Our second edition of “Remembering Music” will be touching similar blues and soul roots of music. We will be exploring some of the best live performances of artists in their prime. All of these performances impacted their career majorly. Each moment and each sound you hear from these performances, it was real and it took place on a day just like today. These live performances were present time for the people in that room or performing at that concert. Try to imagine the energy and atmosphere in that room just like if you were really there, it’s crazy.

Aretha Franklin – (Live at the Casino de Montreux, Montreux, Switzerland, June 12th, 1971.)

(Fast forward to 2:00 Minutes for start of concert)

Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, actress, and pianist. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. This concert was early in her career and she was pregnant at the time with one of her 4 sons! She was pregnant with multiple children as a teenager but she still managed to be stable and become the mother of soul music. R.I.P Aretha Franklin.

Santana – (Soul Sacrifice, 1969, Woodstock)

Santana is a Latin music and rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966 by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. The band came to public attention with their performance of “Soul Sacrifice” at Woodstock in 1969. After this performance the band became very popular, later producing popular songs like “Black Magic Woman”. The band had just taken acid and didn’t know they would have to perform the concert early. The singer/guitarist said “the guitar was like a snake that i had to get a hold of to control”.

Al Green – (Love and Happiness, Soul Train)

Al Green is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s. This performance was another great Soul Train episode.

Stevie Wonder – (Soul Train, 1971)

Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Stevie Wonder is considered to be one of the most critically and commercially successful musical performers of the late 20th century. He was born six weeks early with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disorder which was exacerbated when he received too much oxygen in an incubator, leading to blindness. Soul Train was one of the best musical shows ever! It showcased blues, soul and culture in a very human, and spontaneous way. Nobody worried about dancing or looking a certain way, everyone is simply just experiencing and appreciating.