About

   In the pre-streaming era, music sources were few although it didn't feel that way at the time. There were the Pop and Top 40 radio stations, but also independently owned sundowner stations (could only broadcast while the sun was up due to FCC licensing rules) in many parts of the U.S..  In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my favs were WAMO and WZUM that played only Soul and R&B. This was the music that got me through my teens and the what am I gonna be when I grow up rest of my life (the endless endeavor), and I’ve been thankful for it ever since.

    You could also hang out at record stores listening to records at your request. They usually didn't mind as long as you didn't "light finger" (steal) the merchandise. Nothing like buying a new 45 and playing it on your car record player. Below is the Champ, Mohammed Ali, playing his:

   Some Soul, Some Funk, Some R&B Music is in no way about what I think were the greatest songs or performers. It is just about the songs I liked to listen to from my days as an adolescent shoe-shine boy at a country club and nights spent at Lebanon Lodge teen club just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

    Art is influenced by the culture around it and, as a feed-back loop, influences that very same culture. Any survey of any art form includes many instances of works that at the time of their creation seemed OK, but as inexorable time passes, they fall short. In an age of more enlightened views as to diversity, inclusiveness, and proper representation, the values of the culture that created the art form come into question, as they should. History is important because it provides reflection and an understanding of the shared past: it should not be ignored, but provide a touchstone for our evolving perspectives. None of the songs presented here are meant to offend nor diminish anyone.

   In a way this blog is partly my way of saying thanks the song writers, arrangers, producers, record labels, DJs, radio stations, music friends, and especially to the performers I've encountered in my life. 

Sincerely,

Dan Connolly