Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Howard Tate: Get It While You CanHoward Tate: Get It While You CanProduced by Jerry Ragovoy in 1967, Howard Tate's vocal performance is an absolute tour de force. His piercing, church-honed falsetto leaps octaves with breathtaking agility over crisp brass punctuation and a strutting rhythm section, offering a masterclass in vocal urgency.0
  2. 2James Carr: The Dark End of the StreetJames Carr: The Dark End of the StreetWritten by Dan Penn and Chips Moman, this 1967 Goldwax recording is a pinnacle of Southern deep soul. James Carr's bruised, majestic baritone carries the guilt and longing of an affair conducted in secret, and the slow, churchy arrangement gives him room to ache. Many later singers have covered it,…0
  3. 3Irma Thomas: Ruler of My HeartIrma Thomas: Ruler of My HeartArranged and written by Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, this 1963 single showcases the Soul Queen of New Orleans at her most regal. Thomas's smoky, restrained vocal phrasing floats effortlessly above subtle piano triplets and weeping horns.0
  4. 4Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters: Cry BabyGarnet Mimms & The Enchanters: Cry BabyProducer Jerry Ragovoy created the blueprint for dramatic soul preaching with this 1963 landmark. Mimms's spoken sermonettes, gospel testifying and soaring vocal peaks alongside the Enchanters' heavenly harmonies set a new high-water mark for vocal drama.0
  5. 5Laura Lee: Dirty ManLaura Lee: Dirty ManCut at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Dirty Man crackles with Southern swagger. Over the studio's tight house rhythm section and punchy horns, Laura Lee delivers a fierce, no-nonsense warning to an unfaithful partner, sounding more like a preacher than a victim. Choose it for soul with a…0
  6. 6O.V. Wright: Eight Men, Four WomenO.V. Wright: Eight Men, Four WomenO.V. Wright was one of the rawest, most gospel-rooted voices in Memphis soul, and this 1967 single is a slow, grinding ballad framed as a courtroom, with a jury of eight men and four women weighing up his love. His gritty, pleading delivery turns the conceit into real anguish. Choose it for deep…0
  7. 7Wendy Rene: After Laughter (Comes Tears)Wendy Rene: After Laughter (Comes Tears)Recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis when Rene was still a teenager, this slow-burning masterpiece is anchored by Booker T. Jones's haunting, melancholic organ riff. Her fragile yet determined vocal delivery exudes an eerie, timeless beauty.0
  8. 8Baby Washington: That's How Heartaches Are MadeBaby Washington: That's How Heartaches Are MadeJustine 'Baby' Washington delivered the definitive statement of uptown New York soul in 1963. Lush orchestral strings, subtle Latin-tinged percussion and Washington's silky, conversational phrasing create an atmosphere of sophisticated nocturnal romance.0
  9. 9Syl Johnson: Is It Because I'm BlackSyl Johnson: Is It Because I'm BlackRecorded on Chicago's South Side in 1969, this epic seven-minute track combines deep blues feeling with unflinching social commentary. Johnson's mournful vocal, gentle guitar arpeggios and brooding brass arrangement confront systemic injustice with quiet dignity.0
  10. 10Betty Harris: Nearer to YouBetty Harris: Nearer to YouAnother Allen Toussaint masterpiece, Nearer to You builds from an intimate, whisper-soft piano ballad into an overwhelming tidal wave of Southern soul catharsis. Harris's extraordinary dynamic control makes every second count.0