ORIGINAL MUSIC REVIEWS
AMERICAN MUSIC HISTORY
In Philadelphia Pennsylvania, on the 4th of July 1776, a bunch of rebels, calling themselves the Second Continental Congress, adopted a document called The Declaration of Independence. As Quickly as the Liberty Bell rang, a new nation was born. This document acknowledged that it's people will have the GOD given inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. A country in which the people live in freedom to do just about what ever they want to do.
Since that time, The United States of America has become a diverse nation. It is truly a melting pot of many different people, ideas and cultures within one nation. From this melting pot, many different sounds of music can be heard throughout this great land. From it's beginning, music has been a part of the American fabric. Here are a few thoughts about Original Music History and The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
True American Music History Facts
Did you know that many styles and genres of music, which are played around the world today, originated in The United States of America?
Since the late 1800s Gospel Music and The Blues have been fighting each other for people's souls. In the early 1900s, down in New Orleans, Jazz was founded. 1920 saw Country/Western Music ride into picnics and fairs in the south/mid west and it would later spin into Big Band and Swing music in the mid to late 1930s. In the 1940s R&B (Rhythm and Blues) would plug into an untapped field. When you add the genres of R&B with Country and a splash of Jazz and other genres together you get the true melting pot of music; Rock and Roll.
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| "Tutti Frutti" - Little Richard |
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| "Great Balls of Fire" - Jerry Lee Lewis |
Rock 'n Roll which started in the late 1940s, began to take off in the 1950s when the baby boomer generation became teenagers. Wearing poodle skirts, bobby socks and grease in their hair, Rock 'n Roll went from a sock hop fad to the Millions of fans world wide today. The 1950s also saw Soul music take off and fly. Disco was made in the U.S.A. in the early 1970s and for the most part Disco died in 1979, while in other parts of the world still embrace it, today. In the early 1980's out of the city streets of New York came Hip-Hop & Rap Music which shot across the country and now has become the mega force of music. In the very late 1980s over in Seattle, Washington, a sound was brewing merging Metal with Punk creating a then new stream of alternative music called Grunge.
Yankee Doodle Sample
Since 1931, America's National Anthem has been a song titled "The Star - Spangled Banner." It has been played at many military ceremonies and at sporting events. The problem is that "The Star - Spangled Banner" is NOT an Original Song written by Francis Scott Key during the Revolutionary War against the British, as many people believe. It IS an Original POEM titled "Defence of Fort McHenry," written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the Battle of Fort McHenry which took place during the War of 1812. The poem is set to the music bed of a song titled: "The Anacreontic Song" also known in some circles as "To Anacreon in Heaven" written by British songwriter John Stafford Smith. Truth be told; America's National Anthem is a poem with music that was "sampled" from another song. Laws were different then BUT if John Stafford Smith had a Copyright and his tune Published, he would have become the world's richest man (Note to ALL songwriters: you should always COPYRIGHT and/or PUBLISH your new Original Music. Then submit it to ORIGINAL MUSIC REVIEWS www.OriginalMusicReviews.BlogSpot.com for review.
Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock covers John Stafford Smith's
"The Anacreontic Song" A.K.A. "The Star Spangled - Banner"
Whitney Houston sings Francis Scott Key's poem
"Defence of Fort McHenry" A.K.A. "The Star - Spangled Banner"
The song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" originally called "Yankee Doodle" was sung to poke fun and mock the early American Soldier, by the British Army. Traditions place its origin to the French & Indian War. It seems that the more organized and well trained British Army, who did fight side by side with the Americans, sung it to tease the dumb and disorganized Yankees. Thus the reference of confusing a feather with a macaroni. It is believed that this song too, was sampled from a nursery rhyme named "Lucy Locket." The lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" changed several times and had various authors know and unknown. The British solders kept tauting the Americans when they become foes and fought each other during the Revolutionary War. Soon after the war, the Americans sampled the British Army's sample and it has grown to the song which we all know today.
"Yankee Doodle Dandy" -after the Revolutionary War was won.
Also, the American tune "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" has a melody that is identical to "God Save the Queen" the British national anthem. Seems early America music "sampled" a lot of music from England.
What is in "American Pie" (the song not the movie)
Since we are talking about American Music History, we dug up a song that lyrically is time capsule filled with references of the 1950s to late 1960s American culture as well as it's Folk and Rock -n- Roll History. The song is titled "American Pie" and was written by Don McLean in 1971. While Don McLean has never publicly offered an interpretation of his lyrics to "American Pie," we would like to point out a few of our thoughts about what we believe are references to American Music.
"A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music use to make me smile" Since this song was written in 1970 could each "long" equal 10 years? 1950's music.
"February made me shiver..." On February 3, 1959; American Musicians Buddy Holly who wrote & sang "Peggy Sue", Ritchie Valens who wrote & sang "Donna" (his big hit "La Bamba" was a cover of a Mexican Folk song) along with The Big Bopper who sang "Chantilly Lace" and the pilot all died in a plane crash.
"...this will be the day that I Die" Buddy Holly sang "that will be the day, when I die." On his song "That'll will be the Day"
"Did you write the book of love?" In 1958 The Monotones had a hit titled "The book of love."
"Now I know that you're in love with him,
because I saw you dancing in the gym" "You both kicked off your shoes." In the 1950s anyone who wasn't square knew that Sock Hops were the name for dances. They were usually held in school gymnasiums all across America.
"Man I dig those Rhythm & Blues" 1950s is when Rock 'n Roll spun off of R&B.
"When the Jester sang for the King & Queen..." The "Jester" is Bob Dylan and the "Queen" is Joan Baez. Both are Folk legends from the Sixties. The "King" could be Elvis but he was not called the King until the mid Seventies. In 1963 at the Newport Folk Festival, Bob Dylan performed. Both Joan Baez and another Folk Legend Pete Seeger were there. Pete Seeger wrote many Folk Music Classics including "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to everything there is a season)." It was written in 1958 but the best known recording is by the The Byrds in 1965. The "King" in this song is probably Pete Seeger.
"In a coat he borrowed from James Dean..."
James Dean's
Movie "Rebel without a Cause"
was released in 1955.
Bob Dylan's
"THE FREEWHEELIN" album
released in 1963.
"While the King was looking down the Jester stole his thorny crown..." Some say Pete Seeger plagiarized from the Bible on "Turn Turn Turn (to everything there is a season)" Jesus Christ is said to have worn a thorny crown. Bob Dylan's career would later eclipse Pete Seeger's career.
"The Byrds flew..." "Eight Miles High..." Besides doing Pete Seeger's Christian tune, the The Byrds recorded Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Later they wrote their own song titled "Eight Miles High." The American Band; The Byrds, featured David Crosby among others on vocals.
"...with the Jester on the sidelines in a cast" In July of 1966, Bob Dylan had a motorcycle accident and was out of music for a few years.
"and there we were all in one place" Woodstock Music & Art Fair was held in 1969 not to far away Dylan was living at the time. Rumor had it that he was going to play, but he never did.
" ...as I watched him on the stage my hands were clenched in a fist of rage" A more aggressive music artist did perform Woodstock named Jimi Hendrix. Who would often set his guitar on fire at the end of his set.
"I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away" Janis Joplin also sang at Woodstock but she died the next year.
"I went down to the sacred store" Music stores are even more hard to find today.
"Where I heard the music years before, but the man said the music wouldn't play" "The man" was a commonly used word for the establishment. The Recording Industry had taken over marketing the newer music they wanted to market.
Within the song there are also references to the Beatles and The Rolling Stones as well as culture events of that era and Religion. Since this is a post about American Music history, we only focused on the American Music references.
Made with America
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| Kid Rock |
How many songs can you think of with America or American in the title ?
Here, in no particular order, is a few we thought of:
David Bowie (not American) went in the studio with American members of Nine Inch Nails for "I'm afraid of Americans" Bowie also wrote "Young Americans" while hanging in the studio with John Lennon (not American) and a young American named Luther Vandross.
Will. I. AM. "America's Song"
Green Day "American Idiot"
The Guess Who (not American)"American Woman" did the Original before Lenny Kravitz covered it.
James Brown "Living in America" Pound for Pound one of his last great tunes.
Tom Petty & the Heart Breakers "American Girl"
Kid Rock "American Bad Ass"
Brad Paisley "American Saturday Night"
Neil Diamond "America"
Kate Smith sang "GOD Bless America"
Lee Greenwood "Proud to be an American"
Ray Charles sings "America the Beautiful"
also...
American Music TV
Let's not forget American Bandstand & The American Music Awards both shows designed by the late Dick Clark.
American Radio
American Top Forty started on the 4th of July, 1970. It is a weekly countdown of the music that is popular during the week. It Originally featured the voice of Casey Kasem, who is also know as the voice of Shaggy, in the Scooby Doo Cartoons. Today it is still on the air with Ryan Seacrest as it's host.
America the Record Label
America Records is a French based Record Label filled with Blues and Jazz American Artists. BB King, Buddy Rich, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Lee Hooker, and Miles Davis have all appeared on an America album or two.
America Band 1
Before they wrote "Cleveland Rocks" for The Drew Carey Show, a band named "The Presidents of the United States of America" Grunged from Seattle, Washington with "LUMP".
America Band 2
"America" was a good Folky band who rode in on "a horse with no name" but they were from England but all three original members fathers were from America.
America Album
The Album "Breakfast in America" was recorded in Los Angeles and won Two Grammys in 1980. The group, Supertramp, had to take "The Long way Home" because they lived in the United Kingdom.
How about U.S. or U.S.A. in their title ?
In the mid 1980s,
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band wrote "Born in the U.S.A."
In 1986, After changing his name from John Cougar to John Cougar Mellencamp
"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." not to be confused with his tune "Pink Houses" which includes the lyrics: "Ain't that America... for you & me..."
In 1990, after they were Nasty as they wanna be
2 Live Crew rapped "Banned in the U.S.A."
In 2009, before she was old enough, Miley Cyrus sang "Party in the U.S.A."
Singer Gary U.S. Bonds
had a #1 Hit in 1961 with "Quarter to Three"
Then in 1981 his song "This Little Girl" got as far as #11 on the charts.
America has grown in many different ways over the 236 years since it's creation. At times America can be loud, raw, dirty, and abrasive. Other times is can be soft, clean, and humbling. Something could sound good one day then be hated the next. The people of the United States of America are a lot like American music; a melting pot of so many different things. To say that all Americans are the same, would be like saying all music sounds the same. So, while you attend your bar-b-que, ball game, cook out, party, picnic, or vacation; remember that it is all good. In America, you have the Freedom to make the sound track of your 4th of July anything you wish. We here at Original Music Reviews choose original unsigned or Independent Music and we are thankful to those rebels who started it all back in 1776.
-Alex & Jimmie
ORIGINAL MUSIC REVIEWS
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ORIGINAL MUSIC REVIEWS
www.OriginalMusicReviews.BlogSpot.com
Please share a comment below.