Welcome to Soul Music Archive

This website is a compilation of articles and interviews on singers and songwriters, radio features and historical research into the world of soul music, primarily focusing on the 1960s-1970s era.

The interviews and articles were originally featured on the Soul Guy website of the early 2000s, created by soul broadcaster Rob Jones following his work with Emperor Rosko. When the Soul Guy project ended, much of that material became difficult to access. This archive has been created to make it available once again to soul music enthusiasts. Read about the origins of Soul Music Archive in more detail below.

Links to the retro interviews, articles and radio programmes can be found in the menu on the right. In a new feature, 'Soul 45s In Focus', Rob highlights vinyl records from his collection, along with bite-sized reviews and video links to the songs. The focus on records helps bring insight into the music, as well as highlighting the original labels.

Although by no means fully comprehensive, this collection provides rare information and is a valuable record of the people and song writing that shaped the era. From Motown to the independent labels and forgotten musicians, it gives an example of the broad base of talent in soul music of an earlier time. The interviews in particular offer a legacy of fascinating and unique content, forming a vital part of soul music history.

We hope you enjoy exploring the archive!

The Origins of Soul Music Archive

The origins of this archive can be traced back in time to the work of soul DJ and writer Rob Jones. Born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, Rob developed a lifelong passion for soul music as a youngster. Starting out as a DJ in the Midlands while still in his teens, he went on to become a DJ on the nightclub circuit before becoming a professional road DJ, eventually leading to radio broadcasting. Over the years he built a reputation as a knowledgeable collector and presenter with a particular interest in the artists who were often overlooked by the mainstream music press. Along with his friend Emperor Rosko - one of radio's most celebrated broadcasters and a champion of soul music himself - Rob helped create Rosko Radio, a pioneering internet radio station which gave him his first platform to present rare soul to a global audience. 

Following the closure of Rosko's Los Angeles-based radio station in 2006 where Rob had worked as station manager and presenter, and encouraged by Rosko, Rob went on to create 'the Soul Guy', a non-profit project devoted to soul music and the artists behind the music. The Soul Guy quickly developed into a substantial online resource featuring artist biographies, historical articles and original interviews which gave singer-songwriters the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words.

To complement the website, Rob set up Soul Guy Radio, a free on-demand internet radio station dedicated to rare and classic soul, and was joined by a team of presenters who were involved in the soul music genre. The station attracted audiences all over the world and provided a platform for both legendary performers and lesser-known artists. With Rosko's permission to reference his trademarked L.A. Connection shows, Rob launched his own show, The Soul Connection. The broadcasts combined music and specialist information, reflecting Rob's belief that understanding the people behind the records was important, thereby bringing the public's attention to the singer-songwriters featured in the shows, especially those who had been badly mistreated or cast aside by the music industry. Many of the artists had received little recognition despite making important contributions to the development of soul music.

When the Soul Guy project closed in May 2010, much of the original content and archive of radio programmes disappeared from public view, raising the possibility that years of research, interviews and writing could be lost, although many of the articles and interviews had been reproduced in various music magazines and some material appeared in several Wikipedia pages. Those Wiki articles evolved as further information was added by other writers over the years. This website contains articles from the Soul Guy project upon its closure, therefore the information is of that time (however, where necessary, a few footnotes have recently been added).

Soul Music Archive was established to ensure that these valuable interviews and articles were not entirely lost, and in the tradition of the original project, this website has not been monetised.

Acknowledgement:
Thanks to Rob Jones and Emperor Rosko for their roles as content contributors to Soul Music Archive.

Contact:

soulmusicarchiveadmin@gmail.com