The Golden Age of southern soul lasted from about 1964 to 1975, when disco ripped the heart out of it. And although it may seem as though the blend of country, gospel and R & B that emerged from the great studios in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in that decade was entirely fresh and new, like any other genre classic, southern soul picked up musi-cal cues and absorbed influences from a whole variety of sources: horn lines from Louisiana’s swamp pop, lyrical themes from the blues, songs from country music, and of course so, so much from the black churches. Part of the 'His-tory of Soul' series, this LP reveals the musical antecedents that gave southern soul its inspiration. The music here will tell you the real story – and it will knock your socks off too! Notes by John Ridley.