SURF, HOT RODS, & THE BRITISH INVADE
1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give up seat on bus in Montgomery AL
1958 Alan Freed’s TV show cxl when mixed couple is seen dancing together
July 1957 Lennon invites McCartney to join his group, the Quarrymen.
Jan 1958 George Harrison joins John Lennon's group, the Quarrymen.
May 1958 Jimi Hendrix receives his first guitar, purchased by his father for $5
May 1960 Frank Sinatra TV special to welcome Elvis back from the Army
1961 Cuban Missile Crisis
1961 The Twist becomes International sensation
Dec 1961 The Beatles formed from the members of the Quarrymen, make their
performing debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool
Dec 1961 The Beach Boys, in one of their first public appearances, perform for a
Ritchie Valens memorial concert in Long Beach, California
July 1962 Jimi Hendrix discharged from the Army & plays w/ Little Richard
May 1963 Beach Boys Surfin USA (Chuck Berry will sue for copyright infringement)
Aug 1963 March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream"
Nov 1963 President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas
Feb 1964 The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
July 1964 The Civil Rights Act
1965 The Voting Rights Act
1965 Gulf of Tonkin incident leads to US presence in South Vietnam
• CALIFORNIA DREAMS
• Post WWII California became a boom state and the
Myth of the California Wonderland began.
• Postwar California had many advantages over other
states.
• Had an abundance of natural resources
• In 1961 was the #1 farm state in the union
• Silicon Valley ushered in the computer age with $700
million in Defense contracts for Zenith, Motorola, etc..
• 3rd largest state in land and diverse terrain & climates.
• Population In 1940 – 7 million by 1962 - 17 million
• CALIFORNIA DREAMS
• Media outlets such as LIFE & NEWSWEEK Magazine
described the state w/ incomes 25% above the national
average, wide open jobs, plenty of houses with swimming
pools, and Californians relaxed lifestyle.
• Several homegrown attractions came to symbolize the
fairyland aura
• In July 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim CA
• By 1965, 50 million visitors to the Magic Kingdom
• The Mickey Mouse Club (featuring Mouseketeers such as
Annette Funicello) premiers Oct 1955 on ABC
• California manufacturer MATTEL, who produced many
Disney licensed toys, introduces the BARBIE in 1959.
• SURFING IN THE USA
• Surf Music glorified 1 of the most attractive elements of
the California myth: “sun-drenched beaches dotted with
tanned, blonde, bikini-clad, Barbie-like beauties”
• Surfing: the sacred sport of Hawaiian kings made its way to
California at the turn of the 20th century.
• 1959 2 things boosted Surfing’s popularity:
• 1. Innovations of 2 surfboard companies that made the
boards easier to handle making them more attractive to
teens
• 2. The hit movie GIDGET, a tale of a young girl who spends
a summer on the beach and falls in love with two surfers
• SURFING IN THE USA
• Almost overnight teenagers began to buy the new plastic
surfboards and by 1961 an estimated 30,000 California
teens were surfing by 1963 over 100,000
• The new legions of predominately male teen surfers began
to develop their own culture, style, dress, and language.
• Soon the teens had magazines and movies devoted to the
beach and surfing.
• Two Dick Clark regulars Frankie Avalon & ex-Mouseketeer
Annette Funicello would star in some of the biggest movie
hits.
• Soon surfers would begin to listen to their own music as
well, which originated with Dick Dale and his Del-Tones
• The Sounds Of Surf – DICK DALE
• Born in Beirut, Lebanon a teenaged Dale moved to
California and joined the hordes of young surfers
• Also a guitar enthusiast Dale joined his two passions to
create a new music for the surf culture
• During the summer of 1961 Dale and his band unveiled
their new sound at weekend dances at the Rendezvous
Ballroom near Newport Beach CA.
• In 1961 Dale and The Del-Tones self-released records to the
surf crowd and eventually topped the California charts
• In 1962 they produced the surf classic “Miserlou”
• The Sounds Of Surf – DICK DALE
• In 1963 Capitol Records discovered Dale and pegged him
“King of the Surf Guitar”
• Also in 1963 Dale landed a spot in the surf music classic
Beach Party with Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello
• By the end on 1963 Dale had become a true California
celebrity
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• DICK DALE - MISERLOU
• THE BEACH BOYS
• The Beach Boys brought the surf sound to the national
scene.
• Growing up in a suburb of LA, brothers Brian, Carl, and
Dennis Wilson formed the group in 1961 with cousin Mike
Love & classmate Al Jardine.
• They were originally called “The Pendletones” after
Pendleton style shirts California teens worn.
• The group blended the sound of 1950’s R&B electric guitars
and the glossy vocal harmonies of boy groups as The Four
Freshmen and girl groups such as The Ronnettes.
• They were managed by the Wilson’s domineering father
Murray Wilson.
• THE BEACH BOYS
• Murray introduced the boys to a local music publisher who
recorded the song (Surfin’) they auditioned with in only 2
hrs after hearing it.
• He was able to take the demo to local label Candix which
released it in Dec 1961.
• Before releasing the song the label changed their name to
The Beach Boys without even asking the group.
• The song was a success but Candix ceased operations only
2 months after the song hit the California charts.
• Murray continued to record the group and take demos to
other labels.
• THE BEACH BOYS
• In June of 1962 they singed with Capital Records after
getting some demos to a Capitol producer who took the
songs to his boss.
• In May of 1963 they released the album “Surfin’ USA”
• “Surfin’ USA” was a note for note reworking of Chuck
Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”
• The album established The Beach Boys as the Kings of Surf
and help spread the surf craze across the nation to the
generally optimistic teens living in pre-Kennedy
assassination America.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• SURFIN USA
• JAN & DEAN – Drag City
• Jan & Dean became surf icons with the help of The Beach
Boys.
• They meet in junior high school and began singing together.
• They had a top 10 teen idol hit in 1959 with “Baby Talk”
after appearing on American Bandstand.
• In 1962 they changed their style to surf after performing
with The Beach Boys.
• Jan & Dean decided to add more surf music to their next
album and asked Brian Wilson to get The Beach Boys to
play the instrumental parts.
• JAN & DEAN – Drag City
• Brian Wilson was more than happy and even wrote a new
song for them that added to the California myth with the
line “2 girls for every guy”
• Near the end of 1963 surf music had became a national
craze with help from The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and
the #2 hit song “Whip Out” recorded by The Surfaris and
popular surf movies.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• WHIP OUT- The Surfaris
• JAN & DEAN – Drag City
• Many of the Surf Group glorified another aspect of the
California landscape: The automobile & more specifically
THE HOT ROD
• In the early 60’s California had by far the most freeways
with 850 miles of expressways and 2400 miles of multilane highways.
• The importance & need for automobiles in CA lead to
another subculture among California teens.
• The Hot Rod subculture was promoted through Hollywood
movies and the national press.
• Jan & Dean’s album DRAG CITY became synonymous with
the Hot Rod Culture.
• JAN & DEAN – Drag City
• The title track “Drag City” was written for Jan & Dean by
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and local Los Angeles DJ
Roger Christian.
• Christian helped many surf bands write songs about
dragsters even though in California, surfers and hotrodders (or ho-dads) where considered rivals.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• JAN & DEAN – DRAG CITY
• SURFING IN THE USA
• In the early 1960’s Surf Music was dominating the charts in
the USA
• However several movements in the US from folk singers in
New York City and R&B soul singers in Detroit would soon
find more main stream acceptance with changing attitudes
in America following The Kennedy Assassination, the rise
of the Civil Rights movement and growing tensions in
southeast Asia.
• But starting in early 1964 no one would dominate the US
charts more than an Invading Army of Rock & Rollers from
across the Atlantic Ocean.
• THE BRITISH INVASION!
• After WWII England experienced a baby boom just like in
the States.
• By the late 50’s and early 60’s the English baby boomers
were teenagers.
• England experienced harder times after WWII then in the
States, crippled by the war England enforced wartime
rationing until 1954.
• Unlike their American counterparts British teens faced hard
times upon finishing high school at age 15 or 16.
• Working class teens in England began to form to rival
factions: The Rockers and The Mods
• THE BRITISH INVASION!
• The Rockers - modeled themselves after the American
Teddy Boys of the 1950’s who wore black leather jackets,
tight fitting blue jeans, greased their back in a pompadour
style, wore black sunglasses and rode motorcycles.
• The Mods (short for The Modernist) had short hair, wore
Italian style suits, good shoes, good shirts, and danced like
madman. The Mods constantly changed to stay “in
fashion”,often dyed their hair blonde and fueled the rise of
the alternative fashion district at Carnaby Street in London.
• Many of these youths having free being unemployed and
lacking direction turned to music
• THE EARLY BEATLES
• Formed in 1959, The Quarrymen, then Johnny and the
Moon Dogs, then The Silver Beatles, then just The Beatles
started as a skiffle band in the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
• Skiffle Music - type of popular music w jazz, blues, folk, and roots influences, usually
using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the
first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s
• The Beatles cam from working class families in Liverpool
and adopted THE ROCKER image.
• The early Beatles consisted of
•
•
•
•
•
John Lennon – guitar/vox
Paul McCartney - guitar/vox,
George Harrison - guitar/vox,
Pete Best - drums
Stuart Sutcliffe - bass
• THE EARLY BEATLES
• The early Beatles played cover versions of songs by such artist
as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, etc….when they formed in early
1960.
• They traveled to Hamburg Germany regularly & performed at
different clubs during the period from August 1960 to
December 1962; a chapter in the group's history which honed
their performance skills, widened their reputation, and led to
their 1st recording, which brought them to the attention of
their 1st manager.
• When The Beatles return home - Stuart Sutcliffe quit the band
moving Paul to bass, they began to perform around England
sometimes billed as a Germany group, & began selling out of
their 1st record drawing the attention of one of the most
important people involved in their career BRIAN EPSTEIN
• BRIAN EPSTEIN
• Was born in 1934 into one of the wealthiest families in
Liverpool.
• He began his career as a salesman in 2 of his father’s shops: a
furniture shop and the other a music store.
• Brian was successful and expanded his father’s record retailing
business.
• He was getting bored with the sales business & was looking for
something else, when he began to notice The Beatles album
selling out at his store.
• He saw them at The Caven Club in Liverpool and signed them to
a management deal getting 25% of all of their net revenues.
• His 1st order of business was to change their ROCKER image to
make them more palatable to the general public.
• BRIAN EPSTEIN
• Next Epstein arranged their live show and then began looking
for other music professionals to help.
• He managed to get them an audition with many British record
labels and they were rejected by almost every one.
• Famously, Decca Records rejected them, saying that "guitar
groups are on the way out” & “The Beatles have no future in show
business”.
• Epstein manage to set up one more audition with EMI producer
& executive George Martin.
• Martin liked the group but only agreed to sign them if they
replaced the drummer Pete Best.
• Epstein suggested that they replace best with a drummer from a
rival Liverpool group named RINGO STARR, After growing
frustrated with BEST, The Beatles agreed
• BRIAN EPSTEIN
• On September 11, 1962 The Beatles with Starr in tow recorded
their 1st release for EMI “Love Me Do” & “PS I Love You”.
• Hiring Tony Barrow, a Decca Records publicity man, to promote
the record Brian Epstein would soon make The Beatles a
National Sensation in England.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• LOVE ME DO – THE BEATLES
• THE BEATLES invade AMERICA
• After success in England Epstein set his sights on America
• He convinced Capitol Records to spend $50,000 on a “crash
publicity program”
• It included 5 million stickers plastered on buildings, fences,
telephone poles, etc… in every state.
• 1 million copies of a 4 page Beatle tabloid
• 1 million copies of a promotional interview record
• They also got Newsweek, Time, Life, The NY Times, etc.. to run
stories about “The Beatles are coming”
• A week before they arrived in NYC “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
hit #1 on Billboard and stayed there for 7 weeks
• On Feb 7, 1964 The Beatles arrived at JFK airport to massive
crowds of teens that followed them all over NYC.
• THE BEATLES invade AMERICA
• Beatlemania swept the country and on Feb 9 they made their
1st appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
• Some adults disapproved of the new rage. The Herald Tribune
called them “75% publicity 20% haircut 5% lilting lament”
• Ray Block (Orchestral leader on the Ed Sullivan show) said they
“wouldn’t last a year”
• Later in July 1964 they released their 1st full length motion
picture “A Hard Day’s Night”
• In August of 1964 they returned for a series of concerts and
cemented their success in America and opened the door the
States for a flood of British bands to come.
• THE BEATLES invade AMERICA
• As Beatlemania swept America, John Lennon remarked that
The Beatles had become "more popular than Jesus” and was
quoted by the American teen magazine, Datebook. Lennon
originally made the remark when an English newspaper
reporter, Maureen Cleave, interviewed him at home for a series
of articles on the lifestyles of the 4 Beatles.
• There was a backlash among adults and the media who took the
quote the wrong way.
• Lennon apologized for the comment.
• LISTENING JOURNAL – 1st Ed Sullivan appearance
• All My Loving , Till There Was You , Sue Raney (cover) , She Loves You, I Saw Her
Standing There , I Want to Hold Your Hand
• THE MERSEY BEAT
• After the success of The Beatles other British acts gained
popularity especially the one that had been in the Liverpool club
circuit with them and where covered by THE MERSEY BEAT
• Mersey Beat was a music publication in Liverpool, England in the
early 1960s. It was founded by Bill Harry, who was one of John
Lennon's classmates at Liverpool Art College.
• Gerry Marsden, a truck driver, formed Gerry & The Pacemakers in
1959.
• The were managed by Brian Epstein and often opened for The
Beatles in Liverpool.
• Epstein got them signed to Columbia Records and they appeared
on Ed Sullivan & were one of the 1st acts to ride The British wave
started by The Beatles
• LISTENING JOURNAL – DON’T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING
• THE MERSEY BEAT
• Another Liverpool act to break the Mersey Beat sound in America
was THE SEARCHERS
• Taking their name from a John Wayne movie they copied the style
and sound of American acts such as Buddy Holly & Gene Vincent.
• In April 1964 they appeared on Ed Sullivan in the mist of
Beatlemania and rode the charts with their hit “Needles & Pins”.
• However, they might be best remember for a later hit song “Love
Potion No.9”
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• LOVE POTION NO. 9
• THE MERSEY BEAT
• Groups from other parts of Great Britain began to invade America
with a sound similar to The Mersey Beat.
• The Hollies from Manchester England proved to be one of the
more long lasting groups of the Manchester bands.
• The group was started by Graham Nash & Allan Clarke who first
met in grammar school
• They called themselves The Hollies after their musical hero Buddy
Holly
• They were signed by an EMI producer who first saw them at The
Cavern Club in Liverpool.
• They hit the top ten in America in 1966 with “Bus Stop”
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• BUS STOP
• THE MERSEY BEAT
• Another Manchester band was Herman’s Hermits
• Formed in 1962 by front man Peter Noone the band was later
signed to EMI by a producer who noticed Noone’s resemblance to
a young JFK.
• The bands big hit was a Carol King song “I’m Into Something
Good” with was recorded with studio musicians Jimmy Page &
John Paul Jones (of later Led Zepplin fame)
• Listening Journal
• I’m Into Something Good
• THE MERSEY BEAT
• The DAVE CLARK FIVE, from the Tottenham section of London ( a
tough section associated with gangs and organized crime), poised
to make the most serious threat to The Beatles early dominance of
the American charts.
• In May of 1964 after appearing on the Ed Sullivan show they had 5
songs on the charts at once.
• Dave Clark (Drummer & Band Leader) was influenced heavily by
Little Richard, Elvis, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, etc… the same as
John Lennon
• 1965 they copied the Fab Four by releasing their own full length
feature film “Catch Us If You Can”
• Listening Journal
• Do You Love Me / Glad All Over
• THE AMERICAN MERSEY BEAT
• 2 American Producers took advantage of the Mersey Beat Craze
and created a prefabricated American version of The Beatles
called The Monkees
• Inspired by the success of A Hard Days Night the producers
formed a production company and placed ads in Hollywood trade
papers looking for 17-21 yr olds for a new TV series.
• After auditioning 437 hopefuls The producers settle on 4
photogenic, energetic, & largely inexperienced applicants :
• MICHAEL NESMITH – unknown folk singer
• MICKEY DOLENZ – Child actor & garage band musician
• PETER TORK – Greenwich Village Folk Singer
• DAVY JONES – the most experienced: had been on Broadway as
Oliver, had been on a popular TV show, & had released a pop
album of which he had performed songs on Ed Sullivan
• THE AMERICAN MERSEY BEAT
• NBC bought the TV series 24 hrs after seeing the pilot.
• The producers hired top songwriters to write for the show.
• The show attracted 10 million viewers every Monday night and the
group hit the top if the singles charts with songs from the show.
• The Monkees patterned their success after The Beatles.
• Before their debut LP they employed a similar “The Monkees are
coming” ad campaign & billing themselves as The American
Beatles.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• I’m a Believer
• THE 2nd wav of THE BRITISH INVASION
• During the mid 60’s The Beatles and the Mersey Beat bands and
their American counterparts began to face new competition from
another group of British bands.
• Coming mostly from London and its suburbs a new group of
British youth adopted American Electric Blues and its underdog
image to blast a new sound across the Western world.
• This 2nd Invasion Wav was spear headed by none other than the
bad boys of Rock and Roll
• THE ROLLING STONES
• THE ROLLING STONES
• In 1956 The British Musicians Union ended its ban on American
musicians and American Blues Artist began to be invited to
England.
• Inspired by seeing Muddy Waters and the like in person, bands
like The Chris Barber band helped to popularize blues among
British youths
• Former members of The Chris Barber band formed Blues
Incorporated and began playing a regular Saturday night gig at the
Ealing Club, a crowded basement club in London which was
frequented by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and Brian Jones.
• Like The Beatles: Jagger, Richards, and Jones were 1st interested in
Rockabilly but later turned there attention to digging deeper into
its blues roots.
• THE ROLLING STONES
• Jagger and Richards meet on a train after Richards spotted Jagger with
a handful of records by Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, etc..
• The two talked about their mutual love for Chicago style blues and
within a few weeks had formed a band called The Glimmer Twins with
guitarist Dick Taylor.
• The band was just 2 guitars and a vocal but by mid-1963 they added a
drummer and bass player and premiered at the Marquee Club in
London on July 12, 1963 as The Rolling Stones.
• By the end of 1963 when guitarist Dick Taylor quit to form another blues
band they reformed the line-up that would remain almost the same for
over 40 years except for 1 tragic replacement in 1969 of Brian Jones.
• Mick Jagger – vocals
• Keith Richards – guitar
• Brian Jones – guitar
• Bill Wyman – bass
• Charlie Watts - drums
• THE ROLLING STONES
• The Stones were disciples of the blues and originally recorded many
blues covers by Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, etc…
• To get the “Chicago” sound they traveled to Chicago to record in the
Chess Record studios.
• The band took their name from a Muddy Waters song “Rollin’ Stone”
and meet him and Chuck Berry while recording in Chicago.
• By April 1963 the Record Mirror and other London teen magazines
began to recognize The Stones and the new London R&B sound as the
new hip underground music scene.
• THE ROLLING STONES turn raunchy
• Andrew Oldham, a former employee of Brian Epstein and PR man for
Bob Dylan and The Beatles took over management of the group in May
of 1963.
• At first he wanted to clean up the image of the group in the same
matching suit look as The Beatles and other Brit bands.
• He quickly realized that The Beatles had cornered the market on this
look & decided to take The Stones in the opposite direction.
• He changed their clothes, shaved a few years off of their ages, and
convinced his label, London Records to blitz the media about the bad
boys of Rock & Roll.
• One article in Melody Maker magazine read “Would you let your
daughter go out with a Rolling Stone?” & described the band as
“symbols of rebellion…against the boss, the clock, and the clean-shirt-a
day routine”
• THE ROLLING STONES turn raunchy
• With the help of their new manager, image, and their new friends The
Beatles (who gave them the song “I Wanna Be Your Man”) The Stones
achieved near top ten success in England.
• Their first tour in the US however was not so successful, playing to
empty stadiums and receiving lack luster industry support.
• On their 2nd tour of the US they began with an appearance on The Ed
Sullivan Show in which they were billed as a raunchy hip alternative to
The Beatles.
• It worked parents and the media where appalled but the kids love it.
• The media only added to their success by running stories about how
offensive they were.
• The rest of the tour was meet with enthusiastic teen support.
• Their success was continued with a less blues based and more song
oriented sound when Oldham insisted Mick & Keith write their own
songs.
• THE ROLLING STONES turn raunchy
• The Jagger/Richards writing team soon began to crank out hits and
eventually songs like “Satisfaction” , “Under My Thumb” , “Paint It
Black” replaced the R&B covers as their main sound.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• SATISFACTION
• THE WHO
• The Who was another British band that made the
transition from Chicago blues cover songs to writing their
own material.
• Pete Meaden, a freelance publicist who worked with
Andrew Oldham, managed and reshaped The Who, who
were originally called The Detours
• Meaden tried to reshape their image which was closer to
The Stones then The Beatles into sharp dressed Mods.
• Meaden even negotiated to have The Who featured in a
film about Mods.
• After the film the band hired two new managers that reenforced the Mod image but encouraged Pete Townsend
to begin writing original songs.
• THE WHO
• Townsends 3rd song was “My Generation” which became
the battle cry of the baby boomer Mods all through out
England.
• The Who combined the blues sound of The Rolling Stones
with “the look” of the fashionable Mods.
• They were also know for their on stage antics with
drummer Keith Moon and guitarist Pete Townsend often
throwing or even destroying their instruments during a
performance.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• My Generation
• THE YARDBIRDS
• Another British band stepped in the blues.
• Best known for launching the careers of a line of successive
guitar wizards.
• 1963 – 1965 Eric Clapton
• 1965-1966 Jeff Beck
• 1966-1968 Jimmy Page
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• For Your Love
• THE KINKS
• From the northern working class suburbs of London
• Formed by Ray and Dave Davies who had briefly played
with The Rolling Stones.
• Had a US top ten single with “You Really Got Me” & charted
again with “All Day and All of the Night” just 2 months later.
• Although they had chart success they had brief success in
American when they were banned for 4 years by the
American Federation of Musicians for unprofessional
conduct during their 1st American tour in 1965.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• You Really Got Me
• THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
• Spencer Davis, a teacher and blues enthusiast, joined with
Peter York and the Winwood brothers (Steve & Muff) to
start another R&B based group.
• Steve Winwood was only 14 yrs old.
• They followed the same path of The Who with blues covers
moving into writing their own music.
• From 1965-1967 they scored several hits in Britain and
America
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• Gimmie Some Lovin
• THE ANIMALS
• A group of poor young R&B enthusiasts from a northern
mining town were named for their wild stage behavior
• The band became best known for a low key reworking of
the folk blues song “House Of The Rising Song”.
• They chose the song to play while on tour with Chuck Berry
as to not compete with his high energy show.
• The song became a number one hit on both sides of the
Atlantic and The Animals successfully tour the US on their
own in 1964.
• LISTENING JOURNAL
• House of the Rising Sun