‘SOULED’ (Out) Who keeps Messing with our Music? By  Lamar R. Thomas, Sr. Hello fellow Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and Black Music Lovers, please help me out with this, for I am a bit confused, or perhaps I didn't grow up listening to the right music or the right artists. What exactly is "Northern and/or Modern Soul"? And how does that differs from the original Black Music? Did some else: “Create some new form of Black Music, with its’ own originality? Help me please!

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I am constantly looking around the world at the music that is being played, and what I come away with most of the time is that very few people are actually playing "true Black Music" by true black artists. I remember growing up (in the deep Delta of Mississippi) where most of this stuff started (Black Music I mean), when the music was so real and so filled with Soul, that the masses called it "Race Music" because it was as we say, music that was mete out by Black people. During those times, in an effort to change the music, to include more people, and more different kind of artists, they begin changing the name of our music.

For example, what Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin Wolf, BB King, and others were doing, was considered to be the Blues, Rhythms & Blues, Soul Music, and because these pioneers were Black, they called it 'Race Music' because it was allowed to be heard by only the Black Race. Well fast forward to the great talent that was Elvis. In an effort to get the white kids involved, they renamed what the Black Music Pioneers were doing, and called it Rock N Roll, to suck in the white kids

Our young street poets( the rapper & spoken-Word Artist) have used the music of these aforementioned black Music pioneers, to "CREATE" (notice that I said Create, not imitate) a new sound, a new feel, and a continuation of what Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Black Music is. They have not tried to change it and simply call it HIP/HOP. Rather they have used the Root, and the soul of Black Music to enhance and perpetuate the SOUL that is our music. Someone should explain, and explain in great detail, what they know that I don't know, as to why they have change the names of  all the music that people such as Johnnie Taylor, Solomon Burke, Al Green, Bobby Womack, Dorothy Moore, Howlin' Wolf, Tyrone Davis, Wilson Pickett have "CREATED to perpetuate, what  Black Music Pioneers started: Black, Soul, and Rhythm & Blues music. I am sure that Northern Soul and Modern Soul may be in some way, "complimentary" to our music, and I am also sure that it means no "disrespect', but to me, coming from the hub, "the Delta' and growing up in the recording industry with "Giants" while I was learning the business, I need to know what these new labels on Black Music are getting at.

Recently, I saw that Apple ( iTunes) was running a television commercial on the Beatles (who were like Elvis, also Great!) that had the tag "The Band that Changed Everything". Every time that I saw it run on television, I became enraged. The Beatles were great and their music continues in that greatness: but the Beatles changed noting!. It was already here. They copied what Richard, Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Beery and others started. And in point of fact, because of the people that I just mentioned: "The Beatles were!

These name changes in Black Music, leaves legendary Black artist out! I look at the Radio Play list, Music Magazine Play list, and I see what I think, Modern DJs' want you to hear, and what they themselves like to hear.. And when I listen to this stuff, I feel as though I have left my soul somewhere else other than in my spirit and what it is that moves me musically, has perished. This music that I hear is really not music at all, it is not even a watered down version of Soul Music, Black Music, or Rhythm & Blues Music. I really don't know what it is. Maybe its' Neo-Soul? LOL.

Many years ago, I was the co-writer with my life long friend (Patrick Adams), on a song called, "Sorry, that number's been disconnected". I saw some place where they list that as 'Northern Soul". Many of my other songs that I personally recorded in the early days, for United Artist, MCA, Epic, are also called that. The problem with these name tags is just this: does my music, now not get played, because I don't make music like that anymore?

You folk, better stop changing the names of the music. Stop confusing the upcoming young musicians, with these misleading labels. What I understand best of all overseas, is the term, "British Soul". It Makes sense, that my music will not be categorized with that. It is very plain, much like in America where they have the Latin Grammy's. That pretty much says that songwriters like me (who write, as you say, Black Music) will not be nominated or invited. I am cool with that. It makes sense. It appears to me that no matter how up-to-date, or Modern my music is, it will not get played in the "North" of anywhere. Is that what it means? LOL

I was born in Clarksdale Mississippi, and grew up after age 9 in a town called Leland Mississippi. Practically every sound that we hear today that has been used in thousands of "Modern records, started there. So as I reflect on my life, I am very bother by Clear-Channel, Modern Soul, Neo-Soul, Northern Soul, the LATIN Grammy's, and commercial that promotes: The band that Change Everything.

As II stated earlier in this piece, it confuses and mislead our young, and our upcoming musician of all backgrounds. I personally think that we should listen to the music that moves us. We should not shut out the music that we do not like because it doesn't have a new name. There are just 12 notes in all of music. What Bach does, is what Sam Dees does. What the Beatles did, is what Little Richard did.  LOL.

All of this reminds me so much of the behind the scene promotion meetings when I was with Epic, MCA and United Artist Records. Artist was identified with labels such as POP or Rhythm & Blues. The Pop Artist was just referred to as "POP ARTISTS (not White) while the Rhythm & Blues artist were referred to as Black ARTIST and were promoted only by the Black Music Division. People stop changing “My Music”, with these new names.

In the Words of WIKEPEDIA-(The Free Encyclopedia)

Blues is a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the Deep South of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll, is characterized by specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues chord progression is the most common. The blue notes that, for expressive purposes are sung or played flattened or gradually bent (minor 3rd to major 3rd) in relation to the pitch of the major scale, are also an important part of the sound.
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular.
The term has subsequently had a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s and beyond, the term rhythm and blues was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the 1950s, after this style of music contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used to refer to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. By the 1970s, rhythm and blues was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. In the 1980s, a newer style of R&B developed, becoming known as contemporary R&B.
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound. The genre also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds.
What the Hell are you saying?


Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound. The northern soul movement, however, generally eschews Motown or Motown-influenced music that has met with significant mainstream success. The recordings most prized by enthusiasts of the genre are usually by lesser-known artists, and were initially released only in limited numbers, often by small regional United States labels such as Ric-Tic and Golden World (Detroit), Mirwood (Los Angeles) and Shout and Okeh (New York/Chicago).
Northern soul is also associated with particular dance styles and fashions that grew out of the underground rhythm & soul scene of the late 1960s, at venues such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. This scene (and the associated dances and fashions) quickly spread to other UK dancehalls and nightclubs like the Catacombs (Wolverhampton), the Highland Rooms at Blackpool Mecca, Golden Torch (Stoke-on-Trent), and Wigan Casino. As the favored beat became more uptempo and frantic, by the early 1970s, northern soul dancing became more athletic, somewhat resembling the later dance styles of disco and break dancing. Featuring spins, flips, karate kicks and backdrops, club dancing styles were often inspired by the stage performances of touring American soul acts such as Little Anthony & The Imperials and Jackie Wilson.
Neo soul is a term, coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg, during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart with incorporated elements ranging from jazz, funk, and hip hop to pop, fusion, and African music.
Developed in the United States and United Kingdom during the 1980s and early 1990s as a soul "revival" movement.neo soul emerged into the mainstream with the commercial and critical breakthroughs of several neo soul artists during the 1990s, as it was marketed as an alternative to the producer-driven, digitally-approached R&B of the time.
This combination of music Genre was not CREATED by Massenburg, so take away the credit to his name. He CREATED NOTHING!


Contemporary R&B (also known as simply R&B) is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B, pop and funk. Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s. Some sources refer to the style as urban contemporary (the name of the radio format that plays hip hop and contemporary R&B). R&B has also been used to refer to rhythm & bass although the accuracy of this abbreviation is open to debate seeing that bass forms part of a rhythm along with the drums.
Contemporary R&B has a polished record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat to give a jazz feel (mostly common in contemporary R&B songs prior to the year 1993), and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Electronic influences are becoming an increasing trend, and the use of hip hop or dance inspired beats is typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip
Now you know none of this is reality: Nothing has been CREATED here. “RE- Created: YES!!
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll or rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of the blues, country music, jazz and gospel music. Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in country records of the 1930s, and in blues records from the 1920s,rock and roll did not acquire its name until the 1950s.
I would like to mention a few things before I close. We have SOULED out our own Black Music. And we continue to do so. How do you ask? Listen up. I told the brothers and the sisters each week at “Record Promotion Day” , that we were killing Black Radio, by trying to get so-called POP records played by none Black Artist. Sadly we thought that we were being progressive and creative by pushing and promoting other artists, other than Black artist, onto Black Radio Playlists. See what has happened? There is no Black Radio to get our records played. There is only clear channel. I remember us, getting in the car with some Bologna Sandwiches, Cookies and a Soda, and start in New York, all the way through the Mid-West, Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago, looking for a Radio Antenna, to get your track played. Now, nothing! There is Clear Channel, Sirus, and the internet. Even the brothers on the internet (around the Globe) screen “real soul Music Records and Older soul Music Artist.
And just like we sold out Black Music, we are selling out Black Artist, by our quest to discover and promote, none black artist and watered down, Black Music. Justin Beiber is “CANADIAN” for Pete sake. He doesn’t even know the words to the American National Anthem! When asked could he sing it, he “replied; I’m Canadian. He compounded the insult by saying that he would never become an American Citizen, because Canadian HealthCare is superior to ours. M & at the Grammies ‘representin’ HIP HOP?  M & M winning a Soul Train Award?  Tyler Perry’s, “Colored Girls”, not even in the academy’s thoughts? James Brow has to wait to be inducted into the “ROCK N RFOLL Hall of Fame? Who Cares!.

Come on Now! Give me “OUR MUSIC” back. by Producer/Writer/Arranger Lamar R. Thomas, Sr.