A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician ) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance . The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a tour. Session musicians are usually not permanent or official members of a musical ensemble or band.
63-586: MFSB , officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia 's Sigma Sound Studios . They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell , and backed up Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes , the O'Jays , the Stylistics , the Spinners , Wilson Pickett , and Billy Paul . In 1972, MFSB began recording as
126-476: A black animated locomotive with multicolored smoke coming out of its smokestack, and steam coming out of its sides, passing through a city, tunnel, or through outer space around the Earth. The scenery around the train changed as years went on. The Soul Train logo was featured, with a song or instrumental playing throughout. One of the most distinctive parts of the opening was when “Soul Train” was announced, stretching out
189-607: A black audience; the only nationally available show by blacks for blacks at the time was the public television series Soul! When the program moved into syndication, its home base was also shifted to Los Angeles, where it remained for the duration of its run. Soul Train was part of a national trend toward syndicated music-oriented programs targeted at niche audiences; two other network series ( Hee Haw for country music, and The Lawrence Welk Show for traditional music) also entered syndication in 1971 and would go on to have long runs. Though Don Cornelius moved his operations west,
252-620: A brief demo song, or as long as several weeks if an album or film score is being recorded. Musicians' associations and unions often set out the remuneration terms. Some musicians may get the minimum scale rate set out by the union. Heavily in-demand session musicians may earn much more. The union rates may vary based on whether it is a music recording versus a film/television recording. While the film/television rates may be lower, there may also be residual payments to compensate them for reruns, DVD sales, streaming usage, and so on. Session musicians often have to bring their own instruments, such as in
315-612: A consortium led by basketball player Magic Johnson and backed by private equity firm InterMedia Partners . The Johnson-InterMedia consortium planned on a potential film project that Cornelius had briefly mentioned prior to selling the franchise, as well as producing potential stage adaptations and a cruise. As part of the sale, Johnson's Aspire TV channel also began airing reruns of the series. Cornelius continued to appear for Soul Train documentaries and ceremonies until his death by suicide in February 2012. In 2013, Centric began presenting
378-616: A cruise-based revival, marketed as Soul Train Cruise . All rights and trademarks to the Soul Train brand including the show's extensive library, the annual cruise event, and the award shows are under the ownership of Paramount Global after its Paramount Media Networks division acquired the franchise in 2016. Some commentators have called Soul Train a "black American Bandstand ", another long-running program with which Soul Train shares some similarities. Cornelius acknowledged Bandstand as
441-451: A few episodes. Clark later agreed to work with Cornelius on a series of network specials featuring R&B and soul artists. Cornelius was relatively conservative in his musical tastes and admitted he was not a fan of the emerging hip hop genre, believing that the genre did not reflect positively on African-American culture (one of his stated goals for the series). Even though Cornelius featured rap artists on Soul Train frequently during
504-462: A local version of Soul Train continued in Chicago. Cornelius hosted both the local Chicago-based and national Los Angeles–based programs simultaneously, but soon focused his attention solely on the national edition. He continued to oversee production in Chicago, where Clinton Ghent hosted episodes on WCIU-TV until 1976, followed by three years of once-weekly reruns. The syndicated version was picked up in
567-540: A model for his program; as the years advanced and Soul Train evolved into a tradition in its own right, he tended to bristle at the Bandstand comparisons. In 1973, Dick Clark , host and producer of Bandstand , launched Soul Unlimited — controversial for its pronounced racial overtures — to compete directly with Soul Train . Cornelius, with help from Jesse Jackson , openly accused Clark of trying to undermine TV's only black-owned show. Agreeing , ABC canceled it after
630-632: A named act for the Philadelphia International label. " TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) ", also known as the Soul Train theme, was their second and most successful single. Released in March 1974, it peaked at number one on the US Billboard pop and R&B charts . "TSOP" was influential in establishing the disco sound. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by
693-405: A new distributor for the program. Cornelius soon secured a deal with Trifecta Entertainment & Media . When Don Cornelius Productions still owned the program, clips of the show's performances and interviews were kept away from online video sites such as YouTube owing to copyright infringement claims. Cornelius also frowned upon the unauthorized distribution of Soul Train episodes through
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#1732852643511756-528: A nuanced sense of the playing styles and idioms used in different genres. For example, a sax player who mainly plays jazz needs to know the R&;B style if they are asked to improvise a solo in an R&B song. Similarly, a bass player asked to improvise a walking bassline in a rockabilly song needs to know the stock lines and cliches used in this genre. Regardless of the styles of music session musicians play, some qualities are universal: punctuality in arriving at
819-512: A part to fill a last-minute time slot. In the 1960s, Los Angeles was considered the top recording destination in the United States — consequently studios were constantly booked around the clock, and session time was highly sought after and expensive. Songs had to be recorded quickly in the fewest possible takes. In this environment, Los Angeles producers and record executives had little patience for needless expense or wasted time and depended on
882-464: A recording career for the band under their own name. MFSB albums and singles were released for the rest of the decade. MFSB recorded a cover of the Nite-Liters 's 1971 instrumental "K-Jee", which gained some popularity later when it was featured in a key scene in the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). It is also included in the soundtrack to that movie. "Sexy" (1975) was later used as a prize cue for
945-405: A sub-specialization within trumpet session players is "high note specialist." The working schedule for session musicians often depends on the terms set out by musicians' unions or associations, as these organizations typically set out rules on performance schedules (e.g., regarding the length of sessions and breaks). The length of employment may be as short as a single day, in the case of recording
1008-606: A version of the show in the United Kingdom. The UK version, hosted by former Soul Train dancer and member of Shalamar Jeffrey Daniel , was titled 620 Soul Train and ran for one series on Channel 4 . In 1987, Soul Train launched the Soul Train Music Awards , which honors the top performances in R&;B, hip hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year. Soul Train then produced
1071-536: A wider range of musical situations, genres, and styles. Examples of "doubling" include double bass and electric bass , acoustic guitar and mandolin , piano and accordion , and saxophone and other woodwind instruments. Session musicians are used when musical skills are needed on a short-term basis. Typically, session musicians are used by recording studios to provide backing tracks for other musicians for recording sessions and live performances, recording music for advertising , film, television, and theatre . In
1134-630: The RIAA in April 1974. MFSB formed in 1971 and disbanded in 1985, three years after Teddy Pendergrass ' car accident, which left him paralyzed. Assembled by record producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff , MFSB was the house band for their Philadelphia International Records label and originated " Philly sound " that dominated the early 1970s for the artists who recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, including The O'Jays, The Spinners, Harold Melvin &
1197-597: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards presented to female recipients included: Special awards were given The Lady of Soul Awards and Christmas Starfest programs last aired in 2005, before emerging again years later. In April 2008, Don Cornelius announced that year's Soul Train Music Awards ceremony had been canceled. Cornelius cited 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike by the Writers Guild of America as one of
1260-502: The video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , playing on funk radio station, Bounce FM . An episode of the television series Pose named after the song aired on July 18, 2018, and the song appeared prominently in the episode. Due to a disagreement with Gamble & Huff over finances, several members of the group moved on to Salsoul Records , where they became known as the Salsoul Orchestra . Other members began performing as
1323-511: The "Big Deal of the Day" on the 1980 version of Let's Make a Deal . Another popular MFSB number, "Love Is the Message", has been a favorite of dance/disco DJs since its release; countless remixes , both official and unofficial, exist of the song. On September 20, 2004, the record became among the first to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame . In October 2004, the song appeared in
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#17328526435111386-563: The "Hippest trip in America" at the beginning of the show and closing the program with "...and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey. I'm Don Cornelius, and, as always in parting, we wish you love, peace...and SOUL!" In 2019, BET selected various historic guest stars as Most Memorable Soul Train Performances . The list included Gladys Knight and The Jackson 5 , among others. In 1985, Cornelius gave permission for
1449-771: The "clean" version of the MFSB name means "Mother, Father, Sister, Brother", because according to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, despite the diversity at Philadelphia International Records, all were connected musically. This was in line with their spiritual views at the time. The "other" version was "mother-fuckin' son-of-a-bitch", an expression which was used among the musicians to compliment a person's musical prowess. Session musician Many session musicians specialize in playing common rhythm section instruments such as guitar , piano , bass , or drums . Others are specialists, and play brass , woodwinds , and strings . Many session musicians play multiple instruments, which lets them play in
1512-413: The 1980s, he publicly would admit to the artists' faces, such as Kurtis Blow , that the genre was one that he did not understand. As rap continued to move further toward hardcore hip hop , Cornelius admitted to being frightened by the antics of groups such as Public Enemy . Rosie Perez testified in the 2010 VH1 documentary Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America that Cornelius also disliked seeing
1575-450: The 2000s, the terms "session musician" and "studio musician" were synonymous, though in past decades, "studio musician" meant a musician associated with a single record company , recording studio or entertainment agency . Session musicians rarely achieve mainstream fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders . However, top session musicians are well-known within the music industry . Some have become publicly recognized, such as
1638-617: The Bluenotes, the Intruders , the Three Degrees , Jerry Butler , and Teddy Pendergrass . Later in the decade, the collective would become known for the hi-hat -dominated disco sounds that became popular in the late 1970s with groups such as the Trammps , First Choice , Ripple and Double Exposure . It was the 1973 release of their first album, MFSB , that put them on the map. This marked
1701-511: The Chicago market by CBS - owned WBBM-TV at its launch; the program moved to WGN-TV in 1977 and remained there for the rest of its Chicago run. Don Cornelius hosted every episode of Soul Train from 1970 to 1993, except for Richard Pryor , who hosted the final episode of Season 4 (1974-1975). Beginning in Season 15 (1985-1986), Tribune Entertainment acquired the syndication contract; Tribune Entertainment continued producing Soul Train until
1764-558: The M.G.'s . The benefit of having a regular group, an approach which typified Southern soul , is that the group has much more experience playing together, which enables them to get a better sense of ensemble. Soul Train Soul Train is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois , for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history,
1827-486: The Philly suburbs. Musicians on the session were Earl Young on drums, Bobby Eli and Dennis Harris on guitars, Jimmie Williams on bass guitar, Rikki Hicks on percussion and T G Conway on keys. Two songs have been released from that session: "Soul Recession" by Double Exposure and "There I go falling in love again" by Chiquita Green. According to the book A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul , by John A. Jackson,
1890-539: The Ritchie Family orchestra, and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra . Not to be outdone, Gamble & Huff replaced them with a new rhythm section consisting of Charles Collins on drums, Michael Foreman on bass guitar, and Dennis Harris on lead guitar. They also employed Dexter Wansel and others on MFSB's latter recordings for the label. First recommended by news anchor Jim Vance , MFSB's "My Mood" has been
1953-568: The Wrecking Crew , the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and The Funk Brothers who worked with Motown Records . Session musicians may play in a wide range of genres or specialize in a specific genre (e.g., country music or jazz ). Some session musicians with a classical music background may focus on film score recordings. Even within a specific genre specialization, there may be even more focused sub-specializations. For example,
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2016-758: The beginning of a string of instrumental hits that brought major attention to a large orchestra who laid the foundation for the Sound of Philadelphia. The line-up of musicians included Karl Chambers, Earl Young , and Norman Fearrington on drums; Norman Harris , Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli , and T. J. Tindall on guitar; Winnie Wilford and Ronnie Baker on bass; Vincent Montana Jr. on vibes , timpani , orchestra bells , chimes , percussion, arrangements and conductor, and Larry Washington on congas and bongos , Harold Ivory Williams on keyboards, plus Leon Huff and Thom Bell on keyboards and Don Renaldo on strings and horns featuring Rocco Bene on trumpet. MFSB's disco sound first hit
2079-431: The case of guitar, bass, woodwinds, and brass. It is expected that studio musicians will have well-maintained professional-tier instruments. In some cases, larger or heavier instruments may be provided by the recording studio, such as a grand piano or Hammond organ and Leslie speaker . In certain cases, a session musicians may bring some instruments or musical gear and use them with larger instruments that are provided by
2142-678: The closing theme music for the Friday 6:00 p.m. newscast on WRC-TV (NBC4), the NBC -owned television station in Washington, D.C. since 1975. MFSB's "TLC" (Tender Lovin' Care) was used for decades as the closing credits theme for the Washington, DC, version of the It's Academic quiz show recorded at WRC-TV. In 2008, some of the members appeared together on new recordings made at Bobby Eli’s Studio E/The Grooveyard in
2205-526: The company entered into a licensing agreement with Time Life to distribute Soul Train DVD sets. MadVision then came to terms with Paramount Global -owned BET to relaunch the Soul Train Music Awards for BET's spin-off channel, Centric , in November 2009. Centric would broadcast archived episodes of the program. Archived episodes can also be seen on Bounce TV . MadVision sold the rights to Soul Train in 2011 to
2268-429: The end of the show's run in 2006. Production of first-run Soul Train episodes was suspended at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season, the show's 35th. In place of new content, for two seasons starting in the 2006–2007 season, the program aired archived episodes (selected from between 1973 and 1988) under the title The Best of Soul Train . This was because in later years, Nielsen ratings dropped to below 1.0; most of
2331-415: The end of the show's run on March 25, 2006. Don Cornelius stopped hosting after 22 seasons (1971–1993), though he remained the show's main creative force from behind the scenes. The following fall, Soul Train began using celebrity hosts until comedian Mystro Clark took over as the host in 1997. Shemar Moore took over as the host in 2000. In 2003, Dorian Gregory took over as the host, and stayed until
2394-655: The era, the two groups of musicians in Memphis, both the Memphis Boys and the musicians who backed Stax/Volt recordings, and the Funk Brothers in Detroit, who played on many Motown recordings. At the time, multi-tracking equipment, though common, was less elaborate, and instrumental backing tracks were often recorded "hot" with an ensemble playing live in the studio. Musicians had to be available "on call" when producers needed
2457-542: The first word into a high-pitched imitation of a train whistle. Within the structure of the program, there were two enduring elements. The first was the " Soul Train Scramble Board ", where two dancers are given 60 seconds to unscramble a set of letters that form the name of that show's performer or a notable person in African American history. In describing the person's renown, the host concluded their description with
2520-549: The latter, which featured a predominantly African American group of in-studio dancers—would set the stage for what was to come to the station several years later. Don Cornelius , a newsreader and backup disc jockey at Chicago radio station WVON , was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter. Cornelius also was promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called "record hops") at Chicago-area high schools, calling his traveling caravan of shows "The Soul Train" and in 1970, allowed him
2583-402: The linchpin of the show's syndication efforts dropped the program, and many others followed suit. Soul Train ' s website acknowledged that the program had ceased distribution on September 22, 2008. Following the purchase by MadVision, the Soul Train archives were exposed to new forms of distribution. In April 2009, MadVision launched a Soul Train channel on YouTube . Three months later
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2646-805: The middle for dancers to strut down and dance in consecutive order. Originally, this consisted of a couple—with men on one side and women on the other. In later years, men and women had their own individual lineups. Sometimes, new dance styles or moves were featured or introduced by particular dancers. In addition, there was an in-studio group of dancers who danced along to the music as it was being performed. Rosie Perez , Damita Jo Freeman , Darnell Williams , Cheryl Song, Louie "Ski" Carr, Alfie Lewis, Pat Davis ("Madam Butterfly"), Alise Mekhail, Andrea N. Miles, Carmen Electra , Nick Cannon , Vivica A. Fox , MC Hammer , Jermaine Stewart , Heather Hunter , Fred Berry , Laurieann Gibson , Pebbles , and NFL legend Walter Payton were among those who got noticed dancing on
2709-577: The opportunity to bring his road show to television. After securing a sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Company , Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. Beginning as a low-budget affair, in black and white, the first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler , the Chi-Lites , and the Emotions as guests. Cornelius
2772-446: The phrase "...whose name you should know". Cornelius openly admitted after the series ended its run that the game was usually set up so everybody won in an effort not to cause embarrassment for the show or African Americans in general. There was also the popular " Soul Train Line " (a variant of the 1950s fad then known as The Stroll ), in which all the dancers form two lines with a space in
2835-453: The program host onstage for a brief interview. From time to time, stand-up comedians, such as Tom Dreesen (whom Don Cornelius knew from his time in Chicago) and Franklyn Ajaye (known in the 1970s for being a star of the hit movie Car Wash ), would be featured on the program to perform a brief comedy routine. Soul Train was also known for two popular catchphrases , referring to itself as
2898-416: The program over the years. Two former dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel , enjoyed years of success as members of the R&B group Shalamar after they were chosen by Soul Train talent booker/record promoter Dick Griffey and Cornelius to replace the group's original session singers in 1978. Each musical guest usually performed twice on each program; after their first number, they were joined by
2961-461: The reasons, though a main factor may have been the uncertainty surrounding Soul Train' s future. Cornelius also announced that a motion picture based on the program was in development. Subsequent owners of the franchise have followed their own agenda for the program, which included a revival of the Soul Train Music Awards in 2009. In November 2023, the Soul Train Spirit of Soul presentation
3024-493: The rights to the Soul Train brand, library, and associated events, such as its cruises and annual awards show, the Soul Train Music Awards , are now under the ownership of Paramount Global , through BET Networks . The origins of Soul Train can be traced to 1200 when WCIU-TV , an upstart UHF station in Chicago, began airing two youth-oriented dance programs: Kiddie-a-Go-Go and Red Hot and Blues . These programs—specifically
3087-493: The sale of third-party VHS or DVD compilations. In May 2008, Cornelius sold the rights to the Soul Train library to MadVision Entertainment, whose principal partners came from the entertainment and publishing fields. The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, by the start of the 2008–09 television season, the Tribune Broadcasting -owned stations (including national carrier WGN America ) that had been
3150-427: The service of reliable standby musicians who could be counted on to record in a variety of styles with minimal practice or takes, and deliver hits on short order. A studio band is a musical ensemble that is in the employ of a recording studio for the purpose of accompanying recording artists who are customers of the studio. The use of studio bands was more common during the 1960s with groups such Booker T. &
3213-683: The session; rhythmic and intonation precision; ability to play with good ensemble and excellent blending with the other performers; willingness to take direction from bandleaders , music directors , and music producers ; and having good musical taste in regards to choices with musical ornaments and musical phrasing . During the 1950s and 1960s, session players were usually active in local recording scenes concentrated in places such as Los Angeles , New York City , Nashville , Memphis , Detroit , and Muscle Shoals . Each local scene had its circle of "A-list" session musicians, such as The Nashville A-Team that played on numerous country and rock hits of
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#17328526435113276-596: The short-lived Soul Train Comedy Awards in 1993, which discontinued that same year. Soul Train later created two additional annual specials: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards , first airing in 1995, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest , which premiered in 1998, featured holiday music performed by a variety of R&B and gospel artists. Award categories for
3339-410: The show primarily featured performances by R&B , soul , and hip hop artists. The series was created by Don Cornelius , who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer. Production was suspended following the 2005–2006 season, with a rerun package under the moniker The Best of Soul Train airing for two years subsequently. As a nod to Soul Train ' s longevity,
3402-403: The show were lampooned as extremely old and out of touch, eventually led to Cornelius stepping down as host in the early 1990s, and the show losing its influence. Questlove , drummer for hip-hop band The Roots and a fan of the program, authored a book chronicling Soul Train . Titled Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation was published in 2013. The opening sequence showed
3465-405: The show's dancers perform sexually suggestive "East Coast" dance moves. Cornelius admittedly had rap artists on the show only because the genre was becoming popular among his African-American audience, though the decision alienated middle-aged, more affluent African Americans like himself. This disconnect, which was openly mocked in an In Living Color sketch titled Old Train , where Cornelius and
3528-564: The show's opening sequence during later seasons contained a claim that it was the "longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history", with more than 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005–2006 season. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative record until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it in completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune surpassed that mark in 2018. As of 2016,
3591-408: The show, but stations in only seven other cities— Atlanta ; Birmingham ; Cleveland ; Detroit ; Houston ; Los Angeles ; and Philadelphia —purchased the program, which began airing on a weekly basis on October 2, 1971. By the end of the first season, Soul Train was on in the other eighteen markets. At the time, there were no other commercial television programs being produced by black people for
3654-458: The spring of 1974, Philadelphia International released an instrumental track which had been recorded by the band as the theme music for the television show Soul Train as a single. The record, titled " TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) ", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the R&B chart and the adult contemporary chart . The success of "TSOP" launched
3717-538: The stations that aired Soul Train by that point were either Fox television affiliates or independent stations that would later become affiliates of The WB or UPN , and, in the process, some of the stations which had been airing Soul Train on Saturday afternoons started rescheduling the program to overnight time slots. The future of Soul Train was uncertain with the announced closing of Tribune Entertainment in December 2007, which left Don Cornelius Productions to seek
3780-428: The studio, such as a synthesizer player, who might bring rack-mounted synth modules and connect them to the studio's MIDI controller stage piano . Similarly, if the studio has a selection of well-known bass amplifiers , and speaker cabinets, a bass player may only have to bring basses and effect units . The requirement to read different types of music notation, improvise and/or " play by ear " varies according to
3843-534: The top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts as the backing band for the O'Jays ' " Love Train " in March 1973. In 2005, drummer Keith Benson (who along with Charles Collins and Quinton Joseph, had joined the group in 1975 upon Earl Young's departure) revived the group with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s help. The lineup included himself on drums, Jimmy Williams and Stacey McGee on bass,|Dennis Harris and Barton French on guitars, Carla Benson and Michael Clark on vocals. In
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#17328526435113906-570: The type of recording session and the genres of music being performed. Classical musicians and many jazz and popular music musicians are expected to read music notation and do sight-reading . In jazz, rock, and many popular music genres, performers may be expected to read chord charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In country music, performers may be expected to read Nashville Number System charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In many traditional and folk music styles, performers are expected to be able to play by ear. Session musicians need
3969-639: Was assisted by Clinton Ghent, a local professional dancer who appeared on early episodes before moving behind the scenes as a producer and secondary host. The program's immediate success attracted the attention of another locally based firm—the Johnson Products Company (manufacturers of the Afro Sheen line of hair-care products)—and they later agreed to co-sponsor the program's expansion into broadcast syndication . Cornelius and Soul Train ' s syndicator targeted 25 markets outside of Chicago to carry
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