Rhythm & Blues

Rhythm & blues on vinyl: Etta James, Ray Charles and the road to soul

In short: Rhythm & blues was the Black popular music of the forties and fifties: blues with a dance beat, horns and gospel singing. Rock ’n’ roll and soul grew out of it. The Vinyl Room currently has 233 records in this style, many of them from the sixties and seventies.

What is rhythm & blues?

Billboard magazine introduced the name for its charts in 1949, replacing the old term “race records” – it was coined by Jerry Wexler, who later produced records at Atlantic. Labels such as Atlantic, Chess and Argo, King and Specialty made Ray Charles, Etta James, Ruth Brown and Big Joe Turner big. Etta James’ “At Last!” (1960) shows how close rhythm & blues had already come to soul.

What to look for

Many rhythm & blues recordings first came out on singles, later on LPs and compilations. You recognise US originals by label, catalogue number and runout. Later European editions are often an affordable way to these recordings.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Funk & soul on vinyl · Blues on vinyl · Atlantic · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is rhythm & blues? The Black popular music of the forties and fifties – blues with a dance beat, from which rock ’n’ roll and soul emerged.

Is rhythm & blues the same as today’s R&B? No. Today’s R&B (contemporary R&B) is modern soul with beats from hip hop and electronic music.

Which labels stand for rhythm & blues? Among others Atlantic, Chess, King and Specialty.