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Summer of Soul (soundtrack)

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Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Live at the Harlem Cultural Festival, 1969]
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedJanuary 21, 2022
Genre
Length1:23:45
LabelLegacy Recordings
CompilerQuestlove
Singles from Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
  1. "Sing a Simple Song"
    Released: December 9, 2021

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] is the accompanying soundtrack to the 2021 American documentary film Summer of Soul directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, which covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Like the documentary film, the live recordings did not have an official public release for more than 50 years.[1] The album featured 17 live renditions selected and curated by Questlove, performed over the course of the festival. These songs were recorded by various performers Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, Blinky Williams, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Chambers Brothers and featured a range of genres, like rock, R&B, soul, jazz, pop, gospel.[2][3]

As Questlove had to license copyrights for the track, the compilation soundtrack did not have an official release along with the film in June 2021.[4] It was officially announced on December 9, 2021, with Legacy Recordings distributing the album.[5][6] "Sing a Simple Song" was released as the lead single from the album on the same date.[7] The album was released on January 21, 2022, in digital and CD;[8][9] where the physical release had excluded one of the tracks from the album.[10] An official vinyl release of the soundtrack was announced on Target, which released exclusively through their website on June 17,[11] and a general release on July 1, by Rough Trade Records.[12][13]

Questlove initially considered on including songs that were not in the film, but decided to stick with the music that had already been cleared for release.[14] He assured that the film's deluxe version will have more songs to choose from that, which will be cleared in time for release.[15]

Track listing

[edit]

Digital release

[edit]
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Uptown"The Chambers Brothers6:07
2."Why I Sing The Blues"B.B. King2:20
3."Don't Cha Hear Me Callin' To Ya"The 5th Dimension3:31
4."Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"The 5th Dimension6:54
5."My Girl"David Ruffin5:48
6."Oh Happy Day"The Edwin Hawkins Singers3:56
7."It's Been A Change"The Staple Singers3:20
8."Precious Lord Take My Hand"
8:57
9."I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Gladys Knight & the Pips4:35
10."Watermelon Man"Mongo Santamaría5:17
11."Together"Ray Barretto4:41
12."Hold On, I'm Comin'"Herbie Mann7:03
13."Sing a Simple Song"Sly and the Family Stone5:28
14."Everyday People"Sly and the Family Stone2:32
15."Africa"
3:15
16."Backlash Blues"Nina Simone3:07
17."Are You Ready"Nina Simone7:01
Total length:1:23:45

Physical release

[edit]
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Uptown"The Chambers Brothers6:07
2."Why I Sing The Blues"B.B. King2:20
3."Don't Cha Hear Me Callin' To Ya"The 5th Dimension3:31
4."Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"The 5th Dimension6:54
5."My Girl"David Ruffin5:48
6."Oh Happy Day"The Edwin Hawkins Singers3:56
7."It's Been A Change"The Staple Singers3:20
8."Precious Lord Take My Hand"
  • The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir
  • Mahalia Jackson
  • Mavis Staples
8:57
9."I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Gladys Knight & the Pips4:35
10."Watermelon Man"Mongo Santamaría5:17
11."Together"Ray Barretto4:41
12."Hold On, I'm Comin'"Herbie Mann7:03
13."Sing a Simple Song"Sly and the Family Stone5:28
14."Everyday People"Sly and the Family Stone2:32
15."Backlash Blues"Nina Simone3:07
16."Are You Ready"Nina Simone7:01
Total length:1:20:30

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic94/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Pitchfork[17]
DownBeat[18]
Rolling Stone[19]

Prior to the official release, Cleveland Magazine's official report for the week's (January 21–27) music releases, featured Summer of Soul soundtrack topping the first position in the highly awaited albums.[21] It received generally positive reviews, with Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the album a score of 94 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]

David Browne's four-star review for Rolling Stone, stated "The soundtrack for Questlove’s acclaimed music-festival doc shows the way R&B and soul were moving in inspired new directions by the end of the Sixties".[19] Pitchfork's Stephen M. Deusner gave 8.8 out of 10 to the soundtrack and exclaimed that the soundtrack "tells a nuanced story of Black creativity and perseverance at the end of a transformative decade".[17] Deusner also opined "It’s alarming how many of the issues cited by artists and presenters persist today—police violence, systemic racism, poverty, cultural erasure—yet that makes the music sound fresh, lively, relevant in its celebration and commiseration. Both the film and the soundtrack bear that weight of history gracefully and jubilantly."[17]

Daniel Margolis of DownBeat wrote "Fair point, but perhaps it’s for the best that this isn’t present on the album, because what you’re left with is the pure joy of the music, and the connection between the performers and the audience. The movie ends with the film and music industry’s disinterest toward what happened — notice that this soundtrack hasn’t been filling used vinyl crates for decades. Regardless, it’s here now."[18] Andy Kellman of AllMusic stated "Anyone who has seen the film won't be surprised by the remarkable quality of the recordings, bearing minor blemishes only the stuffiest audiophile would care about. Even if the fidelity was halved, there would be more than enough power and sociopolitical context in these performances to induce goose bumps, tears, and other physical and emotional reactions. The succession of voices is astonishing. This and the film belong in every library on the planet."[16]

It was named as "one of the best albums of 2022" by Rolling Stone,[22] Pitchfork,[23] NME,[24] NPR,[25] Stereogum,[26] Paste and Okayplayer for their half-yearly lists.[27] Collider and Little White Lies ranked 8th and 10th, respectively, in their "best soundtracks of 2021", despite the soundtrack being officially released in 2022.[28][29] Writing for Collider, Kareem Gantt had said "The soundtrack was even more dynamic, featuring some of soul and funk's biggest hitmakers, from David Ruffin's 'My Girl' to the funky baritones of Sly & The Family Stone, who had two cuts make the sizzling soundtrack. The musical revolution wasn't televised: it was caught on vinyl."[28]

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
Region Date Format(s) Label Version(s) Ref.
Various January 21, 2022
Legacy Recordings Standard [30]
United States

Europe

CD [31]
[32]
June 17, 2022 Vinyl Ultra Target exclusive [11]
July 1, 2022 CD Standard [13]
Canada February 4, 2022 Sony Music Canada [33]
Japan March 30, 2022 Sony Music Entertainment Japan [34]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
Chart (2022) Peak
position
UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[35] 1
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[36] 5
US Billboard 200[37] 12
US Pop Albums (Billboard)[38] 8
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[39] 3

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Djurdjic, Marko (July 14, 2021). "Basement Tapes: The Music of "Summer of Soul"". That Shelf. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "'Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)' Soundtrack To Be Released January 21, 2022". Legacy Recordings. December 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Summer of Soul soundtrack to feature B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, and more". Consequence. December 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "A conversation with Questlove on his 'Summer of Soul' soundtrack : All Songs Considered". NPR.org. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  5. ^ "Questlove Announces Summer of Soul Soundtrack". Pitchfork. December 10, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  6. ^ "'Summer of Soul' soundtrack with Gladys Knight, B.B. King coming Jan. 21". UPI. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Abraham, Mya (December 9, 2021). "Official Soundtrack To Questlove's 'Summer Of Soul' Set To Be Released This January". VIBE.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Brereton, Greta (December 11, 2021). "Questlove reveals official 'Summer of Soul' soundtrack will be released next year". NME. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  9. ^ "Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life : It's Been a Minute". NPR.org. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  10. ^ Aderoju, Darlene (December 9, 2021). "Questlove Announces 'Summer of Soul' Soundtrack: It's 'Lightning in a Bottle'". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Various Artists – Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Target Exclusive, Vinyl)". www.target.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Pre-Order Your Copy of The 'Summer of Soul' Soundtrack on Vinyl". Okayplayer. February 4, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Various – Summer of Soul (...Or – When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Vinyl LPx2". Rough Trade. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  14. ^ NPR Music Listening Party: 'Summer of Soul' Soundtrack, archived from the original on January 29, 2022, retrieved January 30, 2022
  15. ^ "The best music festival in 1969? Hint: It wasn't Woodstock". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved July 9, 2022
  17. ^ a b c Deusner, Stephen M. "Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Summer of Soul: Review". downbeat.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Browne, David (January 21, 2022). "The 'Summer of Soul' Soundtrack Is Just as Revelatory as the Movie". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". Metacritic. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  21. ^ Graff, Gary (January 18, 2022). "'Summer of Soul' soundtrack tops this week's new music releases". Cleveland. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  22. ^ Freeman, Jon; Aaron, Charles; Bernstein, Jonathan; Browne, David; Bouza, Kat; Conteh, Mankaprr; Dolan, Jon; Dukes, Will; Grow, Kory (June 16, 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022 So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  23. ^ "The 39 Best Albums of 2022: Our Favorite Music of the Year So Far". Pitchfork. June 13, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  24. ^ Daly, Rhian (July 6, 2022). "The best albums of 2022… so far!". NME. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "NPR Music's 36 Favorite Albums of 2022 (So Far)". NPR. June 28, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  26. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022 So Far". Stereogum. June 7, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "Okayplayer's Best Albums of 2022 So Far". Okayplayer. July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Gantt, Kareem (February 9, 2022). "10 Best 2021 Movie Soundtracks, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  29. ^ Hobbs, Thomas. "The 10 best film soundtracks of 2021". Little White Lies. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  30. ^ Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Live at the Harlem Cultural Festival, 1969], January 21, 2022, retrieved July 9, 2022
  31. ^ Various Artists (2022), Summer Of Soul ...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised Soundtrack, Legacy Recordings, retrieved July 9, 2022
  32. ^ "Various Artists – Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (CD)". www.target.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  33. ^ Various (2022), Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Mo, Sony Music Canada Entertainment Inc., retrieved July 9, 2022
  34. ^ 株式会社ローソンエンタテインメント. "Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". HMV&BOOKS online (in Japanese). Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  35. ^ "Official Compilations Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  36. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  37. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  38. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Pop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  39. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
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