This is the music that led to Southern Soul, coming from all parts of the south of the USA: from New Orleans via Miami and from Mobile, Alabama to Memphis and Nashville. Many of these then unsung heroes such as Ted Taylor, Joe Tex, Otis Redding and William Bell, went on to have highly successful careers, and this set gives a valuable insight into the music they were making before the big hits started coming. Other artists featured are more obscure yet they made just as valid a contribution to the beginnings of the genre. The music here inspired the giants of black American music in the sixties. It combines elements of country, R & B, doo-wop, gospel and blues, and retains the ability to move listeners some 50 years on with its emotional intensity and musical power. 24-page booklet with notes by John Ridley[info sheet from distr.]