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Monday 11/28

James Brown: Some Conclusions

 3 Different Decades  and 3 Distinct Sounds

Think about the Characteristics of the Song - Content/Lyrics/Genre/Instrumentation/Style

50's    -   Gospel  /  Soul


Blues influence  /  Jazz Influence​
Please Please Please   -     1956
Try Me    -     1958

60's    -     Early Funk

Cold Sweat   -    1967
The Fred Wessley/Maceo Parker/ Pee Wee Ellis Horn section
Analyze/ Examine:
Think about the Observations we made about Please Please Please and Try Me -  In a Matter of 10 years most all of those things have evolved and changed into something different.   

How Have they Changed? 
Why have they Changed? 
What Events were Important? 
Which people were important? 

70's     -    FUNK

2 Types of Artists

Type 1  Masters one Discipline or Style  (genre in our case)   of their respective art.  

They Master one type of music -  And Often Make it to the Top of that discipline


Type 1 Examples would be :   Beatles  ,  Ray Charles ,  Coldplay ETC. 



Type 2 Are the type of artists that transcend many different disciplines of their art , and master many difference aspects.....

​and sometimes even discover new areas or further develop the the art

Type 2 Examples  :   JB  , Stevie Wonder,   Miles Davis, 

The JB Documentaries 

Why are they Significant

 We can see in depth how an artist's Life Experience can directly affect their music

Both videos showed a variety of  different ways both on a large scale (such as national social unrest)  and on a smaller scale like something that may have happened to him that day 
Large (Macro) Scale

​Social / Cultural 
Civil Rights Mvt (64)
Demonstrations (march on Miss.)
Race Riots/Crimes

Life /  Family
Upbringing
Education
Parents/Guardians
Home
Smaller (Micro)  Scale


Personal Relationships

-Business Relationships
-Relationships with Band Members
(Different Bands, Members themselves and the type of people they were etc.) 


Daily Experiences
Things that Insprired/effected him on a daily basis
We get plenty of examples of these things

But ...

How do they actually influence him in the studio while recoding  /   Writing   /  Performing his music?

How does it actually affect the creative process? 
What he Wrote
How he Wrote 
Style / Genre:
  • Gospel / Soul / Funk  (50s/60s/70's)
    • Influence from Church he attended growing up and music he heard there
    • jazz and blues music he admired - and rock music that became prominent in years coming 
Content
  • What he wrote about
    • All his songs are either social commentary or very personal content
    • Simplistic/Direct lyrics
      • Not Symbolic/Metaphoric - usually you can hear what he is driving at (emotion or point ) immediately - or even from the title
Untrained Musician
  • Couldn't read / write music
  • had no formal instrumental training

Early in Career Limited access to
  • Studio Time
  • Radio Air Time (Black Radio)
  •  Performance Venues with Wide Exposure (confined to Chitlin Chain)
These are (just a few) experiences from the artists (JB) life that
directly influenced his Music

Given whatever type of music we are listening to:
- do we think the artist has lived through this in their own life?
(it is rare that we can actually know for sure - but do WE THINK  or BELIEVE that what we are hearing is true)
This is all that really matter unless it is a rare case where we know exactly where the inspiration for that song came from - in JB case an interview in a documentary

Authentic: “Of Undisputed Origin:  Genuine”
Genuine: “truly what something is said to be”
Sincere :  “Preceding from Genuine feelings”
 
Inspired by genuine feelings and real experiences.

Quote from JB Docu:  “His life personified the music, his music reflected his life experiences”

 


WHY DOES AUTHENTICITY MATTER  (if it does - to you)

All art (music/paintings/sculptures ETC.) is more meaningful when
we the story behind it and when we know the story is true!


Examples:

Think about movies that are based on a true story 
-Doesn't it make it much more interesting know that this amazing story is true?
-Contrast that with a film like Harry Potter..... Doesn't this the of story hold a different kind of meaning? 
-This doesn't meant it is worse 


Think of 2 Paintings
Painting A is of a King Henry VIII                           Painting B is of  a Wizard Battling A Dragon
Picture
Picture
Isn't it a different kind of meaning held by Painting A , knowing the story of Henry VIII and that he really existed

VS  

Painting B Which we know is about Fictional Content?




Regardless of which you think is better , it is a different kind of response to are when we


KNOW IT HAPPENED

vs

INSPIRING our IMAGINATION 
In Music:

Think of a modern song of any genre that is about some kind of Relationship or Problem (should be Easy)

Aren't we usually assuming that the subject matter is true - i.e. that relationship or problem actually happened at some point? 
Should we be able to think of that those things in that song actually happening to that artist (as if it were a movie)?

If the story about that relationship or problem is completely fictional - fake people, fake places, etc - doesn't that have a different kind of meaning? 
Does this in some way take away from the validity of the story? 
(EVEN THOUGH we might be able to imagine it is really - or imagine ourselves in those situations -  This is a  different way of relating to the music!!)



This to me is the definition of authenticity in music:


Inspired by genuine feelings and real experiences.

Quote from JB Docu:  “His life personified the music, his music reflected his life experiences”


Authenticity Questions:

How Honest/Truthful is the Artist
Did the Experiences/Events int he song actually happen?
Did the Artist Actually Feel the Emotions he is singing about? 


AND.....

To What degree?

Is it totally Authentic? 
Sort of? 

IS it just "Based" on a true story, but embellished to make more entertaining? 


AND FINALLY ....

DO WE CARE? 
DOES THIS AFFECT OUR OVERALL JUDGEMENT OF THE SONG WHEN ASKED "IS IT GOOD"


.... We must assume that there are TONS of successful songs that aren't AUTHENTIC by the definition that applies to James Brown and the Blues

Activity

Death Letter Blues - Son House                           Lyrics


Space Oddity   -  David Bowie                             Lyrics 

​Is This song Authentic, and WHY:

1. What is This Song / Story about (Brief)? And What emotions did you think the artist was trying to make us feel?
  • Give a few Lines of Lyrics to Support
2. Do you think the Experiences/Events in the song actually happened?

3. Do you think the Artist Actually Felt the Emotions they were singing about? 


​
Is This song Authentic, and WHY:
1. What is This Song / Story about (Brief)? And What emotions did you think the artist was trying to make us feel?
  • Give a few Lines of Lyrics to Support
2. Do you think the Experiences/Events in the song actually happened?

3. Do you think the Artist Actually Felt the Emotions they were singing about? 


​
I Heard Love Was Blind   -   Amy Winehouse                    Lyrics 

Is This song Authentic, and WHY:

1. What is This Song / Story about (Brief)? And What emotions did you think the artist was trying to make us feel?
  • Give a few Lines of Lyrics to Support
2. Do you think the Experiences/Events in the song actually happened?

3. Do you think the Artist Actually Felt the Emotions they were singing about? 
​
Overall:
 Do you think it is possible / fair to judge the authenticity of a piece without at least some knowledge of the artist's background?  Explain.
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