Lecture 6 - Urban Folk, Psychedelic, Soul, and Rock (late 1960s) Flashcards
What was the shift in the 60’s in terms of the type of music that was being made?
In the US, a lot of popular music up until this point had been geared to entertaining and providing a backdrop for dancing. As we get into the 60’s we start to see different types of music emerging to encourage audience members to sit down and listen and contemplate what they are listening to.
What was the British invasion?
establishment of British music gaining a more equal footing within American popular music for US and UK artists and increased opportunities for cross-fertilization and collaboration
In the early 20th century, what was the main function of American popular music?
To entertain, to provide music to dance to, etc.
What two genres of music emerged in the 1960’s that were intended primarily for listening and contemplating and where did each of them emerge specifically?
- Urban folk music in the US
- Psychedelia in the US and UK
Who specifically turned to urban folk music rather than still listening to rock ‘n’ rollers like Elvis Presley? Why were they listening to this type of music? During which movement was this urban folk music emerging?
college students and younger adults
- because they wanted to distinguish their musical tastes from older generations
- find their generations musical voice
- attracted to music that was trying to say something and that had relevance to what was going on around them, especially given the number of social political issues, catastrophes and movements going on in the 60s
This was the time of the civil rights movement that pushed for equality (racial equality, gender equality). This was a time of assassinations and the Vietnam War. There was so much going on that musicians could sing about and these younger audiences especially were really challenging them to sing about.
Was folk music something new? How was it unique in the 60s?
Folk music is not new
what made urban folk music in the 60s unique was its connection to being more overt in its criticism over social issues and politics that were swirling around listeners and musicians at the time
What is urban folk music? When was it created? What can we say about the lyrics in this genre of music as opposed to the music itself? What was urban folk’s musics purpose? What was there less of a focus on in this genre of music? What instrument rose in sales at this time?
A popular music style that featured guitar-playing singer-songwriters addressing topical issues either head on or ambiguously
late 1950s and 1960s
Lyrics tended to be much more important than the music. The music is subservient to the text (it serves as a vehicle for those words). Musical arrangements in this type of music make it easier for the listener to grasp the text and not let any vocal embellishments cloud the delivery of the words and the message of the words. Music at this time was unpretentious, direct, and purposeful instead of virtuosic.
Urban folk music had a purpose; to help educate its listeners
Less focus choreography and physical appearance
Acoustic instruments, often guitars over electric
What are protest songs? What is an example of a protest song?
pieces of music intended to reflect social issues and ignite change
‘Blowin’ in the Wind’
What is Bob Dylan also regarded as in addition to a singer-songwriter?
a poet (as though his lyrics have surpassed popular music and entered the world of great english writers and great english literature)
‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ - Who was the original song by? Who made a cover? What do the lyrics consist of (differentiate between the chorus and the rest of the song)? What are these lyrics about? How does the chorus (“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind”) respond to the questions in the lyrics? How is there ambiguity in this song?
Bob Dylan
Peter, Paul and Mary
3 successive questions that build with specificity and intensity followed by a deliberately ambiguous “answer” as the chorus
conflict at large in terms of achieving equality, peace, and about the Vietnam War
means that the answer is out there and maybe even easy to get but right now it’s unknown
We can ignore the underlying meaning of this song but Bob Dylan is inviting us to interpret it if we want to. There is ambiguity in the song and because of that, Bob Dylan isn’t pushing people away but there is room to invite further interpretation as we listen
Who were the first to put ‘blowin in the wind’ on the map and make it known? When did they release it and get it heard? What number did it reach on the pop charts? Why did it not become known by Bob Dylan?
Peter, Paul and Mary
1963
number 2
Bob Dylan was virtually unknown except for in those folk music circles
What genre of music did Peter, Paul and Mary favour and with what kinds of vocals and accompaniments? How were they able to push folk music from the periphery to the center? How do their voices create variety? What does this do for the sing?
urban folk music with sweet-sounding vocals and simple guitar accompaniments
they took folk music and packaged it in a way for the mainstream
by varying the number of singers singing. sometimes all 3 voices are singing in unison (singing the same 3 notes at the same time) and sometimes different notes in the same harmony.
When they have the full texture of 3 voices with the guitars, sometimes they are all in unison (singing the same 3 notes at the same time) and sometimes different notes in the same harmony
These subtle variations help keep the music fresh with each repetition of the verse and chorus.
Peter, Paul and Mary started out as acoustic performers but what did they switch to in 1967 like other musicians did? Why did they switch to this?
they adopted electronic instruments
because of the many options that came to exist and electric music provided a range of timbral combinations
Who also helped make folk music mainstream?
the Kingston Trio
Why did Bib Dylan move from Minnesota (where he was born) to New York in 1960?
He said that nothing interesting ever happened to anyone there so he got out and moved to NY and started performing for small audiences of devoted folk music fans
What happened to Bob Dylan in 1964 after he started to perform regularly in NYC? From the beginning, what was Bob Dylan devoted to when making music?
he became one of the most well-respected folksingers in the US but he was still relatively unknown
devoted to the cause of educating audiences to trigger change
Who was Bob Dylan’s idol? What song did he make? Why was he Bob Dylan’s idol? Why is Bob Dylan still relevant today? What other song is relevant today by Bob Dylan?
Woody Guthrie
“This Land Is Your Land”
because he also wrote music with a message
because his songs are still relevant today that talk about civil rights, equality, corruption and consumerism
“Girl from the North Country”
What did Bob Dylan win in 2016? Why did he win it?
Nobel Peace Prize
because Dylan has crafted lyrics that encourage listeners to pay attention and listen
How is Bob Dylan’s voice describes as? How can we describe how he plays his instruments? Why is accompaniment in these songs subdued while the artist is singing?
raw and gruff
the same way we describe his voice; raw and gruff
because it is meant to draw attention to the lyrics rather than the music and put the lyrics in spotlight. the instruments are there just to support the voice.
How is the timbre of Dylan’s voice different than Peter, Paul and Mary’s? What other genre does Bob Dylan’s voice draw on? Whose voices does it also resemble? Why do these artists make their voices sound this way?
The timbre of Dylan’s voice is not sweet and syrupy like Peter, Paul, and Mary; his voice is raw and rough and he occasionally sings aggressive, in-your-face vocals that match his assertive instrumental playing on guitar and harmonica and the sentiment of his lyrics
blues and country music
Blind Lemon Jefferson, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, and Big Mama Thornton
They were trying to be expressive and emotional and cover those lyrics with as much passion as possible
What is melodic shape? What can we say about Bob Dylan’s melodic shape while singing? What does this allow for in terms of the lyrics of the song?
meaning how the melody moves up and down
if he’s gonna move up and down, he’s gonna move by step and not jump a lot of notes up at once
allows for those lyrics to be propped up on display
How does the music set up the 3 questions being asked in ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’? When does a resolution typically come in music?
it doesn’t provide any sense of resolution/the music does not make it feel like the question is being answered
Resolution comes in music when we get to a cadence
What is a cadence?
a progression of at least 2 different chords that punctuates the ends of phrases, often conveying resolution, like a period at the end of a sentence
How do Peter, Paul and Mary sing? How are the questions sung in ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ by them? How is the answer given by them in ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’?
How does Bob Dylan make the melody sound angular in the song? Why does he do this?
with sincerity and simplicity
The questions in the lyrics are performed in different numbers and combinations of voices
the answer is often provided by Mary in a gentle, solo voice
He makes the melody sound angular by adding so much syncopation that the natural rhythmic weight of the words is thrown off and in so doing he gives unexpected emphasis to some key syllables and words (getting to the word a bit quicker or delaying it)
This is just another way of him drawing our attention to the words
When does Bob Dylan switch from acoustic instruments to electric? How did members of the folk community respond to this? Why did they respond this way?
1965
negatively
To them, at that time, it was just crucial for music to be in its purest and most authentic state and to turn the guitar into an electric guitar as a means of accompaniment was something that a lot of them just abandoned Dylan entirely
‘Like a Rolling Stone’ - What part of Bob Dylan’s career was this song? Bob Dylan’s singles did not always do well; did this one do well? What kind of artist was he? What number on the charts did this reach in 1965? How long is this song and what did this do to song lengths for others in general? Which instruments are accompanying Dylan’s voice? What is the tone of the text? What is the overall message? Does this sing end with a formal ending or a fade-out?
This is a song from Bob Dylan’s electric career
yes
an album’s artist
number 2
6 minutes and this put an end to restrictions on song lengths
electric guitar, harmonica, organ, drums
intimate
A song that talks about a whole generation distinguishing themselves
in folk music traditionally, the song does come to an end with a cadence (a fullstop) and not a fade-oout. However, in this song, there is a fade-out. Bob Dylan relies on the fade-out to bring the song to a conclusion.
What does psychedelia encourage listeners to do? When did psychedelia start? Where did psychedelia start? What did psychedelic music demonstrate? What form of music is this?
encourages listeners to listen and unpack what’s going on just like urban folk music
In 1965-67
started in regional underground scenes in London and San Francisco
demonstrated that popular types of music could transform from dance music to listening music
ambitious form of music
What was the growing hippie counterculture? What did they do as part of this culture?
a lot of people were very disillusioned with not just the past but also the present. They didn’t trust the government and institutions of authority like the church. People were questioning the role of the military and big business, and police and were turning to experiences and alternative philosophies. People involved in this movement were interested in eastern philosophies and eastern religions, yoga and meditation and also drugs.
experimented with drugs, especially marijuana and LSD, as part of a way to express their rejection of authority and unlock a higher consciousness
What are 2 psychedelic approaches to music?
- Music is used to enhance a drug trip: the focus is on the drug experience itself, and the music is a soundtrack that may provoke a response with unexpected sounds
- Music is the trip itself: the artist makes music that acts as an aesthetic drug, taking the listener on an aural journey that is not necessarily enhanced by drugs
What 8 ways is music made to be psychedelic?
- Complex approaches to composition, arranging, and recording production
- Long, multi-sectional musical forms, including extra long instrumental jams to encourage listeners to get lost in the music and enjoy it and be in the moment and have that intentional presence
- Frequent modulations (changes in key) and wider harmonic variety which helps disorient the listener (so if we don’t know where our home base is because that home key is constantly changing, its gonna give us that unsettled feeling that there’s more to come and allow for that music to continue and explore new areas)
- Unconventional instrumentation such as South Asian instruments (sitar, tabla (a southeast asian drum)) and Electronic instruments (synthesizers (keyboard instruments), theremin [demo] (stereotypical horror movie sound))
- Elaborate studio effects like tape looping and extreme reverb (Tape looping is repetition, a cycle of music sequence that goes over and over again)
- Use of drones as accompaniment (A drone is a series of repeated notes or sustained pitches held for a long stretch of time)
- Frequent changes or use of unconventional time signatures (in psychedelic music we have unusual time signatures so instead of 3 or 4 beats to a measure, it would be five or seven beats to a measure which makes it hard to predict for the listener and producing this element of uncertainty and disorientation for the listener not knowing where that next main beat is gonna fall, especially if the time signatures are also changing as well)
- Surreal, whimsical, or esoteric lyrics (inviting us to think deeply about our own existence)
Who makes psychedelic music in the 60s?
- San Francisco underground scene: The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin, Country Joe and the Fish…
- London underground scene: Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Tomorrow, Rolling Stones, Cream, Jimi Hendrix…
Who started to experiment with psychedelic music in the 60s? What record labels were they both with at this point?
The Beatles and the Beach Boys
Capitol
and so there was a kind of a competition going on between these 2 all male boy bands and a back and forth ad they released albums and singles to the public but that was also happening within the label as they tried to one up one another at this time and we can call some of their albums psychedelic
What Beatles album is psychedelic? What Beach Boys album is psychedelic?
Revolver, Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band
Pet Sounds
‘Good Vibrations’ - Performed by who? What type of music were they writing when their careers started? Who wrote the words and music of this song? What was this song referred to as by the lyric writer? How long is the song? What form? What instruments? How is there a wide variety of dynamics in this song? Why did this single take so much time to create?
What makes psychedelic music so different in terms of form?
the Beach Boys
surf music (Californian music)
Brian Wilson and Mike Lowe
a pocket symphony which i think means extended song form or not a wall of sound but a similar effect?
3.5 minutes
After starting in verse-chorus form, it breaks into a series of 3 sections, constantly introducing new material
tack piano, bass harmonica, theremin, sleigh bells, maracas providing a thick texture
Wide variety of dynamics with so many instruments and potential there in terms of texture, we have potential for dynamic variety (extreme softs and extreme louds) and frequent modulations so we’re going to travel through various keys to disorient ourselves) which will give us that drug experience or to heighten a drug experience
the creator (Brian Wilson) tried to maximize the potential for variety of effects, technically speaking, in the studio and make most of what was available to him at that moment
This is what makes psychedelic music so different; the lack of repetition and not as much familiar material coming back and if there is repetition it is harder to recognize because its been recycled, refreshed and changed enough (maybe with those different instruments) to help change its appearance
When was the last Beatles performance on American soil? Was this the end of their career as a band? How did their focus shift? Why did the Beatles turn away from performing? What happened as a result of this? What did the Beatles do in the recording studio after this?
in 1966
no
shifted away from touring and singing to their public and really focusing on recording in the studios and heightening what they could accomplish with the technology that they had at that point
because John Lennon was in an interview in England and a conversation came up about the role of the church and the trends happening in British youth - he said that the Beatles were more important to most British youth than Jesus and American reporters took that and twisted it to mean that the Beatles thought that they were more important than Jesus
some zealots, even the KKK got involved and threatened their live performance, burnt the Beatles merchandise and the LPs, and the Beatles really feared for their lives because they were getting death threats and they felt it was unsafe for them to perform on stage and they felt like they had a target on their back. so they had their final performance in 1966 in San Francisco
really focus and do the most with their time in the recording studio and they didn’t repeat what they had done previously. They were constantly evolving. They were constantly pushing boundaries and evolving in a relatively short period of time - trying not to revert to formulas in their songs but finding new sounds and textures with their music
What is the significance of the Beatles ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band’ album cover? What was on the album?
This is a concept album - the Beatles decided how to make it new and different and it was by adopting alter egos and different personalities and it was from this alter egos perspective that they would write their new songs
the Beatles in the middle and different important figures of the time around them
‘A Day in the Life’ - Performed by who? What form? What is in the A section of the song? What is in the B section?
the Beatles
Compound ternary (ABA) form with A and B having internal forms also which follow verse form
an incomplete song sung by John Lennon; there is an interlude/that orchestral sound building up this enormous crescendo (an increase in volume) that builds up before being cut off abruptly as we transition into the next song
an incomplete song sung by Paul McCartney
What is meant by compound ternary (ABA) form?
The word ‘ternary’ tells us we have 3 parts and that the first and third are the same (or more or less the same) and the central section is going to be contrasting so ABA but to make it compound the word compound tells us that at least one of the sections is going to further subdivide
What does the term ‘guitar heroes’ consist of?
- drawing away from the lyrics entirely and our attention shifts to that instrument
- new generation of electric guitarists
- Guitar-focused showmanship
Who did this new generation of electric guitarists become influenced by? Who influenced the showmanship?
Les Paul, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and more
Chuck Berry and Little Richard
What 2 genres of music did Jimi Hendrix draw on? Who was he? What was the Jimi Hendrix experience? Who did he extend the work of? What was he known for? What did he experiment with? What did he favour? What was he famous for? Was he an albums or a singles artist?
- blues
- psychedelia
one of the most original, influential, and virtuosic guitarists and singer-songwriters of the rock era
He moved to London from Seattle (where he was born) where he teamed up with 2 musicians and formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience
the Beach Boys and the Beatles
Hendrix is known for his incredible ability to improvise
technologies such as feedback, distortion, and sound manipulating devices like the wah-wah pedal and the fuzz box
favoured harsh dissonances (sounds that are harsh to our ears that don’t go together in a natural way (notes don’t seem like they go together)) and loud volumes as he explored the border between traditional conceptions of music and noise
his flamboyant performance style (playing his guitar with his teeth and behind his back, stroking the guitar’s neck and pretending to make love to it, setting his guitar on fire)
an album artist
‘Purple Haze’ - Performed by who? What form? How was the introduction like? What did his live performances include? How did it end?
Jimi Hendrix
simple verse form
hooks us with a very famous and dissonant riff that grabs our attention
long guitar solo
with a coda (a coda always happens at the end in pop music (it’s just that extra tail to extend the song where were not gonna get new material but we might have some improvisatory flourishes. The song can end at the previous section but the coda gives us something more to satisfy us
What is soul? When did this emerge? What groups and artists were a part of this?
songs sung in a smooth, relaxed, and restrained style
early 1960’s
the Drifters, the Coasters, and Ben E. King
What is southern soul? When did this emerge? What singers were a part of this? What is this genre of music a characteristic of? How was she familiar with this?
a harder-edged ‘black pop’ often associated with enthusiastic emotional expression and gospel music
mid-1960’s
Aretha Franklin
baptist and evangelical African American churches/enthusiastic emotional expression and gospel music
she grew up the daughter of a preacher
What would Aretha Franklin’s father do? Where did she first hear her influence, gospel singer Clara Ward? Why did she become Clara Ward’s influence? What record label did she first record for? How were her performances with them? What record label did she switch to? How were her performances now?
host church services where she would hear a lot of incredible musical performances
in the church services that her dad would host
it was apparently hearing Ward’s performances that convinced Franklin to pursue music and singing specifically and give her the inspiration that she hoped to follow
Franklin started out recording for Columbia
usually described as more paired down and not nearly as expressive and ambitious as what would come later
she did move to Atlantic
She is encouraged to let loose and be herself to embrace those roots and that style of music that she probably felt she needed to contain or somehow restrain but instead she was encouraged to embrace it and bring those skills and background to her repertoire and her interpretations of the songs
‘Respect’ - Who was it originally recorded by? Who covered it? How did it sound when it came from the first artist and how did it sound from the second artist? What form? What instruments and characteristics?
Otis Redding
Aretha Franklin
what may sound like a sexist rant when voiced by a man becomes a feminist anthem
simple verse form with a bridge and coda
horns, guitar, saxophone (takes the spotlight), modulation, call-and-response (between voice and instruments but also between star singer Franklin and the backup singers and this thickens the texture and there is also that uh-huh or agreement coming in from the singers) and the voice, embellishments, and improvisatory elements that Franklin brings to the song
How does the British invasion continue? How were the vocal sounds of the British invasion grouped?
some of the voices coming from the UK that a lot of American listers were listening to
- pop-based with sweet vocals
- blues-based with rough vocals
What vocal sound were the Rolling Stones grouped into?
blues-based with rough vocals
What British TV show were the Rolling Stones on in 1965? What appearance do the Rolling Stones have? What tradition did the Rolling Stones emerge from? What kind of boy band were they? What instruments did they feature in their performances? Who was the the Rolling Stones guitarist that led them? Who were the singers that then led the Rolling Stones?
Thank Your Lucky Stars
They tended to sport a more casual style of dress
Chicago electric blues which came from Muddy Waters, etc.
guitar-based boy band
featuring slide guitar, harmonica, and styles of vocal delivery
Brian Jones
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Which record label said yes to the Rolling Stones? Who signed the Stones? Who brought the Stones to the man who signed them? What was the stones first single?
Decca
Dick Rowe (same guy who said no to the Beatles)
George Harrison, a beatle
a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On”
What were the Rolling Stones doing at first to start off their career? Why did they then start writing their own songs?
making covers of other songs and covering a whole host of American musicians who were either centered around the Chicago electric blues scene or highly influenced by that scene
because they realized they could make more money that way
‘The Last Time’ - Who wrote this song? What first collaboration was this song? What were their first original hit in the US? What number did it reach on the charts in 1965? Why did it take the Americans longer than the Britains to embrace the Rolling Stones? When did the Americans start to embrace the Rolling Stones?
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards end up writing their own music and their first Jagger-Richards collab is a song called ‘the last time’
The first Jagger-Richards collaboration
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
Number 1
they seemed to have too much of this bad boy image that didn’t appeal to mainstream America at that time
with the song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ - Performed by who? What form? How did the Rolling Stones sound here in terms of voice and instruments?
The Rolling Stones
3 pairs of chorus verse before the coda
rougher vocals that we associate with the Chicago electric blues and more of an aggressive and less polished feel to the vocals and then also the instrumentalists as well
Listen to:
‘Silence is Golden’
‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ by Peter, Paul and Mary
‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ by Bib Dylan
‘Girl from the North Country’
‘Like a Rolling Stone’
‘Good Vibrations’
‘A Day in the Life’
‘Purple Haze’
‘Respect’
‘Come on’
‘The Last Time’
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’
