9 - Reggae, Disco, Punk Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the influences in reggae? Where did it originate?

A

influences
- traditional jamaincan music (roots in trad. african music)
- american rhythm and blues (picked up on radio in jamacia)

originated in jamaica

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2
Q

What are reggae music identifiers?

A
  • 4/4 time sig, empahsis on 2 and 4 (like Pfunk a lil)
  • strophic form = repeated verse and chorus, nothin fancy (pre-chorus/brudge)
  • rock lineup (vocals and backup, electric guitar and bass, drum kit)
  • prominent bass guitar rff
  • simple chord sequences
  • reference to rastafari = religiion in jamaica from 1930s
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3
Q

What are the main types of reggae and their defining features?

A

Mento = strophic in form, light hearted lyrics, banjo (folky guitar)
Ska = fast dance style, lyrics about serious social issues, folk of mento mixed with electric guitar and horns of rhythm n blues (jazzy)
Rocksteady = slower style, followed from ska, loud repeated melody (riff) on bass guitar, political lyrics (chiller)

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4
Q

What are 3 other styles of reggae?

A
  • dancehall = more sparse version of reggae
  • lovers = romantic sound and content
  • dub = electronic music grown out of reggae
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5
Q

What did Bob Marley do for regae as a genre and for people in general?

A

reggae = hes def the reason it got to be so well known rather than just hidden in jamaica

people =
- he was a heroic figure and voice for them
- his own story from poor and oppressed to international superstar gave hope
- he used his pwer to relelntlylesly call gor political change
=CHAMPIOING HIS PEOPLE like folk artists, bessie smith

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6
Q

Where did bob markely start with music? What style?

A

formed a group with peter tosh and bunny wailer = The Wailers (or Bob Marley and The Wailers)

style =
- successful at start with dancey songs in Ska style
- added social commentary, transformed light ska into heavier slower reggae sound

= encapsulated the soul and sound of a NATION

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7
Q

How did the wailers begin to gain international success?

A
  1. Bob marley made alliance with Chris Blackwell (wealthy white jamaican who had record label “Island” for rock stars)
  2. Chris offered them a contract cuz he saw that they had the potential to bring reggae into popular music
  3. Chris marketed them the same as any rock group
  4. in the end, wailers were oft discovered through others but it was Bob Marley’s vibe and the calming island vibe of the music that kept people
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8
Q

What was one important catalyst to the popularity of the wailers?

A

Eric Clapton (rock and blues guitar guy) did a cover of “I Shot the SHeriff”, which became a worldwide hit, got many of his fans to discover wailers

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9
Q

What are some examples of songs by The Wailers?

A
  • buffalo soldier
  • coudl youo be lvoed
  • i shot the sheriff
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10
Q

What are the maiin things that “Disco” referred to?

A
  1. musical style (what disco sounds like)
  2. peformace site (nightclub etc)
  3. mode of participation and musical fnadom (the collective identity)
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11
Q

What genres influenced/tied inot disco?

A

influecnces
- motown soul
- latin inflected funk
- sophisticated yype of soul associated with philadelphia based producers
- Jimi Hendrix use of electronics

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12
Q

What people was disco msuci for? Why?

A

people = gay, african american, latino subcultures

why: the music that was not mainstream intended to match with people who also did not fit the mainstream
–> when you ostracize, you radicalize
=> exclude/dont accept people, resutls in them creating own culture/space

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13
Q

Who is Manu Dibango and what was his impact?

A

Cameroonian jazz-pop artist
had national hits that crossed over from dance clubs to pop radio (like many other dance artists at teh time)
= resulted in more popularizatin of disco/electronic dance style

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14
Q

What songs were the beginnings of the “disco” label?

A
  • Rock the boat by the hues corporation
  • rock your baby by george mccrae
  • THE HUSTLE by VAN MCCOY = most popular dance step of the era
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15
Q

What was one huge change to nightclubs that disco brought that completely altered things forever?

A

THE DJ!!!
= dont get tired so can party all night, extend from traditional concert

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16
Q

How did the DJ dictate disco?

A

Rather than artists giving people what was goign to be popular, the dj’s tastes in what they chose to play dictated whwat of disco was going to be made popular = they decide what is hot and cool

djs even got their own following the same as an actual recording artist

17
Q

What are the main styles of disco?

A

1) R&B disco = derived fro motown, funk, soul and retained gospel-oriented vocals and syncopated guitar and bass (sometimes recroded by funk bands such as kool and the gang)

2) Eurodisco = simple, chanted vocals, thicker arrangements full of instruments and SYNTHESIZERS, very futuristic feel, relied on producer who directed anonymous musicians (they were pro about recording, not about instruments)
–> DONNA SUMMERS “love to love oyu baby” started it

3) Pop disco = mainstream pop artists such as Bee Gees, was the result of DJs

18
Q

What are some examples of each style of disco?

A

1) R&B disco
- Kool and the Gang: “Get Down On It”
2) Eurodisco
- Donna Summers “I Feel Love” and “Love to Love you Baby”
3) Pop Disco
- Bee Gees “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive”

19
Q

What were some of the things that shifted disco from udnerground for oppresed groups to overground for freakin white people

A
  • Saturday Night Fever movie with entire soundtrack from bee gees, kool and the gang, other disco groups
  • Popular disco clubs like STUDIO 54 became spaces for celebrities, intertwining high society and gay sense of style
20
Q

Why do we think Disco fizzled/went back underground in 1979?

A

it reached a fever pitch, got so big and peaked, nowhere to go so people started looking for something new and it faded (faded into what we know now as house music)

21
Q

What are some main defining features of punk? Where did punk come from?

A
  • DIY attitude
  • disdain for bourgeois hedonism (pleasure focus) of rock superstars

came from British young people, based on pub rock and older rock and roll backdrop

22
Q

What are some big differences between the content and response of US and UK punk?

A

Political aspect = UK more identified with british workling class youths, facilitated by rampant unemployment and depressed economy (economic factors coming into music!)

Press attention = near hysterics in britain, smetimes even before recordings been released (much less panic than US)

23
Q

Who were main british punk groups? What was the focus of each of their messaging?

A
  • sex pistols! = nihilist aspects
  • the clash! = overt political agenda
24
Q

What are some other general style differences of US and UK punk?

A

US
- primarily underground
- varied approacjh
- rebellion against fusion, jazz, and accomplished music
- growing out of environmental/scene dynamics (like bronx/hip hop)

UK
- more overground, popular kind of “anti”music (popularity following the steps of Beatles bringing UK music to world)
- varied but retains pop influences
- subcultural style (leather jackers, spikes, shoes, makeup) = follow the sound!
- grow out of tradition of youthful exuberance and creativity

25
Q

What did Caroline Coon (writer for british publication) say aobut punk and the sex pistols?

A
  • pistols are personification of britiush punk rock scene
  • punk is response to the complexity of rock that created alientation between artist and audience = punk is simple intentionally and does not have hte barrier between fans and artist
  • punk played FAST AF, they power through sets, no fancy improv or solos, songs kept short to match the clipped cynicism of lyrics
  • continuing to follow the “rebel” idea (elvis, james dean, marlon brando, then mick jagger, jimi hendrix)