The 70’s Concluded

Disco, Country Rock, Soft Rock

Disco• The term “disco” was originally short for Discotheque—a type of

dance hall that had begun in France in the early 60’s. • Club owners found it more economical to hire one disc jockey to

spin records than to hire a live band, plus a variety of music could be played.

• Adopted in the US as an underground activity it caught on and was soon everywhere.

• They almost died in the Psychedelic 60’s, but regained popularity in the 70’s with the emergence of a new type of music based on dancing and beat.

• The 70’s disco offered a DJ two turntables so the beat never stopped.

• Pulsing lights and strobes were added. • Led by Studio 54 in NYC, discotheques opened everywhere, 10,000

in the US, 300 in NYC alone. • The biggest hit of 75 was “The Hustle” by Van McCoy.

Donna Summer

• 76’ saw the first impact of one of disco’s premier artists, Donna Summer.

• Born LaDonna Gaines.• “Last Dance” Summer hit

upon the style that would make her the Disco Queen.

• Between 76’ and 80’ Summer released ten Top 10 songs, including three number 1’s.

• I will Survive

Saturday Night Fever

• Perhaps the most influential factor in the huge popularity of disco was the extremely popular film ‘Saturday Night Fever’, starring John Travolta.

• The film’s story line concerns a young working class New York man who becomes a prizewinning disco dancer.

• The soundtrack album became a true blockbuster, selling over twenty-five million copies and becoming the biggest selling sound track album of all time.

• A Fifth of Beethoven

The Bee Gees

• The Big Winners from Saturday Night Fever were the Bee Gees.

• It made the Bee Gees into a household name and led to the inevitable “next Beatles” suggestion.

• They wrote most of the film’s music.

• Their next two albums reached number one.

• As the disco fad ended, so did the Bee Gees.

• Stayin’ Alive

All the Others…..• Kool and the Gang, • The Village People

– YMCA• Tavares• Chic• By 1980 disco had been

adopted by jet-set, upper-class society, and thus became the target of intense ridicule by the rock community. After all, there had been disco songs by Ethel Merman, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and Barbra Streisand; there was even a Mickey Mouse Disco album. – Macho Duck

Country Rock

• C & W was one of the progenitors of rock and roll, and rockabilly emerged as one of the three basic trends of early rock.

• By the early 60’s rockabilly had almost completely died away.

• Only near the end of the decade did there appear to be some tentative interest in rekindling the old partnership between C & W and rock.

• As the 70’s began, another surge of interest come from a rather surprising source: San Francisco.

The Eagles• The most successful of

the country rock bands was the Eagles.

• Between 75’ and 76’ they had four albums as number 1.

• Bernie Leadon left the band, subsequent albums, beginning with Hotel California moved away from country.

• Lying Eyes• Hotel California

Charlie Daniels Band• It seems only natural that some of

the southern rock bands of the 70’s would turn toward C & W as an influence.

• Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers leaned toward R & B, Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker went farther towards C & W.

• Charlie Daniels started to get big by playing with Dylan. He played guitar, banjo, violin, and vocals.

• Began the modern concept of C & W, broken romances, alcohol, and gambling, depicting a good-old-boy society.

• The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Linda Ronstadt• Started off as a folk performer. • Recorded several albums

before making any significant impact.

• Her luck changed with her album Heart Like a Wheel which established her as the leading female singer of the 70’s.

• Did several popular covers as well, all with a country influence, including Buddy Holly, Smokey Robinson, and Elvis Costello

• Cry Me a River

Willie Nelson

• While starting off as a C & W musician, Willie Nelson became a rebel of the genre.

• He introduced black country singer Charlie Pride on his tour.

• Went from wearing suits and hats to jeans, T-shirts, pony tailed hair, ear-ring.

• Called himself a Red-necked hippie.

• Started what was later called “Progressive Country”

• Continued to have success into the 80’s.

• On the road again.

Soft Rock

The Carpenters

• The hottest soft rock group of the 70’s was the carpenters.

• Richard and Karen Carpenter were talented musicians, singing music that was right on the edge of pop/soft rock.

• Jazz-like vocal harmonies• Continued to be popular until

75.• Karen Carpenter died of

cardiac arrest resulting from her long struggle with anorexia. She was 32.

• Close To You

Barry Manilow

• In the 70’s the biggest name in soft rock was Barry Manilow.

• Manilow began playing the piano at an early age, preferred jazz to rock.

• Started his music career writing commercial jingles.

• Released the ballad “Mandy” in 74 and it climbed to number 1.

• By 1990, he had enjoyed over two dozen top 40 hits, including 11 in the top 10.

• Copacabana

Neil Diamond• Started as a staff writer for

music corporations, Diamond saw many of his songs go to #1, decided to try them on his own.

• Had a series of hits throughout the 60’s, it was his song “Sweet Caroline” that initiated his greatest period of popularity.

• He has several more hits in the early 70’s, then a ‘comeback’ period of popularity in the 80’s.

• Continues to perform to this day.

Olivia Newton John• Olivia had a somewhat odd career. • Born in England, Olivia began her career with television

and local pub appearances.• In 73 she cut “Let Me Be There” and it peaked at number 1.• Strangely it won her a Grammy for best female singer. • Outraged many country musicians.• Had several more hits, but gained huge popularity as

‘Sandy’ in Grease. • After Grease she went on to perform in other movies,

making the transformation from soft rock to “Physical”, a blatantly sexual album.

• Helped pave the way for the 80’s physical fitness movement.

• Lets Get Physical