Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music

Overview

Soul music has conquered the world in the last 50 years - growing from the raw, electric rhythms of the black underclass, it is now a billion dollar industry with R&B and hip hop dominating the world's charts. It's been the soundtrack to some of the most extraordinary social, political and cultural shifts. Together with the civil rights movement, it has challenged white hegemony, helped break down segregation and encouraged the fight for racial equality. This new six-part series, made by the BBC team who produced the critically-acclaimed Lost Highway, Walk On By and Dancing In The Street series, charts the evolution of soul music - with a fascinating combination of rare archive footage and over 100 contemporary interviews. The movers and shakers from the world of soul – such as James Brown, Mary J Blige, Beyoncé and Martha Reeves, - plus some often overlooked talent, track the music that shaped our lives.

Seasons

Cast

Colin Salmon

Self - Narrator

James Brown

Self

Bootsy Collins

Self

Ray Charles

Self

Ben E. King

Self

Etta James

Self

Mary J. Blige

Self

Bobby Womack

Self

Mavis Staples

Self

George Clinton

Self