When Soul Train

Soul Train

Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...

 creator Don Cornelius

Don Cornelius

Donald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...

 & his partner Dick Griffey

Dick Griffey

Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...

 launched Soul Train Records in 1975, they had one smashing group of their own called The Soul Train Gang

The Soul Train Gang

In the early 1970s, the dancers on Don Cornelius' hit television program Soul Train were called the Soul Train Gang. But they became the Soul Train Dancers in 1975, when Cornelius and Dick Griffey co-founded Soul Train Records , home to Lakeside, Shalamar, the Whispers and others—and decided to...

. Their first album was "Soul Train 75." The three hit singles from that album were "Soul Train 75," "Spectrum" and "Searching For Another Love."
After that, a cool male quintet called The Whispers

The Whispers

The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...

 got signed to Soul Train Records. They made two hit singles: "In Love Forever" and "You're A Special Part Of My Life".
In 1976, The Soul Train Gang made their second album titled "The Soul Train Gang." The two hit singles from that album were "Oohcha" and "Soul Train Theme".
Right then, The Whispers made their first album for Soul Train Records titled "One For The Money". The three hit singles from that album were "One For The Money", "Living Together (In Sin)" and "You're Only As Good (As You Think You Are)."
In 1977, Carrie Lucas

Carrie Lucas

Carrie Lucas, is an American female R&B musician, born in Carmel, California. In 1976 she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas made six albums over seven years with Soul Train and Solar Records.-Career:...

, Sunbear and Shalamar

Shalamar

Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...

 got signed to Soul Train Records. "I Gotta Keep Dancing" and "Gotta Get Away From Your Love" were the two hit singles from Carrie Lucas's first album "Simply Carrie".
"Uptown Festival" became Shalamar's No. 1 hit single from their first album "Uptown Festival". "Fantasy" became Sunbear's cool slow jam from their first album "Sunbear."
In 1977, amid disagreement with Griffey on the potential of the group Shalamar, Cornelius left and Griffey renamed Soul Train Records Solar Records

SOLAR Records

S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...

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