>i think that's a requirement w/soul as y'all are speaking of
>it. and i'm not sure how much i agree w/that definition,
>btw.
>
>regardless of my agreement w/the definition, i know what y'all
>are saying. and i think the singers y'all reference give us a
>hint at what lurks beneath the sheen. they don't sing rough,
>but they let us know they've got that in them. there's that
>necessary tension. Dionne's 60s Bacharach hits don't have it.
> not coming from her, i mean. too much softness and sheen and
>polish.
>
>then again, i'm only casually familiar w/her 60s work. i'm
>willing to accept i may be missing something.

"Who Can I Turn To" is an example of whats lurking under the shadow so to speak, there're many "soulful" Bacharach songs, but they didn't make their way to pop radio.

For the record, I don't fully agree with AFKAP's definition of soul. I think its much more complex to contain and boil down into a mere sentence.

Yes, restraint and subtlety is soulful, Little Jimmy Scott is one of the most soulful singers that ever graced a record, but I also think that sincere uninhibition(sp?) is also soulful. Chaka Khan TO ME hits a core when she wails through "Egyptian Song", and lemme tell you, there's NO restraint in there - even though she was capable of such in so many songs in her catalog.

My point is, its way too complex a term to simplify.