Popular music in america TEST 3

backbeat

A sharp rhythmic accent on the second and fourth beats of a measure in 4/4 time, characteristic of rock music.

Psychedelic Rock

Featured wild imagery, long instrumental improvisation, and associated with counterculture movement

"Wrecking crew"

studio band who worked in LA with phil spector

Janis Joplin (San Francisco Music Scene)

(lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company) o Bold, blues influenced performance style o Use of rough rasping tones o Never crossed over to R&B charts

Alan Freed (NON-PERFORMER)

*Invented term "Rock-n-Roll" • Used for promotional purposes • Term originally had sexual connotations * Promoted both black bands playing to an integrated audience * Career destroyed by "Payola" scandal

James brown (soul)

- Aggressive, highly syncopated vocal style - Influenced by Af Am church traditions - Musical focus on rhythm and timbre with minimal harmonic activity o Repetitive, riff based style - Associated with "Black Pride" movement in 1960's - Single most sampled artist - Interlocking polyrhythms linked to African musical traditions

Aretha Franklin (soul)

- Apprenticed as TP A singer for Columbia - Found success with Atlantic as R&B singer - Had hits throughout 60' s, 70' s and 80' s - Influenced by music from Af Am churches - Power and Intensity of vocal delivery breaks cultural stereotypes about traditional roles of women - Maintained writing and producing roles in her music - Became an identifiable symbol of women's movement

Credence Clearwater Revival

- Deliberately "old fashioned" Rock and Roll - Avoided imagery and exotic influences of psychedelic rock - Known as a "singles" band

Beatles

- Established stars in UK before they had a hit in US (I Want to Hold Your Hand) - Began the "British Invasion" in 1964 o American cultural fascination with all things British o Paved the way for bands The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Who - Continued to evolve in unexpected directions throughout their career together - Profoundly altered the character of pop music - Early on, they performed many covers, later recorded their own material - Each member brought great performing and composing strengths to the group (not built around the talents of just one member like the Beach Boys)

Patsy Cline (Country)

- First hit in 1957 "Walkin' After Midnight" o Achieved crossover success o Appealed to older audiences Crooning style Mature themes Sophisticated phrasing and country inflection - Modeled "Nashville" sound o Combines honky-tonk roots with sophisticated vocal presentations and instrumental arrangements

latin soul (New York)-LATIN POP (1960's)

- Fused Latin dances like the rumba and mambo with black American pop - Included songs like "Watermelon man" by Mongo Snatamaria and "El Watusi" by Ray Baretto

counterculture

- Label for innovative, rebellious, radical aspects of 60's musical/political culture - Rock music was an important part of the definition of "counterculture" - Developed it's own sense of jargon, including long hair, beads, tie-dyes, and embracing "exotic" cultures - Critiqued values of mainstream - Associated with liberated sexuality and drug experimentation

Beach Boys

- Lead by Brian Wilson o Songwriter, arranger, producer, and performer - Best selling, most celebrated American group of 60's - Modeled himself after Phil Spector - Sophisticated songwriting technique + studio application had wide influence - Music alluded to mythical CA lifestyle, cars, surfing, and girls

Rock and Roll

- Marginal Styles begin to dominate center o R&B/Country significant on mainstream - Vitality of Am Economy lead to increase in record sales and record player sales - Independent labels reemerge(were wiped out by depression) - Common misconceptions about Rock-n-Roll o Rock and Roll not a "new" style o Not a single style of music o Not the first time music is marketed to a youth audience o Not first form to integrate black and white musical styles o "Rock-n-Roll" is a marketing term like "TPA," "Hillbilly," etc - Rock-n-Roll music o Became a defining characteristic for a generation o With TV and Film, played essential role in inventing the teenager as a commercial and cultural identity o Facilitated marketing a from racial/regional to generational o Made use of the "cover" (re-recording of a ) song Often involves adapting song's style In 1950's, white performers often covered black artist

Bob Dylan (Urban folk music)

- Moved to NYC in 1961 - met an ailing Woody Guthrie - began singing in Greenwich Village - Supported by increasing cultural and political awareness of baby boomers - Stood out for o Remarkable quality of original songs • Poetic lyrics/Use of irony o Rough-hewn performance style - "Went electric" in 1965 at Newport Folk Festival - His songs were successfully covered by more "pop" friendly artists - Successful album artist, but not singles artist

Simon and Garfunkel (Urban folk music)

- One of the most enduring folk-rock acts - "The Sounds of Silence" was inspired by Dylan's electric success - Paul Simon later created adventurous "world beat" albums

Phil Spector

- Performing /Composing successes with #1 hit "To Know Him Is to Love Him" - Apprenticed with Lieber and Stoller - Associated as a producer with The Ronettes, and the Crystals. o Best known for work w/ "girl-groups" (many were African American) - Founded his own record label (1961 - Philles) - Became associated with "Wall of Sound" technique o Multiple instruments doubling each part o Echo effects o Thick textures and use of string instruments - Established a new model for the production and marketing of pop records o Smaller quantity of music produced, but high percentage of hits o Great concern with detail - Worked in LA with a studio band called the "wrecking crew" o Shifted industry emphasis away from NYC

Ray Charles

- R&B presence since early 50's but achieved crossover success in late 50's - Recorded in R&B, country, and TPA styles o Universally admired pop musician - Known for skills as a performer, singer, and arranger - Combined secular and sacred African American music styles o Later known as soul music

HARD DAYS NIGHT (Beatles)

- Use of contrasting "B" theme o Alludes to TPA both in structure and lyrics - Use of "word painting" (integration of words and music) o Tonic chord when lyrics say "feel all right" o Dissonant intro resolves to consonant coda - Use of quasi-blues form (12 bar pattern, AAB structure of A section) - Exploration of new timbres in instrumental solo

Good Vibrations (beach boys)

- Use of unusual instrumentation o Theremin (possibly Ondes Martineau) o Sound quality becomes an important expressive device o Use of post-production techniques (put together from different recordings) o High falsetto singing

ELEANOR RIGBY (beatles)

- Use of unusual instrumentation (string quartet) o Strings are usually used for melodic elements, not rhythmic elements - Unusual chord changes - Lyrics suggest a poetic "character study" - Strophic form (Verse/Chorus with minor variation) o About "ordinary" people, not tragic figures o The tragedy is that nothing happens in these peoples isolated lives o Uneven phrase lengths add to unsettled feeling of the song o Subtle variations of each strophe o Use of counterpoint at the end

Barry Gordy (Mowtown)

-Founded Mowtown •Successful songwriter, later producer •Most successful African American label owner •Kept control of all creative and financial aspects of music making •Chose artists not just for musical ability, but charismatic personality, on and off stage

bowlderizing lyrics

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pullback

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Payola (Scandal)

Alan Freed career destroyed by this

British invasion

Beatles began the "British Invasion" in 1964 o American cultural fascination with all things British o Paved the way for bands The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Who

Cover Songs

Ch. 8

"nashville" sound

Combines honky-tonk roots with sophisticated vocal presentations and instrumental arrangements -patsy cline had this

Grace Slick (San Francisco Music Scene)

Lead of Jefferson Airplane

Brian Wilson

Leader of the Beach Boys

Hook

a short memorable phrase or lyrical fragment of a popular song

slapback

echo

collisions

is a section of music where different parts overlap one another, usually for a short period. It is mostly used in fast-paced music, and it is designed to create tension and drama.

Modulation

is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another.

Guitar Heroes

look at notes

New musical production techniques

look at notes

San Francisco Music Scene

look at notes

soul music

look at notes

urban folk music

look at notes

Fats Domino (EARLY ROCK-N-ROLL/R&B)

o 2nd biggest-selling artist of 50's o Established R&B performer before R&R became mainstream o Identified with distinctive New Orleans regional style o Jazz and Boogie Woogie influenced o Covered TPA standards

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (West Coast)-LATIN POP (1960's)

o Alpert was an LA-based producer, songwriter, vocalist, and trumpeter o Blended Mexican music and American Pop ("Ameriachi") o Recorded a wide variety of repertoire, including TPA, R&B, Broadway songs, and bossa novas o Hits included "A Taste of Honey," and "The Lonely Bull."

Bill Haley (EARLY ROCK-N-ROLL/COUNTRY)

o Began Career as Western Swing band leader o Changed style and image to increase marketability o "Rock Around the Clock" was their most important hit

Brazilian bossa nova (west coast)-LATIN POP (1960's)

o Blended samba rhythms with West Coast jazz o Influential musicians included Antonio Carlos Jobin (One Note Samba) and Stan Getz (The Girl from Ipanema).

The Brill building

o Building in which many important independent NYC songwriters worked •Like a Rock and Roll Tin Pan Alley o Wrote for many artists, mostly for Indie labels o Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka •Some, (King, Sedaka, and Diamond), also had performing career

Chuck Berry (EARLY ROCK-N- ROLL/R&B)

o Celebrated teenage culture o Greatest Rock-n-Roll influence on musicians • Clever lyrics and quality songwriter • Fine vocalist/Pioneering guitarist

Buddy Holly (EARLY ROCK-N-ROLL/COUNTRY)

o Clean-Cut image contrasted with Elvis o Began career as country artist, later moved into R&R • Combined elements of country, R&B, and mainstream pop o Died in famous plane crash that killing Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper o Influential songwriter whose songs were recorded by later artists o Used new studio techniques like double-tracking

Kingston Trio (FOLK MUSIC IN THE AGE OF R&R)

o Continued in tradition of groups like the Weavers o Featured acoustic, smooth, pop style recordings of folk songs o Helped maintain popularity of the L.P. • Dominated LP sales in 50's Had few hit singles, but one #1 hit was "Tom Dooley" Known for optimistic, less introspective style Contrasts with Weavers and later folk artists like Dylan

Jefferson Airplane (San Francisco Music Scene)

o First nationally successful band to emerge out of SF scene o Developed a hard-edged style with emphasis on open forms, instrumental improvisation, and visionary lyrics o Despite anti-commercial rhetoric, received a large advance from RCA) o Lead by Grace Slick o Use of guitar distortion

Songwriters/ producers

o Increasing number of performers don't write their own songs o Role of the producer becomes more important • Responsible for characteristic "sound" of the recording • Lieber and Stoller: important songwriting/producing team Wrote many hits for bands like the Coasters and Elvis

Eric Clapton (Guitar Heroes)

o Joined bands "Yardbirds," "Cream," and "Derek and the Dominos" as well as having a successful solo career o Known for long, extended solos o Strongly influenced by country blues and Chicago blues o Focused on instrumental virtuosity and electronic feedback

Little Richard (EARLY ROCK-N-ROLL/R&B)

o Known for visual flamboyance o Appeared in movies (cross marketing) o Sexually ambiguous identity o Falsetto singing, uptempo songs, Boogie Woogie influenced piano style

Grateful Dead (San Francisco Music Scene)

o Lead by Jerry Garcia o Helped pioneer urban folk music to acid rock o Best known for live performances o Known for long, extended jams o Had a fanatical, devoted following

Jimi Hendrix (Guitar Heroes)

o Most innovative and original of rock era guitarists o Began career in R&B bands o Moved to London in 1966 o Known for flamboyant, sexualized performance style o Used sound manipulating devices (distortion, wah-wah, etc) o Did not cross over on to R&B charts

Elvis Presley (EARLY ROCK-N-ROLL/COUNTRY)

o Most popular Rock musician from country side o Began career on independent label (Sun), later major label (RCA) • Mainstream success helped by Chet Atkin: Producer who developed "Nashville Sound" Col. Thomas Parker: Producer managing public image o Combined influences, including: • Blues inflections • Country dialect • Boogie Woogie and Western Swing rhythms • Pop sensibility White gospel background singers (Jordanaires) Electronic reverb

"Wall of Sound" technique

o Multiple instruments doubling each part o Echo effects o Thick textures and use of string instruments

Motown - LOOK AT CHAPTER 9 SUPPLEMENTAL

o Named for Detriot (Motor City: Motown) o Music marketed to young people of all races o Artists include Smokey Robinson (the Miracles) , Diana Ross (the Supremes), (Little) Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Jackson Five, etc o Worked w/ tight-knit racially integrated studio band (Funk Brothers) o Moved to CA in 1971

Funk brothers

was the nickname of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. They are considered one of the most successful groups of studio musicians in music history.

Chubby Checker (Dance Crazes)-the twist

•Name inspired by Fats Domino (overweight euphemism + game) • Started free-form Dance Craze Hits - Increased wide-spread appeal - Records played in discotheques •Promoted on and associated with American Bandstand

the twist

� Increased wide-spread appeal � Records played in discotheques •Promoted on and associated with American Bandstand