UNIT 2 Chapter Summary Questins 1. What are sme f the imprtant similarities in the rise f cuntry and western and rhythm and blues, especially during the 1945-55 perid? What are sme significant differences? Similarities Rck and rll develped frm cuntry and western and rhythm and blues (and pp music) Cuntry and western and rhythm and blues were nt mainstream music Mainly played n the reginal and lcal radi statins Natinal radi and televisin was reserved fr mainstream music pp Bth have rural rts Sldiers in WWII brught cuntry and western back with them, s did sutherners when they migrated nrth t fill the factry jbs created by the war effrt Many black sutherners left their field jbs t find wrk in the nrth and brught rhythm and blues with them Differences Cuntry and western music was reginal in 30s and 40s but within a few years, lcal and reginal statins acrss the suth began prgramming cuntry and western Arund 1948, Reginal radi statins realized there was a large black audience fr rhythm and blues, and began prgramming and advertising t cater t this distinctive cmmunity Nashville=centre f cuntry and western music Chicag/Memphis=centres f rhythm and blues music Rhythm and blues was played by black musicians and was intended fr black audiences Negative racial steretypes assciated with rhythm and blues
Hkum blues with sme sngs made t be fr bth black and white audiences Cuntry and western was played smewhat n natinal radi/televisin, while rhythm and blues never was Different sunding music E.g. instrumentatin Cuntry and western = steel guitar, vilin, fiddle Rhythm and blues = electric guitar, bass, pian, drums, harmnica 2. What was the relatinship between mainstream pp, cuntry and western, and rhythm and blues in the 1940s and 50s? Hw did the music business separate ut these styles? Why? These three genres cntributed t the frmatin f rck and rll. Cuntry and western and rhythm and blues remained n reginal radi, whereas ppular music was n natinal radi and televisin. Cuntry and western and rhythm and blues were catered t prer audiences, whereas ppular music was catered t middle-class, white audiences. Ppular music was the mainstream music, as it was the genre that was the mst in demand at the time. 3. Radi plays a central rle in the discussins in this chapter. Hw des it affect each f the three styles under cnsideratin? What rle des televisin play? The emergence f natinal radi allwed thse that might nt therwise hear ppular music a chance t hear it, thus a wider audience was expsed t ppular music (e.g. listeners in farm cuntry hearing music frm nightclubs). As well, the pp music perfrmers were heard n the radi fr the majrity f the time, with rhythm and blues and cuntry and western genres rarely being played. Pp was als directed at a white, middle-class audience (and deemed apprpriate fr natinal radi) whereas the ther tw styles were deemed t appeal mre t lw-incme white r lw incme black (rural r urban) listeners, and thus retained psitins n reginal radi. In terms f televisin, it was als made fr a natinal audience, as Americans culd increasingly affrd televisin sets in the 40s and 50s; therefre the natinal, pp audiences cnverted frm radi t televisin. This als allwed radi t return t its lcal and reginal audiences, which pened up pprtunities fr the develpment f cuntry and western and rhythm and blues.
4. What s the difference between fcusing n the sale f sngs and fcusing n the sale f recrds? Hw des this relate t the three styles under cnsideratin? In the pre-rck era, the central element in a recrd was the sng, nt the particular perfrmance f it. In the era f Tin Pan Alley, the fcus was n the sheet music sales (the sale f the sng), and the best thing that culd happen t a publisher was fr the sng t be recrded by a wide variety f artists. Thus the sale f the sng was mre imprtant than the sale f the recrd (the mre versins f the sng, the mre mney that culd be made by the sngwriter/publisher). As well, artists wanted their sngs t be n the radi, and that meant live perfrmances n the radi; prmting a sng meant much mre fr publishers than just getting a recrd ut. Getting n the radi meant increasing yur pssibility f future bkings with radi prducers. Hwever, this was the case fr ppular music. Fr rhythm and blues and cuntry and western, the fcus was n the recrd. This is because since the natinal netwrks and labels were fcused n ppular music, the independent labels fcused n the recrds f rhythm and blues and cuntry and western. These labels culd prsper because the majr labels were s big. Thus, because there was little chance fr these genres t have natinal audiences, it wuld nt make sense t fcus n the sale f a sng when it is nt ging t be reprduced by thers, but just played n the radi fr peple t enjy. The audience f ppular music versus the ther tw genres was different; ppular music was enjyed by natinal audiences, and the sng was meant t be reprduced by thers in Tin Pan Alley, whereas the ther tw genres were enjyed by lcal and reginal audiences, and was nt ging t be reprduced but simply heard and enjyed. 5. If many Americans had prejudices against cuntry and western and rhythm and blues music, was this because f their perceptins f the intended audiences fr each style? Did cuntry and western and rhythm and blues have features that may be seen t reinfrce negative steretypes? Yes, the perceptins f the intended audiences had a significant effect n the prejudices, especially fr rhythm and blues. In this genre, because it was meant fr a black audience, white listeners wrried abut the effects it might have n their children. The Stagger Lee myth arse, which is the idea that black men are especially driven sexually, and that their greatest cnquests are white wmen. Fr example, Muddy Waters I Just Wanna Make Lve t Yu and sngs like it cnfirmed the steretype fr peple wh believed the myth. Therefre, althugh the sng was understd in a certain way within the black cmmunity, it was misinterpreted by white listeners unfamiliar with that culture. It
cnvinced many parents that this genre had a dangerus influence n their teenagers, and many even wrked t ablish it. As well, I think because ppular music f this time was s desexualized, the intrductin f any sexual reference r innuend in rhythm and blues and cuntry and western was viewed as scandalus and imprper by ppular music (mainly white) listeners. Example: in ppular music I m Sittin n Tp f the Wrld by Les Paul and Mary Frd VERSUS in cuntry and western music Hey Gd Lkin by Hank Williams, AND in rhythm and blues Evil by Hwlin Wlf. Curselink Unit Objectives At the end f this unit, yu will be able t: 1. Identify and describe the majr cmpnents f the music industry prir t 1955 and its brader histrical and cultural cntext. The music f pre 1955 was divided int three categries: ppular, rhythm and blues, and cuntry and western. Ppular music at first dminated the natinal audiences n the radi, and then dminated airtime n televisin. In cntrast, rhythm and blues and cuntry and western dminated the lcal and reginal radi netwrks, and with the emergence f televisin, the ppularity f natinal radi netwrks died dwn. There were certain prejudices assciated with rhythm and blues and cuntry and western, mainly that they were intended fr certain audiences i.e. pr white and black listeners. As well, rhythm and blues was assciated with a negative prejudice f the black cmmunity, a.k.a the Stagger Lee myth. 2. Discuss the develpment f a natinal audience in the United States. Technlgical advances in radi and mtin picture played a central rle in making ppular entertainment available in all parts f the cuntry during the first few decades f the century The 1930s and 40s are ften thught f as a glden age in the histry f mtin pictures Tw reliable ways f reaching larger audiences (natinal netwrk): Bradcast the radi signal via high-pwer transmitter T link a number f lcal and reginal statins tgether t frm a netwrk When NBC went cast-t-cast with its natinal radi netwrk in 1928, reginal bundaries in ppular culture began t blur Netwrk radi audiences suddenly became natinal audiences The same news, music, drama, and cmedy were simultaneusly available t significant prtins f the cuntry
Fr the first time, listeners within range f a reginal radi statin culd enjy music that might therwise be unavailable t them (i.e. listeners in farm cuntry culd hear music frm nightclubs) Netwrk radi created an audience that stretched frm the east cast t the west cast Created a natinal ppular culture in which music played a central rle A sng culd becme ppular almst vernight; n mre waiting fr wrd f muth t spread frm twn t twn and regin t regin A sng culd be heard far and wide in a single perfrmance Pp became natinal, rhythm and blues and cuntry and western remained reginal Styles ften culd be identified with particular regins f the cuntry 3. Identify and describe the musical and nn-musical elements f Tin Pan Alley, cuntry/western, and blues music. Musical Elements Tin-Pan Alley Standard and unifrm thugh very flexible frmal pattern Sectinal verse-chrus frmat Sectinal chrus listeners recgnize this part Often use AABA frm Sectinal verse intrductin that sets the scene fr the sng Cuntry and Western (Based n Hey Gd Lkin by Hank Williams) AABA frm Different instrumentatin Sl splits between steel guitar and vilin Steel takes verses and fiddle takes bridge N drums because they were frbidden in early years f the Grand Ole Opry Rhythm and Blues Instrumentatin: electric guitars, bass, pian, drums, harmnica, micrphnes Stick mre clsely t structure than the style f early blues musicians like Rbert Jhnsn Jump blues rhythm sectin and saxphne, like swing dance music Lenard chess style f blues (imprtant independent label in Chicag s electric blues) Rugh-edged emtinal directness Vcals were mre expressive than beautiful r technically accmplished Instrumental playing blended technical prwess with raunchy bravura Made with the simplest equipment, which prduced a raw and technically unsphisticated recrded sund
E.g. Evil by Hwlin Wlf Atlantic recrds black pp Didn t fcus n instrumental playing Backup arrangements were structured and cntrlled Sls rarely ccurred Cleaner, mre vcally riented, and mre pp riented than the Chess style D-wp Grups singing A cappella Named after nnsense syllables grups wuld use in their sngs Added pian, bass, drums, and smetimes guitar in the studi Feature a sl singer against the accmpaniment f ther singers One sectin f the sng had a sphisticated harmny-vcal renditin f ne f the sng s verses Anther sectin features different singers frm the grup Anther sectin features the entire grup singing in harmny AABA frm Cmpund time Nn-Musical Elements Tin-Pan Alley Sale f sng mre imprtant than sale f recrd (See #4 abve) Usual mde f success came in the frm f sheet music sales Bradway musicals gt sngs heard Inncent and naive lyrics/themes Cuntry and Western Assumed t be the music f lw-incme whites Reginal radi expsure in 30s and 40s 1939, the Opry and 1933, the Barndance culd be heard cast-t-cast BUT received far less expsure than ppular music Nashville=centre fr cuntry music after WWII Cuntry=sutheast and Appalachia hillbilly music Western=west and suthwest cwby music Bluegrass ld-time cuntry music Rhythm and Blues Assumed t be the music made fr and by black Americans Remained almst cmpletely utside the wrld f mainstream pp Mst white listeners had n familiarity with either its artists r their music (different frm cuntry and western in this regard) Was a result f racial segregatin and Stagger Lee myth
Memphis = centre f blues in 30s and 40s Radi statins began catering their prgramming (rhythm and blues) and advertising (cmmercials) t the black cmmunity Varius recrding labels (independent nes) emerged as a respnse t the ppularity f rhythm and blues radi statins Gspel music, Chicag electric blues, and d wp were big influences hkum blues pked fun at varius aspects f adult relatinships (mainly sexual) 4. Discuss majr artists and their cntributins t the Tin Pan Alley, cuntry/western, and blues genres. Tin Pan Alley Bing Crsby The mst imprtant pp singer in the 1930s and 40s VERY successful Als acted in films and hsted his wn radi variety shw Depicted himself as a carefree everyman despite being a tireless wrker and perfrmer Created a persna Encmpassed a variety f musical styles and appealed t versatile audiences Frank Sinatra Established a new mdel the pp-music singer as star Perfrmed with Harry James and Tmmy Drsey bands and went sl in 1943 Sinatra drew fllwers, as ther big band vcalists fllwed, but big bands started t break up because it was t expensive t emply everyne Patti Page Hw much is that dggie in the windw? representative f generally whlesme and inffensive Eddie Fisher and Tny Bennett Sung mre yuth-riented sngs Jhnnie Ray Tk the male vcalist rle frm suave and cntrlled t vertly emtinal and rmantically meldramatic Cuntry and Western
Jimmie Rdgers Mst imprtant figure in the histry f cuntry music "Blue Ydeler," saw him as a rustic backprch singer "Singing Brakeman," as a rving hb, wandering the cuntry Hank Williams Was initially a sngwriter. He appeared n the Luisiana Hayride radi shw and became a regular n the Grand Ole Opry in the summer f 1949 His singing style created an impressin f sincere emtinal expressin. Whether they were autbigraphic r nt, listeners perceived it as s in his music, which influenced subsequent cuntry perfrmers and writers Rhythm and Blues Bessie Smith 1923 Dwn Hearted Blues Rts f selling blues recrds Mre authentically blues-based than sme f the ther female blues singers f her day Used best jazz musicians f the day e.g. Luis Armstrng Rbert Jhnsn Rural blues music f rural blacks that migrated t urban centres; flexibility-culd easily add extra beats r measures Recrdings became enrmusly influential n rck guitarists in the 1960s Perfrmed sl and sang t accmpaniment f his wn acustic guitar playing (like Jimmie Rdgers) Big Je Turner Shake, Rattle, and Rll was a perfect example f the hkum blues Lyrics are bvius sexual innuends and reference t sexual themes Laid-back rhythmic feel Als recrded by Bill Haley and his Cmets (a band made up entirely f white musicians) Original sng by Big Je Turner wuld have been cnsidered bscene t white middle-class culture in the mid 1950s, s they replaced the lyrics
with mre whlesme images and changed the rhythm t a peppier happier feel by pushing the beat in a frantic manner 5. Distinguish aurally the musical elements f Tin Pan Alley, cuntry/western, and blues as they perate in a sng. Answer nly imprtant fr listening quizzes... Hence aurally distinguish. 6. Draw cnnectins between changes in the radi business and the develpment f previusly undergrund musical styles. Due t the emergence f televisin, reginal and lcal radi netwrks became the fcus, allwing fr the develpment f rhythm and blues and cuntry and western Anther undergrund style was bluegrass, which emerged frm cuntry and western Became ppular due t televisin shws and mvies Cuntry and western went frm reginal musical style t ne knwn at least t sme extent by mst Americans 7. Explain the effect that televisin had n the music industry. Radi begins t lse audience in late 1940s The netwrk radi natinal audience mved away frm radi and twards televisin In the 1940s and 50s mre Americans culd affrd TVs and sme f the mst ppular radi shws made a leap and became ppular TV shws As televisin grew in natinal prminence, radi returned t its lcal and reginal audiences BUT it pened up new kinds f pprtunities fr the develpment f cuntry and western and rhythm and blues (and thus rck and rll) A natinal audience was crucial fr the emergence f rck and rll i.e. Elvis s appearance n the Ed Sullivan Shw