Country Soul

[rhino]

I was listening to BW Goes CW the other day and was wondering why this wasn’t a more clearly defined and popular genre. Soul and Country share a lot of the same roots. The founders of Stax made a studio to record country music and the locals that showed up to sing were into other stuff and some of the best music ever recorded happened. Ray Charles modern sounds in country was huge. Stumbled across this yesterday and am curious to find other current stuff that fits that description.



The whole record is really good. Feels like Joe Cocker at times.

 

[rhino]

I should’ve posted something about hot dogs

 

[Knox in Box]

I should’ve posted something about hot dogs

I'm more of a hamburger guy.

 

[Knox in Box]

I don't know if the song you posted is really country, but they are a fantastic listen. Following them now and will listen to the rest later.

 

[Denverdave]

I racked my brain and could not think of anything that really fits in that genre that isn't obvious.

Maybe Rhiannon Giddens. she is an amazing singer/musician/you name it.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

There have been a few pop hits over the years from Soul artists who crossed over to have a country hit.
Dobie Gray's Drift Away & Clarence Carter's Patches come to mind.

 

[Motorik]

Dobie Gray's Drift Away

That's the first one that came to mind when I read the thread title. 'Patches' is another good call.

Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe' would be another one.

 

[DdBob]

I should’ve posted something about hot dogs

Would you have included corn dogs if you did ?

 

[Motorik]

I should’ve posted something about hot dogs

Hasil Adkins

 

[Motorik]

Anyhow, I quite enjoyed the track in the original post. I'll check out more.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

That's the first one that came to mind when I read the thread title. 'Patches' is another good call.

Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe' would be another one.

I thought of Ode to Billy Jo, but I couldn't really classify Gentry as a" Soul" artist.
Although she definitely had soul.

 

[rhino]

Anyhow, I quite enjoyed the track in the original post. I'll check out more.

That whole record is really good.

Dobie Gray is another good one. I’d add Delbert Mclinton to that list. I don’t know Hasil Adkins but will check out.

 

[rhino]

Hasil Adkins

not country soul but I do see what you did there. Nice

 

[rhino]

I thought of Ode to Billy Jo, but I couldn't really classify Gentry as a" Soul" artist.
Although she definitely had soul.

She fancied her self a jazz singer. She had at least one album that got pretty out there

 

[rhino]

I racked my brain and could not think of anything that really fits in that genre that isn't obvious.

Maybe Rhiannon Giddens. she is an amazing singer/musician/you name it.

Good call. More folk that country, but this fits the vibe.

She is a fantastically sweet person as well. I met her years ago after a show and we ended up playing some tunes together just for the fuck of it. Her idea and there were only a few folks left at the venue. It was way way cool.

 

[Denverdave]

Good call. More folk that country, but this fits the vibe.

She is a fantastically sweet person as well. I met her years ago after a show and we ended up playing some tunes together just for the fuck of it. Her idea and there were only a few folks left at the venue. It was way way cool.

I like that she is in many ways an ethnomusicologist. The musical roots of country, gospel, soul, even jazz, are all the same thing. And it's way more diverse culturally than get portrayed generally. She mines those roots really well.

 

[rhino]

I like that she is in many ways an ethnomusicologist. The musical roots of country, gospel, soul, even jazz, are all the same thing. And it's way more diverse culturally than get portrayed generally. She mines those roots really well.

100% while sometimes taking those roots some place fresh.

 

[Motorik]

I thought of Ode to Billy Jo, but I couldn't really classify Gentry as a" Soul" artist.
Although she definitely had soul.

Yeah, I guess I was thinking of 'songs that are country soul' rather than the actual posted question of soul singers who went country a la Bobby Womack.

 

[rhino]

Yeah, I guess I was thinking of 'songs that are country soul' rather than the actual posted question of soul singers who went country a la Bobby Womack.

Don’t get too hung up on the OP, that guy is an asshole that probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about. What’s country soul mean to you?

 

[Motorik]

Don’t get too hung up on the OP, that guy is an asshole that probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about. What’s country soul mean to you?

Ha!

It's a good question. When I think 'country soul' there's a sound in my head, I guess I'm expecting the vocals to have a bit more melisma than you'd get with say Bakersfield or Countrypolitan.

'Okay, Motorik, George Jones uses a ton of melisma, you mean like that?'

Umm, not quite. but certainly more George Jones than Buck Owens or Jim Reeves.

I'd also expect the rhythm section to be groovier rather than playing train beats, black female gospel-style backing vocals (as opposed to the Jordanaires), but probably one of the biggest things in my nebulous concept of country soul would be Reggie Young guitar parts, especially the sliding double stops thing.