Where soul comes from
Soul came out of Black gospel and rhythm and blues in the late 1950s and 1960s, with labels such as Motown in Detroit and Stax in Memphis shaping two distinct sounds: polished pop-soul and grittier Southern soul.
What makes a track sound like soul
- Call-and-response horns
- Tambourine on the backbeat
- Warm, slightly saturated tape sound
- Dynamic builds driven by the drummer
Typical structure
Verse and chorus with horn interludes, a breakdown for the band, and an extended final chorus or vamp.
Vocals in soul
Soul vocals are big and expressive, with call-and-response between the lead singer and backing vocals or horns. Ask for "powerful soul lead with backing singers" and a chorus the backing vocals can answer.
Prompting tips
Choose "Motown" for bright, bouncy soul or "Southern soul" for slower, grittier grooves. Ask for a horn section by name.
A clean modern mix makes soul sound like stock music. Ask for "analogue tape warmth" and "live band feel".
Prompts to start from
Upbeat Motown-style soul at 116 BPM, tambourine backbeat, bright horns, walking bass, joyful and danceable
Slow Southern soul groove with Hammond organ, tremolo guitar, warm horns and a big emotional build
Retro soul instrumental for a restaurant, live band feel, tape warmth, organ and muted trumpet melody