MUSI 2060 1st Edition Lecture 15Outline of Last Lecture I. Motowna. Originb. Record Labelsc. Artistsd. Characteristicse. Assembly LineII. Stevie Wondera. Early lifeb. Style (1970s & after 1972)c. SongsOutline of Current Lecture I. Philadelphia Sounda. Background Informationb. Producersc. Characteristicsd. House bandII. Funka. Soul to funkb. Stylec. Background information d. General characteristicse. Earth, Wind, & Firef. Kool and the GangCurrent Lecture- The Sounds of Philadelphia (TSOP)o Long time center for rock ‘n’ roll Vocal groups Teen idols American Bandstand (Dick Clark)o Philadelphia Sound developed by producers: Kenny Gamble Leon HufThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. Thom Bell (producer, arranger) 1st group signed by Gamble & Huf: The OJs- “Backstabbers”: true sound of Philadelphia o Characteristics: Lyrical melodies over a driving rhythm Punchy rhythm & blues horn sections (from soul) Clean guitar sound (plugged into the mixing board)- Done by motown for bass guitars only Drums have full, clear sound quality Simple but sophisticated string arrangements Band develops strong, dance-oriented rhythmic groove, later defines disco soundo House band: MSFB In press releases: Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers More like: “Motherfucking Sons of Bitches” (direct quote from Valdez)- Funk: “Free your mind and your ass will follow” (G. Clinton)o Soul to Funk: Sly & the Family Stone Interracial band, male and females members, actual brothers & sisters Sylvester Stewart Sly Stone Sly influenced by Jimi Hendrix “Dance to the Music”: party-like feel to it- Through-composed song form Falls part due to military/political lyrics & Sly’s drug useo Style derived from James Brown: Polyrhythmic vamps Hard beat, funky bass line Minimal chord changes Sound distortion using electronic devices- Wah-wah pedal & fuzz pedal Avoidance of strong backbeat Stress on all four beats Memphis Soul sound in horns (percussive, staccato sound) Guitar sound, performance associated with psychedelic rock styleo Background Information Term originated with jazz players (1950s) Roots in rhythm & blues, gospel, and soul 1970s Funk derived directly from James Brown combined with jazz improvisationo General Characteristics: Syncopated bass line Bass provides rhythmic direction Heavily pronounced backbeat on drums Gospel-influenced soul singing Rhythm instruments often used to create melodies- Drums used melodically Melody instruments often used to create rhythms No focus on any one singer/player- No “hungupedness” Rhythm guitars: choked style Live performances: often create a collective improvisation Studio: “jam groove”-collective improvisationo Earth, Wind & Fire Formed 1970 by Maurice White Heavily jazz influenced Smooth vocals, frequent falsetto Solid rhythmic accompaniment Layers of polyrhythm activity Countermelodies between bass & lead guitar Horns used in a variety of ways: percussive rhythms (James Brown) or improvised melodies (jazz) Strongly influenced by jazz, soft Soul, and African folk rhythms “Shining Star”o Kool and the Gang Began in 1964 as the Jazziacs, Robert “Kool” Bell Jazz influences:- Thelonius Monk- Miles Davis- John Coltrane Sound largely based on James Brown:- Choked rhythm guitar- Staccato horn licks- Chopped rhythmic accents- Bass lines are typically jagged, played in various registers of instrument- Music is extremely dance oriented- Tendency toward repetitive lyrics, melodies- Overall sound creates party atmosphere- “Jungle Boogie”,
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