History of Rock N Roll
Melody
the arrangement of individual notes in time to create a musical line or phrase -"the tune" is the melody
Replaced sexual innuendos with references to what?
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the role radio played in exposing listeners to mainstream styles
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Where was the Grand Ole Opry broadcast from?
- Live Radio - Nashville, TN -1930 NBC picks up 30 minutes of show
Country and Western How were mainstream listeners exposed to this music?
-1920's = regional radio stations where the easiest way -motion pictures
Girl-groups
Girl Groups "Will you love me tomorrow" by the Shirelles Lyrics about sexual intimacy The song went over well with the public despite the risky topic The Shirelles success spawned more teenage female vocal groups Chantels, Crystals, Chiffons, Cookies, Dixie Cups, Ronettes - mainly African American but some white i.e. angels 50 feet from stardom Girl Groups Singers considered expendable Songwriters and producers had creative control Girl groups were very popular from 1960's to 1964
Pat Boone
Pat Boon (b. 1934) • Cover version of tunes from Fat Domino, Little Richards etc. • Parents rather have kids listen to him than others • Covers usually outsold the originals • Polite, clean-cut personal image • helped establish r & r as a valid mainstream style
What was payola?
Payola Scandal • payola = exchanging gift (money) to have music played on the radio • payola goes back to the 19th century • independent labels release most early r&r hits o independent labels seen as a threat to major labels The Investigation • outcome of investigation o it was not illegal to pay to have records played o gift had to be acknowledged on the air o recipient had to declare it in their tax statements o recipient had to declare it in their tax statements • Hit DJ worst o Allen freed (coined the term rock and roll) receiving payola; loses his career and his life o Dick Clark able to save his career o Decided it is not illegal....just have to tell people you are doing
Phil Spector
Phil Spector • Most ambitious producer of the early 1960's o Developed the "Wall of Sound" production approach ♣ Becomes his signature sound • Songwriter, producer The Wall of Sound • Several instruments in one small room • Sound from one instrument spilled into the microphone of the next • Blended together into a monophonic backing track • Vocals layered over this mono backing • Strings added to finish it off o "teenage symphonies" • "Be my baby" listened
Gospel How did gospel influence R&B? Sophisticated harmonies in R&B come from this.
Southern African American people learned to sing in church o Changing the words to sacred tunes o Controversy • Sacred song sometimes changed into secular pop songs (R&B). • Caused controversy, considered blasphemous and/or a "sell out" • Many sub-genres; only learning a few influential in this class.
Dick Clark
-Radio dj -american bandstand host -believed in equality and brought a lot of African American to AB -huge control over artist on AB and execs trusted him -was responsible for dance craze
Teen idols What was the most important part of being a teen idol? How were they marketed? The new role of the producer Who had control over the music business during this time? How was this different from the first phase of rock n' roll?
-all white -music execs were in charge -all look the same -had to look the part, clean cut! -didn't even have to sing that great bc they just needed to look the part
Popular Artists before Rock n' Roll Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby
-before r&r -national radio played these guys -mainstream pop directed at white middle class -white xmas too
Allen Freed
-coined the term rock and roll -received payola -loses his career after payola scandal
The Coasters
-collaborated with Leiber and Stoller -Did playlets - down in mexico - smokey joe's cafe -AABA form
The Drifters
-collaborated with Leiber and Stoller -sweet soul/r&b -there goes my baby
The Carter Family
-country singers -exemplifies the country style -represented family stability -sara & maybelle carters = sisters
Form
-how the music is structured -how a piece of music is organized -can evaluate the form of a song by breaking it into sections then look at how those sections relate to each other -look for similarities and differences and how the sections work together
What was the importance of the Grand Ole Opry?
-huge part of getting music from coast to coast. -if you were on Gran Ole Opry you were heard -As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's "country music capital".
How were white listeners exposed to R&B?
-regional radio stations -independent record labels
Most important contributions to rock and roll. Elvis Presley Why was he so appealing to teens? What record company gave him his start? What were some of his nicknames?
-teens: bad boy, shaking hips, fresh sound -sun records gave him start -first big contract RCA -nicknames: the hillbilly cat and elvis the pelvis
AABA Form
-the versed and bridge are based on different music, with the B sections. -A sections are similar -B are contrast sections -can be a full or partial reprise -most AABA songs occur in a 32 bar pattern that combines four, 8 measure phrases
Rhythm
-they way musical sounds are organized in time -rhythmic patterns are produced by varying the length of sound; note: individual pitch and rhythm -rhythmic (usually most dominant element in rock music) accents come from a sudden difference in texture
Contrasting Verse-Chorus Form
-verses and choruses are based on different music -verses will have contrasting material behind them
Simple Verse-Chorus Form
-verses and choruses are based on the same music -doesn't change
Simple Verse Form
-verses are based on the same music and there is not chorus -story, story, story, no choruse
Distinguishing characteristics of these musical styles: Tin Pan Alley What is tin pan alley (3 things)?
1. An area in NY with high concentration of music publishing co 2. the body of music coming out of area 3. business practices
1959-1963 (Second wave of rock n' roll) Important concepts to remember: American Bandstand The dance craze.
American Bandstand o Dance Party o Started as a radio show o TV show developed for teens o Danced to current hits o Special guests were featured o Dick Clark, host o Started 1952, in Philly, went national on ABC in 1957 o Early years had almost every important artist on this show o He was tapped into the youth culture o Highly controlled environment "lip synching" ♣ Ie no surprises.....needed to controlled remember elvis had to be filmed from the waste up and they didn't want little richad jumping up on the piano o Dancing was controlled...told them how to dance o Had to be good clean fun o All the to 1980's o Dick clark believed in equality - brought a lot of African American o Dick has huge control over artist and execs trusted him o Was responsible for dance craze National Dance Craze
Buddy Holly Voice manipulation - timbre changes (Peggy Sue)
Buddy Holly (1936 - 1959) • Rockabilly artist • 1957 got his start • Died in the famous plane crash on February 3, 1959. (the day the music died) The Buddy Holly Sound Peggy Sue clear example of his vocal technique • Changes notes and rhythms in each verse • Changes timbre of voice in each verses
Carl Perkins What was his biggest hit?
Carl Perkins (1932 - 1998) • Carl Perkins: guitarist - vocalist from Tennessee • Blue Suede Shoes: sold over 20,000 copies • Signed with Columbia 1957 • Crossing over to all three charts
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry (b. 1926) • Flamboyant performer - duck walk became his trademark • Blending R&B with C&W • Recorded at Chess Records • True fusion artist • Still performs once a month in St. Lewis • Started it all with guitar and rock and roll completely new • Listen school days: rock and roll guitar this is different for show tune/tin pan alley/ about school, wrote most songs to young kids, nothing threatening • Warmly received • Unique and energetic performer • Simple verse • Lyric directed specifically at teenagers • Good fun and not threatening • Because it was different it was a little controversial • In jail/stole car gun point 4 years juvenille • 1959 • 1990 sued for installing video cameras drugs • 2000 sued by pianist for not getting recognition
Most popular style with Armed Forces during WWII
Country and Western soldiers stationed together shared music interest
Crossovers
Crossovers • Crossover, record that appears on one chart and then on another chart • R&B starts to become more popular, teen dominates market with spending money et • Ain't that a Shame - Fats Domino o #1 on the R&B charts o #10 on the pop charts o listen to instruments and who has the melody ♣ saxophone, base, horns, drums, piano ♣ melody, singer • singer drops out and sax takes over
How are Delta & Urban styles of blues different?
Delta isn't dance music urban was less depressive and a little more hopeful delta usually acoustic guitar; urban electric delta highly flexible/ urban not as flexible urban was a more organized structure than delta blues
Doo-Wop - what distinguishes this style?
Doo-Wop • Urban vocal music: o Songs were sung a Capella o Doo-wop refers to nonsense syllables in the vocal arrangements o Some couldn't afford instruments; so they made these groups o AABA form derived from Tin Pan Alley. o The kids were able to listen to music and it has structure...AABA form, they wrote
First rock n' roll artists to have hits on all 3 charts. What major record label did he sign with?
ELVIS PRESELY SUN RECORDS AND MAJOR RECORD LABEL: RCA
Everly Brothers
Everly Brothers • Everly Brothers (Don and Phil) strong background in country music o Wake up little Susie/ • Both were songwriters • Wrote several of their own hits • Very talented/very inspirational to future rock and rollers i.e. Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel - • Strong musical elements inspired by R&B and C&W • Steel string acoustic guitars • Chords are R&B derived • Tightly controlled harmony duo vocals • Lyrics address teenage issues • Tamed down version of first wave rockabilly
Muddy Waters - Chess records (independent label)
I'm your hoochie coochie man #8 billboard r&b best seller in stores 1954
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - what type of music did they play?
Instrumental Surf Music • Dick Dale and the Del-Tones o Dale is most closely associated the term instrumental surf music o Surfing was the most important part of his life o Technique of rapid flutter picking represented the sound waves o Best-know song "Misilou" o Trademark rapid tremolo picking on the guitar
Jerry Lee Lewis What event brought his career to a halt?
Jerry Lee Lewis (b. 1935) • Piano player/singer • Wild manic performance style • Several crossover hits Jerry Lee Lewis - scandal • Devastated his career • Married his 13-year-old cousin • Journalists create a negative stereotype of the southern R&R musician
Leiber and Stoller
Leiber and Stoller o First important production team o Songwriting and producing o Original wrote r&b leiber wrote hound dog o Usually knew what the record would sound like before they started o "we don't write sounds, we write records". Wanted people to recognize.....oh, that leiber and stoller o hated business side of things o offered a job at atlantic records Playlets Leiber and Stoller developed Playlets "playlets" tell a story through the music Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown Playlets became very popular in the 1960's Song: Down in Mexicali AAB - Playlet fun story being told in music - wasn't meant to sound like a live performance Sweet Soul Leiber and Stoller develop this style A blending of R&B with classical orchestra The Drifters help develop this style
Why did we see a shift to the urban blues style?
Less depressive and a little more hope???
Little Richard How would you describe his performance style?
Little Richard (b. 1932) • most flamboyant 1950's performer • first wild man of rock and roll • see in performing, vocals, lyrics, energetic, • highly suggested lyrics • white artists covered his song with cleaned up lyrics • they outsold Little Richard's originals
Sweet Soul Is a blending of what styles? Playlet - what is it?
Playlets Leiber and Stoller developed Playlets "playlets" tell a story through the music Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown Playlets became very popular in the 1960's Song: Down in Mexicali AAB - Playlet fun story being told in music - wasn't meant to sound like a live performance Sweet Soul Leiber and Stoller develop this style A blending of R&B with classical orchestra The Drifters help develop this style Characteristics of Sweet Soul o Classical orchestra o Fluid lead vocal melody o Doo wop backup vocals o String section provides counter melodies o Medium tempo Listen: Will you still love me tomorrow? Violin, female group, riske , sherels, carole king
Roy Orbison
Ray Orbison (1936 - 1988) • Singer-songwriter • Powerful operatic voice and wide pitch range o Beautiful voice, gorgeous • Biggest hit, oh, pretty woman • Another big hit only the lonely • Bit of everything: r&b, rockabilly, rock, • Fits in with brill building • Inspiration to other rock stars, even some heavy metal bands
Older generations view of rock and roll Why did they view it as a threat?
Rock n; Roll Poses a Threat • R&R posed a threat to the music business (tin pan alley people feel threatened) very different song writers, major record labels and producers were in control, now it is the singers and the dj's...ie. Youth culture. TPA out of touch o Wrong people (musicians) no in control o First wave R&R considered irresponsible and inconsistent o Positive side - identification of the youth market and there is a lot of $$ to be made off this market. Wanting to tap into market but want to change r&r o Little Richard went to become a minister o Elvis went to army o Jerry lee lewis -scandal / marries young cousin bride o Buddy holly - dies plane crash (Richie valen, the big bopper) o Chuck Berry - jail violated the man act, brining minors across state lines for prostitution
Teenage romanticization of death Coincided with what?
Romanticization of Teen Death • A number of songs death with teenage death between 1960-1964 o Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her" o Everly Brothers "Ebony Eyes" o J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers "Last Kiss" o Shangri-Las: 1964 hit "Leader of the Pack" **These songs about death coincided with the end of the Bill Building control mainstream music** • The arrival of the British Invasion in 1964 put an end to the Brill Building
Beach Boys - what member was responsible for their writing and producing?
The Beach Boys • Music devoted to teenage summer fun: surf music • Signed with capitol records in 1962 • One of biggest acts to come out of California • Three brothers and a high school friends • Surfin' 1961, independent label call canvas; first • Exceptional vocal abilities and talent for blending their voices • Influenced: o Vocal: doo-wop o Guitar: chuck Berry o Wall of Sound: Phil Spector • Chuck Berry's sues them for stealing guitar solo o Surfin' USA guitar solo comes from Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen • Wrote very catchy hooks, ie. "everybody gone's surfin'" Beach Boys - Ballads • Demonstrate impressive compositional skill and performance techniques o Surfer Girl o In My Room • Mistakes can really be heard in slow music; fast music less easy to hear mistakes
Whitening of R&B Whitening of Rhythm and Blues Artists that contributed to this. (pat boone, bill haley)
The Whitening of R& B • R&B hit frequently focuses on sexual innuendo • *** Referenced to sex were replaced with references to dancing*** • Bill Haley and Pat Boone, white artists to do this • Teens wanted original and like it if they could get their hands on it but harder for independent artists.....mainstream easier for them to get it out to radio and distribution
Some of these artists were out of the picture by the end of the 1950s, what happened to them?/
Threats to Rock N Roll 1. 1958 Little Richar becomes a minister 2. Elvis drafted to arymy Step 1958 3. 1958 jerry lee lewis marriage scandal 4. buddy holly's plane crash 2/3/59 lose three musicians 5. 1959 chuck berry in jail for violating the Mann act (transporting minors across state lines. Three years in jail
Threats to Rock N Roll
Threats to Rock N Roll 1. 1958 Little Richard becomes a minister 2. Elvis drafted to army Step 1958 3. 1958 jerry lee lewis marriage scandal 4. buddy holly's plane crash 2/3/59 lose three musicians 5. 1959 chuck berry in jail for violating the Mann act (transporting minors across state lines. Three years in jail P
What was the unit of trade during the tin pan alley era? (How did the songwriters make money)
Unit of Trade: sheet music the song itself (not the recording) -the sheet music, the more it was played, the more the songwriter could make money off the sheet music
Urban Blues characteristics
Urban (Electric) Blues • Blues musicians moved to the cities and formed combos. • Electric guitars, bass, drums, harmonica, amplified vocals. • More organized structure than Delta blues. • Major step towards the birth of rock. • Not as much freedom in order to keep musicians together • Less depressive and a little more hope
Harmony
a combination of more than one note at a time
Where did R&B artists learn to sing?
church! they changed the gospel words • Sacred song sometimes changed into secular pop songs (R&B).
In rock music, which is usually the most dominant element?
controversy was a big part of the attraction
Charts
harts • Trade magazines categorized the music into charts: billboard 1955 o Pop o Rhythm and blues o Country and western • The categories were based on buying patters o Ie white: pop pan alley; white low income country and western; aa r and b • White middle-class teens discover o R&B and the distinction between style blues
Early rock n' roll artists were represented by independent record labels or major record labels?
independent labels
Rockabilly How was it different than the first wave of rockabilly?
it was noticeably more clean cut than first wave of artists
During the Tin Pan Alley era what did they focus on marketing: the recording of a song, the song itself or the musician singing the song?
marketing = the song itself
Brill Building What 2 concepts does this refer to?
o Brill Building refers to: 1. Actual location where songwriters worked 2. A term for a set of business practices / business at the time Power returned to the music professionals o Publishers o Songwriters o Producers
Jimmie Rodgers - what was his trademark style?
rambling man country and western trademark = yodeling
Texture
refers to the thickness of sound; song might be described as "light" or "heavy"
national vs regional
regional = local live music or vaudeville show; sheet music at the five and dime or woollworth's - there was a pianist there to play so a person could hear different tunes national = radio initially for military becomes avail nationally 1920
beat
regular rhythmic pulse -makes the music danceable -organized in
Timbre
the tonal quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds example: 2 instruments playing the same note at the same volume will inherently sound different bc their timbre is different especially apparent in the human voice ; every voice has unique timbre which allows you to recognize on phone without seeing descriptive timbre words: use color adjectives: dark, bright, rich, thin, shrill, raspy, nasal, smooth, rough etc
How were TPA marketing practices different from todays marketing practices?
today the artists and producers make their money of their recorded music and shows
The Wall of Sound How was this sound produced?
via Phil Spector --see Phil tracks layover
Chess Records.
• Founded in 1947 by Phil and Leonard Chess • Low - budget facilities and equipment • Did not want polished sounds; rough • Cadillac Records Movie Watch The Chess Sound • Rough-edged emotion • Expressive vocals • Unpolished production • Simple honesty • Adult oriented lyrics (one of the real controversy areas of R&B) AA have separate language....hoochy coochy man. Muddy Waters Whites don't trust...
Rhythm and Blues Delta Blues - what are the characteristics of this style?
• Had the biggest influence on rock n' roll of all the blues styles • Performance style: o Emotional o Rough o Usually accompanied by acoustic guitar o Highly flexible o Isn't dance music
Hokem Blues What distinguishes this style?
• Lyrics contain sexual double-entendres • Sometimes the lyrics were blatant, sometimes they were subtle • White artists covered R&B and cleaned up the lyrics (some earliest Rock n' Roll songs...."whitening" of R&B. "stolen" Textbook: example
