The Rock-‘n-Roll movement started in the early 1950s. It was a continuation of blues in both structure and rhythm, but also influenced by the improvisation of early jazz, and the emotional quality of the spirituals and Gospel. Crossroads in Music (p. 218) explain that two factors, “emotional vocal interpretation and a heavy emphasis on the beat—especially the backbeat,” were common to the different styles of rock music.
Two songs of note that set the stage for Rock-‘n-Roll music are the songs “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Rock Around the Clock.”
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” was first performed by Big Joe Turner; however, the version by Bill Haley and his Comets are probably best known. Notice how the song uses the typical twelve-bar blues structure, as well as the AAB-form for the lyrics. It is also thematically still just a blues song—a man complaining about his woman.
Like “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” the song “Rock Around the Clock” also has a twelve-bar blues structure. Listen to it below, also performed by Bill Haley and His Comets.
“Rock Around the Clock” came out in 1955 and is considered the official year that Rock-‘n-Roll began. It was also in this year that Elvis started to make a name for himself.
Showing posts with label Blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blues. Show all posts
Don't Miss Out
Since this course focuses not only on the music, but particularly also on the lyrics of songs, we often pass over many important artists that contributed to certain music genres – especially in the genres of blues, rhythm & blues, and jazz. Since many of these key musicians did not produce lyrics, we unfortunately have to skip them to stay focused on our aim in studying “Poetry in Music.” I would nevertheless advise you to look into some of the key contributors to modern music. One place to start would be in New Orleans.
A very important hub for modern music has always been New Orleans, especially with regard to blues and jazz. A good place to start to get better acquainted with the music that grew out of New Orleans would be David Shore’s five part radio program called “New Orleans – A History of Contemporary Music.”
For a taste of current bands in New Orleans you may want to consider visiting the New Orleans Website Directory.
A very important hub for modern music has always been New Orleans, especially with regard to blues and jazz. A good place to start to get better acquainted with the music that grew out of New Orleans would be David Shore’s five part radio program called “New Orleans – A History of Contemporary Music.”
For a taste of current bands in New Orleans you may want to consider visiting the New Orleans Website Directory.
From Blues to Rhythm & Blues
Rhythm & Blues is a term used for African American music that evolved out of Blues, Gospel, and Jazz (the latter we will discuss next week). It is often associated with Soul, Funk, and Disco – we will look at these three genres later in this course.
In his “A Brief Introduction to Rhythm ‘n’ Blues,” Piero Scaruffi writes:
The lyrics still has the repetitive style typical of blues, but the sound is perked up and the theme much more humorous. Another hit by Louis Jordan is “Choo choo ch’boogie.”
Listen to Ray Charles singing “Baby Please Don’t Go / I Got a Woman.” He begins by singing the old blues song “Baby Please Don’t Go,” but the rhythm suddenly shifts as he starts singing “I Got a Woman.” This is a nice example of traditional blues changing in mood and style to what would later be known as Rhythm & Blues.
Koko Taylor, known as the “Queen of Blues,” is another important crossover artist from blues to Rhythm & Blues. Listen to her sing “Wang Dang Doogle.” Listen to orchestration and try to hear how this song is different from the typical blues songs (like “I’m a Woman”) for which Koko Taylor is known for.
Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” is a good example of what Rhythm & Blues eventually became. When listening to this song, try to identify the elements from blues and from Gospel. Can you identify anything unique about this song that is neither blues nor Gospel?
From here on it is a small step to Contemporary R&B, which you are probably much more familiar with, and which we will cover towards the end of the semester.
In his “A Brief Introduction to Rhythm ‘n’ Blues,” Piero Scaruffi writes:
The blues was mutating according to the changing social and artistic landscape. The 32 beats of white pop music, the dramatic emphasis of gospel singers, the heavy rhythm of jump blues, the tight brassy riffs of swing orchestras, the witty attitude of minstrel shows, all had a role in making blues music more malleable and entertaining. Transplanted in the dancehalls, the juke joints and the vaudeville theaters, blues music became energetic and exuberant. Form (arrangement, rhythm and vocal style) began to prevail over content (message and emotion). While the lyrics were still repeating the traditional themes of segregation, the music was largely abandoning its original traits.A prominent feature of Rhythm & Blues is its emphasis on beat, especially the backbeat or shuffle beat. We’ve already heard some songs that started to move away from traditional blues to a greater focus on dance rhythms. One example of this crossover style is Louis Jordan and his band. Below you will hear “Five Guys Named Moe,” by Louis Jordan.
The lyrics still has the repetitive style typical of blues, but the sound is perked up and the theme much more humorous. Another hit by Louis Jordan is “Choo choo ch’boogie.”
Listen to Ray Charles singing “Baby Please Don’t Go / I Got a Woman.” He begins by singing the old blues song “Baby Please Don’t Go,” but the rhythm suddenly shifts as he starts singing “I Got a Woman.” This is a nice example of traditional blues changing in mood and style to what would later be known as Rhythm & Blues.
Koko Taylor, known as the “Queen of Blues,” is another important crossover artist from blues to Rhythm & Blues. Listen to her sing “Wang Dang Doogle.” Listen to orchestration and try to hear how this song is different from the typical blues songs (like “I’m a Woman”) for which Koko Taylor is known for.
Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” is a good example of what Rhythm & Blues eventually became. When listening to this song, try to identify the elements from blues and from Gospel. Can you identify anything unique about this song that is neither blues nor Gospel?
From here on it is a small step to Contemporary R&B, which you are probably much more familiar with, and which we will cover towards the end of the semester.
Blues: Percy Mayfield
Percy Mayfield made some important contributions to modern music, and is sometimes referred to as “Poet of the Blues.” Three songs that made lasting impressions are “Life is Suicide,” “Please Send Me Someone to Love,” and “Hit the Road Jack.”
When listening to these early songs of Mayfield, notice how he is moving away from the traditional Blues form. Mayfield is a significant early crossover artist towards Rhythm & Blues and Jazz.
Listen to his “Life is Suicide.” Something to listen to is the brass instruments playing a counter-melody to the vocalist’s main melody. Also note the lyrics that do not follow the traditional AAB-form, but is definitely blues in theme and tone.
The original “Please Send Me Someone to Love” can be listened to here. Listen to Sade’s version below in the YouTube-video. What you’ll notice is that the song has a strong Rhythm & Blues, or Soul feel to it. Although Percy Mayfield is known as the “Poet of the Blues,” his songs are often categorized under Rhythm & Blues.
Likely the most recognizable song by Percy Mayfield is “Hit the Road Jack.” Listen to it below, as performed by Ray Charles and his backing vocalists. A prominent feature of this song is the base contour (left hand on the piano) – a continual loop (i.e. repetition) of four notes in descending steps, giving the main four-beat pattern of this song. Also note the syncopated beat in-between these four main beats.
When listening to these early songs of Mayfield, notice how he is moving away from the traditional Blues form. Mayfield is a significant early crossover artist towards Rhythm & Blues and Jazz.
Listen to his “Life is Suicide.” Something to listen to is the brass instruments playing a counter-melody to the vocalist’s main melody. Also note the lyrics that do not follow the traditional AAB-form, but is definitely blues in theme and tone.
The original “Please Send Me Someone to Love” can be listened to here. Listen to Sade’s version below in the YouTube-video. What you’ll notice is that the song has a strong Rhythm & Blues, or Soul feel to it. Although Percy Mayfield is known as the “Poet of the Blues,” his songs are often categorized under Rhythm & Blues.
Likely the most recognizable song by Percy Mayfield is “Hit the Road Jack.” Listen to it below, as performed by Ray Charles and his backing vocalists. A prominent feature of this song is the base contour (left hand on the piano) – a continual loop (i.e. repetition) of four notes in descending steps, giving the main four-beat pattern of this song. Also note the syncopated beat in-between these four main beats.
Blues: Robert Johnson
A notorious figure in the history of blues is Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for great music talent.
The story goes that Johnson went to the crossroad at the Dockery Plantation between Ruleville and Cleveland, Mississippi. There he met with the Devil who tuned Johnson’s guitar so that he could play any song he wanted.
Below are some songs by Johnson that may have contributed to this legend. First up is the song “Crossroad Blues” performed here by Eric Clapton. Listen specifically to the orchestration for this rendition of the song.
Notice the different interludes between the verses; for instance the harmonica interlude, and the lead electrical guitar interlude. These interludes do not play the main melody; instead, they play improvisations based on the basic blues rhythm that is set by the other instruments (e.g. percussion).
A second song that may have contributed to Robert Johnson’s Faustian legend is “Me and the Devil Blues” played here by the man himself. Something to listen for is how the guitar plays short accentuated segments after the vocals, almost like a type of caller-response pattern that we heard before in the spirituals and Gospel.
Another song that may have leaded to the legend is “Hellhound on My Trail.” You can listen to it performed in the excerpt from the documentary “Hellhounds on my Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson” in the YouTube-video below. The artist is the late Christ Whitley. Something to listen for is how Chris Whitley uses dissonance in his guitar playing; this may be a way of expressing the evil “hellhounds,” or demons, that are distressing the speaker in the lyrics.
Robert Johnson is one of the greatest influences on modern music and is considered a blues genius. When he died, he was only 27 years old. So what do you think? Did Robert Johnson die so young because he sold his soul to the Devil?
To read more on Robert Johnson, you can visit these websites.
Blues: Lead Belly
Lead Belly began singing “blues” even before the blues existed. What he really sang was the folksongs of the slaves. These folksongs differed from spirituals in that their themes were secular, not religious. One such a song is “Pick a Pale of Cotton.” Although the lyrics include “God”, the song’s topic is about an everyday activity, i.e. picking cotton.
How would you describe the rhythmic density of "Pick a Pale of Cotton"?
Another famous song of Lead Belly is “My Girl Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. It became especially famous after the grunge-rock band Nirvana covered it. Look at the lyrics of this song and identify its structure.
Lead Belly is also known for singing “House of the Rising Sun, which is another song that is very famous and covered by numerous artists. The Animals recorded it in 1964, and hit number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.
However, it is probably Bob Dylan’s version that is most recognizable:
Carefully read the lyrics of this song and answer the "Becoming Familiar with a Song" questions. Why do you think is this song so timeless?
"The House of the Rising Sun" was also covered by an array of different artists singing in different genres, such as Sinead O’Connor, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Cat Power, Dolly Parton, The Doors, Tori Amos, Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, and Muse just to name a few!
Assignment: In a paragraph say which version of “House of the Rising Sun” is your favourite, and explain why? Use the terminology you have learned so far to substantiate your answer.
Apart from capturing these timeless folksongs, Lead Belly is also the first person to carry over the Boogie Woogie bass line from piano to guitar. You can read more about this at BoogieWoogie.Com.
How would you describe the rhythmic density of "Pick a Pale of Cotton"?
Another famous song of Lead Belly is “My Girl Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. It became especially famous after the grunge-rock band Nirvana covered it. Look at the lyrics of this song and identify its structure.
Lead Belly is also known for singing “House of the Rising Sun, which is another song that is very famous and covered by numerous artists. The Animals recorded it in 1964, and hit number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.
However, it is probably Bob Dylan’s version that is most recognizable:
Carefully read the lyrics of this song and answer the "Becoming Familiar with a Song" questions. Why do you think is this song so timeless?
"The House of the Rising Sun" was also covered by an array of different artists singing in different genres, such as Sinead O’Connor, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Cat Power, Dolly Parton, The Doors, Tori Amos, Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, and Muse just to name a few!
Assignment: In a paragraph say which version of “House of the Rising Sun” is your favourite, and explain why? Use the terminology you have learned so far to substantiate your answer.
Apart from capturing these timeless folksongs, Lead Belly is also the first person to carry over the Boogie Woogie bass line from piano to guitar. You can read more about this at BoogieWoogie.Com.
Blues
Before the emancipation the slaves sang the spirituals – they sang about a better life, literally once they are freed from slavery, and figuratively, once they are freed from sin in this world and enjoy the blessings in Heaven. After their emancipation many African-Americans found that their literal freedom did not necessarily bring a better life as they were still poor and discrimination was still felt. This disillusionment made them sing about their sorrows. The jubilantly happy Gospel songs were an opposite reaction to these "sorrow songs."
“After the Civil War, African-American performers began to improvise a new type of song sometimes referred to as the “sorrow song,” lamenting their many difficulties in a world still unfriendly in spite of emancipation. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century the sorrow song acquired a relatively standardized structure and another name: the “blues”” (Crossroads in Music, p. 107).
First the Spirituals, then the Blues
Blues developed out of spirituals, but with a slight change in emphasis: “blues tend to express individual, worldly feelings while spirituals express the religious feelings of a group,” also the “…spirituals are unaccompanied while blues are accompanied” (Crossroads in Music, p. 108).
Listen to Sleepy John Estes perform the old spiritual “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Mood
“The prevailing mood [in blues] is one of sadness or depression, perhaps because of disappointment in love, loneliness, or longing for distant locations. The vocal style strives less for beauty of tone or precise intonation that for expressive communication of sentiments that are not serene or soothing” (Crossroads in Music, p. 109).
Listen to Bessie Smith singing “Nobody Knows When You Are Down and Out.” The theme of this song is clearly that of sadness, depression, and loneliness.
Blues Structure
Bessie Smith is known as the “Empress of Blues.” Listen to her perform “Mean Old Bed Bug Blues”.
Below are the first three verses of the song. Notice how the first two lines in each verse is the same, but the third line is different. This is called the traditional blues form/structure, or the AAB-form.
The blues is also known for its twelve measure structure, where each measure has four beats. Listen to the song above again – as soon as Bessie Smith starts singing start to tap the beat, every four beats equals one measure. What do you notice?
Twelve Bar
Each verse contains this twelve measure structure. It is also known as the blues “twelve bar.” The twelve bar is the basic form in blues and is repeated many times in a song. Often the vocals would sing the first two beats of the measure, and there would be some kind of improvised instrumental fill for the second two beats of the measure. This mimics the call-response method derived from African music, which was incorporated into spirituals and also used in Gospel music.
Boogie Woogie
"Boogie woogie is a solo piano style that often uses the twelve-measure blues structure. Its most characterisitc feature is a powerful, repeated eight-note pattern (four beats per measure, subdivided into two notes on each beat) played by the left hand" (Crossroads in Music. p. 212).
Above you can see a typical boogie-woogie base line progression ("riff") which is played by the left hand on the piano. You can listen to an audio clip of it here.
"Above this pattern, the right hand is free to interpret the melody or to improvise. The contrast between the two hands is so stirking that it can give the impression of two players" (Crossroads in Music. p. 212).
Although the boogie woogie is related to blues music, it is not sorrowful at all; rather it is cheerful dance music. Listen to Johan Blohm from The Refreshments play a boogie-woogie riff.
Meade Lux Lewis was probably one of the most prominent boogie woogie performers. Listen to him play the boogie woogie in the YouTube-video below.
In the YouTube-video below you can listen to an example of blues and the boogie woogie used together -- Big Joe Turner singing "Role 'Em Pete":
Notice how the boogie woogie is used as a strong intro from where the blues song (lyrics) builds with the clear AAB-structure. After the first three verses there is boogie woogie piano solo (accompanied with percussion). Later a saxophone joins the instrumental interlude.
Syncopated Rhythms
Another feature of blues is that it incorporated a syncopated rhythm, with focus on the "off" beat. In other words, in a 4/4 rhythm, the second and fouth beat is accentuated. This back beat pattern became a common feature rhythm & blues, jass, Rock 'n Roll, and other modern music.
Blues artist also sometimes use a "shuffle beat", which is a syncopated beat slightly before the regular bear. For instance, when you tap a 4-rhythm beat, ad a quick beat just before the regular rhythm -- The shuffle beat can be thought of as the "and"in "and one, and two, and three, and four".
“After the Civil War, African-American performers began to improvise a new type of song sometimes referred to as the “sorrow song,” lamenting their many difficulties in a world still unfriendly in spite of emancipation. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century the sorrow song acquired a relatively standardized structure and another name: the “blues”” (Crossroads in Music, p. 107).
First the Spirituals, then the Blues
Blues developed out of spirituals, but with a slight change in emphasis: “blues tend to express individual, worldly feelings while spirituals express the religious feelings of a group,” also the “…spirituals are unaccompanied while blues are accompanied” (Crossroads in Music, p. 108).
Listen to Sleepy John Estes perform the old spiritual “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Mood
“The prevailing mood [in blues] is one of sadness or depression, perhaps because of disappointment in love, loneliness, or longing for distant locations. The vocal style strives less for beauty of tone or precise intonation that for expressive communication of sentiments that are not serene or soothing” (Crossroads in Music, p. 109).
Listen to Bessie Smith singing “Nobody Knows When You Are Down and Out.” The theme of this song is clearly that of sadness, depression, and loneliness.
Blues Structure
Bessie Smith is known as the “Empress of Blues.” Listen to her perform “Mean Old Bed Bug Blues”.
Below are the first three verses of the song. Notice how the first two lines in each verse is the same, but the third line is different. This is called the traditional blues form/structure, or the AAB-form.
“Mean Old Bed Bug Blues”
Yeah, bed bugs sure is evil, they don't mean me no good
Yeah, bed bug sure is evil, they don't mean me no good
Thinks he's a woodpecker an’ I'm a chunk of wood
When I lay down at night, I wonder how can a poor gal sleep
When I lay down at night, I wonder how can a poor gal sleep
When some is holdin’ my hand, others eatin’ my feet
Bed bug as big as a jackass, will bite you and stand an’ grin
Bed bug as big as a jackass, will bite you and stand an’ grin
Will drink all the bed bug for them turn around and bite you again
The blues is also known for its twelve measure structure, where each measure has four beats. Listen to the song above again – as soon as Bessie Smith starts singing start to tap the beat, every four beats equals one measure. What do you notice?
Twelve Bar
Each verse contains this twelve measure structure. It is also known as the blues “twelve bar.” The twelve bar is the basic form in blues and is repeated many times in a song. Often the vocals would sing the first two beats of the measure, and there would be some kind of improvised instrumental fill for the second two beats of the measure. This mimics the call-response method derived from African music, which was incorporated into spirituals and also used in Gospel music.
Boogie Woogie
"Boogie woogie is a solo piano style that often uses the twelve-measure blues structure. Its most characterisitc feature is a powerful, repeated eight-note pattern (four beats per measure, subdivided into two notes on each beat) played by the left hand" (Crossroads in Music. p. 212).
Above you can see a typical boogie-woogie base line progression ("riff") which is played by the left hand on the piano. You can listen to an audio clip of it here."Above this pattern, the right hand is free to interpret the melody or to improvise. The contrast between the two hands is so stirking that it can give the impression of two players" (Crossroads in Music. p. 212).
Although the boogie woogie is related to blues music, it is not sorrowful at all; rather it is cheerful dance music. Listen to Johan Blohm from The Refreshments play a boogie-woogie riff.
Meade Lux Lewis was probably one of the most prominent boogie woogie performers. Listen to him play the boogie woogie in the YouTube-video below.
In the YouTube-video below you can listen to an example of blues and the boogie woogie used together -- Big Joe Turner singing "Role 'Em Pete":
Notice how the boogie woogie is used as a strong intro from where the blues song (lyrics) builds with the clear AAB-structure. After the first three verses there is boogie woogie piano solo (accompanied with percussion). Later a saxophone joins the instrumental interlude.
Syncopated Rhythms
Another feature of blues is that it incorporated a syncopated rhythm, with focus on the "off" beat. In other words, in a 4/4 rhythm, the second and fouth beat is accentuated. This back beat pattern became a common feature rhythm & blues, jass, Rock 'n Roll, and other modern music.
Blues artist also sometimes use a "shuffle beat", which is a syncopated beat slightly before the regular bear. For instance, when you tap a 4-rhythm beat, ad a quick beat just before the regular rhythm -- The shuffle beat can be thought of as the "and"in "and one, and two, and three, and four".
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