I'm looking to make a couple mix cds of soul/funk/neo-soul songs containing strong to subtle social commentaries. I'd like to get a good variety from those R&B genres as well as from different decades. I've already picked War's "The World is A Ghetto", William DeVaughn's "Just Be Thankful for What You Got", Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" & "Mercy Mercy Me", the O'Jay's "For the Love of Money", Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes' "Wake Up Everybody" and Sharon Jones cover of "This Land Is Your Land".

So I'm open to all the song suggestions everyone can offer. And thanks in advance.

How about some impressions or curtis mayfield. It would almost be a crime to leave out People Get Ready. For solo Mayfield, how about 'If there's a hell below, we're all gonna go.'

Also, Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come.' Gotta have that one.

Also, some Staples Singers songs would be good.

Anything by Gil Scott Heron. Anything.

For the hopeful side of things, War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" always makes me smile.

That's a great initial list, c. and some great additional suggestions from klt (of course) and pE (of course).

I'll suggest:

James Brown "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)"
Curtis Mayfield "Freddie's Dead"
Les McCann & Eddie Harris "Compared to What"
Sly & The Family Stone "Everyday People"
Bobby Womack "Across 110th Street"
Stevie Wonder "Living for the City"

If you want to mix it up a bit and go with a couple of jazz vocals, how about Louis Armstrong's "Black and Blue" and Billie Holiday's classic "Strange Fruit?"

Now Playing: The Democratic response

Nina Simone - Mississippi God Damn

and although I think its been tainted by its inclusion in the Jackie Chan movie Rush Hour, Edwin Starr's song War is also a good one.

Thanks for the song suggestions, looks like I have some cd burning to do this weekend. I need to search through what I have on cd for Curtis Mayfield and Gil Scott Heron. I'm also adding Antibalas' "Who Is This America Dem Speak Of Today?", Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes" and Donny Hathaway's "The Ghetto". Plus a few hopeful songs (thanks for mentioning that, pE): War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?", Bill Withers "Lean On Me" and the Impressions "It's Alright".

Curtis' entire Superfly soundtrack fits in here. But his individual tracks that work well here include:
-"We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue"
-"Little Child, Running Wild," and, as someone posted upthread,
-"Freddie's Dead"

Diana Ross gave a surprisingly great performance in the socially conscious "Brown Baby."

Other Marvin songs:
-"The World is Rated X"
-"Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)"

Burned the first cd this afternoon. I was a little surprised by what songs I didn't have on cd but there's tunes left for a couple more volumes. I'm ever grateful for the suggestions and help on this project.

Vol. 1 track-list:

1)Why Can't We Be Friends- War
2)What's Going On- Marvin Gaye
3Wake Up Everybody- Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes
4)Keeper of the Castle- Four Tops
5)Papa was a Rolling Stone- The Pioneers
6)Back Stabbers- The O'Jays
7)Lean On Me- Bill Withers
8)This Land is Your Land- Sharon Jones
9)Move On Up- Curtis Mayfield
10)Inner City Blues- Marvin Gaye
11)Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)- Marvin Gaye
12)Make A Resolution -The Impressions
13)Living for the City- Stevie Wonder
14)Get Out of the Ghetto Blues- Gil Scott-Heron
15)Across 110th St. -Bobby Womack
16)Brand New Day- Staple Singers
17)Black and Blue- Louis Armstrong
18)Be Thankful for What You Got- William DeVaughn
19)The World is a Ghetto- War

I don't know why "Freddie's Dead" didn't make the cut. MusicMatch must have nixed it using their "Smart Clip" or whatever they call it they're time editing feature. Oh well, it's a definite track for vol. 2.

Obviously the 70s were the "social commentary" decade in soul music with loads of artists having quite a few things to say (like the above mentioned)
In the late 80s it seems that social commentaries were somewhat relocated and strictly became a hip-hop thing. Still, the mid 80s had a fair share of social/political songs, although neither of them became hits. The Temptations "Power" (1980), Kashif's - "Botha Botha (We Can't Dance Cause Your Standing On our Feet)(1985,) Maze Feat. Frankie Beverly's "Mandela" (1989) and south african born R&B artist Jonathan Butler deserve a mention.
And let's not forget Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814" (1989) album either, quite a few songs here had political undertones.

That list needs Tower Of Power's Only So Much Oil In The Ground!

quote:

Originally posted by K-Bee:
In the late 80s it seems that social commentaries were somewhat relocated and strictly became a hip-hop thing.

True, but Prince's "Sign of the Times" was a offered some sobering commentary in '87.