7 - British Invasion, American Pop. Music, 60s Counterculture Flashcards
(29 cards)
What group kicked off the 1960s with their distinctiveness and popularity, turning them into a media sensation?
The Beatles!
When did The Beatles hit media sensation in UK? When in US?
UK 1963
US 1964
Why were The Beatles popular in the US?
their novelty as a british group!
= someone coming from far away with a completely new perspective on rock n roll
What are some general factors of the Beatles music and style?
- show their comraderie through their music
- repertoire variety
- musicalty, enthusiasm
- psychedelic feeling
- skill in singing and playing
- irreverence toward establishment figures **1st countercultural push back against corp structure
= overwhelming charisma!
Who were the members of The Beatles and their roles in the band? Who was distinctively politics related?
John Lennon = rhythm guitarist
Paul McCartney = bass guitar, writer, lead vocals
George Harrison = lead guitarist, some singing + writing
Ringo Starr (aka Richard Starkey) = drummer
John Lennon was seen as threat to established society with his views (Imagine song talking about “imagine theres no heaven // no hell below us”)
=> he spoke out against society and harm of humans and as a result was assassinated
Who/what genres are biggest influences on the Beatles sound?
- CHUCK BERRY
- ^ rhythm blues 1950s, Little Richard
- rockabilly (Elvis, Carl Perkins, Everly Brothers)
- Brill Building pop music (girl grouups!)
- Motown
= took all the influences from th epast and put em togeher in their own way
Where (genre/style) did the Beatles get their start?
Skiffle! (folk music performed in a rhythmic manner borrowed from traditional British jazz)
What is the most special/revolutionary aspect of the Beatles?
they do it themselves!! (that anti-corporation, counterculture thing)
- 3/4 of em are composers
- can all play many intruments well
- able to borrow other song and put a spin on it
Do the Beatles fall under the category of ‘contemporary rock group’? Why?
kind of!
- very novel in rock n roll
- Rubber Soul 1965 album had introspective lyrical content and artsy cover = not seen before in pop music at the time
- lots of other quieter, subtle songs
- helped (with Bob Dylan’s music) suggest that rock music could be music of adults with intellect (not just dang teens)
What is the album that put the Beatles on the map? What was the album about? What was distinct about this album?
SGT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
about: concept album, simulating concert given by the Beatles’ alter egos
discint:
- tons of sound effects and other weird uses of recording studio
- orchestral unstruments
- sound processing
- WON OVER ppl that had maintained concdescnding stance toward pop music until then
What band was seen as the antithesis to the beatles? Why?
The Rolling Stones, esp Mick Jagger lead singer
- arrogance
- ironic detachment
- aggressive sexuality
= all opposite of cuter, more polite image of Beatles
What are the differences between the beatles nad rolling stones/? Similaroties?
differences
- stones had rawer, blues-based sound vs beatles polished, conventionally melodic pop
- stones influenced by chicago blues vs beatles rockabilly
- stones “down home” soul singers vs Beatles motown inluences
similarities
- stones def took some influence from beatles
–> use of strings!
–> sitar
–> psychedelia
- both did songs that brought political involvement
What were the sources of the shift to counterculture and heightening of politics to foreground? Who helped do this?
sources:
- grpwth of antiwar movement
- riots at democratic convention in chicago
- assassination of
– Martin Luther King Jr
– Robert Kenedy
helped: Beatles and Stones
Where did Janis Joplin start? How is she different + similar to the Rolling Stones performance style?
started with Big Brother and the Holding Company band, but her success grew out of them
similar to stones Mick Jagger with the movement energy dancign while singing
different bc
- get involved with the audience
- more emotion
- incredible Elvis like range
- FORCE that you cant describe
What were the contradictory labels placed on Janis Joplin? Why might these labels have been so emphasized with her as opposed to other artists?
- “hippy poster girl” but also “proto-feminist” bc assertive performing style, extroverted, bandleader
- “the best white blues singer of all time”
labels bc critics attempting to exmplain this woman taking the stage, comanding the space
What did Janis Joplin say about soul?
“Theres no patent on soul. It;s just feeling things.”
Who were some of Janis Joplin’s influences?
- otis redding
- bessie smith
What did Jimi Hendrix do to revolutoinize rock?
He recontextualized the entire guitar instrumetn!!! kicked in the door for exploiting the electrification of instruments
- used it in every single way possible, whatever noises etc he could make
- sustai and feedback became an integral part of his technique
- pioneered electronic devices
What electronic devices did Jimi Hendrix pioneer?
fuzztones
wah-wah pedals!!! = can adjust between bright and hollow sound
Where did Jimi Hendrix take his inspiration? Who?
- blues
- r&b
- psychedelic innocations in sound and recording (hippy, weird sounds from guitar)
who:
- Bob Dylan!!!
–> he took folk and exploded it with electric guitar, just like JH did with rock
–> he had great lyrics
What was Jumi Hendrix’s most significant performance?
Star Spangled Banner at the Woodstock festival = MADE U.S. ANTHEM INTO ANTIWAR PROTEST SONG
- used guitar wizardry to simulate exploding bombs, sky-diving aircraft
- was noise based version of the anthem, made it ugly to show ugliness of war/country at the time
What was criticized about Jimi Hendrix? What was acknowledged as impressive? What did critics think o his early performances?
croticized = singing, abliity as lyricist
applauded = guitar playing abliity
early performances: thouight they were very theatrical and couldnt tell if it was a gimmick
What did Jimi Hendrix say about giving the public music? What said related to corporatization?
have to make it presentable in some way, they ahve to have an identification mark
corp: you used to be able to give them just one page of a book, now you can give them two or three pages, but never the whole book
What were Jimi Hendrix’s thoughts aobut a negative or unresponsive crowd?
“I don;t even care if they boo, as long as it isn’t out of key” = they dont need to like it, but they need to try to appreciate it and dislike it efffectively
“I don’t try to move an audience - its up to them what they get from the music. If they paid to see us then we are going to do our thing” ‘If we stand up there all night and play our best and they dont dig it, then they just dont dig us and that al there is to it”
