This week In Soul Artists 41/52

How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.

The subjects du jour are : Earth Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, James Brown, Kool and The Gang, The Three Degrees, Lionel Richie, Donna Summer, Erykah Badu, Prince, Sam Moore, Solomon Burke

They are the Soul Artists selected among the 390 Posts we publish this week.

1. “Let Me Talk” by Earth, Wind & Fire reached which peak position on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart?

  • A 5
  • B 8
  • C 12

2. Which producer worked on Chaka Khan’s “Life Is A Dance”?

  • A Quincy Jones
  • B Arif Mardin
  • C Nile Rodgers

3. James Brown’s “Brother Rapp” was originally recorded in what setting?

  • A Live concert
  • B Studio session
  • C Radio broadcast

4. Who co-wrote Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” that was inspired by a religious text?

  • A Robert Bell
  • B James “JT” Taylor
  • C Ronald Bell

5. Which venue hosted “An Evening With The Three Degrees” performance in 1979?

  • A Carnegie Hall
  • B Royal Albert Hall
  • C Madison Square Garden

6. At which event did Lionel Richie perform “All Night Long” in 1984?

  • A Super Bowl XVIII
  • B 1984 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
  • C Live Aid

7. Which song does Donna Summer’s “Spring Affair” segue into on her album *Four Seasons of Love*?

  • A Summer Passion
  • B Summer Fever
  • C Summer Romance

8. What is unique about Erykah Badu’s “Danger” in relation to her previous work?

  • A It’s a prequel to “Tyrone”
  • B It’s part of a sequel to “Otherside of the Game”
  • C It’s written entirely in French

9. Who directed the official music video for Prince’s “Sexuality”?

  • A Jean-Baptiste Mondino
  • B Bruce Gowers
  • C David Fincher

10. Which duo originally released “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”?

  • A Sam & Dave
  • B Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
  • C The Righteous Brothers

11. In what year did Solomon Burke release his version of “Try a Little Tenderness”?

  • A 1991
  • B 1981
  • C 2001

12. Which musical style shift is represented in Prince’s “Dirty Mind”?

  • A Disco to Jazz
  • B Blues to Rock
  • C R&B to Synth-pop

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Tracklist

1 . Earth Wind and Fire . Let Me Talk

Lifted from : Columbia publish Earth, Wind . Fire’s tenth album . ‘Faces’ (1980)

2 . Chaka Khan . Life Is A Dance

Lifted from : Warner Bros. publish Chaka Khan’s debut solo album . ‘Chaka’ featuring ‘I’m Every Woman’ (1978)

3 . James Brown . Brother Rapp

Lifted from : James Brown records ‘Sex Machine,’ . double live album with the original J.B.’s (1969)

4 . Kool and The Gang . Celebration

Lifted from : Happy Birthday Robert Kool Bell. ‘Leader Of The Gang’

5 . The Three Degrees . Jump The Gun

Lifted from : The Three Degrees spend an evening in London (1979)

6 . Lionel Richie . All Night Long (All Night)

Lifted from : Lionel Richie releases his second solo album . ‘Can’t Slow Down’ featuring ‘All night long’ and ‘Hello’ (1983)

7 . Donna Summer . Spring Affair

Lifted from : Donna Summer releases her fourth album . ‘Four Seasons of Love’ (1976)

8 . Erykah Badu . Danger

Lifted from : On TV today, Erykah Badu at . Showtime At The Apollo’ (2003)

9 . Prince . Sexuality

Lifted from : Warner Bros. publish Prince’s fourth album . ‘Controversy’ featuring ‘Sexuality’ (1981)

10 . Sam Moore . When Something Is Wrong (with My Baby)

Lifted from : Happy Birthday Sam Moore. ‘Soul Sam’

11 . Solomon Burke . Try A Little Tenderness

Lifted from : We remember Solomon Burke. ‘Gone To Soul Heaven’

12 . Prince . Dirty Mind

Lifted from : Warner Bros. publish Prince’s third album . ‘Dirty Mind’ (1980)

And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:

1. The Earth, Wind & Fire track “Let Me Talk” peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. It also made an appearance on the UK Pop Singles chart.

2. Arif Mardin produced “Life Is A Dance” for Chaka Khan’s debut solo album. Known for his successful collaborations, Mardin helped Khan transition from Rufus to solo prominence.

3. “Brother Rapp” by James Brown was recorded in a studio session and featured on the album *Sex Machine*. Audience sounds were added later to create a live feel.

4. Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” was co-written by Ronald Bell, drawing inspiration from a Quran passage. The song was the group’s only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

5. The BBC special “An Evening With The Three Degrees” was taped at the Royal Albert Hall. This 1979 concert showcased their pop and disco-infused style.

6. Lionel Richie performed “All Night Long” at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics. This performance celebrated music’s ability to unite audiences globally.

7. Donna Summer’s “Spring Affair” transitions into “Summer Fever” on the album *Four Seasons of Love*. The album narratively and musically explores a romantic journey.

8. “Danger” by Erykah Badu serves as a sequel to “Otherside of the Game”. It continues the narrative with its neo-soul sound and was a minor chart success in 2003.

9. Bruce Gowers directed the music video for Prince’s “Sexuality”. The song appears on the album *Controversy* and addresses social themes through its lyrics.

10. Isaac Hayes and David Porter wrote “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” for Sam & Dave. It became a soul classic known for its rich vocal harmonies.

11. Solomon Burke released his version of “Try a Little Tenderness” in 1991. The song appeared on his album “Homeland”, showcasing his soulful vocal style.

12. “Dirty Mind” marked Prince’s shift to a synth-pop sound from his earlier R&B style. The song is part of the album that established him as a genre-transcending artist.

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(*) According to our own statistics, updated on November 9, 2025