It was the iconic Black music and dance show, a party every weekend that anyone could join from their living room. "I told Don I could carry a tune, but I couldn't sing sing, you know. DJ Cassidys Pass The Mic to Host R&B/Hip-Hop Legends of 70s, 80s in BET Soul Train Special. In describing the person's renown, the host concluded their description with the phrase "whose name you should know". A lot of the dancers already had their routine worked out ahead of time, and I'm just freaking out. Don was like, "No, no, no. It represented Black artistic talent that didn't have a national platform, but [which] Black people knew existed locally in their neighborhoods. [citation needed] Beginning in Season 15 (1985-1986), Tribune Entertainment acquired the syndication contract; Tribune Entertainment continued producing Soul Train until the end of the show's run on March 25, 2006. Chambers: We became family, we became bonded. Don Cornelius stopped hosting after 22 seasons (19711993), though he remained the show's main creative force from behind the scenes. Moguls in the genre, according to NPR, saw Cornelius as an inspiration, though unfortunately, the 1980s saw the beginning of the decline for both Cornelius and his show. So when the rest of the people came in, instant hatred. Soul Train institutes a new theme: "Up on Soul Train" by R&B group The Whispers. 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 the program over the years. Production of first-run Soul Train episodes was suspended at the conclusion of the 200506 season, the show's 35th. The show was immediately met with a harsh reaction from the Black community, as it appeared to be white intrusion into Black culture in order to make a quick profit. Cornelius hosted both the local Chicago-based and national Los Angelesbased programs simultaneously, but soon focused his attention solely on the national edition. Bowlegged Lou (member of music group Full Force): It's so crazy because I [was] like, wow, the set is not as big as I thought it was. All Rights Reserved. The 13th episode of this season and the 938th episode of the show marked the first new episode to air in the 21st century, with a major change: Shemar Moore takes over as host, replacing Mystro Clark. According to BET, it was on Soul Train where the popular dance move, "The Robot," was first performed to a wide audience by (who else) Michael Jackson in 1973 when performing The Jackson 5's single, "Dancing Machine." Face dance means you don't know what the hell the rest of your body was doing but your face is fierce. I thought that was so rude. After more than 20 years, Don Cornelius stepped down from hosting Soul Train in 1993, though he stayed on as executive producer. Unsurprisingly, Don Cornelius was furious at what he felt was an intruder on his property, and Cornelius never spoke to Clark again. According to SBS, Cornelius hosted a television program, A Blacks' View of the News, in the late 1960s, while at the same time he pitched the station a program mirroring the music programs of the era, with a focus on African-American music. The show didn't take on their identity because they weren't there long enough. Even though Cornelius featured rap artists on Soul Train frequently during the 1980s, he publicly would admit to the artists' faces, such as Kurtis Blow, that the genre was one that he did not understand. This is a list of episodes for the musical variety show Soul Train. Jesse Jackson toAretha Franklin to Snoop Doggoffered their own tributes to the longtime conductor, the BBC reported. That's how her Soul Train story comes full circle. By the end of the first couple of years, it was airing in more than 25 markets, and it continued growing. She even worked with the ultimate diva, Diana Ross. Following the purchase by MadVision, the Soul Train archives were exposed to new forms of distribution. Al Green performs on Soul Train in 1974. Now, those weren't the folks we saw, at least not at first. Rosie had wisely brought a sexier change of clothes. I would have to say that I thought I was hot stuff, too, but when I saw Rosie, I was like, Oh, my goodness. Don Cornelius became one of the first Black men to own and produce a nationally syndicated franchise. The biggest names in Black Hollywood made sure to appear at the award show. Blount Danois: If you missed it, you didn't have much to talk about in school on Monday. You're a girl." The dancers didn't need prior experience producers often just plucked them from the crowd. Soul Train/Soul Train via Getty Images A MARTINEZ, HOST: NPR is 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. We hugged and smiled. Fifty-six editions of the show, randomly selected and ranging in a time frame from 1973 through 1988, were re-aired during the 200607 and 200708 seasons. Soul Train has a new theme this season, starting with episode 267: "Soul Train Theme '79" by The Hollywood Disco Jazz Band and The Waters. Though Don Cornelius moved his operations west, a local version of Soul Train continued in Chicago. It was a time when dance music was spawned from almost every musical genre. Clark lasted only two years as the full-time host. Especially back at college it was not so great. Also for the next four years, the show used a revolving guest-host format. This content is imported from youTube. That was great, but it wasn't great for me because he let us in, we didn't have to wait on line. [1], 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. Reprinted with the permission of the author, all rights reserved. MadVision sold the rights to Soul Train in 2011 to a consortium led by basketball player Magic Johnson and backed by private equity firm InterMedia Partners. Artists knew the show was not only a place to promote their new songs but also to promote themselves. Perez's good fortune, not having to wait on line and getting a riser spot on her first day, made the New Yorker a target for some old heads on the set. Ive thought a lot about what that means since I filmed his segment, and its chilling to think about how immense of an impact Kurtis had on global pop culture with that one television appearance. The opening sequence showed 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. In the midst of his eight-year run as the Young & the Restless' Malcolm Winters, Moore also spent five years moonlighting as the host of Soul Train. Cornelius also announced that a motion picture based on the program was in development. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative record until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it in completing its 35th season. "Rosie came on the show, and she was just so hot and so sexy," Crystal McCarey said. In 2016, USA Today reported that the BET Network acquired Soul Train. Perez: Don Cornelius did not want to see how I really danced I was doing hip-hop, and it was foreign to people out in California. Similar to what he did in the 70s when he made a Black-centric music program, in 1987, the first Soul Train Music Awards were held, a Black-centric award show. But the gig that put her career over the top was selecting and choreographing the Fly Girls for Keenen Ivory Wayans's sketch comedy show In Living Color on Fox. I was very proud of my body back then. Watchlist. "That girl could dance. According to Dazed Digital, the show went from asking artists to perform to artists themselves getting in contact with Cornelius asking to appear on the show. If I could go back in time to live through another era, this would be the time that Id put on my DeLoreans flux capacitor.. In addition, there was an in-studio group of dancers who danced along to the music as it was being performed. 1971 -2022. The dates shown are original air dates, but some dates are approximate because in the 1970s, most syndication markets did not get the episodes at the same time, so the dates shown are the first airings of the episodes. TV Over Mind reported that a variety of issues led to the cancellation of the 2008 Soul Train Awards, though it would return the following year. For almost 40 years, Soul Train took viewers on a funky, melodic, and exuberant ride every Saturday morning. Because on TV, it looks huge. They would spend hours picking out their outfits. It was the peak of her career as a choreographer. That was the last time she'd dance on the show. To be able to see others that looked like us was truly a beautiful experience. They embodied the cutting edge of style and their signature moves were copied in homes across America. Ericka Blount Danois (professor and author, Love, Peace, and Soul): Soul Train had the hip factor, and mostly because Don was so hip. Soul Train Creator, Don Cornelius, Dead Don Cornelius, the creator and longtime host of the groundbreaking music show Soul Train,' has died. Yeah, that's what I want.' hide caption. That sense of fellowship didn't always translate to the studio. This was because in later years, Nielsen ratings dropped to below 1.0; most of 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. Starting with this season, Dorian Gregory takes over as host. After five seasons and solid ratings with Moore, in October of 2003, actor Dorian Gregory took over hosting duties for the final three seasons of the show. A former news broadcaster who covered the Civil Rights Movement, Cornelius created Soul Train in 1970 and hosted the show in national syndication from 1971 to 1993. By the time I got to the end of the line, I was just in hysterics. hide caption. Despite all of that and hip-hop's continued popularity throughout the rest of the 20th and into the 21st century, Don Cornelius was not a fan and very hesitant to put hip-hop artists on the show. To be so young and being a teenager, being asked to go on Soul Train, it was just it was mind-blowing. For the awards program, see, In episode 338 of the series, which aired in October 1980, guest performer, "There Was Nothing Like 'Soul Train' On TV. This article is about the music dance TV show. This is something we kind of know, but that I didnt actually compute till we put this all together, that Charlie has released music in six decades. Various TV Guides listings from 1971 to 1980, Charlie Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Band, http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/1115-soul-train-soul-train/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Soul_Train_episodes&oldid=1152031691, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. War, O'Bryan, Soul Train History Book: Chairmen of the Board: May 22, 1982 26 392 Ronnie Dyson, The Dazz Band, Ebony Fashion Fair models May 29, 1982 27 393 Al Green, It was the peak of her career as a choreographer. The most memorable aspect of Soul Train, even more than Don Cornelius himself, were the dancers on the program and the "Soul Train Line." The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer.[1]. Based in Chicago, there was no scarcity of talent. The program moved its taping location to Hollywood Center Studios, from its previous location at the Charlie Chaplin Studios; the show would remain there through season 22. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. This is the last season to feature original episodes, and the shortest in the program's run, with only 16 episodes produced and aired. I go, 'I'll be there on Monday.' By the end of the 1970s, a new music genre was fermenting in New York City's Black communities. I mean, it was incredible, and I became friends with so many Soul Train dancers. My girlfriends were cracking up at me because I'm hilarious, and I have a great sense of humor. Starting with episode 76, the show's theme was changed to "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", written by Gamble and Huff and performed by MFSB and the Three Degrees. The Cutty Mack himself, Louie "Ski" Carr, would sometimes let Rosie and some other dancers stay at his apartment on weekends Soul Train was taped. Ive always been fascinated by this widely influential intersection. In December 1975, the Average White Band was on the show, but their appearance was quickly overshadowed by David Bowies, on the first show of 1976. This syndicated black version of 'American Bandstand' has Most people who remember her from the show usually recall her dancing in either a red or black dress. DJ Cassidys Pass the Mic: BET Soul Train Edition 2021 will immediately follow The Soul Train Music Awards, which airs on BET Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. The new show would highlight African-American musicians and be an overall celebration of Black culture and people. What is that? We break down the lasting influence of Soul Train on the culture with Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, as well as scholars, fans and even a few featured dancers, and ask why there's never been a show like it since. If the genres of rock and roll, blue-eyed soul, and nu-metal taught people anything, it is that white people tend to follow African Americans in terms of music when the music appears to be commercially successful. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Short, curvy with reddish hair, pouty lips and a high-pitched voice with a thick Nuyorican accent, Perez was a unique and, to some, disquieting presence on the Soul Train set. Regular Dancer / 46 episodes, 1971-1973 Mystro Clark Self - Host / 45 episodes, 1993-2000 Shemar Moore Self - Host Mystro Clark was a host for, like, a couple of years. "There was really great people," Perez said, "but there were a few that were real bitter.". Soul Train is an American musical variety television show. I said, 'I'm not a choreographer.' The show is also moved to Paramount Studios, where the show would be filmed right up to the final season. But Soul Train was not a sitcom and host/producer Don Cornelius was not Archie Bunker or Fred Sanford. That introduction to the show was likely the root of the disdain McCarey spoke about. Production was suspended following the 20052006 season, with a rerun package under the moniker The Best of Soul Train airing for two years subsequently. The rise of Soul Train ran concurrently with the rise of soul and funk music in the early 1970s. Embarrassed, Perez did her best to lose the accent. In 2003, Dorian Gregory took over as the host, and stayed until the end of the show's run in 2006. Blount Danois: So there was one [episode] with Al Green, and he's mesmerizing to listen to in every way. 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As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, 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 over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 20052006 season. ", McCarey befriended the new girl and advised her not to worry about what the other dancers thought of her. "Face dance means you don't know what the hell the rest of your body was doing but your face is fierce. [2] Cornelius 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 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. A few years later, after her acting in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and working on In Living Color, the two ran into each other in the tunnel underneath an LA concert venue. It was a program that probably would not be able to survive the pre-Civil Rights Movementof the United States. As usual with Pass the Mic, the stars will come on camera to sing or rap a verse or two of their prominent hits over the hosts beats in a continual medley (interrupted only for commercials, of course, since the show made the transition to television). [10][11] 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. But I'd look stupid.". "Louil came over and said, 'What's that dance? Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "Do it again. In 2011, a group led by basketball legend Magic Johnson purchased Soul Train from MadVision and had their own plans for the future of Soul Train. As the New York Daily News said, "Don Cornelius' 'Soul Train' was a window into African-American culture." Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. Whenever Rosie was in doubt about her moves, she would "face dance, just face dance. It was the first time I saw him laugh." He shaped the era of music I celebrate on this edition in so many ways, and he continues to do so today., Of the two hip-hop originators, he says, Kurtis Blow, who was raised in Harlem, was the first hip-hop artist on Soul Train. This is really weird. From .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture and Styleby Nelson George Nelson George, 2014, William Morrow. Even though Pass the Mic is filmed at his home and those of the participating stars, Cassidy is particularly happy that his special will follow the first Soul Train Awards to be broadcast from the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. During a break, the two had a confrontation over the record deal and, according to Perez, she tossed one of the handy fried chicken boxes at him and stormed off the soundstage. Cornelius also provided a different feeling for African Americans, young and old. [15], In 1973, Dick Clark, host and producer of Bandstand, launched Soul Unlimited controversial for its pronounced racial overtures[citation needed] to compete directly with Soul Train.