MUS 349 Exam #2
Chicago R+B
-Chess Records -Vee-Jay Records -Okeh Records
Bob Dylan
-New York City: he became active in the folk music scene; his early success was with albums rather than hit singles -accomplished songwriter, modelled his approach after woody guthrie -records were widely influential and demonstrated that pop music could address serious social concerns
Stax Artists
-Otis Redding -Sam and Dave -Wilson Pickett
Motown Girl Groups
-The Supremes, formed in 1959: quintessential Motown girl group gravitating around lead singer Diana Ross -Working with Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH), the Supremes had a series of successful singles
Two Psychedelic Approaches to Music
1.enhance a drug trip 2.the music itself can be understood as the trip
L.A Based Bands
The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield
Cliff Richard
"first" british rock musician -career modeled after elvis
Southern Soul
- (e.g., Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett) -incorporated a more authentic emotional expression of gospel music than Sweet Soul. -Both black and white listeners reportedly perceived it as truer to African American heritage
Paul Revere and the Raiders
- based Pacific Northwest -after their initial success stalled out, they reached a national television audience with the help of Dick Clark in 1965 and had chart hits for the rest of the decade -TV ROCK
First big Garage Band hit
- the Kingsmen's cover of "Louie Louie" -rumors that the difficult-to-discern lyrics were obscene led to government investigations. -After this, American record labels put out a series of records by unknown garage bands; some of these groups had one-time Top 40 hits, and a few enjoyed continued success.
Jerry Wexler
-(Atlantic Records producer) is credited with coining the term, "Rhythm and Blues" -also responsible for changing the term "Race" records in the Billboard Magazine charts to the "R &B" record chart
Barry Gordy Jr.
-1959, Gordy formed Motown Records; he recognized the commercial potential of crossover. -Gordy's production method was derived from Brill Building practices; he gave songwriting and production duties to specialists.
Beatlemania (1963-1966)
-1963, "Please Please Me" = big beatles success in UK, did not translate to U.S market -In U.S: Beatles' early singles were licensed to indie labels because Capitol Records (EMI's subsidiary) presumed that the British group would fail.
The Memphis Connection
-Atlantic formed a distribution partnership with a smaller, Memphis-based label called Stax (abbreviated last names o the record company's owners: Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton) -Stax's studio band, Booker T. & the MG's developed a national audience with instrumental rock blues hits like, "Green Onions". For Stax records, they often worked without prepared arrangements, production duties or credits as the backup band to other artists
Atlantic Records in the Late 1960's
-Atlantic invested in a harder-edged style of black pop known as southern soul. -Atlantic's Jerry Wexler produced successful singles for gospel-influenced singer Solomon Burke in the early 1960s
From Craftsmen to Artists
-Beatles Early music (63-64) focuses more on craft: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" -By 1965, the Beatles began to incorporate a wider range of musical influences in their variety of instruments, timbres, and lyrical creativity -"Tomorrow Never Knows" (1966) good ex of later music style
Subterranean Homesick Blues
-Bob Dylan's first top 40 hit in the U.S. -Rapid-fire lyrics are filled with contemporary references (e.g., The Civil Rights movement -had a widespread effect on culture, politics, and music (e.g., cue card dropping, references in judicial decisions, or influences on many other artists including REM, INXS, and Radiohead)
Motown as a system
-Gordy encouraged internal competition and quality control within the company. -Gordy wanted Motown artists to project sophistication; he hired a choreographer and a finishing school teacher to work with his acts.
Acid Tests
-Ken Kesey and the "Merry Pranksters" organized event, during which he provided doses of LSD and an unpredictable "stimulating environment" meant to intensify the drug's effects. -environment often included light and slide shows, bizarre sound effects, and rock music. -Grateful Dead often served as the house band for these events and specialized in performing long-playing improvised sets to fit the mood of the atmosphere.
NYC during British Invasion
-Lovin Spoonful and the Rascals -Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons also continued to have hits during the British invasion -Leiber and Stoller continued to produce hits on their label Red Bird; Bert Berns formed Bang! records with executives from Atlantic Records and had success with the McCoys and Neil Diamond
Beatles as catalyst for cultural/musical change
-Making the case for bands that create their own music! As their popularity increased, their freedom to create music as they wished increased -Integrating performance venues in the south for the first time -Political, cultural commentary in their music and public life -Their early frustrations with large stadium concerts changed the logistics of arena rock -British artists were able to reclaim the pop music charts in their own country. -More opportunities for British musicians in other countries, particularly the United States.
Aretha Franklin
-Raised in the gospel tradition, grew up singing gospel music in church. -Originally marketed by Columbia as a lounge/nightclub singer, shifted to Atlantic records in 1967 and broke out nationally as a soul/R&B singer . -First woman inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Characteristics (overlap with soul)
-Slow, soft beginnings that intensify rhythm, dynamics, and range. -Featured timbres include piano, organ and sometimes choirs -Blends church choir timbres with R&B timbres (drums, tambourine, electric guitar, bass) -Highly melismatic singing style (many notes for one syllable of text) -Compared to church hymns, gospel music is more syncopated and high energy in its refrains and chorus sections -Lyrical repetition of memorable lines and climactic themes
Eastern Spirituality in 1960's Counterculture
-The Beatles traveled to India and began to include more Indian music (e.g., sitar) and Eastern philosophy in their music. -Ravi Shankar's performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival opened American ears to more authentic Indian music traditions
Motown Guy Groups
-The Temptations were a Motown group known for their athletic dance moves -The Four Tops were more experienced than many other Motown groups -produced a series of hits with Holland-Dozier-Holland
Red Dog Saloon
-Virginia City, Nevada, was an early center of psychedelic music and culture -
Ground set for British Invasion
-after elvis U.S was looking for the next big thing in music -
1965 Dylan Controversy
-began to break from folk traditions by using electric instruments; this became controversial when he performed at the Newport Folk Festival that year -had pop chart success in the summer and fall of 1965, while criticism from the folk music establishment continued
The Grateful Dead
-central to psychedelic music in the Bay Area -combined elements of folk and bluegrass and developed an improvisational approach with extended, free-form songs that were difficult to capture on record
The Impressions
-chicago R+B -led by guitarist and songwriter Curtis Mayfield -The group's music reflected the concerns of the burgeoning civil rights movement and sold well in the R&B market -"People Get Ready" (crossover r+b with heavy gospel elements)
Attitudes toward Black Music change
-crossover was so prevalent in the mid 1960s that Billboard stopped tracking R&B separately for several months. -During the 1960s, black musicians from places like Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and Atlanta had a big impact on the pop charts. -Musical trends mirrored national attitudes toward race.
Notable Events of the Early 1960's
-cuban missile crisis -kennedy assassination -growing civil rights movement and feminism -beatlemania
Beatles as Students of American Pop (1960-1963)
-extended trips to Hamburg, Germany to perform, and they were also regulars at the Cavern Club in Liverpool -The band frequently played long sets, which helped them to refine their skills. -Growing up in Liverpool gave the Beatles greater exposure to American pop music, but limited their access to the London-based music industry
Cream
-first band to be billed as a "supergroup," -success was initially in the United Kingdom; their instrumental solos paralleled what was happening in San Francisco bands, and all three of the group's members went on to solo careers
Mr. Tambourine Man (Byrds)
-first folk-rock hit single to hit number one internationally -a good example of how the American music industry responded to the British Invasion -blend of folk singing traditions with rock elements (folk rock)
The Monkees
-formed as a band for a weekly television series; the band members were selected by the show's producers -produced according to Brill Building-style procedures -"Last Train to Clarksville" demonstrates that their music does have complexity
Vee-Jay Records
-formed in 1953 and specialized in electric blues and vocal group music - the label had sales success in the 1960s with releases by Gene Chandler, the Four Seasons, the Beatles, and Betty Everett
Sgt. Pepper
-important and influential album; the inclusion of printed lyrics on the album cover and wide range of stylistic influences signaled changes taking place in rock music. -created a new focus on the album as opposed to the single in rock music
Psychedelic Movement
-influenced by other social movements of the time and was concerned with new ways of exploring the world. -Drugs played a central role in the psychedelic movement. Prior to legal restrictions, LSD was explored in psychological research and viewed in psychedelia culture as a drug that led to a "higher consciousness
Jimi Hendrix
-made his mark on the London psychedelic scene and then with legendary performances at the Monterey International Pop Festival and Woodstock -performed and recorded experimental music; his innovations, including using feedback and the vibrato bar on his electric guitar, were widely imitated
Simon and Garfunkel "The Sound of Silence"
-originally acoustic -without the knowledge of Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel, Columbia Records producer Tom Wilson overdubbed electric guitar, bass and drums to their recording in 1965 -launched their careers and illustrates the transformation of folk into folk rock
Beatles post Sgt. Pepper
-projects following Sgt. Pepper had a concept or organizing theme. -Their manager, Brian Epstein, died in 1967 and the band took over their own business affairs -opening Apple Records, which had financial difficulties -in 1970, the Beatles broke up. -The Beatles' late music placed well on the pop charts and was influential on future rock musicians
British Pop in Late 1950's and Early 60's
-radio access controlled by gov't: difficult for indie labels (very little country and western and r+b) -music business controlled by big corporations, very little indie -resurgence of american folk and jazz (leads to SKIFFLE)
Pet Sounds (1966)
-set a new standard for music production -No filler tracks. Every song was purposefully designed for this album by Brian Wilson -Assorted timbres
Human Be-In
-was a musical/political rally in 1967 that attracted over 20,000 attendees at the Golden Gate Park. -Initially organized as a response to a San Francisco ordinance outlawing LSD, the gathering generated national attention by focusing on issues in the city's hippie culture
London Psychedelic Scene
-young people formed around drugs, Eastern philosophy, radical politics, and experimental music. -Allen Ginsberg and bookstore owner Barry Miles organized a large event at London's Albert Hall featuring American and European Beat poetry readings -developed mainly outside of the clubs of "Swinging London." The UFO Club was the most prominent gathering of the psychedelic underground
How did Beatles success begin in U.S
Epstein arranged for the Beatles to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, a move that convinced Capitol Records to release "I Want to Hold Your Hand," which became a number-one hit in the United States
Timothy Leary
Ex-Harvard Professor turned LSD drug "guru." -promoted LSD for recreational and spiritual use
The Archies
Following the success of the Monkees, Don Kirschner created a group made up of cartoon characters, which was one of several fictitious bands aimed at young teens
Lonnie Donegan
King of Skiffle -most popular skiffle artist
Woodstock
Music and Art Festival, held in Bethel, NY, in 1969, was the peak of outdoor rock festivals with 400,000 in attendance; a slate of important musicians and the release of a documentary film and live album made the event a tremendous and enduring success
Motown's most successful solo artists
Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye
Skiffle
The British amalgamation of folk, jazz, and blues in 1950s UK became a localized popular style.
Herman's Hermits, Freddy and the Dreamers, and the Hollies
Three Beatles-type bands from Manchester, England had hits on American charts beginning in 1965.
Country Joe and the Fish
active in radical politics in Berkeley; they bridged a cultural gap between hippies and radicals.
Garage Bands
bands that were often amateurish and only attained regional popularity, with occasional breakouts ("one-hit-wonders")
Tom Donahue
began broadcasting long-play psychedelic music on an FM station in 1967, and FM rock stations began to spread across the country
Phil Spector (post British Invasion)
biggest hits came after the onset of the British invasion, including songs by the Righteous Brothers and Tina Turner
Iron Butterfly
considered the "heaviest" band of the late 1960s, establishing characteristics that would develop into heavy metal
Psychedelia
emerged from the underground culture of London and San Francisco and came to have a pervasive influence on rock music by the end of the 1960s
Big Brother and the Holding Company
experimented with classical and avant-garde influences; the band's singer Janis Joplin went on to success as a solo artist, known for her blues- based singing style
The Doors
formed in Los Angeles in 1965 and produced blues- based psychedelia; the band's music, and Jim Morrison's lyrics, highlighted darker aspects of emotional life
British Invasion
generally used to describe bands that featured guitars and long-haired musicians, but these groups were musically diverse
Brian Epstein
he helped the Beatles to "clean up" their stage act, land a recording contract with EMI, and place a hit record on the U.K. charts. -their manager
Ken Kesey
held small events where ppl could come and get a "cup of the stuff" and listen to improv music performances -acid trials: way to test if brain could survive acid
Haight-Ashbury (SanFran)
hot spot for psychedelic movement
Love
important band in the Los Angeles psychedelic scene, but never achieved the success of the Byrds or the Doors
Otis Redding
one of the most important artists recording for Stax; his crossover hits for the label featured gospel-influenced vocals and the backing of Booker T. & the MGs
Marvin Gaye
recorded pop and dance-oriented R&B as a soloist and with duet partners.
Chess Records
released a broad range of black pop records
Wilson Pickett
signed with Atlantic as a solo artist and Jerry Wexler sent him to Stax. During a recording session for Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," the band created a delayed backbeat feel that became a signature sound for southern soul
Stevie Wonder
signed with Motown at age eleven and had his first hit at thirteen in 1963. His career floundered briefly after his voice changed, but he began topping the charts again in 1966
Freeform FM Radio Created a distinction between...?
single-oriented pop on AM radio and the album-oriented rock on FM
Summer of Love
summer of 1967, marked the breakthrough of psychedelic music and culture into the mainstream
Fame Studios
the recording studio founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1959 by Rick Hall. -where Wilson Pickett recorded some of his best-known hits, which exhibit a distinctive "Muscle Shoals sound after Wexler fought with Stax
Stevie Windwood
the successful band the Spencer Davis Group to form the band Traffic, which experimented with a variety of musical styles and had success in the United Kingdom and eventually the United States
Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey (1967)
three-day outdoor event, and the National Jazz and Blues Festival that year also included rock musicians
Beatles Last Concert?
took place in San Francisco in 1966, as the band dealt with the toll of constant work and controversy surrounding comments made by John Lennon comparing their popularity to Jesus.
Early Beatles Lyrics
typically dealt with simple teenage love
Donovan
was influenced by Woody Guthrie, and he adapted his music to incorporate folk rock styles in the mid-1960s; he became a leading figure for hippie pacifism later in the decade
Vanilla Fudge
was known for creating elaborate and lengthy cover versions of pop songs
Okeh Records
was the "race" imprint of Columbia, which was discontinued in the 1930s and successfully revived in the 1950s to produce R&B crossover. Producer Carl Davis moved from Okeh to the Brunswick label, which also released pop and R&B hits.
Sam and Dave
were a vocal duo sent to Stax by producer Jerry Wexler. They worked with the songwriting team of David Porter and Isaac Hayes on a series of successful singles
Late Beatles Lyrics
were more complex and unconventional and reflect their tendencies toward a more "artistic" approach with modern cultural references, psychedelic themes, and spirituality
Gerry and the Pacemakers
were nearly as popular as the Beatles in the United Kingdom, but they were never quite as successful in America