Blog 5 - Britpop Part 2

The Battle of Britain –

The battle for chart domination between Blur and Oasis would push “Britpop” into the mainstream press by 1995. After years of aggravation between both bands, a PR marketing spin would put Blur and their Southern, middle class “Country House" against the Northern, working class “Roll with it”. Tabloids and media outlets went crazy for the rivalry, marking the first major conflict within the British rock industry since the Beatles and the Stones in the 1960’s. Blur’s "Country House" would eventually win the battle selling 274,000 copies compared to the 216,000 of Oasis' "Roll with it" (Both singles charted number one and two respectively). However, in retrospect oasis would “lose the battle but win the war” as they would ultimately find greater success with further singles and albums in both Britain and America while the bands sophomore album “What’s the Story Morning Glory?” would become the third biggest selling album in Britain (4 million copies).

The End of an Era?

By 1996 the Britpop market was over saturated with Oasis/ Blur copycat bands.  By the turn of the century nu metal and DJ driven music began to push out rock bands and eventually kill off the Britpop movement. Bands like Suede, Manic Street Preachers and Oasis would out grow their Britpop images and go on to more success in the 21st century. The music may have continued but Britpop really acted as the last golden age of rock n' roll and it would be hard to see a similar phenomenon ever happening again. There is a chance we just may have seen the last of the rock and roll revolutions, with new mainstream electronica pulsing across the UK. A once golden market has become over saturated, overflowing with 'bedroom artists' and ‘laptop DJ’s’ that may just risk drowning what Britain so passionately prides itself on, the music.

Blog 4 - House Part 2

The Move Towards the Mainstream

Although house music’s popularity was growing at a steady rate throughout the beginning of the eighties, many clubbers were still unable to buy the tracks they heard in the clubs from record stores. In 1984 Jesse Saunders would change this with the release of his hit “On & On” and the launch of his own label “Jes Say records/Trax”. Jesse Saunders was sixteen years old when he first saw Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse. Inspired by this experience, Jesse Saunders would begin to DJ his own songs and within a few years owned his own club, The Playground. He the began producing his own music and created a record label where house artist could now promote and make money. Utilizing the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, the house being produced by the likes of Saunders began to get faster developing into the sub - genre of acid house. During this period Jes Say Records/Trax produced hits such as “Funk u up” (The first house track to chart on the billboard 200) and “Love Can’t Turn Around”. It would be this last hit that would be taken over to London by pirate DJ’s and played underground throughout the clubs, exposing British youth to acid house and house music for the first time. With the summer of love, 88’, unfolding throughout Britain, the once black and middle class American disco music was being adopted by the working-class youth of Europe. Crossing over with the growing ecstasy culture, house would grow into a different kind of beast. By the end of the 80’s house had entered the UK mainstream. Sadly many of the original Chicago artists received little to no money and by the end of the decade new laws had seen the closure of most clubs through Chicago.

Blog 3 - Led Zeppelin

When Gods Walked the Earth –

Transitioning from the Yardbirds into Led Zeppelin in October 1968. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones would, in just a short period of time, become the biggest band in the world and dominate the early 70’s. After releasing three albums between 1969 and 1970 Led Zeppelin would look to take their music to the next level for their fourth release. The last track on side one of Led Zeppelin IV would give them the drastic change they desired and would help make its parent album the 3^rd biggest selling in American history.

The Stairway to Heaven –

Written by Page at Bron-yr-Aur, a mysterious isolated cottage in Wales and recorded at the legendary Headley Grange, Hampshire, 'Stairway to Heaven' would take the world by a storm, changing rock n' roll forever. The song created a mystique around the band with lyrics of “pipers, a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold, and the may queen”. Many have wrongly associated the song with the occult and Satan. This was supported by a legend that stated when played backwards the song would omit demonic and satanic backtracking lyrics. In fact, the song draws heavily from J.R.R Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. The song features the band playing at their very best with Jimmy Page's guitar solo regarded as one of the best of all time.

Despite never being released as a single, it became one of the most requested songs during the 70’s and built up an estimated worth of £370 million. By 2014 the song had been played on radio over 4 million times that would accumulate to 50 years of air time if played back to back non- stop.

Blog 2 - Britpop Part 1

Cool Britannia –

In 1994 the musical landscape was changing, Kurt Cobain's death had spelled the end for the now commercial heavy American grunge and the birth of the boyband had begun. By combing the melodies of the Beatles and the Stones with the aggression of Generation x, an up and coming group of British bands would pave the way for a new genre of music.

Building an Army –

Although the term “Britpop” is seen as more a marketing term and cultural movement that a genre, the bands who pioneered the style all have connections. Drawing from elements of sixties rock, glam rock, punk, grunge and the Madchester scene Britpop would rely on using catchy upbeat melodies full of optimistic lyrics juxtaposing the shoegazing and American grunge being produced at the same time. Early bands such as Suede and Manic Street Preachers would bring British guitar music back to the charts expanding upon the indie rock of the 80’s with louder, harder songs. Along with Pulp, Blur, and Oasis these bands would become the leaders of the movement. Along with the music “Britpop” would also mark a cultural change throughout Britain, the rise of new labour and Tony Blair marked with the art of Damien Hirst, British models like Kate Moss and movies such as Trainspotting made Britain the hip place to be for those creating art. Once again, being British was cool.

Blog 1 - House Part 1

The Birth of House – Chicago

New York

The foundations of house can be traced back to the difficult political and social times of 1970’s America. Born amid a crippling recession and at the height of the women’s gay and black power movements, disconnected youth across America would find salvation from the conflicting times in the clubs throughout liberated New York City. Music is said to be a reflection of the times, and the early disco/house music allowed young people to forget their differences and come together over one love, the love of music.

Targeting gay club goers and combining European elements from the likes of Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and Kraftwerk, early house music would start to take shape as people desired longer breaks, remixes and a deeper rawer sound compared to the watered down commercial disco music getting produced at the time. With racial tensions high and at the height of the homophobic “disco sucks” protest, one DJ would leave New York City behind and take “disco” to the black, middle class, neighbourhoods of Chicago, push the movement underground, into the basements and into the “House”.

The Warehouse & Frankie Knuckles

Established in 1977 and located within the depths of Chicago’s underground. The Warehouse nightclub was the place that many view as the true birth of the house movement and where many believe the genre borrowed its name. The man who would innovate this new sound was an ex New York disco DJ, Frankie Knuckles “the Godfather of house”. Recording and remixing songs on reel to reel tape Frankie Knuckles and the warehouse would find hundreds of party goers on the dance floor each weekend slowly turning thousands on to a fresh new sound. Many of Frankie’s songs would start to gain notoriety and begin to find their way onto local radio throughout Chicago. Songs such as “Your Love” and “Where Love Lives”, which became massive hits and would be continually sampled for years to come.