Why Has Soul Music been removed from the Music categories ? Lets bring it back #SoulTown

After watching an awards program back in 2005, Ola Onabule wrote the song, ''Soul Town'' asking why ? has the music we love so much, been removed from all the award ceremony music categories...

Soull Music as much as we love it, but why has it been removed from today's musical categories? Sam Cooke was one of the first to release a #1 Soul single, as far back as 1957 with, ''You Send Me''.

The single went on to inspire many Soulful artists including, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Jackie Wilson, were also on the same path. Motown Records, Berry Gordy enjoyed his first taste of early success making, Wilson into a R&B / Soul superstar. Gordy used the money from, ''Lonely Teardrops'' single success to form Motown Records within a year in the January of 1959. 

Motown records had hit after hit, with such greats as,Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Four Tops and many other great artists, songwriters and producers. 

Other record labels followed including, Stax Records, Atlantic Records, & Philadelphia International Records, who later enjoyed much success in the 70's & 80's .
Soul Music was selling by the bucket, even back then labeled as Rhythm & Blues (R&B), in some cases, later in Billboard Magazine listing a chart as, ''Best selling Hot Soul Chart.''

 As we went on through to the 70's, many Soul artists started recordingDisco Songs, as the  Disco scene exploded we then had, The Disco Charts and The Disco category remained popular with the mainstream until about 1979, although it's never really disappeared, as even today artists such as,Robin Thicke, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, and the likes, we will keep having hits with the Disco Style sound as it's a Genre we once accepted and still love & will always accept again.

Boogie followed in the 80's, with many Disco artist recording under this tag, oh how we must love putting Music into Categories, Funk, Jazz-Funk,Psychedelic Funk, Blue Eyed Soul etc... 

What has happened in 2014 is the big question? 
These days the Award ceremonies have forgotten Soul Music, they have many categories even, Gospel, Country, Jazz, Rap, Latin, Dance/ Electronic (which includes House Music), R&B , but No Soul or Soulful. 

True the likes of, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mary J Blidge, can fit into theR&B category, but where do we place such artists such as, Michael Jackson,Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, who have had strong sellers this year? 
Ron Islet, Kem, Will Downing, Chris Jasper, Earth Wind & Fire, Betty Wright, have no music category to fit into as such! 

Maybe it would be a good idea to do a Soulful category? If  Anita Baker's new album ever gets a release i'm sure this would fit this section as would many Grammy award winning Soul artists that are still recording today. 

It's a great pity, not only have the record shops (that we have left), but the download stores also, are just not sure where to put Soul music!
Lisa Stansfield has just had a top 20 UK album, with so many people still saying, we did not know ,Lisa Stansfield has a new album or where do we find music like this?
Please help spread the word! SOUL MUSIC is here to stay, as we all need it! The music we love & grew up with so, Lets keep it Soulful. 

Soul Town by Ola Onabule the remixes will be released on 13th April on DSG Music to see if we can't bring Soul back to the place we love ... 

Download Soul Town from iTunes here

Colin Watson CW Remix, Mike Maurro House Of Soul Remix, Nigel Lowis Remix 

to be released 13th April on DSG Music.

Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone 

How you gonna do, What ’has been so undone 
Once you were hip, right at the tip 
The very essence of cool 
Street savvy and fly, Steel in your eye 
Thought you were nobody’s fool
It’s why I wanna know
What you gonna say, when they talk it down
That at the peak of it’s day ,
It was nothing, nothing but a plain Jane town
You say Soul Town, Is the way it ‘s all meant to be
And someday we’ll build it all again,
When we’ve had enough of this emptiness
Far too much of this loneliness
We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow
When you gonna see, that Soul Towns passed
And all those beautiful people you used to know,
Well they ain’t so fast
You riding high, in infinite skies
Just being that was your precious pearl
With one dream in your hearts and faith in that dream
You thought you’d be changing the world
You say Soul Town’s the prettiest place you knew
And someday we’ll build it all again,
When we’ve had enough of this emptiness
Far too much of this loneliness
We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow
Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone
How you gonna do, What ‘s been so undone
This! This ain’t nostalgia, This ain’t a love song
I’m talking bout Soul Town, because Soul Town’s gone
Those crazy clothes you used to wear, flowers in your hair
And your peace signs everywhere, way on back in Soul Town
Somebody tell me what happened to all those dreams of peace,
And understanding and harmony and brotherhood and love,
Being together for ever and ever
Don’t it seem like Soul Town, Soul Town is gone
This! This ain’t a love song This ain’t nostalgia,
Thus is a silly game we played with a game we loved
Way on back in Soul Soul Soul Town

Ola Onabule - Soul Town 2015 the remixes on DSG Music.

After watching an awards program back in 2005, Ola Onabule wrote the song, ''Soul Town'' asking why ? has the music we love so much, been removed from all the award ceremony categories...
Soul Town by Ola Onabule the remixes will be released on 13th April on DSG Music. Lets get the word out to see if we can't bring Soul Music back to the place we love! 

Solar Radio's Gary Spence was telling me last year that he had the most amazing evening at a concert by Ola Onabule. He explained to me that he always sung his anthem, ''Soul Town'' at the end of his set. Ola Onabule name checks some of the greats on his live version. Spence and I talked about the song, we both felt if the song was sped up it could really be an anthem for today's market.

Order it from iTunes here!

#1 on the Sweet Rhythms chart

I got in touch with Maria Avgoulis, Onabule's manager who at first was I guess not keen to have one of the masterpiece's changed, the word remix can be very frighting especially if it was to go into a different music genre. I picked some of the best remix / producers that I have worked with and they put there passion, heart and Soul into the project to make, ''Soul Town'' one of the best songs of 2015. BBC radio's John Leech has described the remixes as one of the best ever!

What you been saying... 

Ash Selector wrote after hearing just two of the remixes! 

Ola Onabule- Soul Town is an Anthem in it's own right. It's been tastefully enhanced with a new set of Mixes bringing it into 2015 with a Bang!The Nigel Lowis Remix is the one for die hard Soul Fans & MIKE Maurro presses all the right buttons for fans of Soulful House. All in all an essential purchase for your collection. What's not to like a great song, excellent vocals & grooves to move you. Recommended Ash Selector (Solar Radio).

A great remix from Ola Onabule. A man who has certainly worked hard and paid his dues in the last couple of decade - Peter Young Jazz FM 

Not just the best song of the year, but of the decade. Soul Town 2015 is a huge hit! Gary Spence Solar Radio   

One of Brit soul's most enduring tunes is 'Soul Town', the signature song of one of Brit' soul's most enduring artists, OLA ONABULE that was first released in 2005 and the stand out on Ola's fifth long player, it's remained a soul radio staple and a permanent fixture in the singer's live shows. Indeed Ola usually ends his shows with the song and lovers of the tune will be delighted to know that the anthem has just been given a 2015 makeover courtesy of DSG Music and master remix, producers, Nigel Lowis. Colin Watson & Mike Maurro. SoulandJazzandFunk review - Read more here!

The Nigel Lowis remix version's takes the tempo up just a shade so that the beats are perfect for the modern soul scene while the swirling backing track adds a Philly style garnish to proceedings. 'Soul Town 2015' is all set to become one of THE anthems of 2015.

Colin Watson's CW remix enhances the original version with Watson adding his special flair to make his remix very classy indeed. 

Mike Maurro who is currently riding high on the album listing with his harmless records released various artist collection '' Peak Hour'' remix box set collection (that even charted in the national UK album chart and reached #1 on the Amazon sales charts) puts a Soulful House stamp on the track with his, Mike's House of Soul remix.   

.soulandjazzandfunk.review here

For interview, festival, or general  enquiries, please contact: Exclusive Management: 

Maria Avgoulis via Email: maria.avgoulis@ntlworld.com

Ola Onabule's Web site  > Ola Onabule Facebook page > Follow Ola on Twitter

Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone 
How you gonna do, What ’has been so undone 
Once you were hip, right at the tip 
The very essence of cool 
Street savvy and fly, Steel in your eye 
Thought you were nobody’s fool
It’s why I wanna know
What you gonna say, when they talk it down
That at the peak of it’s day ,
It was nothing, nothing but a plain Jane town
You say Soul Town, Is the way it ‘s all meant to be
And someday we’ll build it all again,
When we’ve had enough of this emptiness
Far too much of this loneliness
We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow
When you gonna see, that Soul Towns passed
And all those beautiful people you used to know,
Well they ain’t so fast
You riding high, in infinite skies
Just being that was your precious pearl
With one dream in your hearts and faith in that dream
You thought you’d be changing the world
You say Soul Town’s the prettiest place you knew
And someday we’ll build it all again,
When we’ve had enough of this emptiness
Far too much of this loneliness
We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow
Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone
How you gonna do, What ‘s been so undone
This! This ain’t nostalgia, This ain’t a love song
I’m talking bout Soul Town, because Soul Town’s gone
Those crazy clothes you used to wear, flowers in your hair
And your peace signs everywhere, way on back in Soul Town
Somebody tell me what happened to all those dreams of peace,
And understanding and harmony and brotherhood and love,
Being together for ever and ever
Don’t it seem like Soul Town, Soul Town is gone
This! This ain’t a love song This ain’t nostalgia,
Thus is a silly game we played with a game we loved
Way on back in Soul Soul Soul Town

To be released 25th May Ola Onabule featuring Drizabone