Chicago Soul Train

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

The origins of Soul Train can be traced to 1965, when WCIU-TV, an upstart UHF station in Chicago, began airing two youth-oriented dance programs: Kiddie-a-Go-Go and Red Hot and Blues. These two programs—specifically the latter, which featured a predominantly African American group of in-studio dancers—would set the stage for what was to come to the station several years later.

Don Cornelius, a news reader and backup disc jockey at Chicago radio station WVON, was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter. Cornelius also was promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called "record hops") at Chicago-area high schools, calling his travelling caravan of shows "The Soul Train". WCIU-TV took notice of Cornelius's outside work, and in 1970 allowed him the opportunity to bring his road show to television.

After securing a sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Co., Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970 as a live show airing weekday afternoons. The first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, and the Emotions as guests. The show was co-founded by Clinton Ghent.

You might be wondering now how you can see episodes of the Chicago Soul Train.

Well, so far you can't. Tapes probably exist, but there are no episodes at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications. Lehman came across none in his research, and there's nothing on YouTube. No video collectors have even hinted at existing clips. Nate Pendleton recalls having a Super-8 film of the Dontells' performance but can't locate the reel, and among Chicago's home-movie archivists (including my wife, Jacqueline Stewart, who runs the South Side Home Movie Project) footage has yet to emerge from any proud parents who might've filmed their children on the TV screen.

From the 1950s to the 1970s local live television broadcasts often went undocumented, their ethereal existence recorded only in the memories of home viewers. Kinescoping (a special process to make a 16-millimeter film of a live broadcast by filming a television monitor) was prohibitively expensive. Because the only compensation many producers received was the razor-thin remainder of sponsorship money after production costs, few were willing to add even an extra hundred bucks to the weekly budget after three-quarter-inch U-matic videotapes were introduced in the early 70s. (Sears's original Soul Train sponsorship deal was $100 per episode.) Those who did record shows often recorded subsequent shows over them to save on tape stock. Only three episodes of Kiddie-a-Go-Go were preserved, and there are likely no episodes of Red Hot and Blues. WCIU ran local Soul Train tapes for years, but Howard Shapiro says he doesn't think the station still has copies. And as I searched for footage while preparing this article, Cornelius, historically tight with material even from the national show, seemed an unlikely benefactor.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

No, you didn't tell me about the books, i bet they are good...I wish i could have found some pics of the dancers on the living room size dance floor....LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

And those sleeves that the Impressions had on. Whoa. Interesting. I LOVE these pics!!!

[Edie Antoinette]

Don Cornelius looks...uh...*laughing* on the top pic. Reminds me of that pic of Ernie Isley that I put on Gene's page...ROFLMBO

[Edie Antoinette]

I know! It's funny looking but I love that kinna stuff. You can see how the show evolved. You always do more than an outstanding job with all of your blogs...love runs through it. Did I tell you I bought two Robert Pruter books? Doo Wop: Chicago and Chicago Soul.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

When i saw those pics on the show last night, i knew i had a blog on my hands, that train prop is funny....LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

This is exceptionally superb+. I can't get over the 'train' prop. even though no video has been found, these pics will do for now. Wonderful post Sole!!!!