New England Music Scrapbook
The Souls

The Souls first came to the attention of WBCN at an exciting debut performance at Scotch and Sounds in Brockton (now Cafferty's). That November, 1984, performance eventually led to a hit demo tape of "Lift You Up," which received substantial request and airplay action at the Rock of Boston. This band is now a tight unit; a result of the fortuitous crossing of Adam Sherman's path with a band called the Meetings. Sherman, the former lead singer of the famous Boston band, Private Lightning, had been busily writing songs for two years after Lightning's breakup when he met his future collaborators and began making sweet Souls' music with them.

The Souls' music is long on lyrical depth, bright and memorable melodies, and urgent rhythms. The musicians in the crew are all seasoned veterans with the fresh spark of new creativity buoying the proceedings. The band's excellent musical chops and Sherman's welcome return to the Boston rock and roll spotlight makes the Souls set at this year's Rumble required listening! -- Guide to the 1985 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble, distributed as a supplement to the Boston Phoenix, June 18, 1985

The 1985 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble bands were heavy on experience. Various competing groups included former members of well-known Boston bands such as the Dark (1981 Rumble finalist), November Group (turned heads with local hit, "We Dance"), Pastiche (1980 Rumble winner), Private Lightning (recorded for A&M), and the Rings (recorded for MCA). So, this was a particularly tough competition. Tristram Lozaw of Boston Rock wrote, "On paper, the 1985 Rumble offered the best line-up since 1981...." As for the Souls' set, he wrote, "The Souls closed strong, with good earthy guitar songs in the Tom Petty tradition...." Lozaw summed up the competition, saying, "All but a handful of the bands in the 1985 Rumble rose to the occasion by delivering sets that were among the best they'd ever played."*

* Boston Rock, 7/29/1985, Issue 65.

NEMSbook

We received a request for an article about the Souls. We know we have information about the band; but this is all our filing system has been able to produce so far. We'll keep an eye out for more. -- Alan Lewis, 10/29/2001

New England Music Scrapbook:
Popular music, past and present,
with a New England twist.