why not just take it back to Loose Ends' Zagora

(which I do think is a very important precedent, along with Soul II Soul... but by and large I would argue that what was happening in the UK was really a different scene--though neo-soul was in a way an attempt to Americanize UK soul)

EDIT: You made an excellent point about the "cultural" aspects of Soul II Soul being a major MAJOR influence, though.