Soul!
Overview
Soul! or SOUL! (1968–1973) was a pioneering performance/variety television program in the late 1960s and early 1970s produced by New York City PBS affiliate, WNET. It showcased African American music, dance and literature. The program was created and often hosted by Ellis Haizlip, an openly gay African American closely associated with the Black Arts Movement. Poet Nikki Giovanni was also a frequent host. Among the musical performers who appeared on the show were Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind, and Fire, the Dells, Labelle, Ashford and Simpson, Al Green, Tito Puente, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach, and Gladys Knight, as well as African performers Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba. Others who appeared on the program included boxer Muhammad Ali, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, minister (later politician) Jesse Jackson, actor / singer Harry Belafonte, actor Sidney Poitier, and Kathleen Cleaver, wife of Eldridge Cleaver.
Seasons
Season 1 (1968)
Guests include: Barbara Acklin, Patti LaBelle, Betty Shabazz, Sam & Dave, Redd Foxx, The Last Poets, The Manhattans, Billy Taylor, Jimmy McGriff, Mary Wells, Maxine Brown, Hal Jackson, Señorita Carla Pinza, Chuck Jackson, and others.
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: September 12, 1968 (Premiere episode)
1968-09-12Guests: Barbara Acklin, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, Novella Nelson, Billy Taylor, The Vibrations and Pearl Williams Jones, and Irwin C. Watson Hosts: Alvin Poussaint and Loretta Long
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 2: September 26, 1968 (second episode)
1968-09-26Guests: Betty Shabazz (widow of Malcolm X), author Julius Lester, comedian Arnold Dover, vocalist Tiny Irvin, vocal quintet Popular Five, vocal quartet Sweet Inspirations Hosts: Alvin Poussaint and Loretta Long
Runtime: N/A minSeason 2 (1969)
Guests include Ben E. King, James Baldwin, Mario Van Peebles, Jerry Butler, Eddie Floyd, The Last Poets, Shirley Chisholm, Joe Tex, King Curtis, Roberta Flack, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Bell & the Drells, Clarence Carter, Wilson Pickett, and others.
1 episodes
Season 3 ()
Guests include: James Earl Jones, Curtis Mayfield, Eddie Floyd, Patti LaBelle, Muhammad Ali, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Pharoah Sanders, Candi Staton, Kool and the Gang, The Emotions, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Marion Williams, The Delfonics, Len Chandler, The Manhattans, Kim Weston, Bobby Hebb, Cissy Houston, Herbie Hancock, Nikki Giovanni, and others.
0 episodes
Season 4 ()
Guests include: Nikki Giovanni, The Sweet Inspirations, The Black Dance Union, Leon Thomas, The Staple Singers, The Three Degrees, Esther Phillips, Andrew Hill, Thelma Houston, Billy Paul, Junior Walker, Clayton Riley, Buddy Miles, Odetta, Betty Carter, Valerie Simpson, Nick Ashford, Roy Haynes, Betty Shabazz, The Reverend Louis Farrakhan, Rufus Thomas, Richie Havens, Herbie Hancock, Mandrill, Max Roach, Hugh Masekela, Ron Carter/M'Boom, Wilson Pickett, Melvin Van Peebles, James Baldwin, Bill Withers, and others.
1 episodes
Season 5 (1972)
Guests include: Muhammad Ali, Miriam Makeba, Nikki Giovanni, Jerry Butler, Horace Silver, Bobbi Humphrey, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Al Green, Vertamae Grosvenor, Merry Clayton, The Reverend Jesse Jackson, The Dells, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gerry Bledsoe, Amiri Baraka, Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Ron O'Neal, Carmen McRae, Cicely Tyson, Stevie Wonder, and others.
9 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: January 5, 1972
1972-01-05Guests: Muhammad Ali, singer Miriam Makeba, and vocal group the Delfonics Host: Nikki Giovanni
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 2: January 12, 1972
1972-01-12Guests: Jerry Butler, Peaches, Anna Horsford, and dentist Dr. Stanley Nelson
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 3: January 19, 1972
1972-01-19Guests: Lynn Brown (wife of Black activist H. Rap Brown); gospel group the Shirley Caesar Singers, and musical group The Main Ingredient Host: Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 4: January 26, 1972: "The Blue Note Show"
1972-01-26Guests: Keyboardist Horace Silver with vocalists Andy and Salome Bey, trumpeter Lee Morgan, flutist Bobbi Humphrey Host: Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 5: February 2, 1972
1972-02-02Guests: Actor/singer Ronnie Dyson, singer Cissy Houston and poets China Clark and Quincy Troupe
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 6: February 9, 1972
1972-02-09Guests: Gladys Knight and the Pips, and poets Carolyn Rodgers and Norman Jordan
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 7: February 16, 1972
1972-11-16Guests: Singer Al Green, author Vertamae Grosvenor, the Isaac Douglas Singers, writer Alice Childress, and poet Camille Yarbrough
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 14: October 4, 1972
1972-10-04Guests: Jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk & the Vibration Society Host: Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 25: December 20, 1972: "Wonderlove"
1972-12-20Guests: Stevie Wonder and Wonderlove Setlist... 01. For Once In My Life 02. If You Really Love Me 03. Superwoman 04. You And I 05. Interview 06. What's Going On/My Cherie Amour 07. Blowing In The Wind 08. With A Chid's Heart 09. Love Having You Around 10. Signed Sealed Delivered/Papa Was A Rolling Stone 11. Superstition 12. Maybe Your Baby/Superstition Outro 13. Uptight Everything's Alright
Runtime: 50 minSeason 6 (1973)
Guests include: Al Green, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Spinners, Stokely Carmichael, Esther Phillips, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Preston, and others.
8 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: January 3, 1973
1973-01-03Guest: an evening with singer Al Green Host: Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 2: January 10, 1973
1973-01-10Guests: Tony Award-winning singer Linda Hopkins & the Soul Quintet, and musical group Earth, Wind & Fire Hosts: Gerry Bledsoe and Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 3: January 17, 1973
1973-01-17Guests: The Spinners and the Jimmy Castor Bunch
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 4: February 7, 1973
1973-02-07Guest: Stokely Carmichael
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 5: February 14, 1973
1973-02-14Guest: singer Esther Phillips, and a performance of “The Johnson Girls,” which centers around six young Southern ladies.
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 6: February 21, 1973
1973-02-21Guests: vocal group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, singer Esther Marrow, and Encore magazine editor Ida Lewis
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 7: February 28, 1973
1973-02-28Guest: performer/composer/keyboard artist Billy Preston and his musical group.
Runtime: N/A minEpisode 8: March 7, 1973 (the last episode)
1973-03-07Soul! staff: Ellis Haizlip, Alonzo Brown Jr., Anna Horsford, Sherri Santifer, Loretta Green and Leslie Demus read poetry – and letters from viewers throughout the country, and share clips of LaBelle (from the first episode of Soul!), and King Curtis (musical director of Soul!, who passed away during the show’s run). Host: Ellis Haizlip
Runtime: N/A min