Performing Arts/Music History: British Inversion

Performing Arts/Music History: British Inversion

            The British Invasion was a significant cultural period in the mid-1960s that saw different aspects of British culture, such as rock and pop music become popular in the United States. Several pop and rock groups such as The Zombies, the Animals, the Kinks, and most notably, the Beatles spearheaded the invasion. The arrival of the Beatles in the United States signified the beginning of the British invasion. The invasion had a significant influence on different aspects of the country: history, culture, society, and the music industry.

Many popular songs propagated the invasion during this period. This paper will focus on four songs and their significance on the invasion as well as detailed analysis of the various songs. These songs are You Really Got Me – The Kinks (1964), Yesterday – The Beatles (1965), My Generation – The Who (1965), and The House of the Rising Sun – The Animals (1964). The information conveyed by these songs was symbolic and influenced the American culture in ways that remain evident to date. Not only did the people love to listen to these songs, but also they copied the culture of the artists, including fashion and haircuts.

Detailed Overview of the British Invasion

Several people played significant roles in the establishment of the invasion. The Beatles, considered the starters of the British invasion, arrived in the United States and caused an international frenzy. Shortly afterward, they performed for the queen mother, and their popularity continued to grow from this point onwards. The band was about more than just music, and it affected the lives of many people across the country. Some of the things they introduced into the music world still exist to date. They added a new music genre, known as pop. Also, they normalized some aspects of the music industry. These moves include the use of music to express opinions on the events taking place around the world, advertising using mass media, and having musicians play roles in movies. Their debut performance was in 1964 on the Ed Sullivan show, after which they became trendy all over the United States.

Within a short period, other bands joined them in facilitating the British Invasion. Together, they worked on revolutionizing the American cultural landscape. They spread messages through their songs and showed that there was more to the world than what the Americans knew and believed in. Rock music had not been trendy before this point. However, the invasion internationalized the production of rock and roll music. Besides, it served to market the British music industry as a suitable center for musical creativity. Consequently, this movement opened up opportunities for other British performers to become global sensations.

As the British Invasion continued to popularize the new genres of pop and rock, some of the traditional styles in America began fading away. These genres include folk revival, Nashville country music, and instrumental surf music. Artists who had ventured into these genres faced difficulties as their careers came spiraling down. Folk revival managed to survive by adapting to folk-rock due to influence by the invasion.

The invasion was successful due to several reasons—the artists involved in the revolution, recycled genres of American music that had were not famous. However, the youth who were considered rebellious developed a liking to this “improvement” to the diminishing genre. It provides them with something that they could relate to, and they offered their full support to the movement. Also, these new introductions did not please many of the adults, and the youth were happy to portray the latest styles as an act of rebellion. It is a known fact that the youth are the future of any society. Therefore, once the movement got the support of the youth, they provided hope that they would carry the new culture to future generations. Presently, the genres are still top-rated thanks to their efforts.

The American music industry had become monotonous at the point of the invasion. During that period, the number was of British artists leading the music industry was higher than that of American artists. The people showed more appreciation for the different music than they did their own. Consequently, American groups that were desperate to be successful in the music industry, such as the Sir Douglas Quintet, found it necessary to mimic the British culture. This mimicry was so extensive such that they hid their indigenous origins.

You Really Got Me – The Kinks (1964)

This song was the first to use distortion, considered by many as the genesis of punk and heavy metal. Dave Davies, a member of the band, accidentally discovered this technique when he cut his amplifier’s speaker cone in an episode of rage (Hasted, 2017). His brilliant discovery lay the foundation for other artists to appeal to audiences using distortion in their songs. Talmy, the music producer, added some effects of his own.  He found ways of making the sound even louder by using twelve microphones for the drums’ recording and employing two different channels for the guitar recording; one distorting and the other not.

The song provided a blueprint for generations of upcoming artists to taste success. Its relevance remains evident to date, and many several artists have recorded and performed the song to good effect. Different versions have surfaced along the years, but none of those will ever be quite like the original.

The House of the Rising Sun – The Animals (1964)

The Animals modified an old folk ballad and made it into a new type of song. The song received mixed reactions in the beginning, including hate from the produce, Mickie Most. However, it gained better reception in the following days despite being produced on only a single take. It is considered a folk-rock breakthrough as it combined the two genres craftily into a new one. Also, it influenced Bob Dylan to move from acoustic to electric (DeRiso, 2020). His switch a momentous occasion in the development of folk-rock. Despite the numerous controversies that arose back then, the song managed to gain popularity, and many believe that it will never go away.

My Generation – The Who (1965)

Pete Townsend, aged twenty at the time, wrote the song as an expression of the rebellious British youth. It was aimed at the older generation, informing them that they did not understand the youth. The unique aspect of the song is that it had a straightforward music structure but conveyed tons of emotions. This was a breakthrough in the music industry as people would then express their feelings or opinions through music. Several people have dubbed the song as the beginning of the “Second British Invasion” (Thompson, 2020).

The performance of the song broke some fundamental rules of pop music back then. They developed ways of passing messages without actually uttering the words. It was more of an introduction of symbolism into the pop music culture. Rodger Dultry intentionally stutters to signify the level to which the British youth were angry. The performance was noisy, but the music industry eventually embraced this unique style.

Yesterday – The Beatles (1965)

Before releasing this song, most of the Beatles’ fans were the young population. This song, however, changed all this and helped them gain credibility among the older demographic. Having acquired the attention of the adult market, it became clear that pop music culture would continue to grow because the audience had just got bigger. Different companies recorded instrumental versions of the song and used them as soothing background noises in elevators and shopping centers (“Yesterday by The Beatles – Songfactser”, 2020). The use of elements of classical music played a massive role in appealing to the adult market. It was the first pop song to do so.

The Effectiveness of the British Invasion Movement on American Popular Culture

The British Invasion had significant effects on the American Culture. Rock and roll mainly appealed to young people. The revolution changed this and gave significance to the genre. It was regarded as being conventional and would often f in different parts of the country without people frowning upon it. Also, several Americans wanted to emulate their favorite artists. Therefore, some people changed their fashion sense and hairstyles to match those of the people from famous bands. These actions resulted in the long, unwashed hairstyle that was common during this period.

The movement marked the transition from a conservative culture to a more liberal lifestyle. The incoming British brought new ideas, acceptance, love, and peace. The musicians, such as the Beatles, had a peace-loving attitude that weighed heavily on their fans, prompting them to ape their icons. At one point during an era of war and conflict, the musicians came together and dedicated their time to singing songs on peace. This movement, known as Woodstock, became an international symbol that reminded Americans to stick together in times of difficulty.

The invasion was led by pop and rock groups whose style was not popular among most Americans. Later, a small group of individuals adopted the rock and pop culture and became different from the rest of the population. The leadership was African-American, who had been victims of racial abuse and discrimination for a long time. Religious affiliations and labor unions majorly funded the movement. Some politicians from both the white Democratic Party and the White Republican party would also chip in and offer political and financial support.

During this period, the affected parties held civil resistance campaigns in a bid to be acknowledged by the government. They achieved this by taking part in peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience. The songs they sang backed up their grievances as they exercised their freedom of speech. Eventually, the government authorities held talks with the leaders of the movement, leading to productive solutions.

Conclusion

The revolution was not just all about music, but instead gave different individuals a sense of belonging. It facilitated the political fight for human rights and spread the excellent qualities of peace, love, and unity throughout the country. The revolution period marked a significant milestone in American history as it did not just open the way for musicians but also people specialized in the film industry, fashion, and entertainment as a whole.

References

DeRiso, N. (2020). How the Animals Claimed ‘House of the Rising Sun’ as Their Own. Retrieved 27 February 2020, from https://ultimateclassicrock.com/animals-house-of-the-rising-sun/

Hasted, N. (2017). You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks. Omnibus Press.

Thompson, G. (2020). The Who and “My Generation,” November 1965 | OUPblog. Retrieved 27 February 2020, from https://blog.oup.com/2010/11/my-generation/

Yesterday by The Beatles – Songfacts. (2020). Retrieved 27 February 2020, from https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-beatles/yesterday