Women Who Rock Exam 2

Wanda Jackson's Famous Songs

"Hard Headed Woman" and "Mean Mean Man"

Famous Big Mama Thorton Songs

"Hound Dog," "They Call Me Big Mama" "Ball And Chain" (covered by Janis Joplin; all Big Mama got was a call from Janis asking if it was okay to cover the song)

"Buttered Popcorn" (1961)

famous Florence Ballard song

"Dancing in the Streets" (1964)

famous song by Martha and the Vandellas. news tried to tie this to reports of riots on the streets, but martha said it was just a dance song.

"Please Mr. Postman" (1961)

famous song by the marvelettes. goes to #1 on the charts. lead sung by gladys horton. drummer is marvin gaye.

"Be My Baby"

famous song from the ronettes. lead vocalist sings directly to the boy.

Famous Grace Slick/Jefferson Airplane Songs

"Somebody to Love" (written by her brother in law after an LSD trip), and "White Rabbit" (about how the stories our parents tell us affect us, especially in this case with drugs and Alice in Wonderland; people just think it's about an acid trip through Alice's eyes)

Famous Aretha Franklin Songs

"You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" (a natural woman is a woman who can be herself), "Respect", "Think" (was written for a movie)

Famous Elvis Presley Songs

"my happiness," "that's when your heartache begins," "that's all right," "blue moon of kentucky," "heartbreak hotel,"** "hound dog"

Janis Martin

"the female elvis". influenced by eddy arnold and hank williams. she sings ruth brown and laverne baker when she gets tired of country music (so r&b.) she's 15 when she releases her first sing;e & biggest hit. she's the 1st female rockabilly who's actively promoted, but her label drops her because she's pregnant.

Atlantic Records

"the house that Ruth Brown built"

Famous Supremes Songs

"where did our love go?" (1964), and "you can't hurry love" (1966)

Famous Janis Martin Songs

"will you, willum?", "drug store rock and roll", "my boy elvis"

Ruth Brown's Difficulties in Touring

1) arrested after dancing with a white man, 2) bands with black and white musicians are booed, 3) separate dining carts in trains, 4) pulled over my the police and had to prove the instruments in the car were theirs, 5) arrested for using the wrong bathroom, 6) black and white fountains

Phil Spector's Rules

1) music must be emotional and honest, 2) create a song on record that no one can copy, 3) make sure he gets all his money, 4) there's never a contract without a loophole

Reasons Ruth Brown Didn't Make Money From Records and Tours

1) music was covered by white musicians, who got airplay and coverage/money for the songs. 2) she didn't get overseas royalties. 3) they had to pay for session musicians. 4) they had to pay for touring musicians. 5) concert promoters don''t always pay you.

The Blossoms

1st black backing singers working in the studio. producers wanted to work with them because they could do anything.

The Marvelettes

1st successful motown group. from inkster, MI. members: gladys horton, georgia dobbins, georgeanna tillman, katherine anderson, juanita coward, wanda young. motown thought they looked like country girls and were not considered glamorous. their songs were considered more upbeat than the ones by the Chantals and the Shirelles. only given the minimum of what every motown artist received. famous song: "please mr. postman."

Leslie Gore

Attends Dwight School for girls, where she learns: how to read music, how to harmonize, how to sound as one in a group, how to sing a variety of styles and genres. sings "it's my party," "judy's turn to cry" and "you don't own me." goes to sarah lawrence, where she struggles to make friends as her classmates are in awe of her. she will be typecast as a spoiled rich girl.

"At Last"

Etta James's signature song

Musicians for Motown

Funk Brothers

"Jim Dandy" (1957)

LaVern Baker song. #1 on the r&b charts. a jim dandy is a man who helps girls stay out of trouble. it is totally innocent.

Famous Janis Joplin Songs

Mercedes Benz (political statement/satire; she wants the listener to buy her a mercedes benz, a color TV, and a night out on the town), her cover of Ball and Chain, Me and Bobby McGee, Piece of My Heart

"(Mama), He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953)

Ruth Baker's first crossover hit -- #1 on the r&b charts, #23 on the pop charts. ruth didn't really care for the song. it was really popular live. lyrics are slightly suggestive. she screeches the word Mama.

Songwriters for Motown

Smokey Robinson, HDH (Eddie Holland, Lamond Dozier, Brian Holland)

Changes in Popular Music Demographic Going into WW2

Southern black and whites leave the south and move North/West, where they obtain jobs and defense plans; Eastern and Midwestern recruits report to military bases in the South

Motown Bands

The Marvelettes, The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas

3 Vocations for Black Women Before Motown

babies, factories, and clay work

Aretha Award

best r&b grammy

Ruth Brown

biggest female R&B star of the 50s. Atlantic Records was "the house that ruth brown built". Little Richard was influenced by her squeals, records, and style. sang in her local church and listened to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington. sang in local USO clubs. her father's response to her wanting to pursue a career in secular music: "once you leave, don't come back." signs with atlantic at age 21. she doesn't have much success in the pop charts because white musicians cover the songs and they get more air time and exposure. frank lane calls her MISS RHYTHM. why doesn't she make money from her records and tours? 1) white people cover her songs, so they get more air time and coverage. 2) they have to pay for session musicians. 3) they have to pay for touring musicians. 4) concert promoters don't always pay you. 5) did not get overseas royalties. difficulties in touring: arrested after dancing with a white musician. arrested for using the wrong bathroom. separate fountains. separate eating carts in trains. pulled over and had to prove that the instruments in the car were theirs. bands with mixed races were booed. famous songs: "teardrops in my eyes", "mama, he treat your daughter mean"

Grace Slick/Jefferson Airplane

born in 1939 in chicago, il; moves to san francisco. her aspiration was to be a housewise. friends with janis joplin. chooses her college based on fun potential. forms a band, grace slick and the great society, which pokes fun at president johnson's agenda, and there are political themes. then she joins jefferson airplane. they become a psychedelic band. perform at major festivals. her vocals are considered stronger and more expressive. ariel swartley says that grade slick is "the first singer to cut through a mix with the sustained steel authority of an electric guitar." personas: bitch, acid priestess, mother superior, revolutionary warrior, alien queen. walks away from music in 1989 and turns to painting.

How Elvis Presley's Music is Marketed

carl perkins tells us it is a white man's music with a black man's rhythm. typically sung by southerners. hybrid of white country and black blues. emphasizes the country side of rock and roll.

image Mercury Records Conceives for Leslie Gore

clothing is very conservative, making her seem richer and more sophisticated (ski lodge thing), reputation (spoiled rich girl)

The Supremes

considered the most successful girl group of all time. members: diana ross, florence ballard, mary wilson. detroit, MI. their motown audition was acapella. original name was the primettes. mary wilson said the supremes got no advance, no salary, all expenses were taken from their royalties, and their royalties were literally pennies. six of their singles were flops. group was driven apart by fights between mary wilson and diana ross. though diana ross was the star, florence ballard was the better singer. after ballard left, the 1st consideration for finding a replacement was someone who could fit into her dresses.

Motown's Artists Development Department

created in 1964. idea is to polish the acts as a means to integrate them with white audiences. members: maurice king (vocal coach; takes motown hits and makes them more sophisticated), cholly atkins (choreographer, wanted singers to narrate songs with gestures and moves, differed with gender), maxine powell (finishing school)

Phil Spector

creepy douchenugget. NOT motown. known as "mad genius," "the boy of wonder pop." he's as important, if not more, than the musicians he works with. to know him is to love him is his first hit. he has a set of rules. he spends 3500 on his recording sessions; the typical amount is 500. he had a belief of what lyrics should do to people. the industry people were irritated by how he did things -- his cockiness and attitude, etc. he preferred to work with girl groups because they were easier to control. he retained control of his groups' names. marries ronnie bennett. his demise: he kills a waitress.

Obstacles Faced by Janis Martin

difficult for an audience to accept that a white girl is singing rockabilly. sang in country shows for an audience that doesn't wanna hear rock and roll. in the middle of a record company, management, and promoters.

Colonel Tom Parker

elvis's manager. contract with RCA had him making $35k and working almost everyday. billed as a "hillbilly singer" and he had national exposure.

Wanda Jackson

known as the first lady of rock, queen of rockabilly, queen of rock. marketed as the female counterpart to elvis in the 1950s. "a nice lady with a dirty voice." will be told what to wear, what to say, what to sing. opens for elvis, who tells her: "you can do this." she wrote her own songs (some country, some rockabilly).

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thorton

from Alabama. records "Hound Dog" in 1952. she was a self-taught muscician, plays the trums and harmonica. seen as an heir to Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. the nickname big mama comes from the fact that she at one time weighed 350 pounds. she dies penniless and alone on july 25th, 1984 of heart and liver complications.

Three Necessary Qualities for a Great Singer

head (intelligence), heart (emotion), throat (chops/vocals)

Janis Jopin

her big performance was her cover of big mama thorton's ball and chain at the monterey pop music fest. it's considered one of the greatest performances in rock music history. peggy caserta told joplin to sing this "as if it's your only chance." gillian goar says that joplin is "the next major female solo singer since aretha franklin." lucy o'brien says about joplin:: "victim, visionary, valkyrie" and "rock music's first female star casualty." bessie smith inspired her. her career lasted four years. she was considered the best white blues of the 60s. she went to UT austin, where she didn't make any friends or fit in; she was voted ugliest guy on campus. her nickname was "pearl." she joined big brother and the holding company in 1966. joplin taught women how to compete with men. she looks sexual and confident onstage. she's both pimply and vulnerable. her two sides: the tomboy who takes no shit, and the vulnerable girl who's scared of not being loved. her biggest attraction and greatest downfall is her vulnerability. she dies oct. 4, 1970 from a heroin OD. from her career, we can learn to ask questions such as: do we have to be as tough as men? do we have to be as invested? subsequent female musicians saw her vulnerability and pain as dangerous. she's considered a cautionary tale whose path was too dangerous to follow.

Florence Ballard

her father inspired her musical aspirations. was raped at gunpoint as a teenager by a friend. her voice is similar to aretha franklin's; she made covers her own. she had to stand 17 feet away from the mic when recording -- that's how powerful her voice was. her downfall: she starting drinking and had weight issues. died at 32 years old of a cardiac arrest.

Why Wanda Jackson Was Successful

her singing style and live performances, as well as the fact that her lyrics depict a strong, mature woman

Aretha Franklin

her voice had a sexual payload. she has head, heart, and throat. known as the Queen of Soul. she's a symbol of black america. her father was reverend c. l. franklin. she performs on the gospel circuit; her first album is gospel. her mom dies as a kid; she's raised by her paternal grandma. becomes pregnant as a teen; has 3 sons by the time she's 22. her father doesn't want her to join motown bc he doesn't want her to pretend; he wants her to be a natural star. john hammond at columbia said she's the most exciting singer since billie holiday. jerry wexler wants her to bring in her own material, wants her to play the piano herself. she can change her timber, range, and dynamics. the aretha award. 1st woman inducted into the hall of fame. themes in her songs: sexual desire, heartbreak, personal growth. in the recording studio, she plays the piano herself and comes in with the full picture of how she wants the song to go.

What Maxine Powell Taught Young Women

how to walk, how to talk, how to dress

Motown

independent record label in Detroit, MI created by Barry Gordy Jr. in 1959. sign outside the house said Hitsville, USA. by 1965, it was the most successful black-run enterprise in the US. mostly staffed and run by blacks. obsession was in creating a hit song. the "sound of young america." songs were their priority.

Etta James

is compared to billie holiday. she doesn't know who her father is. she is rebellious as a teenager; sings in the church as a child. starts a trio with her friends -- "Peaches". when she sings for Johnny Ottis, she stands in the bathroom with her back turned to him. she admired Ruth Brown greatly. Etta has a bad temperament, though she's greatly talented; she tells people off and doesn't trust them. in fact, she points a loaded gun at tour people until they give her her money. she's rebellious and loves to party. she signs a contract with Chess Records in 1960. Etta says: "if i don't feel it, i can't sing it." develops an addiction to heroin and a reputation as a junkie. depicted in cadillac records by beyonce. famous songs: "at last" "tell mama" "i'd rather go blind"

LaVern Baker

known as "The Countess." called the Bessie Smith of her day. Famous aunt: Memphis Minnie. sang gospel, but more familiar singing secular styles. at the club DelLisa in Chicago, she is billed at Little Miss Sharecropper. they want to make her a blues singer. she makes her career in Europe. in her 1957 Australia tour, she names georgia gibbs her life insurance beneficiary. famous song: "jim dandy"

Defining Elements in Elvis's Live Performances

the sneer, hurt expression, physical movements, haircut, vulnerability

"It's My Party" (1963)

leslie gore. huge success. inspired my songwriter's daughter throwing a fit and saying the phrase after her parents forced her to invite her grandparents to her bday party. phil spector wanted the song for the crystals. the situation is that the narrator's boyfriend comes into the party with a girl named judy and seems to be over her so she's upset and says it's my party and i'll cry if i want to.

"You Don't Own Me" (1963)

leslie gore. independence! girl stands up to her bf. worldwide hit.

"Judy's Turn To Cry" (1963)

leslie gore. sequel song to it's my party. tables turn. the bf boy returns to her so now it's judy's turn to cry.

The Ronettes

members: veronica and estelle bennett, nedra talley. names they considered: dolly sisters, ronnie and the relatives, the ronettes. peppermint lounge: guard mistakes them for one of the acts; this is where they get their big break. phil spector falls in love with ronnie at first sight, says her voice is "what he's been looking for." they're all about seduction. ronnie doesn't tour in 1966 bc she marries spector.

Martha and the Vandellas

most soulful of motown groups. members: martha reeves, rosalind ashford, annette sterling, gloria williams. projected a grittier, less defined and more defiant/less girly image than the Supremes. Martha lands them the gig through her job. they got the name because van = van dyke street (where martha's gma lived) and della (for della rees, one of her fave singers). Martha asks Berry Gordy business questions, but thinks she's too obsessed with the Supremes.

Motown Contract

motown can substitute members. if a particular member does not sing on a record, she does not receive any of the royalties. standard royalty for motown sessions = 8% of 90% of wholesale price. if a member of the group leaves, then she can't use the group's name or claim association to the group, and motown will select the replacement, NOT the girls. all $$ spent on the group comes from their royalties. motown does not have to release all of their recordings. motown will act as their financial advisor, booking agent, manager, accountant, lawyer.

Decline of Girl Groups

no career build up. most singers were session singers. british invention. rarely had their pics taken. were not the subject of teen mag articles. managers/promoters questioned whether teens would identify with them. political themes in music. musicians were expected to play their own instruments now.

Sam Phillips/Sun Records

opens memphis recording services in 1950. begins sun records in 1952. records howlin' wolf and b.b. king. for $2 a side, anyone can come in and record. he's looking for a white man with a black man's feel.

"To Know Him Is To Love Him" (1958)

phil spector's first hit. inspiration was his father's gravestone. group: the teddy bears.

C.L. Franklin

prominent baptist reverend, Aretha Franklin's father, really great storyteller. first black minister on the radio in detroit; his sermons were head on the radio and via Chess Records.

"Hound Dog"

reaches #1 in the r&b charts. the hound dog is a jigolo - a man who cheats on her. leiber and stoller wrote the song for her. elvis covered it and gave it a crappy interpretation tbh.

Monterey International Pop Fest

san fran bands think that the people who go to these are a bunch of hippies. performers: jimmi hendrix, janis joplin, the who, ottis redding

Wanda Jackson's Fashion and Image

she wanted to make things more girly/feminine. her mom makes all of her clothes.

Wanda Jackson's Difficulties on the Road

she was the only woman in a dressing room full of men. she was a single woman on the road, which was difficult, but her dad would go on tour with her.

Difference Between Blues and Gospel

sippie wallace: "there's no difference; in gospel we say jesus, in blues we say baby." mahalia jackson: "gospel is the song of hope; blues is the sound of despair."

Elvis Presley

the kind of rock n'roll. importance to rock n' roll: elvis had the moment. he was a versatile singer: could sing gospel, blues, country, rock, etc. black musicians acknowledge that he helped open doors. he had a sexy image. he was born in mississippi, had a stillborn twin brother, was a mama's boy, and lived at the poverty level. growing up, he listened to country, r&b, and croonies. after graduating from hs, he worked as a truck driver. in 1953, he records "my happiness" and "that's when your heartaches begin" at memphis recording services. he releases "that's all right" (a side) and "blue moon of kentucky" (b side), which sells 20k copies. 1956 national spotlight -- the dorsy brothers stage show. released "heartbreak hotel" which was his first RCA song, becomes a song about teenage alienation. "hound dog" performances in 1956 got bad feedback.

Phil Spector's Beliefs of What Lyrics Should Do

they should paint a visual picture. relate a concise universal story. they should take you to a world where these two merge.

Janis Joplin's Performances

they were powerful because they had a different kind of vocal virtuosity, were uninhibited, her voice expresses words emotions can't, and she has a wail

Traditional View of Female Singers and Women in General

traditionally, women have been seen as moral, submissive, controllable, gentle, soft. as a wife, women are noted for their stability, fidelity, and being affectionate. as mothers, they're known for being gentle, patient, moral. sexually active women are considered deviant from the social norm; they are Earthly rather than spiritual, a woman of flesh and blood. janis joplin challenged all of these notions.

Motown's Production Evaluation Committee

used cheap acetate to replicate the tinny sound of a car radio. each record is evaluated based on hit potential. only the strongest song was released.

Martha Reeves

used her job as a secretary at Motown to bring the Vandellas in to work as backing singers. as a secretary, she installs a system so that musicians get paid correctly. listens to audition tapes. member of martha and the vandellas.

Darlene Love

vocal powerhouse. session singer. vocalist for The Blossoms. sings lead on the Crystals' version of He's a Rebel. Spector got on her nerves; they severed ties later. famous song: "good, good lovin'"

Quincy Jones

wants to work with Leslie Gore because: of her jazz sensibilities (she listened to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday), her ability to shape a lie, she can sing in tune

Whitewashing

where white artists cover black artists' music and black artists lose the monetary compensation and social recognition