Other British Invasion Bands

MUS 1240

Fall 2014

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

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.

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

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

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)

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.

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 JimiHendrix’s manager.

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

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.