Book - Sweet Soul Music

SWEET SOUL MUSIC
RHYTHM AND BLUES AND THE SOUTHERN DREAM OF FREEDOM
By
PETER GURALNIC

Paperback
438 pages, lots of photos

Here, in a narrative that captures all the tumult and liberating energy of a nation in transition, is the story of the legendary performers—Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Al Green among them—who merged gospel and rhythm and blues to create Southern soul music.

“Stunning…panoramic…a heartfelt history—one of the best books ever written on American popular music.”
---Jim Miller, Newsweek

“The Best history of ‘60s soul music anyone has written or is likely to write, but it is much more than that.”
--Robert Palmer, New York Times

“…This is a terrific read and an important book.”
--David Armstrong, San Francisco Examiner

“The definitive history…Guralnick makes his point without preaching…Sweet Soul Music is at once a scholarly work and a whole lotta fun.”
---Daniel Brogan, Chicago Tribune

“Buy this Book! In years to come it will seem like a bargain compared with all the wonderful records which you will have to buy after reading the vivid accounts of Sweet Soul Music.”
---Elvis Costello

Chapters Headings:
1. Prologue to Soul: Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and the Business of Music
2. King Solomon: The Throne in Exile
3. Beginnings: Stax
4. Otis Redding
5. Stax: The Golden Years
6. Fame and Muscle shoals
7. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
8. The Soul Clan
9. The Other Side of Memphis
10. Stax Goes to Europe/The Big O Comes Home: Triumph and Tragedy
11. Aretha Arrives
12. The Death of the Dream

The story of Soul and Memphis' Stax Records, born in the late 50's.Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Rev. Al Green.