The Rainbow Soul (Single Mix) by Chris Oledude is a sharp piece of memory that music can be full of history, emotion and movement at once! The song was based on the political vibrancy of the Rainbow Coalition of the 1980s and was originally an ode to gospel, but has since become a warm, funky declaration of inclusion, justice, and shared humanity.
It is a vibrant 2025 version, alive, up-to-date, and as personal as it may be, decades of activism, lived experience, and amazing musical development shaped it!
The music comes in brilliantly, with the vibration of people coming together, applauding, and conversing- it sounds like a community moment in real life and then the groove is initiated! The horns, the guitar, the drum ring together, and form a light-hearted and assertive rhythm that is definitely tempting to dance to!
Once the stratified voices come, the song becomes more of a march turned parade, with call-answer vocals that are decidedly human and authentic!
The lead vocal of Oledude is also warm and steady and she leads the song with messages of belief in trust, democracy, and good trouble without even once coming off preachy! The chorus that is constructed on the lovely concept of a rainbow in my soul, falls as both, comfort and inspiration!
Rainbow Soul is a success due to the fact that it makes serious concepts sound optimistic, communal and very easy to relate to!
Listen To Rainbow Soul (Single Mix)
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What was the primary inspiration behind “RAINBOW SOUL (Single Mix),” and how does it capture your signature soulful sound?
The song “Rainbow Soul” was born of politics – the fight to create a more inclusive and loving American society. As you can read on my website, www.oledude.rocks, I was inspired by Rev. Jesse Jackson’s campaign for the U.S. Presidency in 1984, when he created the “Rainbow Coalition”.
The first iteration of the song (with a decidedly gospel flavor) was written in 1984. Over the years, the lyrics and meaning have evolved into a call for greater understanding and inclusiveness as we work to build a more people-centered socio-economic system.
How does this album differ from your previous releases in terms of themes, production, or artistic approach?
“Rainbow Soul” is the ultimate example of what I am trying to achieve on my 11-song, 58-minute debut album, PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1, which you can only purchase directly from my website, www.oledude.rocks, for a great price!
The biggest difference is that my production focused much more on the rhythmic aspects of each song, something I did not do during my early recording projects. In my elder years, I have come to see more clearly the importance of building movement into “the movement”. Balladry through folk songs is wonderful and will always have its place in social justice music – but, to keep on marching and protesting, people need to dance and swing.
As a result, I made very conscious choices regarding the feel of each song. Are they perfect? Probably not. Am I still learning and evolving musically? Always. PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 is a critical set of steps along my journey, and I am quite proud with the extra zip that “Rainbow Soul” puts into those steps!
Can you describe the creative process for key tracks, particularly any standout songs that define the album’s rainbow-like spectrum of emotions?
As previously mentioned, “Rainbow Soul” is a key track on PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 because it is great example of my musical evolution. It also represents my fullest use to date of a “choir” approach to background vocals. I had written out all of the parts. Then, I had 10 people singing multiple tracks multiple times around multiple microphones … and then had to blend them all! I think the result sounds very “real” and inspirational, and that is what I was shooting for.
What overarching message or emotional journey do you hope listeners experience with this release?
We must save the world by embracing the love and goodness that can be found in all of us, which means rejecting the fear, prejudice and evils that so easily dominate our decisions regarding how we will live together. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we need to constantly strive to manage our disagreements as we keep moving our nation – and the world – towards a state of peace and mutual cooperation. Do we have enough time to do that? I don’t know. I do know, however, that the music in our souls — which reflects a rainbow of influences – can help us.
My favorite Classical composer, Ludwig von Beethoven, allegedly said that “Music can change the world.” The variation on that theme that I embrace was articulated by the great folk artist Pete Seeger, and later his disciple, Bono from U2: “Music changes people and people change the world.”
My lyrics declare that the rainbow is in the streets, all around our feet, and in our souls. If we embrace our own rainbow, then we can embrace all rainbows and build that better world.
How do you blend soul, funk, and contemporary elements to create the vibrant palette of “RAINBOW SOUL”?
This is a hard question to answer. Much of musical “feel” is rooted in our “musical instincts” – our inherited DNA as well as our cultural and musical influences when we were young. I have been enduring a lifelong evolution of my musical instincts, and I find myself now more focused on the rhythmic feels provided by George Clinton, Prince and Earth Wind & Fire, than I used to be.
I was raised on Folk music (family friend Pete Seeger, for example) and Classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, et al), and slipped into pop and Motown during the late 1960s – particularly the Jackson 5, The Temptations, and Sly & The Family Stone. I loved pop rock (Aerosmith) and progressive rock (Jethro Tull, Kansas) in the 70s as well as Elton John, a personal inspiration.
It was during and after college, however, that I started connecting more with the basic elements of the Blues, old-school R&B, and funk. I admired rap, in general, but I had not developed a real appreciation for its potential as “message music” and its future importance.
My first real recording was a 10-song cassette released in 1984 entitled “Anyone’s Revolution.” I made 1,000 copies and sold 100 at most (I gave away the rest). I am proud of that first effort, but I had not yet “settled in”.
Then I got married and had a family, worked many different jobs, and experienced real life. Real life kicks your butt – and makes you want to move your butt. So, some 40-plus years after the cassette, I crafted PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 by focusing on creating a butt-moving experience on more of my songs, as well as other forms of experimentation. I have much more to learn about creating kick-ass drum tracks, but, as I said, re-training one’s musical instincts take time.
In the end, you don’t always know what’s going into the sausage, but if it ends up tasting good and not making you sick, you got a weiner! (Dad joke! Couldn’t resist …)
Were there any notable collaborations or production techniques that shaped the album’s unique vibe?
On PREACHER MAN – VOL.1, I utilized the talents of many guests – some featured, some less so. This was a “first” for me. The female lead vocalists were all wonderful! (Lindsey Wilson on “Turning Tables”, Yanitza Lee on “We Will Get Through This”, and Kiena Williams on “If A Woman Had Made The World”). Kiena also added wonderful “spice” as a featured background vocalist on “Rainbow Soul” and “Turning Tables”.
I used several different guitarists who each brought a different and compelling flavor to their parts: Greg DiBenedetto (“Rainbow Soul”, “New World”, “Turning Tables”), Tomas Rodriguez (“We Will Get Through This”), Clyde Spillenger (“If A Woman Had Made The World”), Ned Matura (“Orange Blues 24”), Zack Staples (“Save The Children”, “The Choice”) and Mark Dann (“Turning Tables”).
And I had never used a tenor saxophone on a recording. The honors were done by Justin Tinker on “Save The Children” and “We Will Get Through This”.
Between these different contributors (and there were several background vocalists), and the fact that I used three different studios to put the pieces together, I was getting dizzy. I also knew that if I did not focus on actually finishing the album, there would be too many excuses to make the album “perfect” – and we would never finish. So, the most notable “production technique” became the “cram technique” to just get it done!
The hero of my album story is my primary recording engineer, Mark Dann, who is in Woodstock, NY. Mark and I have worked together for a number of years, and he has a sense of who I am and what I am trying to do. In addition to being an accomplished musician in his own right, Mark is also a ProTools maestro, which comes in handy with a crazy guy like me (one song had 135 tracks …)
I am also thankful to the engineer who handled the recording of most of the vocal tracks, Kat Lewis (Brooklyn and Manhattan). Kat was quite patient with me and also a very creative thinker! I could not have made the album without her.
What kind of reception have you anticipated or received so far for this album?
Both the album and the singles have received very positive reviews, overall, and an increasing number of people are paying attention to the music and listening on the streaming platforms. We don’t have the big budget resources to swamp the internet, but we are trying to be as creatively aggressive with our marketing as possible.
I will be re-releasing another single, “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” in honor of Black History Month. The song addresses the 1955 murder of the young Emmett Till in Mississippi. It’s a heavy one!
For Women’s History Month in March, I will be releasing the album version of “If A Woman Had Made The World” – by duet with Kiena Williams.
How do you plan to bring “RAINBOW SOUL (Single Mix)” to life in live performances or visual projects?
I cannot say that I have planned any real visual project for “Rainbow Soul”. I have performed “Rainbow Soul” twice live, however, and, while it was fun, I was not satisfied with the result.
My vision for a live performance includes a real choir and a full orchestra, so that is a major project that will take time to put together. It will happen one day, however!!! And I should mention that your readers can find all of my older videos on the ARTIVISTUS YouTube channel. Just go to the Chris Oledude YouTube playlist!
[ www.youtube.com/…JO9M0M ]
