The Soul Stirrers
Wikimp3 information about the music of The Soul Stirrers. On our website we have 35 albums and 32 collections of artist The Soul Stirrers. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that The Soul Stirrers represents Gospel genres.
Biography
[Edit]Indisputably among the premier gospel groups of the modern era, the Soul Stirrers pioneered the contemporary quartet sound. Pushing the music away from the traditional repertoire of jubilees and spirituals towards the visceral, deeply emotional hard gospel style so popular among postwar listeners, the group's innovative arrangements — they were the first quartet to add a second lead — and sexually charged presence irrevocably blurred the lines between religious and secular music while becoming a seminal influence on the development of rock & roll and soul, most notably by virtue of their connection to the legendary Sam Cooke. The Soul Stirrers' origins date back to 1926, where in the town of Trinity, TX, baritone Senior Roy Crain formed a quartet with a number of other teens with whom he attended church. After one of the group's early appearances, a member of the audience approached Crain to tell him how their performance had "stirred his soul," and from this chance compliment the Soul Stirrers were officially born.
The original group fell apart soon after, but Crain continued to pursue a singing career; upon relocating to Houston during the early '30s, he joined a group called the New Pleasant Green Singers on the condition that they change their name to the Soul Stirrers. So rechristened, this incarnation of the quartet made a 1936 field recording for Alan Lomax; as other members dropped out, Crain brought in replacements, finally arriving at the classic early lineup which also included bass Jesse Farley, baritone T.L. Bruster, second lead James Medlock, and, most notably, lead R.H. Harris, whose high, crystalline voice remains the inspiration for virtually all great male quartet leads to follow since. After moving to Chicago, the Soul Stirrers began shifting away from the signature tight harmonies and compact songs of traditional gospel towards a harder style distinguished by shifting leads and performances elongated to increase their emotional potency; they also began performing new material from the pens of Thomas A. Dorsey, Kenneth Morris, and others.
Throughout the 1940s, the Soul Stirrers' reputation grew; not only were they constantly on tour, but they booked most of the major gospel programs in the Chicago area — in their spare hours, they even operated their own cleaning business. When the grind got to be too much for Medlock, he retired from the road, and was replaced by onetime Golden Echo Paul Foster. In early 1950, the Soul Stirrers signed to the Specialty label, debuting with the single "By and By"; it was quickly followed by "I'm Still Living on Mother's Prayer" and "In That Awful Hour," both originals composed by Detroit's Reuben L.C. Henry. In total, the Soul Stirrers recorded over two dozen tracks for Specialty in 1950 before Harris quit the group that same year; many predicted a dire future, especially when it was announced that his replacement was a relatively unknown 20-year-old named Sam Cooke. When Cooke made his recording debut with the Soul Stirrers in 1951, however, any reservations were quickly dispelled — blessed with a gossamer voice even sweeter and more graceful than Harris', he would take the group to even greater heights than before.
The first Soul Stirrers 78 to feature Cooke, "Jesus Gave Me Water," was a major hit, and with his good looks the young singer made an instant impact with female audiences, in the process becoming the gospel circuit's first sex symbol. The group's popularity continued to soar, but as the Soul Stirrers entered their third decade, the daily grind began to wear on its members, and soon Bruster retired; he was replaced by baritone Bob King, who also doubled as a guitarist, becoming their first-ever steady instrumentalist. In 1954, the Soul Stirrers briefly added Julius Cheeks to their roster; after lending his raspy vocals to a recording of "All Right Now," however, contractual obligations forced him to exit almost as quickly as he arrived. In 1956, Cooke finally crossed over to the pop market, and was replaced by ex-Highway QC Johnnie Taylor; while Taylor himself would also enjoy pop success in the years to follow, he failed to command the same devotion as his predecessor. Lineup changes continued regularly in the years to follow, but the Soul Stirrers forged on, with new, younger members keeping the group afloat into the 1990s.
Title: Joy In My Soul: The Complete SAR Recordings
Artist: The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel, Rock
Title: The Soul Stirrers In Concert/Live From Chicago, IL
Artist: The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: The Soul Stirrers: Collector's Edition
Artist: The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: Les Génies Du Rock / Les Genies Du Rock
Artist: The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: Tribute To Sam Cooke
Artist: The Soul Stirrers
Title: The Complete Specialty Records Recordings (CD1)
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Amazing Grace The Roots Of Gospel And R&B
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: The Legends Of Specialty Series
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Gospel
Title: Lift My Savior Up
Artist: The Soul Stirrers, Willie Rogers, The Original Soul Stirrers, Martin Jacox, Ben Odom, Michael Grady
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel, Rock
Title: The Kings of Gospel
Artist: The Soul Stirrers, The Original Five Blind Boys Of Alabama, The Violinaires, Clarence Fountain, The Traveling Echoes, The Silver Gate Quartet, The Harmonizing Four, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Meadowlark Singers, Willie Morganfield, Mighty Stars Of Harmony
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: The Complete Specialty Records Recordings (CD3)
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Funk
Title: Specialty Profiles: Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel, Rock
Title: The Complete Specialty Records Recordings (CD2)
Artist: Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Funk
Collections
Title: Soul Collection (50 Classici Soul)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop, Funk
Title: Early Soul & Funk
Title: Mega Gospel (CD3)
Genre: Gospel
Title: Greatest Gospel Ever (CD2)
Title: Great Day Coming: 50 Gospel Greats (CD1)
Genre: Gospel
Title: Great Day Coming: 50 Gospel Greats (CD2)
Genre: Gospel
Title: The Ultimate Collection: Gospel 3
Genre: Byzantine/Relegious, Funk
Title: The Ultimate Collection: Gospel 4
Genre: Byzantine/Relegious, Funk
Title: Gospel Grooves Vol. 3
Genre: Gospel
Title: Gospel Grooves, Vol. 1
Genre: Gospel
Title: Gospel: The Absolutely Essential 3 CDCollection (CD1)
Genre: Gospel
Title: Gospel: The Absolutely Essential 3 CDCollection (CD2)
Genre: Gospel
Title: Gospel: The Absolutely Essential 3 CDCollection (CD3)
Genre: Gospel
Title: A Soul Awakening From Sacred To Secular (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: A Soul Awakening From Sacred To Secular (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: A Soul Awakening From Sacred To Secular (CD5)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: American Soul Connexion (1954-1962) (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story 1959-1965 (CD1)
Genre: Soul
Title: Rip It Up The Best Of Specialty Records 16-44.1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock & Roll, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: A Rhythm & Blues Chronology 1947-48 (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues, Jazz
Title: Songs Of Civil Rights & Protest (CD1)
Genre: Blues, World Music, Folk
Title: 20 Great Vocal Group Songs (All Tracks Remastered)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Pop
Featuring albums
Title: Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 (Remastered)
Artist: Sam Cooke
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: Stax Profiles: Johnnie Taylor
Artist: Johnnie Taylor
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Rock, Punk Rock, Disco
Title: Street Carols - December Voices
Artist: Stormy Weather
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Traditional Pop Music
Title: Legendary Groups Of Gospel
Artist: Various Artists
Title: The History of Black Gospel Volume 3
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Gospel, Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Christian Rock, Christian Country Music
Title: The History of Black Gospel Volume 2
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Gospel, Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Christian Rock, Christian Country Music
Title: The History of Black Gospel Volume 4
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Gospel, Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Christian Rock, Christian Country Music
Title: Greatest Gospel Hits
Artist: Vários Artistas / Varios Artistas
Genre: Gospel, Christian Rock, Christian Country Music
Title: Kings Of The Gospel Highway
Artist: Various Artists
Title: Folk Is For Playin' and Singin': 25 Terrific Tracks!
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: World Music, Folk
Title: Gospel Train: Classics From the Golden Age
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Gospel
Title: Jesus Rocked the Jukebox: Small Group Black Gospel (1951-1965)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Gospel