Music History
"sticking it to the Man"
"**** the government" going against the social norm (which is set by society/gov)
The Ronettes
"Be My Baby" (1963), - an American 1960s girl group from New York City, consisted of Veronica Bennette, Estelle Bennette, and Nedra Talley; some of their most popular songs consisted of "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "Walking in the Rain"
The Doors
"Break On Through to the Other Side"; "liminal zone" (when you're in the "liminal zone," you experience something totally different and you're enlightened from that experience); euphemism for drugs (the door was a symbol of passage to the other side), and the song "Break On Through to the Other Side" was the pioneer for psychedelic music and was very informative with how people took LSD and listened to music
Pink Floyd
"Interstellar Overdrive"; used overdriven guitar, a part of the acid-band type movement; used psychedelic technique and used full sound box with sounds coming from different directions that contributed to the psychedelic feel
Memphis country rock aka rockabilly
-1955 -Main contributor: Elvis Presley -Combination of hillbilly, country, and western with a rock twist to it
protest songs
-Bob Dylan: Fast-paced blues "talking" lyrics (1963) -In his early years, his songs conveyed a clear political message -The image of a single man with an acoustic guitar and harmonica fighting against "the man" -His message got "stuck" within a traditionalist category (~1966) -Aspired to be avant-garde
New Orleans piano boogie
-Main contributor: Fats Domino (1953) Little Richard (1954) -Combination of blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and rhythm & blues -Rhythm styles were looser and less mechanical -Singers more prominent -instrumentation was closely based on the New Orleans arrangement
Chicago electric blues (~1954)
-Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry - Loud and heavy in nature, distortion begins to find place in music - "Nearest equivalent to rockabilly among black styles" -Bo Diddley - Produced unique (shuffling) cross rhythms through Tremolo control on the guitar -Chuck Berry - Released "Maybelline" - Combined traditional "hillbilly" music with electric guitar riffs - Influenced by Urban Rhythm and Blues - shouted back choruses
folk rock
-The Jet Sets/ The Byrds/ The Beefeaters -Combination of folk instruments with pop energy and Beatles' harmonies - Bob Dylan's influence by The Byrds (1965) - Dylan took up electric guitar in 1965, formed avant-garde folk rock - Stemmed from Byrds' rock version of "Mr. Tambourine Man"
race music
-The Penguins: doo-wop group, listened to by African Americans -Pop charts-- "white." R&B charts-- "black" -Rock n' roll as a crossing-over of the racial music barrier -Crossing of racial music: uncomfortable race relations -Pat Boone's cover of "Ain't that a Shame," "Tutti Frutti" (1956) -The Crew Cuts' covered The Chords' "Sh-boom" -Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" sounded "white" -Elvis' style sounded "black"
rhythm and blues
-White urban -Bill Haley and his comets - Crossed boundaries of the "color line" - Replaced traditional brass sections with stringed instruments, (i.e. guitars) - Swinging backbeats and chord progressions, accompanied by easily accessible lyrics.
rock and roll vs. rock 'n' roll
-rock and roll, to (v. intransitive) 1. To move one's body rhythmically back and forward, as in dancing. ''your mama don't dance and your daddy don't rock and roll' 2. To have sex. (vulg.) 'when she's rockin' and-a rollin', can't hear her momma call' 3. To do anything, including playing music, with the commitment and physical intensity accompany -rock 'n' roll (n.) 1. A particular form of mid-20th-century black rhythm & blues characterized by strong backbeats and "rocking" boogie-woogie rhythm. 2. Any black-derived rhythm & blues which was, by 1955, either: a) guitar based; or b) primarily played or consumed by whites; or both. ***3. The post-1955 guitar-based music in (2) above and its musical derivatives to the present day. Synonym: "rock."*** (the definition for this class) 4. All American popular music ("pop") since the music in (2) above became popular in the mid 20th century. Includes sense (3), but nonguitar based genres: soul, disco, funk, hip-hop, etc., etc.
Little Richard "Good Golly Miss Molly"
1958 first hit rock n roll song
A Hard Day's Night
1964 black and white film by the Beatles. Not only showcased many of the Beatles' songs, but made social commentary on social trends (see George Harrison "fashion shoot" scene).
sound-box
3d space in which sound can be manipulated; characterized by depth and width
pentatonic scale
5-tone scale that most songs are based off of; 3 chords of the blues are played on this scale
home chord
A less tense chord that the chord progression returns to, refers to the key of the piece
riff
A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords and harmonies, or used as a background to a solo or improvisation
The Doors "Break on Through" (1967)
A song about getting high and doing drugs "the door" means getting high What does "breaking through to the other side" mean Break through to another level of consciousness Breaking through your own inhibitions Door (limen) as symbol of LIMINAL experiences Limen: threshold, doorway Liminality in tribal "rites of passage" Preliminal, liminal, postliminal
crossover
A type of music that's made it's way into another chart
AgSIT trajectory
Ag - Avant garde = not yet known, new S - Scene-based = small, locally known, (ie. The Beatles in Liverpool) I - Industry-based = widely known, popularized widespread (ie. Led Zeppelin goes on tour) T - Traditionalist = keeping old styles of music alive, traditionally thought of as folk music being played
Ken Kesey
American author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Held "acid tests" or parties involving the use of LSD in the SF Bay Area during the 1960s.
Bob Dylan
American musician, singer-songwriter, artist, and writer, "Blowing in the wind" & "the times they are a-changin' became anthems for the civil right and the anti-war movements
Bo Diddley
An influential artist of the chicago rhythm and blues style Because his voice could not be mistaken for white like Chuck Berry's could, his hit single did not appeal to the mass white audience. Nonetheless, he did influence other rock 'n' roll styles with his distinct interpretations of the Chicago rhythm style.
blues progression
Blues chords build but then fall or cycle back, creative a passive cycle; this is representative of the cycle of economic oppression (endless labor and cycle of poverty) of the Mississippi Delta, ca. 1936
Manfred Mann
British beat, rhythm & blues, and pop band of the 1960s
Chuck Berry
Chicago Blues artist, did parodies of hillbilly music and country songs, which created a fusion of white and black music; used distorted electric guitar solo with pitch bending on the string, cross rhythms, and drum strong backbeat.
power chords
Chord played on the guitar, on the owets strings, chords that have a lot of weight to them, two or three notes, "You Really Got Me," main chord, voicing in Rock music
"Maybellene" (1954)
Chuck Berry first time people heard guitar in upbeat
Stick McGhee "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" 1947
Classic rhythm and blues Non-sense syllables typically stand in for curse words or sexual words
Pop Art
Commercializing art, one of the first moments in which celebrities were depicted in an artistic light. Made significantly famous by Andy Warhol
Pat Boone
Covered Fats Domino's "Ain't That A Shame" which was a hit on the pop charts. Also covered Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" Focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white American market for the early stages of his career.
Rickenbacker
Electric and bass guitar manufacturer in Santa Ana, California. Became famous upon John Lennon's purchase of Rickenbacker 325 Capri. The second Beatle to get a Rickenbacker was George Harrison who got the 425 model.
Aldous Huxley
English writer who wrote "The Doors of Perception", which recalls experiences when taking a psychedelic drug. Also took psychedelic drugs. The Doors got their name from his book.
Thomas A. Dorsey
Father of Gospel Music
acid rock
Form of psychedelic rock, characterized by long instrumental solos and musical improv, few if any lyrics; also refers to psychedelic rock bands of SF, examples include Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead
The Wright Specials "99 ½ Won't Do" 1963
Gospel
gospel drive
Gospel chords that continue to go up, the count of gospel music
Viola Lee Blues from Pico Acid Test
Grateful Dead
Bill Haley and His Comets
Group that made its name by covering rhythm and blues songs. For example, a direct cover of Big Joe Turner's "Shake Rattle and Roll" in 1954 which "crosses" the color line present in music consumption (Rhythm and Blues = black, and pop = white). Crossing of color line helped give rise to Rock n Roll.
3-2 clave
Has a three-side and a two-side, can start with either side, Afro-Caribbean fusion into rock 'n' roll
Muddy Waters
He is an American blues artist. He is known as the father of modern Chicago blues. He shocked everyone with his loud amp and electric guitar. His performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 caused him to become much more popular. Although he was a black artist, white people were very attracted to his style of music, while black people were not digging it as much.
Victor Turner
He was a British anthropologist who talked about liminality(the transitional state between two phase -usually occurs during rituals) and communitas (the coming together of people, can be thought of as community)
Big Joe Turner
He was an American musical artist from Missouri; his career was from the 1920s to the 1980s. He had his greatest fame during his rock and roll recording of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (1954). He was responsible for a particular style of rhythm and blues, which included a strong backbeat.
Chess Records
Important Chicago record label whose artists included Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, & Bo Diddley.
Little Richard
Known his for dynamic sound and charismatic showmanship which included antics like lifting up his leg while playing the piano and jumping atop the piano as well. Co-written "Tutti Frutti" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly".
Peter Gabreil "Intruder"
Manipulating the use of reverb.; drums recorded in a barn
The Pico Acid Test
March 19, 1967. Large party/festival dedicated to experimentation with and enjoyment of LSD. Supposed to be held in Pauley Pavilion at UCLA but was relocated to Carthay Studios in Los Angeles. Music by the Grateful Dead and jam bands was played. Advertised by "Can you pass the acid test?" posters.
Fender Stratocaster
Model of electric guitar designed in 1954 by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. Known for the revolutionary "Tremolo Action" feature that activates upon "a flick of wrist" on the lever.
Martha and the Vandellas
Motown group fame in 1960's "Dancin in the Street"
Martha and the Vandellas "heat wave"
Motown records- upbeat "soul" music tops charts in the 1960's
slapback echo
Musical effect coming out of new recording technology at Sun Studios; the way Elvis's voice slapped back/echoed
Professor Longhair
New Orleans singer and pianist. Influenced Fats Domino's sound
Sun Records
Owned by Sam Phillips, found elvis Presley. major recording studio in Memphis, rockabilly style
Kraftwerk
Pioneers of electronic music. Played music "on the grid," creating mechanical sounding beats. (Song: Radioactivity).
The Grateful Dead
Prominent psychedelic rock group in the 1960's. As demonstrated through their version of "Viola Lee Blues," the Dead tended to incorporate long jams and freakouts into their work. These "freakouts" were characterized by rapid increase in tempo, signifying an entrance into the "liminal zone" of hippie/LSD culture. Also known for their improvisations during live performances, making each of their live show recordings unique.
Bo Diddley "Bo Diddley"
Ran electric guitar through DeArmond 60 Tremolo Control, ca. Tremolo effect; set the speed at a cross-rhythm to the grid
Jimi Hendrix
Regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music. Helped popularize the use of the wah-wah pedal. Was also the first artist to use stereophonic phasing effects in music recordings
Big Mama Thornton
Rhythm and Blues singer and songwriter. first to record "Hound Dog" in 1952. Had a bigger impact with the song "Ball 'n' Chain" in the late 1960s.
The Chords, "Sh-Boom" (1954)
Rhythm and blues gospel chord progression; doo-wop progression (starts with major-minor chord progression comes from gospel) Most assimilable of the musical styles of the segregated black musical world
Street Fighting Man
Rolling Stones 1968 tresillo?
"Enter Sandman"
Rolling Stones, Blues riff
tresillo
Rumba rhythm 3 + 3 + 2 Cross-rhythm, comes from the Caribbean and the African Diaspora; rhythm in the "left hand of the piano"
. "Mr. Tambourine Man" Dylan solo acoustic version at Newport (1964)
See the invention of a new genre
new sensibility
Susan Sontag's new way of viewing art and deciding what is and isn't art; Sontag interpreted the personalities and music of the Beatles as a type of modern art
major-minor progression
Switching from a major to minor chord, often followed by a turnaround, when you add the turnaround to the major-minor progression, it becomes a modified doo-wop progression
"mods"
Teenage members of the lower middle class in Britain who flaunted their money and wore expensive suits but were still gangsta. The Beatles were rockers at heart but identified more with the "mod" style (because they wore suits and had mop tops instead of leather jackets)
Wall of Sound
The recording technique developed by Phil Spector consists of recording several instruments and layering the sounds into the same track the result is a very full sound, with each instrument blended into each other
color line
The segregation between black and white members of society. Both in music and in other parts of life. Example: "race music" was considered any music consumed by the racial community, even if the artists were white. Rock 'n' roll began as a race music, and was classified under the genre of race music, and in order to become rock 'n' roll, it would need to cross the color lines and become popularized by the white community as well.
slap bass
Used in rockabilly; when you pluck the string far back and then hit the bass with your hand/strings pulled away from the base until they snap back and hit the guitar; a percussive playing technique
The Beatles "She loves you"
Very first thing is a surprise drum beat and then the lyrics Dissonant guitar Half gospel half blues
Vox amplifiers
Vox music brand replaced the Fender brand and represents the next generation of music technology. They endorsed the Beatles and provided them with amps. Initially the amps were weak (Vox 15 ?) and improved as the need for a louder amp due to loud audiences and larger venues. Used multiple Vox 100 watt amps during large concerts (ie during their last concert at Candlestick park in 1966)
Ronette's "Be My Baby" 1963
Wall of sound Fill the sound box with a bunch of sound waves, hitting more directly Classic doo-wop chord progression
Blackboard Jungle
a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. Idealized portrait of "America." Contributed to the association of rock with delinquency
Rock Around the Clock
a 1956 Musical film that featured Bill Haley and His Comets. The film was shot over a short period of time in January 1956 to capitalize on Haley's success and the popularity of "Rock Around the Clock." It is considered the first major rock and roll musical film.
The Beatles
a boy band from Liverpool in the 1960s that broke through from the standard progressions used during that time and were the first-marketed group; introduced pop art and were a huge cultural phenomenon
1965 Newport Folk Festival
a music festival that took place in rhode island, many rich well-off families there, but it was a way for them to get "in touch" with the middle class folk music, this is where Bob Dylan performed; 1965 he debuted his electric guitar music ● Bob Dylan performs a rock n roll song and gets booed → transition out of folk music that is about politics and ethics and moves into songs like "it's alright ma" which portray his displeasure with life and unhappiness
concept album
a studio album where all musical or lyrical ideas contribute to a single overall theme or unified story
Butch Vig
american musician & record producer, (internationally known as the drummer of the Madison)
Jefferson Airplane
an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1965. A pioneer of counterculture-era psychedelic rock, the group was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve international mainstream success. Demonstrated influence on Beatles' Sgt Pepper in lecture
psychedelic "freakout"
an experience of frightening feelings or hallucinations, especially as a result of taking a drug; an experience of scene of unrestrained excitement or irrational behavior
"Sunshine of your Love"
blues riff
Fast Domino "Aint that a Shame" (1954)
clave beat
LSD
commonly referred to as acid, LSD is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug that is known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking process, altered sense of time and it is well known for its spiritual experience. was very prominent in the 1960s "hippie" counterculture.
Phil Spector
created the "Wall of Sound" production method, paved the way for art rock
reverb
echo that is produced from the sound that is played from the back of the sound box
fuzz box
gives the distortion effect that characterizes many rock songs; overdriven amp sound; it turns the sine waves of sound into square waves; much more brutal clipping; classic sound from Jimi Hendrix
"You Can't Always Get what you want"
gospel Home chord, less tense, turnaround
wah-wah pedal
guitar effects pedal that filters the tone and gives a volume boost. Technically not supposed to push pedal while playing, but it was discovered that pushing the pedal while playing gives the guitar a sound that mimics the human voice's inflections
doo-wop progression
home chord, then minor, tense, less tense
distortion
how the sound is changed to a less clear sound; for example, the amplifier cuts off the sound waves by warping said sound waves and creating nodes
speaking the subtext
it is the underlying message that one would be able to understand and describe after hearing the music/lyrics for a bit.
The Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man"
made his song a rock song and then Bob went electric after that
The Kinks
most notable for their use of overdriven amplifiers to create a distorted sound
Great Migration 1910-1970
movement of black population from the south to the north, looking for jobs and greater opportunities
musical signifiers
one that helps understand an underlying concept of a song, whether it be a high note that you can associate with a certain artist, or a style of play that you could associate a specific genre or time period.
Cosimo Matassa
owner, recording engineer, J&M studio: recording for all of New Orleans, originally used to sell jukeboxes; "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Roy Brown is first national hit to come out of studio
Johnny Otis, "Willie and the Hand Jive" (1955)
physicalization of the clave rhythm
Peter Blake
pop artist that created Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover; created a collage of different pop culture icons and famous intellectuals that the beatles wanted on their cover. Included image of the Beatles before Sgt. Pepper since they were using their alter-egos instead of being themselves
"intrepidity"
resolute fearlessness, strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger, fearless
Red Scare 1954
seeing communism for what it really is: evil but they went overboard and started accusing everyone of being a commie Cold War
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thorton "Ball and Chain" 1968
slower version of "future blues"
Sam Phillips
songwriter, record producer, record executive, founded Sun Records and helped launch Elvis Presley's career
stereo panning
sound is manipulated from left to right (can be associated with the sound box)
"communitas"
spirit of togetherness or total communion with one another, what is experienced in the liminal state
backbeat
syncopated beat that is on the offbeat
Brian Epstein
the Beatles manager, changed their image from rockers to a cross of rockers and mods
delay
the pause in the music; the music is literally delayed
liminality
the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of rituals, participants "stand at the threshold" between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way
1967 Monterey Pop Festival
this is when Jimi Hendrix performed at the end of the concert. his last song of his set was the performance of "Wild Thing" that we watched in class where he had a freakout sound in the middle of the song and set his guitar on fire and then broke it into pieces. Couldn't leave liminal zone at end, like a typical psychedelic song would have
Dixie Cups Iko Iko
tresillo 1965
Rage Against the Machine
used cross-rhythm; "F*** You, I Don't Care What You Tell Me" and "Killing in the Name of"
Andy Warhol
visual artist; pop culture icon, using advertisements and consumer brands for art
Nirvana
wanted to stay in the scene-industry; however, the public wanted them to transition into the industry