logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
29m 27s

Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost...

NPR
About this episode
There were two big music festivals happening in the summer of 1969. While one defined an entire generation of culture and music... the other remained obscure — the only recorded footage placed in a basement that was said to have sat, unpublished, for decades. That is, until Questlove's first documentary Summer of Soul came out last year. In this episode, Sam chats with Questlove about the recent release of the film's soundtrack, the long history of Black erasure, and the memorable performances from the likes of The 5th Dimension, Stevie Wonder (playing the drums!), Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, and Nina Simone.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Zohran Mamdani & the politics of "good" vs. "bad" Muslims
Before, during, and after Zohran Mamdani became the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, Republicans and Democrats were both leaning into decades old Islamophobic tropes to delegitimize his candidacy. Meanwhile, young progressives are reclaiming those tropes.Why is Isla ... Show More
19m 42s
Jul 7
Sex, drugs, and...gender panic!
What do Trump, JK Rowling, and some feminists have in common? Based on history, more than you might think.In this episode, Brittany and KQED's Nastia Voynovskaya explore the roots of modern-day transphobia through the story of one music producer, Sandy Stone. Then Brittany is joi ... Show More
22m 19s
Jul 4
Think the Medicaid cuts don't affect you? Think again.
Republicans have passed President Trump's One Big, Beautiful bill, but is it built on bad faith stereotypes? The legislation guts funding for Medicaid, and for a long time Republicans have been attacking the program as sort of welfare for moochers. Who exactly are these moochers? ... Show More
15m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Questlove
Fresh from his Oscar’s nomination, Zane chats to Questlove about his documentary ‘Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’, the significance of 1969, ‘code switching’ of black artists, how the festival was almost erased from history and teases his new S ... Show More
34m 5s
Apr 2018
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
Why has Procol Harum's surreal track ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ remained enduringly popular for over 50 years? Soul Music hears the stories and memories of those who love it. Released in May 1967, it was the group's first single. It went to No. 1 in the UK, and stayed there for six ... Show More
27m 44s
Apr 2014
Rhapsody in Blue
"I'm convinced it's the best thing ever written and recorded in the history of things written and recorded" - Moby.Rhapsody in Blue was premiered on February 12, 1924, in New York's Aeolian Hall. Through its use at the opening of Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' it’s become synonymous w ... Show More
27m 33s
Sep 2008
So What
On 2nd March 1959, Miles Davis and his sextet began recording a new album: "Kind of Blue". The first track was "So What" and the album became the best selling Jazz album of all time. This programme tells the stories of people whose lives have been changed by this piece of music.F ... Show More
27m 39s
Apr 2014
Something Inside So Strong
Labi Siffre wrote Something Inside So Strong in 1984. Widely believed to have been inspired by seeing film footage from South Africa, of young blacks being shot at by white policeman, the singer-songwriter now reveals that the lyrics were also informed by the oppression he had ex ... Show More
27m 31s
Oct 2023
The Beatles: 4. Revolution
When tragedy strikes at the end of 1967, the Beatles are faced with an uncertain future. In the months and years to come, cracks begin to show in the foundations of the world’s most powerful musical unit. As each member matured and developed as artists, the end became inevitable. ... Show More
28m 18s
Jan 2021
Bonus Episode: Dana Gillespie Remembers Her Teenage Romance with Bowie and Life as a Swinging Sixties 'It Girl'
Our latest chapter followed young David Bowie as he struggled to find his place in the Mod music scene of swinging sixties London. It was an exciting yet frustrating time for him as he fronted a lengthy list of doomed R&B bands — so close, yet so far from headliners like the Beat ... Show More
45m 30s
Jan 2022
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
Since debuting in the late ‘60s, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has made a sizable contribution to the folk canon with tender, contemplative songs like “Wild World,” “Moon Shadow,” and “The Wind.” Stevens recently reissued one of his most seminal early albums, Teaser And The Firecat, to celeb ... Show More
44m 37s
Nov 2019
Episode 168: Anton Corbijn On The Music Of Depeche Mode & Joy Division
Our latest guest on Soundtracking is something of a demigod when it comes to the realms of music and film. Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video director and filmmaker who has snapped anyone who's anyone in the music industry, including Bob Dylan, Bjork, Bruce Spring ... Show More
34m 38s