Soul Train

When I was a child in the 1970's and watch "Soul Train", it was wonderful. The show had so much spontaneity. You knew what was going to be done, but you didn't know HOW it was going to be done. The show was aimed at providing young "Black" flavor. However, David Bowie appeared on the show in the 70's. That was unexpected and thrilling. It showed the world that Black people in America can have musical interests beyond only disco, R&B, and soul. B.B. King appeared, showing that young Black people can enjoy the blues.

"Soul Train" wasn't just about the music. The show had comedians, special guest dancers, and real suspense on the Soul Train Scramble Board. The Soul Train Line had many surprises. In the 70's, male and female dancers did things together while going down the line. They did things that would make me jump out of my seat in amusement. They enjoyed what they were doing. When the special guest musical performers finished their routine, Cornelius would inform the performers that the questions would be asked by the dancers, to give the performers, as well as the viewers, some unexpected surprises. Then there were the dancers. Ahhh the dancers. Who could forget the Asian woman with long hair? Who could forget the man who sported a different mask and costume every week? One week, he was Darth Vader. Another week, he was E.T. Another week, he was Nixon. There was the dancing. Everyone tried to imitate those moves. These were the days.

Nowadays, Cornelius doesn't host the show. He had his string of guest hosts, which didn't work. He then had Mystro Clark. Clark tried to be too hip and cool instead of being natural. He didn't work. The execs replaced him with Shemar Moore. In my opinion, Moore is guilty of the same superficial hipness and coolness which lead to Mystro Clark being replaced. The dancers have evolved into snooty people more concerned with modeling their fashions from with mall and showing off their chiseled bodies than having fun. The Soul Train Line features people dancing individually. We no longer see the men and women doing things together. Probably because they all have become too much "into themselves" to want to dance with one another. Another note about the dancers: The women on the show are attractive. However, many of them cannot dance. They "get over" due to their good looks.

We all know the current structure of the weekly series: During the first segment, the dancers dance to a song. After the first commercial, the first guest performs. After the second commercial, the Scramble Board segment arrives. After the third commercial, the second guest performs. Forty five minutes into the program, the Soul Train Line happens. It's so predictable.

On the bright side, no one will ever get tired of hearing the exquisite voice of Sid McCoy, the longtime "voice" of "Soul Train".

"Soul Train" has become stale. Thought, the show had some great days. It needs to return to that. However, with the changes in the music and entertainment in the 21st century, it probably will not. The show needs to end gracefully. However, due to the continuing need to showcase "Black" talent in a Black context, it will remain on the air, the same way "Saturday Night Live" has remained due to NBC's need to give young comics their shot at the limelight, because that show has been stale for several years.

Back on "Soul Train", it had surprises. It had wit. Unfortunately, "Soul Train" is a variety show which does not have "variety" anymore.

It's a shame that the Soul Train of yesteryear is gone. But that is no reason to desperately keep the current show that bears its name on the air.

With every lipsynched performance, this show grows more pitiful.

With every painfully easy Scramble Board (what could ARMY J LBGEI possibly spell?!), the intelligence of all parties involved is insulted. With every phony host who conducts a even phonier interview, I feel more and more like I'm watching an infomercial.

That show is a mere husk of what it once was. It has no cultural significance whatsoever and should be laid to rest in order to preserve the integrity of its namesake, the REAL "Soul Train" - the one with REAL singers, REAL dancers, and true artistic merit.

Soul Train was one of my favorite shows while growing up in the 1980s. It was a first-class, highly enjoyable entertainment all around, not at all a mediocre black version of "American Bandstand". It featured all kinds of great, talented R&B/Rap stars that were making their mark in that glorious decade.

It was awesome: full of fun and great music, plus the funky dancing, the hip clothes, and the scramble board. It brings back some great memories. I remember watching artists like Midnight Star, Whitney Houston, Atlantic Starr, Janet Jackson, New Edition, Cameo, Debarge, Prince, Levert, and many more performing on it. And who could forget opening moments where the animated train rides into the city, screaming "SOUL TRAIN!"

Don Cornelius was an excellent host who kept the show going until it succumbed to banality in the 90s. From early 90s onward, Soul Train lost its excitement as it became a run-of-the-mill Saturday afternoon variety show, hosted by various celebrities.

But for us urban music junkies, 80s Soul Train remains something to be cherished.

I was only able to catch episodes of "Soul Train" sporadically throughout the '70s and '80s. It was broadcast CBC, channel 5, here in Toronto for about a season on Saturday mornings, then disappeared. It wasn't until the early '90s that I was able to catch this show on WPIX-New York, and WGN-Chicago, that were available on cable here. One thing is for sure, the energy of this show dropped off a lot after the '80s. It was still enjoyable to watch, but didn't have the same electricity that the show had throughout the '70s and '80s. When Don Cornelius left the show and guest hosts appeared, it was not bad, but it further lost it's energy. For the current shows, it only looks like there is about a handful of people in the studio. In the '70s & '80s, the main dance-floor was packed, and there were dancers on the stage, which gave it a real club feel. Presently, it's just the dancers on the catwalks that are shown. When an artist is performing, that is when you see the main population of dancers on the dance-floor. They don't dance anymore. Everyone just stands and watches the artist that is on the stage. Lately, CW23, out of Buffalo is playing "The Best Of Soul Train" on Sundays at midnight. This is great to see and experience the show all over again from the '70s and '80s. The great thing about "Soul Train" was that is showed R&B, Hip Hop and Pop acts that you wouldn't see on other shows like "American Bandstand", or here in Toronto, it was "Boogie" and later on, "Electric Circus". I have been a fan of R&B and Hip Hop for years, and always enjoyed seeing the acts that you wouldn't see anywhere else, except for maybe on BET. Even with this, there were artists showcased on "Soul Train" that never saw their videos broadcast on BET. It's too bad that the show has not maintained the same energy, but then again, the music biz, and Hip Hop/R&B have changed drastically over the years. I am glad to see that "The Best Of Soul Train" is airing once again. It's a great blast from the past, when it was all about the music, and not so much about how much money could be made from an artist or song.

This show used to knock American Bandstand off the block all through the seventies. The clothes, music, dancing, and general all round energy were here when this show started. But when Don Cornelius cut off his afro and the girls started doing bump and grind moves in hoochie mama spandex you knew the party was over.