“South Side Souljer”
Soul Power Lives!
I wrote these words a long time ago while sitting on my lanai and soaking up the bright vibe of the islands. From my vantage point, I could see the majestic, royal green of the rocky Ko'olau mountains and the iconic silhouette of Diamond Head. But as I sat there in the Pacific breeze, my mind drifted back to my days as a boy. The Beatles' takeover was heading eastward; you could feel the change in the air. Speaking of the Beatles, they were purveyors of soul power as well, but South Side Soul Power ruled the day.
Oliver Sain lived in Saint Louis, Missouri. That was my hometown. What he and his revue had was soul—you could feel it and hear it in their music. Johnny Kay and the Runaways, Bob Kuban and the In-Men, and Marcel Strong and the Apostles, just to name a few. That’s a lot of soul power.
When I was a young man, there were dozens of "Soul Bands" that played in the city. In the summer, they would play outside in schoolyards across town. You could walk from one to the other, shimmying and swaying all the way.
From De Sales to St. Thomas Aquinas, and from St. Wenceslaus to Mary Magdalen—and that was just on the South Side. There was the North Side, the West End, and the East Side. We were—and I was, a “South Side Souljer.” As you moved away from one venue, you’d start to hear the music from the next. You didn’t even have to be in earshot because you carried it wherever you went; it was a gift from the musical Gods. As you got close, your body would vibrate with the essence of soul. Soul music penetrating your body would enable your soul to shine.
A better sensation is rare, and I feel it to this day. It is not just a memory; it is something that still lingers in my consciousness.
Bob Kuban is an American musician and bandleader. Best known for his 1966 #12 pop hit, "The Cheater," Kuban is honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's permanent exhibit on one-hit wonders.
From The Top Left Clockwise
Bob Kuban and the In Men
Johnny Kay and the Runaways
The Oliver Sain Revue
Oliver Sain (1932–2003) was a foundational figure in the St. Louis R&B and soul scene, working as a master saxophonist, songwriter, and producer. Known for his "golden horn," he was instrumental in shaping the "St. Louis Sound" through his own hits and his work at Archway Studios, where he discovered and produced numerous artists.
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