Sweet Soul Music

Album

Love Is All We Have to Give

Label

ATCO Records

Genre

Soul

Composer(s)

Sam Cooke;Arthur Conley;Otis Redding

Entered Chart

Mar 11, 1967

Peak Date

May 12, 1967

Released

1967

Recorded

Recorded FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, January 1967

Catalog #

Atco 45-6463

B-Side

Let's Go Steady

"Sweet Soul Music" is a soul song, first released by Arthur Conley in 1967. Written by Conley and Otis Redding, it is based on the Sam Cooke song "Yeah Man" from his posthumous album Shake; the opening riff is a quote from Elmer Bernstein's score for the 1960 movie The Magnificent Seven. In the US, "Sweet Soul Music" reached the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 (behind "The Happening" by The Supremes), and number two on the Billboard R&B chart. Overseas, it peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. "Sweet Soul Music" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. J. W. Alexander, Cooke's business partner, sued both Redding and Conley for appropriating the melody. A settlement was reached in which Cooke's name was added to the writer credits, and Redding agreed to record some songs in the future from Kags Music, a Cooke–Alexander enterprise.

Do you like good music
That sweet soul music
Just as long as it's swingin'
Oh yeah oh yeah

Out here on the floor now
We're going to a go go
Ah dancin' to the music
Oh yeah oh yeah

Spotlight on Lou Rawls y'all
Ah don't he look tall y'all
Singin' loves a hurtin' thing now
Oh yeah oh yeah

Spotlight on Sam and Dave now
Ah don't they look boss y'all
Singin' hold on I'm comin'
Oh yeah oh yeah

Spot light on Wilson Pickett
That wicked picked Pickett
Singing Mustang Sally
Oh yeah oh yeah

Spotlight on Otis Redding now
Singing fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Oh yeah oh yeah

Spotlight on James Brown now
He's the king of them all yeah
He's the king of them all y'all
Oh yeah oh yeah