VA - Black Magic [3CD Box Set] (2020)

In the early 1960s the music once known as rhythm and blues began to be proudly referred to as ‘soul’ music, as in heartfelt and genuine – though it was also a fact that most of the great stars of soul had originally learned their craft singing in gospel choirs. While in the 1950s songs by black artists often had to be covered by white artists like Elvis Presley in order to get radio airplay, within the space of a few years black artists started becoming more visible, and gaining popularity with a massive new audience of young white teenagers. The soundtrack of this new decade was as likely to consist of Motown or Atlantic hits as it was to be folky protest songs like We Shall Overcome. Even a cursory glance down the list of artists present on this triple CD set should convince you that – as an introduction to 1960s soul music – you’d be hard pressed to find a better cross-section of that decade’s amazing display of sheer talent than that on offer here, among them being James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson, the Isley Brothers or Wilson Pickett. It’s an impressive roster