EXAM2-Music

Alan Freed (Rock & Roll) – DJ who popularized rock & roll and helped bring it to mainstream audiences.

Chuck Berry (Early Rock & Roll) – Guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his energetic performances and pioneering contributions to early rock music.

Little Richard (Early Rock & Roll) – Dynamic performer with a flamboyant style who influenced many later rock musicians.

Fats Domino (R&B, Early Rock & Roll) – Pianist and singer known for his smooth voice and influence on early rock and rhythm & blues.

Elvis Presley (Rock & Roll, Rockabilly) – One of the best-selling rock artists of all time, credited with revolutionizing music and performance.

Buddy Holly (Early Rock & Roll) – Singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for shaping early rock bands and song structures.

Wanda Jackson (Rockabilly, Country) – Influential female singer who helped bridge rock and country music.

Ritchie Valens (Early Rock & Roll, Chicano Rock) – Young musician who introduced Latin influences into mainstream American rock music.

Phil Spector (Pop, Rock) – Producer known for creating the "Wall of Sound" recording technique that shaped pop and rock music.

Berry Gordy (R&B, Soul, Pop) – Founder of Motown, a record label that shaped R&B, soul, and pop music.

Brian Wilson (Pop Rock, Surf Rock) – Musician, songwriter, and producer known for his work with The Beach Boys and innovative studio techniques.

The Beatles (Rock, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Rock) – One of the most influential bands in history, known for evolving their sound and redefining modern rock and pop music.

Herb Alpert (Jazz, Pop) – Trumpeter and bandleader known for his instrumental contributions and record company success.

Ray Charles (R&B, Soul) – Pianist and singer who blended R&B, soul, and jazz, known for his rich voice and musical innovation.

Sam Cooke (Soul, R&B) – Singer and songwriter whose smooth voice and socially conscious lyrics left a lasting impact.

James Brown (Funk, Soul) – High-energy performer known for his stage presence, influence on funk music, and long-lasting career.

Aretha Franklin (Soul, R&B) – Iconic vocalist known for her powerful performances and significant cultural influence.

Righteous Brothers (Blue-eyed Soul) – Duo famous for their emotionally charged songs and strong vocal harmonies.

Dionne Warwick (Pop, R&B) – Singer known for her smooth, elegant voice and a long career of hit songs in pop and R&B.

Jimi Hendrix (Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock) – Guitarist known for his groundbreaking techniques, innovative sound, and electrifying performances.

Eric Clapton (Blues Rock) – Guitarist and singer with a lasting influence on rock and blues music.

Patsy Cline (Country) – Singer known for her emotional delivery and crossover appeal between country and pop.

Bob Dylan (Folk Rock) – Songwriter and performer whose poetic lyrics and influence on folk and rock music are widely recognized.

Simon & Garfunkel (Folk Rock) – Duo known for their poetic lyrics, harmonies, and contributions to folk-influenced rock.

Jefferson Airplane (Psychedelic Rock) – Band that played a significant role in shaping the psychedelic rock movement.

Janis Joplin (Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock) – Singer known for her raw, powerful voice and passionate performances.

The Grateful Dead (Psychedelic Rock, Jam Band) – Band known for improvisational performances and dedicated fan following.

Carole King (Pop Rock, Soft Rock) – Songwriter and singer known for writing numerous hits before launching her own successful solo career.

Dolly Parton (Country) – Singer, songwriter, and philanthropist known for her impact on country music.

John Denver (Folk, Country) – Singer-songwriter recognized for his heartfelt lyrics and strong connection to nature.

Elton John (Pop Rock, Glam Rock) – Pianist, singer, and songwriter with a flamboyant stage presence and a long list of hits.

Stevie Wonder (R&B, Soul, Funk) – Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter known for his innovation and lasting influence.

David Bowie (Glam Rock, Art Rock) – Performer and songwriter known for constantly reinventing his image and sound.

Allman Brothers Band (Southern Rock, Blues Rock) – Group known for its instrumental prowess and blending of blues, jazz, and rock.

Miles Davis (Jazz) – Trumpeter and bandleader who played a key role in multiple innovations in jazz.

Aretha Franklin (Soul, R&B) – Iconic singer and songwriter revered as the "Queen of Soul," known for her powerful voice and emotive performances.

The Beatles (Rock, Pop) – Groundbreaking band renowned for their innovative songwriting and influence on music and culture throughout the 1960s.

Jimi Hendrix (Rock, Psychedelic Rock) – Guitar virtuoso celebrated for his explosive performances and innovative guitar techniques that transformed rock music.

Folk Music

-            String acoustic music

-            Guitar and banjo

-            Folk music sings about story telling and poetry

-            The songs are socially and politically conscious

-            Starts in rural moves to urban

-            The preform in informal venues

-            They really tried to get audience involvement: music was singable

-            Pete seeger

o   Grew up with a good musical education

o   Political guy, charged

o   Is very influential

-            Leadbelly

-            Both sang: goodnight irene

Folk Music in the Rock’n’roll era

-            Tom dooley – ballad, repetitive, 3 million copies

-            The Kingston trio

Discussion 1:

-             

Rock n’ Roll:

-            They  have a young  audience

-            Issues from the war and civil rights

-            Investigation of artist undermining the country

o   They would check artists political views

Alan Freed : business man

-            Invested in music trend prediction

-            Invented the term Rock n roll

-            Noticed that teens really liked rhythm and blues music

-            Got in trouble for very censored tv no interracial mixing

-            He accepted bribing

Early rock n roll

-            Disc jockeys = band leaders

o   They have personalities

o   Check berry, fats domino, pat Boone, the everly brothers, elvis presley

-            The song about puppy love and having fun, cars, fashion, things more childish

-            The are are physical records

-            They weren’t an official genre just yet

-            Frank Franke Lymon and the teenagers – why do fools fall in love

-            Ricky Nelson

Cover Versions

-            A little bird told me – paula Watson and evelyn knight

-            Restricted sense

o   The sound basically the same as the original

Business

-            Small labels are very competitive

-            Very attentive to sales

-            Rock around the clock  - became the first rock n roll hit

-            People loved and hated rock and roll

The electric guitar

-            It was kind of made in the 1920s  - but they were trying to make it louder

-            Base guitars are made

-            In the 1950s- everyone is using an electric guitar

Early stars:

               Checky Berry:

-            Catchy lyricist

-            Pioneering electric guitar

-            Song: Maybellene

-            Influential guy

Little Richard 1932:

-            He couldn’t stay still : showmanship

-            Known for fashion and stage presence, kind of flamboyant

-            Long tall sally

Antonie Fat Domino:

-            Repurposed tin pan alley songs

-            Blueberry hill

-            Singer, piano, and songwriter

-            Chill guy

Elvis Presley – 1935-1977

-            Shouts , loud, and proud , crooner too

-            Gospel, southern

-            “mystery train” – super popular, new record label, new managers

o   Tom parker” get Elvis tv and movies, “Jail house rock”

o   Develops: twang in his voice, and vocal hiccup

o   Danced and moved his hips a lot, drove girls mad

o   Ed Slavin brought Elvis on the show

The million dollar quarter:

-            A album with, carl perkings, jerry lewis, and Jonny cash

Buddy holly

-            And the Crickets

-            That’ll be the day

-            Used doubling tracking

-            Apart of a band, the day that music died

Ritchie Valens (18) died within a year of his career

-            Country and western influence,  and rnb

-            “La Bamba”

Women in RnR

-            Wanda Jackson

o   Female Elvis

o   Has a twang, but later becomes a country artist

o   She was pro integration

-            Connie Francis

o   Lighter gal in music

-            Brenda Lee

o   Rock around the Christmas tree

The Role of a producer:

-            Finding talent

-            Finding background singers

-            Deciding the direction of the song, album, style, instruments

-            Most singers weren’t songwriters

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The early  1960’s

Dance music:

-            Chubby checker- he was on a dance show,

Latin sounds in 1960’s

-            Bugalu/latin soul

-            Romon mono Santamaria – watermelon man(rumba and mambo)

-            Ray barretto – bandleader from Puerto rican descent, conga player – El Watusi (distrack)

Bossa Nova – blend od samba rhythms and west coast style of modern jazz

-            Joao Gilberto

o   Chega de saudade

-            Stan Getz

o   The girl from Ipanema

Herb Alpert

-            Wrote wonderful world

-            The Lonely Bull el solo toro

-            Starts a mariachi band… but no one is Hispanic

Discussions:

-            Social dancing is much less popular in our generation.

-            Social daning looks different in this generation mainly because certain dance moves are no longer for  fun and instead cusually dance moves are seen as appropriate in the party environment. Moreover dancing has become amore of a performative thing, showing off skill and talent, however causal dancing is still prevalent through things like tiktok or as a school dance.

-            In the past it is very common to see people dance publicly for their own enjoyment maybe at a party or and event. However in this generation I feel that though dancing is still a large part of the culture, certain “popular dances” aren’t meant to be danced  unironically.  Even in party culture it has dancing is present but more casual and less rehearsed

-            It is very evident that knowing your audience is very key in  musical success, however I only associated that with genre, like for examples certain cultures have different styles of playing the same song, however I never took into consideration how even the key can impact the experience of the listerner. Knowing your audience is a major component of have musical success. The Girl from Ipanema  is

1960’s

-            Political music

-            People sold LSD

-            Different types of rock music

Phil Spector

-            To know him is to love him

-            Early rock n roll

-            Wall of sound

-            Super young when working with Philles records

-            Bigger denser ensemble, he was involved in production

-            Worked with groups more than singles

-            In late twenties started: Gold Star Studios

-            Worked with Carole King, Gerry Mann, Cynthia Weil

-            He found these people in Brill Building

-            Less music, but more hits

Berry Gordy and Motown

-            Created his own songwriting, producing, marketing org in Detroit

-            His drum set was very on beat

-            Like working with groups

-            Motown was because Detroit was a car town motor-town mo-town

-            All black people

-            The groups dressed and danced in unison,

-            Groups had to represent the studio and signed contracts

-            Songs:

o   Please Mr. Postman - Marvelettes

o   My Girl – the temptations

o   You can’t hurry love – the Supremes

Brain Wilson and the Beach Boys

-            Surf Rock

-            First, they sound like early rock n roll, then they play around with your sound, then you get experimental

-            Songs:

o   Surfing USA

o   I get around

o   Good vibrations

Surf Rock

-            Sing about cars

-            High voices, and tense

-            The sound of guitar is sharp

-            Signature guitar technique

The Beatles

-            Large following – Bealtlemania

-            Influence: rock n roll

-            They were very experimental

-            Invested in exploring religion and culture

-            They don’t really fit into a specific genre

-            They are only together for about 4 years

-            Songs:

o   I want to hold your hand – rock-n-roll

o   A hard days night – blues structure

o   Yesterday – tin pan alley

o   Eleanor Rigby – violin

o   Norwegian wood – the sitar, they break the rules

-            Albums

o   Please, Please

o   Let it be

-            They are in movies about themselves

o   A hard days night

o   Help!

o   Magical mystery tour

Other British Invasion

-            (the bad boy image)

-            The Rolling stones

-            The animals

-            The who

-            The kinks

-            They were a bit risky

Concept Albums

-            Concept album: an album with an explicit theme/narrative, meant to be listened to in order

-            Examples:

o   Rubber Soul

o   Inspired SGT Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

o   The Who’s Tommy

3/25/2025

-            Alternative rock, started because of the experimentation of the Beatles

-            Jefferson Airplane

o   They were super experimental

o   Don’t you want somebody to love (Somebody to Love)

o   White Rabbit – song about drugs and Alice in wonderland

o   First nationally successful band to emerge from san Francisco

-            The Grateful Dead

o   From urban folk music to folk rock

o   They did a lot of LSD

o   Friend of the devil

o   Jerry Garcia founded the band

-            The Doors

o   The use the organ

o   The most controversial

o   “Light My Fire”

-            Janis Joplin

o   She is a blues singer

o   She overlapped a lot with the psychedelic performers

o   Most famous white blues artist for the white people

o   “Piece of My heart”

Discussion:

These bands treat their audiences very differently compared to in the past mainly because they want to focus on being themselves and more creative.  In the past we see artists trying to make songs they think their audience will like, and our most famous artists are following the artistic trends of that time. However these bands are making music that is very personal to them and hoping that

Radios do not want to promote the things that are being said in this music because it is not very acceptable and appropriate. However, there is an audience for it and so Radios are finding it difficult to find middle ground.

3/25

Ray Charles

-            Soul music

-            Chill guy

-            Georgia on my mind

Sam Cooke

-            King of soul

-            Was a gospel singer and changed to pop

-            Got rejected by his family because of his choice

-            You send me

-            He wrote political music

-            I was booorrrnnnnn by the riverrrrrrrrrrr

-            Died at age 33

James Brown

-            The godfather of Soul

-            Flashy guy

-            Danced a lot

Aretha Franklin

-            PK

-            Respect

Blue Eyed Soul

-            UK popular

-            You don’t have to say you love me

Righteous brother

-            Beatles openers

-            Not actual brothers

-            You’re my soul and inspiration

Dionne warwick

-            Her team : David and Bacharach (tin pan alley)

-            I say a little prayer : about a soldier

-            Do you know the way to san jose

3/27/2025

Guitar Heroes

Jimi Hendrix

-            Creative employment

-            Purple haze

-            Unpredictable performer: teeth, tongue, fire, flashy

-            Very experimental

Eric Clapton

-            Plays a lot of notes

-            Member of the yard birds and cream

-            Writes music

-            Strange brew

-            Layla

Nashville Sound

-            Soul and instrumental variety

-            Production is polished because of tech

-            Backup singers in country is new

-            Vocal technique is different

-            Patsy Cline

o   I fall to pieces

o   Crazy

Broadway

-            Bye bye birdie – Elvis

-            Hair – hippie movement, rock, folk,

-            Group focused

Folk Music

-            Hate on electric

-            Simple

-            Tells a story, poetic imagery

-            Bob Dylan

o   Bood of the stage cause of an electric guitar

o   Blown in the wind

o   KKK wanted to kill him and a CV leader and he got shot and died , bob wrote a song in protest – pawn in the game

o    

-            Simon & Garfunkel

o   Simon plays an instrument

o   The sound of silence  - hello darkness my old friend

o   Bridge over troubled water

-            Roots rock

o   Guitar, bass and drum set