Class 4B Notes (Filled In) PDF

My Notes – Week 4B Mention the change to the 60’s and the switch from the (50’s) functioning workforce to the (60’s) consumer with a focus on hedonism, impulsiveness, boundless extravagance and instant gratification Other big events that shaped the 60s are: o Civil Rights o Antiwar protesting o Blac...

My Notes – Week 4B Mention the change to the 60’s and the switch from the (50’s) functioning workforce to the (60’s) consumer with a focus on hedonism, impulsiveness, boundless extravagance and instant gratification Other big events that shaped the 60s are: o Civil Rights o Antiwar protesting o Black power o Student power o The counterculture o Later – women’s lib Also focused on The Teen Idols and American Bandstand being popularized on a National level… it helped us push the following craze with video… the Dance Craze! The Dance Craze Ø Music has always been associated with dancing – rock ‘n’ roll is no different Ø The Dance Craze of the early sixties was inundated with what were called Instruction Dances Ø This is nothing new – as early as 1928 there are recorded examples of instruction dances Ø American Bandstand was the main method through which teenagers learned the new “instruction dances” – however the origins of the 60s Dance Craze came from outside of American Bandstand Ø 1959 – Hank Ballard and the Midnighters record a song called Teardrops on Your Letter on a 45 Ø On the flip side (the B side – which generally did worse than the A side) was a little upbeat 12-bar blues song Ballard had written – it ended up hitting #16 on the R&B charts About the Artist: Hank Ballard & the Midnighters Ø Hank Ballard was an important artist in the early days of R&B and doo-wop Ø In terms of style, Ballard and his group the Midnighters were influenced by high-energy gospel vocal groups Ø His subject matter was diametrically opposed to that, filled with raunchy double-entendres, pushing the envelope of what was considered acceptable in the 50s (songs like “Work with me Annie” and “Sexy Ways” are some examples Ø Here is a quote from him…."The first song I wrote, back in 1953, was called 'Get It,' " Ballard said. "When it sold 250,000 copies, the stockholders of my record company, King Records, told me to keep writing dirty songs because there was obviously a market for them. Ø His songs were sometimes banned on radio, making him an even bigger jukebox favorite among black audiences Ø His composition The Twist as recorded by Chubby Checker, became one of the biggest hits in rock & roll history Song: The Twist Ø Starts with a drums shot – guitar, piano, bass and drums enter – strong backbeat Ø Clear lead vocals enter with harmonized backup vocals – more emotive vocal style Ø Backup vocals alternate between nonsense syllables and words – a reference to the doo-wop style Ø Brief use of stop time – more common in R&B Ø The dance became immensely popular with black teenagers on the East Coast and soon came to the attention of some of the regular dancers on American Bandstand Ø Though Dick Clark didn’t like the dance at first, he soon realized it would be a huge hit and had it locally produced using the black singer Ernest Evans because of his strong voice and appealing personality 6 Ø Renamed Chubby Checker (an obvious takeoff on Fats Domino’s name) – he began appearing regularly on the show, promoting the song and the dance About the Artist: Chubby Checker Ø Touted as the unrivaled king of the r’n’r dance craze Ø Although many of his “dance” singles have long since fallen into obscurity, his rendition of The Twist remains the yardstick against which all subsequent ‘dance craze’ songs are measured Ø Checker’s rendition focused less on the original’s overtly sexual overtones, bringing the song’s happy-go-lucky charms to the fore instead Song: The Twist Ø An almost verbatim remake of Ballard’s song Ø Drum shot to start – then piano, sax, drums (lots of cymbals), bass and guitar enter Ø More of a semi-shouting vocal style – more controlled, less emotive Ø Harmonized backup vocals alternate between nonsense syllables and words Ø Stop time isn’t as pronounced Ø The song became a national craze due to television exposure Ø The song hit #1 on the charts twice – once in 1960 and again in 1962 Ø It’s return saw the adult population embrace the song – this is important for in order for r’n’r to survive, there had to be some kind of adult approval – and this was it Ø The Twist became popular in socialite gathering places all over the nation, spawning a number of “twist” songs Artist: Joey Dee and the Starliters Ø Joey Dee and the Starliters were the house band at New York’s Peppermint Lounge Ø He teamed with veteran producer Henry Glover to record The Peppermint Twist in 1961 – it became a huge hit and the lounge’s signature tune Ø He gave several future artists their start – most notably, an upcoming psychedelic star (Can anyone guess?) by the name of Jimi Hendrix Song: The Peppermint Twist Ø Starts with Hammond organ, drums (lots of cymbals), bass and guitar Ø Bari sax enters with riff that permeates the entire song Ø Clear lead singer with harmonized backup vocals that alternate between nonsense syllables and words Ø Instructions are given by the backup vocals Ø Use of stop time Ø Chord build-up in the Hammond organ Ø A series of “instruction dances” followed that strayed from the Twist and generated new and different dances Ø Perhaps one of the more famous of these is The Locomotion, written in 1962 by Gerry Goffin and Carole King (from Aldon Music at the Brill Building) – became a #1 hit in 1962 and enjoyed a rise to #1 again in the early 70s with Grand Funk About the Artist: Little Eva Ø Was a babysitter for Carole King and Gerry Goffin – believe it or not, the songwriting duo were inspired to write The Locomotion based on a dance Eva would do around the house Ø Her rendition on the demo (a demonstration record meant only to give an idea of what the song was about – though many were released) impressed Don Kirschner and it was released 7 Ø Unfortunately, she was then characterized as a “dance craze” singer, which ultimately hurt her career Song: The Locomotion* Ø Starts with drums – then sax and bass enter Ø Drums become more active as lead vocals enter Ø Harmonizing backup vocals enter – first in call and response with the lead and then as accompaniment Ø When instructions start, instrumentation becomes sparse – handclaps emphasize the backbeat Artist: The Vibrations Ø Though never major hit makers, the Los Angeles-based Vibrations consistently hit the charts throughout the 60s Ø Their 1961 tune The Watusi never reached the top of the charts, but did manage to crossover to both the R&B and pop markets Ø They closed out their career as a nightclub act in 1976 Song: The Watusi Ø Starts with an acoustic guitar solo Ø Walking bass, triple division of beat in the piano Ø Handclaps emphasize backbeat; tambourine plays a shuffle beat with drums Ø Harmonized backup vocals sing; lead vocalists throws in interjections Ø Lead vocalist sings the instructions; backup vocalists sing nonsense syllables behind the lead Ø The twist was the most popular of these dances and although the style was very contrived and calculated, dance music of this period accomplished a number of things: o It brought rock ‘n’ roll back to its R&B roots o It generated a lot of excitement in the slump years of the early 60s o It kept black music on the charts in the face of the resurgence of folk music, surf music and the coming British invasion o It serves as a precursor to the disco trend of the 70s o It shows a trend in dancing that continues to this day – dances were more individual and much more open to interpretation – more accessible o Even adults embraced this genre of rock ‘n’ roll Ø The Twist and other dances must be seen as somewhat of a victory for rock ‘n’ roll though its glib mass acceptance is more a sign of how easily manipulated the music scene was at this time Ø It is also another sign of how creative control had been taken from the performer and given back to the producer and songwriter EARLY RESURGENCE OF FOLK MUSIC Ø American Folk Music grew out of an oral tradition – songs were passed down generation to generation, basically by rote Ø Late 30s – John Lomax and his son Alan researched, notated and recorded a large number of songs from the Appalachians – they were helped by Charles Seeger Ø Charles’ son Pete Seeger became one of the foremost folk singers of the 40s and early 50s Ø Seeger headed up a group called The Weavers – they score a series of pop hits through the early 50s Song: On Top of Old Smokie Artist: The Weavers Ø Begins with a short banjo solo Ø Unison vocals enter with the title lyrics 8 Ø Vocals are accompanied by guitar and banjo Ø Lead singer takes the last part of the verse with the other voices falling into harmony Ø A call response then ensues – one of the vocalists speaks the lyrics which the group then repeats in harmony Ø Started the group The Almanac Singers – they took traditional folk melodies and performed them with new lyrics that stressed the social and political concerns of the time (some of the issues: development of a strong labor union; civil rights; the need to end war) – A guy by the name of Woody Guthrie eventually joined them Ø Both these groups’ views were considered to be somewhat left wing, thus they had a somewhat limited audience Ø This was narrowed even more when members of each group were investigated by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee Ø Because of their political views, they fell into disrepute during the McCarthy witch hunts, some because they aspired to communism; others just because of their association with these people Ø The Almanac Singers eventually disbanded in 1963 Ø A resurgence in interest for folk music occurred in the late 50s when calypso (a style of music from Trinidad in the Caribbean) was introduced to the American public via Harry Belafonte Ø In its native land, calypso is very political music – but once moved to the States, it became entertainment – all political leanings were taken out of the songs; lyrics were changed; emotions were watered down Song: The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)* Artist: Harry Belafonte Ø Begins with bongo drums – vocals enter over a constant drum roll Ø Steel drums, cymbals, bass and bongos accompany lead singer Ø Call and response between lead and backup singers – sometimes this call and response is split between two groups of backup vocalists Ø Very laidback Ø The early folk revival was seen as music for regular people performed by regular people Ø It was more community-driven and performers were viewed as just ordinary people – not above their audience Ø Virtuosic and theatrical performance gave way to unpretentious and direct musical expression Ø Folk lyrics frequently told stories that highlighted societal problems – the meaning of the lyrics was more important than musical prowess or good looks and image Ø Early revival of folk music drew a lot of attention from the 18-24 demographic because it was a break from earlier styles and was more serious in nature Ø By the late 50s/early 60s, many groups formed performing both traditional and newly written music in the folk style The Kingston Trio Ø This group has often been touted as the group that started the folk revival in the late 50s Ø Formed in 1957 by three college students: o Bob McShane – guitar o Nick Reynolds – guitar/bongos o Dave Guard – banjo Ø 1958 – they shot to the top of the charts with the tune Tom Dooley Song: Tom Dooley (FORMAL ANALYSIS) Ø Instrumentation is acoustic guitar and banjo Ø Vocals enter speaking – telling a story 9 Ø Ø Ø Ø Guitar and banjo outline melody until the vocals take it over Guitar and banjo then become accompaniment Chorus has a mixture of harmonized and solo vocals Verses feature a clear lead singer with harmonized backup vocals Ø The success of this song was followed by a series of successful albums – the trend was moving away from 45s and towards LPs – or long playing records Ø Signed with Capitol Records and in 4 years, surpassed Frank Sinatra as Capitol’s #1 moneymaker Ø Projected a safe, corporate image – well groomed; well dressed; promoted an image of stability Ø Remained mostly apolitical, but had a few songs that had something to say Ø This was inspired by Mikhail Sholokhov's novel And Quiet Flows the Don, which is about Czarist Russia. In a 1988 interview with Paul Zollo, Seeger explained: "In one of the early chapters, it describes the Cossack soldiers galloping off to join the Czar's army. And they're singing: 'Where are the flowers? The girls have plucked them. Where are the girls? They've all taken husbands. Where are the men? They're all in the army. – essentially this is a poignant song about if we will ever learn and go towards peace instead of war. Song: Where Have All the Flowers Gone* Ø Cover of a Pete Seeger tune Ø Starts with acoustic guitars – no drums Ø Boys sing in unison to begin with and then break into harmon Ø Though the song has more political leanings, it is presented in a very “safe” manner and thus didn’t cause the fervor that the Almanac Singers did Ø They were labeled “Commercial with a Conscience” and were a product of what was called the “urban folk trend” Ø Eventually placed ten songs in the Top 40, but it was their albums that sold well, the first seven of which went gold – albums were becoming the wave of the future The Rooftop Singers Ø The Rooftop singers were the most successful of the folk revival’s one-hit wonders, and were often labeled a progressive folk trio Ø This trio, formed in 1962, consisted of Erik Darling, Bill Svanoe and Lynne Taylor Ø Darling had replaced Seeger in The Weavers and spent 1958 through 1962 with the group Ø When he left, he happened upon the tune Walk Right In, a ragtime-style number originally recorded in 1929 Ø He hooked up with Svanoe and Taylor and recorded an updated version of the song featuring 12-string guitar Ø The group differed from most of the popular folk groups of the era as they were far more influenced by blues and ragtime and were much less profound in terms of political or social comment Ø Though they made it to the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, their popularity only lasted about a year, as they were soon surpassed by the likes of Bob Dylan, The Byrds and Jefferson Airplane Ø This chart spent 5 weeks atop the Easy Listening Charts, which would later be called the Adult Contemporary Charts – also was #4 on the R&B Charts and #23 on the Country Charts Song: Walk Right In* Ø Begins with an instrumental opening – instrumentation consists of two 12-string guitars – percussive sounds are the sound of the strings Ø Harmonized vocals enter – female vocalist has the main melody – men provide the harmony Ø Instrumental solo follows the melody line exactly Ø This is a simple verse song, but the verses themselves are arranged in an AABA format 10 The New Christy Minstrels Ø This group received precious little respect in folk circles despite the fact that they were probably one of the most familiar folk groups in America (even spawned the career of Kenny Rogers and others!) Ø The problem was primarily one of image and repertoire (the image … Color-coordinated petticoats, choreographed grins, and stage makeup) They got their name from a blackface group from 1842 Ø They recorded for one of the Major labels (Columbia) and had superb arrangements, mostly written themselves – they employed some of the top folk musicians in Los Angeles Ø The problem came as folk became more confrontational in the mid-60s – the New Christy Minstrels moved in the opposite directions Ø Their songs were innocent and happy, forsaking the serious issues that were found in most folk music of the day Ø In 1963, they released their album Ramblin’ which was highlighted by a tune called Green, Green Ø It is characterized by Barry McGuire lead vocals and a memorable 12-string guitar riff Ø The group remained active until 1971 when the original members went off to pursue individual careers Song: Green, Green* Ø Begins with 12-string guitar – guitar and banjo add in Ø Unison vocals enter with the chorus – male and female vocals Ø Lead solo vocals enter with the verses – raspy vocal style Ø Contrasting verse-chorus form Peter, Paul and Mary Ø Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers made up the group – their image was one of direct contrast to the clean-cut Kingston Trio Ø Peter and Paul sported mustaches and beards; Mary had long, straight hair Ø Classified more along the lines of “folk-niks”, but were considered more acceptable as they provided a softer, more commercial version of folk music suitable for popular consumption Ø Produced an impressive string of hit singles while still maintaining popularity on LPs and live performance Ø First Top 10 hit was co-authored by Pete Seeger. The song – If I Had a Hammer – speaks of striking a blow for justice, freedom and love Song: If I Had a Hammer* Ø Starts with acoustic guitars Ø Mary takes lead vocals Ø Peter and Paul sing harmonized backup vocals Ø Lyrics speak of justice, freedom and love Ø No drums Ø Their next hit was written by a gentleman who was rapidly gaining fame in the folk world Ø Bob Dylan’s tune Blowin’ in the Wind expressed the sentiments of the folk-oriented culture Ø It’s popularity served to spread folk music to a more and more receptive young adult audience Song: Blowin’ in the Wind Ø Acoustic guitars play introduction Ø Harmonized vocals sing the verses Ø Third voice enters on the third line of the first verse Ø Mary drops out for the chorus—the gentlemen sing Ø Then Mary takes the beginning of the next verse solo—then a second voice joins in unison—the last part of the verse moves to harmonized vocals 11 Ø Although they were referred to as activist liberals with commercial success, they really kind of straddled the fence when it came to big social and political issues Ø Besides politically motivated songs, they also put out children’s song (although there are many people that suggest this is a drug related song) The group vehemently denies this… Song: Puff the Magic Dragon Ø Acoustic guitars introduce the melody of the song Ø Solo vocals for the verses Ø Harmonized vocals enter at chorus Ø A child’s song of a mystical land and mystical friends – or is it? Four Main Characteristics of the Early Folk Revival Ø Lyrics – a new sense of seriousness was found in the lyrics, as they often spoke of major issues of social and political importance Ø Demographics – the music was geared not towards teenagers but towards the college-aged population (18-24 year olds) Ø Albums – The trend moved towards the sales of LPs rather than 45s – this was because the targeted demographic had more money to spend – and a longer attention span Ø Instrumentation – acoustic instrumentation only – electronic instrumentation was considered artificial and with it, the music wasn’t “real” Ø Both Brill Building Pop and Early Folk bear some striking resemblances – both are safe and family oriented, though aimed at different demographics Ø While the image of the two styles contrasted, the business mechanisms that marketed the music were very similar – music was, once again, in the hands of the professionals – but as the decade goes on, the balance will once again shift back to the performer 12