Sweet Soul Music

In Peter Guralnick`s retelling, the story of soul music is largely the story of the South, the Stax and Atlantic record labels, and the wealth of artistic talent that flourished from the 1950s to the `70s. The genre`s emergence from gospel music was controversial, with some in the religious community outraged at their music being used for secular purposes, but, as Guralnick emphasizes, without gospel there would have been no soul. The author`s research unearths some fascinating stories, including a particularly surreal gem about Solomon Burke`s concert for a Ku Klux Klan picnic, and there are candid profiles of legends such as the late Ray Charles and Otis Redding. But SWEET SOUL MUSIC is as much the story of the business, here represented by Stax Records, as it is of its artists. With its stellar roster of performers and phenomenally successful track record, the label is for Guralnick the touchstone of `60s soul (despite being the brainchild of a white business graduate and his sister), and he chronicles its story, from its humble beginnings as an outlet for its owner`s musical aspirations to its later chaotic and heartbreaking dissolution, with a journalist`s eye for detail and a music lover`s empathy. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.