Rock and Roll is Here to Stay:

1. Rock and Roll is Here to Stay: The Beatles

2. The Beatles - Influence • What makes the Beatles sound unique? • How did their sound change over time? • What influences can be heard in their music?

3. British rock and roll • Most English rock and roll stars manufactured idols • Teens (esp. guitarists) look to records of American blues, folk music • Sparks skiffle craze • Syncopated mixture of jazz, folk, and blues • Instrumentation cheap, easily accessible • Ex. Chas Mc Devitt, Freight Train

4. The Beatles - Influences • John Lennon (1940-1980) • Country blues • Trad (Dixieland) jazz • Rockabilly • Formed skiffle group, the Quarrymen, at age 17

5. The Beatles - Influences • Paul Mc Cartney (1942 - ) • English popular music • Dance hall music • Trad jazz • Rock and roll, rockabilly, R&B • From musical family

6. The Beatles - Influences • George Harrison (1943-2001) • Dance hall music • Jazz • American country music, esp. Jimmie Rodgers • Rock and roll, rockabilly • Also in skiffle group

7. The Beatles - Influences • Ringo Starr (1940 - ) • American country, esp. Gene Autry • Swing jazz • Skiffle • English popular music • blues

8. The Beatles – Style Periods • Early Career (1957-62) • “Beatlemania” (1962-64) • Dylan-inspired seriousness (1964-66) • Psychedelia (late 1966-1967) • Return to Roots (1968-1970)

9. Early Career • Gigs in Liverpool • House band at clubs in Hamburg, Germany • 6-7 hours a night, 6 nights a week • Learn to quickly absorb, adapt, and reproduce anything to fill time

10. Artists Covered by the Quarry Men and The Beatles before 1962 Artist or group # of songs on play lists *Elvis Presley 28 *Chuck Berry 14 *Buddy Holly 14 *Little Richard 14 Gene Vincent 13 Carl Perkins 12 Jerry Lee Lewis 10 Lonnie Donegan 8 Larry Williams 7 Fats Domino 6 Duane Eddy 6 The Coasters 5 *Eddie Cochran 5 The Everly Brothers 5 Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee 5 The Vipers Skiffle Group 5 Ray Charles 2 Les Paul and Mary Ford 2 Peggy Lee 2 Ricky Nelson 2 Big Joe Turner 2

11. “Beatlemania” -3 June 6 Audition for EMI; signed by producer George Martin Aug. 18 Ringo Starr replaces drummer Pete Best Oct. 5 Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You released in U.K. Dec. 18-31 Final Hamburg performances Jan 11 Please Please Me/Ask Me Why released in U.K. Late Feb. Please Please Me hits #1 on British charts Mar. 22 Please Please Me, first Beatles LP, released in U.K.; remains at #1 for 30 weeks Oct. 13 First outbreak of “Beatlemania” Nov. 4 Capitol Records signs The Beatles for release of recordings in U.S. Dec. 26 I Want to Hold YourHand/I Saw Her Standing There released in U.S.

12. “Beatlemania” • Height of fame in England, conquest of U.S. • Albums • Please, Please Me (1st) • With the Beatles • Hard Days’ Night • Beatles for Sale • Help! • Singles • Please, Please Me • I Wanna Hold Your Hand • Love Me Do • Can’t Buy Me Love • Hard Days’ Night • Eight Days a Week

13. Please, Please Me • Influences • Roy Orbison • Carl Perkins, Lend Me Your Comb (harmonies, shape) • Oblique melodic descent • Some complex harmonic turns • Forceful drumming

14. Please, Please Me • Favorite Beatle sound – guitar lines in octaves • Leads Harrison to adopt 12-string Rickenbacker • “Proto-punk” bass line

15. I Wanna Hold Your Hand • Rhythmic layers • Style beat • Backbeat • Variant of clave rhythm in claps • Common to early sound – no drummer until ’61

16. I Wanna Hold Your Hand • Verse/refrain form with “middle 8” • Vocal harmonies – Everly Brothers influence • Vocal style • Rising at end of verse into falsetto • Melismas • Hints of blues shouter voice • Note: no guitar solos

17. Early period and “Beatlemania” • Emulation of rockabilly, rock and roll, R&B idols • Many songs covers, or modeled after songs that formed early repertoire • 3 part vocal harmonies • Recordings basically “live” – little studio production • “Woo”, “Yeah”, other vocal embellishments • Largely romantic lyrics

18. Dylan-inspired seriousness (or Mature period) 1965-66 • Albums • Rubber Soul • Revolver • Singles • We Can Work It Out • Day Tripper • Paperback writer • Yellow Submarine • Eleanor Rigby

19. Mature period • Influence of Bob Dylan • Lyrics more personal, literary, some veiled political commentary • Drug-influenced songs, lyrics • Greater familiarity with American culture

20. Mature period – style characteristics • Expanded palate of tone colors • Sitar, orchestral instruments • Different guitars used for different effects • Willingness to depart from traditional rock ensemble • More complex harmonically

21. Mature period – style characteristics • Increased role of producer George Martin • Collaborative part of ensemble • Key in creating Beatles sound • Begins to exploit multi-track recording

22. Norwegian Wood • Slow waltz – 3 beats per measure • Pop vocal style • No influence of blues, gospel • Thin texture • Modal, not tonal, orientation • Different pattern of half and whole steps • Lacks harmonic direction, drive of blues

23. A Instrumental – guitar A Instrumental – sitar + guitar A I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me. A She showed me her room, isn't it good Norwegian wood? B She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere, B’ So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair. A I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine. A We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed". A Sitar + guitar A Sitar + guitar B She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh. B I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath. A And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown. A So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood. A Sitar + guitar

24. Psychedelic period • Huge cultural changes by 1965 • Civil Rights movement • Free speech movements • Early protests of Vietnam war • LSD beginning to filter through country • Creates new artistic and cultural movement

25. Psychedelia - Overview • Distortion of reality • New emphasis on imagination, creativity • Individual perception of rules, norms of society • Interest in new, non-Western viewpoints

26. Acid Rock • Modally-based harmonies = lack of harmonic drive • Drone: sustained note underneath entire texture • Often lacks definitive beat • Free-form, often obscure lyrics • Thick, dense textures

27. The Byrds – Eight Miles High • Intro • Thick, dense texture • Heavy reverb on all, especially guitar • Static quality • Riff-based • Droning, directionless guitar solos • Lyrics that might be about drugs

28. Psychedelia 1966-67 • Beatles no longer touring • Focus on recording • Influenced by Beach Boys, Pet Sounds • Result of Brian Wilson’s focus on song writing, producing • Theme album • Highly prpoduced • New sounds, non-traditional instruments

29. Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys Basic tempo: 152 beats/minute (fast) with 4 beats to the bar Slows considerably in D section, but returns to original tempo at end A I, I love the colorful clothes she wears Vocal (heavy echo) accomp. And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair by short organ chords, bass I hear the sound of a gentle word Drum, tambourine added On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air Four even drum shots lead into… B I'm pickin' up good vibrations Low voice + theremin She's giving me excitations I'm pickin' up good vibrations Backing vocals enter + tambourine (Oom bop bop good vibrations) She's giving me excitations Fast triplets in cellos (Oom bop bop excitations) Good good good good vibrations Second, higher layer of background (Oom bop bop) vocals added She's giving me excitations (Oom bop bop excitations) Good good good good vibrations (Oom bop bop) She's giving me excitations (Oom bop bop excitations)

30. A Close my eyes` As in first A She's somehow closer now Softly smile, I know she must be kind When I look in her eyes She goes with me to a blossom world B I'm pickin' up good vibrations As in first B She's giving me excitations I'm pickin' up good vibrations (Oom bop bop good vibrations)…… C Instrumental – 8 bars Barroom sounding piano (Ahhhhhhh) Alternates beats with bass (Ah my my what elation) Vocals on vowel sounds with heavy echo don't know where but she sends me there (Ah my my what a sensation) (Ah my my what elations) (Ah my my what)

31. D Sustained organ, maracas; slower tempo Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrationsA happenin' with herGotta keep those lovin' good vibrationsA happenin' with herGotta keep those lovin' good vibrationsA happenin‘ E Return to original tempo Ahhhhhhhh Begins with “Ahhhh” of C section, but Good good good good vibrations then same as 2nd part of B section(Oom bop bop)….. (Good good good good vibrations(Oom bop bop)She's na na . . .Na na na na na Bass, high vocals with heavy echo Na na na Joined by second melody, then third - Na na na na na polyphonic textureNa na naDo do do do doDo do doDo do do do doDo do do Heavy bass triplets and theremin to end

32. Beatles – Psychedelic period • Albums • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band • Magical Mystery Tour • Yellow Submarine (released 1969, but characteristic of earlier period) • Singles • All You Need Is Love • Hello/Goodbye • I Am The Walrus • Strawberry Fields Forever • Penny Lane

33. Characteristics of Beatles’ Psychedelic style • Experimentalism • Creating new sounds and effects • New styles, forms, methods of composition • Surrealistic/psychedelic lyrics, often from impersonal sources • Album takes precedence over singles • Singles viewed as separate entities • Abandonment of traditional roles in band

34. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “concept album” – songs arranged around central concept or story “Frame” created by song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band and reprise (melody, with different words, recurs) New idea of what album could be Highly produced Manipulation of sounds, tracks Lots of overdubbing Many songs acid rock

35. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds 2 measure intro – Lowrey organ A Picture yourself in a boat on a river Duple feel With tangerine trees and marlmalade skies. Drone-like bass Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly The girl with kaleidoscope eyes. B Cellophane flowers of yellow and green More active bass line, Towering over your head outlines triplets Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes Shuffle rhythm in cymbals And she’s gone. More echo on vocals

36. A Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers That grow so incredibly high. B Newspaper taxis appear on the shore Waiting to take you away. Climb in the back with your head in the clouds And you’re gone. Refrain Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (x3) Oooohhhh, oooooh. A Picture yourself on a train in a station With plasticine porters with looking glass ties. Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile The girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Lucy in the sky with diamonds (x3) Repeated until end

37. Return to Roots (1968-70) • Albums • The Beatles [aka The White Album] • Abbey Road • Let It Be • Singles • Revolution • Hey Jude • Get Back • Ballad of John and Yoko • Come Together • Lady Madonna • Something • The Long and Winding Road

38. Return to Roots • Decrease in experimental tendencies • Largely independent songwriting – little collaboration • Music in wide variety of styles • Reflect influences from past and present

39. White Album (1968) • Influences • Back in the U.S.S.R.? • Rocky Racoon? • Honey Pie? • Yer Blues? • Revolution 1? • Sexy Sadie?

40. White Album (1968) • Variety of influences Back in the U.S.S.R.? Chuck Berry, Beach Boys Rocky Racoon? Folk rock, country Honey Pie? English dance hall, pop Yer Blues? R&B Revolution 1? Rockabilly

41. Importance of Beatles • Expand possibilities of rock music • Unorthodox ensembles • Demonstrate what’s possible in studio • Begin shift of importance from single to album • Expand acceptable length of single • Expand harmonic, tone color choices