Positive Vibration

One can not discuss the genre of reggae music without mentioning the infamous name, Bob Marley.  As a man who “had so much things to say,” Marley spoke of life, love, and eternal struggles to the people of the world though his ingenious musical creations.  Simple songs such as “Three Little Birds” with the simple laid-back melody and lyrics, I am able to ease my mind and be reminded that that life doesn’t need to always be taken so seriously, because by the end of the day, it’s going to be all right. 

 

“Dont worry about a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Rise up this mornin,

Smiled with the risin sun,

Three little birds

Pitch by my doorstep

Singin sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true,

Sayin, (this is my message to you-ou-ou:)

 

On a more serious note, as I listen to the words, “Open your eyes and look within, are you satisfied with the life you living," I do in fact sit back and reflect upon my life.  From these words of Wisdom, I always make sure that my “soul is satisfied” and I’m living a happy life.  If I come to a point in my life where I am discontent with any situation, these words remind me to do something about it.  Fortunately, since I was raised in a homey northern suburb of Chicago, I never had to face very difficult situations, intense living conditions or question my surroundings.  Mr. Marley however, was forced to examine and reflect upon the harsh realities of the Jamaican lifestyle, which he constantly applied when writing his songs.

 

Born in the small village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish, Jamica on February 6, 1945 Robert Nesta Marley (known as Bob Matley) was thrown into a world of poverty, corruption, governments of tension, poor housing, and no education.  In attempt to escape these conditions, Marley’s mother Cedella, decided to move with her 14 year old son to Trench Town in Kingston.  Sadly, Trench Town proved to be no place of economic growth for the Marley family and provided no luxury or social grace for the ordinary Jamaican citizens.  Living under oppressive socio-economic conditions, Marley became inspired to place themes such as inequality, poverty, oppression, and the need for peace and human rights into his musical creations.

 

In the year of 1963 the vocal quintet titled “The Wailing Wailers” composed of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingstone, Junior Braithwaite, and Beverly Kelso was formed.  After being discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd in 1964, they changed their name to “The Wailers” and recorded one of the biggest Jamaican hits of the year, “Simmer Down” as the impoverished youth of Jamaica was easily able to relate their pain and frustration with the lyrics. 

 

Simmer down, oh control your temper

Simmer down, for the battle will be hotter

Simmer down, and you won't get no supper

Simmer down, and you know you bound to suffer

Simmer down, simmer, simmer, simmer right down

 

Braithwaite and Kelso left the group around 1965, but the Wailers kept on playing as Marley, Tosh, and Lingstone continued to develop the reputation of rebels as they spoke out for the poor inner city dwellers.  This was the beginning of Bob’s social injustice outcry through his music.

 

Up until 1974, before the three main members decided to pursue solo careers, The Wailers produced many songs that reflected social commentary and political protest such as, “Get Up, Stand Up,” and “I Shot the Sheriff”,

 

Some of the Lyrics to “Get Up, Stand Up”

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

 

Preacherman, dont tell me,

Heaven is under the earth.

I know you dont know

What life is really worth.

Its not all that glitters is gold;

alf the story has never been told:

So now you see the light, eh!

Stand up for your rights. come on!

 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

 

Most people think,

Great God will come from the skies,

Take away everything

And make everybody feel high.

But if you know what life is worth,

You will look for yours on earth:

And now you see the light,

You stand up for your rights. jah!

 

 

Some of the lyrics to “I Shot the Sheriff”

 

Sheriff John Brown always hated me,

For what, I dont know:

Every time I plant a seed,

He said kill it before it grow -

He said kill them before they grow.

And so:

 

Read it in the news:

(I shot the sheriff.) oh, lord!

(but I swear it was in self-defence.)

Where was the deputy? (oo-oo-oh)

I say: I shot the sheriff,

But I swear it was in self defence. (oo-oh) yeah!

 

Freedom came my way one day

And I started out of town, yeah!

All of a sudden I saw sheriff john brown

Aiming to shoot me down,

So I shot - I shot - I shot him down and I say:

If I am guilty I will pay.

 

Songs such as these questioned the unjust societies that many people of the time were living in and informed them that “every man has a right to decide his own destiny.” However one must not live with their eyes closed, but instead take a control of their fate and stand up for their rights.

 

Despite the break up, Marley continued to record under the title of “Bob Marley & The Wailers.” His new backing band included brothers Carlton and Ashton “Family Man” Barrett on drums and bass respectively, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl “Way” Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin “Secco” Pederson on percussion. The “I Threes” consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife, Rita, provided backing vocals.

 

As “Bob Marley & The Wailers”, Bob continued to spread his beliefs of inequalities and the need for peace and human rights.  Bob’s upbringing and life revolving around the political structure of Jamaica dramatically influenced his writings, which in turn affected the Jamaican politics of the day. Other songs based on these ideas are:

 

War

Exodus

Redemption Song

One Love

Them Belly Full

So Much Trouble In The World

 

The video below contains musicians around the world adding their part to one of Marley’s most powerful songs, “War/No More Trouble” as it travels around the globe.  We don’t need more trouble, what we need is love.  As he foresaw, the spirit of Bob Marley continues to live on. 

 

"My music will go on forever. Maybe it's a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever."

 

-Bob Marley

Information was based on following sites:

Rastaman Vibration

Official Site

Rolling Stone

Bob Playing Guitar

In The Day Of...

1971 - The Rolling Stones' single "Brown Sugar" his #1 in the U.S. 

1972 - Paul McCartney released his version of the nursery rhyme, "Mary Had A Little Lamb." 

1973 - Record executive Clive Davis was fired from Columbia Records for misappropriating $100,000. 

1973 - Mike Oldfield released his "Tubular Bells" LP. The title track would later become the theme for "The Exorcist." 

1973 - Roger McGuinn (Byrds) made his solo debut at New York's Academy of Music. 

1977 - In Baltimore, Elvis Presley left the stage in the middle of a concert and did not return. It was the first time he terminated a show in this manner. 

Music by Numbers

1970:
Floppy disc was invented.

1971:
The microprocessor is introduced.
George Harrison organized the first benefit concert, Concert for Bangladesh.

1973:
Music business had become a $2 billion/year industry (approximately the size of the film and sports industries combined). Mergers, joint ventures, and distribution deals expanded the music business and consolidated the economic power.

1974:
Top four record companies account for over 50% of all records and tapes sold.

1976:
Apple Computers is founded.

1979:
The Who Concert Tragedy: December 3, 1979. 11 people were trampled to death outside the Riverfront Coliseum in Cicinnatti.

Rediscovered talent using the Internet

In recent years, a huge topic of controversy has been how readily available music is online. The music industry has filed lawsuits because they've been losing money as people no longer purchase CDs and instead download the music for free. For some, the internet has served as a wake-up call as they discover their fan base online.

Vashti Bunyan is an English folk-singer who began in the 1960s. She attended an art and music school but was expelled at age 18 for spending too much time writing songs and not enough time painting. Still, she was discovered and released various singles in the 60s. Unfortunately, the singles didn't really sell. She spent 2 years in Scotland with her boyfriend and was basically isolated. Vashti wrote songs about her personal feelings and experiences in Scotland and took them to Joe Boyd, an American producer that she had crossed paths with, who recorded them. In 1970 she released her full-length album, Just Another Diamond Day, which did not sell well. Dejected, she retired from music to raise a family in Ireland and led her life as a housewife and mother.

She felt misunderstood when no one really connected with her album and felt ashamed and like a failure for the lack of popularity. She never even told her children about her music, hiding cassettes and rarely playing guitar. When she did play guitar, all the feelings of sadness from her first album returned. Her luck improved in 1997 when she bought her first computer. Out of curiousity she typed herself into a search engine and found that copies of Diamond Day were selling on eBAY for 900 pounds! The only way she realized her fan base was ONLINE! In 2000, Diamond Day was re-released on CD.

Her fan base motivated her to return to music. She released the CD Lookaftering in 2005, which was an album full of love songs to her children. The title signified the years of looking after her family and she even had artwork on the album done by her daughter. She has found her fan base and now travels on tour again to multiple countries. Vashti has even performed in New York City where the NY Times reviewed her, which is no easy feat. She's in her 60's and just now discovering her true talent and fans.

If not for the internet, Vashti Bunyan would have continued to just fade into the mix, not even realizing that her music was now popular. The internet helped her see where her fans were and realize that they even existed. While some producers find the internet a nuisance, as it can be seen as draining their profits, it can have enormous benefits for artists and fans.







Vashti in the 1970s (Left) and Current (Right)




Sites where Vashti Bunyan biography information was obtained:
http://www.filter-store.com/fms/artist/bio/0,,1046986,00.html
http://www.nme.com/artists/vashti-bunyan#biography
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Vashti-Bunyan-Biography/B1FB5CD7483476B0482570E80006DEC8
http://scaruffi.com/vol2/bunyan.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2005/sep/18/popandrock1

1970s picture URL
Current picture URL

Rock Musicals and Concept Musicals

When checking out popular musicals of the 1970s, I was surprised to see how many different styles there were. They range from rock musicals to nostalgic revivals and new book musicals. I chose to cover rock musicals and concept musicals, especially since these two emerged largely in the 1970's.

Rock musicals were a new idea of the 1970's. Because rock music was so popular in the music scene, producers saw it as new hope for Broadway. If they created a musical that combined the theater and the rock music, they could attract all sorts of viewers. In 1970, The Me That Nobody Knows was born. This was a compilation of poems written by inner-city children and performed by teenagers. It wasn't necessarily rock music, but it was protest music and it worked to pump people up, show the poor conditions in cities, and spread the word that change was necessary!

The first big rock musical was Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. It started out as a British music recording then eventually hit Broadway. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the intent was to show the role that fame had in Jesus Christ's fate. The dialogue was all set to music and this show could even be considered a rock opera. Below is a link showing a song from the musical when it was showing in 1973:



Another hugely popular rock musical was Grease. Released in 1972, the plot was set in the 50's around two seniors in high school as they found romance and friendship. It first opened in Manhattan theaters then became a Broadway show. It was the "most commercially successful 1970's rock musical." Also, until another musical broke the record in the 80's, it was the longest running musical in Broadway history. In 1978 it moved back to theaters and became the highest grossing musical ever in Hollywood! It starred Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta and songs from the movie are still recognizable and popular. Its popularity continues, as Broadway brought it back for over 1,500 shows in 1994. Below is the section from the movie Grease with the song "Summer Nights."

The Wiz (1975) was a remake of The Wizard of Oz as a summary with an all-black cast. The soundtrack ranged from soul to rock music and it was the last hit of the 70's to be deemed a rock musical. I found it really interesting that I was researching this tonight because I literally watched an episode of Scrubs (a TV show that focuses around a hospital and its interns, but it's really funny and one of my favorite shows) where the main character was talking about how he had the role of "The Wiz" in this musical. I had never heard of it before, so I was pretty shocked when I went to research and saw the name listed! It's still known today, as producers even include it in popular television shows.

Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, and The Wiz were just three of the hits-- there were also many flops in rock musicals. Still, it was an idea introduced and adopted in the 1970's. To read more about rock musicals, click here.













Concept musicals were not built with a traditional plot. An exact definition is a "presentational rather than strictly narrative work that employs out-of-story elements to comment upon and at times takes part in the action, utilizing avant-garde techniques to defy unities of time, place, and action." These musicals go through a stage in life and then comment on anything about that stage. This concept was resented by some. For example, one producer (Harold Prince) made musicals which were deemed 'concept musicals' although he defined them as integrated shows, so he felt his audience was limited by the label 'concept musical.' This genre actually refined Broadway and motivated a "soul-searching" redefinition of the genre, musical.

One hit for concept musicals was Company which came out in 1970. The plot was a single man in New York trying to find love. It focuses around his married friends and a bunch of single women who want to be with him. He's not really sure where he fits in. It shows the concept of loneliness as he turns 35 and has the string of internal questioning-- is protecting himself from ever possibly getting hurt worth risking NEVER finding love? Many can relate to this battle of internal wills, and since he is single and older it was especially relateable to some people who sometimes feel like they just missed out on the time to find love.

Another hit, which didn't really become a hit until decades later, is Chicago. The plot is two flappers in the 1920s who are trying to become famous. Their method is marital homicide. This musical focuses brutally on media-based celebrity (doing anything for money) and social hypocrisy. It never really found its crowd in the 70's, but Broadway brought it back in 1996 and to the big screens in 2002 and it now extremely well-known.

To read more about concept musicals (and where the definition above yields from), visit here.

Below is a video of the song "He Had it Coming" from the musical Chicago. In this song the women sing about their murder of their husbands.



Rock musicals and concept musicals are just two genres of musicals which emerged in the 1970s. Undoubtably there is a plethora of other musicals which are still highly popular today, including No, No Nanette and Annie but these were not rock musicals or concept musicals. The 1970's actually produced a large number of musicals and advances in Broadway.



Jesus Christ Superstar URL
Grease picture URL
Chicago picture URL

Dance or Disco - I'm a little ambivalent

Is disco still around? Yes.

Disco may be know as the revolution that swept through the 80's, but in fact Disco started in the 70's. The evolution of this craze has developed into what is now known as dance. Although the motivations, costumes, and culture has changed with society, the structure and design remain the same.

Very few credit the 70's for the music culture so ingrained in the youth of today. Club culture has become a standard feature of the contemporary entertainment landscape.

Love Saves the Day, by Tim Lawrence argues that in the beginning of the 1970's, the Loft and the Sanctuary spawned a new mode of DJing and dancing that went to to become the most distinctive cultural ritual of the decade, and current DJing techniques, dance-floor design, and music aesthetics were largely in place by the end of 1979.

Billboard's Hot Hot Hot 100

The #1 Songs of Billboard's Hot 100 Based On Each Year of the 1970’s

 

1970 : Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon/Garfunkel

1971 : Joy To The World - Three Dog Night 

1972 : The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack 

1973 : Tie A Ribbon Around The Ole Oak Tree - Tony Orland/Dawn

1974 : The Way We Were - Barbara Streisand

1975 : Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain and Tennille

1976 : Silly Love Songs - Wings

1977 : Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart

1978 : Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb

1979 : My Sharona - The Knack

Although I was familiar with all of these artists and songs (excluding Roberta Flack) you could only find a fifth of these songs on my iTunes.  That would include "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Silly Love Songs" by Wings.  I guess my favorite tunes from the 1970’s don’t exactly agree with Billboard's Hot 100, but then again my favorite songs from this day and age don’t either.  As one could guess, I don’t listen to much “popular music.”   

These statistics can be found at Billboard's Historical Charts of the Hot 100

Billboard Logo