NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Soul Train

Soul Train is a long-running music-related syndicated television program. Soul Train has primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although jazz musicians and gospel singers have also appeared. The program was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and continues to serve as its executive producer. Image File history File links Soul_Train. ... Don Cornelius (born September 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American television producer, best known for his role as the host, between 1971 and 1993, of the syndicated television program Soul Train, which he also created and which he still produces through his production company, Don Cornelius Productions. ... Mystro Clark (born December 29, 1966 in Dayton, Ohio). ... Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970 in Oakland, California) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor and former male fashion model with Irene Marie Models, best known for his role as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless, which he originally played from 1994 to 2002, and is... Dorian Gregory (January 26, 1971) is an American actor most notable for playing Darryl Morris on the television show Charmed. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This is a list of episodes for the music show Soul Train. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1971 in television involved some significant events. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... This article is about the novel Soul Music. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... For other article subjects named Jazz see jazz (disambiguation). ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... Don Cornelius (born September 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American television producer, best known for his role as the host, between 1971 and 1993, of the syndicated television program Soul Train, which he also created and which he still produces through his production company, Don Cornelius Productions. ...

History

Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV in Chicago on August 17, 1970 as a daily program. Its success attracted the attention of two Chicago-based companies -- the Johnson Products Company (manufacturers of the Afro Sheen line of hair-care products), and Sears, Roebuck and Co. -- who agreed to sponsor the program's expansion into syndication. Soul Train began airing in selected cities across the United States, on a weekly basis, on October 2, 1971. When it moved into syndication, the program's home base was also shifted to Los Angeles, where it remains to the present day. Syndication of the program was handled by Metromedia Producers Corporation from 1971 until 1985, when Tribune Entertainment took over those responsibilities. WCIU-TV is an independent television station, based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 606. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1969 in television, other events of 1970, 1971 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1970-71 American network television schedule. ... Sears, Roebuck and Company is an American mid-range chain of international department stores, founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in the late 19th century. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1971 in television involved some significant events. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956... This is a list of television-related events in 1985. ... Tribune Broadcasting is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Don Cornelius ended his run as host in 1993, and guest hosts were used from that time until 1997, when comedian Mystro Clark began a two-year stint as host. Clark was replaced by actor Shemar Moore in 1999. In 2003, Moore was succeeded by actor Dorian Gregory, who hosted through 2006. The year 1993 in television involved some significant events. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1997. ... Mystro Clark (born December 29, 1966 in Dayton, Ohio). ... Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970 in Oakland, California) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor and former male fashion model with Irene Marie Models, best known for his role as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless, which he originally played from 1994 to 2002, and is... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... Dorian Gregory (January 26, 1971) is an American actor most notable for playing Darryl Morris on the television show Charmed. ... The year 2006 in television involved some significant events. ...

The show is known for its animated opening title featuring the popular cartoon train.

As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, the show's opening sequence (during later seasons) contains a claim that it is the "longest-running, first-run, nationally-syndicated program in television history," with over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005-06 season. During the 2006-07 season, the program aired archived episodes under the title "The Best of Soul Train", in lieu of new episodes. The archived episodes will continue to be aired during the 2007-08 season. ^[1] The year 2005 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 2007 in television involves some significant events. ...

Influence

During the heyday of Soul Train in the 1970s and 1980s, the program was widely influential among younger black Americans, many of whom turned to it not only to hear the latest songs by well-known black artists but also for clues about the latest fashions and dance trends. Moreover, for many white Americans in that era who were not living in areas that were racially diverse, Soul Train provided a unique window into black culture. Some commentators have called Soul Train a "black American Bandstand", another long-running program with which Soul Train shares some similarities. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand American Bandstand was a long-running dance music television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989. ...

Program elements

Within the structure of the program, there have been two enduring elements. The first is the "Soul Train Scramble Board", where two dancers are given sixty seconds to unscramble a set of letters which form the name of that show's performer or a famous person in African American history. In describing the person's notoriety, the host concludes with the phrase "whose name you should know". An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Near the program's conclusion, there is also the popular "Soul Train Line", in which all the dancers form a two lines with space in the middle for individual dancers to strut down and dance in consecutively. Sometimes, new dance styles or moves are featured or introduced by particular dancers.

In addition, there is an in-studio group of dancers who dance along to the music as it is being performed. Rosie Perez, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon, singers Jermaine Stewart and Pebbles, rapper MC Hammer, and NFL players Walter Payton and Fred Williamson were among those who got noticed dancing on the program over the years. Two former dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, enjoyed several years of success as members of the disco group Shalamar after they were tabbed by Soul Train talent booker/record promoter Dick Griffey to replace the group's original session singers in 1977. Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress, dancer, choreographer and director. ... â€œTara Patrickâ€ redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jermaine Stewart (September 7, 1957, â€“ March 17, 1997) was an American pop singer, best known for his Billboard Top 5 hit, We Dont Have to Take Our Clothes Off in 1986. ... This biographical article or section needs additional references for verification. ... MC Hammer (born Stanley Kirk Burrell on March 30, 1962) is an American MC who was popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, known for his dramatic rise to and fall from fame and fortune, his trademark Hammer pants, and for leaving a lasting influence on hip hop culture... NFL redirects here. ... Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 â€“ November 1, 1999) was an American football player, who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. ... Fred The Hammer Williamson (born March 5, [[1938] is an American actor and former professional football player, a star defensive back in the AFL during the 1960s. ... Jody Watley (born Chicago, Illinois on January 30, 1959) is an American pop singer/songwriter, producer and label owner. ... Jeffrey Daniel (right) with fellow Shalamar band members, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley Jeffrey Daniel (often misspelt as Jeffrey Daniels) (born Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1955) is an American dancer and singer, most notable for being a member of the soul vocal group Shalamar. ... Hewett, Watley, and Daniel Shalamar was an American musical group of the 1970s and 1980s that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Performers who appear on Soul Train generally lip-sync their songs to its recorded version, though several have chosen to sing their songs live. Each guest usually performs twice on each program; after their first number, they are joined by the program host on-stage for a brief interview. Lip-sync or Lip-synch (short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements with voice. ...

The show is known for two popular catchphrases: Referring to itself as the "hippest trip in America" at the beginning of the show; and for closing the program with, "...We wish you love, peace... and SOUL!" A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ...

Non-black performers on Soul Train

The program features African American singers and performers almost exclusively, although non-black artists have also appeared on Soul Train through the years, including: This is a list of performers who have appeared on the American musical dance program Soul Train. ... This is a list of performers who have appeared on the American musical dance program Soul Train. ...

Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American multi-platinum selling Grammy Award-winning singer, dancer, television personality, jewelry designer, and Emmy Award-winning choreographer. ... a-ha is a Grammy Award-nominated band from Norway. ... Christina MarÃa Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer and songwriter. ... Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass debut album, The Lonely Bull. ... The Average White Band (also AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band who had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980, and continue to perform as of 2006. ... The Backstreet Boys, or BSB, are a boy band and pop group formed in 1992 by manager Lou Pearlman that grew to considerable popularity in the late 1990s, but quietly slipped away from the charts by the early part of the 2000s. ... The Beastie Boys as depicted on the cover of their 1992 album Check Your Head. ... Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), better known as Michael Bolton, is an American singer-songwriter, known for his soft rock ballads and powerful singing vocals. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... The Captain & Tennille are a husband and wife US pop music duo who achieved success during the 1970s. ... Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong were a comedy duo who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up routines, which were based upon the eras hippie, free love and especially drug culture movements. ... Culture Club is a popular English new romantic rock group, that achieved considerable global success in the 1980s. ... Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a Scottish Grammy Award-winning pop singer and theatre & television actress. ... Garys Gang was a disco group who just missed having a Top 40 hit when their lone Hot 100 entry Keep On Dancin hit #41 in 1979. ... Daryl Hall and John Oates. ... Donald Hugh Don Henley (born July 22, 1947 in Gilmer, Texas) is an American rock musician who is the drummer and one of the lead singers and songwriters of the band Eagles. ... The Jets are a Tongan family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota comprising 17 siblings, who specialize in pop, r&b and dance music. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... JoJo is an R&B singer from K-Ci & JoJo and Jodeci, and the lead character in the childrens television show JoJos Circus. ... The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal group that was established in New York City in 1972. ... Teena Marie (born Mary Christine Brockert on March 5, 1956 in Santa Monica, California) is an American singer/songwriter/producer. ... A different person also named Michael McDonald is a co-founder of ATO Records. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pet Shop Boys are an English synthpop/pop music grammy-nominated duo, consisting of Neil Tennant who provides main vocals, keyboards and very occasionally guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals. ... The cover photo of the Romantics self-titled 1980 debut album, featuring the band in its notorious red leather suits. ... This article is about the musician. ... Robin Charles Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is a Canadian-American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and occasional actor. ... Frankie Valli (born May 3, 1934[1] in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey as Francis Stephen Castelluccio) is best known as the lead singer of The Four Seasons, a music act of the 1960s, which continued from then to the 1970s disco scene to the present day. ... Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952 in Montreal, Quebec) is an Italian-Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and composer. ... Yellow Magic Orchestra is a Japanese electropop band, formed in 1978. ... Wild Orchid could refer to Wild Orchid, a band Wild Orchid, a book by Sigrid Undset Wild Orchid, a 1990 film starring Mickey Rourke and Carré Otis This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Spin-offs

In 1987, Soul Train launched the Soul Train Music Awards, which honors the top performances in R&B, hip-hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year. See also: Musical groups established in 1987 Record labels established in 1987 // January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show aired on various television networks in national syndication that honors the best in Black music and entertainment. ...

Since then, Soul Train has created two additional annual specials: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, broadcast from 1995 to 2006, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest, which began in 1998, is a program featuring holiday music performed by a variety of R&B and gospel artists. This is a list of television-related events in 1995. ... The year 1998 in television involved some significant events. ...

Theme music

Besides hosting and producing Soul Train, Don Cornelius also commissioned the show's theme song, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", recorded by Philadelphia soul studio group MFSB, with vocals by the Three Degrees. Released as a single, this song became a pop and R&B radio hit in 1973. Soul Train used "TSOP" until around 1975, then used other theme songs before switching to "Up on Soul Train" by the Whispers ^[2], in 1980. TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) is a 1974 hit single by MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. ... Conference National Division Eastern Year founded 2004 Home arena Wachovia Center & Wachovia Spectrum(alt. ... MFSB (short for, officially, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, although some claimed that it actually stood for Mother Fuckin SonovaBitch, according to the book Last Night A DJ Saved My Life [Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, Grove Press, 2000, ISBN 0-8021-3688-5]) were a loose conglomeration of studio musicians... Three Degrees is also a computer application The Three Degrees were an American all woman soul music group of the 1970s, fronted by Sheila Ferguson. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Whispers are a R&B/ dance vocal group from Los Angeles California. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1980 Record labels established in 1980 list of years in music // January 1 - The year starts off with a strong disco backlash, which causes the majority of musicians to abandon the use of real instruments in an attempt to distant themselves from anything associated...

For several seasons beginning in 1983, the program switched to another theme created by R&B artist O'Bryan. This lesser-known theme to the program, "Soul Train's a Comin'" ^[3], had a funkier beat and a stronger bass line. In 1987, George Duke composed the first remake of "TSOP", known as "TSOP '87", and Duke also remixed the theme into a newer version ("TSOP '89") in 1989. "Soul Train '93" (You Know You Want to Dance)" performed by the rap group Naughty by Nature with a saxophone solo by Everette Harp, was introduced in 1993. More recently, another updated version of "TSOP", "TSOP 2000", has been used. // February 8 - Minipops premieres on Channel 4 in the UK. Though a ratings success, it is canceled after the first series due to heavy media criticism. ... OBryan McCoy Burnette II (born to Oâ€™Bryan and Glenice Burnette at Pender County Memorial Hospital in Burgaw, North Carolina on December 5, 1961) began his career in the music business at age 18. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1987 Record labels established in 1987 // January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... George Duke (born 12 January 1946 in San Rafael, California) is a piano and synthesizer pioneer, making a name for himself with the album Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. ... See also: 1989 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1989 Record labels established in 1989 // January 7 - Genesis 88 and Sunrise/Back to the Future stage large-scale illegal Acid House party in London January 14 - Paul McCartney releases Ð¡Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð° Ð² Ð¡Ð¡Ð¡Ð exclusively in Russia. ... Naughty by Nature is an American Hip hop group that at the time of its formation in 1991 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 // Date Unknown- Christian Rock label Tooth and Nail Records is formed. ...

References in pop culture

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... In Living Color is a sketch comedy television series which ran on the FOX Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... The year 1990 in television involved some significant events. ... Keenen Ivory Wayans (born June 8, 1958 in New York City, New York) is an American actor, comedian, director and writer best known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, his brother Damon Wayans, David Alan... Whose Line Is It Anyway? (sometimes abbreviated to Whose Line? or WLIIA?) is a short-form improvisational comedy show. ... Streets of SimCity is a 1997 racing and vehicular combat computer game published by Maxis. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Charlies Angels (2000) is an action/comedy feature film based on (and something of a sequel to) the 1970s television series Charlies Angels. ... Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former fashion model. ... The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an Emmy, BAFTA, and RTS-award winning popular American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. ... The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ... Mafia!, also known as Jane Austens Mafia! is a 1998 comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams and starring Jay Mohr, Lloyd Bridges, Olympia Dukakis, and Christina Applegate. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a Reno, Nevada based maker of slot machines and other gaming products. ... Johnnie Taylor on the cover of Eargasm Johnnie Harrison Taylor (born May 5, 1937, Crawfordsville, Arkansas; died May 31, 2000, Dallas, Texas) was an American vocalist in a wide variety of genres, from gospel, blues and soul to pop, doo-wop and disco. ... A Hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have hit (appear on... Disco Lady is a 1976 chart-topping single for Johnnie Taylor. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Jr. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... After the Dance was a modest hit and quiet storm classic for American soul legend Marvin Gaye in 1976 and was written by Gaye and Leon Ware, the co-producer behind Gayes I Want You. ... I Could Have Danced All Night is a song which originated from the musical My Fair Lady and was supposedly sung by Audrey Hepburn in the film version of the musical. ... PBS Kids (often styled all-caps as PBS KIDS) is the umbrella brand for childrens programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. ... Arthur is an American and Canadian educational childrenâ€™s television series which airs primarily on PBS in the United States; CBC Television, Radio-Canada, Knowledge Network and TVO in Canada; and BBC One in the UK, although it has been syndicated to numerous other stations throughout the world. ... For Cartoon Network outside of the United States, see Cartoon Network around the world. ... Dexters Laboratory (Dexters Lab for short) is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. ... The Proud Family is an American animated television series geared towards pre-teens and teenagers. ...

Contents

History

Influence

Program elements

Non-black performers on Soul Train

Spin-offs

Theme music

References in pop culture

See also

References

External links

Contents

History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Influence

Program elements

Non-black performers on Soul Train

Spin-offs

Theme music

References in pop culture

See also

References

External links

History