In the late 1950s a genre of music was born that was to become Memphis Soul Music. Soul is a style of music that combines R&B music with Gospel music. It has been said that Memphis Soul Music is similar to Gospel in almost every way. The only difference between the two would be to replace the word Lord in Gospel to the word Baby and its all Soul from there.

The catchy, new, unique blend of R&B and Gospel quickly spread through the African American communities in Chicago, Philadelphia, Memphis, and Detroit. Memphis Soul music was most heavily influenced by gospel. The unique sound of Memphis Soul music was described as unpolished and raw. Up North, the sound had been more polished and smooth. Memphis was gritty and raspy.

Memphis Soul music gradually spread through Beale Street to Sun Studio, where both Black people and White people worked together to make and record the music. Just south of the Downtown Memphis area is where the deep hearted Memphis Soul music continued, giving the area the name Soulville, USA. It was in these small neighborhoods that Memphis Soul music was born and raised.

In the middle of Memphis Soul music was the label Stax Records. The local Soul talent focused its efforts on the little record company, and soon the label was producing just about every major artist in the local area. Although Stax Records began as a small company, it wasnt long before they were producing artists like Maurice White, Al Green, and Aretha Franklin.

Another studio that catered to the Memphis Soul music was Royal Studio. Royal Studio would become one of the most important studios in Memphis, and it supported artists like Bill Blacks Combo and Ann Peebles, and Al Green. Royal Studio, along with Hi Records added a depth to the number of local artists that went beyond any comparison in other cities in the country. Even today, Royal Studio still records the music of Memphis Soul artists and others.

1957 is considered the year that Memphis Soul music was born. In 2007, the city of Memphis held a celebration in homage to the 50th anniversary of Memphis Soul, hailing Soulville, USA for bringing the genre to the place in music history that can only be from Memphis.



By: Phoenix Delray

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In 1970, a new strand of Rhythm and Blues (R&B) was hitting the airwaves, funk music.  Rhythm and Blues artists like Little Richard, James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, and the Meters helped to pave the way to R&B Funk topping record charts and filling nightclubs with a funky new beat. 

 Psychedelic soul hit the music industry in the late 60’s giving the R&Bs a blend of rock and soul with that had an upbeat tempo that one could move their feet to on the dance floor.  It was the crack that led to the opening to funk and disco a few years later.

 Funk music could be classified as a mixture of soul music with a dash of jazz, and R&B, with a strong rhythmic groove built from the electric bass, drums, and the electric guitar.  They often have a strong horn section as well where the sax added the soul and the trumpets and trombone accented the rhythmic beats.       

 When taking a trip down funk music memory lane you can’t help think back to the 70’s artists such as Rufus feat, Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Eric Burdon & War, Tower of Power, Average White Band, The Commodores, and Kool & the Gang.  The thing with funk music back in the 70’s and still today is that no one band or artists was bound to just that one style of music.  These same artist and many more also played other genres of music such as disco and rare soul music.  Funk just opened the doors to new venues as well as new genres of music such as disco beats, hip hop, and go-go and punk music.

 By the early 80’s funk took on a bit more of a spin and became more sultry and sexual in content with the help of artists such as Prince.  After all, the initial oncoming of funk was based off the idea of getting your groove on or sexual intercourse to be more direct.  A song would start with a slow rhythmic groove working up to a harder, pounding, and more insistent and demanding rhythm. 

The 80’s also brought musical instrument changes to the traditional funk sounds with the exchange from live horn sections to synth keyboards, organs and pianos were replaced with electronic machines and synthesizers as well.  Even the drums were replaced by electronics taking a good part of the show out of funk today.  Lyrics that used to be innuendos of sexual content have become straight out obvious sexual content. 

 The late 80’s and early 90’s brought funk into yet another light as rock bands started incorporating funk sounds to their venue calling it funk rock or funk metal.  However through all the changes of Funk R&B influences that earlier performs such as James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, The Meters, The Funk Brothers, and Bootsy Collins still remain. 

 



By: Tex Johnson

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When talking about Memphis soul music, there are many names that you should definitely mention. People like W.C. Handy, Frank Stokes, Willie Nix, Furry Lewis, Sleepy John Estes, Junior Parker, Ida Cox, Memphis Minnie, Rosco Gordon, Howlin Wolf, Robert Wilkins, Big Mama Thornton and Bobby Sowell have all worked together to create, shape and define what Memphis soul music is and should always be.

Created in the 1920s and 1930s by musicians in the area, Memphis soul music was primarily associated with Beale Street, the center of all things artistic and fun in not just Memphis, but all of Tennessee (and maybe the entire country). There have even been entire books devoted exclusively to Memphis soul music, like Goin Back to Memphis, a book published in 2000 by James L. Dickerson.

Many of the musicians involved with the Memphis soul music scene were extremely poor when they first started out, so could not afford a lot of the types of instruments that were popular at the time. Instead of using sounds of trombones, drums and other pricey instruments, the sounds were made with readily available, cheap items (many of them were just lying around the house anyway) to create the unique sound of Memphis soul music.

So, when Memphis soul music was first being created, there was an emphasis placed on weird musical instruments, which created a unique sound that many people had never heard. Sure, there was usually a standard guitar in the mix, but there were bands that just used jugs and nothing else! Jug bands were a significant segment of Memphis soul music. Other instruments that were popular in early Memphis soul music included washboards, kazoos, Jews harps, banjos and harmonicas.

It was not until after World War II that electric instruments infiltrated Memphis soul music. Also around the same time, there was a mass migration of African Americans from the sticks of rural places in Nowheresville to the promise of jobs and better equality that urban areas had to offer. As a result, Memphis soul music began to take on a much different sound. Jug bands were slowly replaced by electric instrument toting musicians like B.B. King and Ike Turner.

Since then, all kinds of different genres have been influenced by Memphis soul music. Rock and roll certainly would not be the same without the sound that was produced on Beale Street, and to date there has not been anything like it.



By: Phoenix Delray

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There are many different styles of dancing that a person can take part in. The type of music you enjoy listening to is going to impact the dances that you want to do. Some of the different moves just don’t work well universally as they are specific to a given type of dancing. Learning all of this is easier than you might think so if you have all but given up on dancing then now is the time to educate yourself and to make the most of it.

Think about what you know about dancing and various forms of movement. For example if you enjoy country music then you have plenty to choose from. Depending on the song you may have the two step or the swing to take part in. There is also line dancing which is very fun. You also don’t need a partner for line dancing.

Hip hop dancing to rap music and new wave is one that many people love because they get to express their own since of style within it. They don’t have specific steps that they need to conform to in order to look good out there on the dance floor. Some of these moves people like include grinding or dancing with three people and one is in the middle of the other two.

Forms of dancing can be very sensual as well which is what many people like about it. Salsa dancing falls into that category and it is one that many people really seem to take an interest in. What about head banging? Well, you really can’t call that dancing but in some clubs it is still going on! The point I am trying to make is that there are just so many different dance styles and they do vary in nature from one extreme to the next.

Belly dancing is one trend that seems to be picking up quite a bit of interest. Many women have a desire to slim down their stomachs and to get stronger muscles there. This way they can look great in tops without the bulge and even wear a bikini again. Belly dancing is harder to learn than it looks though and you will have to use muscles that you never even knew existed. Yet it can be a great experience and you will love the way your body shape changes when you do it often.

Due to emerging trends there are too many variations of dance styles to mention. What you are comfortable with is what you should focus on. For example some people love the idea of ballroom dancing but the idea of bumping and grinding on the dance floor isn’t something that they would ever take part in.

Once you have found a dance style that you are interested in learn more about it. You will find hanging out in clubs where that type of music is played is very useful. Spend some time observing others to see what moves they have in place.  You can also decide you want to take dance lessons to teach you particular skills.

Dancing does offer plenty of freedom which is why so many people take part in it. Yu should be respectful though and understand that what you like may not be what others you know have an interest in. You may find that when you learn some of their dance moves though that you like it more than you thought. Be willing to take a chance and to explore new elements of dancing that you may have closed your eyes to before.



By: Joshua Safee

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Owning a mobile phone has become a necessity for people today. Most of our work is dependent on these handsets like, calling our friends and family, sending business files to national or international clients, capturing photos and many other important things which can be done by these amazingly small gadgets. The one mobile phone which will make your soul thrilled by its overwhelming mind blowing features is the Samsung U900 Soul. We all know that the Samsung is renowned all over the world due to its high quality mobile phones and this model is a leading handset among all the models launched by this company.

The users can easily capture the crystal clear photos of their loved ones with the help of 5 MP camera. You must not worried about the quality of the captured pictures, as the auto-focus feature ensures high focused shots of your loved ones. One should not be tensed about capturing snaps in darker surroundings, as the equipped LED flash will assist the users in capturing photos in the darker or duller environment. Further, the image stabiliser helps in stabilising the moving image. The video recorder supports QVGA format and helps in recording videos. You can also enhance the quality of your videos through the video setting feature. Photo settings and picture editing features further enhance the quality of captured photos.

The gadget is full of incredible features to entertain you. One can experience freshness at any time by listening to the soulful musical tracks on the music player equipped in this gorgeous gadget. One can easily bring smiles on one’s face by listening to the interesting programs on the built-in FM radio. This camera phone supports polyphonic and MP3 types of the ringtones. The users will find several java games embedded in the handset. The gadget offers you the facility to download other games of your choice from the Internet. Its 2.2-inch touchscreen displays 16K colours and gives immensely high resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

The users can also share their beautiful pictures with their friends by sending photos to other compatible devices with the help of Bluetooth technology. The support of the USB technology enables a cabled connection between your handset and other compatible devices. The gadget allows very high data transfer with the support of 3G technology and GPRS. You can also access Internet on your handset because of the support of WAP 2.0, XHTML, HTML and RSS feeds technologies. High speed Internet connection can be achieved on this gadget due to the support of the 3G HSDPA technology.

You can communicate with your loved ones by sending and receiving messages in the form of SMS, MMS and EMS. One can also send and receive email through this widget. The Samsung U900 Soul has got an internal memory of 128 MB and if needed, you can expand this memory with the help of microSD memory card option. You will be thrilled to know that this superb widget delivers 3.6 hours of talk time and 420 hours of standby time. Its organiser has got several useful features like converter, calculator, handsfree, speaker and magictouch navigation. Thus, the Samsung U900 Soul justifies its name by offering you exciting features that will make your soul happy. The stunning gadget will be awesome for all those who love high quality and sophisticated handsets.



By: Raina Kelsey

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Hip hop is, today, without any doubt, in top 3 of the most popular music genres. Just take a look at the music charts to see that this fact is correct. Those powerful beats, those rap lyrics, the funky artists in trendy clothes, the dynamic videos and the danceable tunes – what makes this kind of music that popular? In any case, there isn’t a single chart that doesn’t include the rap hits. And the music industry is full of hip hop beats and hits. But who makes them? Who sings them? Who will be the most popular rap artists in 2007?

It seems that nowadays, male hip hop artists tend to associate with hot, young and popular female artists that sing either pop or R&B, in order to release hits and only hits. For example, it seems that Jay Z is still making combos with Beyonce and we all know that everything that Beyonce touches turns into a hit – and this is the case of her latest song that features Jay Z. Then of course, there is Ludacris, who, in combination with Fergie, managed to release a great spring 2007 hit that topped the charts.

But in order to establish the hottest rap artists for 2007, we might look further than the actual music charts – let’s take a look at the music awards, for example. MTV Video Music Awards 2006 (and who else promotes hip hop music, if not MTV?) awarded a wide range of such artists. The hip hop artists were not simply awarded in their specific category, since the best song and best male artist also featured highly known artists such as Busta Rhymes or 50 Cent.

But besides them, there were many new names: T.I. with his hit What You Know, young Joc, Kayne West or Daddy Yankee. Considering their success in 2006, we might guess that they will make it into the charts in 2007, as well – unless they are all one hit wonders. And many music critics would place their bets on Kayne West and, obviously, on the winner of the best rap category, namely Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone).

But we couldn’t possibly talk about hiphop artists without mentioning Black Eyed Peas – after all, they won numerous hip hop awards, even if some say that they lean more towards a hyperactive dance style than to the more aggressive hip hop. In any case, they release hit after hit and most definitely, they will hit the charts in 2007, too.

Well, the above artists might not be Run DMC (who were on top of numerous charts as the best of the best in rap music – after all, they were the first ones), but they seem to promise offering a great number of hits this year.



By: Craig Rad

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Rock and roll and sex have always been inseparable bedmates.  And it’s been no secret affair.  Many musicians admit that they only learned how to sing or play an instrument so they could enjoy the fringe benefits of band membership.  They don’t mind sharing the details of these fringe benefits in their lyrics, either.  Some lyrics are blatantly explicit, while other lyrics hide their sexuality behind metaphors.  Here are some lyrics that seem very suggestive—or maybe we just have dirty minds!

“Brand New Key” by Melanie

Remember this novelty hit from the early 70s?  Also known as “The Roller Skate Song,” there seemed to be plenty of innuendo in the lyrics, “I got a brand new pair of roller skates/You got a brand new key/I think that we should get together and try them out, you see.”  Also, many listeners interpreted the lyrics “new key” as “nookie.”  Although Melanie didn’t intentionally write sexually suggestive lyrics, she did admit that, “I guess a lock and key have always been Freudian symbols, and pretty obvious ones, at that.”

“Knocking at Your Back Door” by Deep Purple

The blatant title, which also makes its way into the song lyrics, needs no explanation.  But the band wove more subtle suggestiveness into the lyrics, “So we put her on the hit list/Of a common cunning linguist/A master of many tongues.”  If you don’t get it right away, quickly say the lyrics “cunning linguist” out loud several times.  Oh, so that’s what he’s saying!  The lyrics flew under the  censor’s radar, and were played on numerous radio stations.  According to the liner notes in the band’s Greatest Hits, they wrote the lyrics as a joke, and never expected the song to get any airplay.

“Little Willy” by The Sweet

This incredibly catchy tune by glam band, The Sweet, initially drew critics’ scorn for its “nursery porn” lyrics, “Little Willy, Willy won’t go home/But you can’t push Willy ’round, Willy won’t go.”  The song lyrics were supposedly inspired by late singer Brian Connolly’s nonstop nightclubbing.  Since “willy” is also British slang for a man’s you-know-what, there’s also speculation that the lyrics regard that organ’s endless desire for satisfaction.  In any case, the song and its lyrics ignited a succession of 14 hit singles, including 11 chart-toppers.

“Cherry Pie” by Warrant

The lyrics of “Cherry Pie” are filled with so many humorous sexual metaphors, where do we begin?  Well, here are a few of those lyrics:  “She wanted me to feed her/So I mixed up the batter/And she licked the beater,” “If I think about baseball/I’ll swing all night,” and “Tastes so good/Make a grown man cry/Sweet cherry pie.”  Singer Jani Lane wrote the song’s music and lyrics on a pizza box in 15 minutes.  Talk about a quickie!

“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel

Influenced by sexually suggestive soul music lyrics, the lyrics of “Sledgehammer” are loaded with innuendo.  In addition to “I want to be your sledgehammer,” the lyrics refer to steam trains, bumper cars, pollination, fruit, bees and a big dipper.  Regarding the lyrics, Gabriel said, “Sometimes sex can break through barriers when other forms of communication are not working too well.”

That theory may work well in song lyrics, but it’s a line that might backfire if you’re trying to pick up someone in a bar!



By: Merryl Lentz

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The growing industry of unlimited music downloads has created a competition that has forced the competitors to present their products in various ways, with the hope that they can attract music enthusiasts to patronize their services. Thus, one particular site will offer a package which consists of various downloadable, plus customer care, music software, and payment plan. At first look, each package seems to be different from the ones offered by other providers yet taking a closer look will reveal that there is a close similarity among them.

Free unlimited music downloads sites seem to lure many customers. Needless to say, it’s because of the savings that they can get which really make these sites more attractive than others. What they don’t realize is that it is against the law, violating the provisions of the Recording Industries Association of America (RIAA). Despite the many apprehensions made due to illegal file sharing, still there are many who would take the risk of getting free but illegal unlimited music downloads, especially those who are just new users.

These kinds of unlimited music downloads sites present their products in a very convincing way just to assure you of your safety. However, all file sharing activities involve some degree of risk. To give you a feeling of security, they claim that they have utilized encryption in their download program, or you can apply masking on your IP address, and to top them all, safety programs like ProtoWall, PeerGuardian and SafePeer can be installed for safety. But it is very easy to trace any unlawful activity on the internet, and even you could not hide.

The worst thing that you could suffer from P2P sites that offer unlimited music downloads is data loss and computer damage. Viruses, adwares and spywares, might be downloaded together with your music files. Because of this your computer is at risk of infection that even up-to-date softwares cannot detect or remove. This can eventually lead to loss of data which can cost you not only in terms of money but also of a rich stock of knowledge and information.

The question is why should you undergo such a risky situation when you can get unlimited music downloads in a legal way? Way above the savings that you can get, real music enjoyment comes from the fact that you abide by the laws.

Paying for membership fees would not cost much. For a very minimal unlimited music downloads membership fee, you can access the site’s wide range of music database. The options come as monthly, annual or one-time lifetime membership fee. Sometimes it would give the impression that getting a monthly or annual membership subscription is better, but it would be wiser to pay a little more for a one-time payment for a lifetime subscription which usually costs not higher than fifty dollars.

If you are looking for a better way to download music as much as you can, then P2P sites can surely give this to you. After all, unlimited music downloads should be enjoyed without risk and fear of any legal issue and computer data loss.

Why not take a look at the most popular sites for unlimited music downloads today at my entertainment blog?



By: Davion W

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Music concerts are live performances of singing or instrumental music that is attended by an audience. Music concerts vary in type and content from recitals which are performed by single performer, to musical ensemble such as a music group, band, choir, and orchestra. In music concerts the musicians perform on stages whether in theaters, concert ground, arenas, stadiums, or concert halls. Musicians play in concerts in order to perform for their fans and audience as well as to introduce new songs or musical compositions.Fans usually share similar styles; rock band music fans wear concert t shirts. Although some concerts are held as benefits, most charge a fee ticket and promotional stuff. Fans buy those items as souvenirs of the music. They can be found in all varieties, sizes and styles not just at concert halls, but also in outlets and even online stores.

Whatever music you prefer, classical, rock music, heavy metal, or rap music, in concerts you can enjoy a live performance of your favorite bands and musicians.

Most of the time music concerts are held in tours in different towns or locations over a period of several months or years. Fans taste in music and genre identifies the nature of the musical concerts, nevertheless a particular performer or music band can draw fans sharing the same style, attitude, behavior and dress code. This is exemplified in rock band music enthusiasts who are well known for wearing t shirts which were intended to be promotional items and merchandise for the rock bands in there concerts. They usually have motifs and pictures of the band printed on.

To attend a music concert there is usually a fee for entrance, but sometimes it could be free. Some concerts are held for charitable causes where the band performs for free aiming to raise funds for a certain humanitarian purpose. This can be accomplished either from ticket fees or by selling promotional items, vintage clothes and merchandise to the fans.

Fans buy those items for commemorating the event or music concert they have attended, as well as a gesture of devotion to their favorite bands.

There is a very wide variety of music concerts t-shirts, concert sweatshirts, concert hoodies, punk clothes, Heavy Metal T shirts, Emo Clothing, Goth clothes, and Oi t-shirts to choose from depending on what style, design, or band you are dedicated to.

Those merchandise are not only available in concerts. You can purchase you concert t shirts from any store, mall or outlet in the country. Online stores are also there in which you are easily able to search and browse for any style, design or size you wish to purchase and add to your collection of music concert t shirts.

Rock & Roll List of Bands Products



By: webnox

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Love music are tunes and sounds composed specially to talk about and deliver messages of love. This kind of music has been in existence since we came into being. This is because love inspires so many things. In the villages of Africa, love music was a feature of the night life. Single girls and boys would come together to dance away as they explored possibilities of love. Such dances were organised to bring people together, as they sang and chanted praises to love. But, there was much more to love music than the fun. They were and still are a tool of communication to both the young and old. For singles who were almost getting married, the music was tailored with words that brought out useful information on how to conduct yourself with your lover. Through the music, girls were taught how to treat their husbands. Some of the topics included, how to show respect, how to make them happy sexually, how to do house chores and so much more. Today, this still remains but, love has revolutionalised to encompass some of the more modern aspects that love brings.

The music is a source of entertainment for many and, it is music that you can just relax with and reflect on the good old days. There are all sorts of categories when it comes to music for love. You will find slow music and even fast music for love. Rap music in the industry has been on the forefront to incorporate love lyrics. However, modern music has been criticized and some of the concerns are that it no longer holds deep meaning for society. This has been seen to be so and, when people think of the greatest music for love, many have to walk along the corridors of history to a song from a while back. There is nothing more exciting than litsening to old music and reflecting. However, there are a few artists who have managed to put their best foot forward and they have composed great music for love during modern times. Love can be dynamic and so is music. For this reason, the music appeals to some people and another kind of music will appeal to other kinds of people. In other words, we must appreciate what we have because others like it.

The best thing about music is that you can litsen to variety and you can determine the kinds of messages you hear. There is sad music and happy music for love. Sad music is often about how love became sour or how people ended their relationship. This kind of messages are vital because they show both sides of the coin. They often come with some encouraging lyrics and many can relate to the songs. Happy music for love is loved by everyone. It shows all the merits that love can bring in life. It inspires hope for love in many a broken heart. As you choose which music you want to litsen to, make sure that it is not only entertaining but has helpful lyrics to build you.



By: Francis Githinji

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