The Reaction to Rock Civic Reaction Rock is

The Reaction to Rock

Civic Reaction • Rock is… – unwholesome – obscene – morally corrupting – encourages racial integration

Reaction from major record labels: • How do we cash in on this? ? • How do we make it acceptable to white America?

The Major Label Takeover Cover versions of rock and roll hits Take advantage of weaknesses of small labels Create teen idols Hire songwriters to pen “rock n’ roll songs” Create dance crazes for the kids

Cover Versions • R&B hits, early rock songs re-recorded by white artists on major labels – Potentially offensive lyrics changed – Performed by teen idol – Appeal to mainstream audience

Take advantage of scandal • Payola – Congressional committee investigates charges that independent companies paying DJs to play their records – Used to force several indie labels out of business, attack rock

Scandals, part 2 • Jerry Lee Lewis marries 13 year old cousin while still married to previous wife • Chuck Berry arrested and imprisoned • “The Day The Music Died” - 3 Feb. 1959 • Elvis drafted in late 1958

Create Teen Idols • Major labels manufacture “rock and rollers” • White, good looking, teen idol types – Fabian (Fabian Forte, 1943 - ) – Frankie Avalon (1940 - ) – Bobby Rydell (1942 - ) • Pop music with rock and roll flavoring

Hire professional songwriters • Aldon Music Co. = Brill Building • Songwriters hired to create “rock and roll hits” – Pop crafted songs with teen themes, rock sensibilities – Occasionally artists produced pop rock hits of some note • Ricky Nelson • Dion and the Belmonts

Brill Building songwriters • • Gerry Goffin and Carole King Neil Sedaka Paul Anka Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller

“The New Tin Pan Alley” • Distinctive, homogenous sound • Popular songs heavily influenced by doowop • More animated beat, more storytelling elements • Harmonically simple • Many layers of sound

Multi-track recording • Different layers of song recorded on to audio tape = overdubbed • Mixed onto master tape • Effects added to any or all layers • Then committed to acetate • Controlled by the producer

The Producer • Selects which arrangement, takes are used • Can use overdubbing to add instruments, sounds, etc. • Approves (if doesn’t do) mix – Relative levels of each track – Effects: changes to audio signal • • Echo or reverb Panning Compression Phasing

Phil Spector (1940 - ) • Part of Brill Building crowd • Thought of pop songs as “symphonies for the kiddies” • Spector wall of sound – Thick, full textures created by overdubbing – Large orchestra with lots of percussion – Pre-recorded sounds – Background vocals – Rock ensemble – Group

Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow • Fairly quick tempo • 4 bar intro • Form: five 16 -bar phrases, each AABA – End-weighted to end of section • Lead vocals plus doo-wop style accompaniment

Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me. . . • Rhythmic layers – Beat – 8 beat rock rhythm • Second beat of measure subdivided into 2 parts - rebound backbeat • Common in Brill Building hits • Lyrics - Not typical Brill Building fare! • Heavily Produced

Girl Groups • • Trios or quartets of female singers Sound controlled by producer Image controlled by producer, label Marketed to appeal to young, female audience

Pop rock • Electric bass replaces acoustic bass • Melodic diffusion: distribution of melodic ideas throughout parts of song • More balanced texture • Greater variety of forms • “Sound” defines song

American Bandstand • Began broadcasting from Philadelphia in 1957 • Projected clean-cut, safe, mostly white image of rock and roll • Launched careers of teen idols • Created & promoted dance crazes

Create dance crazes • Dances created to go with popular songs – Often include instructions for dance • Manufactured by Brill Building (or other professional) writers • Many recorded by Chubby Checker

Dance records • All similar in style – Rely on 12 -bar blues as verse or refrain – Straight rock ensemble, with backing vocals – Not heavily produced – Strong beat • Help to remove stigma of rock • Ex. The Twist