UNIT 3 - MUSIC AND RADIO. Lesson 1: British Pop Music

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1 UNIT 3 - MUSIC AND RADIO Lesson 1: British Pop Music PRE-READING What kind of music do you usually listen to? Do you like foreign bands or singers? Do you believe that music has a cultural value or do you think that it is just a form of entertainment? Can music be considered important for the identity of a nation? Music is an essential part of Western culture. The need and appreciation for music is evident in the everyday lives of people for it is heard in movies, on television and throughout all forms of audio media. The majority of people also choose to listen to music for pleasure so it is not surprising, considering the bombardment of music one is faced with, that music can be an instrument of social influence and change. Music is a powerful form of communication. It can be personal, political, opportunistic, and can be self-expressive with therapeutic effects due to the release of emotion. Pop music is an important part of British culture, not just as an expression of Englishness, but as a indicator of the multi-cultural nature of Britain today. But there are many different kinds of music (music genres) that have helped shape British youth. Britpop for example is a form of Alternative Rock with a definite British sensibility and attitude. Melody and catchy "hook" (choruses) are essential to the Britpop sound. Within these limitations, the music these artists make is quite diverse: groups such as Blur and Radiohead are more experimental, sometimes bordering on art-rock, while others, such as Oasis and Black Grape, deliver a hard-rocking wall of sound. In any form, Britpop has maintained a unique slant on rock and roll from the late '80s forward. Text 1 - Sounds from the Sixties: Mods vs. Rockers But you can't write a page on British Pop Culture without mentioning 'The Mods and The Rockers'. In the Sixties the music scene was said to be split along a North / South divide, the Northerners preferring rock music and wearing leather. In London it was rhythm and blues, blue beat and ska. The Londoners danced and wore smart clothes and were known as modernists or Mods. The Mod image was the wearing of shrink to fit Levi's, Fred Perry tennis shirts and the Parka. Emanating from London and the South East the Mods were complete followers of the latest fashion except musically. Whilst the Beatles were enjoying immense popularity and success among Britain's mainstream society in the early 1960's, the first-wave of Mods pursued a different sound. They adopted modern jazz, which was a style of music originated in Black America, however as jazz grew in popularity, Mods began listening to Blues, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and then moved on to Jamaican Bluebeat and Ska to stay ahead of the mainstream; bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, The Kinks, The Downliners, and The Small Faces became all the rage. A Mod was a product of working class British youth of the mid-sixties. They portrayed an image of being stuck up, emulating the middle classes, snobbish and phoney. The Mod boys dressed in suits, neat narrow trousers, and pointed shoes. The girls displayed a boyish image. They darkened their eyes 46

2 and wore their hair short to fit a unisex type of culture and the real status symbol was to have a Lambretta GT 200 or a Vespa GS 160. These were the scooters that they rode as part of their badge that connected them to being a Mod. The most popular and revolutionary band who could be labelled as Mods themselves were the The Who. Their biggest enemy? The Rockers. Rockers generally came from "up north" and saw Mods as weedy, effeminate snobs because they had good jobs and dressed smartly. Mods saw Rockers as dirty and thick idiots as the stereotype of manual workers from rural areas. To the outsider Mods looked like nice but arrogant young chaps, whereas Rockers looked as if they were going to make trouble. Rockers enjoyed Rock and Roll, and their style consisted of jeans, boots and leather jackets. The Rockers were a British version of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. They wore black leather and studs, had anti-authoritarian beliefs, and projected an easy rider nomadic romanticism. The Rockers lived for the present, with a scruffy, masculine, bad boy' image. Rockers were essentially from the working class and despised any fashion. They each had the same hairstyle, shaggy with a bit of slick to it. Riding motorcycles was of the uppermost importance, so they kept away from drugs and alcohol. The motorcycles were also modified or "souped up" in order to be in top racing form. Every Rocker had a Triumph' or a Norton', a brand of motorcycle. Their favoured music? Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Animals and The Trogs. Even the Beatles, who started their life as a leather clad rock band, The Quarrymen, made long hair fashionable. Their biggest enemy? The Mods. Exercise 1: List in the two opposite columns below the main differences between Mods and Rockers Mods Rockers Exercise 2: a) List all the music genres mentioned in the text b) Now match the following artists / bands with the music genre they mainly belong to 1. Moby 2. The Sex Pistols 3. Bon Jovi 4. Tammy Wynette 5. Britney Spears 6. Marvin Gaye 7. Vivaldi 8. Eminem 9. Count Basie and his Orchestra 10. Destiny s Child 11. Metallica 12. Doris Day a) rock b) heavy metal c) jazz d) rap e) soul f) country and western g) r & b h) classical i) easy listening j) dance k) pop l) punk 47

3 Text 2 A British Myth: The Beatles In 2005, thirty-five years after they broke up, The Beatles were named by Variety magazine as the most iconic entertainers of the 20th century. Not a bad achievement for four working class boys from Liverpool, England. Paul McCartney met John Lennon in 1957 at a garden fete where John Lennon was playing with his band. After talking they decided to play together and became The Quarrymen. George Harrison, who was a friend of Paul McCartney, joined the band in 1958 and they changed their name to The Silver Beetles. They changed their name once more in 1960 and became The Beatles. They travelled to Hamburg, Germany, where they developed their musical skills and came back to the UK as experienced performers, where they quickly became stars. Their manager Brian Epstein worked hard to get them a recording contract, but it wasn t an easy task. They had a lot of different drummers until 1962, when Ringo Starr joined the band. The final line up was John Lennon and George Harrison on vocals and guitars, Paul McCartney on vocals and bass, and Ringo Starr on drums. Finally, after being rejected by almost every other label, the recording company EMI agreed to try them out. They recorded their first single Love Me Do at Abbey Road Studios in London and within a year Beatlemania had taken hold of Britain. They released their first US single I Wanna Hold Your Hand in 1964 and the United States, too, was instantly gripped by Beatlemania. By the following year, they had become the most famous band in the world. Over the next five years they produced songs of all different styles, from ballads to anthems and from blues to heavy metal. After their split in 1970 the band members went their different ways and each enjoyed some solo success, but never matched the popularity they had known as The Beatles. Ten years later, in 1980, 40-year-old John Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment in New York by crazed fan Mark Chapman. Lennon s wife Yoko Ono still lives in the apartment. Then in 2001 George Harrison, The Quiet Beatle, lost his battle with cancer and died at the age of 58. Paul McCartney has continued to perform and in 1997 became Sir Paul McCartney. In 2003 his wife Heather gave birth to a daughter, Milly Beatrice. And last but not least, Ringo Starr has also continued to perform but remains the only Beatle who has not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Exercise 3: Read the text again and circle all the words connected to the world of music Ex: band Exercise 4: Answer the questions below 1 In which country did The Beatles develop their musical skills? 2 Which label did The Beatles record their first single with? 3 What is the surname of John Lennon s wife? 4 Is Ringo the only Beatle who (as a solo artist) isn t in this elite circle? 5 Which Beatle died in 2001? 6 What was the surname of The Beatles manager? 7 What is the surname of the bass player of The Beatles? 8 In which studios did the band record their first single? 9 Who was the band s drummer? 10 How many years did the band perform as The Beatles? 11 What was their first US single called? 12 Where was John Lennon living when he died? 48

4 Now write the first letter of each answer in the following boxes in order to reveal the name of the man who is often referred to as The Fifth Beatle and who recorded all the Beatles albums Exercise 5: Now it's your turn to ask questions using what, when, where, which, etc : John Lennon forms his first group, 'the Quarrymen' : They make their debut in Liverpool (England). 3. Feb. 7, 1964: The Beatles arrive in America. The top 5 slots on the 'Billboard' chart are held by them. 4. April 1, 1965: John Lennon composes Help!, the title song for the Beatles' second film. 5. Oct. 26, 1965: The Beatles are awarded England's Members of the Order of the British Empire. 6. March 4, 1966: John Lennon states that the Beatles are 'more popular than Jesus now.' 7. Aug. 29, 1966: After their concert at San Francisco, the Beatles declare this is their final concert tour. 8. January 30, 1969: The Beatles make their last performance as a group on the roof of the Apple building during the filming of Let It Be. 9. April 10, 1970: Paul McCartney announces that he is leaving the Beatles due to 'personal, business and musical differences.' 10. January 2, 1975: John and Yoko are reunited. The Beatles' final dissolution takes place in London. Exercise 6: Fill in the gaps with the following words form introduced famous partnership market awarded charisma influential 1. In 1957 a sixteen-year-old student in Liverpool, named John Lennon, decided to a group. 2. It was the beginning of what was to become the most rock band of all time. 3. On July 1957 the fifteen-year-old McCartney was to John Lennon. 4. A unique song writing began. George Harrison joined them in 1958 and Ringo Starr in Their best year was 1964 when they conquered the biggest record in the world: America. 6. In 1965 the four musicians were individually the order of the British Empire by the Queen. 7. Their popularity was due to their talent, their attractive looks, distinctive personalities and natural. 8. The Beatles were the most group of the rock era. The band broke up in

5 VIDEO TEXT- How Britain was built: Liverpool and the Beatles (from The History Channel) Exercise 7: After watching the VIDEO answer the following questions 1) In their early days, The Beatles used to play at? a. The Cavern b. The Cabin c. The Tavern d. Eric's 2) The House where John Lennon grew up is in... a. Penny Lane b. Mendips Avenue c. Menlove Avenue d. Strawberry Fields 3) Who was The Beatles' drummer before Ringo Starr? a. Pete West b. Pete Vest c. Pete Best d. George Best 50 4) What was the name of the band Lennon played in before he joined The Beatles? a. The Corriemen b. The Lorrymen c. The Quarrymen d. The Morrismen 5) What does the barber in 'Penny Lane' keep, according to the song? a. photo of all the heads he's known b. pigeons c. pictures of The Beatles in his shop d. The Beatles' autographs on his wall 6) Which Beatle grew up in a former council house in Forthlin Road? a. Ringo Starr b. John Lennon c. George Harrison d. Paul McCartney AUDIO TEXTS: The Beatles' songs Exercise 8: 1) Watch the video and listen to the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Then read the lyrics and fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions over past at down on to in for with by of Picture yourself a boat on a river, tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl kaleidoscope eyes. Cellophane flowers yellow and green, Towering your head. Look the girl with the sun in her eyes, And she's gone. Lucy the sky with diamonds, Lucy the sky with diamonds, Lucy the sky with diamonds, Follow her to a bridge a fountain, Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Everyone smiles as you drift the flowers, That grow so incredibly high. Newspaper taxis appear the shore, Waiting take you away. Climb the back your head the clouds, And you're gone. Picture yourself a train a station, With plasticine porters looking glass ties. Suddenly someone is there the turnstile, The girl kaleidoscope eyes.

6 2) a. Now listen to the song Yesterday and write the following words in the blanks go stay game man troubles wrong place came shadow Yesterday, all my seemed so far away Now it looks as though they're here to Oh, I believe in yesterday Suddenly, I'm not half the I used to be There's a hanging over me Oh, yesterday suddenly Why she had to I don't know, she wouldn't say I said something, now I long for yesterday Yesterday, love was such an easy to play Now I need a to hide away Oh, I believe in yesterday b. Crosswords Down 1. the contrary of come 2. Difficulties (backwards) 3. Not Right 4. Position, area. 8. Not a woman Across 5. Darkness 6. Not leave 7. Entertaining activity, match. 8. The past form of come. c) Fill in the blanks with words from exercise a) 1. Her garden was a cool pleasant to sit. 2. The children played a of cops and robbers 3. Jamie followed his mother around all day like a. 4. Three of your answers were. 5. Can you after work to play tennis? GRAMMAR NOTE: Interrogatives / Question Tags Interrogatives There are three main question types: Yes / No questions and Wh- questions Then we have Indirect Questions that involve both the first and the second type. Yes / No questions Yes/No questions require yes/no answers and, for accuracy, the repetition of the auxiliary. Ex.: Is Joan chatting with her boyfriend? (Yes, she is / No, she isn t) Has my arrived? (Yes, it has / No, it hasn t) Does your sister write s? (Yes, she does / No, she doesn t) Can t he swim? (Yes, he can / No, he can t) 51

7 Look! Yes / No questions normally contain words like any, anyone, anything and not words like some, someone, something: Someone sent me an yesterday. Did anyone send you an yesterday? They need some paper to print. Do they need any paper to print? But Look at these questions: Did someone send me an ? (I was expecting an ) Haven t I seen this notice somewhere before? (I m quite sure I have) These questions almost certainly require Yes answers, so they contain some- words instead of anywords. WH- QUESTIONS Wh- questions require information in the reply, something the speaker didn t know before. These questions are introduced by the so-called wh- words: Who / Whom Whose What / Which When Where Why and How 1) Who (subject pronoun) You want to know about a person or some people Who s that girl? Who is it? And Who works at this project? Who goes to that University? When who is the subject in the question, you do not use auxiliary verbs Whom (object pronoun) It is the object pronoun form of who and it is formal With whom did you go to the meeting? With my colleagues (formal) Whose (possessive pronoun or determiner) You want to know whom something belongs to Whose is this? It s mine/it belongs to Bob But Whose decision represents a turn-over in this agreement? When whose is the subject in the question, you do not use auxiliary verbs 2) What (pronoun) You want to know about something and not a person What are they typing? What sports do they practise? And What provoked this reaction? When what is the subject in the question, you do not use auxiliary verbs 3) Which (pronoun/ determiner) It is used instead of who (for people) and instead of what (for things) when the range of possibilities to choose from is limited. Which of Congreve s comedies have you seen? (pronoun) Which book are you bringing with you? (determiner) And Which competition takes place on Sundays? When which is the subject in the question, you do not use auxiliary verbs 52

8 In addition, look at these examples Which Shakespeare s play are you talking about? (informal) About which Shakespeare s play are you talking? (formal) When a Wh- question is part of a prepositional phrase, you choose between informal English (putting the preposition at the end of the question) and formal English (moving the preposition to the front) 4) When (adverb) You want to know the time at which something happens When did my cousin graduate? - When are you going to marry? 5) Where (adverb) You want to know what place Where has your girlfriend parked the car? Where have you been (to)? (motion to a place) Where do they come from? (motion from a place) 6) Why (adverb) You want to know a cause; the answer is introduced by because Why did you decide not to come to the party? - Because it was too late and I was really tired But Look at this question: What is your boyfriend training for? He is training for the traditional Christmas race When you want to know the purpose of an action, you do not say why, but what for 7) How (adverb) You want to know the way in which something happens or is done How did she solve the problem? But Look at these questions: -How shall I type this letter? -What shall I type this letter with? When you ask about the instrument, you can use both how and what with -How long are you studying here? Until next year When you want to know the length of time, you say how long -How often do they go to the dentist? Twice a year When you want to know about the frequency of an action, you say how often -How old are you? -How well do you know your work? When you want to know about degree or extent, you say how + adjective/adverb -How much is it? -How many books did you buy? When you want to know about quantity, you say how + much / many Indirect questions Look at these questions: I asked my friend Mark if / whether he could lend me his computer I asked my friend Mark if / whether he was going to buy something for lunch. This kind of questions requires a normal word order, and not the interrogative inversion of subject and verb (auxiliary) 53

9 QUESTION TAGS A question tag is a mini-question that can be added at the end of a statement either to receive a real answer (see examples 1) or to share an opinion (see examples 2). 1. A: We ve chatted before, haven t we? B: Oh, yes, we have. One month ago, more or less. A: I can t remember Jane s nickname, can you? B: Yes, I can: it s Janix. 2. A: That problem with your internet service provider wasn t really serious, was it? A: The website of our University is very useful when you need any information about the exams, isn t it? Note that: -a positive sentence has a negative tag while a negative sentence has a positive tag -in the tag we use an auxiliary verb -the meaning of the whole communicative interaction conveyed by the use of the question tag depends on the way you pronounce it: - if your voice goes up, you are making a question - if your voice goes down, you don t really want any answer, but you are stimulating the listener to an agreement Don t forget! Let s connect with the net, shall we? Open the department s mail box, will you? I m late to chat with Eric, aren t I? Exercise 9: Fill in the gaps with the right wh- word 1. They live in Brooklyn. do they live? 2. The lesson begins at 8 o'clock. does the lesson begin? 3. They get home at 6 o'clock every night. do they get home every night? 4. She speaks French very well. does she speak very well? 5. Those books cost one dollar. do those books cost? 6. They travel by car. do they travel? 7. She wants to learn English because she wants a better job. does she want to learn English? 8. She teaches us grammar. does she teach? 9. He gets up at seven every morning. does he get up? 10. Those girls sell newspapers. do they sell? Exercise 10: Change the statements to questions using the wh- word in parenthesis. Example: The train arrived at ten o clock. (what time) What time did the train arrive? 1. They do their homework at night. (when) 2. Mr. Robertson came to the party alone. (who) 3. The car is across the street from the house. (where) 4. I like the red blouse, not the blue one. (which) 5. She felt better after she took a nap. (how) 6. That is an English book. (what) 7. My sister called her boyfriend yesterday (when) 8. She talked to him for an hour. (how long) 9. He studies piano at the university. (what) 10. The party lasted all night. (how long) 54

10 11. The check was for $5.50. (how much) 12. She was eating a sandwich. (what) 13. She is working hard. (what) 14. My parents have two cars. (how many) 15. They are coming to visit tomorrow. (when) 16. He is going to work right now. (where) 17. The man with the white hat is my brother. (who) 18. I don t get up early because I like to sleep late. (why) 19. We have an English class every day. (how often) 20. They like to dance on weekends. (what) Exercise 11: Complete the sentences with the right question tags 1) She is collecting stickers,? 2) We often watch TV in the afternoon,? 3) You have cleaned your bike,? 4) John and Max don't like Maths,? 5) Peter played handball yesterday,? 6) They are going home from school,? 7) Mary didn't do her homework last Monday,? 8) He could have bought a new car,? 9) Kevin will come tonight,? 10) I'm clever,? HOMEWORK Text 3 - The Rolling Stones The four members of the Rolling Stones now have a combined age of over 250, but in the eyes of their fans they still deserve the title given them by their manager back in the late 1960s: The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. It s certainly difficult to think of another group that has been so popular for such a long time. Since their formation in 1962, in London, they have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, and songs such as (I Can t Get No) Satisfaction (1965), Sympathy for the Devil (1968) and Brown Sugar (1971) are among the most well known in the history of popular music. The Stones developed an original musical style that was a mixture of rhythm and blues ( R&B ) associated with black musicians in the United States and rock and roll. They had a huge influence on many other bands that came after them, not only through their music but also through their rebellious image. Because of incidents such as the brief imprisonment of lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards for drug possession, in 1967, many people saw the Stones as outrageous, even slightly dangerous, in contrast to the softer, boy next door image of the Beatles. Jagger and Richards have always been responsible for creating most of the band s new music. Brian Jones was also a very important figure during the first few years, but he died in Since Bill Wyman dropped out in 1993, the line-up has been Jagger and Richards plus Ron Wood (guitar) and Charlie Watts (drums). 55

11 The Stones have completed dozens of tours, often playing sell-out concerts to crowds in big stadiums, and despite their age there is no sign that they are ready for a quieter life. Jagger recently said I m not going to retire, while Richards said he planned to live to 100 and go down in history. Nowadays, however, the Stones are a great British institution rather than a group of rebellious outsiders a fact illustrated in 2002 when Jagger received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II, becoming Sir Mick Jagger. According to an official statement, the knighthood was in recognition of the fact that Jagger was one of the great rock stars of the last century, who continues to bring a lot of pleasure. Millions of people all around the world would agree. Exercise 12: Can you find the words or expressions in the text that mean the same as the following? 1. all over the world 6. connected 2. non-conformist 7. stop working (usually permanently) 3. not lasting a long time 8. event 4. combination 9. shocking, offensive 5. in the opinion of 10. someone who is not a member of a certain group Exercise 13: Now decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), or if the text doesn t say (D). 1. Mick Jagger is more than 65 years old. 2. The Stones image was different from that of the Beatles. 3. Bill Wyman joined the band in Brian Jones used to be responsible for creating all the band s new music. 5. Richards wants people to remember him in future. 6. Many other groups were influenced by the Rolling Stones music and image. 7. Keith Richards was in prison for a long time in Jagger and Richards think the Stones really are the greatest rock and roll band in the world. Exercise 14: Below are some excerpts from the text, but not all of them have been copied correctly. Can you identify which of them now contain mistakes, and then make the necessary corrections? 1. Now days, however, the Stones are a great British institution 2. Millions of people all around the world would agree. 3. Since their formation in 1962, in London, they sold more than 200 million albums 4. The Stones developed an original musical style 5. many people saw the Stones as outrageous although their age there is no sign that they are ready for a quieter life one of the great rock stars of last century who continues to bring a lot of pleasure. 56