Black Music in the ’70s:
Last Days of Motown
• Motown dominance of charts wanes after
1971
– More diverse musical tastes?
– Other options in black music?
– Less control of artistic product?
• No single “Motown sound”
• Biggest hit makers those who defy or
expand “sound of young America”
Jackson 5
• Started as Motown artists in early ’70s
• Early hits adhere to the “formula”
– Ex. ABC
•
•
•
•
Theme: school and pre-pubescent love
Infectious hook
Simple bass riff
Light Latin flavor
Jackson 5 - ABC
• Contrary to “formula”
– Aggressive rock style beat
– Active, highly syncopated 16-beat rhythmic
layer
– Gospel and soul influence on vocal style
– Tendency to accent all four beats evenly
Stevie Wonder (1950- )
• Began performing professionally at age 10
• Signed by Berry Gordy at age 12; billed as
“Little Stevie Wonder”
• Rebels against Motown formula when
contract re-negotiated in 1971
– Gains control over own musical style
Stevie Wonder - Style
• Great melodic writer
• Thick, polyrhythmic textures
– On early albums, Wonder plays all
instruments
– Overdubbing creates master recording
– Extensive use of synthesizer
• Long, syncopated riffs as foundation
• Latin, reggae, and jazz rhythms prominent
Superstition
• Demonstrates new style evident on 1972
album Talking Book
• Wicked groove
• Sixteen-beat rhythms
• Strongly accented backbeats
Superstition
• Each 16-bar verse divided into 2 parts
– First half: Drums, bass, guitar, synthesizer
– Second half: Horn line added; jazz flavor
– Locally end-weighted
• Verses harmonically static – built on pentatonic
scale
• Bridge harmonically active
• Leads to hook (acting as refrain)
Gospel/Soul
• Fusion of soul, gospel, and pop
• Personified in Al Green
– “Voice of soul in the ‘70s
– Started as gospel singer
– Retains gospel traits in secular, romantic
songs
Al Green - Style
• Vocal style from gospel
– Melismas
– Falsetto shouts, moans, stutters - variety of
vocal techniques
– Huge range of tone colors
– Wide range
• Vocal virtuosity replaces rhythmic drive,
lyric message
Tired of Being Alone
• Affinity with Motown sound
• Ties to Stax Soul?
• New influences?
Tired of Being Alone
• Affinity with Motown sound
• Ties to Stax Soul
– Horn punctuation
– Accent on backbeat
• New influences
– Four part backing harmonies
– Almost no studio production
Philadelphia Sound
• Regional style of soul
• Philadelphia International Records (PIR)
founded in early ‘70s by Kenny Gamble
and Leon Huff
• Closely associated with Philadelphia
dance scene
Philadelphia Sound
• Highly produced – thick textures with
extensive overdubbing
– Strings
– Vibraphone
– Horns
– Latin percussion
• BUT lighter sound than the “Wall”
– Guitars, synths fed directly into board
– Relatively little reverb or echo
PIR
• Tight studio band - MFSB
– Mother, Father, Sister, Brother
– Generally maintain riffs
• Riff-driven
• Hard, rock-style timekeeping
O’Jays
• Temptations-like sound
– More jazz influenced rhythms
– Stylistically influenced by Stax soul
• Dense textures
• Gospel influence evident
• Ex. Back Stabbers (1972)
Parliament and Funkadelic
• Premiere funk bands of 70s, led by George
Clinton
• Funk characteristics, ala Sly and the Family
Stone
• Hendrix-like guitar distortion
• Conversational lyrics indirectly addressing
political and social themes
– Often with satire, parody
– Similar to Frank Zappa
• Outer space characters, songs (Parliament) or
horror movie themes (Funkadelic)
Parliament and Funkadelic - Stylistic
influences
• Fusion of hard rock, R&B songwriting and
harmonies, James Brown
• Motown roots evident
– Glimpses of doo-wop, Brill Building sounds
• Also influence from art rock
– Mixed meters
– Sophisticated jazz rhythms
– Shifting patterns of accents
Parliament and Funkadelic Style
• Wider palate of tone colors than Sly and
the Family Stone
• Denser textures
• Preference for rock style beat
• Ex. Up for the Down Stroke