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Themes and Connections• Contemporary
representations of the themes, histories, and sounds in today’s lecture
Learning OutcomesHistorical Context• 1960s: the civil rights movement, African American
sacred and secular musics intersect, the rise of the record producer, the folk revival, the Viet Nam War
Genres• Spirituals, Gospel, Soul, Message Songs, Dance Music,
Girl Groups, Motown, Southern Soul, Folk, Folk-Rock, Countrypolitian country
Key Terms• Syncretism, cross-over, double coding/message songs,
mainstream audience, integration, authenticity, dance music, producer, Brill Building, Countypolitian
Course Themes• Struggle for equal rights, African American self-
determination, integration through music, the music factory, technology changing the music industry
The 1960sKey events in the 1960s:
• Civil rights movement and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Assassination of President John. F. Kennedy
• The Cuban Missile Crisis
• The Viet Nam War
• The beginnings of the LGBTQ rights and modern Feminist movement
• Popular music assumes a central role in defining the spirit of the 1960s
• Baby Boomers began producing their own music, rather than just consuming older music
• 1960s pop music charts open with #1 hit “El Paso” in Jan 1960, and end with The Beatles “Come Together” at #1 in Dec 1969
• Lots of musical ground covered in the decade
Pop in The Early 1960s• Initial burst of rock’n’roll energy powered by
Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry had faded
• Rock no longer about rebellion, as it became the dominant consumer music
• New social dances developed
• New models of songwriting and record production developed as young rock’n’roll musicians and fans moved into positions of power in the music industry
• Tin Pan Alley system of the “song factory” reinvented with Motown Records and the Brill Building
• Recording technology had advanced so that a record was no longer just a representation of a “live” performance, but a distinct musical product
The Twist• American Bandstand - nationally broadcast
television program where young people danced to rock’n’roll records
• Was a platform for promoting records and dances
• Chubby Checker records “The Twist” (1960), a song about a dance that starts a trend of other songs about particular dance steps
• An individual, non-contact, free form dance, often done facing another person
• Started a craze that crossed age barriers, brought rock’n’roll to the centre of American culture
• Spawned clubs that focused on dancing to records, rather than to live bands
• Contributed to the creation of a distinct marketing category of popular music called “dance music”
The Brill Building• Brill Building in New York, 1619 Broadway
• Similar to Tin Pan Alley - songwriters worked in cubicles with pianos, wrote songs for artists, indie labels, and producers
• Songwriting teams: Carole King and Gerry Goffin; Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich
• Songwriters were paid royalties for hits thanks to ASCAP
• Wrote for vocal groups - “Girl Groups“ especially popular, Phil Spector a main customer for songs
• Goffin and King: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” (1963), the Shirelles, first Girl Group to reach #1
• Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil: “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” (1964), the Righteous Brothers - the most played song of all time in North America (until 2019)
The Brill Building
Little Eva: “The Locomotion” (1962)Written by Carol King and Gerry Goffin
Song about a dance, song more memorable than the singer
Phil Spector• Started as a singer and performer, in the early
1960s shifted to the role of producer and songwriter
• Understood the importance of the sound of recordings as something other than a documentation of a live performance, and where the real money could be made
• Created a distinctive studio sound that superseded the particular performers he worked with, set the template for the auteur producer
• Developed the “Wall of Sound”: dense instrumentation, thick texture, orchestral instruments, lots of reverb, closely recorded vocals
• Called his productions “teenage symphonies” because of their elaborate instrumentation
• Worked with vocal groups primarily - “Girl Groups”
• “Be My Baby” (1963) - The Ronettes
Phil Spector/The Crystals
“He’s A Rebel” (1962)Elaborate studio sound, songs about teenage love
The Wrecking Crew• Loose collective of musicians based in LA
• Pioneered the idea of the “session musician”, as someone who makes a living in the recording studio rather than performing live on stage
• Were the backing group on thousands of recordings from the late 1950s into the 1970s
• Employed as the “house band” by Phil Spector, provided the music for his most famous recordings with the Girl Groups
• Played the role of “ghost group” - very often their playing was credited to more famous bands, like the Beach Boys, The Byrds, and the Monkees
• Anchored by bass player Carol Kaye, one of the most recorded musicians in history
• Example of the Wrecking Crew working with Phil Spector and his “Wall of Sound” technique: Tina Turner - “River Deep, Mountain High”
The Nashville Sound• “Countrypolitan” sound - mix of country with
urban pop music
• Nashville sound: sophisticated phrasing and articulation, background vocals, strings, rhythm section, honky tonk piano
• Contrasts with the hillbilly music heard earlier, with smaller groups, rough vocal timbre, acoustic instruments, improvisation, limited production
• Stars wore suits, tuxedos, evening gowns, stylized “western” outfits
• Nashville becomes a “music factory” town, with songwriters, recording studios, producers, publishers, and record labels
• “Adult” orientated music, songs about personal relationships and pain
Patsy Cline and the Nashville SoundPatsy Cline (1932-1963):
• one of the most famous and influential country singers
• worked in the Nashville system
• slight vocal twang, powerful crooning style
• elaborate studio arrangements: strings, backing vocals
• crossed over to the pop music charts
• died in 1963 in a car crash
• Early hit: “Walkin’ After Midnight” (1957), AABA form
• Big hit: “Crazy” (1961), written by Willie Nelson, AABA form, crossed over to pop charts
The Nashville Sound - “Pop” Country• Established “rock” stars travel to Nashville
to work with songwriters and producers in pursuit of a polished, mature sound
• In the late 1950s Nashville becomes a music industry hub comparable to New York and LA
• Country music offered a way for rock artists to “age”, country artists traditionally older than pop artists
• Example: Elvis Presley - “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)• Guitars and drums replaced by strings,
orchestral instruments, and background vocals
• Growling vocals replaced by crooning
1960s Defining MomentsCivil Rights Movement and the Freedom Rides• Fight against “Jim Crow” laws and official segregationist
policies
• Despite the end of slavery, African Americans - particularly in the south - did not have the right to vote or freedom of movement
• People no longer slaves, but kept from fully integrating into the prosperity of post-war America
• African American activists drawn from a coalition of church leaders and WWII veterans
• Different leadership styles: Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks preached non-violent resistance and equality, Malcolm X advocated a more violent form of resistance and black nationalism (Black Power)
1960s Civil Rights victories: • 1954: desegregation of public schools
• 1964: Civil Rights Act passed, ending law-based discrimination
• 1965: Voting Rights Act passed in hopes of ending racist voting practices
Music of the African-American Church• The black church in America is a
syncretic religion
• Syncretic: a purposeful blend of different spiritual belief systems. In this case, African music and spiritual traditions and stories from the Christian bible
• Slave owners did not allow Africans to keep their drums, so they made music with their voices and bodies
• African traditions in the black Christian church: music is central to worship, ecstatic trance states, call and response between preacher and congregation
• Sacred music styles: spirituals, gospel
African American Musical RootsSpirituals• an oral tradition of Christian-themed songs
created by slaves in the United States.
• Folk music from enslaved African Americans
• Told Old Testament stories while also describing the hardships of slavery, often in “double coded” language
• Originally unaccompanied, solo or group singing
Gospel • Emerges in the 1920s, original Christian songs
written for performances in church services
• Borrow sacred lyrics from spirituals, but draws on popular music forms and rhythms
• Virtuosic, highly melismatic singing
• Usually lead singer with band and backing choir
• Uplifting messages
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
“By and By”
• Black popular music from the 1950s that combined the raw emotionalism and singing style of sacred gospel music with secular rhythm & blues
• Controversially merged religious performance styles with secular lyrical themes
• Musical characteristics:
• Focus on vocals (few instrumental solos)
• Call and response
• Melismatic vocals
• Guttural vocal effects (screams, shouts, moans, groans)
• Improvisation and lyrical extemporization
• Instrumentation: piano, organ, guitar, bass, drums, horn section and/or background vocals.
Soul Music
Sam Cooke (1931 - 1964)• Sam Cooke: pioneering soul singer and songwriter
• Started in the Soul Stirrers (1950-1956), a very successful gospel group
• “Touch the Hem of His Garment” (1954): gospel hit written by Sam Cooke
• Caused controversy in the gospel community by going “secular” as a solo artist in 1957 - many church-going fans never forgave him
• Starts trend of “crossing over” from black sacred music to popular secular music
• Pop Hit: “Twisting The Night Away” (1962), connects to the Twist dance craze
• Bigger Pop Hit: “You Send Me” (1957) - crooning vocals
• Died in mysterious circumstances
Ray Charles (1930 - 2004)• American singer, pianist and songwriter• Vocal style: rough-edged vocal timbre using shakes,
moans and other sounds to emulate the emotional intensity of African American preachers
• Synthesized many different elements of “American” music: had hits on the country, pop, R&B, and jazz charts
• Found his sound by merging sacred gospel songs with secular lyrics and dance rhythms causing controversy in the African American church community
• The Gospel Hit: “It Must Be Jesus” by the Southern Tones (1954)
• The R&B hit: “I Got a Woman”, “written” by Ray Charles in 1954
• The Sample: “Gold Digger” by Kanye West (2005) • The Gospel/Pop Formula: “Hallelujah I Love
Her So” (1956)
Messengers for Civil RightsMessage Songs:• Secular songs that address particular
social issues• political lyrics that may have subtle
references to the bible• Common in the civil rights era in the US • Pre-civil rights (1965): artists had to
be very subtle with politics in music, more about description
Double Coding: • When a word or phrase can have
multiple meanings• Usually refers to how an internal
audience will understand something one way, and an external audience will find a different meaning
Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)• “The Queen of Soul”
• Daughter of a well known baptist pastor and gospel singer Reverend C. L. Franklin
• Grew up singing in the church, has always maintained connection to the church and been able to “cross back over”.
• Example gospel recording - “Climbing Higher Mountains” (1972)
• Overwhelming power, intensity and emotion in her singing
• Symbolized female empowerment and black power, wrote and arranged her songs
• Early hit: “Think” (1968) - supremely funky piano intro played by Aretha Franklin, chorus built on the word “Freedom”, which had major significance in 1968
Respect (1967): Double Coding
Aretha Franklin:“Respect” (1967)
• Aretha Franklin’s most important hit: “Respect” recorded in 1967
• A cover of Otis Redding’s original song “Respect”, which is about a man coming home and asking for respect from his partner for all the work he does
• Aretha Franklin transforms the song by reversing the perspective of the lyric, making it into a feminist anthem
• Franklin’s powerful delivery of the word “Respect” was heard by Black and “woke” audiences as a parallel to Martin Luther King’s messages of the time
• Franklin has received no royalties from radio play of the song, as they went to Otis Redding’s estate - it’s been played 7 million times since 1967
Otis Redding:“Respect” (1967)
James Brown (1933 - 2006)• The most influential musician of the 20th
century• Prolific singer, songwriter, bandleader, &
producer• Nicknames: “The Godfather of Soul”, “Soul
Brother #1”, “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business”
• Brought ecstatic gospel singing-style to pop music
• Seminal force in the evolution of soul and funk, and influenced countless genres: afro-beat, rock, jazz, reggae, disco, electronica, and hip-hop
• Renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and thrilling live performances
• Most sampled musician in history
James Brown• “Please Please Please”:
classic live performance on the TAMI show in 1964
• Brown reduces lyrics to rhythmic sounds, creating intense emotion with very little grammatical content
• Early music follows gospel music tradition of lead vocalist with backing group
James Brown• “Papa’s Got a Brand New
Bag/I Feel Good Medley”: live performance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1966
• Music for dancing: focus on rhythm and timbre rather than melody, harmony, and lyrical content
• Cyclical and blues forms
• Focus on bass and drums as the foundation of the songs
• Interlocking syncopated rhythms link to African musical styles
James Brown• “Say It Loud, I’m Black and
I’m Proud” (1968)
• James Brown a hugely important figure in the civil rights movement
• Created the soundtrack for the Black Power movement in the mid-late 1960s
• Brown helped expanded the role of “entertainer” to include activism
Motown Records• Detroit-based record label, founded in 1960 by Berry
Gordy• Largest black-owned corporation in the U.S. at the
time• Virtually all African American staff• Music was aimed at a crossover audience, but audience
was 70% middle class white• Marketed itself as “The Sound Of Young America”,
appealed to mainstream youth• Purposely avoided political content in the lyrics• Achieved widespread international success and
contributed to the integration of popular music• 57 #1 pop records (from 1961 to 1994)• Motown Artists: Smokey Robinson, The Supremes,
The Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Isley Brothers, the Jackson 5, among others.
Motown Records
The Music FactoryMartha And The Vandellas - “Nowhere To Run” (1965)
The Motown Look• The Motown Look: “classy”, which meant appealing
to white, middle class sensibilities • Motown artists not “street” in look or sound• Pursued a “presentable face of Black America” ethic,
to show white audiences that African Americans weren’t different/scary
• Motown Records had a “charm school” run by beauty-school owner Maxine Powell:
“She taught us how to walk, how to sit proper, and how to get made up. She’d have us all lined up - the Marvellettes, the Supremes, and the Vandellas - and we all learned together.” (Martha Reeves)
The Motown Look
The Temptations: “My Girl” (1964) - 2 minutes, 40 seconds
The Motown Sound• In-house songwriters and record producers: Berry Gordy,
“Smokey” Robinson, and Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, Jr.: responsible for 25 top10 hits
• The Funk Brothers: group of Detroit studio musicians who performed on every hit from 1959 to 1971
• The Sound:• Strong lead singer (with clear diction) and call and response
backing vocals
• Singers drawn from local churches
• String sections, elaborate horn parts, orchestral instruments (bells, percussion, brass)
• Refined pop music studio production techniques
• Avoided blues-derived forms in favour of verse-chorus pop forms
• Short songs designed for radio play - no longer than 3 minutes
• Classic Motown Sound: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967) by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Motown Sound• The Supremes - “You Can’t Hurry Love”
(1966)• Built on the gospel song “You Can’t Hurry
God”• ABABCC form• Emphatic repetition of hook lines• High quality studio production, engineering• String orchestra with guitar, bass, drums,
tambourine, and piano
Holland, Dozier, Holland
The Supremes
Stax Records• Memphis-based record label from 1959 - 1976
• Major player in formation of Southern Soul style
• Raw, gritty style propelled by powerful horns and driving rhythm section
• “Live” sound, rather than the studio orchestrations of Motown
• Featured in-house songwriters, production team, and band (Booker T and the MGs)
• Commercial rival to Motown, but on a small scale
• No politics in the lyrics - functioned as party music
• Featured first racially integrated popular music groups: Mar-Keys and Booker T and the MGs.
• Artists: Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett
Stax Records
Booker T. and the MGs:Stax Records house band
Early racially integrated pop group
The Stax Sound• Raw vocal performances and driving,
danceable rhythmic feel• Single singer with backing band featuring
guitar, bass, drums, piano/organ, and horns• Simple song forms: blues or two chord vamps• Strong back beat on the snare drum• “Ecstatic” singing derived from black church
music• Energy and feeling in the vocals more
important than the lyrical content• Designed to appeal to a local, southern
audience as “party music”• Classic Stax Sound:
• Wilson Pickett - “Midnight Hour” (1965)
• Carla Thomas - “B-A-B-Y” (1966)
Stax Records
Otis Redding: “Shake” (1967)Backed by Booker T. and the MGs
Chicago Soul/Curtis MayfieldType of soul music from 1960s Chicago that featured:
• Sweet vocal harmonies, multiple lead singers
• Laid-back, restrained singing style (falsetto)
• Pop sensibility, influenced by Motown
• Bright, clean rhythm guitar
• String orchestra, no instrumental solos, quietly funky
• Politically conscious lyrics
• Classic Chicago Soul by Curtis Mayfield:
• “People Get Ready” (1965)
• “We’re a Winner” (1967)
• Both these songs became civil rights anthems
Bob Dylan (1941) and Urban Folk Music• Acoustic Urban folk music developed in
the early 1960s as a distinct form from rock’n’roll and pop
• Bob Dylan emerged as a leader in the folk scene with his original songs and idiosyncratic, aggressive singing style
• Dylan captured the spirit of the counterculture in the early 1960s
• Dylan’s most famous song: “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1962) - topical, yet ambiguous lyrics, strophic form
• He became famous when other people recorded his songs, most notable when established folk group Peter Paul and Mary recorded “Blowin’ in the Wind”
Bob Dylan: Folk Hero
Newport Folk Festival1964
• Dylan the most famous folk singer of his generation, part of a folk revival in American music in the early 1960s
• Wrote enduring protest anthems about the Viet Nam war and the Civil Rights movement
• Brought poetry and and literary surrealism to folk music
A Crisis of Folk AuthenticityBob Dylan goes electric:• On his fifth studio album Dylan used electric
instruments, which caused controversy with many fans who viewed rock music as commercial and inauthentic
• Dylan inspired by electric bands who covered his songs, especially the Byrds’ version of “Mr. Tambourine Man”
• In 1965 Dylan records the breakthrough single “Like A Rolling Stone”, which landed him on the rock charts for the first time
• Defining performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, backed by electric band
• Dylan repeatedly booed during these years, fans called him a traitor
• Dylan’s influence resulted in rock becoming more “serious” music, where intellectual and political themes could be explored
Bob Dylan Goes Electric
“Like A Rolling Stone” - Live in 1965
Bob Dylan Goes Electric
Fans react
Folk-rock in the 1960s• Other musicians quickly seized on the
commercial success of the Byrds and Dylan, and began combining folk with pop-rock instrumentation
• Simon and Garfunkel: start as a straight up acoustic folk group, find commercial success by adding electric instruments to their recordings
• Example: “Sound of Silence” (1964) - original acoustic version
• Producers secretly added a full rock band to the original track, became a #1 hit - “Sound of Silence” (single version)
Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys• One of the best known American groups of the
1960s, formed in 1961
• Founder Brian Wilson was songwriter, producers, bassist, singer, and arranger, and modelled his elaborate production style on Phil Spector’s
• Started out as a conventional rock group, branched out (through studio technology) to create more artful music
• Clean cut image, with matching uniforms and vocal harmonies
• Initially inspired by Chuck Berry (who sued them for copyright infringement) and by Tin Pan Alley-style song craft
• Influenced the Beatles with their innovative recording style, competed with them for chart hits
• “Self-conscious” second generation rock musicians
The Beach Boys
Early Chuck Berry-inspired hit: “Fun Fun Fun” (1964)Classic themes of cars and girls
The Beach Boys
Influential album Pet Sounds (1966)One of the first “concept” albums, marks transition of rock from
“pop” music to “art” music
The Beach Boys• Most adventurous
and influential recording: “Good Vibrations” (1966)
• Elaborate orchestration, electronic instruments, complex harmonic progressions, changes in mood, unorthodox song structure
Homework
Reading: Chapter 10
