Post by wingsj0 on Feb 11, 2006 17:20:24 GMT
Remember the 1970's? - By Jo Rishton
Over the years, music lovers have been so fascinated with the whole 60’s era that they have hardly given a mention to the sounds of the 70’s.
The seventies era may not have been as revolutionary as the 60’s but it certainly had its moments! The whole of the music industry was changing, from the sound of Mersey Beat pop to rip roaring guitars and it was the 70’s decade that helped create the legendary Monsters Of Rock.
So what kind of music did the 70’s bring to us? There was great Prog Rock Music, Glam Rock, Heavy Metal, Soul Music, and arguably the most popular music from that decade was Disco. The sound systems became more advanced, music technology was improving by the second and bands were given the opportunity to produce better live shows, with computerised lighting, and special effects, which were virtually unknown in the 60’s. One of the first bands to test such adventurous changes were Paul McCartney and WINGS. They used laser lights and strobe lighting to great effect during their WINGS OVER AMERICA tour.
Music mania was also still a major part of the music world. Teenage fans where known as TEENYBOPPERS as former Mud Star Ray stiles explains to us in this issue.
Bands started to regularly use “promo” films to promote their songs, this was introduced to the music industry in the 60’s by The Beatles, with the bands first ever promotion video for the song Rain. (As George Harrison was quoted tongue in cheek “The Beatles invented, MTV”) Music magazines started to emerge on the shelves of local paper shops and high street stores such as Jackie, 45, and Smash Hits, and pop stars became pin ups and adorned teenage girl’s bedrooms even more than before. For many teenagers, music became a way of life, because the media entertainment in the 70’s become more accessible and was broadcast to the nation in every home of the UK. Bands became more aware of self-promotion, and appeared regularly on TV entertainment shows throughout the country and world. Top Of The Pops took over the baton from the 60’s first ever Pop programme called Ready Steady Go.
The most credible music show from the period was undoubtedly The Old Grey Whistle Test, which showcased all the great talent performing at that time. It was a great chance to see bands play “live” in the studio, all the greats of the 70’s played on it, from David Bowie to the Eagles, and all introduced by the legendary “whispering” Bob Harris!
Fashion was also changing, designers where getting more adventurous. As the world was introduced to hipsters, flares, argyle socks, which Linda McCartney can be seen wearing in many a photograph, and high platform shoes and boots, and believe it or not mullet haircuts where “cool” to have! Rock Stars Status Quo, made Denim fashionable. As Levi Jeans became the craze of the early 70’s, and denim jackets graced the high street stores! This was also the time of the skinheads with their shaved heads, Crombie coats and Dock Martin boots. Not forgetting the late 70’s and the reaction to the ProgRock brigade, namely Punk!
TV was becoming more entertaining, as the television network wasn’t just catering for adults and started to cater for the teenage generation and children. From Jimmy Saville on Top Of The Pops to Chris Tarrant and Sally James on Tiz Woz, the alternative to Blue Peter, the more “cool” Magpie, that great kids programme the Basil Brush Show, and still hanging in there was an all time family favourite, Sunday Night At The London Palladium, featuring some of the music worlds biggest entertainment’s acts.
In the 70’s people became more aware of the freedom of speech, England had the first women prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Travel become more accessible, you could fly abroad more frequently and the currency was looking better. Technology was improving by the minuet, TV eventually became Technicolor, special effects in movies where more progressive and for me the 70’s was the best time to be brought up in. Going to the cinema was away of life for most people. Hollywood movie director Steven Spielberg produce block buster movies in the 70’s such as the terrifying sequels movies of a man eating shark Jaws. The extrarestral block buster ET including wonderful illusions and special effects, other films that had the block buster audiences were Star Wars, I remember going to the pictures with my and parents to view the screening of Star Wars, Superman, Clash Of The Tightens, not all where Spielberg movies but they were classics! I remember us all going to see the first ever screening of the hit musical Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, my sister and I loved it. (Still do to this day!)
The 70’s also provided us with the incredible song-writing partnership of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. In the early 70’s the two composers got together and wrote a musical which was originally wrote for a school play, they called it Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. The would be school musical turned out to be a WEST END block buster and BROADWAY. So popular was the musical and adore by generations from all walks of life, they wrote a string of musicals that was to become a major success all over the world. Musicals such as the classic Jesus Christ Superstar (the original sound track features former WINGS guitarist Henry McCullough) Henry, was also asked by Lloyd Webber to perform on the million sellers EVITA which stormed the charts in the late 70’s and was yet another box office smash. The partnership of Lloyd Webber and Rice, turned out some of the worlds most well loved musicals in the 70’s that have touched generations after generations and continue to do so even though, they no longer write together as a partnership today, they still keep the box offices booming with their own musical block buster productions.
To me the 70’s was just as important as the 60’s in many ways, but they remain extra special to me because I lived some of the 70’s as a child and remember watching my future heroes WINGS on Top Of The Pops thinking WOW!! I remember being fascinated with Linda on the keyboards wondering who that nice lady was. I remember being totally fascinated why they named there record JET, and constantly listening to ‘Let Em In’, and who could forget the beautiful Mull Of Kintyre the song as become the top selling record of the gramophone! Finally, years later my child hood dream came true as I heard the song performed by Paul McCartney Manchester’s MNE Arena and it brought tears to my eyes and all the memories of the 70’s came coming back. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the bands and artist from that era who helped make the decade so special, for giving us your nervous systems, wonderful tunes and everlasting melodies and classics, the world is so deprived of today.
If the music industry thinks music lovers of this world only live to hear the manufacture bands of POP IDOL, Fame Academy then they couldn’t be more wrong. For they might have the magical X Factor but will they have ever lasting talent, love, dedication, skill, drive, love of real music, and will their names remain on our lips in the next 40 years apart from Robbie Williams, I don’t think so.
Jo Rishton
Over the years, music lovers have been so fascinated with the whole 60’s era that they have hardly given a mention to the sounds of the 70’s.
The seventies era may not have been as revolutionary as the 60’s but it certainly had its moments! The whole of the music industry was changing, from the sound of Mersey Beat pop to rip roaring guitars and it was the 70’s decade that helped create the legendary Monsters Of Rock.
So what kind of music did the 70’s bring to us? There was great Prog Rock Music, Glam Rock, Heavy Metal, Soul Music, and arguably the most popular music from that decade was Disco. The sound systems became more advanced, music technology was improving by the second and bands were given the opportunity to produce better live shows, with computerised lighting, and special effects, which were virtually unknown in the 60’s. One of the first bands to test such adventurous changes were Paul McCartney and WINGS. They used laser lights and strobe lighting to great effect during their WINGS OVER AMERICA tour.
Music mania was also still a major part of the music world. Teenage fans where known as TEENYBOPPERS as former Mud Star Ray stiles explains to us in this issue.
Bands started to regularly use “promo” films to promote their songs, this was introduced to the music industry in the 60’s by The Beatles, with the bands first ever promotion video for the song Rain. (As George Harrison was quoted tongue in cheek “The Beatles invented, MTV”) Music magazines started to emerge on the shelves of local paper shops and high street stores such as Jackie, 45, and Smash Hits, and pop stars became pin ups and adorned teenage girl’s bedrooms even more than before. For many teenagers, music became a way of life, because the media entertainment in the 70’s become more accessible and was broadcast to the nation in every home of the UK. Bands became more aware of self-promotion, and appeared regularly on TV entertainment shows throughout the country and world. Top Of The Pops took over the baton from the 60’s first ever Pop programme called Ready Steady Go.
The most credible music show from the period was undoubtedly The Old Grey Whistle Test, which showcased all the great talent performing at that time. It was a great chance to see bands play “live” in the studio, all the greats of the 70’s played on it, from David Bowie to the Eagles, and all introduced by the legendary “whispering” Bob Harris!
Fashion was also changing, designers where getting more adventurous. As the world was introduced to hipsters, flares, argyle socks, which Linda McCartney can be seen wearing in many a photograph, and high platform shoes and boots, and believe it or not mullet haircuts where “cool” to have! Rock Stars Status Quo, made Denim fashionable. As Levi Jeans became the craze of the early 70’s, and denim jackets graced the high street stores! This was also the time of the skinheads with their shaved heads, Crombie coats and Dock Martin boots. Not forgetting the late 70’s and the reaction to the ProgRock brigade, namely Punk!
TV was becoming more entertaining, as the television network wasn’t just catering for adults and started to cater for the teenage generation and children. From Jimmy Saville on Top Of The Pops to Chris Tarrant and Sally James on Tiz Woz, the alternative to Blue Peter, the more “cool” Magpie, that great kids programme the Basil Brush Show, and still hanging in there was an all time family favourite, Sunday Night At The London Palladium, featuring some of the music worlds biggest entertainment’s acts.
In the 70’s people became more aware of the freedom of speech, England had the first women prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Travel become more accessible, you could fly abroad more frequently and the currency was looking better. Technology was improving by the minuet, TV eventually became Technicolor, special effects in movies where more progressive and for me the 70’s was the best time to be brought up in. Going to the cinema was away of life for most people. Hollywood movie director Steven Spielberg produce block buster movies in the 70’s such as the terrifying sequels movies of a man eating shark Jaws. The extrarestral block buster ET including wonderful illusions and special effects, other films that had the block buster audiences were Star Wars, I remember going to the pictures with my and parents to view the screening of Star Wars, Superman, Clash Of The Tightens, not all where Spielberg movies but they were classics! I remember us all going to see the first ever screening of the hit musical Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, my sister and I loved it. (Still do to this day!)
The 70’s also provided us with the incredible song-writing partnership of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. In the early 70’s the two composers got together and wrote a musical which was originally wrote for a school play, they called it Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. The would be school musical turned out to be a WEST END block buster and BROADWAY. So popular was the musical and adore by generations from all walks of life, they wrote a string of musicals that was to become a major success all over the world. Musicals such as the classic Jesus Christ Superstar (the original sound track features former WINGS guitarist Henry McCullough) Henry, was also asked by Lloyd Webber to perform on the million sellers EVITA which stormed the charts in the late 70’s and was yet another box office smash. The partnership of Lloyd Webber and Rice, turned out some of the worlds most well loved musicals in the 70’s that have touched generations after generations and continue to do so even though, they no longer write together as a partnership today, they still keep the box offices booming with their own musical block buster productions.
To me the 70’s was just as important as the 60’s in many ways, but they remain extra special to me because I lived some of the 70’s as a child and remember watching my future heroes WINGS on Top Of The Pops thinking WOW!! I remember being fascinated with Linda on the keyboards wondering who that nice lady was. I remember being totally fascinated why they named there record JET, and constantly listening to ‘Let Em In’, and who could forget the beautiful Mull Of Kintyre the song as become the top selling record of the gramophone! Finally, years later my child hood dream came true as I heard the song performed by Paul McCartney Manchester’s MNE Arena and it brought tears to my eyes and all the memories of the 70’s came coming back. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the bands and artist from that era who helped make the decade so special, for giving us your nervous systems, wonderful tunes and everlasting melodies and classics, the world is so deprived of today.
If the music industry thinks music lovers of this world only live to hear the manufacture bands of POP IDOL, Fame Academy then they couldn’t be more wrong. For they might have the magical X Factor but will they have ever lasting talent, love, dedication, skill, drive, love of real music, and will their names remain on our lips in the next 40 years apart from Robbie Williams, I don’t think so.
Jo Rishton