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The Reaction to Rock

The Reaction to Rock. Civic Reaction. Rock is… unwholesome obscene morally corrupting encourages racial integration. Reaction from major record labels:. How do we cash in on this???? How do we make it acceptable to white America?. The Major Label Takeover - .

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The Reaction to Rock

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  1. The Reaction to Rock

  2. Civic Reaction • Rock is… • unwholesome • obscene • morally corrupting • encourages racial integration

  3. Reaction from major record labels: • How do we cash in on this???? • How do we make it acceptable to white America?

  4. The Major Label Takeover - • Cover versions of rock and roll hits • Take advantage of weaknesses of small labels • Create teen idols • Hire songwriters to pen “rock n’ roll songs” • Create dance crazes for the kids

  5. Cover Versions • R&B hits, early rock songs re-recorded by white artists on major labels • Potentially offensive lyrics changed • Performed by teen idol • Appeal to mainstream audience

  6. Take advantage of scandal • Payola • Congressional committee investigates charges that independent companies paying DJs to play their records • Used to force several indie labels out of business, attack rock

  7. Scandals, part 2 • Jerry Lee Lewis marries 13 year old cousin while still married to previous wife • Chuck Berry arrested and imprisoned • “The Day The Music Died” - 3 Feb. 1959 • Elvis drafted in late 1958

  8. Create Teen Idols • Major labels manufacture “rock and rollers” • White, good looking, teen idol types • Fabian (Fabian Forte, 1943- ) • Frankie Avalon (1940- ) • Bobby Rydell (1942- ) • Pop music with rock and roll flavoring

  9. Hire professional songwriters • Aldon Music Co. = Brill Building • Songwriters hired to create “rock and roll hits” • Pop crafted songs with teen themes, rock sensibilities • Occasionally artists produced pop rock hits of some note • Ricky Nelson • Dion and the Belmonts

  10. Brill Building songwriters • Gerry Goffin and Carole King • Neil Sedaka • Paul Anka • Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller

  11. “The New Tin Pan Alley” • Distinctive, homogenous sound • Popular songs heavily influenced by doo-wop • More animated beat, more storytelling elements • Harmonically simple • Many layers of sound

  12. Multi-track recording • Different layers of song recorded on to audio tape =overdubbed • Mixed onto master tape • Effects added to any or all layers • Then committed to acetate • Controlled by the producer

  13. The Producer • Selects which arrangement, takes are used • Can use overdubbing to add instruments, sounds, etc. • Approves (if doesn’t do) mix • Relative levels of each track • Effects: changes to audio signal • Echo or reverb • Panning • Compression • Phasing

  14. Phil Spector (1940- ) • Part of Brill Building crowd • Thought of pop songs as “symphonies for the kiddies” • Spector wall of sound • Thick, full textures created by overdubbing • Large orchestra with lots of percussion • Pre-recorded sounds • Background vocals • Rock ensemble • Group

  15. Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow • Fairly quick tempo • 4 bar intro • Form: five 16-bar phrases, each AABA • End-weighted to end of section • Lead vocals plus doo-wop style accompaniment

  16. Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me... • Rhythmic layers • Beat • 8 beat rock rhythm • Second beat of measure subdivided into 2 parts - rebound backbeat • Common in Brill Building hits • Lyrics - Not typical Brill Building fare! • Heavily Produced

  17. Girl Groups • Trios or quartets of female singers • Sound controlled by producer • Image controlled by producer, label • Marketed to appeal to young, female audience

  18. Pop rock • Electric bass replaces acoustic bass • Melodic diffusion: distribution of melodic ideas throughout parts of song • More balanced texture • Greater variety of forms • “Sound” defines song

  19. American Bandstand • Began broadcasting from Philadelphia in 1957 • Projected clean-cut, safe, mostly white image of rock and roll • Launched careers of teen idols • Created & promoted dance crazes

  20. Create dance crazes • Dances created to go with popular songs • Often include instructions for dance • Manufactured by Brill Building (or other professional) writers • Many recorded by Chubby Checker

  21. Dance records • All similar in style • Rely on 12-bar blues as verse or refrain • Straight rock ensemble, with backing vocals • Not heavily produced • Strong beat • Help to remove stigma of rock • Ex. The Twist

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