Class 5A Notes (Filled In) PDF

Class Notes – Week 5A The Rise of the Producer Ø The early wave of rock ‘n’ roll is characterized by self-contained musicians – basically many wrote, played, and sang their own songs Ø The control sat with the artist, who was given considerable input into the resulting recording Ø In mainstream pop...

Class Notes – Week 5A The Rise of the Producer Ø The early wave of rock ‘n’ roll is characterized by self-contained musicians – basically many wrote, played, and sang their own songs Ø The control sat with the artist, who was given considerable input into the resulting recording Ø In mainstream pop music, an A&R man (arts and repertoire) was an integral part of the production process Ø Responsible for the coordinating all the professionals (including the hiring of musicians) needed for any given song Ø This is an early version of the record producer Ø In the late 50s as its first wave was dying, rock ‘n’ roll moved towards a more produced style, wrestling the power away from the artist and giving it back to the producer – a cyclical return to the practices preceding the inception of the style Ø The producer was the organizer – they literally shaped the sound of the record – they also absorbed all responsibility for the record’s success (or failure), so this was a welcomed addition in many ways for the artists. Leiber and Stoller Ø First important production team were Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber Ø Leiber grew up in Baltimore – when his mother opened a grocery store near the black ghetto, he became fascinated with black culture Ø At 16, his family moved to California where the bebop jazz movement was in full swing – he began writing blues lyrics soon after Ø Mike Stoller was born in New York – his actress mother put him into classical piano Ø He rebelled, playing boogie woogie and bebop in the R&B clubs in Harlem Ø Stoller’s individualistic style of piano playing and melodic approach to the blues defined the sound of early 60s rock ‘n’ roll Ø At 16, the family moved to California – this is where the two met Ø Leiber contributed the lyrics while Stoller wrote the music – these two became the paradigm for the independent producer Ø As producers, they continually experimented in the studio to establish a trademark “sound” – this marked an important shift away from the record as a live phenomena to one in which the album becomes a performance in its own right Ø Thus, studio editing becomes a common idea that will be picked up by both the Beach Boys and the Beatles (and numerous other bands that followed) Ø 1953 – Leiber and Stoller form their own company Sparks and proceed to change the role of the producer so that they have considerably more control over song Ø Rather than thinking about any personal interpretation, singers of these songs worried more about understanding Leiber & Stoller’s concept for the song Ø By 1955, tired of the business end of running a company, Leiber and Stoller joined Atlantic records Ø They were given a unique deal – retained independent status and were allowed to work outside the label if they so chose Ø Despite the fact that they were white, they worked to captured the essence of black life and culture through their music The Coasters (one of these groups) Ø One of the few groups in rock history to successfully straddle the line between music and comedy Ø Their material was supplied by Leiber and Stoller - witty, well-crafted arrangements written for a musically proficient group Ø Grew out of a successful Los Angeles doo-wop group called The Robins 1 Ø Leiber and Stoller went over to Atlantic records in 1955 when their composition Smokey Joe’s Café became a huge hit – they took two members of the Robins with them, added two members at Atlantic and changed the name to the Coasters Ø Smokey Joe’s Café was first recorded by The Robins and then re-recorded by the Coasters on Atlantic’s subsidiary ATCO Ø This is a good example of a Leiber and Stoller “playlet” – basically a song that tells a story, using humorous lyrics Song: Smokey Joe’s Café Ø Begins with harmonized backup vocals stating the title lyrics Ø Drums and handclaps emphasize backbeat – other instrumentation includes electric guitar, bass, baritone sax and piano Ø When lead vocals enter (melodic vocal style), the opening vocal riff becomes the fills between entrances Ø Solo electric guitar provides the fill between verses Ø AABA form – first two verses supply the story line – bridge brings the action to a climax – final verse finishes the story Ø The Coasters first single for Atlantic was Down in Mexico – it became a Top 10 R&B hit in 1956 Ø The song epitomized the sort of humorous story-song Leiber and Stoller were perfecting at the time Song: Down in Mexico (FORMAL ANALYSIS) Ø Begins with solo sax in a sort of call and response with harmonized backup vocals and electric guitar Ø Percussion enters with its own rhythmic riff – instrumentation includes bass guitar, lead guitar, percussion, piano and saxophone Ø Lead vocals enter – backup vocals fall into accompaniment – electric guitar supplies fills Ø AABA form – first two A section describes the bar and its patron, in particular, the piano player; last A section sums up the song Ø B section is characterized by bongo drums to bring out the rhythm of the “exotic dancer” Ø In 1957, Lieber, Stoller and the Coasters moved to New York where they scored their first #1 pop hit with Yakety-Yak – it crossed over to hit #1 on the R&B charts too Ø The group’s final Top 40 hit came in 1961 with the burlesque dancer tribute Little Egypt (Ying Yang) Ø Lyrics were important as they discussed how a woman of “ill-repute” can become respectable by just settling down, having kids and being a good wife Song: Little Egypt (Ying Yang) Ø Begins spoken vocals that imitate a carnival barker Ø Drums, sax and piano play behind this Ø A gong shot leads to the entrance of the lead vocals – guitar and bass add into the instrumental mix at this point Ø Harmonized backup vocals join the lead singer at the end of each vocal line Ø Sax supplies the fills Ø (At the end of the song, the vocals are sped up to indicate the children – sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks!) Ø Ø Ø Ø Following the release of Little Egypt, several personnel changes occurred The hits dried up after this, especially when Leiber and Stoller left Atlantic Records in 1963 In 1966, the group left Atlantic as well, briefly reuniting with Leiber and Stoller at Columbia Records By this time, however, the musical landscape had changed and they failed to reach the same height of stardom as during their Atlantic days 2 Ø Numerous different Coaster lineups have toured the oldies circuit Ø In 1987, they became the first vocal group inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Back to Leiber and Stoller in the 50s Ø Because Stoller had formal music training, arrangements were often written out, just like in the old Tin Pan Alley days Ø The duo began using an orchestra in an accompanimental role – a good example of this is The Drifters’ song There Goes My Baby Song: There Goes My Baby Artist: The Drifters with Ben E. King Ø Begins with bass voice outlining the harmony Ø Harmonized vocals enter – this is accompanied by light drums and guitar Ø Strings enter and become the main accompaniment to the lead vocalist Ø This tune became a forerunner to further songs that combined classical elements (the orchestra) with R&B (singing style, song style, other instrumentation) Ø This combination of styles eventually became known as “sweet soul” The Rise of Female Teen Idols and Girl Groups Ø There were a number of girl solo singers who scored hits prior to the rise of the “girl group” fad Ø These singers were the female counterpoint to the male teen idols Connie Francis Ø Considered the prototype for the female pop singer of today Ø Her chart popularity in the late 50s and early 60s allowed her to equal, and even surpass, many of her male contemporaries Ø Began performing on Startime (a NYC television show that featured child singers and performers) at the age of 10 Ø Signed a contract with MGM Records when she was 16 and released Freddy, her first single, in 1955 Ø After a series of flops, she recorded her last session for MGM in 1957 – out of this came the tune Who’s Sorry Now Ø It’s popularity on American Bandstand ensured that Francis would remain in the music business Song: Who’s Sorry Now Ø Starts with triple division of beat in guitar and harmonized vocals Ø Harmonized vocals move to the background, triple division of beat moves to piano, guitar plays fills Ø Bass and drums enter with clear lead vocals – fairly strong backbeat Ø This was the first of Francis’ long string of worldwide hits Ø Interesting point – because Francis had an affinity for languages, she was one of the first pop singers to record her song in other languages Ø In 1969, she finally left the performance world to concentrate on family Ø Her pop sound was similar to the male teen idols of the day – a combo band and backup singers accompanying the lead singer Ø In the 60s, female solo acts differed from girl groups only in image – the sound was very much similar Lesley Gore Ø One of the most commercially successful solo singer to be identified with the girl group sound 3 Ø She projected an archetype of female adolescent yearning – her songs range from being romantic and irresistibly melodic to an early anthem of feminist independence, advanced for its 1964 release (this is You Don’t Own Me) Ø Gore cut a couple of demos that made their way to Mercury Records Ø They were sent to Quincy Jones, the head of Mercury’s A&R department Ø With Jones’ production, Gore’s first release became a #1 hit Ø It’s My Party used double-tracked vocals and intricate backup vocals and horns, producing a much more layered texture Song: It’s My Party* Ø Begins with brass, then lead and backup vocals enter with drums, handclaps – handclaps emphasize backbeat – drop out at the end of the chorus Ø Solo vocals sing verse over drums, piano, guitar, bass and backup vocals Ø Melody remains the most important aspect – once again, instruments are relegated to the background of the fabric Ø After 1964, she rapidly fell out of the public eye – she continued to record, showing a breadth of style that is rarely recognized Ø Leiber and Stoller’s production style influenced a number of other songwriter/producers Ø Aldon Music – Carole King and Gerry Goffin started focusing more on the production side of things, bringing the concept of the “demo record” to the fore Ø Songs could be checked out before they were ever released – more emphasis placed on studio production than actual live recording Ø By the early 60s, King and Goffin (along with a number of other songwriting teams) began focusing their efforts towards promoting female vocal groups Ø Because all crucial artistic decisions were made by the producer, girl groups, like teen idols, faced career uncertainty as the actual song was always more important than the performers Ø The girl group genre is a perfect example of the music industry’s desire to control the music Ø Carole Klein and Gerry Goffin were the first to succeed in this genre with the release of Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Ø Lyrics are not so innocent – maybe this is a trend towards deeper subjects in teen music? The Shirelles Ø First major female vocal group of the rock era Ø Defined the “girl group” sound with their soft, sweet harmonies Ø The music was a blend of pop/rock and R&B, especially doo-wop and sweet soul Ø After a number of small hits, The Shirelles make it to the top with the release of Will You Love Me Tomorrow (released on Scepter Records) Ø Became the first all female group of the rock era to accomplish #1 status Song: Will You Love Me Tomorrow Ø Starts with a 4 bar intro – instrumentation includes drums, bass, guitar and orchestral strings Ø AABA form with reprise – A sections end with the lyrics “will you love me tomorrow” Ø Lead singer is accompanied by harmonizing doo-wop backup vocals Ø Strings take the instrumental solo Ø With the success of The Shirelles, a plethora of other girl groups stormed the charts Ø Primarily, these groups were made up of black teenage girls with little professional experience Ø This genre experienced great popularity and found their way onto the charts numerous times in the early 60s 4 The Chiffons Ø Considered one of the best early-60s New York girl groups – had several of the style’s greatest classics Ø Their first #1 hit came with the tune He’s So Fine Ø They followed this up with the King-Goffin hit One Fine Day Ø Originally slated as a Little Eva track, the Chiffons sound track was substituted (proof of how easily these singers could be replaced) Song: One Fine Day Ø Begins with drums, guitar and bass accompanying a piano solo Ø Harmonized backup vocals enter with nonsense syllable Ø When melodic lead vocals enter, instrumentation and backup vocals fall into the background of the texture Ø Harmonized vocals enter for the end of the verse – piano becomes more active through the connection back to the second verse – stays active through the second verse Ø B section is just guitar, drums and harmonized backup verses accompanying the lead vocalist The Angels Ø This trio was led by Peggy Davison, a songwriter in her own right Ø They scored a number of hits in the 60s, the biggest of which was My Boyfriend’s Back Ø Written by songwriter/producer Bob Feldman with his partners Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer – the song is based on altercation between a young girl and a hood – Feldman overheard it and they turned it into this song Ø Feldman’s employer wanted to place the song with The Shirelles – when Feldman wouldn’t allow it, he was fired Ø He released the song with The Angels and he and his partners formed their own company to release it Ø It becomes one of the classic girl-group records of all time Song: My Boyfriend’s Back* Ø Begins with drums, handclaps and spoken vocals Ø Guitar comes in with shots Ø Call and response between lead vocals (accompanied by drums and handclaps) and harmonized backup vocals (guitar enters) Ø Eventually the texture will expand to include horns The Dixie Cups Ø This 60s girl group were from New Orleans as producer/singer Joe Jones, who discovered them and took them to New York Ø After passing over names like The Meltones and Little Miss and the Muffets, they settled on the name The Dixie Cups in 1964 – honestly, I think they were a bit desperate! Ø They were given the song Chapel of Love to record the same year Ø Written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, it was originally intended to be released by either The Ronettes or The Crystals Ø The song became the group’s biggest success – a million-seller that was popular worldwide Song: Chapel of Love Ø Begins with a cappella unison voices Ø Drums, bass and horns (trumpets and saxes) enter – vocals break into harmony Ø Drums become more active in the verse section of the song – strong backbeat 5 Ø Inclusion of chimes and vibraphone (orchestral and jazz instruments respectively) Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound Ø As a producer, Phil Spector has had profound influence on the course of rock ‘n’ roll Ø The “Wall of Sound” that he perfected in the early 60s opened unlimited possibilities for arrangements and sound construction in rock and pop Ø He entered the record business as a studio musician in Los Angeles, but almost immediately moved to New York to become a producer and songwriter Ø After producing a few hits, he founded his own label Philles and ran off a series of smash hits, primarily with girl groups The Crystals and The Ronettes Ø Spector pumped his records full of orchestration – these were referred to as “teenage symphonies” Ø The “Wall of Sound” was accomplished by placing many musicians in a small room Ø Spector’s aim was to blend all the backup instruments together to create this “wall” Ø Lead vocals were then placed in the foreground of the texture – backup vocals were next important Ø Lead vocals were often recorded twice (overdubbed) for fullness of sound Ø Strings would be added at the end of the process Ø Massive use of reverb in the recording – then everything would be tweaked during the mixdown The Crystals Ø One of the most beloved the of the girl groups – their music was incredibly popular in the period before the British Invasion Ø While making demos for publishers Hill & Range, they were heard by Phil Spector – he was just starting up his own label and was in the market for new talent Ø In September of 1961, they cut their first hit – There’s No Other Like My Baby rose to #20, putting the group, Spector and his new label on the map Ø They encountered difficulties in 1962 when their version of He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) created controversy – radios wouldn’t play it, the public didn’t like it Ø After recording with just the lead vocalist, Spector returned his focus to the group in 1963 and they released one of their biggest hits Da Doo Ron Ron Ø The song was a huge hit in England as well, becoming one of the most popular American rock ‘n’ roll songs of the period Song: Da Doo Ron Ron Ø Begins with sax, piano, handclaps, drums, bass and guitar Ø Lead vocals enter in a call and response with harmonized backup vocals (that sing the title lyrics) Ø Contrasting verse-chorus form – sax takes the solo over the verse section Ø Singers are in the forefront whenever they’re present – instruments present a massive wall of sound Back to Phil Spector Ø With the popularity of the British Invasion, Spector found his “girl group” hits coming farther apart Ø Thus, he branched out and experimented with song length and form Ø With the song You’ve Lost The Loving Feeling, we see a more complex form – the bridge section departs from the opening feel of the song to introduce an entirely new rhythmic feel Ø This was considered unwise, as the point of pop music was to present a repeated melody that would then stick in the listener’s head Ø The song was also considerably longer than most hits at this time Ø However, Spector gambled that his listening audience was perhaps a bit more sophisticated – he was right – the song was a huge hit 6 The Righteous Brothers Ø The group consists of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield Ø In the mid-60s, they defined the term “blue-eyed soul” Ø A white Southern Californian duo, they were an established doo-wop/R&B act before an association with Phil Spector produced one of the most memorable hits of the 60s Ø Phil Spector added his “Wall of Sound” treatment to his own tune You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling – at nearly four minutes of length, the song was pushing the limits of what could be played on radio in the mid-60s Ø Bill Medley sang the lower parts – his blurry lead vocal on the tune led some to believe it was a 45 single played at 33 rpm Ø Bobby Hatfield supplied the higher tenor and falsetto lines Song: You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling Ø Begins with solo vocals Ø Instrumentation follows – it stays in the background – consists of drums, orchestral chimes, guitar and background vocals Ø As the chorus approaches, drums and backup vocals become more active Ø Strings enter at the chorus – harmonized lead vocals Ø Strings are much more active through the second verse Ø 1:50 – rhythm changes – texture becomes much more sparse – chimes and piano – texture becomes more and more dense as more instruments join in Ø The main importance of Spector’s “Wall of Sound” is that it opened the door to studio experimentation and creativity Ø Also, his mass blending of instrumentation made it very difficult to cover these tunes Ø The Beach Boys and the Beatles would both be influenced by Spector’s experimentation into studio manipulation – the psychedelic era would explore it in an entirely different and abstract manner Ø The immediate response was the introduction of classical musical instrumentation to rhythm and blues – a style that would become known as “Sweet Soul” (which we will talk about next time) 7