted

Sure, music moves on - it evolves. And when it comes to 'soul', I don't feel I recognise it anymore. I really do feel completely disconnected from the genre today and in many respects find it as far removed from 'soul' as 'R&B' is from 'rhythm and blues'.

Also, in some respects the understanding and appreciation for soul music from the classic years is somewhat nostalgically challenged and even re-imagined. As the first-hand experiences of the people who lived 'soul' through the 60s and 70s die away, there only remains the second-hand experiences of the children of those parents.

To paraphrase Jackie Wilson, it's like Chinese whispers getting louder.

 

Westender

Westender 601

Posted

3 hours ago, Chalky said:

Every decade is different to the decade previous and todays Soul music is so far removed to what we grew up with it is beyond comparison really.

Indeed. Many will say that real soul music was in decline in the late 70s.

Think you have to judge todays music on its own terms. It isnt what we had and it never will be. That time has passed.

Martin L

Martin L 737

Posted

did the Wicked Pickett perform at the Casino?     If this is not correct the article has no substance at all   zero integrity   perhaps someone with more experience of Wigan  can shine a light on the claim    Good post Russ   

 

 

Soul Shrews

Soul Shrews 625

Posted

23 minutes ago, Martin L said:

did the Wicked Pickett perform at the Casino?     If this is not correct the article has no substance at all   zero integrity   perhaps someone with more experience of Wigan  can shine a light on the claim    Good post Russ   

 

 

Mr Pickett did not perform at the Casino

However after reading Mr Pitts Afropean book (highly recommended ) I can forgive him this faux pas.

Mike

Mike 9,456

Posted

26 minutes ago, Martin L said:

did the Wicked Pickett perform at the Casino?     If this is not correct the article has no substance at all   zero integrity   perhaps someone with more experience of Wigan  can shine a light on the claim    Good post Russ   

 

 

are you for real?

zero integrity?

the guy writing is Richie Pitts son, how would he know who appeared at Wigan?

even you don't know and had to ask

 

 

 

 




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