FINAL EXAM Flashcards
“Fables of Faubus”
artist?
Charles Mingus
“Fables of Faubus”
musical features?
call and response
“Fables of Faubus” music type
smooth jazz
“Fables of Faubus”
year release, label, producer?
1959
By Columbia (didn’t allow lyrics to be included)
later released by Candid -> recording outlet for activism music
Nat Hentoff
“Fables of Faubus”
Historical Context?
song was written as a direct protest against Arkansas governor Orval E. Faubus who in 1957 sent out the national guard to prevent the integration of Little Rock Central Highschool
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
artist?
Sweet Honey in the Rock
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
musical features?
gospel, blues, call-and-response, beat is simple and repetitive
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
music type?
freedom song- modified to involve call and response to ensure participants contributed to the song and received the message that the artist wanted to relay; like a human megaphone
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
historical context?
song based off an African American gospel song from 1947
you can replace “nobody” with any word
brings people together in a physical location
links people to different institutions and the media
(1950s-60s)
Civil Rights timeline
1954-1968
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
Paul Robeson
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
musical features?
deep timbre blue notes lengthening notes mostly vocal some piano
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
year released?
prior to 1862
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
Historical context?
some lyrics are said to reference the underground railroad
song had a resurgence during the Civil Rights Movement
“You turn me On”
singer?
Labelle
“You turn me On”
writer?
Nona Hendryx
“You turn me On”
year released?
1974
“You turn me On”
musical/performance features?
R&B, Soul stoic performance very explicit lyrics strong voice background lyrics exaggerated syncopation Futuristic costumes= future individualism
“You turn me On”
label?
epic
“You turn me On”
producer?
Allen Toussaint
“You turn me On”
historical context?
performed 1974
first time in which women performed in less “feminine dress” (not wearing dresses or skirts but instead pants). Unlike most female artists of the time the lyrics are sexual aggressive in symbolizing women choosing control of their own sexuality
“A change is Gonna Come”
artist?
Sam Cooke
“A change is Gonna Come”
musical features?
blue notes
trumpets
other horns
smoother timbre
“A change is Gonna Come”
year released?
1964
“A change is Gonna Come”
Label?
RCA victor
“A change is Gonna Come”
Producer?
Hugo & Luigi
“A change is Gonna Come”
Historical Context
released in the civil rights era, based on an experience where Cooke and his associates were kicked out of hotel in a city he was performing at for being black
anthem for all civil rights movements (black, LGBT, women)
-creates ideas; speaks to a larger community ; civil rights; climate of the distinctive should -blending 2 styles times = unity
“Hold On”
singers?
Sam and Dave
“Hold On”
musical features?
riff with trumpet
drums
simple beats during verses
“Hold On”
year released?
1966
“Hold On”
music genre?
R&B and Soul
“Hold On”
label?
stax / atlantic
“Hold On”
producer?
Jim Stewart
“Hold On”
historical context?
radio stations objected to its “suggestive nature” and would not play it
“Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic”
artist
isaac Hayes
“Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic”
musical features?
groove
repetition in the riff
“Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic”
performance/ year released
1969
“Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic”
label?
stax -moves from singles to album futuristic voice is far back james brown style- can't understand
“Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic”
music type?
stylistic pluralism
(not common / traditional at that time)
-example of stax records moving away from the old business style of only producing “hits” fr the radio, focused on the art and not sales
-lenthy tracks that were more about the content and used as a platform to say what he wanted, individualistic ethic of self expression
“Bad Girls”
Artist?
Donna Summer
“Bad Girls”
musical features?
disco
uptempo
use of horns
“Bad Girls”
year released?
1979
“Bad Girls”
label?
Casablanca
“Bad Girls”
producer?
Giorgio Moroder
“Bad Girls”
historical context?
disco was more accepting of different sexualities
disco united black, latino, italian, & LGBT Americans
difference between stax and motown
stax is from memphis; racially integrated
motown = 100% black
“you make me feel”
artist?
sylvester
“you make me feel”
musical features?
disco, high pitched timbre
falsetto voice
“you make me feel”
year released?
1978
“you make me feel”
historical context?
disco was accepting of the LGBT community
rebellion against gender norms
“you make me feel”
video aesthetics?
all women
weird sexual gestures
insinuating lesbians?
expressing sexuality
“No Knock”
artist?
Gil-Scott Heron
“No Knock”
musical features?
congas
talking not rapping
BARS
“No Knock”
released?
1972
“No Knock”
historical context?
-political - written in response to the fourth amendment, police being able to enter without knocking… literally “no knock”
I think it was mentioned that this song influenced KRS-One’s “ Who protects us from you” and gil scott heron’s music in general was one of the influences in hip-hop
1988 Grammys
special artist?
Michael Jackson
1988 Grammys
songs performed?
“The Way you make me feel”
& “Man in the Mirror”
1988 Grammys
musical features?
slower than his real performance
tries to make his voice rough
pop-py, choir joins to create call and response
opposes gender norms higher pitch voice / long hair, feminine
1988 Grammys
historical context?
questioning sexuality; he has a girl on stage with him in “The Way You Make Me Feel”
turning white
“Night of the Living Baseheads”
artist?
Public Enemy
1987
Def Jam
“Night of the Living Baseheads”
musical features
turntables, electronic instruments, agressive, uses samples from other songs
“Night of the Living Baseheads”
historical context?
it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
how long can you go?= degrading not dance move
equating crack addicts with zombies
“Funkbox Party”
artist?
Masterdon Committee
“Funkbox Party”
musical features?
call and responses
interaction with audience
electronic beats
riff
“Funkbox Party”
historical context
sampled in “ Night of the Living Baseheads”
Pebblee Poo female MC, not common before this time
“Who protects us from you”
artist?
KRS-ONE
“Who protects us from you”
producer?
Boogie Down Productions
“Who protects us from you”
musical features?
more like talking electronic drums FIYA fast paced instruments sounds like a video game
“Who protects us from you”
historical context
problems with police brutality
intertextuality- song links back to Gil Scott- Heron “NO Knock”
fire= references Jamaican heritage
brings up interconnected ideas
“I’ll be”
artist?
Foxy Brown
featuring JZ
“I’ll be”
musical features?
rougher timbre
voice chi deep
clap ostinato
“I’ll be”
historical context?
“Sister with an attitude” - rapper type- very agressive in your face
sexualizes herself
“I’ll be”
year released
1997
CD
“I’ll be”
producer?
Violater, Def Jam
“U.N.I.T.Y.”
artist?
Queen Latifah
“U.N.I.T.Y.”
musical features?
saxophone
soft timbre with strong vocals
“U.N.I.T.Y.”
historical context?
queen mother type
talked about issues women faced in the world
provided a voice for women in an age of misogyny
“U.N.I.T.Y.”
year?
1993
album black Reign
“U.N.I.T.Y.”
label?
motown records
Patrick Daily, live performance at Ebeneazer Baptist Church
musical features
choir
hetergenous
lead singer is high pitched
Patrick Daily, live performance at Ebeneazer Baptist Church
musical features
historical context?
church is conservative but the singer defies this idea of how men and women are supposed to act
churches wanted conservative values but flamboyant and high pitched male singers and choir directors
expectations of homosexuals
performing tradition
“Radio Rahim”
artist?
Negu Gorriak
“Radio Rahim”
musical features?
rap-rock fusion evident
electric guitar
aggressive rapping
drum ostinato
“Radio Rahim”
historical context?
basque group who fought for independence of the spanish regime and were discriminated against
minority group known for riots and violence, had their culture taken from them yet they took it back and reclaimed it
uses stereotypical new york rap indicators in music video ( graffiti, dj tables), alludes to movie- Do the Right Thing
“Radio Rahim”
released?
1990
vinyl
“straight ahead”
artist?
abbey lincoln
“straight ahead”
musical features?
jazz, smooth, little instruments (slow trumpet), break halway
“straight ahead”
historical context?
the road is a metaphor for life may need to take backroads (which take longer) slow speed limits the road can be smooth or bumpy relates to black people in America
“straight ahead”
label?
candid
“straight ahead”
year released?
1961
“Where is Dis Road A’ Leadin Me”
artist?
Harold Arlen
from Americannegro Suite
“Where is Dis Road A’ Leadin Me”
musical features?
elements of African American musical influence
blue notes
syncopation
small call response between singer and piano
NON african elements:
high range, a lot of vibrato= classically trained
no choir
polished
“Where is Dis Road A’ Leadin Me”
historical context?
wrote some of the greatest hits from the 30’s and 40’s, including the entire score to The Wizard of Oz. Songs such as Over the Rainbow, Get Happy are a few
one of the greatest composers in 20th century
essay topics
aesthetics
economics
politics
identities
Queen mother
independent, mature, women empowerment, politics
Queen Latifah backlashes at gangsta rap
She poses a different view and demographs to a different audience, women begin to have a more comfortable place in rap, giving them identity
Fly Girl
sexually expressive, and sex appeal, equality, traditional rules
Missy Elliot singing about having sex while also at the same time talking about being happy with your body because Missy Elliot is thick
Sis with attitude
explicit, sexually expressive, equality, exaggerated version of fly Girl, aggressive and in your face
Lil Kim singing about fucking all the guys she can around the world. Exaggerated and in your face.
LGBTQ
Janelle Monoe androgynous goes against gender and social norms mimics michael jackson little richey...
4 elements of hip hops?
- MCing/rapping
- Doing/ scratching with turntables
- break dancing
- Graffiti writing
How to “read” a piece
- analyze work’s features (sound, lyrics, visuals)
- understand context
- read commentary about the work
- we don’t really care what the musician thinks about the work
- integrate it all
