Portal:Rhythm and blues

Wikipedia's Rhythm and Blues Portal

Introduction

Ruth Brown was known as the "Queen of R&B".^[1]

Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to African Americans, at a time when "rocking, jazz based music ... [with a] heavy, insistent beat" was starting to become more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of a piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African American history and experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy, as well as triumphs and failures in terms of societal racism, oppression, relationships, economics, and aspirations.

The term "rhythm and blues" has undergone a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s, it was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the mid-1950s, after this style of music had contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used in a wider context. It referred to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul. By the 1970s, the term "rhythm and blues" had changed once again and was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. (Full article...)

Selected article

"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her second solo studio album B'Day (2006). The song was written by Beyoncé, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, Sean Garrett, Makeba Riddick, Angela Beyincé, and Solange Knowles, with production handled by Dean, Beyoncé and Garrett. Inspired by her sister Solange and former Destiny's Child groupmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, Beyonce co-wrote the song as a tribute to their shared experiences. Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment released "Get Me Bodied" as the album's fifth single in the United States on July 10, 2007.

The song blends R&B and bounce with influences from dancehall and reggae. Its lyrics portray a confident woman preparing for a night out, dressed to impress and commanding attention on the dance floor. "Get Me Bodied" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its energetic production and Beyonce's dynamic vocals. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) named it as the best R&B and hip-hop song of 2007. Initially peaking at number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2007, the song saw a resurgence in 2013, climbing to number 46 due to a viral video.

The music video, co-directed by Beyoncé and Anthony Mandler, draws inspiration from The Frug, a dance sequence in Bob Fosse's film adaptation of the Broadway musical Sweet Charity. The video features cameo appearances from Solange, Rowland, and Williams and was nominated for video of the Year at the 2007 VH1 Soul Vibe Awards. Beyonce promoted "Get Me Bodied" with performances on her world tours and at the 2007 BET Awards. In April 2011, Beyoncé re-recorded the song as "Move Your Body" for former First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Flash Workout campaign. An instructional video featuring the new version was distributed to schools as part of the initiative. (Full article...)

Topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject R&B and Soul Music

Parentage

WikiProject Music
- WikiProject Music/Music genres task force

Selected biography -

Turner performing live at GuilFest in 2012

Francella Ruby Turner MBE (born 22 June 1958) is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress.

In a music career spanning more than 40 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North America. She is also known for her work as a session backing vocalist, with artists including Bryan Ferry, UB40, Steel Pulse, Steve Winwood, Jools Holland, and Mick Jagger. She has also written songs that have been covered by musicians including Lulu, Yazz and Maxi Priest. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

General images -

The following are images from various rhythm and blues-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The instruments of the skiffle group the Quarrymen, who would become the Beatles (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 2Led Zeppelin performing at Chicago Stadium in January 1975
Image 3The Cleftones during their participation in the doo-wop festival celebrated in May 2010 at the Benedum Center. (from Doo-wop)
Image 4The original line up of the Kinks, 1965 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 5The Ramones in Toronto (1976). (from Doo-wop)
Image 6Georgie Fame, leader of one of the most widely influenced R&B groups, in 1968 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 7Alicia Keys ranked fifth on Billboard Artist of the Decade list. "No One" ranks No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs of the decade. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 8The Moonglows, 1956 (from Doo-wop)
Image 9Muddy Waters, a major influence on the movement, pictured in 1971 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 10Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac onstage in 1970 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 11Alexis Korner in Hamburg in 1972 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 12Herman Santiago, original lead singer of the Teenagers. (from Doo-wop)
Image 13John Lee Hooker, whose visit to England was the anticipated R&B event of 1964, shown in 1978 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 14Janet Jackson's Control, released in 1986, was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 1980s. (from New jack swing)
Image 15The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing on Dutch television in 1967 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 16The Animals in 1964 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 17The Jam in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1982 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 18Usher was cited by Billboard as the no. 1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade, with 7 number-one singles that accumulated 42 weeks at the top. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 19Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings at Middelburg in 2009 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 20Beyoncé was named by Billboard the most successful female act of the 2000s. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 21Kathy Young with the Earth Angels performing Kathy's hit "A Thousand Stars" during the festival of this genre celebrated at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 2010. (from Doo-wop)
Image 22Chris Barber, one of the major figures in the early popularisation of the blues in Britain, playing at the Musikhalle, Hamburg, 1972 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 23Lead Belly's recordings were major part of British R&B repertoires: he never performed in the UK (from British rhythm and blues)