Chronicled in "A Touch of Classic Soul" are the careers of 35 of the top soul singers of the early 1970s. The author conducted interviews with most of the artists and profiled others. They describe how their careers began, how they got their first professional break, how some of their biggest hits were created, the major events in their careers, their triumphs and downfalls, and what keeps them performing today. Includes Al Green, the Delfonics, Isaac Hayes, the O'Jays, Barry White, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Dells, the Ohio Players, the Stylistics, the Emotions and more. Author Marc Taylor often had to catch artists backstage, on-tour, or for example interviewing Blue Magic at 2:00 after a performance.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
When the British Invasion arrived on the American popular music charts in the 1960s, the only form of American music to give the English lads a run for their money was soul music. While the soul music of the 1970s lacked the consistency of the Motown acts, or the genius of Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, a look at the table of contents reveals how much sweet soul music the decade produced. From one-hit wonders like Blue Magic to performers still going strong 25 years later like Al Green, Taylor profiles 35 practitioners of a musical style that would soon be eclipsed by disco and funk. In addition to a chronological listing of recordings, personnel changes, and production techniques, the many interviews give the book a refreshing personal feel. A contributor to New York Trend and Classic Soul magazines, Taylor covers songs and artists who have never left the airwaves, and it's good to see them begin to get the respect they deserve. Recommended for all popular music collections.
Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Great! Tremendous! 'A Touch of Classic Soul' tells the story just like it was. -- William Hart, lead singer of the Delfonics
"I'm 'A Touch of Classic Soul's' biggest fan" -- Wanda Hutchinson Vaughn, lead singer of the Emotions
"Recommended for all popular music collections." -- Library Journal
Stories from over thirty of soul music's biggest stars of the early 70s are packed into a volume which provides trivia and insider's details on the black music scene of the early to mid- 70s. Taylor conducted interviews with most of the artists and profiled others: his survey is revealing. -- Midwest Book Review
"I'm 'A Touch of Classic Soul's' biggest fan" -- Wanda Hutchinson Vaughn, lead singer of the Emotions
"Recommended for all popular music collections." -- Library Journal
Stories from over thirty of soul music's biggest stars of the early 70s are packed into a volume which provides trivia and insider's details on the black music scene of the early to mid- 70s. Taylor conducted interviews with most of the artists and profiled others: his survey is revealing. -- Midwest Book Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An almost perfect book,
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This review is from: A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s (Paperback)
This book is like an "Encyclopedia of Soul Music of the 70's", except that, instead of entries, you get a full chapter for each artist or group. It fills an important gap in the bibliography of pop music. The author understandably did not include such big names as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye or the Jackson 5, as these acts had their own biographies published at one time or another. But then, Tavares and The Hues Corporation would have been welcome. We do get the stories of Blue Magic, Chi-Lites, Billy Paul, First Choice, Stylistics, Spinners, Three Degrees, Barry White and many others. I would have given this book five stars if it had included the complete discography for each artist, which would have been invaluable information for collectors. Unfortunately, it doesn't (though the albums are mentioned in the text). Also, in some cases, the biographies you can find in CD booklets seem to be more in-depth. For instance, in the Blue Magic chapter, there is no mention of the fact that their first single, "Spell", was actually recorded by Ted Mills' original group, before Blue Magic was formed. This piece of information can be found on the booklet of the CD "Soulful Spell, The Best of Blue Magic", which Marc E. Taylor could have used for reference. But don't get me wrong: this book may not be perfect, but it is still an excellent addition to anyone's library. It chronicles those good old days when black singers were accompanied by real drums, real strings, real horns... and made music that was real magic!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must have for 70s music fans,
By Marcus Chapman (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s (Paperback)
I am a music historian with a large collection of music and books. This is easily one of the top 3 or 4 music books I have ever read. What makes this book special is Taylor's in depth examinations of each artist's impact on the era. He understands that Billboard chart positions cannot always be taken at face value, they can be both accurate and misleading. Many authors simply use numbers to tell the artists stories, but Taylor goes beyond this. His explanation of the impact of the first Teddy Pendergrass album is a perfect example. There were only two singles released from that album, but there were at least three more hits that drove the album's sales. This type of info, and more, is given throughout the book. I know alot about this type of music, and I can tell when an author really knows it too. Marc Taylor knows the music, did his homework, and wrote an excellent and informative book. I'm sure volume two is even better.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very In Depth,
This review is from: A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s (Paperback)
this is the kind of Book Every 70's Lover of R&B must have ASAP.very detail&interesting from start to finish.a MUST!A MUST!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
A five-man vocal and instrumental group from Kansas City, Bloodstone found success in the early 1970s with a sound that shifted from smooth pop/soul ballads like "Outside Woman" and "Give Me Your Heart" to guitar-dominated funk, such as "Do You Wanna Do a Thing." Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Blue Magic, Blue Notes, New York, Thom Bell, Main Ingredient, Los Angeles, Touch of Classic Soul, Ohio Players, Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Harold Melvin, Gladys Knight, Love Unlimited, Philadelphia International, Three Degrees, Barry White, Back Stabbers, Big Stuff, Billy Paul, Kenny Gamble, William Hart, Leonard Chess, Stax Records, New Orleans, United Artists New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
A five-man vocal and instrumental group from Kansas City, Bloodstone found success in the early 1970s with a sound that shifted from smooth pop/soul ballads like "Outside Woman" and "Give Me Your Heart" to guitar-dominated funk, such as "Do You Wanna Do a Thing." Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Blue Magic, Blue Notes, New York, Thom Bell, Main Ingredient, Los Angeles, Touch of Classic Soul, Ohio Players, Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Harold Melvin, Gladys Knight, Love Unlimited, Philadelphia International, Three Degrees, Barry White, Back Stabbers, Big Stuff, Billy Paul, Kenny Gamble, William Hart, Leonard Chess, Stax Records, New Orleans, United Artists New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
4
books
cite this book:
- A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race, and the Soul of America by Craig Werner in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Class Act by Cholly Atkins in Back Matter
- Don't Call Us Molls: Women of the John Dillinger Gang by Ellen Poulsen in Back Matter
- Boogaloo: The Quintessence of American Popular Music by Arthur Kempton in Back Matter
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