MAY 7TH
What is Popular Music?Represents a whole series of meanings
now
(Post World War II) a fusion of Rhythm n Blues (Black Culture),
Country and Western (Southern Rural White Culture), and Tin Pan
Alley (Northern Urban White Culture) Dependant on the development
of: The Industrial Evolution The Middle Class Large Urban
Population Copyright Law Technologies of Mass Production and
BroadcastingBy 1945: Music industry divided into 3 distinct
categories:1. Popular (or pop): white/ middle class/ urban2. Race:
black, regardless of class or location3. Hillbilly: origins in
poor, white, rural- is now migrating to urban areas (particularly
in the southern US) Products of the music industry are sheet music
and recordings Sheet music dominates recordings until the late
1920s While sheet music is still important, by the end of WWOO the
Recording Industry has come to dominate
Development of American Music Industry: What creates conditions
for Popular Music to become a consumer product?1831- Amendments to
the copyright law to cover sheet music
The Victorian Ballad: Minstrel Show and Parlour MusicMinstrel
Show:-variety show that depicted African-Americans in a racist and
stereotypical lightnot created blacks and the performers and song
writers. Wore black face paint stuff. Not representative of black
culture
Most important composer was Steven Foster:Example: Massas in de
cold, cold ground (Steven Foster, 1852)Characteristics: Guitar
Accompaniment & fiddle Vocal ControlFoster wrote a lot for
Minstrel show. Show depicted slavery as not being bad, b/c theyre
outside in the country they get fresh air, they take care of them.
Didnt mention the bad stuff. The slaves were portrayed by speaking
very phonetically was reinforcing stereotypes.Think about what the
singer would look like- man standing still, restrained physical
performance, formal dress, controlledBlack singers usually move
aroundLyrics are disturbing, say the slaves would mourn the death
of their masters Enforced the ideas that they liked/cared for the
slave ownersViolin and Fiddle are the same the difference is the
way you play them.
Parlor Music:Industrial RevolutionRise of Middle ClassLuxury
items- Piano- a symbol of wealthDaughters pursue leisure
activities
How show youre middle class, you buy things, conspicuous
consumption. Big house, new car often, etc. . Victorian Era get a
piano, its big, loud, expensive and no one uses it to make money
since youre middle class. It is used to demonstrate a useless
women, show successful b/c the women in your family dont need to
work, u can make them extra useless, let them have long painted
fingernail, outfits they cant move around in well. Pay to teach
women how to play them.Used for social skills, like dinners and
things. Daughters quiet, and dressed in ridiculous things, younger
plays, the older sings. Used to entertain. Invite boss and son to
dinner. Daughters dont write music, teach music, etc. Song writers
wrote stuff for the middle class Victorian women
Example: Believe Me, if All those Endearing Young Charms- Thomas
Moore (early 1800s)Parlour Song- AABA form (pic on phone) has piano
accompiment
Vrs 1:A) Believe me, if all those endearing young charms, which
I gaze on so fondly to-dayA) Were to change to by to-morrow, and
fleet in my arms, Like fairy-gifts fading awayB) Thou wouldst still
be adored, as this moment thou art, Let they loveliness fade as it
willA) And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart would entwine
itself verdantly stillCharacteristics: Piano Accompaniment Vocal
control Themes: loyalty, honesty, control, restraintDemand for
newly composed songs leads to the increased organization of the
music industry
1830- try and make living in music, rise of middle class b/c
they want it to play.Have parlour music writers, performance a play
the minstrel showWhite middle class urban ppl, target to middle
class ppl At this point, not have modern music industry just
yetMost musicians died moderately wealthy or poor, none really got
rich
Tin Pan Alley: Charles K Harris, After the Ball 1892Message is
the idea of being dedicated, trusting, honestyCould have been any
of the parlour songs, something happened with this particular song.
Sells a few copies, keeps selling and over a short period of time
sells 5 million copies in a place of less than 100 million pplMade
him wealthyIntroduced an idea, if you write the one song that
catches on youre set for life. Start pursuit of hit song
From 1890 to 1990 see the rural to urban shift.
Success of After the Ball gives birth to Tin Pan Alley (TPA)Both
a musical style and a place: Manhattan in New York City Becomes the
center of professional music making During 20s 30s , 21,000
publishers and 36,000 composers Division of labour: composer,
lyricists, publisher, publicity, performers Sheet music dominates-
transaction to recordings begins during the 1920s
Divide labour- ppl are good at different things so have ppl good
at things do those and combine to sell a better final product
assembly linePpl get good at job and know how much will produce in
a dayQuality and predictabilityKnow whos responsible for what
How got the nameIn the summer NY is really hot, when you walk
down the street, you see a bunch of ppl with old out of tune pianos
singing different sounds windows open etc. What were they looking
for a hit, money, Very few would make it, the gold rush was
happening so they called it tin pan alley. Cause they used them to
find gold. Were looking for that hit song to strike it rich
big things comes down to race and economy. Music played a big
part is US history. Canada isnt a bad place to live when it comes
to race, not the best but still better than other places like the
US. Its still a big factor in the state (Boston Riots). Some ppl
still weird about Obama as president. Since they can get away with
saying they have a Kenyan Muslim as president. If paid attention
would notice same problem with all presidents. Say popular music is
a fusion of 3 elements a fusion of Rhythm n Blues (Black Culture),
Country and Western (Southern Rural White Culture), and Tin Pan
Alley (Northern Urban White Culture)Blues (mostly by black ppl),
Country (hill billy music), Tin Pan Alley (by whites in Northern
Urban Centres)Song- something about drinking by big bill
brunseyWill the circle by unbroken- by the carter
familyDifferences- dancing Has always been an important part of
black culture, however country and western much more auspicious of
dancing so harder to dance to. More interested in telling stories
and narrativesTin Pan song- The Andrew Sisters- the booey woogey
buggle boyClip was from a movieWouldnt see the other 2 in movies
b/c blues related to black, and country seen as lower economic
statusLook at how these 3 combined
Industrial Evolution- bunch of things happened based on simple
idea, why does everyone have to make their things their self. If
you cant do it yourself you trade them what you have for what
theyre good at. Barter instead, no one gets rich b/c you trade what
you have for what you need. Someone created money and can now
accumulate wealth. Money around for a while, the revolution brought
factories and jobs where they get paid. Allows ppl to begin to
build up wealth. Go back prior to it and you had pesants and the
church and stuff who were well off. Now pessants sane money and it
accumulates over generation and you get a middle classBefore only
rich rich ppl could afford musicians and so few musicians. Now
instead a lot of middle class ppl chip in to hire a musician and
you get public concerts and now more musicians jobs. Ppl like music
at home, but cant create music so now you have song writters. Now
you have a lot of jobs for musicians.Economies of Scale, cant get
wealthy in small rural areas, you need thousands of ppl in on spot.
Need a city a place with lots of middle class ppl. Need copywright
law, b/c music Is an idea. Pay for the idea not the CD or the file.
The years spent learning to create or play. Establish laws to
protect the right to the idea so they alone have the right to sell
it and copies of it.Need to be able to get it to lots of ppl, need
a way to let thousand access what you do. Mass produce, way to
share etc.
What are you selling in the music industry sheet music till
1920s recording catch up then but still big. Mostly for pop
musicBlues and Hillbilly more records barely any sheet music
Copyright lawstarted by queen in britian. Pamphleteers are ppl
that have an issue with the laws, they write a essay/ objection and
print out a bunch of copies. You stand on a box and start talking
and if you were interested you could buy a copy of the pamphlet. If
its popular, what ppl were doing is theyd print the same paper out
and use it to make more and could sell them at the same place for
cheaperSo royals created the stationers and they let you register
your work, and so it they steal your idea they needed to pay the
one they took it from. It went through a royal company and so known
as royalties. It developed over several years. When states created
and stuff the amendment made in 1831 a bunch of musicians probably
kept asking about it. So the gvt paid attention. In 1831 there were
a lot of ppl trying to write songs for a living.
MAY 14THWhy 1954, what was in place to make him the King of Rock
and Roll.
Left off on Tin Pan Alley, thousands of ppl gravitated to this
part of New York. How it worked, was division of labour. So music
industry based on the separation of tasks.Assembly line, not one
person does it all. Now when say tin pan alley, can be talking
about the place itself of the style itself. The songs tend to have
simple lyrics, b/c you want them to be understood. Very easy to
grasp.
Style: Lyrics base rhyme scheme syllabic idealized romance-
beginning and ending
Sign not too much has changed, still love songs about
relationships
Style: Music easy to play easy to sing- phrasing and range AABA
musical form
Sheet music still one of the main forms, so written for amateurs
Short, and narrow in range. Breath control cant sing in big
range.Targeted home musicians. Playing piano more important then,
since not have records so more relevant to entertainment
Tend to follow AABA structure, Song- Somewhere Over the Rainbow-
Wizard of OzIt was mainstream pop music at the time.These songs
were new and popular and revolutionary at the time.
Now popular music has big connection with Hollywood.The popular
music industry and Hollywood were essentially created/ took shape
at the same time and have always had a strong connection.
AABA- use capital letters to indicate musical structures, which
are distinguished from song lyrics and normal words it indicates
the melodyLyrics have nothing to do with the melody. The more
familiar you get with it the more you like itWhat does this
accomplish:The first section introduces you to the idea,The 2nd
repeats the idea so you are now familiarThe 3rd get something new
they can give you contrast in Rainbow double up the time, so its
faster. Big idea is the end of the B section is supposed to be the
point of the greatest tensionThe 4th the 3rd makes you want to hear
the 4th, resolve the tension and hear A
Typically the A sections wont vary too much, but will be very
similar, the A sections keep the same length and B will be the same
length. But besides that song writers can do whatever they want
AABA was vast majority of music in this period.Standard form is
32 bars AABA
That was how the business side of music took place before
WW2
Music after WW2 and now sounds very different. Need to take a
look at other forms
North American Slave Trade 1619-1863
Could say rock and roll started then1619 was when African
Americans sold to farms/into slaveryfor 250 years, millions were
treated very poorly like machines only good for work
In the midst in this awful thing elements of culture survive,
and they were going the be a huge part of American cultureThey kept
the importance of music
Those who were enslaved engaged in singing, they had songs for
everything.
Work song: pass time/set pace, coordinate work song leader
floating pool of verse
Played a song, a recording of a work song but technology created
after.Listened to a recording of African American convicts. Old
Alabama 1947 they were chopping a tree
African influenceAfrica huge country, with tons of different
cultureSahara dessert, have north African culture similar to middle
east and sub-Saharan culture.We are generally referring to ppl that
are from West Africa
What was the point of singing?Slavery, most likely mind
numbingly boring, singing probably made it a little more liveable.
Lets them know theyre not alone. Practical use, co-ordinated work,
not want to be out of synch and a safety factor.How did it work,
there was a figure called the song leader, they had a talent.They
could carry in their mind thousands of little bits of songs, little
2 liners and have hundreds of little melodies.The song leader would
make it up on the spot. Each time the song leader starts and then
they join in if they know it. Hed either going to sing the same
line or a new contrasting line. So they listen to the first word
then join in when they can tell what hes doing. Not a worked out
song, being made up on the spot by the leader. What he might do is
make a song about a person there, or someone who died, or joke
about the slave owner. A good song leader could help keep you
alive, if he knows someone is sick and he watches the sick one and
subtly slows the pace so they can maybe keep up and hopefully be
better tomorrow
Floating pool of verse- pool of lyrics and melodies that no one
owns
Harmonizing done on the spot, sing all of their lives. Everyone
sings all the time, no self-consciousness. Singing today is still
valued more today in black communities than white ones. To see the
difference all you have to do is go to different churches.What you
get is this rich sound, each one is individual but they work
together.
Folk Music: performed by amateurs for self rcommunity
entertainment oral tradition more concern with tradition than
innovation (lacking self-consciousness)
amateur- not bad just dont do it for a livingDont learn from
sheet music, generally just learn by watching ppl that are good at
itMore concerned with preserving culture than creating new things
Here self consciousness means in terms of as a musicianEveryone is
looking for something to make them stand outFolk tradition tends to
change very slow since they want to preserve cultures
Scotland- hear old music go to Cape Britian b/c they worked hard
to maintain the tradition
African Retentions:1/ Interest in percussive and distorted
timbres2/ Value in the Ecstatic and the Cathartic3/ Rhythmic
complexity- syncopation4/ Use of riffs5/ Use of call and
response
Parts of African culture that stayed and added and combined to
create what we hear todayClich is African music is based on drums,
small kernel of truth but blown out of proportionCultures of west
Africa interested in percussive and timbre- the quality of a
soundWhat makes it unique and describe itPercussive- things that
are struck, drums, piano hit string with a mallet. Not just drums
it is when sound is produced through strikingDistorted timbre- The
term distortion carries a value, defined as a alteration of a
signal. Not want message distorted it is a negative, loss of
control outside of ability to reign inIn west African culture
distortion is encouraged and has a different definition, it means
being t and engaged and singing its a overflow of emotion. Very
different definition.
Melody, Harmony- cords play with is, Rhythm- how play music in
timeWestern music good with harmonyThe least developed was rhythm,
common in European music
African music plays around with rhythm, when you break it down
so much you cant tell the like main beat its syncopation
Riffs- is a small self contained musical fragment that is
repeated as the basis for a larger composition. Motif- ex/ 4 notes
Beethoven not a riffA motif has alterations, he plays it different
like higher lower etc. A riff stays the same and the song is
created over the top of that riff
Call and response- in west African music shows that
communication is 2 way. When kiss plays expect communication back,
fans energeticAs opposed to a piano/ classical concert it flows one
way, just the musician
It brought the culture of west Africa into north America, NA
become an experiment, where massive number of ppl from west Africa
and ppl from Europe. When you put the 2 groups next to each other
they will influence each other
American Civil War (1861-1865)Slavery end 1865Thought the war
was to free ppl, but not really.The realistic reason was they were
planning on creating new states and were debating if pink or blue.
North and South was tied. Political issues too different parties
favoured different parts. South wanted to leave and form new
country north said nope and broke out in war.
Post Slavery: (1865- ) Institutional Racism Acceleration of
Rural-to-Urban shift New forms of music appear during late 1800s
I/Ragtime 2/ Jazz 3/ BluesThese new forms of music take shape in
1890s or around thenDont see the new culture because they need a
new generation, they werent free in their minds and most didnt
shake it. So get the new generation that had grown up as free
people. They are able to see differently and create new culture
Rid of slavery in name, but could still have laws that say they
cant vote, own certain things, go certain places. They were heavily
enforced.Common that if black person was accused of a crime, a mob
of white ppl would go and demand the prisoner and hang
themCluclucks clan, would go around and burn houses and murder ppl.
Would target black, jews, catholic. So being black in the south was
dangerous, so many moved North to the city centres
Country(Rural) Blues: Wandering musician Male vocalist, with
Acoustic Guitar Plaintive vocal sound- lament Themes include:
Travel, Economics, and Love
Typically an individual that would travel between a few rural
areas to make a little money and usually have a acoustic guitar.
Were relatively inexpensive. Sound of a blues musicians was
plaintive, sounds sad etc.Themes that are new to a generation that
previously didnt have the options. Also still have institutional
slavery. Before didnt need to worry about money.
Musical form characteristics: 12 measure phrases a-a-b lyric
pattern call and response between guitar and voice floating pool of
verse
hear measure in classical, hear bar in jazz and pop, but are
same things.They are subsets of musical time.In order to keep track
of where they are in a song they number the pulsesBut if you just
numbered them all youd have really big numbers.So group the beats
together in subsets. Most common is a set or 4 called a bar or
measure. Blues usually come in sets of 12. This is unusual.Tin pan
alley usually were 4,8,16,32 etc. iterations of 2s a-a-b lyrics
lower case b/c refer to wordsstill not dealing with worked out
songs, still use floating pool of verse
Most songs not follow the pattern exactly usually have a twist
or something different.One of the most signigficant forms that
influenced music
No record till 1920s and 30s
Robert Johnson(1911-1938) Defined standards for blues guitar
November 1936/ June 1937 Mythic characterSweet Home Chicago Robert
Johnson (November, 1936)
One of the most important country blues musicians helped define
the sound, the guitar techniques are still very highly regarded.
Helped that he had an extraordinary life, only recorded enough
songs to fill 2 compact discs with 12-13 songs.He did early in his
life, at the age of 27.27 club, considered the founding member.
He tried to play with people and was awful, for 18 months he
disappeared and when he shows up again he is the best blues guitar
player and soon after he dies on the verge of greatness. Speculate
he was poisoned. Not know the real cause of his death.Story
developed, he went to the crossroads at midnight and say he asked
to be the best blues guitar player.Immortalized in a song called
crossroads. Might have been in Memphis studying.Fact is he becomes
the most influential country blues musician of his time.
Rural and country blues the same at this pointRobert Johnson one
of the first blues musicians ever recorded.Blues musicians werent
really recorded till the 1920s
Blind William Tell contrast with Johnson
MAY 21ST
Sweet Home Chicago- Robert Johnson (November, 1936)12 bars in
blues usually with black culture influenceAABA associated with tin
pan alley
Music that follows the end of slaveryFolk can encompass blues,
rock etc. many types just folk stylizedRobert Johnson appears to be
a blues musician that is self-conscious as in he is trying to do
something new. He creates an introduction (the piano thing)He bases
what he does in the introduction on what he does in the song. He
thinks through his song.
Other cultures largely being ignored, African American and
hillbilly. Cultural Chauvinism, if you were middle class and white
you dont thing the Black and Hillbilly culture wasnt worth paying
attention to. Racism and economic status.This is a leftover of the
civil war. The north won the war.The defeat of the south has
tainted the norths view of the south. They think they are lower
class, country bumkinness, its all leftover from the civil war.So
when these new cultures are appearing they put more focus on their
own and ignore the othersAnother thing the music industry was based
on sheet music, and blues/black music or folk music didnt have
sheet music really. They learned orally generation to generation.
Since they dont have sheet music they werent a big part of the
industry.To get black and folk music into the industry need to
shift from sheet to recordings
Changes in Technology:Mechanical Reproduction- audio
recording1877- Edison invents the phonograph (gramophone)Designed
as a business machine, have a cylinder that wears out.Was designed
for a person to record a letter or something and send it to the
other person. Wasnt very good1892-1912- transition from cylinder to
disks1925- industry standard speed set to 78rpm
Took so long to standardize b/c companies would be releasing
different machines that you could only play a certain kind of disc
on and it had its own speed
What was recorded? sheet music/TPA black music/ rural southern
white msic not recorded because: cultural chauvinism rural areas-
sales?Just recorded what was in front of them, so they had the
discs in store and theyd play it to help them decide.It took them a
while to accept that they could listen to the music from a box.Now
had something to sell to the rural market but didnt bother b/c it
wasnt profitableFocus on TPA
Commercial Radio: 1920 Jan. 1922-28 Stations/ December 1922-570
Stations Controlled by only a few Networks (CBS, NBC, Mutual) First
radio network, NBC in 1928 Very few independent radio station exist
Network radio begins to change patterns of consumption from
regional to national
When discovered had no clue what use itd beIn 1920 it was the
first time someone set it up and started broadcasting entertainment
and was paid for by advertisting.Took a year or 2 to take off 1922
went from 28 to 570.Doesnt mean that you can get all the stations
in the same place, youll get the few that are local and broadcast
thereVery quickly big business gets involved see the emergence of
networksBusiness buys all the stations. Mutual becomes ABCNetwork
radio systems changed the way people listened to music.Itd play in
one place then catch on in other places, it would take a long time
to get around.Not because of the networks shift from regional to
national, stuff played everywhere at once.
Success of Radio: expensive one-time purchase, unlimited content
why buy records?
In the 1920s radio was like television, radio theatre, music and
moreGet the box and you have everythingWhy buy records, need the
player and a record, it only has 2 songs max.They were fragile and
could get scratched.Didnt have to keep buying things for radio or
anything.Problem b/c the record industry was just starting to
emerge with good enough quality and where ppl are starting to think
yeah I could use a record player its a thing. Radio comes along and
threatens it
The Rise of the Record Industry:Record Industry concerned- needs
to find new markets Mamie Smith: Crazy Blues (1920) Ralph Peer-
Okeh Records Market Research in popular music Introduction of
Hillbilly Carve that Possum 1927 Uncle Dave Mason and the Fruit Jar
drinkers Introduction of Race How Long Blues: 1928 Carr and
Blackwell
Standardized b/c they were being threatenedIf youre listening to
radio what kind of style of music are you hearing?Probably tin pan
alley, white northern city musicRecord industry has an idea to
expand their markets
Ralph was a R&R man job was to find artist to record and a
song1920 hes going to record Crazy Blues and the singer calls in
sickA musician says he knows a girl that could come and sing it
really well.Ralph is a very openmined person and so say what the
hell why notActually not a blues song and has very little to do
with blues.The first blues song wont be recorded for 7 years.Blues
was starting to permeate Tin Pan Alley but they are not technically
bluesRepresent the first significant hit record by an African
AmericanWere prior recording but most were a joke.Ralph files this
away and as radio rises he thinks well what is radio playing TPA,
theyre not going to beat radio with the same thingsCrazy blues sold
to white but also to lots of black people.Radio is ignoring certain
kinds of music, its in some cities and it isnt on the radio.Need to
go record black artists to keep the industry goingBy the time you
get to the mid-late 1920s get HillbillyHillbilly have banjo,
fiddle, guitar, etc. instruments of rural folk music, used them in
the minstrel show. Simple, low cost, easy to fixRace music which
was black musician and black audience. Have a collection of
distinct styles, meant to identify by race. Now not right to say,
but this was 100 years ago. Cant completely escape the cultural
inertiaHow long blues- race it was city bluesWhen first generation
of country blues musicians move to the cityWhat identifies it is
the vocal styleRobert John and Carr and Blackwell similar sound to
the way they sing developed from country blues. The addition of the
piano, lots of sense, cities are noisy, lots of people and you have
to carry over the noise so need to get louder the piano is
louder.Variety of tambre, variety of sound. How Long Blues- he does
a solo in the song with the guitar, while the other plays the
piano, becomes more promininet when the amplifier comes aroundDont
control the audience and the middle class white start to but
hillbilly and race and they start to influence white music.
John Gomm- cool guitar guy clip
Television:First demonstration 1927Experimental and
low-resolution broadcasts through the 1930sNetwork broadcasts begin
in 1939By 1945- 6 stationsBy 1955- 411 stationsMajor Networks move
to televisionFirst Black Appeal radio station- WDIA Memphis, 1948By
1954-200 BA radio stations are on the airWho is listening?Extended
Adolescence
Rock and roll and televisionPerson who invented it thought of it
as the worlds greatest educational tool1920s and 30s tv was a
novelty.By the end of the 1930s it was starting to take off, but
WW2 started and everything not related to the war was put offIn
1945 it picks up again, had 6 stationsNot national, only available
in some places and only a channel or 2. Not what we know it to be
today its black and white, on air for maybe 3-4 hours a day not
want to interrupt dinner. All shows are broadcast live no recording
of showsIt quickly catches on and becomes the new must have device
of the middle class.In 1955 lots of stations, and most places get
one or 2 stations. And so the networks start buying up the
stations. How do they make money?By advertising, they sell the
peoples attention and add views.Radio makes its money by selling
ears and ppl listening.Now have a new media where they can show the
product, how much better looking, how better off youll be if you
buy this product. TV is much more attractive for advertisement. The
major networks find themselves with lots of radio networks.Company
provides a product or service thats how you make money. They keep a
few stations but sell a lot to ppl that live localy. One had the
letters WDIA. WDIA was located in Memphis.2 pharmacists bought it
because they thought itd be fun. Used to make money from
advertisement, they wanted to sell local advertisement but no one
came. So decided to do something crazy, to find out which people
got the best reception, turned out it was black people. In 1948
changed their way and became the first black appeal radio
station.Then had tons of ppl wanting to advertise. And so other
people started doing the same thing.Similar thing happened by
hillbilly, realized that was their audience and catered to it. One
station had the Saturday Night Barn Dance, it was so big and
influential to hillbilly music that those that wanted to make it
were starting to move to Nashville where the show was. The theatre
where it was broadcast was Grand OlRock theatre.Not too far from
Memphis was the city where Elvis is from and he loves WDIA.And so
the white culture is being influenced by the new sounds theyd never
heard before.Most of the people tunning in were younger a new
demographic that were drawn to this music. Created teenagers, used
to be considered a child till 12-13 then were pretty much
considered an adultWW2 mostly fought in Europe, and the US became
the industrial machine powering the war. US has transformed into
the biggest industrial country theyve ever seen. Mastered supply
management, manufacturing etc.Easy to change the factory to produce
consumer products insteadThere are so many factories and were set
up so that the people that came back had a job, with a good wage
and so more people could buy the things. Not when the kids reach
10-13 life was so good that they didnt need to go work then, so
they get to stay in school. High school was for the wealthy,
university was for the super wealthy.They became known as the baby
boomers.They can get a part time job and can spend on what they
want.They become a new leisure class, they can spend It on leisure
goods its disposable.Most of the goods produced are aimed at the
teen generation
Transistor Radio
Some of the white teenagers dont like the new/other kinds of
musicBut some do, but not seen as acceptableHave transistor radio a
little one and so can listen secretly and stuff.Changed the way ppl
were addressed, used to be a group activity so talk to everyone.So
now change act like talking to just one person, bc of the
transistor radio.Not all kids liked it but some did
Gospel:Ray Charles (Robinson) 1930-2004 born, Albany Georgia
blind at age 7 learns music in a school for the blind 1952 Atlantic
Records Success with white audiences- heightened level of
intensity
Music can be broken up into 2 division to sacred and
secular.Sacred in the curchSecular- the work song etc.The sacred
music of black culture before the civil war was referred to as
spiritualSwing loAfter the civil war referred to as GospelNot
talking about that kind of Gospel were talking about another
one
Ray Charles- born in Georgia grew up poor and was blind.In 1930s
someone like him wouldnt have much of a future. The school lacked
supplies but had teachers that cared.He could play back a song he
heard once, and he could teach himself an instrument over a
weekend. He learned electronics by taking them apart and putting
them back together.He realized he had the ability to make a living
with music.He 1950s signs on with Atlantic RecordsMajor record
companies had little interest in black artists. Minor ones did.
Atlantic records did take an interest, he starts performing a new
kind of black music he called it GospelI Got a Woman Ray
CharlesWhen a film about ray Charles came out, with Jamie foxx.
Kayne song using some
Why did he call it Gospel?Blues has a slower pace and it was
popular with black and known by some white White people were not
experiencing the music of the Black church.Was faster paced and
exciting, would really go for notesDidnt get the intensity in blues
but in churchWhat ray did was take the church songs and change the
lyrics keep the intensity and things and make it secular.Was
controversy, some thought it was sacrilegious to play those songs
Gained many white fans b/c they liked it
Chicago/Electric Blues:Muddy Waters 1913-1983 born in Misissippi
played guitar and harmonica emulated Robert Johnson moves to
Chicago, early 1940s switches to electric guitar 1945 1946, records
for Aristocrat Records (would later become Chess Records)Evolution
of city blues, start using the electric guitar, have an entire
bandOnly a couple years younger than Robert Johnson was, he died
early.Muddy Waters emulated him.Moved to Chicago during the war,
many black people moved to the cities, since the men were away
there were better paying jobs for African americans and womenHe
starts hanging around the players there and is influenced to use
the electric guitarAristocrat would become one of the most
important independent blues labels
Hoochie Coochie Man (1954, Willie Dixon) verse chorus (modified
12-bar blues) Stop TimeSong not written by muddy waters, written by
Willie Dixon, played the stand up bass, and was very important as a
song writer at ChessLater in life he becomes prominent for a law
suit with Led Zeppelin3rd kind of song structure, is verse
chorusVerse: same music different wordsSong based entirely on
verses like Christmas carolsSame melody different set of wordsIn
pop song usually alternate with a chorusChorus: same music same
words, may include the song title, may feature a higher level of
intensityEx/ Living on a prayer- Bon JoviAnother sign of
self-consciousness, called stop time, where the instruments
emphasize something so kind of feels like a stop. Changes the
texture
Rural blues- 1 guyCity blues- 2 guys guitar and pianoChicago
blues- more guys more instruments
Theory more sounds and more interesting, see a lot of
instruments that will become an important part of the rock band
Started where sheet music and TPA ruledThe threat of radio posed
to the record industy they had to look for something else and they
looked at black and hillbilly.Then ww2 changes things the new
demographic, teenages and tv.Now radio outdated so sold and get
black and hillbilly on thoseNot just target market were listening
white middleclass were listening and this scares the parents.
Have 50 minutes, MC, may find some challengingNever make you
choose between a good answer and a better answerWill have a right
answer and everything else wrong
MAY 28TH
End of 1940s billboard say the music is getting popular. Realize
the names are a little offensive. After WW2 name hillbilly as
country and western, black as rhythm and blues.Music on radio,
middle class white teens are tuning in to BA radio and country and
western
2 charts,the pop chart, TPAcountry and westernrhythm and
blues
So song on rhythm and blues chart, so popular with black
audiencesThey called the record stores that sell to certain kinds
of ppl and use what they say for the chartsWhat started happening
is that they call the white store and the blues song is
popular.Cross over hit, one song is popular on one chart and it got
popular on another.When one crossed over to pop chart ppl stated
getting scared.
What happens is white teenagers listen to other music and leads
to moral panicMoral panic significant change in culture but the
change is so big and profound you cant comprehend it, so you target
a small part of it and say if you stop this it will go awayTeens
were listening to black music and it brought out racist tendencies
in parents
Black culture is becoming more prevalent in white culture, and
teens are listening to it and they worry that it will result in
mixing
Popularity with white teens leads to moral panic.
So what would happened is that when a song would cross over a
second version of the same song would appear but by a white artist.
The songs would be on the charts simultaneouslyIt was legal if you
followed 3 rules:Give credit to the original song writers and
singers.If you make money on it have to pay a certain amount goes
to whoever holds the copywright on the songYou cant change the song
in a way that demeans the copywright
So have 2 songs competing at the same time
Weird Al has to get permission from whoever he does a parody of
most ppl say yes.Only Prince and Eminem turned him down
Cover versions: 1954-1956 white versions of black recordsOne of
the most famous of the Cover Versions was:Little Richard (Richard
Wayne Penniman) born 1932, Macon Georgia first big hit was Tutti
Frutti released late 1955 on Speciality Records (lyrics revised by
Dorothy LaBostrie) Crossover hit: #2 R&B, #17Original lyrics
were very rude, so they changed the lyricsSong structure,
influenced by blues, but is verse chorusHuge hit, and so crosses
over and within a well another version
Born in bone crushing poverty, and very incredibly religious and
so thought singing out of church was wrong.He was also bisexual,
tremendous self loathing because of it
Pat Boone: born 1934 was just breaking as a pop star in 1955
early 1956 releases a cover of Tutti Frutti No R&B, #10 Pop
By 1950s TPA term is going out of date
What was changed? Some of the lyrics cleaner
Cover Versions: Sh-BoomIs AABA song essentiallyGroup of African
americans the style is so dominant that it is all over the
place
Cover by The Crew Cuts: July 1954/ Mercury Records
The white one cover was released by a major label , the original
released by a smaller less known labelThis one is a very obvious
AABA not break it and repeats twiceDone on purpose, by the time get
to 1950s record and radio , have heard so many songs in these
structures. This is more reassuring to typical AABA listeners the
white middle class
First versions had different of not clean arrangements, bc were
by untrained ppl. The structures in the cover versions were
arranged properly and formallyThe tambre of the voices, the voices
in the original have an edgier sound and distortion. Clean and
distorted voices, crew cut further from mike cant hear the
breathing and the little things. Miss the sense of intimacyPeople
make records the way they have seen them before.Hip hop started
with bad mikes, difference was high frequency reproduction. So base
and stuff is good, but the treble not used b/c cant without better
mike
The low voice and tone, has a different feel and possible
sensuality.Change from that to high and more friendly sounding
one
First version, very simple instrumentation, drum guitar and
sax.The sax solo seems like it could be improvised, its a moment
that threatens to overflow with its level of intensity, whoevers
playing in on the edge Even if worked out should sound
improvised.Think of division of labour, does anyone get to step up
and have that transcendent moment, no, you play what you getThe
crew one, have lots of instruments, and have everything written
out
Timpani in kids cartoons
Did it work,
The Chords: #3 on R&B, #5 on PopThe Crew Cuts: no R&B/
#1 Pop#1 for 9 weeks - #1 song of the year
So yeah it worked, the pop chart is where the money is
1956 new generation of artists, both white and blackinfluenced
by black has white influence too
This was named Rock and Roll