The British InvasionChapter 6

Post-War EnglandChapter 6: The British Pop Scene in the 1950s

• Post WWII English youth eagerly absorb American music- trad jazz- skiffle- Rhythm and Blues- the blues

• Playlist: “Rock Island Line” Lonnie Donegan 1955

English Pop CultureChapter 6: The British Pop Scene in the 1950s

• BBC runs three radio stations, none of which cater to youth• Pirate radio stations play pop music• 1967: BBC Radio One begins pop programming• No independent record labels• Four major labels include:

- EMI- Decca

English Pop CultureChapter 6: The British Pop Scene in the 1950s

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Top 10 hits in America by British artists, 1962-69

The BeatlesChapter 6: The British Invasion

The BeatlesChapter 6: The British Invasion

• The Beatles• Reflected the optimism and complexities of the 1960s• Influenced music and culture• Importance of producer George Martin• Read “The Beatles Impact on Rock” in text:

- the most popular rock group in history• Read “The Contributions of John, Paul, George, and Ringo”

in text:- great musicians, great singers, great songwriters- Lennon and McCartney had contrasting writing styles- Lennon and McCartney sometimes wrote together,

sometimes apart from each other

The Early YearsChapter 6: The Beatles

• Liverpool- working class city; sponge for American pop culture- Teddy boy: Brit equivalent of Southern cat

• 1956: John Lennon forms the Quarry Men• 1957: Paul McCartney, George Harrison join; Pete Best

is drummer

The AuditionChapter 6: The Beatles

• 1960: change name to the Beatles• Many gigs at the Reeperbahn in Hamburg and the Cavern Club

in Liverpool• 1961: Brian Epstein becomes manager; Epstein begins to remake

image and shop for record contract• June 6, 1962: the Beatles audition for Parlaphone producer

George Martin at Abbey Road Studios• Martin signs group based more on their personality than music• Martin also instructs the group to replace Pete Best; new drummer

is Ringo Starr• Beatlemania

Coming to AmericaChapter 6: The Beatles

• Please Please Me (3/22/63)- eight original songs- “I Saw Her Standing There”

• With the Beatles (11/22/63)- coincides with appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show - March 1964:Beatles have top five singles on Billboard chart

• A Hard Days Night (7/10/64)- tie-in with influential movie - “A Hard Days Night”

Meeting DylanChapter 6: The Beatles

• Beatles for Sale (12/4/64)- Dylan influence begins to emerge- “I’m a Loser”

• Help! (8/6/65)- first use of session musicians- “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”- “Yesterday”

Coming of AgeChapter 6: The Beatles

• Rubber Soul (12/3/65)- ‘coming of age’ album- “Norwegian Wood”

• Revolver (8/5/66)- called the first album of the psychedelic era- exotic instruments, studio effects, drug illusions- George Harrison begins to shine as composer with

“Taxman,” “Love You To”• Music Cut 25: “Tomorrow Never Knows” Revolver

Sgt. Pepper’sChapter 6: The Beatles

• Decision to stop touring fuels breakup rumors; last concert is 8/30/66 in San Francisco

• 2/17/67: “Penny Lane” (McCartney) and “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Lennon) released as two “A” sides on same single- both are about the songwriters childhoods in Liverpool- both originally to be included in upcoming album

• Music Cut 26: “Penny Lane”• “Strawberry Fields Forever”

Sgt. Pepper’sChapter 6: The Beatles

• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (6/1/67)- cultural milestone of the 1960s- recording: five months, 700 hours, $100,000- premise: alter ego “Lonely Hearts Club” band- famous cover- first rock album with lyrics printed inside cover- innovative use of studio technology- “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “A Day in the Life”

All You Need Is LoveChapter 6: The Beatles

• 6/25/67: appearance on Our World TV program performing “All You Need is Love”

• 8/67: Brian Epstein dies• 2/68: trip to India to learn about Transcendental Meditation• ‘Paul is dead’ rumors/hysteria• Magical Mystery Tour (12/8/67)

- tie-in with movie- “I Am the Walrus”

Impending DoomChapter 6: The Beatles

• The Beatles (The White Album) (11/22/68)- double album, 30 songs- great diversity in styles- presence of Yoko Ono, inner tensions- “Revolution 9”- “Blackbird”- “Happiness is a Warm Gun”

• Yellow Submarine (1/17/69)- tie-in with movie

The EndChapter 6: The Beatles

• Let It Be (5/8/70)- originally to be named Get Back- inner tensions cause group to abandon project; Phil Spector

brought in to re-produce entire album- 1/30/69 rooftop concert; group performs “Get Back”

• Abbey Road (9/26/69)- 8-song, 16-minute medley closes Side B- first use of 8-track recorder- George Martin returns as producer- “Come Together”- “Something”

The AftermathChapter 6: The Beatles

• Paul McCartney:- forms Wings with wife Linda, many #1 hits

• George Harrison:- organizes Concert for Bangladesh, 1971, dies 2001

• Ringo Starr:- starts acting career, continues to record

• John Lennon:- marries Yoko Ono in 1969- turbulent early 1970s resolving to life as a family man- murdered 12/8/80 in NYC

The Rolling StonesChapter 6: The British Invasion

ImageChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• The Rolling Stones- “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”- portrayed themselves as the “anti-Beatles” - dangerous, surly- influential to future rock marketing- most threatening, sexual stage presence of the time

The Early YearsChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• 1961: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger chance reunion• 1963: band lineup intact, including Brian Jones, Charlie Watts,

Bill Wyman; assembled from London’s blues scene• 1963:

- Andrew Loog Oldham becomes manager- sign with Decca- first singles released, including covers of Willie Dixon tunes

Breaking ThroughChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• 1964:- first American tour includes recording at Chess Studio- first album: England’s Newest Hit Makers: The Rolling Stones- break into US Top 10

• 1965: first #1 hits in America• Playlist: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (#1)• 1966: five Top 10 hits

Rock and Roll’s Bad BoysChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• 1966: Aftermath- diverse styles, instruments, dark lyrics

• Playlist: “Under My Thumb” Aftermath• 1967: appearance on Ed Sullivan

- Ed Sullivan Show appearance; perform “Let’s Spend ‘Some Time’ Together”

- Jagger, Richards, Jones all arrested on drug charges- Jones is convicted, preventing band from touring US

• 1969: Jones leaves band in June; found dead on 7/3/69

Creative Triumph, TragedyChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• 1967: Their Satanic Majesties Request released, panned• Playlist: “2000 Light Years from Home” Their Satanic Majesties

Request• 1968: producer Jimmy Miller hired

- “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (#3)• 1968: Beggar’s Banquet• Music Cut 27: “Sympathy for the Devil” Beggar’s Banquet• 1969: Let It Bleed• Playlist: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” Let It Bleed

Creative Triumph, TragedyChapter 6: The Rolling Stones

• December 1969: “Thank You, America” Altamont Speedway Free Festival staged at Altamont Raceway in California- poorly planned, violent, spectator killed- metaphor for the end of the 1960s

• 1971: Sticky Fingers- controversial cover- tongue and lips logo first used- “Brown Sugar” Sticky Fingers (#1)

• 1972: Exile on Main Street- “Ventilator Blues”

The WhoChapter 6: The British Invasion

The Early YearsChapter 6: The Who

• The Who- prototype power trio- influential to punk, metal, art rock- innovative use of synthesizers- stage violence- exceptional musicianship, songwriting- Tommy, the first rock opera

• 1962-64: band forms, first as the Detours then as the Who

From Mods to Maximum R&BChapter 6: The Who

• 1964: repackaged as mods, briefly become the High Numbers- “I Can’t Explain” (1965, #8 UK)

• Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp become managers, change name back to the Who; marketed as “Maximum R&B”

• 1964: Pete Townshend destroys his guitar for first time• Stage destruction fuels group’s popularity, leads to contract

with Decca, first album (The Who Sings) My Generation• Playlist: “My Generation” (1965 #2 UK)

MontereyChapter 6: The Who

• 1966: A Quick One features ‘mini-opera’• 1967: US tour with American ‘debut’ at Monterey Pop Festival,

destroy equipment at end of show• 1967: The Who Sell Out fake pirate radio broadcast

- “I Can See For Miles” The Who Sell Out (#9)• Stage act is exciting flurry of activity

TommyChapter 6: The Who

• 1968: Townshend becomes follower of Meher Baba, stops using drugs, becomes more spiritual

• 1969: Tommy- the first rock opera, with story set to music- central character becomes ‘deaf, dumb, and blind’- critically acclaimed- later turned into film and Broadway musical- “Pinball Wizard”- “See Me, Feel Me”

• Playlist: “Overture” Tommy

Final Triumph, TragedyChapter 6: The Who

• 1970: Live at Leeds; Townshend begins work on Lifehouse, which is never finished

• 1971: Who’s Next contains two songs with innovative use of synthesizers

• Music Cut 28: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” Who’s Next• Playlist: “Baba O’Reilly” Who’s Next• 1973: Quadrophenia• 1978: Keith Moon dies of drug overdose

Other British Invasion BandsChapter 6: The British Invasion

The Mersey Beat GroupsChapter 6: Other British Invasion Bands

• Mersey Beat: upbeat pop; groups include:- Gerry and the Pacemakers- Herman’s Hermits- the Dave Clark Five- the Hollies

• Music Cut 29: “Bus Stop” the Hollies 1966 (#5)

The Blues-Oriented GroupsChapter 6: Other British Invasion Bands

• Groups with rougher, blues orientation, including:- the Kinks- the Yardbirds- the Animals

• Music Cut 30: “House of the Rising Sun” the Animals 1964 (#1)