List of Soul Train episodes

This is a list of episodes for the musical variety show Soul Train. Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. Beginning as a low-budget affair, in black and white, the first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler, The Chi-Lites, and The Emotions as guests. The show would air in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. The dates shown are original air dates, but some dates are approximate because in the 1970s, most syndication markets did not get the episodes at the same time, so the dates shown are the first airings of the episodes. This is also a list for the Best of Soul Train reruns that aired from 2006 until the show's cancellation in September 2008. The dates shown are the first airings of the episodes.Various TV Guides listings from 1971 to 1980U.S. Copyright Office

Series overview SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedPremiereFinale130October 2, 1971April 22, 1972237September 9, 1972August 11, 1973339August 25, 1973July 20, 1974439September 7, 1974June 21, 1975539August 23, 1975June 19, 1976639August 21, 1976May 14, 1977739August 20, 1977May 13, 1978840August 19, 1978May 19, 1979932September 15, 1979June 14, 19801032September 20, 1980June 20, 19811132September 19, 1981July 10, 19821224October 16, 1982July 16, 19831328October 15, 1983June 23, 19841432September 22, 1984June 29, 19851528October 5, 1985June 21, 19861632September 20, 1986June 20, 19871732September 19, 1987June 25, 19881832September 24, 1988June 24, 19891932September 23, 1989June 23, 19902032September 22, 1990June 22, 19912132September 21, 1991June 20, 19922232September 26, 1992June 26, 19932332October 23, 1993June 25, 19942432September 24, 1994June 24, 19952532September 23, 1995June 22, 19962631October 26, 1996May 24, 19972732September 20, 1997June 20, 19982832September 19, 1998June 19, 19992932September 18, 1999June 17, 20003032September 16, 2000June 30, 20013128October 13, 2001July 6, 20023232September 14, 2002June 21, 20033328October 11, 2003June 26, 20043424October 9, 2004June 25, 20053516November 5, 2005March 25, 20063656December 9, 2006December 29, 20073738January 5, 2008September 20, 2008 __NOTOC__ Season 1 (1971–1972) Back to Series overview

The first theme song was the 1962 recording of "Hot Potatoes", performed by King Curtis; the song used for the bumpers was "Familiar Footsteps" by Gene Chandler. No. in seasonNo. overallGuestsOriginal airdate 1 1 Gladys Knight & the Pips, Eddie Kendricks, The Honey Cone, Bobby Hutton October 2, 1971 2 2 Charlie Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Band, Carla Thomas, General Crook October 9, 1971 3 3 Chairmen of the Board, Rufus Thomas, Laura Lee October 16, 1971 4 4 The Staple Singers, Freda Payne October 23, 1971 5 5 Bill Withers, Al Green, Viola Wills October 30, 1971 6 6 Lou Rawls, The 100 Proof, The Emotions November 6, 1971 7 7 Martha & the Vandellas, The Intruders, G.C. Cameron November 13, 1971 8 8 Friends of Distinction, Clarence Carter November 20, 1971 9 9 The Chambers Brothers, The Five Stairsteps November 27, 1971 10 10 Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Bobby Womack, Thelma Houston December 4, 1971 11 11 Jean Knight, The Delfonics, Maurice Jackson, Ralfi Pagan December 11, 1971 12 12 The Chi-Lites, Joe Tex, The Originals December 18, 1971 13 13 Gene Chandler, Simtec & Wylie, The Free Movement December 25, 1971 14 14 B.B. King, O.C. Smith, Patrice Holloway January 1, 1972 15 15 Dennis Coffey, The Detroit Emeralds, Jesse James January 8, 1972 16 16 Little Richard, The Undisputed Truth, Nolan F. Porter January 15, 1972 17 17 Curtis Mayfield, The Honey Cone, The Persuaders January 22, 1972 18 18 The Impressions, Merry Clayton, The Three Degrees January 29, 1972 19 19 The Dells, Kim Weston, Luther Ingram February 5, 1972 20 20 Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager, Joe Tex, Hodges, Smith, James & Crawford February 12, 1972 21 21 Al Green, The Whispers, Denise LaSalle February 19, 1972 22 22 The Four Tops, Jackie Wilson, Kool & the Gang February 26, 1972 23 23 Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Ohio Players, Garland Green March 4, 1972 24 24 Rufus Thomas, The Bar-Kays, Laura Lee March 11, 1972 25 25 The Chi-Lites, Edwin Starr, James Gadsen March 18, 1972 26 26 Wilson Pickett, Curtis Mayfield, War, Soul Train Dance Contest (Special Guest: Fred Williamson) March 25, 1972 27 27 Joe Tex, Gloria Lynne, The Independents April 1, 1972 28 28 Lou Rawls, Otis Clay, The Peaches April 8, 1972 29 29 The Isley Brothers, Love Unlimited, Millie Jackson April 15, 1972 30 30 Ike & Tina Turner, Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager April 22, 1972

Season 2 (1972–1973) Back to Series overview

No. in seasonNo. overallGuestsOriginal airdate 1 31 Bobby Womack, The Bar-Kays, Candi Staton (Special Guest: Fred Williamson) September 9, 1972 2 32 The Isley Brothers, Luther Ingram (Special Guests: Melba Moore & Heshimu) September 16, 1972 3 33 Gladys Knight & the Pips, The O'Jays, Major Lance (Special Guests: Teresa Graves & Brock Peters) September 23, 1972 4 34 Eddie Kendricks, The Whispers (Special Guest: Bill Russell) September 30, 1972 5 35 The Jackson 5 featuring Jermaine Jackson October 7, 1972 6 36 Johnnie Taylor, The Undisputed Truth October 14, 1972 7 37 Bill Withers, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (Special Guest: Denise Nicholas) October 21, 1972 8 38 Billy Preston, Laura Lee, Johnny Williams (Special Guest: Jim Brown) October 28, 1972 9 39 Joe Simon, The Sylvers, Billy Paul (Special Guest: Wallace Terry) November 4, 1972 10 40 Friends of Distinction, The Persuaders, Doug Gibbs (Special Guest: William Marshall) November 11, 1972 11 41 The Temptations, King Floyd (Special Guest: Cicely Tyson) November 18, 1972 12 42 The Intruders, Betty Wright, True Reflection (Special Guest: George Kirby) December 16, 1972 13 43 Billy Paul, Barbara Mason, Anacostia December 23, 1972 14 44 Tyrone Davis, Lyn Collins (Special Guest: Elgin Baylor) December 30, 1972 15 45 Curtis Mayfield, The Main Ingredient, Hank Ballard (Special Guest: Vonetta McGee) January 6, 1973 16 46 Stevie Wonder, The Moments, Fully Guaranteed (Special Guest: Judy Pace) January 13, 1973 17 47 Johnny Nash, Billy Butler & Infinity, Brighter Side of Darkness January 27, 1973 18 48 The Dramatics, Syl Johnson, The Smith Connection February 3, 1973 19 49 James Brown, Lyn Collins February 10, 1973 20 50 The Four Tops, Otis Clay, Special Guests: James Brown & Teddy Brown, Soul Train Dance Contest Semi-finals February 17, 1973 21 51 The Spinners, Sisters Love February 24, 1973 22 52 Al Green, Mel & Tim March 3, 1973 23 53 Friends of Distinction, Timmy Thomas, The Independents (Special Guest: Richard Pryor) March 10, 1973 24 54 The Chi-Lites, The Honey Cone, G.C. Cameron (Special Guest: Pam Grier) March 31, 1973 25 55 The Impressions, Tyrone Davis, Billy Preston (Special Guests: Diana Ross & Brenda Sykes) April 7, 1973 26 56 Aretha Franklin (Special Guest: Cecil Franklin) April 14, 1973 27 57 The O'Jays, David Ruffin, Sylvia April 21, 1973 28 58 The Sylvers, Ronnie Dyson, Archie Bell & the Drells (Special Guest: Rosey Grier) April 28, 1973 29 59 The Manhattans, Lyn Collins, Lee Auston (Special Guest: James Brown) May 5, 1973 30 60 The Supremes, Lloyd Price May 12, 1973 31 61 Bobby Womack, The Whispers, Thelma Houston May 19, 1973 32 62 Little Anthony & the Imperials, Edwin Starr, The Valentinos May 26, 1973 33 63 Bill Withers (Special Guest: Steve Manning) June 16, 1973 34 64 The Miracles, Chuck Jackson, The Jackson Sisters (Special Guest: Smokey Robinson) June 23, 1973 35 65 Chairmen of the Board, Charles Mann, Sylvia (Special Guest: Jeffrey Bowen) June 30, 1973 36 66 Chuck Berry, Maxayan, Willie Hutch (Special Guest: Max Julien) July 7, 1973 37 67 "The Best of Soul Train" featuring James Brown, The Jackson 5, Chuck Berry, The O'Jays, The Temptations, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield,The Supremes, Teddy Brown, The Four Tops, and Stevie Wonder August 11, 1973

Season 3 (1973–1974) Back to Series overview

Starting with episode 76, the show's theme was changed to "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", written by Gamble and Huff and performed by MFSB and the Three Degrees. No. in seasonNo. overallGuestsOriginal airdate 1 68 The Intruders, Foster Sylvers (Introduced by Edmund & Ricky Sylvers) August 25, 1973 2 69 The Whispers, Mandrill, September 1, 1973 3 70 Fred Wesley & the JB's, Lyn Collins, The Sly, the Slick and the Wicked September 8, 1973 4 71 The Sylvers September 15, 1973 5 72 The Isley Brothers, Betty Wright, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars September 22, 1973 6 73 Eddie Kendricks, The Dramatics, Rufus September 29, 1973 7 74 B.B. King, The Moments October 6, 1973 8 75 The Four Tops, Bloodstone, Lee Charles October 13, 1973 9 76 Barry White, Love Unlimited, The Temprees (Special Guest: Lola Falana) October 27, 1973 10 77 The Jackson 5 November 3, 1973 11 78 Curtis Mayfield, Millie Jackson, Natural Four November 10, 1973 12 79 Tower of Power, The Pointer Sisters, Tavares November 17, 1973 13 80 Smokey Robinson, First Choice, Al Wilson November 24, 1973 14 81 The Temptations, G.C. Cameron December 1, 1973 15 82 Bobby Bland, Ashford & Simpson, Barbara Jean English December 8, 1973 16 83 Johnnie Taylor, Ann Peebles, Maceo & the Macks December 15, 1973 17 84 Eddie Kendricks, The Persuaders, Eddie Floyd December 22, 1973 18 85 Billy Preston, Creative Source, Eric Mercury January 5, 1974 19 86 Johnny Nash, Kool & the Gang, The Originals January 12, 1974 20 87 The 5th Dimension, Willie Hutch January 26, 1974 21 88 Johnny Mathis, The Dells February 9, 1974 22 89 Marvin Gaye, The Whispers February 16, 1974 23 90 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Maxine Weldon February 23, 1974 24 91 Jerry Butler, The Delfonics, Cecil Shaw March 2, 1974 25 92 Curtis Mayfield, The Main Ingredient, Bloodstone March 30, 1974 26 93 Al Green, The Impressions April 6, 1974 27 94 The Stylistics, Bobby Womack, The Undisputed Truth April 13, 1974 28 95 The Four Tops, Blue Magic, Barbara Mason April 20, 1974 29 96 Eddie Kendricks, The Dramatics, Martha Reeves April 27, 1974 30 97 Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lamont Dozier May 4, 1974 31 98 Sylvia Robinson, The Moments, Ecstasy, Passion & Pain May 11, 1974 32 99 The Spinners, The Independents, Leroy Hutson May 18, 1974 33 100 Bill Withers, The Soul Children, Melvin Van Peebles May 25, 1974 34 101 Tyrone Davis, Hugh Masekela, Black Ivory June 1, 1974 35 102 The Staple Singers, Bunny Sigler June 8, 1974 36 103 Kool & the Gang, Al Wilson, Natural Four June 15, 1974 37 104 The O'Jays, Ramsey Lewis June 22, 1974 38 105 Sly & the Family Stone, The Trammps June 29, 1974 39 106 "The Best of Soul Train" July 20, 1974

Season 4 (1974–1975) Back to Series overview