Bebop to Doowop to Hiphop: The Rhythm and Blues Tradition

AAAS 288 andMUSIC 288 5 hours

Dr. William T. McDaniel HughesHall 314 292-4657 [email protected]

Bebop to Doowop to Hiphop: The Rhythm and Blues Tradition

Course Description The term Rhythmand Blues,simply abbreviatedR &.B, is usedhereto refer to the variousderivativesof the bluesfrom the 1940sto the presenttime including the musical stylescommonlyreferredto as soul music,funk, Motown, urbancontemporary,Philly Sound,MemphisSound,Harlem Sound,Rock & Roll, Doowop,Disco, New JackSwing, rap andhiphop.Rhythmand Blues,the generalterm for African Americanpopularmusic sinceWodd War II, meldedearlier stylesof black music, especiallyblues,jazz, boogiewoogie, gospelmusic, andharmonysinging. R &.B launchedthe two most powerful and influential musical/culturalforcesof the last half of the twentiethcentury,namelyRock & Roll and Rap music,the driving engineof hiphop culture. In so doing,R &.B transformedAmericanculture and hasshapedmuch of the popularculturemusical practicesin the modemworld. This coursewill provide a surveyof the variousmusic stylesthat makeupthe genreof Rhythmand Blues. Beginningwith big bandswing,bebopjazz, socialdancing,solo and small group singingof the1940s,this coursewill progresschronologicallythroughthe 195Os,1960sandon throughthe beginningof the 21st century.The coursewill examine major stylesof black socialmusic including early R & B, doowop,soul music,Motown, and rap. Emphasiswill be placedon a stylistic analysisof the major performers, composersandarrangers,and their practices.Much attentionwill be given to the social and cultural context(including African retentivepractices,economic,raceandgender issues)that nurturedthe developmentof R & B in the postwarenvironmentof the 194Os throughthe hiphop cultureof the 199Osand beyond.Films, demonstrations, recordings, videosandlive performanceswill supplementthe lectures. This courseis designedfor anyoneinterestedin the African Americanmusic/cultural experienceor the tradition of American popularmusic andculturefrom the 1940s. No

formal knowledgeof music theory or previousbackgroundin music is required. This coursesatisfiesGEC requirementsfor Category5: Arts and HumanitiesPartB. Analysis of Texts andWorks of Arts in the Visual andPerformingArts. Required Textbook and CDs Becauseit is nearlyimpossibleto coverthe depthand breadthof this coursein any single text, the requiredtextbookfor the courseis The Rhythm and Blues Tradition Reader and4CD Packet availablefrom Zip Publishing. Evaluation The final gradewill be computedin the following manner: 1. OneLive PerformanceReview and One CD Review (maximum2 pageseach) 10% 2. One article summaryand critique (3 to 5 pages) 10% 3. Listening Exam I 15% 4. Listening ExamII 15% 5. Midterm Exam 25% 6. Final Exam 25% 100% Grading Scale 94-100 A 89 - 93 A- / Bt 84-88 79 - 83

B B- / Ct

74-78 69 - 73

C C-

61-68 60-

D E

UNIVERSITY POLICIES Academic Misconduct It is the responsibilityof the Committeeon AcademicMisconductto investigateor establishproceduresfor the investigationof all reportedcasesof studentacademic misconduct.The term "academicmisconduct"includesall forms of studentacademic misconductwherevercommitted;illustratedby, but not limited to, casesof plagiarism and dishonestpracticesin connectionwith examinations.Instructorsshall reportall

instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 33356-5-487). (http://studentaffairs.osu.edu for students/esc.asp ).

Disability Services Studentswith disabilitiesthat havebeencertified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriatelyaccommodated, and shouldinfonn the instructorassoonaspossible of their needs.The Office for Disability Servicesis locatedin 150PomereneHall, 1760 Neil Ave.; telephone292-3307,TDD 292-0901;http://www.ods.ohio-state.eduJ.

Weekly Scheduleof Topics I. Post.World War II Musical Confluences Early synthesisof blues,swing,jazz, gospel,and dancing Foundationof the bluesand the continuationof RaceRecords Dancingand Big Band Swing Decline of the big band;Advent of Bebopradicalismand modernism Gospelquartetsinging:GoldenGateQuartet Relationshipsbetweensacredand secularblack musics AssignedListening Readings Starr,Larry and ChristopherWaterman."St.LouisBlues:RaceRecordsin Hillbilly Music" in AmericanPopularMusic: From Minstrelsy to MTV, 86-120. Starrand Waterman."In the Mood: The Swing Era, 1935-1945"in AmericanPopular Music, 121-151. Blumenthal,Bob. "The Birth of ModernJazz"(BEBOP)in Jazz:The First Century, 88-92.

II. Early Rhythm and Blues Louis Jordan---singing,dancing,improvising JumpBlues:JoeLiggins, Amos Milburn, Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown, Big Joe Turner Big MamaThornton's "You Ain't Nuthin' But A Houndog" Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88"

Earl Bostic AssignedListening Readings

Garofalo,Reebee."Good Rockin' Tonight:The Rise of Rhythmand Blues" in Rockin' Out: PopularMusic in the USA, 65-92. Starr andWaterman."Choo Choo Ch' Boogie:The PostwarEra, 1946-1954"in American Popular Music in the USA, 152-190.

III. From Rhvthm and Blues to Rock and Roll to R & B in the 1950s Early Rockand Roll: white versionof black R & B ChuckBerry: Biggestinfluenceandmodelfor white Rockand Roll artistsfrom Elvis Presleyto Bill Haley BoogieWoogie: influenceof pianoblues Little Richard---self-proclaimedinventor of Rockand Roll CoverRecords The Coasters,The Drifters, Lavern Baker,Ruth Brown AssignedListening Readings Garofalo,Reebee."CrossingCultures:The Eruption of Rock'n'RoIl" in Rockin' Out, 93-120. Chapple, Steve and ReebeeGarofalo."Black RootsWhite Fruits: Racismin the

Music Industry" in Rock'n'RoIl Is HereTo Pay,231-248. Larson,ThomasE. "The Black Rootsof Rock andRoll" in History of Rock andRoll, 7-13.

IV. DooWop Rootedin the gospelquartet/quintetstylings of the 194Osand 1950s Vocal precursors:The Ink Spotsand Mills Brothers StreetCornerHarmonyin the 1950sand 1960s "Why do Fools Fall in Love?" The Clovers,Orioles,Ravens,Penguins,Five Satins,EI Dorados,The Flamingos, Moonglows,FrankieLymon and the Teenagers,Little Anthony andthe Imperials, Dell Vikings, Chantels,The Platters AssignedListening Readings Garofalo,Reebee."Doowop: The Intersectionof Gospel,Jazz,andPop" in Rockin' Out, 121-130. Shaw,Arnold. "Doo W op and Group R & B" in Black PopularMusic in America, 182-187.

v.

Motown Berry Gordy Jr. andthe most influential black-ownedrecordcompanyin history Crossoverappealthat placedblack artistson white radio Motown Sound:singing,dancing,and the Big Show Motown team:songwriters,music arrangers,choreographer,andperformers Hit Factory: "My Girl," "Stop! In the Nameof Love," "I HeardIt Throughthe Grapevine,""The Way You Do the Things You Do," "What's Going On" The greatestsinglerosterof artistsof any recordcompany Solo artists:Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye,StevieWonder,Lionel Richie Groups:The Supremes,The Temptations,Jackson5, SmokeyRobinsonand the Miracles,GladysKnight andthe Pips,Marvelettes,Four Tops, eta!. AssignedListening Readings Garofalo,Reebee."The Civil Rights MovementandPopularMusic andPolitical Culture:The Sixties" in Rockin'Out, 183-199. Starr andWaterman."Berry Gordy andMotown" in AmericanPopularMusic, 239-244. Smith, SuzanneE. "The Many Meaningsof the Motown sound"in DancingIn the Street:Motown and the Cultural Politics of Detroit, 161-172.

VI. Soul Music: the secularization of black gospelstyle The influenceof the black church Synthesisof blues,jazz and gospel;singingwith strongmessagesandconvictions Musical centersof Memphis(Stax),New York (Atlantic), Philadelphia,Chicago, Los Angeles "I Got A Woman" and"For Your PreciousLove" Early performers:Ray Charles,SamCooke,JackieWilson Aretha Franklin: Queenof Soul Other artists:Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions,GeneChandler,Major Lance,Otis Redding,Sam& Dave,Wilson Pickett,CarlaThomas,Ben E. King, Maxine Brown, ChuckJackson,PercySledge,SolomonBurke,Jerry Butler, the O'Jays, Spinners,Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes,The Stylistics,Al Green,et. al. 1970sSoul and Disco: Barry White, DonnaSummer,KC & the SunshineBand 1980s:Michael Jackson,JanetJackson,Whitney Houston,GeorgeMichael, Gloria Estefan 199Os:Mariah Carey,Boyz to Men, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton,TLC, D'Angelo, Lauryn

Hill, ErykahBadu,Macy Gray AssignedListening Readings Guralnick,Peter."Prologueto Soul: SamCooke,Ray Charlesandthe Businessof Music" in SweetSoul Music, 21-25. Guralnick,Peter."Stax" The GoldenYears" in SweetSoul Music, 152-176. Starr andWatennan."Ray Charlesand Soul Music" in AmericanPopular Music, 267-270. Starr andWatennan."Aretha Franklin" in AmericanPopularMusic, 274-277. VII. Funk: the "deadliest" and most soulful secular expression JamesBrown: The Godfatherof Soul The 1.8.' s, Maceo"Take Me to the Bridge" Parker,Bohannon GeorgeClinton & the Mothership:Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins 1970sFunk: War, IsaacHayes,Isley Brothers,Tower of Power,GrahamCentral Station,the Ohio Players,EarthWind & Fire, Kool & the Gang 1980s:Rick James,Cameo,TheGapBand,The Commodores Jazz-Funk:HerbieHancock,Donald Byrd, FreddieHubbard,Lonnie Smith AssignedListening Readings Vincent, Rickey. "Introduction to Funk: The Bomb" in Funk: The Music. The People.andThe Rhythm of One,3-46. Vincent, Rickey. "The Godfather:Soul Power" in Funk, 72-88. Vincent, Rickey. "Do You WannaGet Funky With Me?" in Funk, 216-230. Vincent, Rickey. "Funk in the 1980s:SuperFreaks"in Funk, 267-285. VIII. The Beainninasof Hiphop Culture Hiphop: A cultural form that attemptsto negotiatethe experiencesof marginalization,brutally truncatedopportunity,and oppressionwithin the cultural imperativesof African American andCaribbeanhistory, identity andcommunity (Tricia Rose) Graffiti Art, Breakdancing,Rap Music RAP MUSIC: the driving engineof Hiphop Rappers;"There's A MessageIn Our Music" Rapmusic asan extensionof the R& B tradition The Art of the DJ andTumtabling Rap Music asa different kind of "RaceRecord" Old SchoolRap: SugarhillGang,Run-DMC, DJ JazzJeff & The FreshPrince,

LL Cool J, Salt N Pepa,Public Enemy PopRap: Foxy Brown, Coolio, Da brat, QueenLatifah, Kriss Kross,NaughtyBy Nature,Ludacris,Will Smith,Lil' Kim, Tone-Loc,Eminem,Public Enemy AssignedListening Readings Dyson,Michael Eric. 'The Culture of Hip Hop" in That's the Joint: The Hip-Hop StudiesReader,61-68. my. 'The Message:Rap,Politics, andResistance" Tl Neal, Mark Anthony. ,ce" in That's That's the Joint, 307-310. ."Rap, RaceandPolitics" in That's the Joint,351-362. Lusane,Clarence. Forman,Murray. "Looking for the PerfectBeat:Hiphop Aestheticsand Technologiesoff Productionin That's the Joint, 389-392. IX.

Expansion of Rap Music and Hiphop Culture in the 1980sand 1990s New SchoolRap:ArrestedDevelopment,BoogieDown Productions,Busta Rhymes,De La Soul, Missy "Misdemeanor"Elliot, Fabolous,GangStarr, Guru,Jay-Z, Outkast,3rdBass,A Tribe CalledQuest,Wu-TangClan Globalization:The Exportationof Black Music Hiphop Movies: Above the Rim, Breakin', Bulworth, Exit Wounds,Flashdance, Juice,Menaceto Society,GangRelated,New JackCity, Rage,PrinceAmong Thieves,Wildstyle Hiphop Television:TheFreshprince of Bel-Air, Homeboysin Outer Space,In the House,Living Single,Moesha Hiphop magazines:FELON, Murder Dog, Rap Sheet,The Source,Vi be Hiphop recordcompanies:Aftermath, BMG, CashMoney, Coroner,Detonator, Hoo-Bangin', No Limit, DeathRow Records,Bad Boy, Roc-A-Fella, Profile Hiphop fashion:PhatFarm (RusselSimmons),Roc-a-Wear(JayZ), Apple Bottoms(Nelly), SeanJohn(Puff Daddy),G-Unit clothing (50 Cent) Def ComedyJamandDef Poetry Hiphop Moguls: Puff Daddy,RussellSimmons,Jay-Z,50 Cent,MasterP AssignedListening Readings Kitwana, Bakari. 'The Challengeof Rap Music from Cultural Movementto Political Power" in That's the Joint, 341-350. Blair, M.Elizabeth."Commercializationof the RapMusic Youth Subculture" in That's the Joint, 497-504. Hazzard-Donald,Katrina. "Dance in Hiphop Culture" in That's the Joint, 505-516.

x.

Rap Music's Growth: Controversiesand Challengies Two Live Crew: Issuesof Morality andFirst AmendmentRights OangstaRap:BoneThugs-n-Harmony,C-Murder,Dr. Dre, 50 Cent,Ice Cube Ja Rule, Junior M.A.F.LA., Mobb Dep, Mystikal, N.W.A., NateDogg NotoriousB.LO., SnoopDogg, Lil'Bow Wow, Trick Daddy TupacShakur EastCoastvs West Coast Mainstreamacceptanceof hiphop Chris Rock Show Hiphop gospelandhiphopjazz AssignedListening Readings Watts,Erick. "'An Explorationof SpectacularConsumption:GangstaRap As Cultural Commodity" in That's the Joint, 593-610. Alvarez, Gabriel."GangstaRap in the '90s" in The Vibe History of Hip Hop, 285-287. Johnson,Martin. 'Cop Killer and SisterSouljah:Hip Hop UnderFire" in The Vibe History of Hip Hop, 288-296.