Sixties Music in the Prism of the Media and World Events

Life and music in the sixties – what were they like?

What were the most important events of the sixties and how did they influence the music?

Did the media portray an ‘objective’ look at the sixties and its music?

Fly me to the moon https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/frank-sinatra/fly-me-to-the-moon-chords-335196

In the early sixties, singles (45s, introduced by RCA Victor in 1949) were generallly more important.

As the sixties progressed, the so called LPs (long-playing, introduced by Capitol Records in 1948) started to gain prominence. Partly due to the Beatles who put increasing emphasis on their LPs.

Lots of money was to be made from selling sheet music and music books.

This after all, was the era before photocopying became common, and long before the internet.

Listening to the radio on the go became possible because of the popularization of the transistor radio.

Made in Japan was initially derogatory.

My first portable radio was TERRIBLE.

Sixties inventions included the halogen lamp, the laser,  milk creamer, fiber tip pens, cassettes, video discs, contact lenses, electric fuel injection, handheld calculaters, computer mouse, artificial hearts, ATM, milk substitute.

Inventions and New Products from 1950 to 1979. Sixties inventions from 2:55.

Elvis Presley fell victim to some poor career choices.

In 1960 most pop songs were written by professional song writers in places like the Brill Building, by songwriters such as King/Goffin and Lieber/Stoller.

John Lennon “Stand By Me”

“Stand by Me” is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

The cold war was as America’s doorstep.

How The Cold War Happened (in 4 minutes)

Soviet Russia was pictured in a negative light.

Somewhere, My Love (Lara’s Theme)

The late Maurice Jarre’s theme from David Lean’s film of Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) performed by the 101 Strings Orchestra.

The Vietnam War grew in proportions and with it the protests and outrage. Sparking fierce protest songs

Phil Ochs – White Boots Marching In A Yellow Land (1965 Demo)

Did Country Joe and the Fish think that this song could stop the war?

The Sixties were about equality for African Americans

Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have A Dream Speech

1:23

“We Shall Overcome” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

How many integrated sixties bands can you name? How many do we talk about in the course?

There were riots across America, for example Detroit 1967

To help end the disturbance, Governor George W. Romney ordered the Michigan National Guard into Detroit, and President Lyndon B. Johnson sent in Army troops. The result was 43 dead, 467 injured, over 7,200 arrests, and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed.

Sixties and Race on TV – Just my Theory

Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker

Hank Ballard on “To Tell the Truth” (November 13, 1961)

Songs from Sixties Movies – Did the Oscars do justice to the decade? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Song

West Side Story, 1961 (movie) – music  by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins – supercut with new version!

West Side Story, 1961 (movie) – music  by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins

And in Hebrew…

Fiddler on the roof – Hebrew Ver.

Songs from movies and the theater were a good basis for jazz musicians to improvise:

We remember a few of the themes: James Bond 007 – Monty Norman

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The Beatles Made a lot of Movies

Help!

A hard day’s night

Magical Mystery Tour

Yellow Submarine

Let it be

A Hard Days Night Trailer

The Beatles – “Let It Be” Trailer

Other famous movies with songs: The Graduate

The Graduate – Trailer – HQ

Hair – war, drugs, sex, integration, love (movie 1979)

Hair Trailer

Lots of movies were made about the sixties

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM Original 1987 Trailer Robin Williams