And why the hell not? Here are some classic clips from Soul Train that are guaranteed to make you feel good, and maybe even get up and shake your ass!

You know, with all the Seventies-related posts here on DM, it’s good to remember that the decade was not all about white boys with guitars (though some of the clips below are from the early 80s too). These dancers are hot as hell - without resorting to showing acres of flesh - and isn’t it nice to see people actually interacting with each other when they dance?

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “Bad Luck”
 

 
Kool & The Gang “Jungle Boogie”
(this clip is one of the coolest things I have ever seen)
 

 
Rufus & Chaka Khan “Once You Get Started”
(featuring lots of bumping)
 

 
Marvin Gaye “Got To Give It Up (Parts 1 & 2)
(in part 2 Marvin joins the audience for some groovin’)
 

 
Trussell “Love Injection”
(moving into the 80s with a boogie classic)
 

 
Yellow Magic Orchestra “Firecracker”
(two different cultures in perfect tandem)
 

Thanks so much for this post.  It’s priceless.

thought51

I love me a Soul Train line and you’ve got some great ones here! Thanks for making my Sunday a bit funkier!

Glasgow 1978. I had always liked my funk (Sly, Parliament/Funkadelic) But I remember raving about ‘Le Freak’ and all my punk mates just didn’t get it. Later when the West End/Prelude etc 12” started using some dub techniques then they got it!
Regards/

I lived in Japan about twenty years ago, doing the teach-English thing. Japanese television then was (and is) a vast wasteland, but one thing that was worth a quick look on Sunday afternoons was “Soul Tunnels”.

This was a Japanese version of “Soul Train”, except that all of the dancers were Japanese. There was a curious schizophrenia to the performers, because about 2/3 of the dancers were into soul music, and performed wearing 1970s fashions, Afro wigs, and even darkened their skin with makeup. The other third were into hip-hop and rap, and hung around the edge of the stage in their satin baseball jeckets, glowering through their shades at the throwbacks dancing to that funky Curtis Mayfield.

Meanwhile, the youngish men who were hosts of the program woudl sit in their studio chairs talking at high speed about the dancers who had just finished, while a rank of young Japanese women in high heels and bikinis alternately applauded the performers and giggled at the hosts’ jokes.

Ah, good times… if you don’t believe me, look up Soul Tunnels on Youtube.

Although I was always a rocker, I’ve gotta say
disco was cool and I sorta miss it.

Just had one of these last Sunday. Stumbled across this commercial, which was the perfect lesson in black history and hair care: http://youtu.be/g8ffzI2czHs

i love that YMO ep of soul train! i was lucky enough to catch it when CBS used to rebroadcast old Soul Trains at 3am on sunday (in nyc) only a few years ago. Centric hasn’t re-run that one yet, they only run the “hit” artist episodes.

I useta watch it every Sat as a young girl——i would get verrrry excited when I heard that “SOOOOOUUUUL TRAIIIINN!!!! iteration.
I still have a bunch of funk music if anyone wants to party.