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class notes for MUS 330
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British Invasion
Beginning in 1964, British Bands made a Big Impact on the American Culture
27 of the Top 100 were British Bands
Two Types: Clean Cut/Vocal Harmony Bands; Scruffy Bluesy Bands
British Invasion
English Musicians Heavily Influenced by Traditional Jazz
“Skiffle” American Folk Music (usually African-American) Played on Acoustic Instruments (Guitar, Banjo, Tea Chest Bass)
Wash Tub (Tea) Bass
British
Lonnie Donegan “King of Skiffle”
“Rock Island Line” (1956) a Leadbelly Song
“Does Your Chewing Gum . . . “ (1961)
He Influenced English Boys to Form Bands, Including the Beatles
British
Trad Jazz Briefly Hit American Charts
“Midnight in Moscow” (1962)
Lonnie Donegan Played Bass in a Trad Jazz Band, Entertained with Skiffle During Intermissions
British
Most British Popular Music was Pale Imitation of American Pop
“He’s Got the Whole World” (1956)
“Halfway to Paradise” Billy Fury
“Well I Ask You” Eden Kane
“Only 16” Craig Douglas
“Living Doll” Cliff Richard
British: Blues
Younger Members of Trad Jazz Bands took an Interest in Blues
• “Cyril Davies All Stars” and Alexis Korner’s “Blues Incorporated”
• Most of the Next Generation, Including the Rolling Stones were Members.
The Beatles
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr (Original Drummer: Peter Best)
Stu Sutcliffe (original Bass)
British: Beatles
Why Were They So Successful?
The Right Moment in History?
1. Kennedy
2. Civil Rights
3. original stars gone
4. Viet Nam
Beatles
Clever Marketing by Manager?
1. Turned Down By Most Labels
2. Exi Movement: Haircut & Leather
3. German Identity
4. American DJ
5. American Merchandise
Beatles
Was it their Physical Appearance?
1. Matching Collar-less Suits
2. “French” Hair cuts
Beatles
Was It Their Charming Personalities?
1. Witty Answers Did Charm American Journalists
2. American Rock Stars Seemed Dull
Beatles
Was It Their Musical & Songwriting Talent?
1. They Reshaped American Music
2. Avoided 12 Bar Blues and I-vi-IV-V-I Patterns
3. Developed unique record production skills
Beatles
Was It Their Conceptual Abilities?
1. Brought “Fringe” Ideas to the Forefront (Peace & Love, Anti-War Politics)
2. Movies (“Hard Day’s Night” & “Help”) were Not typical Rock Movies
Beatle Phases
1. 1957-62: Skiffle Through Record Contract
2. 1963-65: Initial Success, Love Songs
3. 1965-68: Experimental years (Song Forms, Studio Techniques, Drugs)
4. 1968-70: Final Years Through the Breakup
Early Beatles: Quarrymen
Early Beatles
John forms the Quarrymen
Meets Paul in 1957
Paul Introduces George 1957
Go Through Several Names: “Johnny and the Moondogs” “Long John and the Silver Beetles”
Early Beatles
Add Stuart Sutcliffe 1959, Fellow Art Student
1960 1st Manager Alan Williams books them in Hamburg, They Add Drummer Pete Best
Early Beatles
Early BeatlesIn Hamburg They Change Their Look: Black leather, then “French” Hair Cuts
Learn to Play
“Taste of Honey” Be Bop A Lula” “Besame Mucho”
1st Pro Recording (Beat Brothers)w/Tony Sheridan
“My Bonnie” (Sheridan)& “Aint She Sweet”
Early Beatles
Beatles
1961 Back in England At the Cavern Club They Begin to Attract Attention
Beatles
Early Beatles
NEMS Record Store Owner, Brian Epstein Sees Beatles and Asks to Manage Them
He Dresses Them in Matching Costumes, Forces them to Tighten Up Their Act
Beatles
Early Beatles
Turned Down By All The Major Labels
1962 Signed By Parlophone, George Martin
1962 “Love Me Do” and “Please, Please Me) Become Hits in England
Beatles
Beatles Phase Two: Stars
Beatles are released on Three Different Labels, None Capitol None Chart
Capitol Finally Releases “I Want to Hold Your Hand
Beatlemania Hits America
Beatles
Ist Album
On Vee-Jay
Beatles
1st on Capitol Label
Beatles
Three Appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, Carnegie Hall, & Stadiums
April 1964 #1-#5 on Charts, All Different Labels
Beatles
1st Album Breaks the Mold, Many Hits Rather than One
I Saw Her Standing There
This Boy
It Won’t Be Long
All My Lovin’
Beatles on Sullivan
Beatles at Atlanta
Beatles
2nd Album American Standards
Chuck Berry
Little Richard
Motown
Beatles: Phase Three
Experimentation, Studio/Drugs, Begins with “Rubber Soul”
Lyrics Influenced by Dylan
Sitar on “Norwegian Wood”
French & Mandolin on “Michelle”
Fuzz Bass “Think For Yourself”
Baroque Keyboard solo “In My Life”
Beatles: Phase Three
Experiment cont. “Revolver”
Tax Protest Song, Distorted Guitar Using Indian Scales
String Group on “Eleanor Rigby”
Sitar & Table “Love To You”
Beautiful Harmony “Here There . . . “
Backwards Sounds “Tomorrow Never K .. “
Beatles Phase Three
Strawberry Fields: two studio recordings put together. Paul is Dead Clue “I Buried Paul”
“Turn Me On Deadman”
“Stairway to Heaven”
http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
Beatles: Sgt Pepper
Beatles: Sgt. Pepper
1967 Revolutionized the Record Album
Concept Album, A Song Cycle, Beatles Recorded as if they Were Some Other Band
One Song Segues into Another
Beatles Phase Four: Final years
The Breakup: Manager Dies 1967, Creative Differences, Yoko Ono, Lee Eastman/Alan Klein
White Album Interpreted as a Goodbye and A Tribute to All the Styles of American Music
White Album
Back In The USSR
(Chuck Berry/Beach Boys)
Happiness Is A Warm Gun (doo wop)
Goodnight (popcrooner)
Rocky Racoon (Dylan talking blues-style)
Don’t Pass Me By (old time country)
White Album
Honey Pie (Music Hall)
Helter Skelter, Manson’s call to action
Little Piggies, Manson liked this also
Revolution Number Nine (tape collage)
I Buried Paul, Deadman, backward masking
Beatles
Last Released “Let It Be” Mixed by Phil Spector
Last Recorded “Abbey Road”
Last Appearance Together May 1970
Beatles
Solo Projects
John recorded avant-garde albums with Yoko
Assassinated 1980
“Double Fantasy” Grammy Album of the Year 1981
Beatles
Paul records with Linda, several #1 records “My Love” (1973) “Band on the Run” (1974) “Silly Love Songs” (1976) “Ebony & Ivory” (1982) with Michael Jackson
Beatles
George “My Sweet Lord” (1970) copyright infringement with “He’s So Fine” UNICEF “Concert For Bangladesh” Member of the Traveling Wilburys (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison)
Ringo had a few hits in early 1970s
Beatles Imitators
Monkees - Put together by Don Kirshner. 1st hit “Last Train to Clarksville” released before TV Show (1966-68). Featured Beatles-like music videos
British Invasion Pop Groups
Gerry and the Pacemakers & Herman’s Hermits, Peter and Gordon- Clean cut with nice vocal harmonies.
British Blues Groups
Groups developed out of the blues into metal & Progressive.
Yardbirds featured three famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, & Jimmy Page. Featured long improvisations (Rave Ups)
Led Zeppelin formed to cover Yardbirds’ gigs after breakup.
British Blues Groups
Cream - Clapton joins with Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce to form “power trio”
“Sunshine of Your Love” (1968) early metal, uses slower tempos, more active drumming
Mods & Rockers
Two youth movements
Rockers - Elvis (Teddy Boy) hair, black leather, tough image
Mods (Moderns) - Continental appearance, short hair, colorful clothing, rode motor scooters, female elfin-like (Twiggy)
Carnaby Street Fashions
Rolling Stones
Rolling Stones
Second Generation Blues Band developed out of Alexis Korner
1st Performance at Marquee Club for Korner’s Band
Positioned Opposite From the Beatles - tough & scrufty
Named For Muddy Waters SongReverence for Chicago Blues
Stones
Album “Satanic Majesties Request” an answer to Sgt Pepper’s
“Sympathy For The Devil” causes problems when performed
Altamont Raceway Concert 1969, Hell’s Angels as Police Force Kill Meredith Hunter
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