The BEST episodes of Soul Train season 3
Every episode of Soul Train season 3, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Soul Train season 3!
It's the SOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUL TRAIN! Pop music has always had shows like American Bandstand to sing its praises, but R&B music had to wait a while for its own major weekly showcase. Just the same, Soul Train proved to be well worth the wait when it hit the airwaves in the 1970s. This weekly extravaganza, which showed off the latest and greatest in soul music and dance moves, became a national sensation in the mid-1970s and became a pop culture juggernaut that broke new ground for African-American entertainment. Soul Train was the brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius. After studying broadcasting in college, Cornelius got a job at WVON, one of Chicago's most popular urban radio stations. During this time, he pondered breaking into television with a dance and music show from an African-American perspective. In 1969, he produced a pilot episode and dubbed it "Soul Train" after a local radio promotion he had done in Chicago. The pilot impressed the Sears Roebuck Company, whic
#1 - Curtis Mayfield/ Millie Jackson/ Natural Four
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/10/1973
Curtis Mayfield "Back to the World," "If I Were only a Child Again" and "Future Shock." Millie Jackson "Hurts So Good" and "Hypocrisy." Natural Four "Can This Be Real."
#2 - Johnnie Taylor/ Ann Peebles/ Maceo and the Macs
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/15/1973
Johnnie Taylor "I Believe in You (You Believe in me)" and "Cheaper to Keep Her" Ann Peebles "I Can't Stand the Rain" and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" Maceo and the Macs "Cross the Track (We Better Go Back)" and "Soul Power '74"
#3 - Marvin Gaye/ The Whispers
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/16/1974
Marvin Gaye - "Come Get To This," "Let's Get It On," "Distant Lover" and "Keep Gettin' It On." The Whispers "A Mother for My Children" and "What More Can A Girl Ask For."
#4 - Tyrone Davis/ Hugh Masekela/ Black Ivory
Season 3 - Episode 34 - Aired 6/1/1974
Tyrone Davis - "There It Is" (and possibly "What Comes Up (Must Come Down)"). Hugh Masekela - "Jungle Jim." Black Ivory "What Goes Around (Comes Around)."
#5 - Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s/ Lyn Collins/ The Sly, The Slick & the Wicked
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/8/1973
Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s "Doing it to Death" & "If You Don't Get it the First Time." Lyn Collins - "Take Me as I Am" Sly, the Slick & the Wicked - "Sho' Nuff"
#6 - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes/ Billy Paul/ Maxine Weldon
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/23/1974
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes "The Love I Lost" and "Yesterday I Had the Blues." Billy Paul "Thanks for Saving My Life." Maxine Weldon "Some Singing."
#7 - The Staple Singers/ Bunny Sigler
Season 3 - Episode 35 - Aired 6/8/1974
The Staple Singers "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)," "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend" and "We the People" Mavis Staples "A House is Not a Home" Bunny Sigler "That's How Long I'll Be Loving You" and "Things Are Gonna Get Better"
#8 - Eddie Kendricks/ The Persuaders/ Eddie Floyd
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 12/22/1973
Eddie Kendricks - "Keep on Truckin'" and "Darling, Come Back Home." The Persuaders - "Some Guys Have All the Luck" and "Love Attack." Eddie Floyd - "I Want to Do Things for You."
#9 - The Best of Soul Train
Season 3 - Episode 39 - Aired 7/20/1974
Reverend Jesse Jackson joins Don Cornelius for an interview and a clip from the documentary "Wattstax" is shown. Clips: B.B. King "I Like To Live The Love" (from ST #74, 06-Oct-1973) The Staple Singers "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" (from ST #102, 08-Jun-1974) Smokey Robinson "Sweet Harmony" (from ST #80, 24-Nov-1973) Tower Of Power "This Time It's Real" (from ST #79, 17-Nov-1973) Marvin Gaye "Distant Lover" (from ST #89, 16-Feb-1974) Sly & The Family Stone "I Want To Take You Higher" (from ST #105, 29-Jun-1974) Jackson 5 "Dancing Machine" (from ST #77, 03-Nov-1973) Johnny Mathis "Foolish" (from ST #88, 09-Feb-1974) Gladys Knight & The Pips "On and On" (from ST #97, 04-May-1974) Al Green "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)" (from ST #93, 06-Apr-1974) The O'Jays "Love Train" (from ST #57, 21-Apr-1973)
#10 - Johnny Mathis/ The Dells
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/9/1974
Johnny Mathis - "I'm Coming Home" & "Life is a Song Worth Singing." The Dells "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation" and "My Pretending Days are Over." George Foreman (cameo appearance).
#11 - Jerry Butler/ The Delfonics/ Cecil Shaw
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/2/1974
Jerry Butler - "Power of Love." The Delfonics - "I Told You So." Cecil Shaw "What Do You Want From Me, Girl?"
#12 - Al Green/ The Impressions
Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/6/1974
Al Green - "Sweet Sixteen," "Jesus Is Waiting," "Living For You" and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" The Impressions - "If It's In You To Do Wrong" and "Finally Got Myself Together"
#13 - The Stylistics/ Bobby Womack/ Undisputed Truth
Season 3 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/13/1974
The Stylistics - "Rockin' Roll Baby," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" Bobby Womack - "Lookin For A Love" and "Let It Hang Out (Point Of No Return)" Undisputed Truth - "Help Yourself"
#14 - The Four Tops/ Blue Magic/ Barbara Mason
Season 3 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/20/1974
The Four Tops - "Am I My Brother's Keeper" and "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" Blue Magic - "Look Me Up" and "Stop to Start" Barbara Mason - "World War Three"
#15 - Curtis Mayfield/ The Main Ingredient/ Bloodstone
Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/30/1974
Curtis Mayfield - "Future Shock" and "Future Song (Love A Good Woman, Love A Good Man)" The Main Ingredient - "Just Don't Want to be Lonely" & "Girl Blue" Bloodstone - "Outside Woman" & "Let Me Ride"
#16 - Gladys Knight & the Pips/ Lamont Dozier
Season 3 - Episode 30 - Aired 5/4/1974
Gladys Knight and the Pips - "Neither One of Us," "Midnight Train to Georgia," "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," "I Got to Use My Imagination" and "On and On." Lamont Dozier - "Trying to Hold On to My Woman" & "Fish Ain't Bitin'"
#17 - The Spinners/ The Independents/ Leroy Hutson
Season 3 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/18/1974
The Spinners "One of a Kind (Love Affair)", "Ghetto Child" and "Mighty Love" The Independents "The First Time We Met" and "Arise & Shine (Let's Get It On)" Leroy Hutson "Ella Wheeze"
#18 - Sylvia/ The Moments/ Ecstacy, Passion & Pain
Season 3 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/11/1974
Sylvia - "Sweet Stuff" and "Pillow Talk." The Moments - "Sexy Mama" and "What's Your Name?" Ecstasy, Passion & Pain - "I Wouldn't Give You Up." Sylvia & The Moments - "Sho Nuff Boogie."
#19 - Eddie Kendricks/ The Dramatics/ Martha Reeves
Season 3 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/27/1974
Eddie Kendricks - "Boogie Down" The Dramatics - "And I Panicked" Martha Reeves - "Power of Love"
#20 - Bill Withers/ The Soul Children/ Melvin Van Peebles
Season 3 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/25/1974
Bill Withers "Friend of Mine" and "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" The Soul Children "I'll be the Other Woman" and "Love Makes it Right" Melvin Van Peebles "Eyes on the Rabbit"
#21 - Kool & The Gang/ Al Wilson/ Natural Four
Season 3 - Episode 36 - Aired 6/15/1974
Kool and the Gang - "Funky Stuff," "Hollywood Swinging" and "Jungle Boogie." Al Wilson - "Touch And Go" and "Broken Home." The Natural Four - "Love That Really Counts."
#22 - The O'Jays/ Ramsey Lewis
Season 3 - Episode 37 - Aired 6/22/1974
The O'Jays - "For the Love of Money" and "Wildflower." Ramsey Lewis - "Love for a Day."
#23 - Sly & the Family Stone/ The Trammps
Season 3 - Episode 38 - Aired 6/29/1974
Sly & The Family Stone - "Thank You," "Dance To The Music," "I Want To Take You Higher" & "If You Want Me To Stay" The Trammps - "Where Do We Go From Here"
#24 - Johnny Nash/ Kool & the Gang/ The Originals
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/12/1974
Johnny Nash - "I Can See Clearly," "Ooh, What a Feeling" and "Loving You" Kool & the Gang - "Funky Stuff" and "Jungle Boogie" The Originals - "There's A Chance When You Love You'll Lose"
#25 - Billy Preston/ Creative Source/ Eric Mercury
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/5/1974
Billy Preston - "Space Race" and "I'm So Tired." Creative Source - "Who Is He and What Is He to You?" (and possibly "You Can't Hide Love"). Eric Mercury - "Love Is Taking Over."