5 - Rock+roll cont'd: youth culture & gender Flashcards
What is Payola? What change in the business side of music did it come from?
yet another intervention of biz practices in music!
payola = paying commercial radio statoin to play a song without disclosing that they had been paid/asked
= onyl so much air time so need a way to get your artist up there
^ came from the growth of publishing companies, rather than just disparate groups of individual publishers
What is American Bandstand? What kind of music?
tv program with host showing newest rock and roll songs, aimed at teens! had people dancing and enjoying the music so brought the fun and peers into viewers home
music = was “teen pop”: nice rock, pasteurized, nonthreatening
Who was Dick Clark and how did he help with American Bandstand? his impact in relation to ray charles and chick berry?
youthful host of Amer bandstand! tastemaker!
stayed kind fun and nonthreatening so assured parents that the program was a-ok
(seen as charming and ageless because he always connecting with the teens in the show audience)
started overshadowing RC and CB actual artists just as a tv personality! = corporate positions stepping into the spotlight
How did american bandstand and dick clarks career grow?
american bandstand had interviews and ratings of records making it interesting and catapultnig the show and many songs into success
DC used this success to get into other business interests - record companies, publishing, artist mgmt
Was dick clark involved in the payola scandal? What did he do?
he was one of the main people under the most fire and news talk, but he continued to say he never took money, was unaware if performers (whom he had other financial interest) got extra play on his program
he created a much more complex system to get money our of ind. = record companies, publisjing houses, recor dpressing, distributing, and company managing singers
=> SO he maybe didnt take payola but he circumvented it with his connections and access and power that allowed him to manipulate mkt and always benefit!
What is the actual story of payola?
- tv introduced so radio shifted to tv
- need fill radio space so got disc jockeys to play new music instead of radio shows
- record companies want ROI and kids are spending money on records
- no rules in the industry: wild west and disc jokcets are sheriffs
- companies dont want to wait for DJ so pay monet to get new record on air
- wasnt illegal but issue came with the dishonesty (people played were those with money not those who were good)
How was amer bandstand involved in artist development?
had stars of “teen pop” on the show = teen idols aka young good looking people from phildalphia area (where AB originated) singing rocknroll ish music
How did Dick Clark grow his involvement in tv?
- game shows
- made-for-tv movies
- $25000 pyramid
- Tv’s bloopers and practical jokes
also produced American Music Awards
What happened post-payola scandal?
decline of rock and roll bc teen idols taking over and reproducing the same sound theyd been hearing for a while
corporatization! making money from the thing, lets make more!
What is the Brill Buidling? Significance + music style?
building in NYC 1960 that was cultural epicentre for artists, both young singers and young song writers!
songwriters combined rock and sophisticated harmonic techniques to make SOULFUL, DANCE ORIETNED, POPULAR MUSIC
^ connectede with young singers, often af amer and female
= collab across groups, created lotsa girl groups, took rock and roll and turned it on its head
How does dance tie into Brill building/nyc?
production teams created dance crazes aroun this time too and songs that explicitly named and described certain dance
ex: The Twist by Chunny Checker
What is the aesthetic/vibe of girl groups? When started?
started 1958 with Chantels’ “maybe” and/or Shirelles’ late 1960 “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
vibe was call and response inspored by af amer gospel, lyrics often dialogue between lead and backing vocal
How did race tie into the brill building/music changes at the time? How did this help artists?
white songwriters writing white melodies, black voices singing doo-wop
= end up with black voices and white melodies, with Jewish chordal structures often from songwriters
black artists were able to get access to white money and resources, so ended up with full orchestras on their songs because why not, white writers wanted it and coudl afford it
What was it that pulled the white writers nad black singers together primarliy?
Brill building, but also because they were all young!!! excited to create and try thing
What made this white + black combo music so impactful?
- allowed black music to cross into white pop
- similar to TPA trying to control rock and roll, but young people so deeply involved that ended ip being very genuine
= female-centered, fresh pop!
