British soul, Brit soul, or the British soul invasion, is soul music performed by British artists. Soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s, and American soul was extremely popular among some youth subcultures, such as mods, skinheads, and the Northern soul movement. In the 1970s, soul gained more mainstream popularity in the UK during the disco era.
Tom Jones singing with Janis Joplin in 1969
Bowie as the Thin White Duke performing in Toronto, 1976, during his soul phase
Heather Small performing in Southport, Merseyside, England in 2008
The Foundations were a British soul band who were primarily active between 1967 and 1970. The group's background was: West Indian, White British and Sri Lankan. Their 1967 debut single "Baby Now That I've Found You" reached number one in the UK and Canada, and number eleven in the US. Their 1968 single "Build Me Up Buttercup" reached number two in the UK and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a number one hit in the UK in the 1960s.
The Foundations in 1968. Left to right: Alan Warner, Tim Harris, Tony Gomez, Pat Burke, Clem Curtis, Peter MacBeth, Mike Elliott, Eric Allandale
