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Ladies Of Soul

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Let’s really test this new site with a thread chock full of video clips. I wonder how many posts it takes to blow its mind (if sites have minds).

My favourite musical genre is soul & I love the female voice. So, how about posting your favourite performances of Ladies singing Soul? I’ll start with The Queen, Aretha Franklin, and I Say A Little Prayer.

If you have difficulty embedding videos, just make a suggestion and I’ll find it & post it.

I’m guessing this site is robust enough to take a thread with 75 video clips.

1

Comments

    • I accept there is a lot of crossover between Country and Soul (see Shelby Lynne below) but that’s pushing it a bit, Moose. The key for me is the well of emotion underpinning the vocal delivery.

  7. Erma Franklin – Piece of My Heart

    Stuff I didn’t know, but probaly should’ve done:
    Erma was Aretha’s sister (the name is the obvious clue, but it passed me by completely)

      • Funnily enough in the sleevenotes to Timi Yuro’s the Lost Voice of Soul by (I think) Roger Dopson, he argues that Patsy Cline was a great soul singer. The common root of country and soul is Gospel – I think old Elvis was on to something when he said he thought of all music as essentially gospel.

        And anyway – Alexis Korner is always right. I don’t make the rules.

        • I’d agree about Patsy. Her pacing and delivery ache with bitter experience. It’s just I don’t hear much soul in Loretta. I do hear a great rock voice, though. My favourite album of hers is the one produced by Jack White.

    • Maybe it’s meant to be one singer, one song. But if you’re going to mention Bettye Swann, I don’t think Tell It Like It Is can be overlooked. So that’s two for Bettye.

  14. I loooove Gladys Knight (and the Pips too).
    If I can successfully post a video is another story…let’s try:

    If it worked it’s “Just Walk In My Shoes”.
    If not – work your magic please, Tigger!

  33. I have created a Spotify playlist of all the tracks posted so far that I could find. Feel free to add any more you come across
    spotify:user:bungalowjoe:playlist:2XwNHbh3NlVm7pS4F08Qhq

    Love this thread

  48. I thought the Hootenanny was very good this year. All the veterans could still sing and the youngsters largely bought their A game. This was my highlight. I love the way Ruby takes this up a notch with each verse or chorus. Full money’s worth. while I’m on; happeeeeeee noooo yeaaarrrrrr!!!! Hootenanny!!!!!

    Ruby Turner – Peace in the Valley

      • It’s Vince Black what posted the divine Miss T, but she is truly wonderful. When she is in full belt on the tiny stage of the Jam House in Brum the world slows down. Always the reason for ever wondering if Jools Holland live is less excruciating than the on telly (he is), she makes the high point of all his shows, and he is wise enough to recognise that in his billing.

  50. A Cuban Soul thread, Señor Tigger? That sounds caliente. Alias and Ivylander would be here like a shot.

    I’m interested as to how far we can stray into other genres and stay within the OP for the thread.

    We had a wonderful thread a while back on Ladies of Reggae. I think several of them might fit in comfortably here. Like Dawn Penn.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=weFxKPsYTf4

    • I’m on an iPad, KFD. Don’t post the header as a link. Below the video is a grey bar. To the left is the view count. To the right is a flag. Just inside that flag is a figure of maths meaning less than: ‘<'. Put your finger on that and it brings up an URL to share. You'll find that 'tube' is 'tu.be' with a full stop in the middle. Copy that and paste it into your post.

  55. Ok let’s give it a try. I felt like posting Adele’s Rolling I the Deep but I predicted a riot.

    So here’s Aretha doing it. No one’s going to take issue with the Queen of Soul.

  58. P P Arnold

    First Cut Is The Deepest

    Angel Of The Morning (B-Side to above single)

    Several years later, she lifted a so-so Ocean Colour Scent track (“Its A Beuatiful Thing”) into something more than it would ordinarily have been

  59. I can’t embed at the mo but if you get a chance, listen to Lizz Wright’s version of ‘Stop’ by Madonna- so good that you forget the pretty pedestrian original.

  68. I’m going to push the envelope a little again with the wonderful Virginia Rodrigues from Brazil. Not just because she is singing in Portuguese but because her music hovers somewhere between the sacred and the profane. I suspect that many of the singers we’ve mentioned have sung (or perhaps still sing) in church.

  70. Just watched this weeks Reg D Hunter’s all about me documentary, which has snippets of musical interest interspersed between his driving places. Nice footage of Sharon Jones singing in a church

  76. Quite rightly. the OP is Ladies of Soul. Soul is women’s music. Primal and raw. A young girl hasn’t experienced enough to sing it. (A point which I’d be happy to be proved wrong on!)

    Here is Oumou Sangare. a Queen of Malian Soul. Nothing flimsy and superficial about her voice.

    • Interesting question. I’d definitely say it’s soulful but what is Clare Torry trying to express? I’m sure, you hear a song about dying, KFD, but I suspect the Mooche hears something different. It took until 2005 for her to get a songwriting credit for her remarkable improvised contribution.

      The band were impressed with her version of Light My Fire. I can’t find that on the interweb but, to prove she can sing words, here’s One Way Street.

  79. “Hangs head in shame” I’m afraid to confess that I’m with Moose on that one, Tigger.

    I wouldn’t want t limit it to one interpretation but it is pretty orgasmic.

  85. What a wonderful thread – hope it runs and runs.

    Couple from me for now – hard to believe but both came out as UK sevens.

    Debbie Taylor – I don’t wanna leave you
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGIygLsHKJY

    Barbara Hall – Drop my heart off at the door

    Sadly despite Junior’s best advice not sure I’ve got the hang of this video lark – so if you’re passing Tigger please link for me. Ta.

  90. I’ve just checked & we have criminally overlooked Roberta Flack. The earlier version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is best. Such poise and perfection in the phrasing.

  93. Not adding anything groundshaking, just an alternate version of Aretha doing Say A Little Prayer, but this is a gorgeous lovely very controlled performance, there’s a little vocal trill, like Aretha sings a flute somewhere in it. Listen out…

    • I’ve never seen that before. Exceptional! Her performance is special, obviously, but aren’t the backing vocals amazing! I bet Erma is in the mix somewhere, unseen.

    • Quite right. Morrison knows his soul, especially the more up-to-date kind, but all the experts are present and correct on the thread, starting from Mooche at the top and including you, KFD!

  99. Possibly on the gospel side but Naomi Shelton turned out a cracking record last year with Cold World on the brilliant Daptone label. Sharon Jones mentioned above is a label mate.

    This is one of the best:

    • Thanks, bungalow. That song is new to me. Nice shiny eighties production. Ta’Ta seems a very lovely lady, patiently encouraging her obviously struggling partner to get an erection.

      “Hey, big man! Get it up for love!” Indeed.

  105. I always think of Brandy as being overproduced. Her vocal is often drowned out by multi-tracks of her own voice! Chris Brown stripped it down to reveal a breathy, sweet whisper. Put It Down.

  110. Lisa Fischer – Beneath The Wings Of An Angel

    Sorry. I couldn’t resist getting up to 200 comments! Besides, Lisa and Carmen are superb vocalists deserving a place on the thread.

  113. What? No Oleta Adams?

    Perhaps a bit too smooth and yacht rocky for The Afterword, but do give this a spin and feel the musical sophistication.

    (First post on this wonderful new site – well done and sincerest gratitude to you techies who worked so devotedly to refloat the good ship and also to the Continuity Afterworders on Facebook, sorry I just could not join you. FB – what a hideous place).

  121. Dyan Birch was one of the lead singers of Arrival, which evolved into Kokomo. I think her voice fits in with the vibe of this thread.

    Please excuse the Savile. Arrival with Friends:

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