James A. Bland – The World’s Greatest Minstrel Man
James Alan Bland was an African-American musician and composer who was known as The World’s Greatest Minstrel Man. Bland wrote songs about the American South for use in minstrel shows, [2]
Experience
Bland was one of 8 children born in Flushing, New York on October 22, 1854, to educated, free parents. His father was one of the first U. S. Black college graduates (Oberlin College, 1845).[2] He briefly studied at Howard University in Washington, D.C., but inspired by the spirituals and folk songs he heard performed by Blacks working on the Howard campus; he soon abandoned academics in favor of a profession in music.[2] In the late 1870s, Bland began his professional career as a member of the first successful all-black minstrel company, the Georgia Minstrels.[2]
He was only accepted as a minstrel because of his songwriting talent, but what a talent that was. His other two greatest songs were written early on in his career: “Carry Me Back To Old Virginny” and “Oh, Dem Golden Slippers!” are unquestionably the finest of the genre – the coon song – behind only “The Lily Of Laguna.”[1]
In 1878, Bland wrote the nostalgic ballad Carry Me Back to Old Virginny. inspired by the homesick sentiments expressed by his Howard classmate and future wife, Mamie Friend. it would become his best-known song and marked his first significant success as a composer. Almost thirty years after his death, Virginia adopted it as its official state song. It was the official State Song of Virginia from 1940 to 1997. It was retired in the latter year because of controversy over its racial nature.[2]
This song still well-known and popular within in the whole world. It is one signal of Minstrel Show. The melodious tunes and the catchy lyrics make the song more attractive. The words reflects James’ memory to the hometown as well as the complicated history.
Bland wrote many other songs during his minstrel career, including In the Morning in the Bright Light (1879), In the Evening by the Moonlight (1879), Oh! Dem Golden Slippers (1879), Hand Me Down My Walking Cane (1880), and De Golden Wedding (1880).[2]
Oh! Dem Golden Slippers is one minstrel show song set in the style of a spiritual. Besides its well-known melody, nowadays “oh! Dem Golden Sippers” is also well-known in the brass band movement as the classic cornet solo “Golden Slippers.”
In the Evening by the Moonlight is a typical coon song. One of the symbols of James jazz song. Even though this song has already been a long time, the audience still can hear the internal emotions in the song. More times you listen, you will be attracted more.
The only dedicated biography of Bland was published in 1951; unfortunately, A Song In His Heart, by John Jay Daly, is not referenced correctly and is filled with speculative or even invented dialogue, but from this and other (at times conflicting) sources it is possible to construct an illuminating picture of The World’s Greatest Minstrel Man.[1]
In London, Bland rented a dwelling in Battersea and performed in clubs and restaurants and toured Europe where he made a lasting impression; according to Daly, the German journalist Hans Wunderlich said that “Before the turn of the century, only three American composers made an appreciable dent in the German consciousness: John Philip Sousa, James A. Bland, and Stephen Foster”.[1] Bland is rightly regarded as the spiritual heir to Foster, and his songs have at times been misattributed to the white Southerner.[1]
With the rise of political correctness and the stupid epithet racist applied to anything vaguely associated with minstrelsy, songs of this nature have become despised, but minstrels – whites (who performed in blackface) and blacks – were above all entertainers[1]
By the turn of the century, vaudeville had replaced minstrelsy as the leading genre in entertainment, and with the decline of the minstrel show, Bland lost his livelihood.[2] Bland was one of the most prolific minstrel composers of all time; he is reputed to have written over six hundred songs, though only about fifty were published under his name.[2]
James Bland was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame in 1970; a housing project in Queens, New York was named after him, and perhaps most fittingly, in 1948 a Bland Music Foundation was founded to provide scholarships for the gifted youth of Virginia.[1]
Cited:
[1]: “Burges, Sir James Bland (Afterwards Lamb) (1752–1824).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, June 2018, doi:10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.013.3969.
[2]: Lichtenwanger, William. “Bland, James Allen (1854-1911), African-American Minstrel Performer and Composer.” American National Biography Online, 2000, doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1800115.
M2Q2: Ma Rainey – “The Mother of the Blues”
Hello all! My name is Raeann, I am a fourth-year Business Economics student. I chose to do my blog post on Ma Rainey, “The Mother of the Blues”. I hadn’t heard of her until reading about her in this class and I was immediately intrigued when I started researching her found out how brave and bold she really was and how much she didn’t care about what people would think of her. She is an influence to all women, which is why I chose her.
Gertrude Pridgett was born on April 26, 1886, in Columbus Georgia. She was a talented singer and dancer who performed in local talent shows until she met her future husband William “Pa” Rainey. Once Gertrude and Pa married on February 2, 1904, she was then known as “Ma Rainey”(1).
“Ma” and “Pa” decided to tour south together and perform in tent shows. As they traveled, Ma had been exposed to country blues music for the first time and safe to say she fell in love with it. Ma then started to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire. (1)
Ma Rainey became extremely well known for being one of the first singers to perform blues music and people recognized her as “The Mother of the Blues”.(1)
Ma was known to not have a beautiful voice,“Ma’s music was rough, earthy, bold and bawdy, but profoundly moving” (2). Her voice was huge and commanding and she knew how to deliver her songs in a real and captivating way (1). She also was famous for her “moaning”, in a few songs she would moan and groan and crowds would go wild! The deep moaning blues video below captures her expressive moans.
Ma Rainey was known for writing about real life issues that everyone else was afraid to talk about. Rainey had sung about race, homosexuality, gender inequality, infidelity and much more. People were attracted to Ma’s realness and bravery for singing about issues that most people felt at that time was too inappropriate to talk about. Many believed Ma was singing “ahead of her time” (3).
Rainey had been faced with many challenges in her life. She was one of the first popular African American female recorders of all time. In the early decades of the 20th century this was extremely unusual because females did not have leading roles at the time, and African Americans were trying to get by in a white-dominated country. Despite these racial and gender inequalities, Ma Rainey had ignored them and stood up for herself and blues music and continued to entertain with her forward and honest opinions.
Rainey recorded a song called “Black Bottom”, and as you listen to it, you can tell she did not care about what people will think about her lyrics.
Another daring issue Ma was willing to address was her own sexuality. Ma was married to Pa, even though both of them were accused of infidelity while separated on the road. Ma had even addressed that her affairs were not only with men, but instead with women, revealing herself as a homosexual in her music. In the 1920’s this was a bold subject to touch on, but Ma did it!
Ma’s song “Prove it on Me” was a clear indicator that she was interested in women. Some of the telling lyrics are:
Where she went, I don’t know
I mean to follow everywhere she goes;
Folks say I’m crooked. I didn’t know where she took it
I want the whole world to know
They say I do it, ain’t nobody caught me
Sure got to prove it on me;
Went out last night with a crowd of my friends
They must’ve been women, ’cause I don’t like no men
Above, Rainey is implying here that people are saying she is “crooked” because back in the 1920’s homosexuality was frowned upon and if you weren’t heterosexual then there was something wrong and “crooked” about you. She also implies “she don’t like no men” which is another obvious sign Ma was implying she was a lesbian.
Through her bravery and boldness in what she wrote and how she sang it, Ma influence African Americans, women, homosexuals and many others by not being afraid to talk about real issues that happen in peoples everyday lives and society as a whole.
Ma Rainey was able to influence all of these people because she was dedicated to her music and performed as much as she possibly could. Between 1920-1926 Ma did over 100 recordings (1). She was always on the road and expressing herself through blues and sharing her stories.
Ma retired in the 1930’s when blues music popularity started to fade (4). Ma Rainey passed away in December of 1939. She will always be know as the gutless artist who influenced many other musicians of her day, people in society, and most of all blues music.
Works Cited
(1) Biography.com website. “Ma Rainey”. April 27, 2017. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/ma-rainey-9542413
(2) Raudler, Dave. “Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey”. Jazz rhythm website. Date n/a. jazzhotbigstep.com
(3) Friedrich, Brandon. “Ma Rainey’s Lesbian Lyrics” Billboard website. July 6, 2017. billboard.com/ma-rainey-lesbian-lyrics
(4) rockhall website . “Ma Rainey Biography”. Acessed July 18, 2018 rockhall.com/inductees/ma-rainey
Minstrelsy and the Problem of Race #M2Q1
Summary
The article “Haunting and Minstrelsy in Bob Dylan’s Masked and Anonymous” by Joseph Byrd addresses the significance of the history of blackface minstrelsy and how it is not adequately covered in modern-day textbooks. “Blackface Comedy” is the mimicking black people by white American men. These men did this to create entertainment for the public. Thomas Dartmouth Rice and George Washington Dixon were the first performers to provide this type of entertainment [1]. Rice and Dixon “created the two stock characters that would follow minstrelsy for a century, Jim Crow, the ragged rural hobo, and Zip Coon, the flashy city dandy.” [2] Next, Dan Emmett created the Virginia Minstrels, which consisted of several different types of acts that were watched by “lower-class urban males.” His song lyrics created many negative stereotypes regarding African American people [3]. However, as Byrd discusses in his article the songs reached many other classes and had a strong impact due to there graphic lyrics. Following Emmett in this genre is Stephen Foster. He is somewhat less racist towards black people than Emmett, but still expresses “… black people are happier in slavery than they would be free.” [4] Lyrics like this sent an untruthful message about black people of the time. The article then goes on to discuss that this assumption brought about social and political problems, which created a false dichotomy [5]. Currently, textbooks lack in-depth information on the history behind minstrelsy. Some authors briefly touch on it but will hide under different subheadings. Byrd argues that when authors do this they deny students the chance to learn about the different types of music and keep teachers from teaching the evolution of this music and how it has affected society today [6].
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/552957660471610850
What new information caught your interest in this article?
What stuck out the most to me when I first read this article was how much textbooks lacked in the history of minstrelsy. I was shocked that the authors strategically chose songs lyrics to display in an attempt to hide the level of racism that the songs from that time expressed. I would never have thought this would be done at a university level. I thought by this age and time authors would not hold back on the deep history of this sort, I thought that they would use it as an opportunity to allow professors to open up conversations about it with students.
Lumpenproletariat
In this article Byrd 2009 explains that Lumpenproletariats “were low-paid and unemployed first-generation whites and Irish immigrants trying to survive in an unskilled labour force…” This term allows us to truly understand that minstrelsy was meant for the humorous entertainments of lower-class white men. This has driven and is continuing the drive racism amongst white people as a joke [7].
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow laws were a system that segregated white and black people. The laws made black people “second class citizens.” During the time of the Jim Crow laws black people were prohibited from doing many things, such as: eating with white people, sitting in public spaces with white people, voting, going to school with white people, and with many other things that deeply impacted black people everyday life [8]. The laws are named after Thomas Dartmouth Rice’s minstrel character ‘Jim Crow,’ “a caricature of a clumsy, dimwitted black slave.” [9]
https://sites.google.com/site/rpinlaw/home/jim-crow-laws-in-post-war-south
http://www.african-american-civil-rights.org/jim-crow-laws/
The Reality of Minstrel Lyrics
Understanding the reality of minstrel lyrics is key because it is still having an effect on society today. Minstrel music and shows were the beginnings of the marginalization of black people. This was done by “… pretending that slavery was amusing, right, and natural.” [10]. The lyrics of the songs made people believe that black people were happy as slaves and the use of blackface provided comedy. As more people became exposed to minstrel and its racist nature it engraved it within people. This has been passed down from generation to generation and is continuing to have an effect on people in today’s society. As Byrd discusses in his article by authors avoiding racist lyrics in their textbooks they are ignoring the strong impact minstrel music has had on society. Another Citation?
https://civilwarfolkmusic.com/2013/04/18/1851-foster-old-folks-at-home/
Endnotes
[1] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 77, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[2] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 77, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[3] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 77-79, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[4] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 80, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[5] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 80-82, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[6] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 82-83, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[7] Joseph Byrd, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” Popular Music and Society 32, no. 1 (2009): 78, doi:10.1080/03007760802207882.
[8] David Pilgrim, “What Was Jim Crow,” Ferris Sate University, accessed July 18, 2018, https://ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm
[9] Evan Andrews, “Was Jim Crow a Real Peron?” History, January 29, 2014, accessed July 18, 2018, https://www.history.com/news/was-jim-crow-a-real-person
[10] Eric Lott, “Love and Theft: The Racial Unconscious of Blackface Minstrelsy,” Representations, no. 39 (1992): 24, doi:10.2307/2928593.
References
Jelly Roll Morton: The self-proclaimed King of Jazz!
Born in 1890 in the heart of the south of New Orleans, Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe better known as “Jelly Roll Morton” was respected as one of the first Jazz composers and “Godfather” to this amazing genre.
Early Life and Childhood
Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe was born on October 20, 1890, although there is talk that he was born five years earlier. His parents were of a Creole background being a mix French, Spanish and African descent. He later took his stepfather’s last name, Morton. By age 8 he was introduced to the guitar and by age 10 he had taken up the piano. It was the piano that he grew a strong interest for and into his early teens he was found playing keys in the local brothel. These establishments are credited to giving him his nickname, “Jelly Roll” Morton (Britannica, 2018).
Jelly Roll Morton originally played ragtime tunes in the infamous Storyville neighbourhood of New Orleans. Here combined the styles of ragtime, minstrel, and the core of dance rhythms which ultimately became the birth of jazz. Michael Campbell from Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On mentions that Morton’s music was more syncopated compared to his ragtime peers.
An aspect to Morton’s life was his big and loud personality. With his hunger for fame and loud ego he began claiming that he was the creator of jazz. While this statement is debatable, one thing we can agree is that Morton contributed to many jazz discoveries including the development of early jazz to eventually orchestral jazz. He can also be credited with becoming one of the first to put jazz to paper.
It was in 1917 that Morton moved west towards California to pursue a career in music which lasted roughly five years and where he published his first work, “Original Jelly Roll Blues” (Encyclopedia, 2004).
Over the years Morton moved to Chicago. It was here that he formed Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers. The band grew in success and they created a new wave of stylish music, the swing. The band lasted four years.
Later in life, Jelly Roll Morton’s popularity dwindled and his downfall marked the end of an era. He eventually passed away on July 10, 1941 in Los Angeles, California.
Some of his hits include, “Black Bottom Stomp,” “King Porter Stomp,” “Shoe Shiner’s Drag” and “Dead Man Blues.
Many years after his passing, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1998 and awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 for his contributions to jazz and his influence on the jazz scene (Biography, 2014).
What challenges if any, did he face, and how did he overcome these challenges?
At periods in Morton’s life it was evident he had a dynamic and inconsistent lifestyle. He been known throughout his career to be a man of many occupations including a nightclub owner, gambler, and vaudeville comic. This being said, I think Morton may have struggled with his identity and the ability to be taken seriously. At the end of the day, it was his passion for the keys and sheer talent for composing jazz music that caught everyone attention.
His ego and temptation to brag set him apart from the others, making more enemies than friends and not giving him the best reputation. Morton struggled to fit in and was characterized as being hard to work with.
Some of Jelly Roll Morton’s most notable jazz pieces are “Dead Man Blues.”
Before hearing instrumentals in “Dead Man Blues” we are introduced to text. It appears there are two men having a conversation relating to church bells in the afternoon which we assume signifies a funeral of the “Dead Man.” Morton was known to incorporate minstrel aspects to his music and I believe it is evident here with the theatrics and playful language between these two gentlemen. Some of the instrumentals if you listen closely is the piano (Jelly Roll Morton), clarinet, banjo, drums, trombone, and even the cornet with a more mellow tone which is distinct from the trumpet.
The piece starts out quite melancholy which addresses the funeral and uses a slow tempo with long pulses from the trombone. Shortly after, the somber tones are replaced with a swing-like, playful, tempo where all the instrumentals unite and I feel marks an end to the funeral.
At first, we are introduced to a clarinet solo and then the cornet. I like to think these two instruments are having a conversation with one another just like the two gentlemen at the beginning of the piece.
I enjoy listening to “Dead Man Blues” by Jelly Roll Morton because I believe it to be unique with many different elements. With the conversation at the beginning, to the slow and somber musical introduction, and eventually the body of the piece being a swing-like jazz rendition. Somehow, through Morton’s expertise, he manages to get away with adding an upbeat swing with the solemnness of a funeral and is a reason why I enjoy this piece.
Another song Morton is well-known for is “Shoe Shiner’s Drag.”
I enjoy this piece for a few distinct reasons. The relaxed tempo encourages one to tap their foot and makes it easy to dance. A vibrant cornet starts the song off which I find sets the tone for the rest of the song. Morton must have enjoyed using the glissando because they are continuously used throughout as they add drama. Overall, my interpretation of “Shoe Shiner’s Drag” is of a young shoe shiner getting through their mundane day as it seems to be reflected in the relaxed tempo.
The last piece I have chosen is Morton’s, “Original Jelly Roll Blues” which is said to be one of his first pieces of Jazz work. My reason for choosing this song not only comes from the understanding that it was ones of his firsts but also that it was recorded in Chicago, which is said by some to be one of the best places for Morton’s music career. This song is interesting to listen to because I feel it shows the starting point for Morton and as we go through his music over the years we can see the evolution. I find this piece to be less “risky” compared to his other songs.
Have a listen yourself!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Biography. “Jelly Roll Morton Biography.” Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945 (Accessed July 17, 2018).
Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. Nelson Education, 2012.
Encyclopedia Britannica. “Jelly Roll Morton: American Musician.” Britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton (Accessed July 17, 2018).
New Orleans Official Guide. “Jelly Roll Morton.” New Orleans Online. http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/music/musichistory/musicgreats/jellyroll.html. (Accessed July 15, 2018).
Dean Brody #M5Q4
Introduction and Biography
This past weekend I attended Dean Brody’s concert at Country Thunder in Craven, Saskatchewan. Dean Brody is a Canadian musician from rural British Columbia. When he was young he took a chance and followed his dreams of being a country star. However, it was not a smooth road to success for him. He was signed in Nashville for a short time and then had to move home again. This looked like the end for his country star dream. However, not long after he was presented an amazing opportunity with a label and ever since then, Dean Brody has been a rising country star. He has “…sixteen Canadian Country Music Awards and two Junos…” [1] In addition to his musical success, he also has “…The Dean Brody Foundation to physically help in the rescue and prevention of young girls being exploited in child prostitution and human trafficking in Brazil and around the world.” [2].
http://www.readersdigest.ca/features/heart/dean-brody-rd-interview/
His Sound
In an interview by Tahiat Mahboob, Dean Brody discusses that finding a melody and tempo is natural for him. However, putting lyrics to his melodies can be tricky at times, especially since they are unique and incorporate many different sounds. Dean Brody’s genre is country, which he proves in the lyrics of his songs, even though the melody of some of his songs is broader than just country. [3] He uses “…traditional instrumentation and the other in pop-inflected, club-oriented production.”[4]
“Beautiful Freakshow” by Dean Brody
The song “Beautiful Freakshow” is about a farm boy falling in love with a city girl that is completely opposite from him. The song is quite unique, it has pop, country, and rap sounds within it. The pitch of the song starts out high and then comes down as the lyrics begin. The intensity increases as the song approaches the chorus each time and then falls because down during the verses. In the song, you can hear a piano, electronic guitar, drums, and ukulele. Dean Brody said in an interview with Andre Gagne, “‘I think sometimes people think country is a predictable music style. But it’s not. It can be a lot of fun and be surprising too.’”[5]. I think that this song proves this by two completely different genres merging into this song.
“Good Goodbye” by Dean Brody
The song “Good Goodbye” is about “‘having a little too much time between checkout and the flight and there happening to be a bar nearby’” as Dean Brody says. [6] This song has a relaxed and feel-good melody to it. It has a slower tempo, with more intensity during the chorus. The song uses other types of genres other than country; such as, “mariachi and Caribbean.” [7]
Venue and Audience
Attending Dean Brody’s concert in Craven is a unique experience all on its own because of the venue it is and the people that come to it. Country Thunder Saskatchewan is a popular country music festival that includes four days of music with famous acts in the evenings. Dean Brody played on Saturday night before Chris Young. There is a rage of people who attend the festival, anywhere from die-hard country fans of all ages to those who are just there to drink and party all weekend long. Dean Brody performed many of his popular hits. He addressed the crowd and aided in the concert feeling like one big party. This went along with the atmosphere of the venue, which is outside with room to dance, sit back and listen, or head to the bar for drinks.
Reflection of the Concert
I really enjoyed this concert. To me, Dean Brody’s music is a great mix of country and many other genres. In my opinion, he has a song for every mood. Myself and many others I talked to on Saturday thought that Dean Brody should have been the headliner on Saturday night because he has so many well-known hits and always puts on a great, high energy show. This concert felt meaningful because I am from the Craven area and historically, musical performers do not often come to small communities. This is one of the things that I think makes Craven special. Performers and audience travel from all over the world just to come to the small community of Craven for a weekend. When the festival first started it was small and simple like old fashion travelling concert bands were, with few instruments and local acts. However, over the years it has grown to be a full concert with up to date technology and big headliners, just like how concerts have evolved over the years.
Endnotes
[1] “Bio,” Dean Brody – Good Goodbye, accessed July 19, 2018, http://www.deanbrody.com/.
[2] “Bio,” Dean Brody – Good Goodbye, accessed July 19, 2018, http://www.deanbrody.com/.
[3] Tahiat Mahboob, “Songwriting 101: Dean Brody,” CBC Music, August 14, 2017, accessed July 19, 2018, https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18917/songwriting-101-dean-brody.
[4] Tahiat Mahboob, “Songwriting 101: Dean Brody,” CBC Music, August 14, 2017, accessed July 19, 2018, https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18917/songwriting-101-dean-brody.
[5] Andre Gagne, “Dean Brody’s Beautiful Freakshow,” Ottawa Life Magazine, December 12, 2016, accessed July 19, 2018, http://www.ottawalife.com/article/dean-brodys-beautiful-freakshow?c=2.
[6] Jenna Melanson, “Dean Brody Releases New Summer Single, ‘Good Goodbye’,” Canadian Beats Media, May 25, 2018, accessed July 19, 2018, http://canadianbeats.ca/2018/05/25/dean-brody-releases-new-summer-single-good-goodbye/.
[7] “Dean Brody’s ‘Good Goodbye’ Summer Song Review,” Front Porch Music, May 26, 2018, accessed July 19, 2018, http://frontporchmusic.ca/music/dean-brody-good-goodbye-review/.
Referances
“Bio.” Dean Brody – Good Goodbye. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.deanbrody.com/.
“Dean Brody’s “Good Goodbye” Summer Song Review.” Front Porch Music. May 26, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://frontporchmusic.ca/music/dean-brody-good-goodbye-review/.
Gagne, Andre. “Dean Brody’s Beautiful Freakshow.” Ottawa Life Magazine. December 12, 2016. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.ottawalife.com/article/dean-brodys-beautiful-freakshow?c=2.
Mahboob, Tahiat. “Songwriting 101: Dean Brody.” CBC Music. August 14, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18917/songwriting-101-dean-brody.
Melanson, Jenna. “Dean Brody Releases New Summer Single, “Good Goodbye”.” Canadian Beats Media. May 25, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://canadianbeats.ca/2018/05/25/dean-brody-releases-new-summer-single-good-goodbye/.
#M6Q3
The Payola Scandal
#M6Q3
The Payola Scandal of 1959 involved the corruption of the radio and recording industries. The scandal was paying or bribing stations to play the song and make it popular with listeners. The idea was that if listeners heard the song repeatedly throughout the day, they would eventually take a liking and make it a hit. Once Payola became more evident, a new law was created making it a criminal act. This act is seen as a moral issue, and Congress wanted the people to have trust and no longer be lied to. The fine for involvement by disc jockeys in Payola was a 500 dollar fine and a year in jail.
Payola has been around for years and first became common in the big band years. Once the live music began going out of style record promoters saw an opportunity with disc jockeys as a method to promote their music. Payola is mostly associated with the 60’s, and 70’s when this was a known and common practice. When a new song or even a new genre or sound of music was released, record promoters felt threatened and paid even more to get radio play. It is fascinating to think that popular songs from history may not have been as known as celebrated as they were and still are today.
There were many major players in the Payola scandals but Alan Freed especially stands out to me. Freed was the disc jockey who gave rock and roll its name. Freed’s involvement led to the downfall of his entire career. Another major player was Dick Clark; he was a businessman and host of the TV show American Bandstand. Clark got away with minor consequences and was able to save his TV career by disconnecting himself from the music industry.
After Freed’s downfall in 1960 Congress outlawed under the table payment to disc jockeys for airtime and if there was airplay purchased it had to be disclosed to the public. Payola was now up to a $10,000 fine and a year in jail as it previously was $500 and one year in jail. Payola still managed to survive as there were loopholes found it was only slowed down and not as public. Disc jockeys that put radio stations at risk of losing their licenses were fired as a precaution.
I listen to the radio on a daily basis at work as my job consists mostly of driving. I have noticed many trends in radio stations playing songs up to 10 times a day, that I have counted. After researching the Payola scandal, I now realize why this happens. Payola today is not the same as in the past, it is much cleaner and up front rather than under the table deals. Payola is now known as sponsorship or promotions. For example, Warner Music partnered with iHeartRadio to promote its artists, a lot of advertising goes into this which in turn costs money. It is also known that Spotify has accepted money to place certain songs on playlists they create for listeners, this is a great way for people to be exposed on their own instead of being forced to listen on the radio. All in all if there is no money behind the artist, they cannot compete in the industry.
After thoroughly researching Payola I have concluded that it is a bad thing. When there are constantly high-stake money deals between large name companies, there is no chance for the new artists to become known. I believe each artist should have an equal opportunity in the industry and not be dominated by lucrative deals between famous companies. It is impossible for new artists to get a start in the industry unless they are discovered by one of these large companies and further promoted on purchased air time. Payola is still very prominent today, and I don’t believe that it is going away anytime soon.
Citations:
up, The. 2018. “The Payola Scandal Heats Up – Feb 11, 1960 – HISTORY.Com”. HISTORY.Com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-payola-scandal-heats-up.
“Payola Scandal Rocks 50’S Radio”. 2018. Modestoradiomuseum.Org. http://www.modestoradiomuseum.org/payola22.html.
“A Brief History Of American Payola”. 2018. Noisey. https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola.
Hutchinson, Lydia. 2018. “Alan Freed, Dick Clark And The Radio Payola Scandal”. Performing Songwriter Ent., LLC. http://performingsongwriter.com/alan-freed-payola-scandal/.
“Artist Sponsorship Is Today’S Payola”. 2018. Music 3.0 Music Industry Blog. http://music3point0.com/2017/01/19/artist-sponsorship-todays-payola/.
King of Rock and Roll
#M6Q1
The Elvisulization chart made by Spotify, uses the influence of Elvis Presley to identify and create links between many different artists. The root of the chart is Elvis and the connections made between him and other artists are the result of Elvis’ direct influence; for artists that are further along the chart, the influence of Elvis on them may be indirect. These artists, who were indirectly influenced by Elvis, may appear to have a musical style that is far different from Elvis’ and so the very existence of the connection to him may seem farfetched, but upon digging deep into both artists, a connection or a string of connections may be found in the form of style of music, way of performing, and fashion. For an example, we will follow the line on the chart that goes from Elvis Presley to the Bee Gees to Michael Jackson and then ends on Pharrell Williams.[1]
Elvis Presley
As many of us know, Elvis Presley was, and still is, a very influential person; even today, there are many artists who look up to him. Elvis was born January 8, 1935 and died August 16, 1977. Growing up, he listened to pop, country, church gospel, all-night gospel, and black R&B.[2] Listening to all these different genres helped Elvis create a unique sound which resulted in a new era of music, one which would influence future artists such as the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell Williams.
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees were a trio of brothers that were heavily influenced by the rock genre—this already suggests that Elvis, commonly referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll,” had a great influence on them.[3][4] To see this clearer, one may look to the 1970s where the Bee Gees turned their attention to dance-oriented music, which is similar to Elvis.[5] Regarding the style of singing, Elvis had a romantic way of singing to his fans which is also evident in the Bee Gees. Yet another influence of Elvis on the Bee Gees can be found in their fashion styles. Elvis was known for his iconic attire: a white jumpsuit that had white bell bottoms and revealed some of his chest. Similarly, the Bee Gees also wore white bell bottom pants and a white shirt that left some of their chest exposed. This style is like a tease which, at that time, would be considered very unusual and sexual.
Michael Jackson
One of the defining traits of the Bee Gees is their high-pitched voice. This trait comes up often in later pop music, especially in the music of Michael Jackson. Being that the Bee Gees influenced Michael Jackson in this way, and that the Bee Gees were influenced by Elvis, one may then conclude that Michael Jackson was influenced by Elvis. To add to this, there is some evidence of Elvis’ direct influence on Michael Jackson through the two artists’ dance moves. Michael Jackson is well-known for his dancing which is characterized by moves involving a lot of motion with his legs. Likewise, Elvis is well-known for moving his legs when he danced. In terms of signature dance moves, Elvis had “The Pelvis” move which involved him moving his pelvis, while Michael Jackson had his “Crotch Grab,” the action of which is self-explanatory.[6] [7] Both signature moves are sexual in nature, causing people to be pleasantly caught off guard.
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams has a unique style and sound to his music, but upon listening closely to it, while keeping the music of Michael Jackson in mind, one may notice how the two artists sound similar; that is, Michael Jackson has influenced Pharrell Williams. For a specific example, one may compare Williams’ song “Happy” to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” to see that they both share the style of high soft singing.
This style of high soft singing goes back to the Bee Gees which indirectly makes Pharrell influenced by the Bee Gees. These influences, coupled with the influence Elvis had on Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees, leads to the conclusion that Elvis has influenced Pharrell Williams both directly and indirectly. The direct influence comes from the sexual aspect present in Elvis’ music and performance. This sexual aspect, as mentioned before, is present in the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson; it happens to also be present in Pharrell Williams’ music, as can be seen in the music video for “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke, featuring Pharrell Williams. In the music video, the sexuality presents itself in the form of several women walking around in barely any clothes.
As we have seen, Elvis has influenced the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell Williams, but this is just one example from the Elvisulization. Elvis has influenced many others directly or indirectly.
Endnotes
[1] “The Elvisualization,” accessed July 13, 2018, http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisulization.html.
[2] “Elvis Presley Biography – Elvis Presley Life Story – Official Elvis Biography,” accessed July 15, 2018, https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography.aspx.
[3] “The Bee Gees – Biography,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/groups/the-bee-gees.
[4] Dave Marsh, “Elvis Presley – Biography, Songs, Movies, & Facts,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley.
[5] “Barry Gibb – Singer, Songwriter – Biography,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/barry-gibb-20861655.
[6] “10 Classic Elvis Dance Moves In Honor Of The King’s 80th Birthday,” HuffPost Canada, January 7, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/elvis-presley-birthday_n_6431940.html.
[7] “8 Of Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Dance Moves,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/120661/michael-jackson-dance-moves-king-of-pop.
Bibliography
Marsh, Dave. “Elvis Presley – Biography, Songs, Movies, & Facts.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley.
“8 Of Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Dance Moves.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/120661/michael-jackson-dance-moves-king-of-pop.
“10 Classic Elvis Dance Moves In Honor Of The King’s 80th Birthday.” HuffPost Canada. January 7, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/elvis-presley-birthday_n_6431940.html.
“Barry Gibb – Singer, Songwriter – Biography.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/barry-gibb-20861655.
“Elvis Presley Biography – Elvis Presley Life Story – Official Elvis Biography.” Accessed July 15, 2018. https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography.aspx.
The Bee Gees – Biography.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/groups/the-bee-gees.
The Elvisualization.” Accessed July 13, 2018. http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisulization.html.
The life of Paul Anka, as it stands
#M5Q3
Paul Anka was born July 30, 1941 in Ottawa, Ontario.[1] He first showed an interest in music when he was young by singing in the choir at church as well as studying piano. At the age of thirteen, he was in his own vocal group. His dream of pursuing a career in music became especially clear when he went on a trip to New York; after that trip, he saved up his money and convinced his parents to let him
go to Los Angeles to pursue music. Working with Modern Records, he released his first single, though it was not a hit and did not do much to start his career.[2] What Paul really wanted was to move to New York; after some convincing, his father let him make the move under one condition: if he could not make it in New York then he would have to come back to Ottawa.[3]
In New York, Paul met with Don Costa, an executive at ABC/Paramount Records who showed great interest in Paul after listening to some of his music. A contract was written up and then signed by Paul. Following this, Paul wrote a song about a girl he had a crush on in Ottawa; the song was called “Diana.” Once the song was recorded and released, it became Paul’s first number one hit single.[4] By the age of twenty, which was then the late 1950s, Paul was travelling to perform songs such as “Lonely Boy” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulders.”[5]
Paul’s music tended to be influenced by artists like Nat Cole and Frank Sinatra. In particular, in “Put Your Head On My Shoulders,” Paul’s voice is strong, singular, and is the main element of the song. Also, his performance style exemplifies the characteristic of almost talking to the audience as he sings. These traits are certainly present in the music of Nat Cole and Frank Sinatra, whose voices are known to be the centrepiece of their music as they sing, and talk, to their audience. Now consider “Unforgettable” by Nat Cole, which was a change in music style post-war and was ideal for slow dancing instead of the foxtrot.[6] When comparing this song with Paul’s “Put Your Head On My Shoulders,” one gets the sense that they have a similar feel to them. That is, Nat and Paul have a more personal way of performing, where they are sharing their feelings through singing, referred to as emphasizing the song to the singer. To add to the similarity in a small way, there is pizzicato present in Nat Cole’s song and also a small, subtle amount of pizzicato in Paul’s song.[7] On the other hand, the music of Frank Sinatra tends to be more upbeat, lively, and slightly less soothing then Nat Cole’s music.[8] This certainly seems to be a quality that influenced Paul, as his song shares this characteristic quite closely. For this particular Paul Anka song, it should be noted that, unlike the music of Frank Sinatra and Nat Cole, there is not much instrumentation in it; the lack of instrumentation seems to be made up for with the presence of minor vocalists.
Despite his success, Paul encountered a problem when he performed his music back in Ottawa: people were booing him and would not embrace his music—this resulted in Paul not performing there for decades. When the 1960’s came about, people started to like rock ‘n’ roll from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.[9] This led Paul on a different career route. He performed his music to an older group of people in nightclubs in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.[10] Unlike many other crooners of the time, Paul enjoyed writing music for other artists such as Tom Jones, Michael Jackson, and his friend Frank Sinatra (for whom he wrote “My Way”). It is also interesting to note that Paul co-wrote the popular Michael Jackson song, “This is it.”[11] In 1974, he released another song called “You’re Having My Baby,” which became number one on the charts despite being very controversial for feminists. In the 1990s, Paul continued his career through acting; to this day, he continues to make appearances in TV shows and movies.[12]
Paul Anka has had a significant impact on popular music. To recognize them, he has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the American Songwriters Hall of Fame.[13]
End Notes
[1] “Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography,” accessed July 12, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/paul-anka-3424.
[2] “Paul Anka – Canadian Music Hall Of Fame,” accessed July 12, 2018, http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/paul-anka/.
[3] “Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography,”
[4] “Paul Anka – Canadian Music Hall Of Fame.”
[5] “Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography,”
[6] Michael Campbell, Popular Music in America The Beat Goes On, Fourth Edition (Boston, MA: Schirmer Cengage Learning, 2013), 153 and 154.
[7] Michael Campbell, 154.
[8] Michael Campbell, 155.
[9] “Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography,”
[10] Rachel Cole, “Paul Anka- American Singer and Songwriter,” accessed July 12, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Anka.
[11] Rachel Cole.
[12] “Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography,”
[13] Betty Nygaard King, “Paul Anka,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-anka-emc/.
Bibliography
Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in American The Beat Goes On. Boston, MA: Schirmer Cengage Learning, 2013.
Cole, Rachel. “Paul Anka- American Singer and Songwriter.” Accessed July 12, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Anka.
King, Betty Nygarrd. “Paul Anka.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-anka-emc/.
“Paul Anka- Canadian Music Hall of Fame” Accessed July 12, 2018. http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/paul-anka/.
“Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography.” Accessed July 12, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/paul-anka-3424.
Electro-Swing, the Swing of the 2000s
Most of us have heard some form of swing music in our lifetime. Be it through movies, YouTube, or video games (Fallout comes to mind). Swing was most popular in the 30s and 40s, but it did make a bit of a comeback in the 90s and early 2000s. Around 2004 this new style of swing music was dubbed “Electro-swing” do to the electronic/modern elements mixed with the original style. Though seemingly never gaining as much mainstream popularity as the parent style electro-swing did find its own niche. Reaching the height of its popularity around 2010, electro-swing apparently isn’t everyone’s favourite genre of music “Electro swing is the past meeting the present in the worst way possible.”(Harrison). Personally i actually listened to electro-swing on and off, sure some stuff is better than others but its got that very definitive swing style that i love.
Although there are a lot of electro-swing artists out there, the top dogs would be Parov Stelar and Caravan Palace. “Austrian DJ and producer Parov Stelar released one of the first electro swing albums in 2004. The album is called Rough Cuts, and is considered to be the pioneer of electro-swing” (Pointdexter). After Stelar popularized electro-swing the French band Caravan Palace followed in 2008 with the release of their debut album of the same name. Even though these band were popular in their genre, i have to say i’d never heard of either of them by name. Though their music is on a number of the electro-swing mixes on YouTube. The reason most likely being that they’re music never made the so called jump across the pond.
After a bit of flip flopping between what band to highlight in this post i chose Caravan Palace and their song Lone Digger, its got a good beat and makes you want to tap along. Another aspect was the rather intriguing music video that accompanies the song.
Never thought you’d watch a video about three cats that walk into a strip club and get into a deadly fight did you? How the gazelle didn’t notice the fight until it was over is beyond me, but that’s besides the point. Music wise the song does have a fairly syncopated feel at its core, although the swing beat is paired from a much more techno like beat. Instrument wise there are key swing style instruments such as trumpets and some other brass instruments. The more modern elements of the song would be the added techno beat, and synthesized voice additions. Even the singing at points is almost like rapping, especially the song’s chorus. These characteristic are very inspired by the popular music of the time, rap and electronic music.
Swing era music and fashion are still popular today, one example of swing in a movie that came to mind would be the scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron where Captain America has a flashback like dream of of past which depicts a war time dance in the background.
Fashion wise retro style clothing has really made a comeback recently with “swing style” dresses. Entire sites dedicated to retro dresses at all price points, from $20-$100+. Its clear that people love the style of swing. The music is upbeat, fun, and makes you want to tap along. In some cases people even take swing dancing classes. I studied abroad for a few months in England and some of the students hosted some swing dance nights where they taught the other students basic swing dancing move. Although i wasn’t very good at it, it was a ton of fun.
Its obvious that people of all ages have always been attracted to swing music which is why its still so prominent today. Be it original swing music or electro-swing. I think part of it is the idea of social dancing, though its not a big part of today’s culture, the idea of something like that is exciting. Going on personal experience here, when i watch swing dancing or any type of social dancing i tend to wish we still did something like that to this day.
Comparing swing music to electro-swing i do prefer the original style, its just got a irresistible charm. Sure electro-swing does have the fundamentals similarities but its just not the same.
Sources:
Harrison, Angus. “Electro Swing Is the Worst Genre of Music in the World, Ever.” Thump. December 09, 2015. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://thump.vice.com/en_us/article/wnyjk9/electro-swing-is-the-worst-genre-of-music-in-the-world-ever.
Pointdexter, Ashley. “The Rise of Electro-Swing.” Bass Feeds The Soul. March 13, 2015. Accessed July 17, 2018. http://www.bassfeedsthesoul.com/quick-news/2015/3/13/the-rise-of-electro-swing.