MUS 1240 Week 9 Notes

1. Other British Invasion Bands
MUS 1240
Fall 2014

2. Divide in British Invasion Bands
• Beatles-like bands who were more pop-oriented
– Gerry and the Pacemakers, Dave Clark Five
• Stones-like bands that were more blues-based
– The Yardbirds, The Animals
• Some groups did not fit one of these
categories
– The Who, the Kinks

4. Gerry and the Pacemakers
• Also from Liverpool, England like the Beatles
• At the height of Beatlemania, Gerry and the
Pacemakers were almost as popular in the UK
as the Beatles were.
• First #1 hit – “How Do You Do It?” – 1964
– A song that had been passed on by the Beatles
• Other hits included “I Like It” and “You’ll
Never Walk Alone”
• Also eventually had 7 Top 40 hits in the U.S.

6. Other Beatle-type bands
• Dave Clark Five; from London
– Some thought that they would be bigger than the Beatles;
7 Top 40 hits in US in 1964 (Beatles had 19)
• Herman’s Hermits
– “I’m Into Something Good” – 1964
– Peter Noone; lead singer whose looks made him popular at
a time when the Beatles were moving away from the boy-band
image
• The Hollies
– Influences heavily by the harmony singing of the Beatles
– Featured lead singer Graham Nash, who would later
become part of Crosby, Stills, and Nash

7. Blues-Based Bands
• Blues revival in the UK during the 1960s
• Chicago Blues
• Became popular in the US as well after the Beatles’ popularity
– People in the US became interested in all things British
• All were (at least initially) marketed like the Beatles, with the suits
and everything. Most lost the suits eventually.
• US Blues records were hard to find in London, so a sophisticated
trading system among the UK blues scene.
– Gave it a very underground feel
• John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Jack Bruce,
John McLaughlin all part of this scene
– Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as well

9. The Rolling Stones
• Influenced more by Chicago Blues and traditional R&B than were the
Beatles (who were more influenced by rockabilly and Motown)
• Signed to Decca Records by Dick Rowe (“The man who turned down the
Beatles”) and move to more of a pop-influenced style
– George Harrison story where he recommends the Stones
• Followed a similar imitation/emulation/innovation arc as the Beatles
– Initially did covers of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, etc.
• Seen in the media in the 1960s as the foil to the Beatles’ slick pop image;
Stones were more aggressive, sexual, unkempt, etc. (the Anti-Beatles)
• “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” - #1 hit in US summer 1965
• Followed with hits such as “Paint It Black” – 1966
• Temporary ban from the Ed Sullivan show; come back in 1967, Sullivan
makes them change lyrics of their hit “Let’s Spend the Night Together”
• Jagger felt that a white Brit writing blues originals was rediculous, so most
of the Jagger/Richards hits were based on other more pop-oriented styles
and forms (contrasting verse-chorus like Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry)

11. The Yardbirds
• Initially more devoted to the blues than the Stones
• Eric Clapton – lead guitarist was so angry over the
band’s concessions toward pop music to gain
popularity that he left the band in 1965.
• Jeff Beck replaces Clapton, brings more of an
experimental nature to the band
– “Heart Full of Soul”, “Shapes of Things”
• Jimmy Page joins as a second guitarist in 1966, Beck
leaves the band in late 1966. Page stays with the group
until 1968, when the band dissolves. Page creates a
new group to fulfill the remaining concert dates on the
Yarbirds’ calendar. This band was Led Zeppelin.

13. The Animals
• Eric Burdon – lead singer/harmonica
• Big break – opening for Chuck Berry on a UK tour
– Added a folk/blues number to their set for this tour –
“House of the Rising Sun” – becomes #7 hit in US in
summer 1964
• Band breaks up in 1966, Eric Burdon goes on with
new group of musicians as Eric Burdon and the
Animals, bassist Chas Chandler becomes Jimi
Hendrix’s manager.

15. The Kinks
• Formed in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave
Davies
• Focused on a sound that was more aggressive,
can be described as proto-metal.
• “You Really Got Me” - #7 US 1964
• “All Day and All of the Night” – 1964

17. The Who
• Formed in 1962
• Pete Townshend – guitarist and songwriter
• Roger Daltrey – vocalist
• John Entwistle – Bass (was trained on French Horn, and contributed
brass to some the Who’s recordings)
• Keith Moon – legendary drummer
• Success limited to the UK until “I Can See For Miles” in 1967
• Embraced by the “Mod” culture in 1960s UK. Mods listened to
American R&B and Jamaican Ska, rode motorscooters, and took
amphetamines.
– Clashed with “Rockers”, who rode motorcycles and wore leather
jackets like Marlon Brando in the 1953 film The Wild One.
– Who’s Quadrophenia (1973) tackles the battle between Mods and
Rockers.