1 / 17

Black music of the ‘60s, part 1:

Motown. Black music of the ‘60s, part 1:. Black music in the ‘60s. After first crossover artists, black rock follows different paths Doo-wop influenced pop-rock style of Brill Building Closer affiliation to R&B R&B charts discontinued in 1963 Black music of period called soul.

shika
Download Presentation

Black music of the ‘60s, part 1:

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Motown Black music of the ‘60s, part 1:

  2. Black music in the ‘60s • After first crossover artists, black rock follows different paths • Doo-wop influenced pop-rock style of Brill Building • Closer affiliation to R&B • R&B charts discontinued in 1963 • Black music of period called soul

  3. What is Soul? • Examples: • Edwin Starr, War • The Shangri-Las, Remember • The Supremes, Stop (in the name of Love) • Sam Cooke, You Send Me

  4. What Is Soul? • Umbrella term for a number of different styles • R&B + pop rock = Motown (Detroit) • Gospel + R&B/rock + pop = Stax (Memphis) • R&B + jump blues + gospel = Chicago, Philadelphia sound

  5. Berry Gordy • Owned jazz record store • Starts own record company - Tamla Records - in 1959 • 1960 changes name to Motown • aka “Hitsville, U.S.A.” • Aim: produce black music accessible to mainstream pop audience

  6. Berry Gordy • Hands-on producer, manager • Relies on other producers as well • Smokey Robinson • Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH) • Produced 28 hits for label • 17 straight hits for The Supremes • Control of image, behavior of acts

  7. The Motown “Process” • Songs written by professional songwriters • Recorded by several Motown artists with different arrangements, producers • Funk Brothers – Motown house band • Gordy chooses version to be released

  8. The Motown Sound • aka “The Sound of Young America” • thick, “wall-of-sound” textures • 8-beat rock style beat • AABA, pop forms • Frequent appearance of hook - “in the first groove”

  9. The Motown Sound • End-weighted • Tag line provides ending • Simple, appealing, non-challenging lyrics • Ex. The Temptations – My Girl

  10. My Girl • Intro establishes rhythmic foundation • 2 bar bass riff starts on “and” of 4 • Guitar riff reinforces rock style beat 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + x x x x x x • snaps on backbeat • Lightly syncopated vocals

  11. My Girl • Verse chorus form • Transition: I'd guess you'd say • Leads to chorus = hook • End weighted • Melodic saturation

  12. Marvin Gaye • Hired by Motown as drummer • Then singer and arranger • Becomes biggest star of Motown label • Songs in the Motown style, but sound somewhat different

  13. Marvin Gaye - What’s Goin’ On (1971) • Ground breaking song/LP • Commentary on racism, Vietnam war • New for Motown • Sixteen-beat style beat • Rock style beat with beats subdivided again • Even more possibilities for syncopation, rhythmic variety

  14. Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell - Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing, Baby 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 I’ve got your pic-ture han-gin’ on my wallO X X X X X X X X X X 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1e + a 2 I’ve got your pic- ture han-gin’ on my wallOO X OX OX O XO XO O O X X X OXO X

  15. Marvin Gaye - What’s Goin’ On • Sixteen-beat rhythmic foundation • Clear jazz influences in sax solos, relaxed syncopation • Still has “Motown sound” - thick textures • But very topical, political lyrics

  16. Other Important Motown Artists • Smokey Robinson (VP of Motown) and the Miracles • You Really Got A Hold On Me; Baby, Baby • Four Tops • I Can’t Help Myself • Martha and the Vandellas • Heat Wave, Dancin’ In The Streets • Jackson Five • Stevie Wonder

More Related