Britain in the 1960s

Britain in the 1960s

1. The Beatles

   • 1960-70
   • Instrumentation
     • Vocals and backing vocals (shared by all members)
     • drums
     • bass
     • electric, acoustic and 12 string acoustic guitar (strings are doubled up)
     • piano
     • ensembles became progressively more diverse to include orchestral sections and experimental sonic studio sounds (think revolver)
       • examples of experimentation include recording ambient sound to mix with the music, reverse tape recordings, use of extreme reverb and delay settings, and effects such as phasing and flange
   • Albums
     • Please Please Me
       • Influenced by American R&B - captured as live performances of their live set, recorded on two track tape with instruments on one track and vocals on the other, then mixed to mono
     • With The Beatles
       • British rock/pop, had more diverse instrumentation including a range of percussion, Hammond Organ and Harmonica
       • used overdubbing and double-tracked vocals
       • released in mono and stereo
         • stereo version featured polarised panning which is unconventional by today's standards
     • A Hard Day's Night
       • film soundtrack
       • some instrumentals and fol-influenced songs
       • recorded onto four-track multitrack and mixed in mono and stereo
     • Beatles For Sale
       • started to see studio experimentation - 'Eight Days A Week' was recorded in several different takes and had a fade in at the start
     • Help!
       • film sountrack
         • included overdubs and orchestral instruments
     • Rubber Soul
       • folk influences - a sitar was used on 'Norwegian Wood'
       • featured unconventional treatments of piano e.g. sped up recordings and heavy compression
     • Revolver
       • more experimentation
         • stark string arrangement on 'Eleanor Rigby'
         • emergence of psychedelic influence - 'tomorrow never knows' features tape loops, vocal effects and reverse guitar
       • first album to use automatic double tracking
     • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
       • lots of overdubbing
       • experiments with:
         • varied tape speed
         • playing vocals and guitars through a leslie speaker
         • flanging, wah wah, fuzz
         • the use of the Mellotron (early electronic keyboard)
     • Magical Mystery Tour
       • film sountrack
       • continues with the psychedlic sound of the last album, lots of experimentation with effects
     • The Beatles (The White Album)
       • psychedelic themes again
       • recorded on eight track tape
     • Yellow Submarine
       • film soundtrack
       • second side was an orchestral score composed by George Martin (their producer)
     • Abbey Road
       • recorded on eight-track tape
       • lots of use of the Moog
     • Let it be

2. The Rolling Stones

   • 1960s (continued to produce in the 80s and are active at present day)
   • Instrumentation
     • Vocals and BVs
     • electric guitar
     • bass
     • drums
     • piano/keyboards
     • sometimes strings and horns
   • Part of the British Invasion that had success in the US

3. main artists

   • the beatles
   • the kinks
   • the yardbirds
   • the moody blues
   • the animals
   • the rolling stones

4. following the explosion of rock 'n' roll onto the scene in the 50s, young bands started forming in the USA and Britain

5. Influences

   • american rock 'n' roll
   • R&B
   • soul and motown

6. songs had strong melodies, harmonies and more complex forms and arrangements than rock 'n' roll

7. folk-rock/ country-rock developed in the US - Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Beach Boys

8. bands with a harder edge developed - The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who - which influenced heavy metal in the 70s

9. Psychedelic rock bands developed - Pink Floyd, The Small Faces - which had an influence on the progressive rock of the 70s

10. The Who

    • 1960s-80s but active now after their reunion
    • Instrumentation
      • vocals and BVs
      • guitar
      • bass
      • drums
      • synths and keyboards
      • horns
    • used lots of synths in the 70s