In the 1950s America was introduced to the new musical concept of rock ‘n’ roll, along with this came many changes in society and introduced African Americans into a previously all-white music industry. During this time, young American teenagers rebeled their parents and grandparent’s thoughts of morality by listening and enjoying this new genre. Due to the introduction of race equality in the in industry, elder’s around the country believed rock ‘n’ roll to be “corroding society’s morals”, and the young susceptible minds of America’s youth. As a result of this, payolas became more prominent than ever. With the major record labels need to control who was being heard, it became very hard for African American musicians to get radio time.

Payola, a catchy word made up of a hyper-literal contraction of “pay and “Victrola” was however around long before the 50’s. The concept of being an accepted open-secret in American pop culture since the early 1900’s back when silent movies were all the rage. Only decades later in the 1950s became scandalous. As labels and distributors became obsessed with having their music on the Billboards and controlling who was on the hits, disk jockeys becoming all the more susceptible to lining their pockets with as much money as they possibly could. With the Jockeys susceptibility to bribes and the labels continuous need to put their artists on the Billboard, the payola concept gained a tight and strong grip on the music industry. As disk jockeys became aware of the rise in their status, most began to establish a flat rate for deals with record distributors and labels. While the jocks who were more influential were able to command large percentages of grosses, concerts, luxurious trips, free records and other swag. While the growth of influence that payolas had escalated, Billboard and Variety created long features asking for government intervention and reform and stop the corruption in their industry. Many jockeys however, did not believe in accepting bribes or playing white covers of African American songs. Some famous jockeys such as Alan Freed, Dick Clark and Lester Bangs rejected these payolas and refused to accept white cover songs from the major labels.

In 1958, the government decided to get involved in attempting to control the scandals after American most famous TV show Twenty One was also found to be fixed. Being threatened with the loss of their licenses, many radio stations began to take precautions and firing disc jockeys who could potentially put them at risk. This resulted in 335 disc jockeys admitting to receiving over 200 thousand dollars in “consulting fees” in front of the U.S House Oversight Committee in November 1959. Prior to this hearing Phil Lind (jockey) had confessed receiving 22 thousand dollars for a single record. With the help of these claims, the government was given valid grounds to forcibly remove the payolas strangling grip over the radio industry. During this time, President Eisenhower stood up and called payolas an “issue of public morality” and proposed “a new law, making involvement in Payola a criminal act”. As the government continued to investigate, they found more jocks that were willing to come forward and expose various record companies. This includes jockey Wesley Hopkins and Stan Richards who received thousands but claimed it had no effects on their choice of records. Many jockeys attempted to liken payola, but after President Eisenhower’s comment on the corruption that it has brought and the betrayal of public trust.

As this trial began, two of the most influential disc jockeys in America were brought to stand in front of the Committee. Alan Freed taking the fall for DJs everywhere in America. It is believed that Freed was being singled out for his abrasiveness and consorting with African American musicians. At the end of his trial, Freed’s friends in the industry had deserted him, and he received a penalty of fines and a suspended jail sentence of five years. While Clark was seen as a nice guy, used his persona to his advantage wisely riding himself of any incriminating connections before his trial. Receiving a small slap on the wrist from the Committee chairman and quoting years later that the most important thing he had learned from his trial was: “Protect your ass at all times”. Since then payola or “under-the-table payments” have subsequently become a misdemeanour, with the penalty being fines of up to 10 thousand dollars and one year in prison, unless of course it is disclosed.

Since then, a more sophisticated version of payolas has been created and exists to this day, everywhere you hear a song being played or “overplayed” is a radio station that has been paid in some manner or fashion through an unconventional form of payola. Today, major labels have created a “loophole” involving independent promoters that are more commonly known as “indies”. These indies are promised large sums of money in return for promoting records, songs, and artists to radio stations by offering them large “promotional payments”. Each time the radio station plays the song that the labels have requested, the indie gets paid and so does the station. Somehow, since the payment comes from the promoter (the indie) it renders the act still immoral, but now legal.

In my personal opinion payolas have and will continue to harm the music industry. Its negative effect on small labels and artists is continuous and inhibits them from being successful. In a market without payolas and loopholes, all talented musicians would be given a fair chance to show their talent, flourish and reach a broader market, ultimately gaining success.

Bibliography

http://performingsongwriter.com/alan-freed-payola-scandal/

https://noisey.vice.com/da/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola

https://djbooth.net/features/2018-03-28-sonny-digital-payola-comments

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-payola-scandal-heats-up

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmessitte/2014/11/30/how-payola-laws-keep-independent-artists-off-mainstream-radio/&refURL=&referrer=

All great musicians are influenced by those that come before them. As music evolves, artists continually take pieces from different musicians, their style, form, presence, to create their own identity. No one has been more inspiring and influential in the history of music than Elvis Presley. American born in 1935, Elvis Presley grew up in Mississippi and began performing music when he was only 11 years old.(1) There were many genres of music that inspired him but  gospel, country and the blues were instrumental in creating his unique rockabilly sound.(1) He began recording music in 1953 with Sun Records and hit mainstream when he performed on air for RCA in Nashville in 1956.(1) His resulting career lead to more than 149 Billboard Top 100 Hits and one billion plus songs having been sold.

Not only did Elvis’ music influence people, but his visual influence is evident in the many artists that were inspired by his style, rebellious nature and on stage demeanor. His ability to command the stage with new and innovative costumes, moves and his performance of this new rock and roll music were major contributors to performance artists inside the music industry. His sexually explicit onstage moves were very liberal for the time. This lead to criticism from older generations but those in the younger generation fell in love with his seductive, raunchy performance style. They admired the risks he took and recognized that a new genre, rock and roll, was taking the world by storm. No one in the entertainment industry at that time had the same effect on their audience as Elvis did. (3) As a result, his confident, rebellious style influenced countless artists and perhaps none more so than the great Bob Dylan who idolized Elvis.

Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Minnesota during 1941.(4) He began recording and producing his first self titled album in 1962. Dylan had a breakthrough with the release of The FreeWheelin’  Bob Dylan which was heavily comprised of folk songs. He began touring and by 1964 was playing at 200 concerts annually.(4) His style continued to evolve and change over the next thirty years but none of this would have been possible without the influence of Elvis.  

Elvis’ style was admired by the young Dylan who felt liberated through Elvis’s music and his ability to move the audience. It allowed him to break free and create his own sound. He believed he no longer had to be confined to certain musical restrictions or what was acceptable at the time. Dylan’s musical style did not necessarily emulate Elvis, who was not known for writing his own music or lyrics,  but Dylan clearly appreciated the influence Elvis had in presenting his music to a vast audience in a confident and unapologetic way. (8)

Dylan would never become a stage performer like Elvis but clearly Elvis’ music and  style lead Dylan to create the music and lyrics he has become so well known for over the last fifty years. Dylan has a unique ability to combine meaningful lyrics without being overshadowed by the music.(8) His controversial and provocative lyrics would influence not only his generation but those that would follow. He created new  possibilities for artists by focusing on the importance of not only how music was being played but what was being said and how it made people feel. His quiet confidence encouraged others to take risks not only with their music but with the meaning of their music. This is evident in the music of Common.

Rapper Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.  or Common was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1972.(5) His first group, C.D.R, a trio that performed rap music, found early success opening for Big Daddy Kane and N.W.A.(6) As he began to gain popularity, he released an album under the name Common Sense. His first massive album,  Resurrection, produced by No I.D., received significant positive feedback from both underground and alternative hip hop fans alike.(6) Common is a rapper known for commenting in his lyrics on a wide variety of controversial topics, such as the process for creating music, street life, and competition in the music industry. These real world topics discussed in his music allowed Common to become more than just a rapper, he evolved into a brand.(6) His massive success in the music industry lead him to write children’s books, become involved in fashion and design, and start his own charity. He used his fame and success as a platform for commitment to social change and bettering the world around him. Like Bob Dylan, who created music that expressed his innermost thoughts and feelings, Common used rap as a way to spread his thoughts and feelings to the greater population.

Common played a huge role in influencing the biggest modern day rap artist and producer, Kanye West. Also born in Chicago around the same time as Common, 1977, Kanye hit mainstream music with the release of The College Dropout.(7) Released in 2004, it was extremely successful and resulted in the creation of GOOD music, his own record label.(7)  Kanye went on to release a few more albums that had massive commercial success. Kanye is infamous not only for his contributions to music and music production, but his influence over fashion, his political views and his divisive personality. Young people love him but older generations aren’t sure what to make of him, just like Elvis. He has worked with Nike, Louis Vuitton and Adidas designing clothing.(7) This commercial success in not only in music ,but also the fashion industry allowed Kanye to become a brand, much like Common who mentored and assisted Kanye. 

Artists often depend on those who came before them not only for encouraging and influencing their unique sound, but helping to uncover the personal ‘brand’ every musician hopes to develop. What these four artists seem to have in common is their way of presenting their true selves. They create music meaningful to them and to their audience but most of all they are prepared to make the music that they want to make and say the words they want to say. They all have ways of igniting controversy. They challenged the common perceptions of their time with their behavior, lyrics and music. They wanted to give their fans and the people of their time music that was relevant, meaningful and something they could relate to. These four artists may not visually appear the same on stage but their common goal was to present music that mattered to people, that made people think and they were, or are, prepared to challenge the norms of their generation.

Bibliography:
1 “Elvis Presley.” Biography.com. June 20, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466.

2 “Elvis Presley Fast Facts.” CNN. May 13, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/elvis-presley-fast-facts/index.html.

3 The Elvisualization. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisualization.html.

4 “Bob Dylan.” Biography.com. April 16, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/bob-dylan-9283052.

5“Common.” Biography.com. May 31, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/common.

6 “Common.” “Common.” Gale Library of Daily Life: Slavery in America. 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/common.

7 “Kanye West.” Biography.com. June 13, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/kanye-west-362922.

8 Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.

Photo Links

https://www.google.ca/search?q=elvis+presley+facts&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiP3eXouqrcAhWHCDQIHQVvBycQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=MPhUFQ9eAbBrAM:

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&biw=1368&bih=807&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=TSVQW7zeNcuy0PEPn5-quAY&q=elvis+presley+daning&oq=elvis+presley+daning&gs_l=img.3…23541.25491.0.25628.11.11.0.0.0.0.102.874.9j2.11.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.8.617…0j0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1j35i39k1j0i67k1j0i5i30k1.0.77Tcze0WuKQ#imgrc=UWJ4cR-hiOO_UM:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bob+dylan&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2lJiAu6rcAhW0MX0KHZMRBeoQ_AUICygC&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=ej4Bcya18vOuCM:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bob+dylan+and+elvis&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO452Nu6rcAhWyKX0KHcqgCWoQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=q9FgJtZJDWkR1M:

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&biw=1368&bih=807&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=vyVQW9LkI_Lr9APb_7-oDw&q=common+rapper+perfocming&oq=common+rapper+perfocming&gs_l=img.3…11414.13501.0.13636.11.11.0.0.0.0.102.740.9j1.10.0….0…1c.1.64.img..1.2.190…0j0i67k1j0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.3B9zj2VSaWc#imgrc=74Ck8BwSEppE-M:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=kanye+and+common&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF8Ka_u6rcAhXhKX0KHeDoDn4Q_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=nEUvvHEtACbD8M:

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&biw=1368&bih=807&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=AyZQW7iGGsO_0PEP5Kq3iAU&q=kanye&oq=kanye&gs_l=img.3..0i67k1j0j0i67k1j0j0i67k1j0j0i67k1j0j0i67k1j0.21704.23438.0.23658.11.11.0.0.0.0.93.795.11.11.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.11.794…0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.1x0ZuoxlpgA#imgrc=jr1jT9Fsonef6M:

Hi everyone! My name is Kailey, and I am a second-year business student. My first blog post is about an African-American composer by the name of William Christopher Handy. I hope you enjoy!

Background, Contributions, and Challenges 

William Christopher Handy, also known as “W.C. Handy”, was one of the most influential composers to exist in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born on November 16th, 1973, Handy grew up in Florence, Alabama with his two minister parents.[1] He fell in love with music at a very young age, which he then pursued as a career for the rest of his life. Handy has played a big part in shaping blues music into what it has become today. As Handy once said, “Setting my mind on a musical instrument was like falling in love. All the world seemed bright and changed”.[2]

William Christopher Handy, playing the trumpet in the early 1900s.[3]

Growing up, Handy faced many hardships when beginning his musical journey. Although he had immense support from his maternal grandmother, his father held different views. With a strictly narrow mindset towards musicianship, Handy was only given the option to attend organ lessons, which his father agreed to pay for. [4] Soon enough, he branched out into other instruments. This included the cornet, which is a trumpet-like instrument that evolved during the early 1800s. [5] He also began to sing acapella. After attending post-secondary school in Alabama for quite some time, in 1892, he obtained his degree at the Teachers Agricultural and Mechanical College. He continued to chase his dream of becoming a musician after, even though he became a schoolteacher in the meantime.

Handy was heavily persuaded by the African-American musical folk traditions he had grown up around and experienced throughout his life. His first band was called Lauzette Quartet. Eventually, after they split, Handy had to go through some of the hardest times he had ever faced. This included becoming homeless and living in extremely harsh conditions. However, he continued to play music at any show he could, which eventually led him to become a hired musician in Henderson. His career took off in 1896 after he became a bandleader for W.A Mahara’s Minstrels. After touring for various years, he eventually decided to work as a music teacher instead, where he could start a life with his wife, Elizabeth Virginia Price.

In later years, Handy created the band Black Knights of Pythias and performed at Beale Street clubs regularly. His first hit, “Memphis Blues”, was released in 1912.[6] In order to protect the ownership of his music, Handy created the Handy Brothers Music Company (previously called the Pace & Handy Music Company) which is “the oldest family-owned and operated music publishing company”. [7] Many more popular blues songs, such a “Beale Street Blues” and “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” were soon created. His contributions also including editing and publishing various books throughout his career, including an autobiography. On March 28th, 1958, William Christopher Handy passed away due to pneumonia. [8] To this day, he is known as “The Father of Blues” by many, and his songs are still widely popular across the world.

Analyzing the Music

The first song I have chosen to analyze is Handy’s first hit, “Memphis Blues” (formerly named “Mr.Crump”). [9]Claimed to be a campaign song for mayoral candidate Edward Crump in Tennessee, this song was released as an instrumental piece. The song features a fast and cheery beat of what appears to be the sound of a trumpet (or cornet), trombone, clarinet, and flute (which is creating the melody). A tuba seems to be creating a bass line for the song. The song reminds me of fun circus or carnival music, which may contribute to why it became so well-liked.

Secondly, I have chosen to view “Yellow Dog Blues”, which was released in 1914.[10] This song has a classic blues music vibe, along with a hint of jazz. The overall melody of this song is fairly intricate, with low and high pitches ranging throughout the song. The song features what seems to be the sound of a trumpet (or cornet, once again), trombone, clarinet, and flute. To this day, there are many different renditions of this song. When I listen to this song, I picture a black and white movie soundtrack from the 1900s.

Lastly, I have chosen “Aunt Hagar’s Blues”, one of Handy’s most popular classics, to review.[11] This song truly shows how incredible Handy was as a composer, and how experienced he must have been in order to create such a phenomenal piece. The tempo is extremely fast. A flute, clarinet, trumpet, and tuba can be heard in the song. “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” became a wide-known success in the world of jazz music. To this day, it is often still played by many jazz musicians.

Citations

[1]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[2]. ParallelSound. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.parallelsoundstudio.com/instruments

[3]. W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues. (2018, April 15). Retrieved from http://kentakepage.com/w-c-handy-father-of-the-blues/

[4]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[5]. Britannica, T. E. (2007, September 24). Cornet. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/cornet

[6]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[7]. Home. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.handybrothers.com/handy-brothers-music-company/

[8]. Looking Black On Today In 1873, WC Handy Know As The. (2015, December 22). Retrieved from https://blackthen.com/looking-black-on-today-in-1873-wc-handy-know-as-the-father-of-the-blues-was-born/

[9]. M. (2010, March 24). W.C. Handy – Memphis Blues. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGqBmlZR3dc

[10]. R. (2010, March 28). Handy’s Memphis Blues Band Yellow Dog Blues (1922). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CtWH5mQd7I

[11]. B. (2011, May 25). W.C. Handy’s Orchestra – Aunt Hagar’s Blues (1923). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddyIAJOmCzw

Introduction

After attending the Harry Styles concert in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 6^th, I decided it would be the perfect concert to review for this class. Harry Styles is one of the most well-known singer/songwriters in the world today, and I was very grateful to have had the chance to witness his talent up close and personal.

This is a picture I took of Harry singing “Sign of the Times” at the concert.

Background

Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1^st, 1994, in the town of Bromsgrove, England. Ever since he was young, he had a strong passion for music. During his time at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School in Chesire, Harry became the lead singer of a band small band called White Eskimo. In his spare time, he also worked at a bakery. At age 16, Harry auditioned for the television show, The X Factor. The program features hundreds of singers competing to win a record label. After being eliminated after a few rounds, he thought his career was over. However, Simon Cowell (fellow judge on The X Factor) came up with the brilliant idea of forming a boy band, which included Harry and four other boys. The band became widely known as “One Direction”, and after making it to third place in the competition, they were soon signed by Simon Cowell’s music label. [1] From 2011 to 2015, One Direction released 5 studio albums and went on 4 world tours, becoming one of the biggest boy bands to exist worldwide. After an immense amount of success, the band decided to split at the end of 2015 to focus on their solo careers. On May 12^th, 2017, Harry released his first self-titled solo album. The album portrayed an alternative rock/pop vibe and took off very quickly. Harry holds the record for “best-selling first week by a British male artist’s debut album on the Billboard 200”, as he sold 230, 000 copies within the release week.[2] His solo tour began on September 19^th, 2017, and ended on July 14^th, 2018.

Sign of the Times [3]

Harry’s first released single was named “Sign of the Times”. It can be described as a soft pop/rock ballad. The song starts off with slow piano melody in the intro. The pitches throughout the song tend to repeat, while the lyrics change throughout. Midway through the song, electric guitar and drums are introduced, picking up the tempo. The rhythm timing is fairly consistent throughout. The overall vibe of the song is mysterious and powerful. I was very moved by Harry’s vocal performance in the song, which is noticeably more mature than his previous music in One Direction. The vocals are extremely dynamic (almost haunting), especially at the climax of the song. The lyrics in the song could portray various meanings. It can be assumed the song may have to do with death, with the reference “Door on your way to the sky” and “Welcome to the final show”. It could also be about dealing with depression, as the lyrics state, “We don’t talk enough/We should open up/Before it’s all too much”. This song is an example of the slower, ballad-type of songs on his album. Overall, “Sign of the Times” is truly a work of art.

Kiwi [4]

Harry Styles’ third single, titled “Kiwi” has a much harder rock sound to it. The song features heavy drums and electric guitar throughout. The melody is extremely fast-paced, with the tempo increasing significantly at the chorus of the song. This track is known to be one of Harry’s most raunchy songs, specifically due to the rough tones in Harry’s voice and rowdy lyrics. The song describes a whirlwind of chaos going on between him and a girl, with lyrics such as “This girl is crazy/I think I’m losing it”.  Many people have compared “Kiwi” to Michael Jacksons’s “Billie Jean”. It has also been described to have a “distinct mid 90’s Britpop appeal”. [5] This uptempo song gives off a “glam rock” vibe, which has attracted a large audience of many ages. At concerts, Harry often ends the show with “Kiwi” as his final song. Overall, this track was a very unexpected release, but it has proved to be a huge success.

Venue/Audience

The concert itself took place in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Rogers Arena. This arena can hold from 18 900 to 19 700 people.[6] I can definitely say that size is much larger than any concert I have ever attended in the past. When I arrived at the concert, each audience member was given a red sticker to put over their flashlight when “Sign of the Times” played. When Harry was ready to play the song, he informed everyone in the audience to turn on their flashlights. Within seconds, the entire arena lit up with red and white lights, representing Canada. Later, during “Kiwi”, Harry held up a Canadian flag to the crowd. The audience was extremely lively, cheering and singing along to every song, new and old, that Harry performed. He also included covers from older bands, such as Fleetwood Mac and newer artists, like Ariana Grande. The audience seemed to love the variety of music in the concert, as did I.

This is a picture I took of the Rogers Arena during the show.

Reflection/Conclusion

Overall, this concert was truly incredible. I have been a huge Harry Styles fan ever since I was young, and it was absolutely amazing to hear him sing live. I appreciated the way he spoke to the crowd with appreciation towards Canada, as did the rest of the audience. He truly looked as if he was enjoying himself on stage while performing, which made the entire arena enjoy themselves, too. He connected with the audience with acoustic, slow songs, as well as fast, intense songs. I truly think his setlist attracted audiences of all ages. There is nothing I would change about the show! I would definitely attend another Harry Styles concert in a heartbeat.

Citations 

[1]. “Harry Styles.” Biography.com. July 19, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.biography.com/people/harry-styles-21173991.

[2]. Kreps, Daniel. “On the Charts: Harry Styles Breaks Record With Number One Debut.” Rolling Stone. June 25, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/on-the-charts-harry-styles-breaks-record-with-number-one-debut-196714/.

[3]. “Harry Styles – Sign of the Times.” YouTube. May 08, 2017. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4ooNx77u0.

[4]. “Harry Styles – Kiwi.” YouTube. November 08, 2017. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wg3v-01yKQ.

[5]. Barlow, Eve. “Harry Styles’ Solo Album: A Track-by-Track Breakdown.” Variety, Variety, 12 May 2017, variety.com/2017/music/news/harry-styles-solo-album-track-breakdown-1202424544/.

[6]. “Rogers Arena Seat & Row Numbers Detailed Seating Chart.” Dubai Map – City Centre Detailed Street Travel Guide with Must-See Places, Best Hotels, Popular Shopping Malls, 2018, www.mapaplan.com/seating-plan/vancouver-rogers-arena-detailed-row-numbers-chart/rogers-arena-vancouver-seating-chart.htm.

Despite the outright parody of black culture involved in almost any performance involving blacks in the late 18th century to the early 19th century, black performers embraced it. Shuffle Along, a musical which ran between 1921 and 1922, became integral to the success of black performers. It appealed to audiences in that it balanced the stereotypes enhanced by minstrel shows with respectable use of humour and drama, entertaining people in the full round. (1)

Tiger Woods once stated, “If you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?” (2). The black performers in minstrel shows and other performances preceding and including Shuffle Along adhered to a similar ideal — they at first faced competition with whites who used blackface, but once the blacks themselves began to — rather redundantly — use blackface and perform their own minstrel shows, audiences were far more attracted to it, as they found it to be more authentic. (1) In the same way that many comedians today use embarrassing stories and perhaps overly honest anecdotes to make people laugh, blacks would use self-deprecation to relate to their audience while entertaining them, which proved to be a success.

Shuffle Along challenged what was acceptable in black performances and what was not. It explored new concepts previously considered unacceptable to whites, such as romance. It was a baby step for the world of coloured performers. Previously, romance was strictly for white performances only, but using the balance of humour and drama, the black actors were able to express themselves in a surprising, although slightly uncomfortable, way. As it had never been seen before, naturally white audiences were taken aback, unsure what to think of it. Though the response from whites was lukewarm, they were no longer cold, and today most can say that — at least in North America -people have thoroughly warmed up to it.

The music in Shuffle Along was difficult to follow — that is, to dance along with. Every beat was full of footwork, leaving only the most skilled of tap-dancers able to fit all the moves in. These rhythms were another shock to audiences as they stood out from other music at the time; they almost couldn’t believe that the music they were hearing could possibly exist, let alone anyone being able to dance along with it. (3)

Another feature of the influential musical was the use of a chorus line. The chorus line in Shuffle Along opened a door to talented coloured dancers looking for a bigger role, a true expression of themselves. Josephine Baker was among the 16 girls hired for the chorus line. She was actually initially hired on as a dresser, but upon one of the chorus girls getting sick, Josephine saw an opportunity and took her place, performing in the musical until the end of its tour in 1922. (4) Her energetic, humourous, and overall eye-catching dance moves were a display of unfiltered enjoyment and set off the beginning of her successful career. Some of her moves can be seen in the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H46uf5-Way0

“I’m Just Wild About Harry” has become rather well-known in popular music.  It is a bouncy tune that has a steady beat with a flowing, syncopated sung melody. This, of course, may depend on song interpretation by the performer, but most versions of it involve an enthusiastic singer who doesn’t feel the need to adhere strictly to the beat of the rhythm section. It is a song I have passively heard before, but never really tuned into the lyrics or really tried to appreciate it before. Knowing now its origins, I can certainly appreciate the skill of the performers and what the performance in itself means to the history of popular music.

African-American slaves created a type of dance which is referred to as “patting juba”. It is usually done to an irregular beat, using 3/4 time signatures with complicated rhythms. Two men dance in the centre of a circle of other men, improvising their moves as they respond to the clapping beats provided by the participants in the circle. (5) Percussive sounds are a large part of juba dancing; often participants slap, clap, or smack various parts of their own bodies to quickly and energetically express their moves. This became the foundation for tap dancing. P.T. Barnum, a historic showman of the 19th century, had a juba dancer in his shows. Despite juba dancing’s heavy influence from black dancers, this Irish kid was white. However, he left Barnum’s show, leaving the showman to find a new juba dancer. This ended up being a blessing in disguise — a new dancer came along, who even came to be known as Juba due to his high level of skill for the dance. The only issue was that Juba was black, so white audiences were not as willing to accept him. Juba and the first juba dancer would complete against one another, though, and as Juba rarely lost, he gained a reputation. Barnum even attempted to paint the original juba dancer in blackface to mimic Juba’s appearance, but audiences still rejected him in favour of the more talented Juba.

Though Shuffle Along has been called one the first successful black productions, it is not necessarily the case. The gentlemen who produced the musical actually had other black productions before Shuffle Along that were just as, if not even more, successful. For example, their 1907 production Bandanna Land played at the Majestic Theatre, whereas Shuffle Along was played at the Sixty-Third Street Music Hall, a much less established production house.

The 2016 rendition of Shuffle Along, that is, Shuffle Along in no way attempts to perfectly recreate the original. Instead, it is a revival of its memory, demonstrating the significance of the original production including its black cast members and creative minds. It is a show of appreciation and a reminder of what black performers went through to open the doors to talents of all colours today.

As a white person myself, I haven’t ever really considered how black performers made their way into popular culture. I’ve been given imagery of black men from the slavery days playing some form of blues on old banjos, like you see in literature such as Huckleberry Finn, but I had never really considered how the transition from the ‘lonely, unliberated blues-black’ to the hearty black jacks-of-all trades who dominate many genres of popular music came to be. Having read this article, I am more aware of the difficult process black performers had to break through to become fully accepted in pop culture.

Reading what the Campbell textbook has to say about black performance and minstrelsy, I would say that blacks are well credited for their contributions to popular music and culture as we know it. Without them, we wouldn’t have blues, jazz, R&B, or even rock and roll as we know it — popular music itself would have taken an entirely different path, which if we were to hear it, would be totally unrecognizable.

Sources Cited

1. “Stage 1920s III: Black Musicals.” Cabaret History I, www.musicals101.com/1920bway3.htm.
2. “A Quote by Tiger Woods.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/56461-if-you-can-t-laugh-at-yourself-who-can-you-laugh.
3. Reside, Doug. “Musical of the Month: Shuffle Along.” The New York Public Library, The New York Public Library, 27 Oct. 2015, www.nypl.org/blog/2012/02/10/musical-month-shuffle-along.
4. League, The Broadway. “IBDB.com.” IBDB: Internet Broadway Database, www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/shuffle-along-1921-9073.
5. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Juba.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædiaa Britannica, Inc., 27 Nov. 2014, www.britannica.com/art/juba-dance.
6. Gardner, Elysa. “Broadway Gets Another Exuberant History Lesson in ‘Shuffle Along’.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 29 Apr. 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/life/theater/2016/04/28/broadway-gets-another-exuberant-history-lesson-shuffle-along/83593084/.

Luke Bryan has been one of America’s most popular country music singer/ songwriters for the past 10 years. Bryan got his start writing songs for other artists like Billy Currington. In 2001, he moved to the America’s country music capital, Nashville, from his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia.  The 42 year old singer got his debut in 2007 with his album I”ll Stay Me. That year, Byan signed with Capital Records Nashville, part of the Universal Music Group Nashville, who he is still with today.¹ Since then, he has continued to grow and achieve wonders.  Bryan has released 8 albums to date; 2 od the albums, Tailgates & Tanlines and Crash my Party, have gone Double-Platinum.  He has also had 9 No.1 Billboard Hits, including Play it Again and That’s My Kind of Night. ²  His success doesn’t stop there, Bryan has won 16 awards over the years from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music,  the American Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the CMT Music Awards and, the iHeart Radio Music Awards.³

Luke Bryan music is Country through and through, from his lyrics, to his sound, to his persona.  The music contains mostly, vocal, guitar and piano and for the most part has a very upbeat tone to it. One of my personal favorites would be Play it Again, released in 2013.  I think all of Bryan’s song portray a small town, feel good feeling to them and this song is no exception.  The music he releases targets young adults, experiencing life and love. This song starts off slow with piano and guitar playing clearly in the background setting the light mood that his songs usually have. Like most country music, the instruments and  beat never take over or become elaborate; the meaning is in the lyrics. The sound, specifically the lyrics, signify being young and seeing someone that memorizes you, someone you have to have. Listening to Play it Again takes you back to your favorite summer nights listening to you favorite song, not a worry in the world.

Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset is another one of Bryan’s songs that has a similar sound to it. Once again the song is comprised of lyrics, guitar and piano. This song also talks about being young and falling in love. Listening takes you back to nights at the lake, once again a feeling of being care free. Both songs have slow starts and powerful choruses. These are just 2 of many examples of Luke Bryan’s familiar sound. In general his music can be categorized as “feel good summer songs”.

On July 15th, Luke Bryan performed at Country Thunder Craven, Saskatchewan’s largest music festival.  The concert, the crowd, and the venue could all be described as “wild”. The concert was held in the valley of Craven at an outdoor grandstand stationed among thousands of campsites. The sun was starting to set after a hot, sunny day. If you’ve ever been to the music festival in Craven you know that people there have been drinking since the brink of dawn for 4 days straight, so the environment is rowdy, dirty, and lively to say the least.  In the grandstands there is bleachers, but the majority of the crowd is crammed together in one mosh pit to the left of the stage.  This crowd is young and not exactly sober.  With all that being said, it was the PERFECT venue and audience for a Luke Bryan concert. As I said before, Bryan’s music is upbeat and makes you happy. Over half his tracks are about drinking and half his music videos show a music festival setting (refer to Play it Again music video once more ^).  So…. was the concert meaningful? Probably not in the traditional sense, however at that moment everyone in that crowd connected with those songs and Bryan’s vibe. After all, who connects to a song called Huntin’, Fishin’ And Loving Everyday, more than a concert full of Saskatchewans. Some music is meaningful because it represents history, some represent heartbreak and loss, but some just make you feel good, like a Luke Bryan song. Feel good songs like his are just as meaningful to the music industry because it’s what makes us fall in love with life and brings us so much happiness. Below is one of the only videos I took where you can hear Luke Bryan over my signing.

References:

¹ Universal Group Nashville. “Luke Bryan”. Accessed July 19, 2018.  https://www.umgnashville.com/our-artists/luke-bryan/.

² Billboard. “Luke Bryan”. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/music/luke-bryan/chart-history/country-digital-song-sales

³Biography. “Luke Bryan”. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/luke-bryan

#M6Q3

Payola is a term used in the music industry which refers to the act of record labels or other groups paying DJs, and radio stations to play a certain song, singer, or company affiliate on the commercial radio more than that particular song may have been normally playing, therefore increasing its exposure to the mainstream media.

The term Payola really became popularized in the American public due to the 1958 federal investigations into rigged game shows such as “twenty-One” and “$64,000 Question”. The game show scandals shined a light onto illegal activities going on in the broadcasting industry and led to further investigations, particularly on commercial radio.

In 1959 a Congressional investigation headed by Congressman Oren Harris was launched into the Payola scandals, in which hundreds of DJs were implicated with taking bribes from record labels in return for playing specific songs. In 1960 the Payola scandal reached new heights when President Eisenhower publicly addressed the nation calling Payola “an issue of public morality” [1].

In February of 1960 the Payola hearing were in full force. Alan Freed and Dick Clark were two prominent DJs at the time who also got caught up in the scandal and became synonymous with the Payola investigations

Alan Freed was a popular Cleveland DJ who is often said to have coined the term “Rock-N-Roll” however Freed is more infamously known for his participation in the payola scandals. In 1960 Alan Freed faced hearings from the U.S. House Oversight committee for his alleged role in taking bribes from record labels. He was charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery. He was given multiple fines including a suspended jail sentence [2]. Due to the bad publicity he received from the investigations he was fired from his television and radio shows. He was effectively bankrupt as a result of the scandal and died five years later.

Dick Clark was another popular radio and television broadcaster who was summoned by the committee for suspicions of accepting bribes. Unlike Alan Freed, Clark cooperated with the investigations and by the end of the investigations he was let off on all charges and walked out with a slap on the wrist [3]. It should be noted that at the time of the scandal Dick Clark partially owned 7 indie labels, 3 record distributors, 6 publishers and 2 talent agencies. He was able to discretely sell and distance himself from these businesses as they would’ve caused damage to his case in front of the federal investigation.

“Dick Clark discusses the Payola Scandal”

The differences in the outcomes of the investigations into Dick Clark and Alan Freed have often been attributed to Clark’s willingness to cooperate, charm, good manners while Alan Freed was seen as a deviant who refused to accept guilt, was outspoken about his beliefs, and morally corrupt.

The conclusion of the payola investigation in 1960 resulted in Congress declaring Payola as a criminal act and introducing new laws and recommendations for existing laws under the Federal Communications Act [4]. These rules and regulations can be read at the link posted below:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fccs-payola-rules

Payola Today:

Unfortunately occurrences of Payola continue to exist today. George Howard a Professor in music management has written about the practice in today’s age and states in his essay that “labels hire promoters to flog records to radio stations, radio stations are then paid by promoters, and the same promoters collect a second salary from the stations themselves disguised as consultation fees on which songs to include on the daily roster” [5].

However commercial radio isn’t the only major player in the world of music. The internet is a powerhouse like no other for creating music, downloading music and of course listening to music. Today playlists found on apps like Spotify, Vevo, and Youtube are viewed by millions of people all around the world and due to the influence that these platforms have, they are instrumental in setting trends in music, launching artists, and promoting specific genres. These playlist aren’t left ungoverned, in fact the content of the playlists is rigorously controlled by major labels such as Sony, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group [6]. The competition today isn’t over who can control the most DJs and radio stations, but who exacts the most influence on playlists.

In my opinion Payola is unjust and the practice is really a disservice to the consumers of music. In reality payola only benefits the record labels who see an increase in profits because of increased exposure and the artists themselves, who are given a boost in popularity [7]. However the general public suffers. For example the public isn’t exposed to a wide variety of music simply due to the fact that smaller companies or independent artists are not able to front large amounts of cash in exchange for airtime. The public image of the music industry takes a hit when these practices come to the lime light. Artists can potentially lose millions of dollars in album sales for instance, say two artists are releasing an album at the same time and one artist engages in payola to boost sales, the other artist will suffer financial losses due to a lack of exposure on one side and over-exposure on the other side. Furthermore radio stations can get boring and lose viewership for continuously playing specific songs.

Citations:

[1] “The Payola Scandal Heats up.” History.com. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.history.com/this-      day-in-history/the-payola-scandal-heats-up.

[2] Kelly, Kim. “A Brief History of American Payola.” Noisey. February 14, 2016. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola.

[3] “Dick Clark Survives the Payola Scandal.” History.com. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dick-clark-survives-the-payola-scandal.

[4] Coase, R. H. “Payola in Radio and Television Broadcasting.” The Journal of Law and Economics22, no. 2 (1979): 269-328. doi:10.1086/466944.

[5] “How Payola Works Today… Or Why You Only Hear Major Label Songs On The Radio.” Techdirt. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110916/03140815978/how-payola-works-today-why-you-only-hear-major-label-songs-radio.shtml.

[6] “Major Label CEO Confirms That ‘Playlist Payola’ Is Real.” Digital Music News. April 13, 2017. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/05/20/playlist-payola-real-killing-artist-careers/.

[7] McDonald, Heather. “Pros and Cons of Payola.” The Balance Careers. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/payola-influencing-the-charts-2460759.