THE 60’S DECADE
The 60’s (1967-70: “Rocks Golden Era”)
 In 1964, still some connection to roots, but by 1967 – “Rock” is a form unto itself.
 Arrival of the Beatles in America in 1964 is the beginning of the 60’s.
1964 - key year – Coming of the Beatles
1967 – Summer of Love
1969 – Woodstock
Early 60’s – 1st time Rock went through a major revision.
 Late 50’s/early 60’s: If you only look @ the Teen Idols – Frankie Avalon, Paul
Anke, Annette Funicello – then it looks like a bad time period (“Fluff”)
 Teen idols – A business decision by the record companies to save the industry
after the Payola Scandal. (ie: create a harmless form of music that no one could
challenge.
o Dion & the Belmonts: Teenager in Love (early rock cd #4)
o Ricky Nelson, Bobby Darin – In Hall of Fame (early rock cd #15)
o Dick Clark survives Payola Scandal in part due to “American Bandstand
TV Show” (Less substance; more clean cut – more respectable/acceptable
– move away from James Dean “rebel image.”

Underneath the teen idol is where the good music is… (Rock goes underground)
Surf Rock - California was the place to make your future
Post-War California: lumbar, oil, boron, mercury, thorium concentrates, tungsten, fruit,
vegetables, sugar beets, seed crops, walnuts, almonds
 Offered tons of white collar jobs
 By 1960’s – 25% of all government contracts
 Spearheading the computer chip age
 Silicon Valley (1950’s) – Western Electric, Raytheon, Remington Rand, Zenith,
Motorola
1940 – 7 million people in CA
1960 – 15.8 million
1962 – Expanding by 1700 people daily
Surfing receives a boost from “Gidget” (tv show) and introduces surf lingo to general
public
Original Surf Music – Dick Dales & the Del-Tones (fused two passions: surf &
guitar) creates new music. Worked closely with Leo Fender
Jan (Berry) & Dan (Torrence) [pre-cursor to the Beach Boys; helps Beach Boys make
it bigger!]



1959 – American Bandstand (Heart & Soul, A Sunday Kind of Love, There’s a
Girl, We Go Together)
1962 – convert to Surf Music
1963 – record Surfin & Surfin Safari w/ the Beach Boys & Brian’s new song
Surf City “2 girls for every guy”
By the end of 1963 – “Surf” music was all the rage.
“Drag City” – same idea but w/ cars. Movies: Hot Rod Girl (’56), Dragstrip Girl (’57),
Hot Rod Band (’58), Dragstrip Riot (’58), Teenage Thunder (’59)
Beach boys – perfect themes: youth, beach, sunshine, innocence, fun
 Great harmonies – Everly Bros. & back beat guitar – Chuck Berry
Brian Wilson (bass and song writer), Dennis Wilson (drummer), Carl Wilson (lead
guitar), Mike Love (lead vocals), Alan Jardine (rhythm guitar)
Dec. 1961 – Surfin (Bad luck: Record Company ceased operations)
May 1963 – Capitol Records Surfin USA album; later in ’63, score with Surfer Girl
1964 – topped singles chart I Get Around; Fun, Fun, Fun; California Girls
(Other groups)
The Four Seasons – innocence, life is good
*Girl groups – also innocent, 16-17 yr. olds, non-threatening songs.“Perfect Pop records”
In Seattle, The Ventures, mimic the sounds and excitement of surfing
*Girl Groups: (Afro-Amer 1962-63: The Ronettes – Be My Baby, the Crystals, Shirelles –
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – 1st #1 by all girl grp., Chiffons – One Fine Day) (all
white: Shangri-Las Leader of the Pack)
Following Payola, Don Kirschner masterminds the takeover of RnR by songwriters.
(These songwriting teams would just write songs all day. Called songs “Bubblegum
Songs”) “Rag to Riches dream of Brooklyn school girls”
 Neil Sedaka & Howie Greenfield (Stupid Cupid, The Diary, Calendar Girl,
Breaking Up is Hard to Do) [Sedaka went into recording which was surprising for
songwriters @ the time.]
 Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling, You’re My Soul &
Inspiration, On Broadway)
 Carole King & Gerry Goffin (Oh No, Not My Baby, One Fine Day, Some Kind of
Wonderful, The Locomotion, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow)
 Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry (Be My Baby, Da Do Ron Ron, Chapel of Love,
Then He Kissed Me, Do-Wah Diddy, Leader of the Pack)
 Doc Pumus & Mort Schuman (Teenager in Love, Save the Last Dance for Me,
This Magic Moment, Surrender)
 Neil Diamond (Sunday & Me, I’m a Believer)
Phil Spector – owned Philles Record (NY based); recorded Ronettes & Crystals &
(producer for many of the girl grps: Shirelles, Chiffons, Ronettes, Crystals)
(African-American Community) SOUL MUSIC – new genre; R&B is going away => to
RnR and Soul music takes over as the Popular Black Music of the day.
Several dominant labels: Motown, Stax/Volt, Atlantic
SOUL
Ray Charles created “Soul” with Gospel elements in a bar setting. [R&B + Gospel]
People weren’t ready for it & many were insulted “G-d’s music in a bar??!”
1st Soul song: I Gotta Woman
Motown (founded by Berry Gordy in 1959 in Detroit, Michigan based on the assembly
line approach idea – used a stable of writers, producers, arrangers so all music had the
same consistent sound.) (Creates its own style.) [became the largest black owned
company]
 Slower tempos
 Harmonies
 Different rhythms
 Sophisticated choreography
 Lose the saxophone lead (from R&B)
 Single Solo Voice becomes lead instrument
 Gospel influence
 Sense of Pride in being black – some involvement in civil rights movement
musically
 More mainstream – embraced by whites
1st - Arranger & producer would work with group
2nd – Record with background group (usually the Funk Brothers)
3rd – work with someone on manners, styles; “how to introduce themselves to public
4th – Chet Atkins, Choreography
 Leo’s Casino – where all new Motown acts were tried out (“sink or swim”)
 In addition both the Ed Sullivan & American Bandstand tv shows were huge in
making Motown successful.
Examples: Smokey Robinson* & the Miracles, The Temptations, The Supremes, The
Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye
* Smokey is one of the most important Motown figures b/c he helps define the style
through his (written) music
Two labels wanted to record Black American Music in its purest form: Stax/Volt &
Atlantic
(Latter half of 60’s) STAX/VOLT (owner Jim Stewart)
 Synonymous with Soul & R&B
 “blacker”sound (aimed at black market)
 Did NOT cater to whites (Motown did…)
Otis Redding: more powerful use of horns, more Gospel, more raw/sexy
Also had a mixed band (white/black)
**RnR was the 1st to break down the racial barriers!
Examples: Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave (Soul Man), Johnnie
Taylor, Isaac Hayes (theme to “shaft”; “Chef” on South Park)
Atlantic Records: Ray Charles (leaves Motown to come here), Aretha Franklin (Respect),
James Brown
James Brown – widest influence – “Funk” (before funk was called funk)
114 appearances on US Charts (more than any other black artist)
Live at the Apollo in 1962: Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, I Got You (I Feel Good), It’s A
Man’s Man’s Man’s World
Brown becomes the spokesperson on Civil Rights in the 60’s – appealed for calm on
National TV after MLK Jr’s assassination in 1968
Sets the scene for Funk’s popularity
Other famous 60’s Black performers:
Ritchie Havens – Folk
Sly & the Family Stone – Black Hippie
Jimi Hendrix – goes into white charts (born in Seattle, Washington)
Joins army as paratrooper ranger, injured (broke) leg meets Bily Cox in the service
 learned guitar listening to BB King & Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy
 1963 gigging as side-man for Little Richard, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Isley
Bros.
 backed up other artists: BB King, Sam Cooke
 1965 rejoins Little Richard’s band but gets fired for upstaging Little Richard
 Goes to Greenwich Village & THRIVES on the music scene
 Forms 1st band, Jimi James and the Blue Flames (plays Blues, R&B, Funk covers)
 Meets Keith Richard’s girlfriend who recognized his talent & “borrowed” a
Fender Stratocaster for him (from Keith Richard’s) & introduces him to Chas
Chandler (bassist for the British group, the Animals)
 Chandler’s impressed, convinces him to go to U.K.; meets Cream & jams (blows
Clapton & other guitar gods – Pete Townsend, Paul McCartney, George Harrison,
Beck, Page, etc - away!)
 Chandler intro’s him to Mitch Mitchell & Noel Redding
 formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience (drummer Mitch Mitchell & bassist Noel
Redding)
 given 1st recording contract (’66)
 (album) Are You Experienced? 1967 includes almost all hits: Are You
Experienced?, Purple Haze (1st single: Hey Joe)
 Immediately changes the boundaries of what you could do with a guitar!!
 Also performs at Monterey Pop Festival*(see below) in 1967 w/Otis Redding & Janis
Joplin (his U.S. debut) and sacrifices his guitar (burns it)
 1969 @ Woodstock performs famous Star Spangled Banner performance (also
plays with the Band of Gypsies
 Not really interested in creating hits (much to record company’s horror) He wants
to experiment & be a musicians’ musician – create epics; blend R&B + Rock +
Jazz + Blues, etc…
 Nov. 27, 1971 – plays Isle of Wight (U.K.) but gets booed for not playing
standards
 Premature death in 1971 (3 weeks after last major performance he is found dead
from drug overdose – alcohol & sleeping pills; he asphyxiates on his own vomit)
FOLK (Early 60’s)
College campuses – Sophisticated, young audience that temporarily rejects RnR and
embraces Folk Music (Starts a Folk music revival)
Bob Dylan – born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 5/24/1941 & raised in Minnesota;
becomes obsessed with Woody Guthrie (other influences: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank
Williams, Robert Johnson)
Travels to NY, NJ in Greenwich Village
Embodies a new youth of Folk Music
East Orange – would play for Woody Guthrie on his death bed. “Song to Woody”
Wrote songs that spoke directly to what was happening in the country, not just the fun
stuff – Political Injustice (Blowin in the Wind, Times They Are A-changin’)
Becomes a spokesperson for the American people. Youth looked to Dylan for
opinions and decisions
Brings RnR & folk together. Electric guitar and the band – causes definite waves in
Folk. He brings to RnR a conscious. FOLK-ROCK created by Dylan.
Plugs in at Newport Folk Fest.; plays “Maggie’s Farm” with Paul Butterfield Blues
Band
Greatly effects the Beatles from “She Loves You” to “Eleanor Rigby”
Like A Rolling Stone – at least doubles the amount of time a song is! Changes the way
songs are recorded forever!
Inspires other Folk-rock groups like: The Byrds, Sonny & Cher, the Mamas & the Papas,
Simon & Garfunkel
(Paul) Simon & (Art) Garfunkel – lots of recording (’58-62), The Sounds of Silence
(’65) [re-released w/ powerful rhythm section], Homeward Bound, (album) Parsley,
Sage, Rosemary & Thyme; Scarborough Fair; 59th Street Bridge Song; Mrs. Robinson
(soundtrack); Bridge Over Troubled Waters (’70)
Other famous groups: Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger (We Shall Overcome)
BEATLES (FIRST BRITISH INVASION*) *close interconnection between U.S. & Brit
Pop that continues today (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sting, Oasis)
November 1963 – Beatles single, I Wanna Hold Your Hand coincides with JFK’s
death. Throws America for a loop – Beatles provide relief to youth from the devastation
of Kennedy’s assassination.
History of Beatles traced back to March 1957 – John Lennon & (childhood friend)
Pete Shotton form a group, “The Black Jacks” to play skiffle (type of popular music with
jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised
instruments.) & American RnR. Soon change name to “The Quarry Men”.
July 6, 1957, a friend of JL introduces him to guitarist Paul McCartney. Shotton asks
PM to join the group.
Paul & George Harrison were students together at Liverpool Institute H.S. for Boys,
they became friends on the daily hour long bus commute discovering a mutual interest in
music.
Aug 29, 1958 – GH accepted into The Quarry Men (7 members of the group total)
!959 – group disbands due to lack of gigs eventually JL, PM, GH form “Johnny & the
Moon Dogs” with PM on drums.
Jan 1960, John invites fellow art student, Stu Sutcliffe to join provided he gets his
own bass. In May they rename themselves “The Beetles” (tribute to Buddy Holly & the
Crickets”; then “Silver Beetles”. In june, “Silver Beatles”
Aug 6, 1960 – they invite Pete Best to be the permanent drummer
Alan Williams, manager, arranges gigs in Hamburg, Germany. On Aug 18, 1960
they go posing as students & now call themselves “The Beatles”. They stay until Dec 1st.
Return periodically until feb ’62.
Line up: JL-rhythm/vocals, PM- rhythm/vocals, GH-lead/vocals, Stuart Sutclifeebass/vocals, Pete Best-drums. (Best is sex symbol of group which causes jealousy in rest
of group)
1st Hamburg tour ends due to George being found underage & J&P arrested for
attempted arson, Stu leaves group engaged to photographer Astrid Kirchherr
Feb 9, 1961 Pete’s mom helps them book a gig @ the Cavern Club; return to
Germany 4/1/61-7/2/61, but $ dispute w/ manager causes Alan to leave.
Sat, Oct 28, 1961 Brian Epstein, a local record store owner gets 3 requests for Beatles
recording of “My Bonnie.” Finds out they’re playing the cavern club so goes to check
them out. Becomes their new manager on 1/24/62
1/1/62 granted audition for Decca records & they are turned down (Betales had
partied too hard the night before & the other group lived closer so would cost less in
travel expenses.)
4/10/62 Stu dies of brain hemorrhage
6/4 – Beatles aud forEMI/Parlophone records with producer George Martin who tells
them to replace their drummer
8/16/62 – Best fired & replaced w/ Ringo Starr
2/9/64 debut in US on Ed Sullivan Show in NYC
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Best (drummer), Stuart Sutcliffe (rhythm
guitar/vocals)  add George Harrison, Stu dies, Pete Best replaced with Richard
”Ringo” Starkey
 Brian Epstein, manager, turns them into a nicer, cleaner cut, softer group so they
can make it in America.
Reasons for popularity:
 Great song writers
 Appearances on Ed Sullivan Show
 Film right away (A Hard Days Night 1964 – mockumentary en route to London
TV appearance & Help! 1965 in color)
 Release one record after another, after another
 Constantly changing style
 Borrowed from American Music (the best American band that wasn’t American!)
o Able to get American music in Liverpool from the sailors in port.
 Go to Hamburg, Germany & are forced to play their brains out and be good at it.
 Ringo was the perfect drummer for the Beatles
Early sounds are very R&B, but by Tax Man sound starts to change. In Rubber Soul
Album - In My Life - music (sound) starts to mature.
(1965) Shea Stadium – 1st time a group had played a venue that large (55,000+ fans).
Sound system was too small (most people didn’t hear them over the screams of the fans,
but the fans didn’t care – they were “seeing” the Beatles!)
(’67?) Stop touring and go into recording studio for 5 months. What happened to them?
& then WHAM they release: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is often considered
the best RnR album ever; what it really does is take the “roll” out. New era  Rock
(considered by some to be the 1st concept album)
 Creates a new way to record
 Associated with the counter-culture drug use (Psychedelic influenced period LSD)
 George Martin, producer, “the straight guy” brought the way out there stuff back
to earth and put it together.
Important Producers of RnR: (1) Sam Phillips (2) Phil Spector (3) George Martin
Maharishi Makesh Yogi – Indian (from India) Spiritual Advisor (8/26/1967 meditation
weekend in Bangor, Wales)
Bob Dylan was there and influenced them (got them into drugs) & BrianWilson also
there & Donovan (folk singer, sang Mellow Yellow & taught John Lennon the
clawhammer finger picking style which later helped him write Julia)
During the week of 4/4/1964, Beatles set a record: occupy all top 5 positions on
billboard’s “top pop singles” (Can’t Buy Me Love= #1) then they release A Hard Days
Night (movie) in August 1964.
Lyrically sophisticated & musically expansive albums: Rubber Soul (1965)
Revolver (1966)
Summer ’66 entourage was physically attacked in Phillipines after perceived snub of
queen; casual remark by JL that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, result in record
burnings in bible belt & demands for a repentant apology. Retire from touring after San
Fran concert on Aug 29, 1966. 10 months later they release SPLHCB
No singles ever released from album (1st concept album to be listened to start to finish)
Aug 1967 – Brian Epstein (prone to suicidal depression over past year) dies of drug
overdose, leaving group w/o manager.
Magical Mystery Tour (next film project, directed by themselves) lacks focus & basic
professionalism. Picture Bombs. Premieres on BBC on Dec 1967 & gives media 1st
chance to roast Beatles.
Early 1968, decamp for India for course in transcendental meditation with Maharishi –
(slight embarrassment as the 4 never complete course & depart early)
White Album – double LP released late ’68. Return to guitar-based rock (abandon
psychedelic rock). Very much individual songs opposed to collective group songs. GH
becoming more prolific & skilled composer, resent his junior status, group bickers more
openly. RS actually quits for a couple weeks in midst of recording White Album sessions.
JL devotion to romantic & artistic pursuits w/ new girlfriend Yoko Ono. Apple records
(started in 1968) becomes financial & organizational nightmare.
PM pushing group to return to live performing, gets put on back burner after GH leaves
group for a few days. Group performs (impromptu) on top of Apple headquarters in
London on Jan 30, 1969, before police stop it. (Last live performance).
Release Let It Be in spring ’69. Quarrels intensify in dispute over management. PM
wants father-in-law to handle affairs, others want American businessman.
Final album, Abbey Road heralds the arrival of GH as a composer = to JL & PM. JL
begins releasing solo singles & performing in Plastic Ono Band, threatens to quit in late
’69 but is dissuaded from making public announcement. After Aug. 1969 group has
basically finished (JL- Plastic Ono Band, GH – Delaney & Bonnie, RS – starring role in
Magic Christian film, PM- 1st solo album) but public did not know until PM publically
announces on April 10, 1970 that he’s leaving the group & then sues for dissolution at
end of 1970.
Fans hope for reunion until Dec. 1980 when JL is shot & killed by Mark David Chapman
outside his NY apartment. GH attacked by home intruder & stabbed in 1999 (lives) but
dies on lung cancer on Nov 29, 2001.
(1ST BRIT INVASION BANDS) – Brit Bands took American sound/style made it their
own & then “sold” it back to the U.S.
Beatles, Rollng Stones, Yardbirds, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, The Who, The
Animals
The Rolling Stones - Yin Yang of the Beatles: “the Bad Boys” of Rock, (the underbelly
– they looked dangerous, raw sounds, blues sound) [name inspired by Muddy Waters
song]
Mic Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones (replaced by Mic Taylor replaced by Brian
Wood), [Dick Taylor replaced by] Bill Wyman (bass), [Mick Avory replaced by] Charlie
Watts (drummer) – manager/producer: Andrew Loog Oldham (wants to exploit “the
opposite to what the Beatles are doing.”
“Glimmer twins” – Jagger & Richards / “The Human Riff” - Richards
1969 – drop Brian Jones due to drug trouble (he drowned later that year)
31 UK top 10 hits & 35+ years later 1998 tour “The Greatest RnR Band in the
World”
STILL PLAYING!!!
Formed in April 1962 – Jagger & Richards meet Brian Jones [in mid-60’s - quintessential
bluesmen used Stones rhythm section to tour with
RubyTuesday – Early Stones w/Brian Jones on Lead Guitar
January 1963 – Jagger & Richards meet Paul McCartney & John Lennon. P & J give
them I Wanna Be Your Man (J & R are 1st non-Beatles to record a Lennon/McCartney
song)
1964 Stones replace Beatles in the #1 spot in the U.K.
1964 perform on Ed Sullivan (2nd appearance) Let’s Spend the Night Together –
show’s producers change the lyrics to Let’s Spend “Time” Together
1965 discover their own voice in singles The Last Time & (I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction – satisfaction built around a fuzz-tone guitar riff from Richards; that many
consider the all-time greatest rnr song. Satisfaction, Sympathy for the Devil (harmonically
based on the blues – Keith Richards takes lead guitar (& solos) in this song for 1st time
(instead of Brian Jones) (Satisfaction reaches #1 in U.S.)
--eclectic sound (largely due to Brian Jones- Under My Thumb: marimba; Lady Jane;
dulcimer
--1967 release 3 albums; beset by legal troubles stemming from a string of mediainstigated drug busts. Jagger, Richards & Jones narrowly escape draconian prison
sentences. Ongoing substance abuse rapidly causes Jones physical & mental state to
degenerate. Their Satanic Majesties Request (bombastic pschychedelia) – a retort to
Beatles SPLHCB album and Beatles summer of Love manifesto. Marks the last time that
the Stones would creatively shadow the Beatles.
June 8, 1969 – Brian Jones announces he’s leaving due to “musical differences”
(replaced by Mic Taylor) – pushed out by J & R due to drugs and alcohol & mental
issues. July 3, 1969 – Brian is found dead in swimming pool. “death by misadventure”
--return to basic rnr with a vengeance. By 1969 their music is definitive rnr! Classics ’6869: Jumping Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man, Sympathy for the Devil, Honky Tonk
Women, Gimme Shelter, Midnight Rambler (the last 2 from the album Let It Bleed, an
album filled with portents of violence, decadence & social cataclysm)
1969 - July 5, if Woodstock marks the apex of the hippie movement in America, the
Stones free concert in Hyde Park does the same for England. Draws nearly 300,000
people.
(about 3 months after Woodstock) Stones give free concert Dec 1, 1969 at Altimant
Spedway outside of San Francisco, but use Hell’s Angels as security (they had done so
before in the U.K. with no troubles), but during the Jefferson Airplane set (lead singer
Marty Balin is knocked unconscious) & the Hell’s Angels beat up a spectator (an 18 y.o.
black man who pulled a gun and was subsequently stabbed to death). The ensuing RIOT
symbolizes the end of the Peace & Love Era.
1971 – Stones launch their own record company, Rolling Stones Records with release of
Sticky Fingers and it’s 1st single Brown Sugar
1989 – inducted into Rnr H.o.F
The Who – smashed guitar for the 1st time; Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere – 1st feedback
My Generation – anthem of the 60’s; Tommy (’69) Rock Opera
 Formed in 1962 (Pete Townsend, guitar; Roger Daltry, lead singer; John
Entwhistle, bass & brass; Keith “the Loon” Moon, drums)
 1964 1st gig in London
 1st gig in U.S. is on “Shin-Dig” (tv show similar to American Bandstand)
o I Can’t Explain
st
 1 album (LP) released in ’65 includes My Generation (‘60’s theme song)
 1967 plat @ Monterey Pop Festival
o Do NOT want to play following Jimi Hendrix!
 1st group to destroy their instruments @ end of show
 Appear on The Smothers Bros. TV show; play My Generation
o Moon’s kit had explosives in it (set by the studio engineer), Moon put
more in not realizing that it had already been done. When the kit explodes,
the resulting BOOM gives the group tinnitus
 1969 Tommy released (immediately receives critical acclaim (“landmark
recording”) - Later same year Tommy tours in U.S.
 1970 Keith Moon gets in trouble with skinheads; tries to escape & accidentally
kills his chauffer with the limo
 1973 Quadrophenia (2nd Rock Opera)
 1974 Tommy becomes a film
Yardbirds – (top guitarists – Eric Clapton => Jeff Beck =>Jimmy Page)
Took American R&B, made it their own &sold it back to the U.S.
Started as a traditional Blues Band
Keith Ralph, Paul Samuels Smith, Jeff Beck, Chris Drayer, Jim McCartey?
1965 Clapton leaves to play w/ John Mayall & is replaced by Beck
’66 Paul Samwell leaves; Drayer moves to Bass; Page joins & plays rhythm guitar &
lead
Page obtains rights to obtain “yardbird” name
Producer Peter Grant
Band breaks up & reforms w/ Robert Plant & Jon Bonham  “The New Yardbirds”
become Led Zepplin! (Led Zepplin, Rod Stewart, Cream all came about b/c of the
Yardbirds!)
SECOND BRITISH INVASION (1968-69)
 Led Zepplin
 Cream
 Pink Floyd (1970’s Album band, stadium filler: Dark Side of the Moon (’73), The
Wall (’79))
 Deep Purple
Led Zepplin (got the name from drummer of The Who, Keith Moon, who heard them
play and said that they would go over like a “Lead Zepplin” (aka “a Lead Balloon”)
 1968 – Jimmy Page (elec guitar) plays last gig w/ the New Yardbirds
 John Bonham (percussion) “consummate rock drummer”
 Robert Plants (vocals)
 John Paul Jones (bass, keyboard, producer)
 Peter Grant (manager) [secures the largest contract deal in RnR history!]
1969 1st U.S. tour – opening for Vanilla Fudge, also play the Newport Jazz Festival
(Newport, RI) & release Led Zepplin (1st album). 2nd album (Led Zepplin 2)released in
1970. 4th album (ZoZo – nickname for Jimmy Page) includes Stairway to Heaven. Last
album (In Through the Out Door) influenced heavily by John Paul Jones & Robert Plant,
not so much by Page and Bonham (who are more interested in heroine)  much different
sound for the group than in the past
 Rumor: Robert Plant, a Satanist? Led Zepplin cursed? (Plant was definitely
interested by the Black Arts)
Cream [1st “power trio”] 1966 – ALL SEASONED MUSICIANS
Eric Clapton, guitar (influenced Jimi Hendrix)
Jack Bruce, bass
Ginger Baker, drums
1967 release Fresh Cream (I Feel Free – 1st single)
Crossroads – shows connection to Blues Roots
Sunshine of Your Love, White Room – Psychedelic-Rock
Tom Dowd (Atlantic Recording Engineer working for Cream –> 16 years old!)
PSYCHEDELIC “ACID” ROCK – (originates in San Francisco) drug culture that grew
up around groups like: Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead
Heavy (loud) amplification & distortion
Music meant to stimulate a drug experience
(colored) Light shows/elements of electronic music (Pink Floyd)
Wrote lyrics with space age imagery (becomes Progressive Rock in the 70’s)
THE SUMMER OF LOVE (1967)
Hippie culture: drugs were meant as a way of escaping to what they thought was a better
way of life, where love & peace would prevail over violence.
Hippie Commune – Mount Gorda, near Big Sur, California
 “the Human Be-In” created by The Family Dog,The Straight Theater, The
Diggers, The San Fran Oracle & ~ 25 individuals
 Draws @ least 35,000 people mostly via word of mouth
 Attempt to initiate young people into another more positive & compassionate
vision of “this embryonic cultural revolution” (“sowing the seeds of a
compassionate idealism for themselves and subsequent generations”)

Media projects negative images of young unbathed, barefoot individual,
sitting in gutter, smoking a joint and begging for spare change
*International Monterey Pop Festival (’67) – 3 days showcasing music that hadn’t been
heard before: Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, Janis Joplin & Big
Brother & the Holding Company, Ravi Shankar, Grateful Dead, the Mamas & the Papas,
Janis Joplin: born in 1943 in wealthy area of Texas; in HS was reading Beatnik writers,
Ginsbeg, etc…; dyed her hair orange, dressed different (men’s white shirts over pants);
listened to Cajun, Zydeko, the Blues; very rebellious @ home
Attends University of TX @ Austin (1st vocal recording), 1st woman to go braless @
UTexas – leaves college goes to San Francisco and gets into Beat Scene (starts using
drugs)
Goes home to “clean up”, announces her engagement, says she’l go back to college,
planned marriage, kids, etc BUT engagement ring never comes.
Jim Langdon (critic) gets her a gig in Austin, TX. By the time she returns to San
Francisco the Beatniks were gone & young people are doing LSD.
 Joins Big Brother & the Holding Co., worries about drugs again
 Good reviews help her self-image, but she has a “low side”
 Joe MacDonald, country singer, planned a date but never shows
 Adventurous nature: got into a relationship w/ a woman, but wants the romance of
a male/female relationship
 Counter-culture – started getting noticed by the rest of America (“Peace, Love,
Happiness”)
 Not interested in the drugs (LSD), preferred alcohol
 Monterey Pop Festival (June ’67) Big Brother – 2 performances (1st wasn’t taped,
she wore hippie threads, 2nd wore gold lame` dress and steps into mainstream
(Janis and Jimi overnight stars! Tour together and sign to Columbia Records)
 1968 in NY records 2nd album (Cheap Thrills?) Rave about Janis; slams the band
 Band starts to break up
 Record Co. gets a new band for her (Cosmic Soul Band – far removed from the
San Fran sound)
Rolling Stone Mag. Compares her to Judy Garland “lacks self-protective quality a
performer of her statue would appear to need”
Sings duet with Tom Jones
Breakthrough woman who pushes the envelope (plain woman can still be sexual)
 Hides behind her alter-ego (Pearl) [Pearl #1 stays on charts for 14 weeks]
 Goes to 10 yr. HS reunion and media hounds her about how sad her life in HS
was
 Mother reportedly told her she wished that she had never been born.
Me and My Bobby McGee – Janis off drugs for a short time
Media frenzy on the new music – the Record Industry finally got behind it.
 October 4 (1970?) good day @ recording studio; but by 12:30 got drunk and is @
hotel alone; 1:40am overdose??
(late 60’s) Dylan comes out of self-imposed retirement.
Folk-Rock(Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel)
Country-Rock (Flying Burritos Brothers)
Blues-Rock (Eric Clapton)
the Moody Blues, Capt. Beefheart, Frank Zappa,
Allman Brothers (beginning of Southern Rock)
LA: the Doors, Mamas & Papas, Love
NYC: Velvet Underground (beg. of Punk)
FM radio allows all these sounds to be found!
Rolling Stone Magazine – the arrival of the Rock Press (also Cheetah Magazine, Craw
Daddy)
1969 – This all comes to fruition and blossoms @ WOODSTOCK
 400,000 audience more like 700,000 in actual attendance.
 Took on mythic proportions “anything can happen”
 Dec. 6, 1969 - ALTAMANT SPEEDWAY FREE FESTIVAL in No. California
o Headlined & organized by the Rolling Stones
o Also featured Santana, Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Bros.,
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Grateful Dead backed out due to
disorganization of event & the attack of Marty Balin from Jefferson
Airplane by a Hell’s Angel – knocked out on-stage!)
o 300,000 people attend (“Woodstock West”?)
o Hell’s Angels working security & kill Meredith Hunter, an 18 year old
black man on film (Gimme Shelter)
o End of the Peace, Love of 60’s
Pop festivals lead to the development of the modern PA (Public Address) System.
DAYS OF RAGE: (Riot) 4 day period beginning Oct. 8, 1969 in Chicago
 287 members of the Weathermen (militant group) converge on city to confront
police after protesting trial of the “Chicago Seven” (7 – 8 defendants charged with
conspiracy, inciting to riot & other charges related to violent protests that took
place in Chicago, Illinois @ the occasion of the ’68 Democratic Convention.
Defendants made public mockery of the trial – all were later acquitted of
conspiracy)
CIVIL RIGHTS
DEMONSTRATIONS, black revolt, campus unrest, Vietnam War vs. Draft
resistance, Students for a Democratic Society, assassinations of MLK, Malcom X, JFK &
RFK
1960’s PROPAGANDA [Pro-America vs. Anti-war]
Peace symbol: is
semaphore (flag language) for “D” which stood for “Defense”
in Europe it
referred to Nuclear Defense.
Different sides of same issue (son dying in war)
Pro-America: Ballad of the Green Berets





“fearless men who jump &
die”
“brave men”
“America’s Best”
100 men test, only 3 become
green berets
Trained in combat (hand 2
hand)
Anti-War: My Son
 Set in minor key
 1st breath mother dies
 I was the only one there
 My only son: red hair, green
eyes
 1st day of grade school –
walked there tears in dad’s
eyes
 Pride in my son
 Father was his closest friend
“house was blessed w/ 2
grown men”


Courage
“Back home a young wife
waits, the GB has met his
fate… died for those
oppressed. Last request – put
silver wings on my son’s
chest. He’ll be a man, a GB”

@ 20 his son could see how
dad raised family
“how I miss him w/ me
reminiscing”
In hand they gave me medals
for bravery
“oh my son” – grief, anguish,
followed by bugle (partial
taps) and church bells tolling



[60’s mini-series: how white/black families were affected by historic events of 60’s]