CLASSIC R&B

That prologue...the smooth harmonies...and best of all, the choreography of the four background dudes!! Perfection!!

I love R&B from the 50s, 60s, and 70s

Rubberband Man

Love this one

OP had a break up and must wallow.

Curl up in your Caftan with some ice cream and listen to R&B

Actually, the breakup was a long time ago...I just like to wallow in these fabulous numbers. Here's another panty dropper.....

One more before I sign off...the very first drag number I ever saw was the great Edye Gregory performing this number in a club in East St Louis, circa 1974 or so. She KILLED!!! Thank you, Edye, wherever you are....

R7 Was on one of the first albums I ever purchased. In the most 70s of conduits.

Extraordinary song.

Gladys

Sweet, OP!

Here's another, a tad more upbeat.

R$, that song breaks my heart like no other.

Meant to write R4

The O'Jays

Epic.

The Dell's version of I Can Sing a Rainbow (their version of Love is Blue)

This always brought tears to my eyes for some reason. My mom used to play this on the record player and she always looked sad when she listened to it. It’s very melancholy.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

The Three Degrees, When Will I See You Again. Technically, it's Philly Soul, but let's just include it in the R&B category. They had a lot of great songs and it's a shame they weren't more appreciated. I prefer them to The Supremes.

One of Stevie's most soulful songs.

Great to see some Dells fans on here.

Am a big classic R&B fan and loved the era of the Dells where they were being produced by Charles Stepney - late 60s and early 70s producer who influenced a sound that combined R&B with more classic pop and a splash of psychedelia, with wonderful results.

Stepney had a role in producing the Dells, early Earth, Wind and Fire, among others. He also led the Rotary Connection project, including Minnie Riperton.

I loved this version of Wichita Lineman......the voices are much grittier, but something about the arrangement just makes me bawl. MARY! 😭

All-time favorite.

I don't need to hear "September" ever again. Earth, Wind and Fire had much better songs.

Agreed r22

Teddy Pendergrass (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes), If You Don't Know Me By Now

R21 -- I had just moved to Atlanta from Mississippi when I heard that song one night driving along Roswell Road.

For the longest time I thought the singer said "Atlanta" instead of "Atlantis.

Speaking of r24.....

"And if that turns you off baby, you ain't worth me anyway!"

YAAAASSSSSS

One of those quiet storm/lovemaking songs/songs the DJ put on to kill time songs!

And featuring the late, great Miss Phyllis Hyman

A white guy sings lead on this and before YouTube came along, I always thought the singer was black:

Love this thread. My contribution:

Is disco included, OP? If it is, here is the first number one disco song.

The Spinners, Working My Way Back to You

It's too bad Michael turned out to be such a creep, his music really was excellent

I just find this song hits differently now, considering how he ended and what a creep he turned out to be. Just makes me sad.

Did we get this far into the thread and nobody's posted the Stylistics?

This is dictionary definition beautiful old school soul.

Break up, to make up....

Now, for the dance move to accompany these brilliant musical selections.

Thanks for the perfect weekend (ir anytime) thread, OP.

^or anytime

Honestly, this thread could be nothing but the Stylistics and it would still be bursting with classic R&B greatness.

Here's one of my favorite ballads of theirs, "I'm Stone In Love With You."

Slightly later R&B, more "quiet storm" - and one of Anita's first solo hits.

I like this one a lot. I liked some of her later stuff too, but it did have some pretty heavy production....this one is more subtle. Lovely.

Another one produced by Charles Stepney.

42 replies before Barry White is mentioned.

For shame

The Undisputed Truth:

Best slow dance song by the Stylistics:

More Anita

William Devaughn pimpin’

If you live in New York, I recommend watching the video at r46. It includes images from New York in the 70s.

Fantastic video, R46/R47. Magnificent song, too, one I never tire of. One of the best and most evocative couplets in all of soul music:

[italic]Diamond in the back, sunroof top,[/italic]

[italic]Diggin' the scene with a gangster lean.[/italic]

My favorite Chi-Lites jam ever

R66, I love the Massive Attack cover too.

The original...

And the "remake"

The late great Otis Redding!!!

That is a GREAT video, R46....THANKS!!!!!!!

I always think that Al Green’s cover of “For the Good Times” is the perfect R&B song, but then I remember that “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding is actually the perfect R&B song.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Ride this train y'all...

The Temptations

I know they hated each other IRL supposedly,but the synergy they had on this album was awesome!

Love this

Cheryl Lynn

These kinds of songs made AM radio tolerable in the 70s which was otherwise overrun with the gooey “California sound”.

I remember where I was when Gary Numan/In Cars came on WNBC or WABC, though. That was a whole new ballgame.

R56, this is my favorite O'Jays song.

I know there is still some good R&B/soul out there but it just isnt' the same. This thread makes me miss the music of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Can someone explain why more recent R & B singers go slightly off-key on purpose? It gives it more of a jazz or sound, but also sounds like a shrill misfire, but it is obviously on purpose.

^pardon the extra “or”

R66, can you post an example here?

Love this song! As a child of the '70s/teen of the '80s, I heard it on the radio occasionally growing up, and always assumed it was by Aretha Franklin (I know I was not alone in that). Then, in 1990, DAYS OF OUR LIVES used it for a very memorable location sequence with my favorite couple...which sent me on a quest to "find" it. Kept flipping through Aretha's albums in record stores, wondering: "Why isn't this song on any of her albums?" (remember, there was no Google). Finally asked someone at a record store: "Oh, that's not Aretha". Der.

R29: Linda Lyndell is also a member of the "They're white?!?! " club.

R60, great performance of a 10/10 song, though the bass line seems lost in the mix, which is a shame because it is one of the MOST AMAZING basslines in the history of funk.

Sly Stone has never recieved his due. Prince was basically Sly Stone Mk II and he got all the glory; I think he arrived at the right time and his androgyny made him less threatening and more palatable to white hipster listeners. I guess Sly's biggest sin was that he's lived too long. He lived long enough to start to decline. If he'd died in 1975 he would be hailed as a god.

Anyway, this song deserves to be posted twice, so here is the studio version with the bass in yo face. It's almost a solo record, with Sly on vocals, guitar, piano, organ, and bass.

Excellent thread. And to the poster above, if it's disco you want, start a thread for it... not chastising or being nasty, but it's a different genre and this thread's been true to it's title.

My contribution: Gladys/Pips - Heard it Through the Grapevine - where was this shot? When was it shot? Europe?

Sly Stone's biggest sin was doing too many drugs and not showing up for his concerts

i still listen to Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits. Timeless album.

Whitney, right before she went totally off the rails.

R72, yes, that was the decline. Cocaine did him in and he became a total wreck, forgotten and living rough. Fortunately, today he is being taken care of by his children. I hope he's doing well.

I mean…

R76, it's crazy to think how young he was there. Great song!

The Brothers Johnson

I always preferred Stephanie’s cover of FEEL THE FIRE…Peabo Bryson had a pinched, nasal tone to his voice that bugged me. Stephanie gave it the soul that it needed.

This thread needs a little Staples Singers! So many fantastic songs! "I'll Take You There" is probably their most iconic song, but this is my favorite.

Jeffrey Osborne. This!

And can Bill Withers be added to this list? Thre are many examples of his sound (and man is it sweet).

Here's Use Me.

Oops... with link. A live version of Use Me.

[quote]It doesn't get any better than this.

Agreed, although "Love Train" is also often considered one of, if not the, first disco songs.

My entry. This is on every sex playlist I've ever made.

Love this

R84, great choice. Vintage Al Green can get it. I hope this one is on your sex playlists too.

This is R&B. I had some young person tell me they listed to it and what they were listening to was NOT it. AFAIC, this was the last time Black music, as a whole, was great.

My dad and I loved this jam by Teddy

Isaac Hayes, Shaft

"... then she goes her way and I go mine, tomorrow we meet same place, same time.."

Loves me some Peephole Bryson

Found a Cure

I prefer this to the original. Too bad Bobby Womack is/was a creep.

Another great Bobby Womack song.

What creepy thing did Bobby do?

R95, from wikipedia

[quote] On February 26, 1965, 77 days after Sam Cooke's death, 20-year-old Womack and Cooke's widow Barbara Cooke, who was 10 years his senior, attempted to marry at the Los Angeles county courthouse.[33][34][12] Womack wore one of Cooke's suits to the courthouse and the media was present to record the event, but their application was rejected. According to the Los Angeles Sentinel, it was denied because Womack was under 21 years old and did not have his parents' permission to marry. They were finally married on March 5, the day after his 21st birthday.[13] Their marriage was considered a scandal by some in the music business and Womack found himself ostracized in the soul music world.[4][11] Womack's brothers turned against him, as did his audiences and disc jockeys.[12][15] Cooke's family was also enraged. His brothers Charles and David Cook broke Womack's jaw during an attack at a hotel in Chicago.[13][35] Womack later claimed he initially went to Barbara's side to console her following Cooke's death for fear that if she were left alone, she would "do something crazy."[36]

[quote] In 1970, Womack and Barbara separated after she discovered he was having an affair with his 17-year-old stepdaughter Linda Cooke (daughter of Barbara and Sam Cooke).[37][38] In the ensuing tussle, Barbara fired a gun at her husband and the bullet grazed his head.[38][4] Their divorce was finalized in 1971.[39] According to Womack, Linda never spoke to her mother again

My lands, r96, what a sleaze! And Mrs. Cooke was not any better.

R97, and on reddit, some girl said she was at some party during the summer and she was wearing shorts (this was in the early 00s), Bobby was there. He said something to her like "ooo yeah, you girls like to get wet, don't ya?". And she was like 14 at the time.

R98 urp. A damn shame.

Even more tragic is the wedge between the mother and child. Over some used up dick.

R99, yeah, it's a soap opera brought to life.

A funky tune by Brick:

Smooth and kind of jazzy from Atlantic Starr

A "quiet storm" classic. I was shocked when I learned the singer was white. He really nailed the sound.

R103, I was surprised as well. It's a perfect song.

Vanity, Nasty Girl

Billy Preston, doing his own funky thang after playing with the Beatles....

The Gap Band—it’s not their number one hit, but I like this more than The Rubber Band Man:

War had so many great songs it's impossible to choose just one. But I'll try...

[quote]I was shocked when I learned the singer was white.

R103, you certainly weren't alone!

Sorry, R105, but Vanity is not a good fit for this category.

Just my $.02.

"Word Up"

Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. Lots of strings in the opening but I like that.

Classic

Masterpiece

Don't Leave Me This Way

Can't believe this is a Conway Twitty song

A hundred times "YES!" to Bill Withers, R82/R83!

This is my favorite (and one of the reasons I will always love ROLL, BOUNCE; just for that opening sequence).

Ray Parker Jr with his band Raydio, a few years before he hit it really big with the "Ghostbusters" theme.

Marvin Gaye was in his hyper sexual element with this song

Unsure if this is exactly R & B, but it’s a special interpretation of a song from Hair.

A bit on the poppier side of soul, but so uplifting. I can't feel sad when I listen to this.

Now give me a little bass with those eighty-eights...

Blow your socks off, man. Legends.

1962, still packs a dance floor.

Now why would Youtube suggest this one to me?? Why?

"Daddy's Home"

Bobby Caldwell just died last month.

Deniece Williams - Silly

Stevie Wonder wrote this about Nixon, but its message is timeless.

How is it possible that nobody has posted Chaka yet?

Stacy Lattisaaw - Johey!

Aaliyah - If Your Girl Only Knew

The O'Jays - Love Train (Official Soul Train Video)

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Bad Luck

Sade

Prince

Prince

Ben E. King

This, when Average White Band and Ben E. King joined together on one of my favorite albums.

Baby come to me Lames Ingram &Patti Austin

Made famous by General Hospital and the Luke & Laura story line .

Atlantic Starr Secret Lovers

A Curtis Mayfield classic given royal treatment courtesy of En Vogue!

Speaking of AS

"Up On The Roof"

not sure if Parliament qualifies as soul but Give up the Funk stirred my soul

Turn this mother out!

George Clinton Atomic Dog

I love the slow and sexy numbers -

Well, if we're going to dip into the disco/funk/hip-hop sub-genres of "CLASSIC" R&B.......I will offer Heatwave. Rod Temperton, Genius.

No Temptations?

Or Miracles?

Ann Peebles

Love, love, love this song.

The Emotions…they had some bops…this is yet another song I got caught lip syncing to by mother 🫢🥴

R153, I'm surprised they didn't have more success. But then again, neither did a lot of groups, including The Three Degrees. I think it's because there was just so MUCH good music during that decade that lots of acts got crowded out, so to speak.

Agreed r154. The field of talent was too deep back then.

R155, exactly. Just thinking about all the soul/r&b acts from that time period makes me dizzy. And those are just the ones I'm aware of, I'm sure there are countless great acts that didn't even hit the Hot 100 that I just haven't discovered yet.

Come on people... this is for classic R&B.

I love EW&F - still own my All 'n All on vinyl. But Boogie Wonderland is not R&B - it's disco.

Start a disco thread... others will enjoy and contribute. But stick with R&B here.

Giving Him Something He Can Feel has to be one of the sexiest videos ever (funny, too). And En Vogue doesn't take anything off but a glove. And so many squirming handsome men help, too, of course.

Lady T if the 80s are considered part of the classic era...

R157, but the lines really get blurred between soul, R&B and disco in the 70s. Also...

[quote] "Boogie Wonderland" was Grammy nominated in the categories of Best R&B Instrumental Performance and Best Disco Recording.[4] It won the Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.[5]

*got, not get

No Four Tops?

Not enough Smokey

Love Machine by The Miracles

Eddie Holman

Percy Sledge When a Man loves a woman

I asked for this album when I was five. I am not black, and I'm not going to repeat what my grandma said to me when I requested it. She still bought it for me, though, and I wore it out over the next few years.