Syllabus—US Popular Music History

·      Waterman and Starr, American Popular Music (hereafter APM), Ch. 1, 5-44

Optional:

·      Michael J. Kramer, “The Multitrack Model: Cultural History and the Interdisciplinary Study of Popular Music,” in Music and History: Bridging the Disciplines, edited by Jeffrey H. Jackson and Stanley C. Pelkey (University Press of Mississippi, 2005), 220-255.

Listening (from APM MP3 tracks):

·      Jean Ritchie, “Barbary Allen”; Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers, “Soldier’s Joy”; Tommy Jarrell, “Soldier’s Joy”

·      Dink Roberts, “Coo Coo”

·      Lightning Washington and fellow convicts, “Long John”

·      Mississippi John Hurt, “Stagolee”

·      Carlos Gardel, “La Cumparsita”; Francisco Canaro y Quintero Pirincho, “La Cumparsita”

·      AfroCuba de Mantanzas, “Enique Nigue”

·      Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, “La Negra”

·      Optional: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bobby Womack, Brothers and Sisters Gospel Choir, Bob Dylan and the Band (1974), U2, Grateful Dead, Indigo Girls, Dave Matthews Band, Bryan Ferry, Bob Dylan (Unplugged, 1994), Neil Young, Richie Havens (Grace of the Sun version), Richie Havens (Sings Beatles and Dylan version), Pickin’ in Hendrix, Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers, “All Along the Watchtower”

·      APM, Ch. 2, 45-72.

·      WT Lhamon, “Dancing for Eels at Catherine Market,” in Raising Cain: Blackface Performance from Jim Crow to Hip Hop (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998), 1-55.

Listening:

·      Thomas Hampson (written by Stephen Foster), “Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair”

·      Joan Morris and William Bolcom, “After the Ball”

Viewing:

·      Stephen Foster.

·      American Experience Stephen Foster website, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/.

·      APM, Ch. 3, 73-104, Ch. 4, 104-124.

·      Brackett, The Pop, Rock, Soul Reader (hereafter PRSR),

o   1. Irving Berlin in Tin Pan Alley, Charles Hamm, “Irving Berlin and the Crucible of God”

o   2. Technology, the Dawn of Modern Popular Music, and the “King of Jazz,” Paul Whiteman and Mary Margaret McBride, “On Wax”

o   3. Big Band Swing Music: Race and Power in the Music Business, Marvin Freedman, “Black Music’s on Top; White Jazz Stagnant”

o   Irving Kolodin, “The Dance Band Business: A Study in Black and White”

Listening:

·      Dick Hyman, “Maple Leaf Rag”

·      James Reese Europe, “Castle House Rag”

·      Original Dixieland Band, “Tiger Rag

·      Creole Jazz Band,  “Dipper Mouth Blues”

·      Duke Ellington, “East St. Louis Toodle-oo”

·      Louis Armstrong, “West End Blues”

·      Gene Austin, “My Blue Heaven”

·      Al Jolson, “April Showers”

·      Ben Selvin, “Blue Skies” (Irving Berlin)

·      Josephine Baker, “Blue Skies” (Irving Berlin)

·      Bing Crosby, “Beautiful Dreamer”

·      Paul Whiteman, “Rhapsody in Blue” (George Gershwin)

·      Ethel Merman (written by George Gerswhin), “I Got Rhythm”

·      APM, Ch. 5, 125-154, Ch 6, 155-198.

·      PRSR:

o   5. Hillbilly and Race Music, Crichton, “Thar’s Gold in Them Hillbillies”

o   6. Blues People and the Classic Blues, LeRoi Jones, from Blues People: The Negro Experience in White America and the Music that Developed from It

o   7. The Empress of the Blues, Nat Shapiro and Nat Hentoff, from Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya: The Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It

o   8. At the Crossroads with Son House, Jerry Gilbert, “Son House: Living King of Delta”

Listening:

·      Bessie Smith (with Louis Armstrong, written by WC Handy), “St Louis Blues”

·      Charley Patten, “Tom Rushen Blues”

·      Blind Lemon Jefferson, “That Black Snake Moan”

·      Robert Johnson, “Cross Road Blues”

·      Jimmie Rodgers, “Blue Yodel No. 2,” “Dreaming with Tears in My Eyes”

·      Carter Family, “Gospel Ship”

·      Golden Gate Quartet, “The Sun Didn’t Shine”

·      Fletcher Henderson, “Wrappin’ It Up”

·      Benny Goodman, “Taking a Chance on Love”

·      Duke Ellington, “Caravan”

·      Count Basie, “One O’Clock Jump”

·      Glenn Miller, “In the Mood”

·      Charlie Parker, “A Night in Tunisia”

·      Charlie Parker, “Koko”

·      Dizzy Gillespie, “Salt Peanuts”

·      Dizzy Gillespie, “Manteca”

·      APM, Ch 7, 199-239

·      Pick five of the following from PRSR:

·      9. From Race Music to Rhythm and Blues: T-Bone Walker, Kevin Sheridan and Peter Sheridan, “T-Bone Walker: Father of the Blues”

·      10. Jumpin’ the Blues with Louis Jordan, Down Beat, “Bands Dug by the Beat: Louis Jordan”, Arnold Shaw, from Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues

·      11. On the Bandstand with Johnny Otis, Johnny Otis, from Upside Your Head! Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue

·      12. The Producers Answer Back: The Emergence of the “Indie” Record Company, Bill Simon , “Indies’ Surprise Survival: Small Labels’; Ingenuity and Skill Pay Off,” Arnold Shaw, from Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues

·      13. Country Music as Folk Music, Country Music as Novelty, Billboard, “American Folk Tunes: Cowboy and Hillbilly Tunes and Tunesters”; Newsweek, “Corn of Plenty”

·      14. Country Music Approaches the Mainstream, Rufus Jarman, “Country Music Goes to Town”

·      15. Rhythm and Blues in the Early 1950s: B. B. King, Arnold Shaw, from Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues

·      16. “The House that Ruth Brown Built,” Ruth Brown (with Andrew Yule), from Miss Rhythm: The Autobiography of Ruth Brown, Rhythm and Blues Legend

·      17. Ray Charles, or, When Saturday Night Mixed It Up with Sunday Morning, Ray Charles and David Ritz, from Brother Ray: Ray Charles’ Own Story

·      18. Jerry Wexler: A Life in R&B, Jerry Wexler and David Ritz, from Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music

·      19. The Growing Threat of Rhythm and Blues, Variety, “Top Names Now Singing the Blues as Newcomers Roll on R&B Tide,” Variety, “A Warning to the Music Business”

Listening:

·      Mills Brothers, “Paper Doll”

·      Roy Acuff, “Great Speckled Bird”

·      Sons of the Pioneers, “Cool Water”

·      Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, “New San Antonio Rose”

·      Xavier Cugat, “Brazil”

·      Machito and His Afro-Cubans, “Nagüe”

·      Frank Sinatra and the Axel Stordahl, “Nancy (With the Laughing Face)”

·      Nat “King” Cole, “Nature Boy”

·      Perez Prado, “Mambo No. 5”

·      Rosemary Clooney, “Mambo Italiano”

·      Louis Jordan, “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie”

·      Charles Brown and His Band, “Black Night”

·      Muddy Waters, “Hoochie Coochie Man”

·      Ruth Brown, “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean”; Big Mama Thornton, “Hound Dog”

·      Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys, “It’s Mighty Dark to Travel”

·      Hank Thompson, “The Wild Side of Life”; Kitty Wells, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels”

·      Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”; “Hey, Good Lookin'”

Viewing:

Jazz, dir. Ken Burns, Episodes 4-9

·      APM, Ch. 8, 240-341

·      Pick five of the following from PRSR:

o   20. From Rhythm and Blues to Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Songs of Chuck Berry; Norman Jopling, “Chuck Berry: Rock Lives!”

o   21. Little Richard: Boldly Going Where No Man Had Gone Before, Charles White, from The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock

o   22. Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips, and Rockabilly, Elizabeth Kaye, “Sam Phillips Interview”

o   23. Rock ‘n’ Roll Meets the Popular Press

o   24. The Chicago Defender Defends Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rob Roy, “Bias Against ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ Latest Bombshell in Dixie”

o   25. The Music Industry Fight Against Rock ‘n’ Roll: Dick Clark’s Teen-Pop Empire and the Payola Scandal, Peter Bunzel, “Music Biz Goes Round and Round: It Comes Out Clarkola”; New York Age, “Mr. Clark and Colored Payola”

o   26. The Brill Building and the Girl Groups, Charlotte Greig, from Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Girl Groups from the 50s On

o   27. From Surf to Smile, Richard Cromelin, “Interview with Brian Wilson”

Listening:

·      Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle, Roll”; Bill Haley and His Comets, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”

·      The Chords, “Sh-Boom”; The Crew Cuts, “Sh-Boom”; Junior Parker, “Mystery Train”; Elvis Presley, “Mystery Train”

·      Chuck Berry, “Maybellene”

·      Little Richard, “Long Tall Sally”

·      Elvis Presley, “Don’t Be Cruel”

·      Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba”

·      The Coasters, “Charlie Brown”

·      The Kingston Trio, “Tom Dooley”

·      The Ronettes (Phil Spector), “Be My Baby; The Crystals, “Uptown”

·      The Temptations, “My Girl”; The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love”

·      The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”

·      AMP, Ch. 10, 322-356

·      Pick five of the following from PRSR:

·      28. Urban Folk Revival, Gene Bluestein, “Songs of the Silent Generation”; Time, “Folk Singing: Sibyl with Guitar”

·      29. Bringing It All Back Home: Dylan at Newport, Irwin Silber, “Newport Folk Festival, 1965,” Paul Nelson, “Newport Folk Festival, 1965”

·      30. “For a Man to Be At Ease, He Must Not Tell All He Knows,

·      Nor Say All He Sees,” John Cohen and Happy Traum, “Bob Dylan Interview”

·      31. From R&B to Soul, Jerry Wexler and David Ritz, from Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music

·      32. No Town Like Motown, Harvey Kubernik, “Berry Gordy: A Conversation with Mr. Motown”

·      33. The Godfather of Soul and the Beginnings of Funk, James Brown (with Bruce Tucker), from The Godfather of Soul

·      34. “The Blues Changes from Day to Day,” Jim Delehant, “Otis Redding Interview”

·      35. Aretha Franklin Earns Respect, Phyl Garland, “Aretha Franklin-‘Sister Soul’: Eclipsed Singer Gains New Heights”

·      36. The Beatles, the “British Invasion,” and Cultural Respectability, William Mann, “What Songs the Beatles Sang . . .,” Theodore Strongin, “Musicologically . . .”

·      37. A Hard Day’s Night and Beatlemania, Andrew Sarris, “Bravo Beatles!,” Barbara Ehrenreich, Elizabeth Hess, and Gloria Jacobs, “Beatlemania: Girls Just Want to Have Fun”

·      38. England Swings, and the Beatles Evolve on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper; Richard Goldstein, “Pop Eye: On ‘Revolver'”; Jack Kroll, “It’s Getting Better . . .”

·      39. The British Art School Blues, Ray Coleman, “Rebels with a Beat”

·      40. The Stones versus the Beatles, Ellen Willis, “Records: Rock, Etc.-the Big Ones”

Listening:

·      The Beatles, “Please Please Me”; “A Hard Day’s Night”; “Yesterday”; “Eleanor Rigby”

·      The Rolling Stones, “Satisfaction”

·      Sam Cooke, “You Send Me,” “A Change is Gonna Come”

·      James Brown, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”

·      Aretha Franklin, “Respect”; Otis Redding, “Respect”; The Vagrants, “Respect”

·      Bob Dylan, “Talkin’ New York”; “The Times They are A-Changin'”; “Mr. Tambourine Man”

·      Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”

·      APM, Ch 10, 356-367; Ch 11, 368-407

·      Pick five of the following from PRSR:

o   41. If You’re Goin’ to San Francisco, Ralph J. Gleason, “Dead Like Live Thunder”

o   42. The Kozmic Blues of Janis Joplin, Nat Hentoff, “We Look at Our Parents and . . .”

o   43. Jimi Hendrix and the Electronic Guitar, Bob Dawbarn, “Second Dimension: Jimi Hendrix in Action”

o   44. Rock Meets the Avant-Garde: Frank Zappa, Sally Kempton, “Zappa and the Mothers: Ugly Can Be Beautiful”

o   45. The Aesthetics of Rock, Richard Goldstein, “Pop Eye: Evaluating Media”

o   46. Festivals: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, J. R. Young, “Review of Various Artists, Woodstock”, George Paul Csicsery, “Altamont, California, December 6, 1969”

o   47. The Sound of Autobiography: Singer-Songwriters, Carole King, Robert Windeler, “Carole King: ‘You Can Get to Know Me through My Music’

o   48. Joni Mitchell Journeys Within Penny Valentine, “Joni Mitchell: An Interview (part 1)”

o   49. Sly Stone: “The Myth of Staggerlee,” Greil Marcus, from Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music

o   50. Not-So-“Little” Stevie Wonder, Ben Fong-Torres, “The Formerly Little Stevie Wonder”

o   52. Heavy Metal Meets the Counterculture, John Mendelsohn, “Review of Led Zeppelin,” Ed Kelleher, “Black Sabbath Don’t Scare Nobody”

o   53. Led Zeppelin Speaks!, Dave Schulps, “The Crunge: Jimmy Page Gives a History Lesson”

o   54. “I Have No Message Whatsoever,” Cameron Crowe, “David Bowie Interview”

o   55. Rock Me Amadeus, Domenic Milano, “Keith Emerson,” Tim Morse, from Yesstories: Yes in Their Own Words

o   57. Get On Up Disco, Andrew Kopkind, “The Dialectic of Disco: Gay Music Goes Straight”

·      Ellen Willis, “Janis Joplin (1970)” in Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011), pp. 125-131.

Listening:

·      The Beatles, “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

·      The Beatles, “Revolution”

·      The Beatles, “Back in the USSR”

·      The Rolling Stones, “Street Fighting Man”

·      Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit”

·      Janis Joplin, “Piece of My Heart”

·      Grateful Dead, “St. Stephen,”; “Turn on Your Love Light”; “Uncle John’s Band”

·      The Doors, “Break on Through”

·      The Temptations, “Cloud Nine”

·      Jimi Hendrix, “Star Spangled Banner” and “Purple Haze” (Live at Woodstock)

·      Cream, “Crossroads”

·      Credence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son”

·      Sly and the Family Stone, “Everyday People”; “Don’t Call Me Nigga, Whitey”

·      Carole King, “It’s Too Late”; Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”; Elton John, “Crocodile Rock”; Barry White, “Love’s Theme”; John Denver, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”; The Eagles, “Hotel California”

·      Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”; Santana, “Oye Como Va”

·      Donna Summer, “Bad Girls”; Chic, “Good Times”

Viewing:

·      Woodstock

·      Gimme Shelter

·      APM, Ch 12, 408-444; Ch 13, 445-490; Ch 14, 491-565.

·      Pick five of the following from PRSR:

o   51. Parliament Drops the Bomb, W. A. Brower, “George Clinton: Ultimate Liberator of Constipated Notions”

o   56. The Global Phenomenon of Reggae, Robert Hilburn, “Third-World Theme of Bob Marley”

o   58. Punk: The Sound of Criticism?, James Wolcott, “A Conservative Impulse in the New Rock Underground”

o   59. Punk Crosses the Atlantic, Caroline Coon, “Rebels Against the System”

o   60. Punk to New Wave?, Stephen Holden, “The B-52s’ American Graffiti”

o   61. UK New Wave, Allan Jones, “The Elvis (Costello, That Is) Interview”

o   62. Thriller Begets the “King of Pop”, Greg Tate, “I’m White! What’s Wrong with Michael Jackson”, Daryl Easlea, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough: Bruce Swedien Remembers the Times with Michael Jackson”

o   63. Madonna and the Performance of Identity, Camille Paglia, “Venus of the Radio Waves”

o   64. Bruce Springsteen: Reborn in the USA, David Marsh, “Little Egypt from Asbury Park-and Bruce Springsteen Don’t Crawl on His Belly, Neither,” Simon Frith, “The Real Thing-Bruce Springsteen”

o   65. R&B in the 1980s: To Cross Over or Not to Cross Over?, Nelson George, from The Death of Rhythm and Blues

o   66. Heavy Metal Thunders On!, J. D. Considine, “Purity and Power-Total, Unswerving Devotion to Heavy Metal Form: Judas Priest and the Scorpions”

o   67. Metal in the Late Eighties: Glam or Thrash?, Richard Gehr, “Metallica”

o   68. Parents Want to Know: Heavy Metal, the PMRC, and the Public Debate over Decency, “Record Labeling: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, 99th Congress, September 19, 1985”

o   69. Postpunk Goes Indie, Al Flipside, “What Is This Thing Called Hardcore?”

o   70. Hip-Hop, Don’t Stop, Robert Ford, Jr. , “B-Beats Bombarding Bronx: Mobile DJ Starts Something with Oldie R&B Disks,” Robert Ford, Jr. , “Jive Talking N.Y. DJs Rapping Away in Black Discos”

o   71. “The Music Is a Mirror,” Harry Allen, “Hip Hop Madness: From Def Jams to Cold Lampin’, Rap Is Our Music,” Carol Cooper, “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ but Trouble”

o   72. Where Rap and Heavy Metal Converge, Jon Pareles, “There’s a New Sound in Pop Music: Bigotry”

o   73. Hip-Hop into the 1990s: Gangstas, Fly Girls, and the Big Bling-Bling, J. D. Considine, “Fear of a Rap Planet”

o   74. Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang, Touré, “Snoop Dogg’s Gentle Hip Hop Growl”

o   75. Keeping It a Little Too Real, Sam Gideon Anso and Charles Rappleye, “Rap Sheet”

o   Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, “Party Over,” Natasha Stovall, “Town Criers”

o   76. Women in Rap, Christopher John Farley, “Hip-Hop Nation”

o   77. The Beat Goes On, Renee Graham, “Eminem’s Old Words Aren’t Hip-Hop’s Biggest Problem”

o   78. From Indie to Alternative to Seattle?, Dave DiMartino, “A Seattle Slew”

o   79. Grunge Turns to Scrunge, Eric Weisbard, “Over and Out: Indie Rock Values in the Age of Alternative Million Sellers”

o   80. “We Are the World”?, George Lipsitz, “Immigration and Assimilation: Rai, Reggae, and Bhangramuffin”

o   81. Genre or Gender? The Resurgence of the Singer-Songwriter, Robert L. Doerschuk, “Tori Amos: Pain for Sale”

o   82. Public Policy and Pop Music History Collide

o   Jenny Toomey, “Empire of the Air”

o   83. Electronica Is in the House, Simon Reynolds, “Historia Electronica Preface”

o   84. R&B Divas Go Retro, Ann Powers, “The New Conscience of Pop Music”

o   85. Country in the Post-Urban Cowboy Era, Mark Cooper, “Garth Brooks: Meet Nashville’s New Breed Of Generously Stetsoned Crooner,” Charles Taylor, “Chicks Against the Machine”

o   86. Performance as Simulacrum, Boy Bands, and Other 21st-Century Epiphanies, Joshua Clover, “Jukebox Culture: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Boy Band,” Nina C. Ayoub, “Idol Pursuits”

o   87. Lady Gaga and the Triumph of Camp, Sasha Frere-Jones, “Ladies Wild: How Not Dumb Is Gaga?”

o   88. The End of History, the Mass-Marketing of Trivia, and a World of Copies without Originals, Jay Babcock, “The Kids Aren’t All Right They’re Amazing,” Robert Everett-Green, “Ruled by Frankenmusic,” Eliot Van Buskirk, “Why File Sharing Will Save Hollywood, Music”

Listening:

·      Townes Van Zandt, “Pancho and Lefty”

·      Willie Colon and Ruben Blades, “Pedro Navaja”

·      Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen”

·      The Clash, “1977”

·      Talking Heads, “Psycho Killer”

·      Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Message”

·      The Eurythmics, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”

·      Tina Turner, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”

·      Van Halen, “Jump”

·      Peter Gabriel, “Sledgehammer”

·      Michael Jackson, “Thriller”

·      Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the USA”

·      Madonna, “Like a Virgin”

·      Prince, “When Doves Cry”

·      U2, “In the Name of Love”

·      Run DMC with Aerosmith, “Walk This Way

·      Public Enemy, “Night of the Living Baseheads”

·      Snoop Doggy Dogg, “What’s My Name?”

·      Queen Latifah, “UNITY”

·      Dead Kennedys, “Holiday in Cambodia”

·      Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

·      Lauryn Hill, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”

·      Radiohead, “Bodysnatchers”