"Soul Train" (1971) TV series 1971-

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | unknown

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

A pop music dance show with an African-American focus.

Plot Keywords:

Dance | African American | Dancer | Dancing | Soul Music

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Pat Davis	...	Dancer / ... (82 episodes, 1971-1975)
Don Cornelius	...	Himself - Host / ... (67 episodes, 1971-2007)
Albert Ebbs	...	Regular Dancer (45 episodes, 1971-1973)
Andrea N. Miles	...	Dancer (29 episodes, 2000-2004)
Joe Cobb	...	Announcer / ... (28 episodes, 1972-1988)
Sid McCoy	...	Announcer / ... (28 episodes, 1972-1988)

Series Directed by
B.J. Jackson		(84 episodes, 1972-1975)
J.D. Lobue		(60 episodes, 1972-1988)
Don Bucola		(40 episodes, 1971-1973)
Morris Abraham		(35 episodes, 2003-2005)
Sid McCoy		(4 episodes, 1976-1977)
Mark Warren		(2 episodes, 1971)

Series Writing credits
Don Cornelius		(135 episodes, 1971-1980)

Series Produced by
Don Cornelius	....	executive producer / producer (39 episodes, 1971-1988)
Willie Geiger	....	associate producer (11 episodes, 1974-1979)
Aïda Chapman	....	associate producer / producer (5 episodes, 1974-1979)

Series Film Editing by
Lewis Bates Jr.		(1 episode, 1977)

Series Production Design by
William H. Harris		(13 episodes, 1979-1988)
Anthony Sabatino		(13 episodes, 1979-1988)

Series Art Direction by
Anthony Sabatino		(16 episodes, 1972-1979)

Series Makeup Department
Ruby Ford	....	hair stylist / makeup artist (13 episodes, 1974-1987)
Jerry Cash	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1974-1975)
John Pedro	....	makeup artist / hair stylist (5 episodes, 1979-1988)
Robert Ryan	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Chris Brice	....	makeup artist / hair stylist (3 episodes, 1979-1987)
Lamar White	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1987-1988)

Series Production Management
Mary Ellen Jones	....	production supervisor (52 episodes, 1984-1987)
Anthony Sabatino	....	executive in charge of production (11 episodes, 1981-1988)
Tomas E. Kuhn	....	executive in charge of production (6 episodes, 1972-1973)
Aïda Chapman	....	executive in charge of production (3 episodes, 1977)
Willie Geiger	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1973)
Schatzie Allen	....	unit manager (2 episodes, 1977)
W.E. Baker	....	production manager (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Edward A. Johnson	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1987-1988)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward A. Johnson	....	associate director (12 episodes, 1978-1987)
J.D. Lobue	....	associate director (11 episodes, 1972-1977)
Sid McCoy	....	associate director (6 episodes, 1974-1979)
Ellis Toney	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1971-1973)
Terri McCoy	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1977-1988)

Series Art Department
John Koelle	....	set designer / designer: train (8 episodes, 1974-1988)
Anthony Sabatino	....	set designer (6 episodes, 1974-1975)
Dervon 'Von' Herron	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Robert Houston	....	sound mixer / audio director (198 episodes, 1978-1988)
Woody Langley	....	audio director / audio (11 episodes, 1971-1979)
Jimmy Carr	....	audio director (3 episodes, 1973-1975)
Kerry Boggio	....	audio director (2 episodes, 1977)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Pascal M. Guillemard	....	lighting technician (76 episodes, 1997-2006)
Len Uslaner	....	camera operator (13 episodes, 1973-1979)
Larry Brotzler	....	video operator / video (11 episodes, 1972-1979)
Jeff Engel	....	lighting director (11 episodes, 1975-1984)
Marco Peterson	....	camera operator (10 episodes, 1974-1979)
Joe Champa	....	video operator (8 episodes, 1972-1979)
Robert A. Bowen	....	camera operator / video operator (8 episodes, 1973-1979)
Joe Vicens	....	camera operator (7 episodes, 1973-1975)
Walter Haddock	....	lighting director (6 episodes, 1972-1974)
Lou Jackson Jr.	....	video operator / video (6 episodes, 1975-1979)
Mike Peterson	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1977-1979)
Ken Wilcox	....	lighting director (5 episodes, 1977-1980)
Jimmy Carr	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1973-1977)
Larry Collins	....	head grip (3 episodes, 1975-1979)
Vito J. Giambalvo	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 1975-1977)
John C. Morgan	....	lighting designer (3 episodes, 2002)
Don Jones	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Jack Hurst	....	video operator (2 episodes, 1973)
Michael Stich	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Bill Wall	....	head grip (2 episodes, 1975)
Carl Gibson	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Michael J. Jacobs	....	special still photographer (unknown episodes, 1980-1981)
David R. Casey	....	gaffer (unknown episodes, 2005-2006)
Kevin Cadwallader	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Steven Castaneda	....	dimmer operator / gaffer (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
John Koelle	....	animator (20 episodes, 1974-1987)
Sam Pal	....	animator / animation production (19 episodes, 1975-1988)
Harry Moreau	....	animator (13 episodes, 1975-1982)
Per Volquartz	....	animator (11 episodes, 1977-1982)
John McGuire	....	animator (9 episodes, 1974-1987)
Tim Landry	....	animator (4 episodes, 1983-1987)
Gerta Lind	....	animation production (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Steve Moore	....	animation production (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Jim Simon	....	animator: opening sequence (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Meschelle Williams	....	wardrobe (7 episodes, 1975-1979)
Gwenn Hall	....	wardrobe (4 episodes, 1986-1988)

Series Editorial Department
Lloyd Butler	....	editor: video tape (3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Lewis Bates Jr.	....	editor: video tape (2 episodes, 1978-1979)

Series Music Department
Jim Vukovich	....	Conductor/Pianist / musician (2 episodes, 1985-1993)
George Duke	....	music producer (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Kenny Gamble	....	composer: theme song (unknown episodes, 1974-2001)
Leon Huff	....	composer: theme song (unknown episodes, 1974-2001)
Bruce Miller	....	conductor / music arranger (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Anthony C. Stafford	....	talent executive (65 episodes, 2001-2006)
Steve Gordon	....	music clearances (30 episodes, 1971-1972)
Pam Brown	....	coordinator: teens (29 episodes, 1972-1988)
Regina Williams	....	choreographer (23 episodes, 1998-2006)
Alonzo Brown	....	production assistant / stage manager (21 episodes, 1975-1988)
Chuck Johnson	....	coordinator: teens / stage manager (13 episodes, 1975-1983)
Trish Steed	....	assistant to producer / talent coordinator / ... (13 episodes, 1978-1988)
Rick Brown	....	production assistant / coordinator: teens (13 episodes, 1979-1988)
Walter A. Perez	....	production assistant (12 episodes, 2005-2006)
Lloyd Butler	....	technical director (11 episodes, 1977-1984)
Dick Griffey	....	talent coordinator (10 episodes, 1974-1979)
Clyde Broom Jr.	....	audience coordinator (10 episodes, 1998-1999)
Christopher Nunez	....	audience page (9 episodes, 2006)
John Westbrook	....	technical director (8 episodes, 1972-1975)
Daniel Ellithorpe	....	production coordinator (8 episodes, 1973-1975)
Joe Henderson	....	stage manager (7 episodes, 1975-1979)
Jolly Brown	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1975-1979)
Barbara Peeters	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1973-1974)
Madison Cole	....	stage manager (5 episodes, 1974-1975)
Jimmy Carr	....	technical director (5 episodes, 1975-1979)
Terri McCoy	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1975-1979)
Reginald Rutherford	....	stage manager / production assistant (5 episodes, 1984-1988)
Chet Collins	....	stage manager (4 episodes, 1972-1973)
Eric Casem	....	coordinator: teens (4 episodes, 1986-1988)
Barbara Kennedy	....	assistant to producer / assistant to producers (3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Susan Kudryk	....	assistant to producers (3 episodes, 1973-1974)
Dick Jacobsen	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1971-1974)
Mac Arnold	....	assistant to producers / production associate (2 episodes, 1973)
Alexandra Pou	....	assistant to producer (2 episodes, 1977)
Rick Burnett	....	neon consultant (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Eve Carleson	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Len Uslaner	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Diedre Webb	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Thais Zoe	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Bernard F. Basley	....	stage manager (unknown episodes, 1992-1993)
Marc Thomas Ferrara	....	graphics operator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Cornelius-Griffey Entertainment Inc. (1971-1978)
• Don Cornelius Productions
• Tribune Entertainment

Distributors

• Tribune Entertainment (1985-2007) (USA) (TV)
• Syndicast Services (1971-1985) (USA) (TV)
• Trifecta Entertainment (2008-) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• WCIU  production facilities
• Metromedia Square  production facilities
• Paramount Studios  production facilities
• A&M Records  taping facilities
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies
• Wantu Studios  animation (titles)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Cornelius-Griffey Entertainment Inc.

Trivia:

Among the music acts that made appearances on both the local Chicago version of the series and the nationally-syndicated version were Jerry Butler, The Chi-Lites, The Emotions, B.B. King, Curtis Mayfield, the The Staple Singers, Tyrone Davis, Gene Chandler, The Five Stairsteps, and The O'Jays.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "2 Broke Girls: And the Pre-Approved Credit Card (#2.5)" (2012)

Better Back In The Day

Soul Train started as a local Chicago teen dance show in the late 1960's. The local show was still running for a few years even after Don Cornelius mounted the national syndicated version in California. I remember that everyone would stop what they were doing when this show came on. The show totally rocked in the 1970's and 1980's. We all learned the latest dances from watching the Soul Train line, near the end of the telecast. I remember that Don Cornelius used to feature comedians right along with the musical acts back in the 1970's; Richard Pryor was a guest in one episode. Another classic episode featured James Brown and Bobby "Blue" Bland, who teamed up for several songs. Unfortunately, times and the music changed. The dancers were originally known as the "Soul Train Gang", and there were regulars among them, including Damita Jo Freeman (an excellent dancer) and Little Joe Chisum. The late football player Walter Payton danced on the show as well, earlier on. In later years, actress Rosie Perez and singer Jody Watley were featured dancers.

Unfortunately, the times and the music changed. Soul Train is no longer the "appointment TV" event it once was, but it has endured for over 30 years.