# R&B music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463 "2003-08-11T19:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/1 "2003-08-11T19:45:49Z")
What does R&B stand for? ---
**Author:** ![PiscesPrincess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@PiscesPrincess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PiscesPrincess)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/2 "2003-08-11T20:10:28Z")
Rhythm & Blues ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/3 "2003-08-11T20:21:45Z")
Well, that was way too simple. What’s the difference between Soul music and Rhythm & Blues? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/4 "2003-08-11T23:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Well, that was way too simple. > > What’s the difference between Soul music and Rhythm & Blues? \*\* There’s a book called “Nowhere To Run” that discusses the emergence of soul music. However, according to one review I read, it doesn’t really address the difference between soul music and the R&B from which it devolved. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/5 "2003-08-11T23:33:15Z")
Here’s a site with some definitions of ‘soul music’, but I’m not sure it clarifies much. [http://www.jahsonic.com/Soul.html](http://www.jahsonic.com/Soul.html) ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/6 "2003-08-12T00:48:47Z")
Rhythm and Blues was called R&B long before soul existed. Quoting from the All-Music Guide, “Evolving out of jump blues [think Louis Jordan] in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation.” Their full definition of R&B is here: > **[AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands](https://www.allmusic.com/?p=amg&sql=C17&uid=CASS805131125)** > > AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own. (Mind you, the term R&B is _also_ often used as an all purpose term for black American pop music, just to confuse matters.) Soul music came along in the late fifties. The main difference was that soul music was, well, more soulful, with more emotional singing. Soul also drew strongly on black gospel music. So R&B was a form of music from the late 40s to the mid 50s; soul music lasted from the late 50s to the early 70s, when it was supplanted by funk and disco. Some examples of R&B songs: “Shake Rattle and Roll” “Good Rockin Tonight” “One Mint Julep” Some examples of soul songs: “Respect” “Stand by Me” “When a Man Loves a Woman” “Please Please Please” ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/7 "2003-08-12T01:54:56Z")
Soul music sets the mood for sweet, sweet lovemaking in a way straight up R&B – which is often funkier and deals with less than romantic issues – doesn’t. But lines blur, as they often do in closely related music genres. How do you characterize Marvin Gaye’s _Mercy, Mercy Me (Ecology)?_ Or The Whispers _Olivia (Lost and Turned Out)_, which I heard for years before I paid attention to the lyrics and realized it was about prostitution? Neo-Soul is the latest twist to the genre. The best music still comes out of Philly, and is more hip-hop influenced music tempered with Soul’s tender sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/8 "2003-08-12T02:00:06Z")
Btw “Nowhere to Run” was written by Gerri Hershey…and it is an excellent introduction to the genre ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/9 "2003-08-12T03:03:38Z")
“Please Please Please” is soul? Just to throw a wrench into the gears… Where does Funk fit into this? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/10 "2003-08-12T03:24:37Z")
Alright, I shouldn’t skew/hijack a thread like that. And I’ll answer my own question… Funk is “on the one.” **1** 2 3 **1** 2 3 **Please** 2 3 **Please** 2 3 **Don’t** 2 3 **Go** 2 3 **Dar** lin’ 3 please 2 3 pretty funky… ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/11 "2003-08-12T03:24:50Z")
“Please, Please, Please” by the GODFATHER of SOUL? James Brown? Duh. I always assumed the key to funk music was the instrumentation, particularly guitar licks and heavy bass. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-b-music/194463/12 "2003-08-12T05:19:25Z")
A perfect example is the Dells “Oh What a Nite.” They did an R&B version in 1956-featuring tight vocal harmonies & scant instrumentation. They did a 1969 version. Vocal harmony was mostly sustituted for w/ brass & horns. Soul music is a subset of R&B; it hit its peak in the late 60’s -Phiily sound of Gamble-Huff & the Memphis stax sound-Redding. The 5 Satins 1956 “In the Still of the Nite” is not a soul song-but pretty good for slow dancing. There was a gradual transition-w/a large gray area.