american 1950s experience 2014

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American 1950s experience Context of economic boom of post-war America - the real victor of the second world war. New confidence in super power status. As British Empire fell apart American influence across the world expanded. Huge military bases across the world – Japan, Germany, pacific islands, etc. Cold War started by 1949 and with death of Stalin (1953) Russia becomes the great evil. Era of McCarthyism – and political witch hunts. Conformity in dress and behavior the norm.

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Page 1: American 1950s experience 2014

American 1950s experience

!   Context of economic boom of post-war America - the real victor of the second world war. New confidence in super power status.

!   As British Empire fell apart American influence across the world expanded.

!   Huge military bases across the world – Japan, Germany, pacific islands, etc.

!   Cold War started by 1949 and with death of Stalin (1953) Russia becomes the great evil.

!   Era of McCarthyism – and political witch hunts. Conformity in dress and behavior the norm.

Page 2: American 1950s experience 2014

Post War Pop

!  Swing lecture. !  Mainstream Jazz of Big Band. !  Solo singers – Crooners – Bing Crosby

to Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, etc. !  Billboard Charts listings. !  Music Industry Problems – The war, the

musicians strike, low sales of records, etc.

Page 3: American 1950s experience 2014

Ethnic Divide

!  Southern states still segregated and Jim Crow Acts in force.

!  Ku klux Clan and lynching in place. !  Most blacks did not vote and had little

political clout. !  Big difference and separation between

Northern and Southern black communities.

Page 4: American 1950s experience 2014

The New Blues - Chicago Blues

!   New forms of Urban Black Blues develops in Northern Cities in the late 40s and 50s.

!   In particular amplified `Chicago’ blues becomes a phenomena in clubs.

!   Chess Records (run by Chess family) make a number of black singers big stars – Howlin Wolf (Dust my broom), John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, etc.

!   Increasing amplified and incorporation of more instruments into bands – drum kit, bass, saxophones, etc.

Page 5: American 1950s experience 2014

!  Delta Blues !  Black Country Blues !  White Country Blues !   Jazz Combo Blues !  Skiffle

Forerunners and Influences

Page 6: American 1950s experience 2014

Robert Johnson

!  Crossroads

Page 7: American 1950s experience 2014

Earlier Blues !   50s Black blues used a musical language developed

from earlier forms. 12 bar blues, 8-bar blues, tonal bends and blue notes, call and response, spoken phrases, shouts and cries, language that is direct and pithy with full of double meaning.

!   1. Delta Blues – individual and self accompanied singers of 20s and 30s. E.g. Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt. (also Texas and Eastern Seaboard styles). Recorded in the South for dislocated black communities in the Northern Industrial cities. Small sales and small independent labels. Artists get next to nothing.

!   Groups Blues – string bands, Jug bands and traveling show blues.

Page 8: American 1950s experience 2014

Mississippi John Hurt

!  Hot time in old town tonight

Page 9: American 1950s experience 2014

Spike driver

Page 10: American 1950s experience 2014

Post War Blues !   City Blues – either 1.piano accompanied with

male or female singers Lightnin’ Slim or 2. With string bass, drums, electric guitar and harmonica. John Lee Hooker.

!   Urban Blues – big band sound with saxophones, free vocal phrases and no harmonica – often fully arranged e.g. Joe Jordan. Kansas City, Texas and Memphis – Atlantic Records – biggest and longest lasting Black (or Race label)

!   Soul Music – beginnings of blues, jazz, gospel synthesis - Ray Charles.

!   Folk Influence - Leadbelly - sad laments

Page 11: American 1950s experience 2014

Leadbelly

!  Boll Weevil

Page 12: American 1950s experience 2014

White Country Blues

!  As part of country music !  Yodeling and hiccuping style !  12-bar blues form !   Jimmy Rodgers !   Hank Williams

Page 13: American 1950s experience 2014

Hank Williams

Page 14: American 1950s experience 2014

Chicago Blues – Muddy Waters

Page 15: American 1950s experience 2014

Jazz 1. In pre-war ear Jazz was seen as urban black music – in

contrast to Blues which was seen as essentially a country black genre.

2. During the war years Jazz becomes mainstream and is the dominant force in the big band era. Commercialisation sets in. Like Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong is a huge commercial star. White and black big bands – did not mix.

3. In the post war period – jazz effectively becomes the art music of the urban black (and some whites) while the strands of black pop come together to form rhythm and blues.

4. Jazz turns away from popular audiences with Bebop and Harp Bop etc, and fragments its styles and audiences. Charlie Parker to Miles Davis, via Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. Occasional appearances in pop charts.

Page 16: American 1950s experience 2014

Deregulation of Radio

!   Plethora of small radio stations across America give rise to cross community awareness of styles. White teenagers listing to blues, blacks to country singers, etc.

!   Many black artists with up-tempo dance styles appeal to broad audiences – Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Influence of Swing Jazz.

Page 17: American 1950s experience 2014

Big Joe Turner

Page 18: American 1950s experience 2014

Rhythm and Blues

!  A commercial derivative of urbanised country and blues.

!  Blues band accompaniment, novelty lyrics, some non-blues forms – Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard.

!  Attempts to reach a wide, predominantly black audience using a relatively unadorned sound.

Page 19: American 1950s experience 2014

Bo Diddley

!  Hey Bo Diddley

Page 20: American 1950s experience 2014

1955

Page 21: American 1950s experience 2014

Rock and Roll

!  Honking saxes, heavy offbeat, echo effects, gimmickry, teen lyrics.

!  Bill Haley, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley !  Any singer black or white who reaches

a young, predominantly white audience with something approximating a black vocal style.

Page 22: American 1950s experience 2014

Bill Haley

!  Rock around the clock

Page 23: American 1950s experience 2014

Commercialisation !   Charts listings – Billboard `race’ charts changed to

rhythm and blues in 1949. Separate charts listings for country music and white pop.

!   Radio air time !   TV appearances !   Magazines, fanzines etc !   Gathers pace after 1956 with Elvis !   Elvis becomes the first major pop star of the post war

era and galvanizes the industry.

Page 24: American 1950s experience 2014

Black to White

!  Crossover of genre !  Cover versions !  Singing with a black blues style !  Creating Rock and Roll !  Elvis made it acceptable to white

America !  Commercial industry took off on the

back of his success

Page 25: American 1950s experience 2014

Elvis

!   1. Discovered by Sam Philips Sun Records in Memphis. Started 1950 first releases 1952 recording black artists – and country artists (also discovered Johnny Cash).

2. 19 year old truck driver Elvis had a session with Philips and made it with That’s All Right Mama – the rest is history. Taken on by RCA in 1956 and carried the label for 20 years.

3. During his career he made over 30 films, each worse than the last, 146 Hot 100 hits and 75 chart albums- but few good recordings after the first 19 months.

4. After 1962 no hits at all . Period of recluse and then attempt to reinvent himself as Las Vegas singer – a sad caricature of himself.

Page 26: American 1950s experience 2014

Hayley to Elvis

Page 27: American 1950s experience 2014

Elvis

!  Heart Break Hotel

Page 28: American 1950s experience 2014

Black Artists of Late 50s

!  1. Chuck Berry !  2. Fats Domino !  3. Little Richard !  4. Bo Diddley

Page 29: American 1950s experience 2014

White Artists

!  Bill Haley !  Carl Perkins !   Jerry Lee Lewis

Page 30: American 1950s experience 2014

Buddy Holly !   Became the model for pop acts for much of the sixties. !   Guitar band (with the Crickets) with new innovations in studio

sound (particularly in recording drums). !   Signed with Decca in 1956 - first number one `Peggy Sue’ in

1957. !   Hiccupping vocal style a throw back to hillbilly country styles of

30s. Yet looked forward in many ways - wrote his own material, recording innovations (double tracking, etc), line up (use of strat)

!   Early death stopped a promising career but he showed what was possible an electric guitar band.

Page 31: American 1950s experience 2014

White Artist of late 50s

Page 32: American 1950s experience 2014

Peggy Sue 1957

Page 33: American 1950s experience 2014

That’ll be the day – The beginning of the

guitar band 1957

Page 34: American 1950s experience 2014

Bibliography !  Clarke, Donald (1995), The Rise and

Fall of Popular Music, Penguin, London !  Covach, J and Boone, G, (1997)

Understanding Rock, Oxford, OUP !  Laughey, Dan (2006) Music and Youth

Culture, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press

!  Frith, S and Goodwin, A (1990), On Rock, Pop and the Written Word, Routledge, London