Lecture 10 - May 25.doc

May 25 Lecture Notes Scantron marks (hoping to send out tmrw evening) will be out of 20 (I think) Rock and Roll (1954-1958) • First time see music that is target-marketed to youth (by university, you were already an adult) o Context for the growth of this music was within the high schools Major record Companies Prior to 1954, they controlled all the music Independent Record Labels There were over 800, but we are only looking at SUN Atlantic Vee Jay Chess 1. Small Staff • Often run by family – ma and pop type operation 2. Regional Distribution (10-20,000 sales) • Local and regional distribution – those who control distribution control the market • Didn’t have the clout to sell their music nationally/internationally • Usually started operating in the locations where the musicians were, so were usually in the ghetto areas of the major cities • Sold 20 000 records, had a hit o Much smaller type of business 3. Hand-To-Mouth Financing • Money in, money out, skim from top 4. Problems: (a) Did not own pressing plants • Had tape records and studios • The major records weren’t too happy about all the indepdents, but pressed them anyway] • Always used the crappy facilities for the independents o A lot of background noise, very scratchy (b) cash flow (c) payola (cost of doing business) • Way of getting music into the right hands • Want to get music onto the radios (there were dozens of independent radios) • The indie DJs were the bottom of the barrel pay-wise ($20 to $100/week) • Would have to bribe DJs to play records (they were handed HUNDREDS of records every week) o Average fee would be $25-$50/week o Depending on DJ and radio station, it would go up • If couldn’t afford bribery, would have to put DJ under the composer’s royalities (d) payment from distributors (30-60 days) inferior equipment • Gave records on spec, hoping they would sell • The owner had 30-60 days to pay up after they sold (e) bootlegging 1 May 25 Lecture Notes • If someone on the east or west coast re-recorded their music and re-labelled it, there was nothing you could do (f) (un)successful artist • If you are too successful, the small indie labels couldn’t keep up with demand • Some would have to sell contracts for major artists past a certain point (e.g. Small indie label sold Elvis’s contract to RCA because they couldn’t keep up with the demand for his records) 342 TOP-10 HITS issues by the whole record industry (majors and indies) 147 of these hits were Rock & Roll 101 were released by Independent Releases (1/3 of the top 10 hits) Majors were NOT happy about this 1957, Chicago survey in a high school Surveyed 8000 kids, 4000 females, 4000 males Asked: what is your favourite music? Only 55% said rock and roll 24% of the 55% said Elvis Presley was their favourite artist 44% said Pat Boone (anti-thesis of Elvis) Mid-1950s Rock and Roll Styles • Cover versions (Crew Cuts: Sh-Boom) • Vocal Group (Chords: Sh-Boom)  Gospel/Blues-Based • Rockabilly  Acoustin and Electric Guitar/Slap Bass  Memphis (Elvis: Blue Moon of Kentucky) Considered to be considered the first rock and roll hit: "Sh' Boom" The Chords (Cat label, 1954: 3/1 Pop) (young black male vocal quartet) – starts off as R&B then crosses over, lasts for a week, then disappeared – what happened to it? – see below) Life could be a dream, life could be a dream Doo doo doo doo sh' boom Life could be a dream sh' boom if I could take up In paradise up above If you would tell me I'm the only would that you love Life could be a dream sweet heart Hello, hello, hello again, sh' boom and I hope we meet again Boom-a-boom, a laudy ding dong, a-leng-a-leng-a-leng A whoa whoa whoa dip, a bibba-dooba-dip Oh life could dream If only my precious plans would come true If would let me spend my whole life lovin' you Life could be a dream sweet heart 2 May 25 Lecture Notes Every time I look at you something Is on my mind If you do what I want you to Baby we'd be so fine Life could be a dream sh' boom If I could take up in paradise above sh' boom Tell me darling that I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream sweet heart Hello, hello, hello again, sh' boom and I hope we meet again Vocable verse Sax solo Vocable verse Poor sound quality (clearly from an indie label) The “sh’boom” was a metaphor for sex – the sax solo is the ‘release’ A major record company: we’ll take the song (since the kids signed it away for a lump sum up front) and then bring down the Crewcuts (from Ottawa – all white kids) – goes to #1 for 30 weeks; the dreams of those kids from the ghetto gets wiped out "Sh' Boom" The Crewcuts (Mercury, 1954: 1/30 Pop) A laudy ding dong, a-leng-aleng-a-leng Boom bah-oh, ba-doo-ba-doo-ba-day Oh life could be a dream If I could take up In paradise up above If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream sweet heart Hello, hello, hello again sh' boom And I hope we'll meet again Oh life could be a dream If only all my Precious plans would come true If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you Life could be a dream sweet heart Now every time I look at you Something is on my mind -- da da da da da dah ... If you do what I want you to Baby we'd be so fine Verse I Sh' boom Sh' boom, ya-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da Sh' boom (x6) Bridge Verse 1 3 May 25 Lecture Notes Vocable Intro + Verse 2 Much better sound quality and recording studio More separated vocal section Raised pitch, different key (doesn’t sound threatening AT ALL!) – for the parents The Chords Intro A Voc A B C Voc A Sax Voc A Tag 4 8 4 8 8 8 4 4 16 4 4 The Crewcuts Intro A A B A C B A Voc Int A Tag 4 8 8 8 8 16 8 8 4 12 4 1950s COVER VERSIONS Often covered in the same year as the original SONG ORIGINAL ARTIST COVER ARTIST 1954 Earth Angel Penguines (Dootone) The Crew Cuts (Mercury) Goodnight, Well It’s Spaniels (Vee Jay) McGuire Sisters Time to Go (Coral) Hearts of Stone The Charms (De Luxe) Fontane Sisters (Dot) Shake, Rattle and Roll Joe Turner (Atlantic) Bill Haley and the Comets (Decca) Sh-Boom The Chords (Cat) The Crew Cuts (Mercury Sincerely Moonglows (Chess) McGuire Sisters