I am watching and listening to a long string of "British Invasion" music on YouTube. It includes many songs that were virtually unnoticed in America, but were big in Britain. Perhaps it should have been called "British Invasion:The Home Front" or something. A lot of the list is from 1967, which I would define as well past the invasion period. Those bands were more like colonists at that point. Many of those later bands had been influenced by American groups, especially the psychedelic and blues ones at that point. What do you call counter-counter-invasion?
All of those "British Invasion" bands, like the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Super Bands like Cream, The Yardbirds, etal., were heavily influenced by the Blues from the black music culture of the 40's and 50's. That musical genre made its way across the pond, was picked up by the Brits and reintroduced to America in a more presentable package by white artists. It changed from the Mississippi Blues to Rock 'n Roll.
ReplyDeleteI suppose upon reconsideration I don't mind that part about reinterpreting American blues and then "invading" with that. The Quarrymen were a skiffle band before becoming the Beatles, and a lot of their early music in Liverpool and Hamburg was bluesy rock and roll. Notice that opening bass line to "Day Tripper," for example. But I still think you can't call bands like the Pretty things part of the invasion.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, when I was in the Army, I was playing a Stones album in the barracks. A friend wandered down the hall to ask what blues band I was playing. I told him it wasn't a blues band, it was the Stones, and he almost wouldn't believe me. But later, as I listened to more of their music, especially the early stuff, I realized is was, at least, blues-influenced. Songs like Lady Jane, and Play with Fire (not sure I have the names right) are very bluesy, and I think I can hear the influence in other songs, like Wild Horses and even Angie. Well, I don't really know anything about music, and I suppose a real musician will tell me they can't be blues because they don't have the right chord progression, or some obscure thing like that, but they sound like blues to me.
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