This
week has been the most exciting for me for we really saw the development of
Rock ‘n’ Roll. Historically speaking, this is my favorite time when reflecting
on American Popular music. Technology also provided us with better recordings,
which became more obvious during our listening.
Our
first listening piece is a Frank Sinatra song titled “Nancy (With the Laughing
Face).” This is a great example of the crooner style of voices like Frank
Sinatra. With the development of the string accompaniment, you get a real sense
of swooning. I enjoy the calm qualities of Frank Sinatra’s singing voice.
“Sinatra’s voice is relaxed and unforced, with warmth and a slight vibrato, and
his hard earned ability to sing along, uninterrupted passages allows him to
connect the phrases of the song into one smooth contour” (Starr & Waterman,
2014, p. 209). This is a very sweet song that was co-written with Jimmy Van
Heusen and Phil Silvers in honor of the birth of Sinatra’s daughter, Nancy. The
genius of this song is that the lyrics can provide the audience with a
different connection other than a child.
Next,
we move on to the development of Latin Dance music with the popular hit, “Mambo
No. 5” by Perez Prada. You can hear the obvious influence of the American big
band sound with the timely rhythm section and dominant horn section. This piece
is fun and inviting and was clearly meant to make people get up and dance. With
that being said, it still has an element of control with musical surprises that
keeps the audience entertained. I feel that the popularity of Latin Dance
music, especially among the white audience, is important to discuss and learn
about. Many times we get stuck in country and R&B in 1949, but there were
other musical genres, such as this, that were equally important.
In
1953, we get some female vocal powerhouse singers that released bluesy R&B
songs. “We have already seen several portrayals of male identity in R&B,
including Charles Browns dejected lover and Muddy Waters magically charged mojo
man. Here we want to briefly examine male-female relationships in the work of
two influential female R&B singers, Ruth Brown and Willie Mae “Big Mama”
Thornton” (Star & Waterman, 2014, p. 228). First, we were presented with
“Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” by Ruth Brown. You can hear the gospel
influence in this R&B hit, especially with the tambourine playing by the
artist herself. Then we have the hit “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton. Most
people think of Elvis Presley when they hear the song “Hound Dog,” but it is
important to note that this was not originally his song. In fact, this original
version sung by Big Mama is supposed to be sung in the female perspective.
“Although both records are intended to create a humorous effect, the defiant
attitude of “Hound Dog” makes an interesting comparison of the complaining tone
of “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean”…” (Star & Waterman, 2014, p. 229).
Rock
‘n’ Roll begins to take storm with the introduction of songs like “Maybelline”
by Chuck Berry. “It was a novel synthesis that did not sound precisely like
anything before it, and it introduced listeners to an already fully formed
style of song writing, singing, and guitar playing that would exercise a primal
influence on virtually all the rock and roll to follow” (Starr & Waterman,
2014, p. 255). The fiery tempo of this song really drives the syncopate rhythms
of the verses. You can easily understand how this piece became popular in 1955.
You can hear the 12 bar blues influence, but it has more of a Verse/Chorus
structure. Next, we get “Don’t Be Cruel,” by Elvis Presley. Elvis is one of the
most well-known artists from the rock and roll decade, thus gaining the title
of “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Elvis used his 12 bar blues and country
influences to develop his own personal style. He is also one of the original
artists to perform and record race music as a white artist. This “rockabilly”
sound is very representative of the artist that Elvis was striving to be in the
late 1950s. “Don’t Be Cruel” has a fast paced feel that still has an element of
crooning you found with artists like Frank Sinatra.
Resources:
Starr, L., Waterman, C.
(2014). American popular music: From minstrelsy
to MP3. New York: Oxford University Press.
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