Flip over the album and discover THE BACK COVER
- Karen Williams
- Jul 2, 2021
- 2 min read
Karen Williams said creating a podcast was really out of necessity. She and her co-host Steve Williams were doing an afternoon music show on a local AM station. He would tell humorous stories and provide information about the songs and artists they featured on the show between the music.
"Steve has so much knowledge about classic soul and R&B music. He has great, funny and educational stories and I think people who love Classic soul really enjoy hearing that."
But WIlliams said there were listeners who wanted to hear them but couldn't get them because of the limited range of the station.
In late 2018, the pair began editing clips together from their daily show that featured classic soul music of the 60's, 70's and 80's The result was the podcast THE BACK COVER.
While the podcast still can't feature the music that is played on the their live show (most podcast platforms don't allow copyrighted music), that they now host on their new internet station, it does provide knowledge, entertainment and interviews. Just recently the duo did interviews with singer Deniece Williams and Tito and Randy Jackson of the Jacksons.
“We've also done interviews with the actor Leon who played David Ruffin in the Temptations movie. We' feature special musical salutes on record labels, artists, and personalities that put the "classic" in classic soul music.
Williams said since they have started their own internet station, she is hoping to take the live show called THE RIDE HOME on the road soon.
"We already have plans to visit the Stax Museum in Memphis. We did an interview with the executive director and he said he would love to have us there doing a live show. Our goal is to travel to lots of music locations once the pandemic abates even more. And then we can edit those clips into our podcast.”
The podcast can be found at backcover.libsyn.com. Their live show, complete with music, can be heard every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2 pm – 6 pm central time at www.thesoundofsoul.net on Live365.com and on their app The Sound of Soul in the Google Play Store.
I remember one specific semester where I was taking a heavy load of music theory and history courses entirely online. I was so burnt out from staring at my computer screen for ten hours a day that I could barely focus on my assignments. I would often sit on the floor, listening to an old soul album and studying the back cover just to give my eyes a break. The pressure eventually got so high that I actually had to reach out to an online class help service just to help me stay on top of my discussion posts and quizzes while I tried to rediscover my passion for the music itself. It’s funny how a simple 12x12 piece of cardboard…
Reading your post about flip over the album and discover the back cover felt like flipping through someone’s memories the familiar tracks on the front, the hidden stories on the back, and that moment of curiosity when something new catches your eye. It made me think about how many learners, staring at their lesson plans and deadlines, sometimes quietly wish someone could take my online course for me not out of laziness, but because the load feels heavy and life’s other responsibilities crowd in, making it hard to focus. In those moments, the wish isn’t about avoiding the journey, but about hoping for a little breathing room so we can keep listening, learning, and discovering without feeling overwhelmed.
Feeling overwhelmed with my CompTIA exam and other commitments, I found help through a service to take my CompTIA exam for me. Like Karen and Steve Williams adapting their radio show into a podcast to reach more people, this support helped me manage my challenges and stay focused. It made a big difference in reducing my stress and keeping me on track.