Midterm 2 Flashcards
Rock N Roll (Genre)
- Coined by Alan Freed (shorthand for R&B records)
- Catered to young people as a result of their purchasing power following WW2 (aimed at youth of ALL races)
- Songs written to reflect their lives (ie. Rock Around the Clock) - Became an identifying/rebellion-esch genre for teens
Conservatism reigns after war
The Cover Version
Exploits social inequality, whereby a white artist covers an African American song for means of profit
“A Little Bird Told Me” (Evelyn Knight)
Cover of Paula Watson’s version → ended up being a straight copy
- Knight version peaked on charts!
- Supreme (Watson) sues Decca (Knight) → Decca wins
“Shake Rattle, and Roll” (Comets)
Cover of Big Joe Turner’s version → arrangement modified
- Comets reached higher on Pop, but not R&B chart
- Comets remove sexual imagery to appeal to conservative white audience
“Sh-Boom” (Crew Cuts)
Cover of Chords version
- Crew Cuts’ version peaked on charts!
- Crew Cuts tame down aggression and swing → infuse more scat singing
Rock N Roll → R&B Camp
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino
Chuck Berry
Singer/Songwriter/Guitar → Appealed to mass market with Blues-Country fusion
Maybellene (Chuck Berry)
Unprecedented achievement (loud, fast)
- Blues → AAB form
- Country → unsyncopated bassline
- Theme = lover’s quarrel as car chase
- Builds suspense = monotone verse, energetic chorus
Little Richard
Famous for On-Stage Performance (stand at piano, yell)
- Sexually ambiguous image = provides interest!
Tutti Frutti (Little Richard)
Written by Richard when he felt misunderstood during recording session
- Overtly homosexual themes → had to be sanitized
Long Tall Sally (Little Richard)
12 Bar Blues converted to verse/chorus
- Verse (4 bars) → Chorus (8 bars) = ABB
- Theme = unfaithful husband!
Fats Domino
R&B artist who reimagined traditional TPA standards in boogie woogie, jump blues styles
- 2nd highest selling Rock N Roll artist to Elvis!
Blueberry Hill (Fats Domino)
Originally a TPA standard (AABA) by Glenn Miller Band
- Fat’s arraignment more aggressive (more full-bodied singing, less crooning)
Rock N Roll → Country Camp (Rockabilly)
Elvis Presley
Mystery Train (Elvis Presley)
R&B cover (original by Herman Parker)
Original = instrumental sounds like train
- Girl taken by train → no triumph over adversity
- Reflective of Black experience
Cover = ONLY drums sounds like train
- Country band (elec guitar, acous guitar, bass drums), hillbilly accent, blue notes
- Girl taken by train → yet girl comes back (white privilege)
Don’t Be Cruel (Elvis Presley)
Characteristic of Elvis genre-fusion
- AA (verse) + B (chorus)
Hound Dog (Elvis Presley)
Cover of Big Mama Thornton
- Elvis version more toothless, cleaned up (made more ‘palatable’)
Political & Economic Context of 60s
Society in turmoil over Vietnam war, civil rights movement, assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King Jr.
Music Industry Developments in 60s
Music an outlet away from the turmoil
1. Free form dance crazes
2. Baby Boomers take over industry
3. Beach Boys = new possibilities!
The Twist (Chubby Checker)
- As first recorded by Hank Ballard (B-side)
Appeared on the popular show American Bandstand and credited for introducing a wide audience to Rock N Roll/dance music
- Forerunner for Discotheques (free form dance clubs)
Phil Spector
Unprecedented Innovative Producer (songwriter, arranger, instrumentalist, engineer…)
- Founder of Phillies Records (fewer releases than other labels, but each a hit!)
- Frequent shopper at Brill Building (TPA of Rock N Roll)
The Spector Sound/Teenage Symphonies
Characterized by “wall of sound” = dense texture from many instruments
- Achieved by doubling instruments for louder effect → ‘hit’ effect
- Vocal still remain at forefront
Be My Baby (Ronettes)
- Phil Spector
Quintessential Teenage Symphony
- String section, lots of percussion, castanet intro
Uptown (Crystals)
= Phil Spector
Quintessential Teenage Symphony with exotic influence (Latin America)
- Flamenco guitar, castanets
- Theme = class inequalities
—–Downtown → injustices felt by coloured man
——Uptown (with Girlfriend) → feels like King