Chapter 17: Soul, Motown, and Stax
In contrast to the polished, pop-oriented approach of Motown, Southern soul emerged in the 1960s as a gospel-rooted alternative that emphasized emotional intensity, spiritual urgency, and a more improvisatory vocal style. The genre was defined by impassioned lead vocals, syncopated bass lines that emphasized off-beat rhythms, sharp staccato horn riffs, and a rhythmic foundation steeped in the traditions of the Black church. A hallmark of the Southern soul sound was the use of a delayed backbeat—placing the snare accents just behind the beat—which created a laid-back but driving groove. Unlike many Motown productions, Southern soul recordings were less influenced by Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” technique. As a result, the arrangements tended to be more spacious and rhythm-forward, with fewer overdubs and a stronger sense of live performance energy.
To many white listeners during the 1960s, Southern soul sounded more “authentic” than the smoother, more orchestrated style of Motown. But this perception was often shaped by racialized assumptions. White audiences frequently interpreted vocal grit, emotional strain, and gospel-inspired delivery as signs of unfiltered “Blackness”—framing these performers as naturally talented or spontaneous rather than technically skilled. This idea of authenticity reinforced long-standing stereotypes of Black musicians as emotionally intuitive but not formally trained, positioning Southern soul as more “real” and Motown as overly calculated or commercial. Black audiences, however, heard Southern soul through a different lens. Rather than seeing it as “raw,” many valued it for its depth, honesty, and spiritual power. The music’s expressive range—its ability to convey vulnerability, longing, joy, or anguish—resonated deeply with listeners who recognized the complexity behind what might sound, to outsiders, like unfiltered feeling.
Southern soul flourished in regional recording centers like Memphis, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Two key record labels shaped its development: Atlantic Records, based in New York but committed to recording artists in the South, and Stax Records, operating out of a former movie theater in Memphis. These studios cultivated a sound that was both emotionally direct and musically sophisticated, offering a distinct counterpoint to Motown’s sleek, crossover-focused production model.
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records was founded in 1947 in New York City by Herb Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun, the son of the Turkish ambassador to the United States. Deeply passionate about jazz and blues, the founders focused on African American musical traditions and quickly found commercial success with recordings that blended elements of jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues (R&B). In 1953, Jerry Wexler—formerly a music journalist and coiner of the term "rhythm and blues"—joined the label as a producer and talent scout. Wexler played a central role in defining Atlantic’s identity, signing and producing some of its most influential artists, including Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, and Aretha Franklin. He was a champion of the Southern soul style and helped position Atlantic as a distinct alternative to the smoother, pop-oriented sounds of Motown and the crooning of artists like Sam Cooke.
Under Wexler’s guidance, Atlantic’s catalog expanded to include artists such as LaVern Baker, Ben E. King, Esther Phillips, and vocal harmony groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. In addition to soul and R&B, Atlantic was also a major force in modern jazz. The label recorded key figures like John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Lennie Tristano, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. To accommodate its diverse roster, Atlantic launched several sub-labels, including Atco and Vortex, which supported its growing commitments to both popular music and avant-garde jazz.
Stax Records:
To further develop the Southern soul sound, Atlantic Records formed a key partnership with a small Memphis label called Stax Records. The label was originally founded in 1957 as Satellite Records by Jim Stewart, along with Neil Herbert and Fred Byler. Although the company initially focused on country and rockabilly music, it shifted toward rhythm and blues in 1960 following the success of a recording by Rufus and Carla Thomas. Following the success of the Mar-Keys' instrumental hit "Last Night," the label changed its name from Satellite to Stax Records due to a naming conflict with a California-based company. The new name was a combination of the founders’ last names, Stewart and Axton. In late 1961, Stax launched a subsidiary label called Volt Records to accommodate its expanding roster of artists.
Stax developed a distinctive identity through its integrated house band, Booker T. and the MGs, whose members were frequently joined by Isaac Hayes and the horn section from the Mar-Keys, later known as the Memphis Horns. These musicians created what became known as the Stax sound. It was defined by a tight, gritty, and rhythm-driven style that provided the musical foundation for Southern soul throughout the 1960s. Songs such as "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MGs, "Hold On, I’m Comin’" by Sam and Dave, and "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding exemplified this aesthetic.
The label launched the careers of numerous artists who would go on to shape the genre. Figures such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Albert King, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, and Johnnie Taylor all rose to prominence through their association with Stax.
Atlantic and Stax: A Strategic Partnership
Throughout the 1960s, Atlantic Records and Stax maintained a mutually beneficial partnership. Under the terms of their agreement, Atlantic had the right of first refusal on any recordings produced by Stax. This arrangement allowed the Memphis-based label to concentrate on discovering and developing new talent. In return, Atlantic took on the more resource-intensive aspects of the business, including record pressing, promotional campaigns, and national distribution. These tasks would have been difficult for a smaller regional company like Stax to manage independently.
The collaboration enabled Southern soul music to reach both national and international audiences. As a result, the emotionally powerful, gospel-rooted recordings emerging from the American South were able to compete with—and sometimes surpass—the commercial success of their Northern counterparts. Together, Atlantic and Stax helped define a genre whose influence continues to shape soul, rock, and R&B music today.