San Francisco, Psychedelia and the Woodstock Generation

1. San Francisco, Psychedeliaand the Woodstock Generation

2. Today’s Lecture Goals • Review the historic cultural background of the Bay Area sound. • Be able to identify characteristics of the Bay Area sound, Country Rock, and Southern Rock • Examples: the Band- “The Weight”; the Grateful Dead- “Uncle John’s Band”; CCR- “Proud Mary”; LynyrdSkynyrd- “Gimmie Three Steps”

3. Woodstock • Major defining event of hippie generation • Showcased rock music as agent of social change • Three-day, free music festival in Woodstock, NY in 1969 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8S9j870Lvo

4. San Francisco Sound • Rejection of slick professionalism • Extended instrumental improvisations, often involve minimalist development • Electronic experimentation • Feedback and distortion • Other avant-garde effects • Mixture of folk, country music, R&B, and blues styles • LOUD • Emphasis on light shows, psychedelic art

5. American Rock Sounds • Many San Francisco bands not acid rock • Drew on variety of influences, especially American roots music • Niche music from before WWII • Blues, bluegrass, hillbilly, folk • Many bands were country rock • Like a revival of Country& Western

6. Grateful Dead • Jerry Garcia (1942-1995), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir • Members from diverse backgrounds • Garcia: country/folk music • Lesh: Classical, avant-garde electronic music • Hart: world music, percussion • McKernan: blues

7. Grateful Dead - Characteristics • Close, 3 part vocal harmonies • Two drummers – more percussion color • Influence of world music • Use of mixed meters, additional beats – freer than commercially produced rock • Possibility for extended solos in live performance

8. Grateful Dead – Uncle John’s Band • Intro • Each line lays foundation for next • Accompaniment, melody introduced in turn • Section A: 16 bars long, in two parts • First four lines: begins on upbeat – last beat of measure • Last four lines: 4 to the bar, 4 beat feel • Tight, close vocal harmonies • Relaxed vocal style – folk music influences

9. Uncle John’s Band • Two A sections • Another C section • 2nd C section as bridge to • Instrumental section: D • Seven repetitions of 4 + 3 pattern • Riff-like • In concert, would be expanded to extended improvisation • Pause, then C section acapella • C section repeated, fades to close

10. Uncle John’s Band • B section (8 bars) – bridge • Melodically, similar to A after first bar • Different harmonies • C section • Like last 8 bars of A • Refrain-like character: always begins “Come hear Uncle John’s Band” • Repeated, but 2nd time is instrumental

11. Uncle John’s Band Intro Strummed acoustic guitar = 2 bars Strummed acoustic + bass = 2 bars Above, plus acoustic lead guitar line in Spanish style = 3 bars + 3 beats; vocal line begins on last beat  A Well the first days are the hardest days  2 3  Don't you worry anymore  'Cuz when life looks like easy street  2 3  There is danger at your door. Think this through with me Let me know your mind Whoah-oh what I want to know Is are you kind? Woodblock softly plays backbeat; instrumental color provided by other Latin percussion – maracas, claves, congas, guiro (scraper)

12. Uncle John’s Band A It’s a buck dancers choice my friend Better take my advice You know all the rules by now And the fire from the ice Will you come with me Won't you come with me? Whoa-oh what I want to know Will you come with me? B God damn, well I declare Have you seen the like? There walls are built of cannonballs Their motto is Don't Tread On Me

13. Uncle John’s Band C Come hear Uncle John's Band Playing to the tide Come with me or go alone He's come to take his children home. A It's the same story The crow told me, It’s the only one he knows. Like the morning sun you come And like the wind you go Ain’t no time to hate Barely time to wait Who-oah what I want to know Where does the time go? Melodically, like A, but shortened, no 3 beat measure Sort of a refrain

14. Uncle John’s Band A I live in a siver mine And I call it Beggar's Tomb I got me a violin And I make it call the tune Anybody's choice I can hear your voice, Whoah-oh what I want to know, How does the song go? C Come hear Uncle John's Band By the riverside Got some things to talk about Here, beside the rising tide C Come hear Uncle John's Band Playing to the tide, Come on, come on or go alone, He's come to take his children home D Instrumental: 4+3 pattern Ends with: Who-oh what I want to know How does the song go?  C Come hear Uncle John's Band By the riverside Got some things to talk about Here, beside the rising tide   Come hear Uncle John's Band Playing to the tide, Come on, come on or go alone, He's come to take his children home

15. Country Rock • Mixture of country, rock, folk, and blues influences • Same ingredients as rockabilly, but informed by all rock styles of ’60s • Heavy doses of folk music as well • Develops simultaneously with, and partly in opposition to, acid rock • Distinguished ‘American’ sound as opposed to ‘British’ sound in Rock and Roll

16. Creedence Clearwater Revival • Most popular rock band in America 1969-70 • String of top 10 hits: • Bad Moon Rising • Down on the Corner • Proud Mary • Fortunate Son • Style • Rock music flavored with country/rockabilly guitar fills • Country-influenced lyrics, but blues rock vocal style • Often two-beat style beat, like honky-tonk

17. “Proud Mary” • Fusion of country, rock, blues, and soul • Pentatonic opening riff, with tonal triadic harmonies • country and blues influenced vocals • verse/chorus form • Also performed by Tina Turner

18. The Band • Started out as back up band for Bob Dylan– Blond on Blond; the Hawks • ‘Honorary American’ band; actually mostly Canadians by 1968 and recorded first album Music from Big Pink • Typified the Folk sound as a band due to Dylan and maintained ‘down-home’ sound • Ex. “The Weight”

19. “The Weight” • Two bar introduction • Leads into vamp • Simple accompanimental pattern • Repeated to fill time • This pattern then establishes the riff • Verse and Refrain structure • Honky-tonk piano style • Not End-weighted • Simple vocal style– country or folk quality

20. “The Weight” • Intro- solo, unaffected guitar in the thumb brush style; drums and piano act as kind of upbeats to the verse • Verse– Storytelling; evokes biblical imagery: ‘Nazareth’, ‘Go Down Moses’ • Outline: lyrical scheme aabb, relates to the melody– aaba– much like a hymn • Refrain: Thicker texture: piano riff, backing

21. Southern Rock Roots • Tight vocal harmonies like Gospel quartet • Rooted in Southern singing schools of the 19th century. Missouri Harmony (1820) Southern Harmony (1835), Sacred Harp (1844). • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHUfHNEZDPc • Tight vocal harmonies linked with straightforward melodies and easy-to-read text appeal to rural whites in the Southern US

22. Shape Note Music

23. Southern sound • Hillbilly sound, Country, and Country & Western, Blues, Gospel, and C. Rock are all influences of Southern Rock • Features two or three lead guitars • Long, Jazz-like solo improvisations • Bluesy vocal style; tight vocal harmonies • Lyrics typify independent, outlaw images: ‘vagabonding’, confrontation, drinking

24. LynyrdSkynyrd • Early History: Originated in S. Florida; Named after high school Gym teacher– Leanerd Skinner • Death of Ronnie Van Zant marked a turning point in the band’s history. • Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin- Nerd- “Free Bird” tribute to Duane Allman • Second Helping – “Sweet Home Alabama”

25. “Gimmie Three Steps” A I was cutting a rugDown at a place called JugWith a girl named Linda LuWhen in walked a manWith a gun in his handAnd he was looking for you know whoHe said, "Hey fat fellowWith the hair colored yellowWatchatryin' to prove?'Cause that's my woman thereAnd I'm a man who caresAnd this might be all for you"I said, "Excuse"I was scared and fearing for my lifeI was shakin' like a leaf on a tree'Cause he was lean, meanBig and bad, LordPointin' that gun at me Oh, wait a minute, MisterI didn't even kiss herDon't want no trouble with youAnd I know you don't owe meBut I wish you would let meAsk one favor from you B Oh, won't you give me three stepsGimme three steps, MisterGimme three steps towards the doorGimme three stepsGimme three steps, MisterAnd you'll never see me no more, for sure A’ Well, the crowd cleared awayAnd I began to prayAnd the water fell on the floorAnd I'm telling you sonWell, it ain't no funStaring straight down a forty-four

26. “Gimmie Three Steps” Well, he turned and screamed at Linda LuAnd that's the break I was looking forAnd you could hear me screaming a mile awayAs I was headed out towards the door B Oh, won't you give me three stepsGimme three steps, MisterGimme three steps towards the doorGimme three stepsGimme three steps, MisterAnd you'll never see me no moreShow me the back door Outro

27. “Gimmie Three Steps” • Intro– extensive guitar solo sets the expectation of a guitar centered song • Verses– dominated by bass guitar riffs • Chorus– comprised of the hook; switches over to a 4-beat style beat • Solo interlude between the chorus and second verse reprises the Intro • Instrumental Outro, a reprise of the Interl.

28. “Gimmie Three Steps” • Vocal style is influenced by country blues, gospel, and country. • The storytelling quality is reminiscent of the country blues style and hillbilly style. • Example of a hybrid between the above styles which is a part of the Southern Rock sound.

29. What We’ve Covered • Reviewed Bay Area sound and the historical background of the Woodstock Generation • Discussed characteristics of Country Rock and Southern Rock • Listened to and outlined key songs performed by LynyrdSkynyrd, and the Band, and CCR and the Grateful Dead respectively