The Folk InfluenceChapter 5

The Left-Wing Folk Song ConspiracyChapter 5: The Folk Tradition

• Early 20th century: renewed interest in folk music by:- preservationists such as John and Alan Lomax, who

recorded and many folksingers, including Leadbelly- political organizations, socialist groups: Communists- labor unions: Wobblies: Little Red Songbook

• Playlist: “Goodnight Irene” Leadbelly

Woody Guthrie and Pete SeegerChapter 5: The Folk Tradition

• Woody Guthrie- wrote songs about the plight of the common man,

including “This Land is Your Land”- talking blues vocal style

• Music Cut 21: “Pretty Boy Floyd” Woody Guthrie• Pete Seeger

- becomes famous as member of the Weavers- songs include “If I Had a Hammer”

• Playlist: “We Shall Overcome” Pete Seeger• Both often played at hootenannies

Hootenannies an Witch Hunts Chapter 5: The Folk Tradition

• 1950s: Cold War climate not favorable to folk singers • Guthrie, Seeger fortunes change:

- Guthrie becomes terminally ill with Huntington’s chorea- Seeger blacklisted; refuses to cooperate w/House Un-American

Activities Committee; cited for contempt of Congress• Sen. Joseph McCarthy helps create witch hunt mentality; many

folk artists “go underground”

The 1950s Folk RevivalChapter 5: The Folk Influence

The Calypso FadChapter 5: The 1950s Folk Revival

• Late 1950s: folk becomes popular alternative to rock and roll- first with a calypso fad

• Playlist: “Banana Boat (Day-O)” Harry Belafonte (#5 1957)- then with traditional, non-controversial folk

• Music Cut 22: “Tom Dooley” the Kingston Trio (#1 1958)

The Queen of FolkChapter 5: The 1950s Folk Revival

• Joan Baez- 1959: performs at first Newport Folk Festival,

becomes darling of folk community- 1963: tours with and introduces Bob Dylan

• Playlist: “House of the Rising Sun” Joan Baez• Peter, Paul and Mary

- 1963: record two Dylan songs that hit Top 10• Playlist: “Lemon Tree” Peter, Paul and Mary 1962

The Greenwich Village SceneChapter 5: The 1950s Folk Revival

• Early 1960s:- commercial folk groups (New Christy Minstrels, Rooftop Singers,

etc) become popular- folk scenes emerge around the country, mostly in college towns

• Greenwich Village- most important folk scene- small, nourishing to artists such as Dave Van Ronk, Tom Paxton,

Odetta - many clubs include Café Wha?, Bitter End, etc.

BroadsideChapter 5: The 1950s Folk Revival

• Long-standing tradition of Village folk publications:- 1946: People’s Songs- 1960: Sing Out!- 1962: Broadside

• These newsletters supported the folk community and published new folk songs

Bob DylanChapter 5: The Folk Influence

The Boy From the North CountryChapter 5: Bob Dylan

• Bob Dylan- born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, MN- plays in rock and roll combo- 1959: attends U of Minnesota, turns attention to folk music,

becomes fixture in Dinkytown clubs- inspired by beat writers and Woody Guthrie, changes name- 1961: moves to Greenwich Village, meets Guthrie- NY Times review leads to contract with Columbia Records,

John Hammond producing

Hammond’s FollyChapter 5: Bob Dylan

• 1961: Bob Dylan released; contains mostly traditional folk songs; sells poorly, becomes known as Hammond’s Folly

• Playlist: “Song to Woody” Bob Dylan• 1963: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan contains mostly original songs• Music Cut 23: “Blowin’ in the Wind” The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan• 1963: performs with Joan Baez at:

- Newport Folk Festival in July- March on Washington in August

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

The Times They Are a Changin’

• 1964: The Times They Are a Changin’- establishes Dylan as leader of the folk community- contains title cut, songs of protest & social relevance

such as “With God on Our SIde”• Playlist: “The Times They Are a Changin’” The Times

They Are a Changin’• 1964: Another Side of Bob Dylan

- mostly introspective songs, receives lukewarm reviews

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

The Times They Are a Changin’

• 1964: famous meeting with the Beatles at Hotel Delmonico in NYC• 1964: Bringing It All Back Home

- Side A: with rock rhythm section- Side B: all acoustic- redefines relationship between folk and rock- criticized by folk purists

• Playlist: “Subterranean Homesick Blues” Bringing It All Back Home• Playlist: “Mr. Tambourine Man” Bringing It All Back Home

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

Newport 1965

• 1965:- July: appears at Newport Folk Festival with electric

Paul Butterfield Blues Band; angry crowd boos- August: Highway 61 Revisited

• Music Cut 24: “Like a Rolling Stone” Highway 61 Revisited (#2 1965)- September: tours with the Hawks (who later become the

Band); shows consist of acoustic set, followed by electric set

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

Newport 1965

• 1966: Blonde on Blonde- recorded in Nashville- double album

• Playlist: “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (#2)” Blonde on Blonde• 1967: Don’t Look Back released; a documentary film of 1965

tour of England

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

The Basement Tapes

• 1965: Dylan family moves to Woodstock, NY• 7/29/66: motorcycle accident; recuperation period follows• 1966-67: records new songs with the Band; heavily

bootlegged, became known as the Basement Tapes• 1968: John Wesley Harding

- “the first Biblical rock album”• 1969: Nashville Skyline

- influential to country rock

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

Dylan’s Later Career

• 1971: Tarantula• 1972: acts in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid• 1974: Blood on the Tracks recorded in NYC, Minneapolis• 1975: tours with Rolling Thunder Review• 1976: Desire, containing “Hurricane”• 1979: briefly converts to Christianity• 1988: records with the Traveling Wilburys• 2001: Love and Theft

Chapter 5: Bob Dylan

The Dylan Legacy

• Rock lyrics can be poetic, call to action, etc• Major influence on the Beatles at a critical moment• Warts-and-all performer, inspiring ‘anybody can be a

rock star’ ethic• Important influence on folk rock, country rock,

singer/songwriters• More than 60 albums released, 10 in the Rolling Stone

list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time