Chapter 7 Psychedelia
Beatles Break up
1970
2 Psychedelic approaches to music
1. Ue music to enhance a drug trip. The focus is the drug experience and the music is a soundtrack that may provoke a response with novel and unfamiliar sounds, but does not provide a trip itself. (Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd) 2. Understand the music as the trip. The artist must craft music that acts as an aesthetic drug, taking the listener on a natural journey that may or may not be enhanced by the use of drugs. (Doors and Beatles)
Beatles quit live performances after Revolver because
1. recent songs were nearly impossible to perform live 2. fan noise made performances unpleasant 3. John Lennon's controversial remarks about Christianity made live too dangerous 4. Making songs they knew didn't need to be reproduced live allowed for more freedom in recording studio and creative ambitions of psychedelic movement
Country Joe and the Fish
Active in radical politics in Berkely, CA differed from hippies CJ and the Fish were a bridge between the two communities EP was included in Rag Baby, radical magazine, and debut albumm was a psychedelic album origins in acoustic blues and fol, but moments are influenced by use of LSD I feel like I'm fixing to die was a denouncement of Vietnam war Fish Cheer, band said **** instead of fish at woodstock and live performances
Revolver
Album by beatles, "Tomorrow Never Knows" song on it...introduction of psychedelia into the mainstream
Mentors of SF emerging hippie movement
Allen Ginsberg (beat) Michael McClure and Gary Snyder
Ken Kesey
Author, leader of counterculture of psychedelia
SMiLE
Beach Boys album never released
Pet Sounds
Beach Boys album, Wilson was inspired by Beatles album Rubber Soul and how all the songs worked together
"Good Vibrations"
Beach Boys response to TKN, ambitious, took more studio time and budget allocations than any other single ever... Contrasting verse chorus takes listener on a trip Each section recorded separately and spliced together later new musical material introduced in each of the 3 sections
Brian Wilson
Beach Boys, quest to surpass Phil Spector led to increasingly experimental approach
London Scene
Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg organized "Poets of the World" brought over 5000 people under influence of pot or acid to crowd. inaugurated the London psychedelic underground
Brian Epstein
Beatles Manager, died in summer 1967 of drug overdose. Beatles took over own affairs and formed Apple Records (Beach Boys formed Brother records around same time)
Capitol Records
Beatles and Beach Boys both signed to them in US
Rolling Stones psychedelia
Brian Jones influence lessened, replaced by Jagger-Richards psongwriting "Satanic Majesties Request" cover was holographic and featured them as wizards Trying to compete with Beatles. Return to rhythm and blues roots with songs like "Jumping Jack Flash" Beggars Banquet album with return to roots
Warlocks
Changed name to Grateful dead, present at one of Kesey's largest acid tests
Sunshine of your Love
Cream, built around guitar riff repeated throughout song combined with 12 bar blues structure to create verses that repeat throughout the tune 12 bar pattern is doubled to 24 original blues-rock song that builds on and expands traditional blues techniques
Single oriented pop in late 60s
Directed at teens via AM radio
Beatles influence
Eastern philosophy interest..became students of transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Cream
First "Super Group" July 66 Eric Clapton Jack Bruce Ginger Baker Began by covering traditional blues songs CLapton incorporated "rave-ups" had knack for pop singles instrumental soloing
Pink Floyd
First band to make name in london underground scene Formed name from American bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. more influenced by avant-garde music extended improvisations Elaborate light shows at concerts
A Tribute to Dr. Strange
First psychedelic dance organized at a longshoremen's hall and featured Charlatans and Jefferson Airplane and the Great Society
Traffic
Formed by Steve Winwood British flower power, sitar, upbeat vocal melody Experimented with broad range of styles...psychedelic pop and blues, latin rhythms, classical instrumentations, and jazz soloing.
SF psychedelic scene
Grew out of the area's beat movement of late 50s and early 60s
Van Morrison
Iris singer-songwriter member of band Them, garage band solo career in 1967 Brown Eye Girl solo hit experimental side,
The Lizard King
Jim Morrison's alter ego influenced many performers
Summer of Love
June, July, August 1967
The Byrds
LA mid 60s Eight Miles High song cotroversial in 66 attempted to mix rock with country
Love
LA psychedelic Scene band
Psychedelia origins
London and San Francisco underground movements
Monterey International Pop Festival
Organized by John Phillips and Lou Adler June 16-18 Hendrix first US appearance Mamas and Papas last performance together Beach Boys didn't play Otis redding brought staxx sound between 55k and 90k people there Broad range of international acts
Woodstock
Peak of outdoor festivals Bethel, New York August 15-16 1969 drew at least 400k hippies Documentary film made of it in 1970 live album
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
London in September 66 formed Jimi Hendrix Experience Purple Haze, Hey Joe were hits in London appeared at Monterey International Pop Festival in 67, caused US success Woodstock performance died of OD in 1970 Blended blues and pop chord progressions from electric blues which form pop hooks. 1983 was most ambitious track 14 mins long. atmospheric instrumentals, avant-guard touch to song. used feedback and vibrato bar
Changes in Beatles and Beach Boys music late 60s
Lyrics addressed more serious topics, a wider range of instrumentation was used, harmonic language became more innovative, standard formal types were often modified or abandoned and more time was taken in the stdio to record tracks that were often not reproducible in live performance.
Vanilla Fudge
New zYork Took simple pop songs and made them elaborate lengthy covers psychedelic symphonic cover versions influence prog rock
The Grateful Dead
SF center of psychedelia roots in folk music Jerry Garcia guitarist, started out as folk etc began as warlocks hosue band for Kesey acid tests improvisational approach signed by MGM in 66, parted ways without record produced. signed with Warner bros and released debut album The Grateful Dead 2nd album Anthem of the Sun 68: extension of Tomorrow never knows, mixed tracks fans traded bootleg recordings of live performances Dark Star famous song
Iron Butterfly
San Diego in 66 heavy menacing later influenced black sabbath and other heavy metal music
Jefferson Airplane
Singer Marty Balin and guitarist Paul Kantner mid 65 SF scene earlier than the dead Deal with RCA Jack Cassady bassist JA Takes off ..album, Grace slick joined in 67, brought tracks white rabbit and somebody to love, which were on second album Surrealistic Pillow INFLUENCES WERE: American folk and blues, but elements of modal jazz and Indian music can be found throughout music
White Rabbit
Single of JA blended músical ambition with AM format AABA from with intro includes dramatic ending refer to Alice in Wonderland and drugs modeled on Spanish bolero, heard in guitar in intro Single long crecendo, continually builds up towards climax
"Eight Miles High"
Song by the Byrds, hit charts in 1966, first sign of drug use public in youth culture and rock music
Buffalo Springfield
Song influenced book title "For what its worth" chorus has title in it
The Psychedelic Experience
Timothy Leary's 1964 Book, offeredd a guide to acid use based on the ancient Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Donovan
Traditional folk singer and songwriter used electric guitars, keyboards bass and drums as folk rock developed leading figure for hippie pacifism
Hippies sought truth through
Use of LSD
First stirrings of psychedelia
Virginia City, Nevada at Red Dog Saloon. June 1965 Charlatans became house band there....free form music, acid tripping grew
Ken Kesey acid tests
he and band called Merry Pranksters had been traveling country in painted schools with destination further since 1964. LSD, people paid dollar to experience acid tests First offered acid tests in November 65 in Santa Cruz
Penny Lane
inspired by a Bach concerto
Janis Joplin
left BBHC and debut album came out in 69 I got den ol cosmic blues again mama! drug and alcohol abuse Oct. 4, 1970 found dead from OD Powerful blues style hard living image was like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Big Mama Thorton. Central figure in Haight-Ashbury scene Connection between psychedelia and African-American Music
San Francisco
local psychedelic scene had been developing here since mid-1965
Strawberry Fields Forever
more adventurous. uses cellos, reversed- tape, inside the piano playing, and the Mellotron, early sampling keyboard that uses taped sounds Final version is combination of 2 different versions recorded at different tempos and in different keys fades out at end, silence, and new music fades in
UFO club
most prominent gathering of psychedelic underground in London
Differences in beats and hippies
music: Beats liked jazz of be-bop musicians (Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie) Hippies liked Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Beatles
Haight-Ashbury
old Victorian neighborhood where counterculture developed rapidly
Michael Hollingshead
opened the World Psychedelic Center in London, which would become the center for psychedelic music and culture in English area.
Altamont
organized by Rolling Stones December 6, 1969 Altamont Speedway in Livermore, CA planned for Grateful Dead to sneak Stones into golden gate park for free show, but officials canceled it. Hells Angels were security waited until nightfall to begin their portion of the show, which left open spot in the day for people there with nohing to do. planned a light show, so waited fans were beaten, Meridith hunter, black 18 yo fan beaten to death when pulled a gun seen as event that ended hippie era
Dylan and the Band
post 1966 records country rock records, band was canadian
2 types of bands in London scene during 66-69
1. Commercial successes: Beatles, Stones, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Donovan. 2. Success limited to London Underground:
Human Be-In
Held in Golden Gate Park in January 1967, brought together thousands of hippies for a day pf poetry, spirituality, and music provided by local bands (Jefferson Airplane) , imitated in a few months in NY and LA
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Idea was to have fake band host artists, but broke down after first song, "SPLHCB" singer "Billy Shears" (Ringo) to sing "With a Little help From my Friends" No gaps between songs, album packaging participated in charade Cited as rocks first Concept Album
Beatles at EMI in London
Idea was to make album about central theme of their memories of growing up in Liverpool By early 67 EMI wanted a single Released "Penny Lane" (McCartney scenes from childhood) and "Strawberry Fields Forever" (park lennon played in) Dropped idea about growing up, then shifted to idea of fictional band.
LSD
created in 43 as a headache cure, tested by CIA as truth serum, viewed as a kind of magic drug that led to a higher consciousness
album oriented rock
directed at older teens and college age listeners on FM
SPLHCB had
elaborate photos bound with concept, lyrics printed on cover showing they were central to experience, wide range of style. Caused new focus on album rather than single
Timothy Leary
ex Harvard professor, advised turn on tune in and drop out...hallucinogenic drugs
Big Brother and the Holding Company and Janis Joplin
experimented with classical and avant-garde music backed up Janis Joplin on electric blues formed by Chet Helms who convinced Joplin to return to SF to join band 2nd album Cheap Thrills hit no 1 in US Single "Piece of my Heart"
The Doors and Jim Morrison
formed in LA in 65 moody brand of blues based psychedelia, lingered over dark aspects of emotional life explored the "bad Trip" of drug use alienation, repression, bad boy, nonconformist, overtly sexual images on stage
Tom Donahue
frustrated with AM radio business, developed new free from approach to programming, featured longer tracks placed back to back with less talking between...KMPX-FM, started with slot in april 67. first to make format successful
Spontaneous Underground
weekly events youth, combined poetry music etc. like Kesey's acid Tests
