Midterm 1 Flashcards
Motown
- History
o Berry Gordy, goal to make more catchy songs for profit that all people would like
§ Inspired by the Detroit production line
§ Song writers
· HDH- Hollen-Dojer-Hollen: Three songwriters
· Smokey Robinson
§ Charm School ran by Maxine Powell
· Taught them how to act and carry themselves
§ Had black musicians with white people on covers
§ Accused of “whitening”/”selling-out”
o Hook: catchy part of the song - Artists/Songs:
o I second that emotion – Smokey Robinson
Rock n Roll
- History:
o Vaudeville Shows (same venues as minstrel shows but different)
o Minstrel Shows
o Once recorded Blues was geared to African Americans (Race labels)
o Regeared as R&B (any music marketed and made for Black audiences)
o Great Migration due to economics, jim crow laws, and segregation
§ Blues in Chicago lead to Rock N Roll (electrified)
o Chess Records found many of these Chicago “blues” artist - Artist:
o Runaway Blues - Ma Rainey
§ Vaudeville shows with
o Shake, Roll and Rattle –Big Joe Turner
§ Extremely popular on R&B charts
§ Cover was made by Bill Hailey and became extremely popular a Rock N Roll
Sacred Music
History:
o Started with Spirituals: only vocal; originated from slaves, many had double meanings
o Most slaves couldn’t write so music was important to orally continue culture
o Becomes Gospel: uses instruments and more syncopation
o Ring Shout: West African Tradition where spirituals came from, participatory
o Genre Soul comes from Gospel; took religious aspect out of songs to be more secular (Artist Focused)
o Soul has crossover appeal
o Sacred vs secular; choir vs soloist; church vs clubs
- Artists/Songs:
o Oh Happy Day – Edwin Hawkins Singers (Gospel)
o I’ll meet you on the shore – (Spiritual)
o Respect-Aretha Franklin (Soul)
Hip-Hop/Rap
- History/Socio-economic
o 1970’s start in the Bronx
o Cross-Bronx Expressway(from long-island) ran out the white Jewish people(had means to leave, results in many empty houses) & allowed people to bypass the Bronx and not support its economy
o Began as DJing and Hype men
o Extended the beat and breakdancing
o Bronx very multicultural: Black, Latino, and Caribbean
o Jamaicans inspired by Rock N Roll, started culture based around playing records > start of hip hop
o Culture around reproduction of sound = DJing, MCing, and Toasting
§ All lead to Rap/Hip-Hop
o Def Jam – New York; Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin
§ Run DMC; Public Enemy
o Death Row Records – LA
§ Marketed rap through Gangster Rap: Commodify “urban” experience
§ Snoop Dogg - Artists/Songs
o Grand Master Flash
o DJ Cool Herc
o Walk this way Run - DMC
o Straight Outta Compton - NWA
o In Da Club - 50 Cent
o Murder was the Case – Snoop Dogg
Economics
Artists were used as commodities in order to make a profit
Lyrics/songs stolen and changed in order to crossover (“Shake Rattle and Roll” and “Twist and Shout”)
Motown Factory inspired hits. Focused on the hooks. Inspired by the detroit factories
Emphasized Scholars
Maultsby
Tagg
Herrick
Timbre
The qualities of sound
ie. texture, tone, pitch…
blue notes
a pitch performed slightly higher or lower than standard, usually for expressive purposes
groove
a rhythmic feel among multiple musicians, often created by overlaying many smaller rhythmic phrases on top of each other
syncopation
shifting accents/ stressed sounds off the beat or pulse
Call-and-Response
a musical statement that is then answered by another musical statement
i.e.. Hi De Ho by Cab Calloway
Ostinato/Riff
continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm
In Da Club
50 Cent
Historical Features: hip-hop
Musical Features: guitar, drum machine, synthesizers, syncopation
Straight Outta Compton
NWA
Historical Details: hip-hop; was released at a time when there was high tension between races in America; NWA received less radio time because of this
Musical Features: dj scratching, samples (one of them include “funky drummer”), syncopation (vocals), elements of gospel/religious music (organs, “if i should die before i wake…”)
Murder Was The Case
Snoop Doggy Dog
Historical Details: hip-hop; released around the time of murder allegations (1994 MTV awards)
Musical Features: turntable, drum machine, synthesizer, call and response between snoop and second voice
Walk this way
DMC
Historical Details: hip-hop, cross-over collab with Aerosmith; took a song by white artists and made it “black;” broke hip-hop music into mainstream pop; sent RunDMC to stardom
Musical Features: mixing tracks (DJing)
Funky Drummer
James Brown
Historical Details: R&B/Soul/Funk/ Disco
Musical Features: ostinatos - horns, syncopation, instrumental solos
All Along the Watchtower
Historical Details: rock ‘n’ roll (forms out of Chicago blues)
Musical Features: guitar solo,
I second that emotion
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Historical Details: R&B, Motown (geared toward creating hits - Hitsville, USA, Barry Gordy)
Musical Features: hook (I second that emotion - meant to be catchy), can argue call and response when the trumpet plays the same melody being sung around the end
Money (that’s what I want)
Barrett Strong
Historical Details: R&B, Motown (geared toward creating hits - Hitsville, USA, Barry Gordy)
Musical Features: Call and Response, Ostinato/ Riff, hook (I need money, that’s what I want)
Oh Happy Day
Edwin Hawkins Singers
Historical Details: Gospel
Musical Features: Call and Response, Ostinato/riff, crossover song
Respect
Aretha Franklin
Historical Details: Soul
Musical Features: ostinatos, syncopation
Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Big Joe Turner
Historical Details: R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, Bill Haley and the Comets did a rock and roll cover of the song which was more successful
Musical Features: Repetition (ostinato), Call and Response, Syncopation, later covered by Bill Haley and the Comets (appeal to white audience)
Tiger rag
Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Historical Details: ragtime music
Musical Features:
I’ll Meet You on the Other Shore
St. James Primitive Baptist Church
Historical Details: spiritual (oral tradition from slave songs)
Musical Features: choral (with a soloist), no instruments, call and response with lead singer and choir
Runaway Blues
Ma Rainey
Historical Details: blues (developed out of minstrel and vaudeville shows), Ma Rainey helped originate blues, race records (black artists recording for black audience)
Musical Features: blue notes
Super Bad
James Brown
Historical Details: Soul (secular)
Musical Features: syncopation (vocals, )
Flashlight
Parliament
Historical Details: funk
Musical Features: syncopation (vocals, bass/synthesizer), ostinato/riff
Twist and Shout (1962)
Isley Brothers
Historical Details: Motown
Musical Features: Call and Response, Syncopation
Twist and Shout (1963)
The Beatles
Historical Details: rock ‘n’ roll - became popular in 50s-60s; appealed mostly to whites
Musical Features: raspy timbre, guitar solo, syncopation (vocals), call and response
Contrast with the Isley Brothers’ version: slightly faster tempo than original, more polished
