Edwin Starr hailed from Nashville, Tennessee and is best remembered for his rasping Vietnam protest song War from 1970. After a stint as vocalist for Bill Doggetts touring band Starr was able to secure a solo recording deal with Detroit's Ric-Tic Records in 1965 and immediately gained chart success with his self- penned hit Agent Double-O-Soul (R&B #8/Pop #21). More Ric-Tic hits followed before Berry Gordy bought out Starr's contract in 1967 and took him and his music to the fabled Motown imprint, making the James Brown and Stax influenced singer the rawest vocalist on the celebrated label. Soul Master was Starr's debut album and was released on Motown's Gordy imprint in 1968. With soul music in the 60's, and especially with Motown, the emphasis was on singles, so the album did not chart but does boast a number of R&B hit singles. These include the aforementioned Agent Double-O-Soul and Starr's other top ten Ric-Tic release, 1966's Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S) (R&B #9/Pop #48/UK #35), as well as Headline News (Pop #84). Two more singles, issued on Gordy, charted in the US during the same year as the album release. These were I Am The Man For You Baby (R&B #45/Pop #112) and Way Over There (Pop #119).