History of Rock Music Ch. 4-7

“Trad” and “Skiffle” Music

“Trad” Music: Traditional New Orleans-style jazz that was popular with British artists. “Skiffle” Music: Popular genre that combined folk music with an up-tempo rhythmic feel.

The 1960s and UK Music Industry

EMI, Decca, Pye, & Phillips were 4 major record companies. They licensed records from America and and Indie to release into the UK. Rhythm&Blues and Country&Western were scarce. Very little independence.

The Beatles: Formation, Early Gigs, & Early Hits

Formed in Liverpool, Larry Parnes became their manager. Regulars at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

“Beatlemania”

The Beatles began to produce a bunch of hit singles in the UK and had a growing fanbase, causing the British to press this term.

“The British Invasion”

Used to describe bands that featured guitars and long-haired musicians, but these groups were musically diverse.

The British Blues Revival

Some groups took a more brash, nonconformist, and rebellious approach. Drew on the 1950s Chicago electric blues tradition.

The Animals and The Yardbirds

The Animals: An early blues group, who opened for Chuck Berry. The Yardbirds: Took over for the Rolling Stones at the Crawdaddy Club, super devoted to the blues tradition.

“Rave Ups”

Extended instrumental passages that allowed band members to show their performing chips.

The Rolling Stones: Formation, Early Gigs, and Early Hits

Formed by Brian Jones. Performed at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” went number 1 on both American and British charts

The Kinks and The Who

Simple Beatles and The Rolling Stones type categorization. The Kinks: Involved in the blues music along with the pop music. The Who: No influence until the 60s

Women of The British Invasion

Marianna Faithfull and Cilla Black: Successful in the UK. Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield: Had hits that did well in the US

Bob Dylan

Moved from MN to NY, had success with albums more so than singles. Began writing more personal lyrics. Performed at the Newport Folk Festival. Pop music can address serious issues.

Greenwich Village

By 1964, Bob Dylan became one of the most respected folk singers in the US

The Byrds

Formed in LA, some band members have been active in the NY folk music, played gigs at night while working at the Brill Building during the day. Wrote rock versions of folk songs.

Mr. Tambourine Man

Written by Bob Dylan and was the first folk-rock single to hit number one internationally

12-String Guitar

Inspired by George Harrison’s use of one in the movie, “A Hard Day’s Night” became part of The Byrd’s signature sound.

Simon and Garfunkel

Their recording “The Sounds of Silence” helped launch their careers, showing the transformation of folk into folk rock. They broke apart when their first album did bad sales wise, but reunited when a remix of their song became number 1 on the charts which led onto a successful career.

Evolution of The Beach Boys Sound

Brian Wilson decided to stop touring focus on writing and recording. He had a very sophisticated approach. They produced more albums that influenced the Beatles to experiment more while recording.

Pet Sounds

An album that set a new standard for music production in the industry and shows Phil Spector’s influence.

The Four Seasons

Continued to have hits during the British Invasion - the group had a doo-wop vocal style

Sonny and Cher

Sometimes worked for Phil Spector and produced music together. Contributed to developments in the hippie fashion

Garage Bands

Guys would produce music in their garages and low quality equipment. The first important garage hit was produced by the Kingsmen

“Louie, Louie”

Rumors that the difficult-to-discern lyrics were obscene led to government investigations

The Monkees

Formed as a band for a tv show. The members of the band generally did not play on their early records, which caused a stir when it leaked to the public.

Motown Records

Motown was an independent label based in Detroit whose most significant era paralleled that of the Beatles. Gordy formed the group after seeing the commercial potential of crossover records.

Quality Control - Motown Records

Gordy encouraged internal competition and held weekly meetings to hold a final test for each song, including its arrangement and recorded sound

H-D-H

Worked with the Supremes. They were a songwriting/production team.

The Supremes

A very commercially successful Motown girl group that had a rocky start (being told to go home and finish school), but were eventually signed on by Motown

Reverse Invasion

R&B interest, British groups traveled to America to record, Motown sent its artists to the UK for a 3 week tour called the Motown Revue, the event was seen as a financial loss, but it had a long term impact on a relationship lasting decades.

Stax Records - House Musicians

Memphis based label, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett

Southern Soul

Harder edged style of Black pop, often characterized by the kind of emotional expression associated with gospel music. Jerry Wexler played a crucial role in promoting this music.

Aretha Franklin

Persued a singing career in NY to record for Columbia Records. Switched to Atlantic Records. After a dispute in Muscle Shoals, recordings happened back at NY. These sessions produced some of her biggest hits.

James Brown

Began his career in the Famous Flames. He began to transition from doo-wop to soul style, causing him to become famous. Known for his stage show. Never had full control over his career.

Black Urban Life in the Music of the 1970s

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. His death affected Black music. Stax records was sold. Motown records experienced major personnel changes. By the 1970s, issues in Black urban life became central to the work of the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder

Timothy Leary

Ex Harvard professor that publicly rejected “the establishment”. He advocated using hallucinogenic drug to “unlock the doors of perception” Aldous Juxley’s 1954 book of the same name.

Drug Use and Eastern Traditions

Timothy’s book offered a guide to acid. Drug use wasn’t part of practice of most Eastern traditions, but the hippie counterculture in the West blended the two, arriving at a world view committed to cultural change, with music at its center

Capitol Records

The Beach Boys and The Beatles both recorded for this label, so they had to compete for the public’s attention and the label’s attention.

The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”

Required more studio time and money than any other pop song before it

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Album centered around common memories of growing up in Liverpool, which was later dropped. First “concept album”.

Haight-Ashbury

Old victorian neighborhood in San Francisco that became the center of the US psychedelic scene.

The Family Dog

A group of friends began organizing psychedelic dances that provided LSD to attendees

The Grateful Dead

Central to psychedelic music in the Bay Area and were one of the foundational Jam Bands of Rock music. Shorter songs.

The UFO

Short lived, but was the most prominent gathering of the psychedelic underground. Largely avant-garde happenings took place at various locations across the city.

Pink Floyd

One of the first bands to come out of the underground scene and were regulators at UFO club events. Had radio friendly music, but refused to perform those live.

Cream

The first band to be billed as a “supergroup”, and formed to play blues music

Jimi Hendrix

One of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music. Chas Chandler one of The Animals offered to mange him after hearing him play at Greenwich Village.

The Doors

Formed in Los Angeles and produced blues based psychedelia. Highlighted darker aspects of emotional life and drug use.

The Monterey International Pop Festival

Organized by John Phillips of the Mammas and Pappas and record company executives. This marked the first important international rock festival.

The Woodstock Music and Art Festival

Held in Bethel, NY, was an event that made roadways in upstate NY closed down due to regional gridlock. People expected to get in for free, but the crowd was too big that security couldn’t keep up with the crowd.

Altamont

The Rolling Stones organized a festival where The Grateful Dead would sneak on stage for a surprise show. Instead, the event was relocated to an old racetrack outside San Francisco. The event ended in a tragedy.