28 Aug 2023

August 2023 ‑ Dub Reggae Revelation

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

It has been far, far too long since I wrote a CRAVE Guitars’ article. At some point, I may (or may not) go into the whys and wherefores behind the near 3‑year hiatus. I may also look into a brief résumé of what has happened to CRAVE Guitars during that period (hint… given Covid lockdowns, the cost‑of‑living crisis, etc., not a massive amount!). I am a bit out of practice.

In the meantime, I thought I would divert my attention a little, away from vintage guitars. The topic of this article is to present a few thoughts on one of my favourite music genres… dub reggae. It has allegedly been summertime in the UK, so I immersed myself in the crucial vibes of dub and that spawned the idea to write, which inspired me to listen to more dub, and write more. And so on. Although not particularly guitar oriented, I believe it is still worthy of exploration. As one might imagine, dub is often overlooked and misunderstood, even though it is a complicated branch of mainstream reggae. I hope that it may be of interest to someone out there and maybe, just maybe, there is something new to learn.

My passion for dub reggae was ignited in the mid‑1970s in a time before CDs when a friend introduced me to a specific vinyl LP, ‘Garvey’s Ghost’ by Burning Spear (1976). This particular studio album is the dub version of the vocal roots reggae album, ‘Marcus Garvey’ (1975), also by Burning Spear. For those not familiar with Burning Spear, Winston Rodney is a Rastafarian roots reggae artist, born in Saint Ann, Jamaica in 1945. As a youngster at the time, I hadn’t heard anything like it before and it made such an impact that it remains my favourite dub album and a reference against which others may be judged. I visited Jamaica back in 2008, although it wasn’t deemed safe for, especially white, tourists to move around freely.

This article looks at what dub reggae is, where it came from, why it became influential, who was involved and when it mattered. Despite some extensive research, I want to stress that this is my personal interpretation of the subject matter and should not be regarded in any way as definitive.

I would dearly like to illustrate the article with more images. However, copyright restrictions and CRAVE Guitars’ zero budget precludes relevant illustration. So… the words will have to suffice as a 1,000^th of a picture.

Reggae, roots and dub, as music genres, should be viewed as a fundamental fragment of Jamaica’s fascinating geography, history, demographics, politics, economics, culture and religion.

Right… Time, then, to spark up the chalwa and feel the righteous vibration…

A brief history of Jamaica

It is quite astounding that such a prolific genre of music could arise in – and be sustained by – such a small island in the Caribbean. In order to understand the context into which such unbound creativity emerged, perhaps there is something in Jamaica’s past that may explain it.

Jamaica is the third largest island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola (a.k.a. Haiti and the Dominican Republic), at 4,244 square miles. It has a tropical climate with hot and humid weather and high annual rainfall. Flora and fauna are also diverse with many species only found on the island, many in the Blue and Crow Mountains National Park. Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt of the Atlantic Ocean and has experienced significant storm damage on a number of occasions in its past.

Humans have inhabited Jamaica from as early as 4000‑1000 BCE, although there is little known about their ancient society. The main pre‑colonial inhabitants were the Taino who may have originated from South America around 800AD. The indigenous Taino called their home Xaymaca. Most of the Taino people disappeared following the arrival of Europeans, although some may have sought safe sanctuary in the island’s mountainous and forested interior.

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, under the sponsorship of Spain, first sighted the island in 1494 and called it Santiago. Columbus spent a year shipwrecked on the island from 1503 to 1504. Jamaica was not considered strategically important by the Spanish.

Spain ruled Jamaica from 1494 to 1655. The capital was established in what is now known as Spanish Town. The Spanish were the first to introduce African slaves to the island. Over time, the Spaniards changed the name of the island from the native Xaymaca to Jamaica.

In 1655 Britain captured and colonized Jamaica by force and formally gained possession of the island from Spain in 1670.

Following the British takeover, the island’s governor actively offered safe harbour to pirates and buccaneers in Port Royal in south eastern Jamaica in return for defending the town from Spanish attack. Some of these mercenaries and renegades became legal privateers operating in the name of the King of England. The pirates focused on attacking and plundering mainly Spanish ships on the trade route between Spain and Panama. Perhaps the most famous privateer of the 17^th Century was Welshman Henry Morgan, who also became a plantation owner and governor of Jamaica. The legendary pirate captain Blackbeard (Edward Teach) was also believed to live in Port Royal c.1700. By the end of the 17^th Century, Port Royal was known as a Pirate Utopia and its pervasive corruption, prostitution and lawlessness earned it the nickname of ‘Sodom of the New World’. Even though piracy was outlawed in 1681, it wasn’t until around 1730 that pirate numbers disappeared after action from the British navy. Piracy still occurs in the Caribbean in the present day.

‘The wickedest city on earth’, Port Royal, was destroyed by a devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 1692 (when part of the town sank into the sea), by fire in 1703 and by hurricanes in 1712, 1722, 1726 and 1744. It almost seems that the destruction of Port Royal was nothing short of divine retribution, with the hand of God smiting a modern‑day Sodom and Gomorrah. After that onslaught, Port Royal was effectively abandoned.

In the middle of the 17^th Century, the Dutch introduced sugarcane to the British West Indies. Sugar rapidly began to replace cotton and tobacco as the main crop.

Britain set about increasing both the European and the African slave population throughout the 18^th Century, as the sugar plantation industry spread across Jamaica. Success of the plantation system relied upon exploiting African slaves for labour. Many Jamaicans with slave origins can trace their ancestry back to the West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria. The British government abolished the transatlantic slave trade in 1807 and the practice of slavery itself in 1834. Consequently, the island’s plantation system collapsed. Descendants of African slaves who fled the plantations for the interior of the island set up their own communities and are still known today as Jamaican Maroons.

Britain made Jamaica a Crown Colony in 1866 and the capital was moved just 11 miles from Spanish Town to Kingston in 1872. Long‑term strife, through rebellions, resistance, skirmishes, riots and uprisings were commonplace throughout the 19^th Century, causing significant social, economic and political unrest. Toward the end of the 19^th Century, the demand for sugar waned significantly, creating severe economic decline.

The Jamaican government is based on a parliamentary democracy and the two main parties are the right‑wing JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) and left‑wing PNP (People’s National Party). A long‑standing feud between the two opposing parties has led to considerable political violence since they were formed in 1943.

Following the end of World War II, large‑scale emigration from Jamaica to the UK, USA and Canada occurred during the 1950s and 1960s when the country was still under British rule. Internally, political and racial tensions continued to grow and force change. Jamaica established internal self‑government in 1959 and became an independent island country on 6^th August 1962. Jamaican Independence Day is celebrated annually as a national holiday. The independent Jamaica is part of the Commonwealth of Nations with the British monarch as head of state, at least for now. The Jamaican government is seeking further constitutional change from 2025.

Political conflict, economic instability and widespread gang‑related disorder were major issues that plagued Jamaican society during the remainder of the 20^th Century and into the 21^st. Jamaica experiences high levels of crime and violence, and has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Organised crime and gang violence are rife especially in deprived areas. An intense street culture developed with disaffected, violent and discontented youths often known originally as ‘rude boys’ and latterly, ‘yardies’. The street subculture became widespread, associated with Jamaican ska and rocksteady music, even spreading to the UK as part of the mod and skinhead trends of the 1960s where it became known as boss reggae’.

Reggae artists were sadly not immune from violence and gun crime. Among the artists tragically murdered include Prince Far I (1983), Hugh Mundell (1983), Peter Tosh (1987), Carlton Barrett (1987), King Tubby (1989), Junior Braithwaite (1999), Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes (1999), Lucky Dube (2007) and Winston Riley (2012). Famously, in 1976 seven armed men invaded Bob Marley’s home in Kingston in a failed assassination attempt. Marley was shot in the chest and arm and his wife, Rita Marley, was shot in the head. Both survived the politically motivated attack.

The Jamaican white population decreased drastically during the 19^th Century. According to census figures, in 1662, 87% of the population was white while by 2011, it was just 0.16%. This dramatic decline was a result of the end of slavery, the decline of the sugar industry with the abandonment of plantations, and a blending of racial boundaries.

Today, Jamaica currently has a total population of approximately 2.8m, with over 92% being of black African origin. The major religion, by far, is Christianity at over 72% of the population, principally Protestant. The official language is English, while the main spoken language is a creole Jamaican Patois based on English. Jamaica’s national motto is, “Out of Many, One People.”

Over half the Jamaican economy relies on tourism and services, with an estimated 4.3 million foreign tourists visiting Jamaica every year. Sugar remains the main crop grown in Jamaica followed by bananas, cocoa and coffee. Mining, oil refining and manufacturing also make up a proportion of its GDP by sector:

Services – 58.22%
Industry – 20.93%
Agriculture – 8.34%
Other – 12.51%

The spiritual context behind reggae

This is where things begin to get interesting. Jamaica is a diverse multi‑ethnic, multi‑cultural and multi‑faith country. However, the distinguishing religion that contributed significantly to the home‑grown music industry of the country, particularly reggae, is Rastafarianism. Below are a few notable individuals and some of the ritual symbolism that have helped to define Rasta from the 1930s to the current day.

Haile Selassie I (1892‑1975) – Haile Selassie was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 until his death. Selassie’s pre‑imperial name was Ras Tafari Makonnen. Rastafarians adopted his name and believe in the incarnate divinity of Selassie as the messiah who will lead the peoples of Africa and the African diaspora to freedom. Haile Selassie visited Jamaica on 21^st April 1966, attended by approximately 100,000 black Jamaicans and Rastafarians from all over the island. Selassie reportedly respected Rastafarian beliefs even though he was a devout Christian. Selassie died in Ethiopia at the age of 83.

Marcus Garvey (1887‑1940) – Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. was born in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Garvey was a Jamaican political activist and black nationalist. He was the founder and first President‑General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, commonly known as UNIA from 1914. Garvey was a key influence on the Rastafarian movement from the 1930s. Many Rastas regard Garvey as a prophet, although the reverence was not necessarily reciprocated, as Garvey was a Catholic, not a Rastafarian.

The principal tenet of Garveyism is the ideology of unification and empowerment of African‑descended people and the repatriation of the descendants of enslaved Africans to the African continent.

Garvey was responsible for the establishment of the short‑lived Black Star Line from 1919 to 1922, a shipping company created to facilitate the transportation of goods and Africans throughout the global economy. The company used the Ghanaian Black Star of Africa flag, as a symbol of the ‘Back to Africa’ movement and of anti‑colonialism. The line’s name was a rejection of the competing British White Star Line.

Marcus Garvey and the UNIA were responsible for the Pan‑African flag created in 1920 comprising three horizontal stripes of red, black and green. The colours represent red for the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry and shed in the name of liberation, black for the colour of the people, and green for the abundant natural wealth of Africa.

Garvey died in London at the age of 52. When Jamaica gained independence in 1962, the new government hailed Garvey as a hero. In 1969, he was posthumously conferred with the Order of the National Hero by the Jamaican government.

Leonard Howell (1898‑1981) – Howell, along with peers Joseph Hibbert and Robert Hinds, was one of the first preachers of the Rastafarian movement. Howell is regarded by many as ‘The First Rasta’, following the coronation of Ethiopian Emperor Hailie Selassie in 1930. Howell died in Kingston, Jamaica at the age of 83.

Rastafarianism – While the predominant religion of Jamaicans in Christianity, Rastafarians make up only 1.1% of the Jamaican population. Rastafarianism is an unstructured religious movement originating in Jamaica in the 1930s and has now become established globally. Rastafarianism takes elements from the Christian Bible and combines them with the ideology of Marcus Garvey and the belief that Haile Selassie was the second advent of the Messiah. Many theologians question the legitimacy of the Rasta doctrine as a true religion in its own right, regarding its philosophy and beliefs as more of a pseudo‑religion.

Jah – Jah is a term widely used by Rastafarians as their name for God. Jah is a shortened form of YHWH (Yahweh, Yehovah, or Jehovah), translated as ‘lord’, as used by the ancient Israelites. The word Jah appears literally in the King James Bible (Psalm 68:4), “Extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him”. However, even though Rasta faith draws elements from the scriptures, the Jah of Rastafarians should not be regarded as synonymous with the God of the Christian Bible. The expression of Jah as spoken by Rastafarians is “I and I”, where the first “I” is the Almighty and the second “I” refers to oneself. A goal of Rastafarian meditation is to maintain or raise awareness of the unity of I and I.

Zion – Rastafarians regard Africa as their Promised Land, or ‘Zion’, specifically Ethiopia, due to the reverence held for Emperor Haile Selassie. Zion is another Biblical reference and an idealisation of Jerusalem. Zion may refer to Africa, Ethiopia or Jamaica, as well as an individual’s state of mind. Rastas commonly believe that Black Africans are descended from one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel through the lineage of the Ethiopian royal family. Neutral commentators might suggest that Zion has become a nostalgic, semi‑mythological and metaphorical paradise in the way it is idealised by Marcus Garvey and the Rastafarian movement. Furthermore, it may be argued that Zion is used more as a motivational symbol rather than an objective critical reality.

Babylon – Rastafarianism is strongly Afrocentric and proclaims that the African diaspora is oppressed and suffering in exile within Western society, which they refer to as ‘Babylon’. Rastas compare the exile of African people displaced outside Africa to the imprisonment of the Biblical Israelites in Mesopotamia. A frequent mantra for Rastas is to “chant down Babylon”, advocated by Marcus Garvey as the ultimate goal of Rastafarianism; to overcome oppression, bring an end to suffering, and act as a powerful anthem for social change.

Livity – Livity is seen as the ideal lifestyle for Rastafarians, comprising prayer and meditation, a righteous – often vegetarian – diet (ital), and the same positive love for everything (one love). Livity is about Rastafarians living a natural lifestyle, including a focus on the growth of natural hair and a rejection of alcohol, tobacco and synthetic medicines. Furthermore, the concept of livity incorporates a belief that the energy or life force of Jah exists within, and flows through, all living things (positive vibration). The word irie can mean anything from good, fine and OK to a powerful, pleasing and all‑encompassing quality.

Dreadlocks – While dreadlocks date back as far as 1600‑1500 BCE in Europe, the distinctive hairstyle, often called ‘dreads’, has been adopted by many Rastafarians. Dreadlocks in Rasta tradition are symbolic of the Lion of Judah, inspired by the Nazarites of the Bible and representing male inner strength and courage. The Lion of Judah is depicted at the centre of the Imperial Flag of Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Natty Dread is a common term that refers to a Rastafarian with dreadlocks. In addition to the symbolic colours of red, black and green of the Pan‑African flag, the yellow stripe of the imperial flag is said to signify the historical rebellion against colonial rule and those who stole Jamaica’s wealth. The four colours – red, black, green and yellow – are collectively known as the Rasta colours. Since the 1970s, dreadlocks have become a popular fashion statement of choice worldwide, even among non‑Rastafarians.

Ganja – Marijuana/cannabis is colloquially referred to as ganja, callie weed, kaya and the herb. For many, although not all, Rastafarians, smoking of ganja is considered a sacrament and a key component of their belief system. Rastas contend that the use of ganja is promoted in the Bible, literally in Exodus, Psalms, Isiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. For instance, in the Book of Exodus, God gave Moses instructions to build the tabernacle (the Tent of the Congregation that was the portable earthly dwelling of Yahweh), “Then the Lord said to Moses, take the following fine spices, 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus [cannabis], 500 shekels of cassia – all according to the sanctuary shekel – and a hin of olive oil”. NB. One shekel equates to approximately 13g. For Rastas, the use of ganja is believed to have healing properties, is used an incense to ward off bad spirits, promotes peace and love, and provides introspection or meditation that enables them to discover their internal divinity. Ganja is smoked either in the form of a hand‑rolled spliff (joint) or through a ‘wisdom’ chalice or chalwa, a smoking pipe, also referred to as a kutchie. Ritual use of ganja is often used in communal meetings called ‘groundings’ or ‘groundations’ (depending on size) with ganja traditionally circulated in an anti‑clockwise direction. Rastas have long advocated for the legalisation of cannabis in those parts of the world where possession and use are illegal. Use of ganja became widely associated with Jamaican reggae music when performed by Rastafarians, especially during the 1970s.

Reggae music variants and timeline

Mento – Mento is a Jamaican acoustic folk music that melds West African and European influences into a distinct style. Calypso music, which emerged from Trinidad and Tobago far to the south east of Jamaica, had tended to become a generic term for West Indian music. However, while mento is similar to calypso, it should not be confused with it. Jamaican mento was particularly popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is closely associated with Jamaican rhythm & blues (R&B). A mento band generally used acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums and a rhumba box used for basslines. Mento lyrics were a commentary on Jamaican social life and issues experienced by Jamaican citizens. Mento is still played today, mainly for tourist entertainment. Mento is important because it is regarded as a necessary precursor of ska, rocksteady and, ultimately, reggae, roots and dub.

Notable mento artists included Louise Bennett, Count Lasher, Lord Flea and, most famously, Harry Belafonte, an American star born in Jamaica.

Nyabinghi – Nyabinghi is one of the oldest and most traditional ‘orders’ of Rastafarianism. For instance, on 23 July each year, a Nyabinghi groundation is held to celebrate the birth of Emperor Haile Selassie I. In musical terms, Nyabinghi comprises African inspired drumming rhythms, often accompanied by chanting in a sacred art and form of worship that can last for days. Nyabinghi is essentially a pre‑reggae Rasta musical form that heavily influenced ska, rocksteady, reggae, roots and dub that followed it. There are three types of Nyabinghi drums, thunder, funde and repeater.

Notable Nyabinghi artists included Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari, Bongo Herman and Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus.

Ska – Ska is a lively and energetic popular dance music and is seen as the forerunner of reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento, calypso, American jazz and rhythm & blues. Early ska from the first half of the 1960s was also known as bluebeat. The word ‘ska’ first appeared in a 1964 news article, despite the genre having been around since the late 1950s. The term ska is possibly a contraction of ‘skavoovie’, a greeting used by musician Cluett Johnson. Alternatively, ‘ska’ was used by Jamaican musician and producer Byron Lee to differentiate ska from mento.

Jamaican ska music is characterised by a 4/4 rhythm with drum accent on the 3^rd beat of the bar and a guitar chop on the 2^nd and 4^th beats, known as an upstroke or ‘skank’. Skanking is also an indigenous dance style that accompanied ska music. One of the earliest ska tracks was, ‘Easy Snappin’’ by Theo Beckford (recorded in 1956 and released in 1959), made popular by producer Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd and his Downbeat Sound System. ‘My Boy Lollipop’ (1964) by Millie Small is widely regarded as the first international ska hit single.

Special mention should be made of Laurel Aitken, a Cuban/Jamaican singer, often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Ska’. A legacy of ska, known as boss reggae, became very popular in the UK, as the skinhead trend cottoned on to high energy ska through their association with Jamaican youths in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ska has had roughly three incarnations; original Jamaican ska from the late 1950s and early 1960s, British 2‑Tone in the post‑punk late 1970s and the so‑called ska revival of the 1980s and 1990s.

Notable ska artists include Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Lorenzo ‘Laurel’ Aitken, The Melodians, Toots & the Maytals, Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff, Derrick Morgan, Ernest Ranglin and The Pioneers.

In the UK, notable ska artists include The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat, The Selecter, Judge Dread and Spunge.

Rocksteady – Rocksteady was a short‑lived but crucial musical link between ska and reggae. Rocksteady was essentially a slower tempo form of ska and was popular as a dance genre. It emerged around 1966 and was popular for only 2 years until 1968 when reggae became the predominant genre. The term rocksteady came from a song by Alton Ellis called, ‘Rocksteady’ (1967). Producer Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd continued to be a key character in rocksteady. Rocksteady was influenced by American soul, resulting in a focus on romance and love songs, which became known as ‘lovers rock’, a mainstream reggae sub‑genre in its own right. Rocksteady was also influential in the evolution of radio friendly pop reggae and Euro reggae.

Notable rocksteady artists included The Paragons, The Heptones, The Gaylads, Delroy Wilson, Ken Boothe, Phyllis Dillon, The Wailers, Jackie Mittoo, The Ethiopians, Tommy McCook, The Melodians and Hopeton Lewis.

Reggae – Rocksteady rapidly evolved into what we now know as mainstream reggae from around 1968. The word reggae first appeared on a single by Toots and the Maytals, ‘Do the Reggay’ (1968). It was around that time that Jamaican studio technology began to be upgraded and the role of producers and sound engineers became increasingly important. Reggae arrangements typically comprise vocals, drums/percussion, bass, guitar(s), keyboards and horns. Reggae bands tended to have fewer musicians, horns became less prominent, bass players tended to become more experimental, aided by the slower tempo that began with rocksteady.

Reggae retained the same 4/4 time signature as its predecessors, although its component parts now became more stylized. The drum pattern, usually snare and bass drum, retains its emphasis on the 3^rd beat of the bar. As there is no accent on the 1^st beat, it is ‘dropped’, hence what is called reggae’s ‘one drop’ rhythm. In addition, the slower ‘rockers’ rhythm uses a bass drum on every eighth note, while the even slower ‘steppas’ rhythm uses a bass drum on every quarter beat. Reggae also retains the guitar or keyboard staccato ‘skank’ on the offbeat 2^nd and 4^th beats. Reggae introduced the offbeat double‑skank, enabled by the slower, more laid back tempos of reggae rhythms. The rhythm part often uses melodic, syncopated basslines.

An important element of reggae and dub was the ‘version’. B‑sides of rocksteady and reggae singles were often instrumental with greater emphasis on drums and bass, and little or no vocals. Guitar and keyboards, as lead instruments, were ‘dubbed’ in and out of the mix with little studio manipulation.

The Jamaican sound system culture (effectively nightclubs) made great use of these ‘versions’ as a basis for a live artist or MC to talk, chant or rap over the rocksteady backing tracks. The practice became known as deejaying or toasting. Probably, the most famous deejay of the era was U‑Roy who used rhythms made by producer Osbourne Ruddock (a.k.a. King Tubby) as a backing for his distinctive ad‑libbed vocals. To keep things simple and cheap, many ‘riddim’ tracks, as they were known, were used over and over. The person choosing the music and operating the turntables for sound systems was called the ‘selector’, rather than a DJ. Many observers have suggested that American rap and hip hop had its roots in Jamaican deejay/toasting from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

At the same time, the Rastafarian movement became increasingly popular and Rasta traditions became a key, if not core, part of reggae culture. Rastafarian artists’ influence led to reggae lyrics that gave greater prominence to black consciousness, politics and protest. In turn, reggae, to a lesser or greater extent, became a vehicle for Rastafarian messages and provided a platform for Rastafarian visibility. Ironically, while Rastas saw Babylon as the oppressor, they actively used Babylon to spread their Afrocentric gospels.

While ska and rocksteady were popular, reggae became a mainstream global phenomenon in the first part of the 1970s, helped largely by Jamaican reggae’s iconic ambassador, Bob Marley. Marley has sold more reggae records than any other artist in history. ‘Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ (1984) is the biggest‑selling reggae album of all‑time with over 28 million copies sold since its release. There is so much written about the legend that is Robert Nesta Marley (1945‑1981) that I won’t retell his story here. Suffice it to say that no‑one from Jamaica has had the impact that Marley had through his music, his image and his Rastafarian beliefs

Another key factor in the globalisation of reggae music was the Jamaican crime film, ‘The Harder They Come’ (1972), starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff. The soundtrack to the film became commercially successful in many countries outside the Caribbean, greatly raising awareness of reggae on the international stage.

The extraordinary success of Jamaican reggae helped to sustain international demand for pop reggae and lovers rock for radio playlists and singles charts. The phenomenal popularity of reggae, including commercial songs produced by non‑Jamaican artists for non‑Jamaican audiences, boomed particularly in the USA and UK. This cross‑pollination and fusion with other musical genres led to the vastly increased diversity of reggae styles, while its heritage still remained instantly recognisable.

Reggae was also influential in the British punk rock/post‑punk/new wave era including works by artists such as The Clash, the Ruts, The Police, Jah Wobble, Don Letts, Blondie and The Slits.

Notable reggae artists across its hugely diverse catalogue include (in no particular order) Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Culture, Black Uhuru, Israel Vibration, The Itals, Dennis Brown, Horace Andy, Sly & Robbie, U‑Roy, Jacob Miller/Inner Circle, John Holt, Third World, Don Carlos, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Alcapone, Sugar Minott, Beres Hammond, Junior Reid, Maxi Priest, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Aswad, Dillinger, I‑Roy, Trinity, Junior Murvin, Marcia Griffiths, Althea & Donna, Big Youth, Junior Byles, Susan Cadogan, Dr Alimantado, Clint Eastwood & General Saint, Matumbi, Eddy Grant, Jah Cure, Lone Ranger, The Maytones, Musical Youth, Dawn Penn, Ranking Dread, Ranking Joe, Garnett Silk, Twinkle Brothers, The Upsetters, The Wailing Souls, The Hippy Boys, I Wayne, Mikey Dread, Morgan Heritage, Tapper Zukie, Boris Gardiner, Lucky Dube, and UB40.

Notable reggae producers include Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Duke Reid, Joe Gibbs, Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, Harry J, King Tubby and Dandy Livingstone.

Notable international reggae record labels responsible for bringing the genre to the global masses include Island Records, Greensleeves, Virgin Frontline, Trojan Records, Jamaican Recordings and VP Records.

Roots Reggae – The lines between reggae and roots are blurred. Perhaps it is better to see them as ends of a continuum with artists leaning more to one end or the other, rather than being discrete or derivative. Roots evolved at the same time as reggae in the late 1960s. Many reggae artists attracted by commercial success, fame and international recognition also crossed over into roots with its more serious and authentic style and vice versa. The likes of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer were prime examples of reggae artists tapping into the ‘vibration’ of Rastafarian black pride and African roots.

The visit of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to Jamaica in 1966 led directly to a growth of the Rasta movement and the idea of black liberation and the spiritual connection to God (Jah). Rastafarian transcendent themes and the unrest of Jamaican political violence were integral to roots, engendering it with a more ‘gritty’, socially conscious and down‑to‑earth style than its more popular, more acceptable, and marketable counterpart. Even the word, roots, referred to the origins – roots – of West African slave descendants. The hard‑hitting messages of roots were seen as revolutionary, fuelling urban conflict and resistance in Jamaica. Roots became particularly popular in the UK and Africa. Roots, like mainstream reggae, was overtaken in popularity by dancehall by the early 1980s.

Notable roots reggae artists include Burning Spear, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Misty in Roots, Steel Pulse, The Congos, Linval Thompson, Prince Far I, Bunny Wailer, Max Romeo, The Mighty Diamonds, The Abyssinians, The Gladiators, Luciano, Johnny Clarke, Keith Hudson, Prince Lincoln Thompson, Alpha Blondy, Junior Murvin, Winston Holness, Michael Prophet, Hugh Mundell, The Revolutionaries, Morwell Unlimited, Roots Radics, Pablo Moses, Cornell Campbell, The In Crowd, Bushman and Yabby You.

Dub reggae – At last… getting to the root (sic!) of this article. The sublime (and occasionally ridiculous) dub reggae.

Dub reggae is quite difficult to define and is perhaps best described by the sum of its parts. Essentially dub comprises the remixing of existing recordings, at least that’s how it began. Producers and sound engineers extensively manipulated the original track by (usually) removing the main vocal content, resulting in largely instrumental arrangements. Studio effects such as reverb and echo are used widely on pretty much all but the earliest dub recordings. The drum and bass parts – providing the ‘riddim’ – are the heavy driving centrepiece of dub tracks. On top of the sparse rhythm base, lead instruments, vocal extracts and/or other, often seemingly random, sounds are dubbed in and out of the mix. These basic components give dub a very distinctive and recognisable sound. Dub tracks mixed on the then new analogue multi‑track recording desks made isolating different musical elements far simpler and creating multi‑layered arrangements much easier. Modern dub is usually composed as dub from scratch.

The word dub derived from early film soundtracks of the 1920s and the copying – doubling – of a sound recording from one medium to another. Jamaican dub emerged in the late 1960s, roughly at the same time as reggae and roots. The purely accidental omission of the vocal track for a ‘version’ of The Paragons hit, ‘On The Beach’ (1967) by sound engineer Byron Smith proved highly popular and extremely fortuitous, as it basically spawned a genre. After that simple error, instrumental ‘versions’ of reggae songs were ‘dubbed’ onto acetate discs. Over time, dub came to describe the method used to create the distinctive style as much as the music itself. The term ‘dubwise’, coined by ace rhythm duo Sly & Robbie, has come to mean using a strong drum‑led bassline in dub.

Studio sound engineers and producers treated the mixing desk as an experimental instrument in its own right and essential to the creation of the dub sound. Some studio staff attracted an almost legendary reputation, well beyond that of the musicians actually providing the music. Producers such as Osbourne Ruddock (King Tubby), Lee “Scratch” Perry, Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson were the pioneers of what we now know as dub, with many apprentices such as Scientist following in their footsteps. The authentic sound of dub has been attributed to the use of analogue recording studios of the 1970s when there were no digital effects or tracking. While many artists release both vocal and instrumental dub ‘versions’, some are associated more with dub. Some key figures, like Lee Perry and Augustus Pablo, were both artists and producers.

A dubplate is an acetate disc usually of 10” diameter, traditionally used by studios after mixing and prior to mastering. However, dubplates were pioneered by producer King Tubby for reggae sound systems as a way to distribute and play exclusive music. Special one‑off ‘versions’ would be cut for crews from different sound systems to compete head‑to‑head in what was called a sound clash. These unique discs were known as ‘dubplate specials’ and attracted high demand. The aim of a reggae sound clash is to go song‑on‑song (“dub fi dub”) and beat or ‘kill’ their opposition. The sound clash craze spread to London in the 1970s with the likes of Jah Shaka’s Mighty Jah Shaka Sound System being one of the first. The British film drama, ‘Babylon’ (1980) focused on London, urban Brixton’s sound systems and its sound clash culture.

Then there is the extended 12” Reggae Discomix. These have nothing to do with mirror balls or Travolta‑esque dance moves. A Reggae Discomix is the original, usually roots, vocal track immediately followed by a dub version, mixed together in heavy style. For some, the Discomix provides the best of both worlds.

As dub crept up on Jamaican audiences, there has been much debate over who released the first dub album, especially as local administrative record‑keeping was not seen as important at the time. Rather than try to credit any specific release it is, perhaps, better just to celebrate the quality of the early dub albums.

The pre‑dub release of ‘The Undertaker’ by Derrick Harriott and the Crystallites (1970), engineered by Errol Thompson was one of the first instrumental rocksteady albums. Another proto‑dub album was Bob Marley & The Wailers’ instrumental rhythm ‘Soul Revolution 2’ (1971), also called, ‘Upsetter Revelusion Rhythm’, produced by Lee Perry.

Competing for the first legitimate dub album were, ‘Blackboard Jungle Dub’ / ‘Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle’ (released 1973) mixed in stereo by King Tubby and Lee Perry. A further contender for first dub album was ‘Java Java Java Java’ (recorded c.1972, released 1973) by Impact All Stars featuring melodica maestro, Augustus Pablo and produced by Errol Thompson. ‘Aquarius Dub’ by Herman Chin Loy (recorded c.1971‑1973, released c.1975) with a stripped back, largely instrumental sound without much studio trickery was also one of the first. All of these recordings were seminal and proved highly influential. Certainly worth checking out, if nothing else.

The mid‑1970s was the peak creative period for dub and, just like reggae and roots, dub gave way to dancehall in the early 1980s. Over time, dub has developed its own style that extended way beyond its original traditional roots influences, many in the sub‑genre underground. Dub, has endured and has seen a resurgence in the 21^st Century, not only in its original form but in many contemporary forms as well. Dub’s influence has spread far and wide over the years, and not just in reggae.

Some notable dub reggae artists and producers include King Tubby, Prince/King Jammy, Scientist, Niney The Observer, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Upsetters, Herman Chin Loy, Dennis Bovell/Blackbeard, The Aggrovators, Augustus Clarke, Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, Alpha & Omega, Gaudi, Mad Professor, Augustus Pablo, Sly & Robbie, Linval Thompson, Roots Radics, Alborosie, Errol Brown, Joe Gibbs, Yabby You, Ossie Hibbert, Dub Syndicate, Soul Syndicate and Errol ‘E.T.’ Thompson.

Notable Jamaican sound systems include King Tubby’s Hometown Hi‑Fi, Winston Blake’s Mighty Merritone, Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s Downbeat, Duke Reid’s The Trojan, Noel ‘Papa Jaro’ Harper’s Killamanjaro (intentionally misspelled) and Tom Wong’s Tom The Great Sebastian.

Dancehall – Dancehall is a departure from traditional reggae both in style, content and production. Faster riddims were often constructed digitally and vocals were once again rapped. Dancehall evolved as a product of political turbulence, economic uncertainty and extensive social change in Jamaican communities during the early 1980s.

While reggae has never really fallen out of fashion, its mainstream reach had become ever more diluted and its popularity declined in the early 1980s. Another factor was the death of Bob Marley in 1981. This tragic event seemed to symbolise the ‘end of reggae’ as we know it. Thirdly, studio recording technology in Jamaica was transitioning from the old analogue desks to more modern digital equipment, thereby changing the intrinsic sound and techniques of recordings from rough‑and‑ready to slick, clean and sharp. Electronic instruments were also increasingly digital. Lyrics tended to be about partying, dancing, violence and sexuality, rather than the now‑outdated Rasta messages of social injustice, suffering and oppression.

All these factors, among others, led to the emergence of dancehall. Initially, dancehall music was not widely played on radio and was seen by many Jamaicans as the people’s music of the 1980s and 1990s. The legacy of dancehall is helped by the growth of digital reggae since the 1980s. Producer Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell and his Xterminator record label was a key factor in establishing dancehall’s longevity.

Notable dancehall artists include Eek‑A‑Mouse, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Yellowman, Barrington Levy, Sean Paul, Cocoa Tea, Prince Jazzbo, Shabba Ranks, Tenor Saw, Sizzla, Anthony Johnson, Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin and General Echo.

Ragga – Ragga, a contraction and bastardisation of ‘ragamuffin’, used as a pejorative term by white colonists, became associated with scruffy and unkempt Jamaican ghetto dwellers. Jamaican youths appropriated the insult with the intentionally misspelled Raggamuffin music or, more commonly, Ragga in the early‑mid 1980s. Ragga emerged in Jamaica during the 1980s as a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music fused with hip hop and digital electronica. With its ‘gangsta’ leanings, some ragga is much closer to hip hop than reggae. Ragga has its origins in the late 1960s and, like deejaying/toasting before it, is distinguished by a DJ that improvises lyrics over a sampled or electronic backing track. Like dancehall, the musical style is quite different from reggae.

One of the earliest ragga tracks was, ‘Under Mi Sleng Teng’ (1985) by Wayne Smith, produced by King Jammy. Ragga is often seen by many as synonymous with dancehall and therefore has a lower profile despite its rich history. Ragga heavily influenced early jungle and dubstep music.

Notable ragga artists include Chaka Demus & Pliers, Shaggy, The Bug, Frankie Paul, Ini Kamoze, Capleton, Wayne Smith and Bounty Killer.

Soca – Soca, a.k.a. Soul of Calypso, is a music genre that emerged in the 1970s as a result of Trinidadian Lord Shorty, the ‘Father of Soca’, who attempted to revive the spirit of untainted calypso music, which had declined in popularity compared to the rise of reggae. While soca is not reggae, it fuses calypso with African and East Indian influences, as well as elements of Jamaican reggae. Jamaican ska artists, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires also dipped their toes into the warm waters of soca.

Reggaeton – Another, arguably derivative, form of reggae developed in the 1980s in Panama, called reggaeton. Central American ‘big reggae’, or reggae grande, evolved from dancehall and combines reggae tropes with American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music, with vocals sung or rapped, often in Spanish. Puerto Rican, Daddy Yankee is probably the best known reggaeton artist.

There are various other reggae sub‑genres not mentioned above, such as kumina, Niyabinghi, and reggae fusion, along with derivatives such as ska jazz and ska punk. No radical new sub‑genres have really appeared since the 1980s, perhaps suggesting a degree of creative stagnation. Reggae does, however, continue to produce new artists, including Ziggy Marley, Protoje and Chezidek.

The legacy of dub reggae

Jamaica’s musical legacy is massively disproportionate to its humble genesis. Dub reggae’s influence has grown over the years and continues to exert its presence, not only on reggae and its sub‑genres but also across many other music genres including dub poetry, hip hop, punk, dubstep, big beat, jungle, grime, trip hop, drum & bass, techno, ambient dub, future dub, UK garage, dubtronica, psydub, electro‑dub, post‑disco, EDM/IDM, rock and pop. It is fair to say that dub’s fingerprint is pervasive in modern music to some extent or other. Such diversions were orchestrated by alternative artists such as Adrian Sherwood, Jah Wobble, The Orb and Sound Iration.

(Dub) reggae’s geographical reach has also spread globally with artists from many countries getting involved with the dub bonanza, including Slamonella Dub, The Black Seeds and L.A.B. (New Zealand), Rebelution (Austria), Soul Revivers, Alpha Steppa, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Pato Banton, Aswad, Oku Onuora, Creation Rebel, Dennis Bovell/Blackbeard, Winston Edwards, Dreadzone, Hollie Cook, Dubkasm, Zion Train and Alpha & Omega (UK), Alborosie and Gaudi (Italy), Bush Chemists and Dubmatix (Canada), Dubblestandart (Austria), Brain Damage and Manudigital (France), 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, Groundation and Easy Star All‑Stars (USA), Ace Of Base (Sweden), Alpha Blondy, Colbert Mukwevho, Ismael Isaac and Lucky Dube (Africa), and Pressure Drop (Australia).

The current and future of reggae

The second decade of the 21^st Century has seen a renewed interest in reggae roots and dub in its many variants. Contemporary reggae, particularly with a heavy use of electronica, is often described as ‘digital reggae’ because of the type of instruments and recording methods used in modern studio production. Purists say that digital reggae lacks the raw emotion and earthy authenticity of analogue reggae, roots and dub. Techniques that were simply not possible in the past are now commonplace and the requirement for traditional brick‑and‑mortar studio space has reduced significantly with the widespread use of home recording. Cynics might suggest that ease of digital production has distorted established tropes to become clichéd or caricatures of the original; detached or at least dislocated from its Caribbean ghetto background. Perhaps it is better to celebrate success and accept the status quo as an ‘and’, rather than an ‘either or’.

By the late 2000s, dancehall reggae from the privileged districts of uptown Kingston and without connection to the generally disadvantaged areas of downtown Kingston, perhaps unsurprisingly, became known as uptown reggae, including artists like Sean Paul, Alex Marley and Marcus I.

The so‑called reggae revival is a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, even if it doesn’t regain the multinational dominance it had in reggae’s ‘golden era’ from 1968 to 1983. While its pedigree lies in the unique tapestry of Jamaican life, location and history, reggae and dub are now a global phenomenon, safe in the hands of enthusiasts keeping the traditions and influences alive and well. More importantly, opportunities for involvement in dub are available to all.

While Rastafarianism is reportedly in favour of gender equality, female artists have been woefully underrepresented in reggae generally and particularly in dub. In addition, several dancehall and ragga artists have been accused of homophobia, including targeted song lyrics, aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. Hopefully, these intolerant and prejudicial characteristics will be overcome in time.

Some great reggae and dub recording studios

The concentration of outstanding studio capacity into one small city (with a population of less than 2 million people) is truly extraordinary. The key studios, some famous and others less well known, are listed below in alphabetical order. These studios are all based in Kingston, Jamaica – the spiritual home of reggae – unless stated otherwise:

Aquarius – founded by Herman Chin Loy in the early 1970s
Ariwa – founded by Mad Professor in London, UK in 1979
Big Ship – founded by Freddie McGregor in 1995
Black Ark – founded by Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1973
Black Scorpio – founded by Maurice ‘Jack Scorpio’ Johnson in the early 1970s
Channel One – founded by Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Hoo Kim in 1973
Digital B – founded by Bobby Digital Dixon in 1988
Dynamic Sounds – founded by Byron Lee in 1963
Federal – founded by Ken Khouri in 1961
Harry J – founded by Harry J in 1972
Hitmaker Studio – founded by Donovan Bennett in 2002
Jammy’s – founded by Prince/King Jammy in 1985
Joe Gibbs – founded by Joe Gibbs in 1975
King Tubbys – founded by Osbourne Ruddock in 1971
Music Works – founded by Augustus ‘Gussie’ Clarke in 1988
Penthouse – founded by Donovan Germain in 1987
Randy’s – founded by Vincent ‘Randy’ Chin in 1962
Studio One – founded by Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd in 1963
Treasure Isle – founded by Duke Reid in 1964
Tuff Gong – founded by Bob Marley in 1977
Wackie’s – founded by Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes in New York, USA in 1973
Xterminator – founded by Philip Fatis Burrell in 1988

Some great dub reggae recordings

It would be remiss of me, after all of that exposition for me not to reveal my preferences for some dub reggae albums. This is purely subjective and based on my own personal favourites, rather than any form of recommendation. This is, hopefully obviously, only be the tip of an enormous iceberg. There are innumerable possibilities from which to choose and picking a top 20 was a tough job, albeit with perhaps a fairly predictable outcome. Apologies to all those I might have overlooked in making this, my ideal ‘desert island disc’ compendium.

Burning Spear – Garvey’s Ghost (1976)
Scientist – Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires (1981)
The Upsetters – Super Ape (1976)
Agustus Pablo – King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1977)
King Tubby – Dub From The Roots (1974)
The Upsetters – Blackboard Jungle Dub / 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle (1973)
Herman Chin Loy – Aquarius Dub (1975)
Linton Kwesi Johnson – LKJ In Dub (1980)
The Aggrovators – Dubbing At King Tubby’s (2016)
Niney The Observer – Sledge Hammer Dub In The Street Of Jamaica (1977)
Gaudi – Dub, Sweat And Tears (2004)
Gregory Isaacs – Slum In Dub (1978)
Horace Andy – In The Light / In The Light Dub (1995)
Yabby U – King Tubby’s Prophesy Of Dub (1976)
Keith Hudson – Pick A Dub (1974)
Mad Professor – Dub Me Crazy!! (1982)
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Heavy Rain (2019)
Johnny Clarke – Dread A Dub (2012)
Prince Far I & The Arabs – Dub To Africa (1979)
Dennis Brown – Dubbing At King Tubby’s (2016)

There were many, many other contenders for the list, including ‘Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Corn Bread’ (1978) by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, ‘Forces Of Victory’ (1979) by Linton Kwesi Johnson, ‘War Ina Babylon’ (1976) by Max Romeo & The Upsetters and ‘Legalize It’ (1976) by Peter Tosh, plus too many others to mention. As these aren’t really dub, they missed out.

For dub newbies, exploring the list above would, I believe, serve as an excellent introduction to the genre. I certainly wish such an informative list had been around for me in my early days of dub epiphany. A righteous way to bring this digest to a conclusion, I think.

Tailpiece

There you have it, my return to writing (welcome or not) via a brief guide to mento, ska, reggae, roots, dub, dancehall and ragga. I hope you found something herein to enjoy.

As to THE crunch question of WHY such creativity exploded in the way that it did, when it did, in such a small island community in the West Indies, the answer frustratingly still eludes me. Serendipity? Chance? Coincidence? The quest continues.

One thing is certain, support for, and influence of, reggae’s diverse ecosystem is as healthy today as it has been for several decades, making it truly universal and multi‑generational. I believe that reggae can continue to be a positive force for change. One Love. Irie.

Finally… my appreciation for reggae isn’t just my personal passion. In November 2018, the ‘reggae music of Jamaica’ was added to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The award was in recognition of reggae’s “contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio‑political, sensual and spiritual.” Nuff said (and much more succinctly!!!).

This article may be the start of exploration into other genres for which I have a passion. Let’s see how this one goes first.

Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Perfection isn’t good enough”

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28 Sep 2019

September 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part VII

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Welcome to the 1970s. Well kinda. Yep, here we are yet again, with the 7^th article in the current series of musical discovery, focusing on the delightful ‘Seventies’. As is often the case with monumental projects, the amount of work involved has been colossal and the amount of information has been considerable. The scale alone has meant that compressing it all into logical and manageable chunks has proved somewhat of a challenge. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it has been the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that have proved to be the most eventful and remarkable. This month’s article focuses on the unpredictable 1970s as it follows on from the previous two tumultuous decades.

If you would like to (re)visit the first four parts (and over 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

In terms of this article as part of the overall series, the 1970s has, by far, more content than any other single decade. While it is inherently fascinating, it makes for quite a hefty read (over 300 facts this month)… so be prepared and apologies.

The Story of Modern Music Part VII 1970-1979

The so-called ‘golden era’ of music (1950s-1970s inclusive) was characterised by major seismic musical movements. The 1950s saw rock ‘n’ roll burst onto the scene, the 1960s saw the fan hysteria of the ‘British Invasion’ followed by heady idealism of hippie flower power full of peace & love, while the 1970s heralded a very different form of youth rebelliousness, veritably bristling with vigorous nihilistic punk attitude.

Gone was the positivity and optimism to be replaced with disaffection distrust and deeply seated urban angst. Instead of striving for some sort of wistful, unobtainable utopia, the desperate pursuit for a grimy dystopian anarchy became almost an end in itself. The zeitgeist of warts‑and‑all realism was striking back.

The 1970s would ultimately descend into gritty and chaotic demands for change without a clear idea of what outcome the disillusioned generation was rebelling for or against. In many respects, it didn’t matter as the alienated youth voice was seen as irrelevant to detached and remote institutions who weren’t listening and, worse, seemed not to care.

As social provocateur Malcolm McLaren proclaimed, “What matters is this: Being fearless of failure arms you to break the rules. In doing so, you may change the culture and just possibly, for a moment, change life itself.” He went on to comment, “I always said punk was an attitude. It was never about having a Mohican haircut or wearing a ripped T-shirt. It was all about destruction, and the creative potential within that.”

Civilisation wasn’t really breaking down of course and not everything was tainted by dismal doom and gloom. However, western societies were being tested and forced to adapt to a darker, more uncertain, complex and ambiguous new world.

Historical Context 1970-1979

The self-indulgent 1970s was described as the ‘Me Decade’ (coined by writer Tom Wolfe), with a move away from the model of social collectivism (communities) to individualism (self). To many, the ‘70s may well be remembered as a caricature of kitsch, a gaudy facsimile of 1960s’ sybaritic, exuberant excess. While not devoid of conflict and warfare, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, the world was slowly becoming accustomed to a period of extended and stable peace around the globe. Even the tension of the Cold War became a continuous mutual standoff. Progressive political, cultural and social change that began in the 1960s continued, including the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement, enabling greater social mobility for many. The ever‑more liberal ‘permissive society’ was well under way representing a crucial stage in that generation’s struggle for greater individual freedom and equality. Technology was developing at a rapid pace, providing much greater work, leisure and recreational opportunities for people in their everyday lives. However, a number of disruptive economic and political events began to destabilise a long period of post‑war economic expansion. Widespread social discontent and a rejection of a stagnant status quo resulted in widespread riots, protests, labour strikes, direct action and hints of anarchy, culminating in the UK with the infamous ‘winter of discontent’.

Year	Global Events
1970	Manned moon mission Apollo 13 narrowly avoided tragedy after an emergency in space, ultimately returning all 3 astronauts safely to Earth. After being signed in 1968, 43 nations ratified The Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, intended to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and promote co‑operation on the peaceful use of nuclear power.
1971	The phenomenally successful coffee empire, the Starbucks Corporation, was founded in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The massive Aswan High Dam across the River Nile in Egypt was opened. The project had required moving the ancient Egyptian temples of Ramses at Abu Simbel (in 1964) above the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
1972	The first commercial video game, Pong was released by Atari. The classic gangster movie, ‘The Godfather’, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando was released. Britain imposed direct rule over Northern Ireland following the so‑called ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre. A Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members and a German police officer at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. Apollo 17 became the last moon landing (to‑date) where humans have walked on the surface of the Moon.
1973	The United Kingdom joined the expanding European Economic Community (EEC). The seminal and controversial ‘horror’ movie about faith, ‘The Exorcist’ was released, directed by Willian Friedkin and starring Linda Blair. A global oil crisis was triggered by OPEC, the confederation of Arab oil producing nations, which imposed an embargo on oil exports to countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War, also known as the Arab-Israeli War. The famous Spanish artist and co‑founder of the Cubist movement, Pablo Picasso died at the age of 91.
1974	American President Richard Nixon resigned from office following the Watergate scandal, to be succeeded by Gerald Ford as the 38^th U.S. president. The popular 3-D combination puzzle Rubik’s Cube was invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture, Ernő Rubik. The ubiquitous Bar Code was introduced. It was notable because it was the first standardised method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.
1975	America finally pulled out of the Vietnam War after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the formal reunification of north and south Vietnam. An historic joint American/Russian Apollo and Soyuz space mission took place in Earth orbit. It was the first time that spacecraft from different nations docked in space. Widely recognised as the first modern summer blockbuster film, ‘Jaws’ was released, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Peter Benchley published in 1974. American technology innovators, Bill Gates and Paul Allen co‑founded the Microsoft Corporation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1976	American technology entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne co‑founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in California. The infamous ‘Son of Sam’ serial murders began in New York City, sparking the largest manhunt in the city’s history. The notorious killer, David Berkowitz, was finally arrested in 1977. Chinese communist leader, Chairman Mao Zedong died, effectively ending the decade‑long Chinese Cultural Revolution.
1977	South African activist and anti-apartheid campaigner Stephen Biko died while in police custody after violating an order to restrict his movements. The cinema phenomenon and start of a major film and merchandise franchise, Star Wars Episode 4 was released, directed by George Lucas.
1978	English woman Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, was born after conception by in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF). The classic video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado, Space Invaders was released. The Camp David Accords signifying a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Egypt was signed in Maryland in the U.S.A, leading to the Egypt‑Israel Peace Treaty of 1979.
1979	Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She was Prime Minister for nearly 12 years. Russia invaded the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, starting the Soviet‑Afghan war that would last until 1989. Revolutionary Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic in the Middle East, starting decades of international isolation. The epic Vietnam war film, ‘Apocalypse Now’, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando was released. In Africa, the notorious Ugandan president and dictator Idi Amin was forced to leave the country into exile. The nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, America suffered a catastrophic meltdown.

Musical Genre Development 1970-1979

If the 1960s was memorable for its own musical revolutions, the 1970s was about to unleash its own rebellious step changes. The music of the 1970s can be categorised by bursts of creativity, using existing musical styles to come up with something relevant, new, raw and vital with something important to say. Perhaps more than any other decade, the 1970s produced greater musical diversity than any other before or since. Pop music continued to be commercially successful into the 1970s including artists like David Cassidy, The Osmonds, Abba, The Bay City Rollers and the Jackson 5.

Progressive rock, often abbreviated to ‘prog’, is a broad musical genre that grew largely from psychedelic rock and the British Canterbury Scene to achieve significant appeal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Progressive rock can be characterised by long instrumental compositions influenced by fusing classical, jazz, rock and folk styles often complemented by elegiac, poetic lyrics. Prog music was usually only released by bands on LP albums rather than singles. Studio technology and instrumental proficiency were central to the artistic soundscapes used. Like most classical music, it was intended to be listened to, rather than danced to. To some critics, prog rock was seen as avant‑garde, pompous, overblown and boring, being not readily accessible to casual listeners. For some prog musicians, it was important to elevate music from largely populist to the status of art and included experimental arrangements to create debate and stimulate interpretation. This attitude was regarded by some as pretentious and elitist, pushing the genre into somewhat of a dead end niche. Prog rock reached its peak around 1973 and had largely been rejected by the rise of punk rock in the mid‑1970s. Early artists associated with prog rock include Procol Harum, Colosseum, Soft Machine, Barclay James Harvest, Caravan and Curved Air, paving the way for the progressive giants of the genre, including Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), as well as Pink Floyd and Mike Oldfield.

The underpinnings of heavy metal began in the late 1960s as hard rock explored new musical territories. Often cited as the pioneers of the genre were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, all forming in 1968. Arguably, though, the first two, while clearly influencing metal, lean more towards hard rock and its successors. Even though many of the characteristics of metal had been used before, Black Sabbath are widely regarded as the true forefathers of today’s heavy metal. The sound of heavy metal took hard rock and laid on layers of thick, heavy distorted riffs using power chords, high volume levels, searing guitar solos, pounding drums and thundering bass. Vocals were often strong and bold and had a dark or satanic emphasis. During the formative 1970s, there were a few bands that adopted the metal tropes, including Judas Priest. By the end of the 1970s, a new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) was spearheaded by bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon and UFO. Although more rock than metal, Motörhead played their part in promoting heavy rock to audiences. The sub‑culture surrounding heavy metal grew alongside the music with fans branded as ‘headbangers’ with a dress code not unlike the rockers of the previous decade but taken further. By 1984 and the release of the mockumentary film ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, metal had reached a point of self‑parody. During the 1980s and beyond, metal gave birth to sub‑genres including hair metal (Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe), thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth), groove metal (Pantera, Blackstone Cherry and White Zombie), industrial (Rammstein and Marilyn Manson), alternative metal (Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Deftones, Tool and Queensryche) and nu‑metal (Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Korn and Disturbed), amongst many others such as glam metal, progressive metal, black metal, doom metal, death metal, power metal, metalcore, Christian metal, etc. Possibly more than any other style of music, heavy metal has proliferated sub‑genres.

Glam rock is a relatively short‑lived offshoot of rock music that developed in the early 1970s, particularly in the UK. Glam rock’s heyday was roughly between 1970 and 1975. The music was tightly interwoven with flamboyant and colourful fashions, being performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, stark makeup and pronounced hairstyles. The impact of the symbolism was to blur the traditional gender stereotyping that was prevalent before 1970. The visuals often extended to custom instruments used by some artists. Although it may not appear obvious, glam rock influenced subsequent genres such as punk rock, new romantics, Goth rock and new wave that followed. Significant artists included Marc Bolan and T.Rex, David Bowie, Queen, Sweet, Slade, Elton John, Mud, Roxy Music and Gary Glitter. Although its impact was lower profile in the USA, artists such as Alice Cooper, New York Dolls and Iggy Pop adapted glam imagery for their own purposes.

Reggae emanated from Jamaica in the late 1960s and significantly became popular internationally during the 1970s. Reggae evolved from ska and a transitional form between ska and reggae called rocksteady. Reggae is distinctive in that it has a 4/4 rhythm with the drum marking the 3^rd beat of the bar with a guitar or keyboard staccato ‘skank’ on the 2^nd and 4^th (off) beats of the bar. Reggae is also often associated with strong and heavy rhythmic bass lines, sometimes complemented by horn arrangements. Reggae is often but not exclusively connected to Rastafarianism which also features strongly in many reggae songs, as does the use of marijuana. Roots reggae refers to its African roots and the black diaspora. Jamaican record producers also played a strong part in moulding the sound of reggae and developed a complete sub‑genre known as ‘versions’ or dub reggae that used production techniques to remove vocals and remix instrumental elements of drum, bass and guitar. Dub reggae was often played on loud PA sound systems. Key producers include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, King Tubby, Mad Professor and Scientist. Reggae has been successfully exported worldwide, although the UK remains a key consumer market. One of the major artists who not only popularised commercial reggae globally but also acted as an ambassador for Jamaica was Bob Marley who, with his band, The Wailers became an international icon. Other major artists also include Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals, Burning Spear, Augustus Pablo, Horace Andy, I‑Roy, U‑Roy, The Abyssinians, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, The Upsetters, Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Nash, Third World, Gregory Isaacs and many others. British reggae artists include Aswad, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson and UB40. After Bob Marley’s death, the genre diversified into other forms, such as dancehall and ragga.

The origins of rap and hip hop music derived from vocal a cappella rapping and African American urban street music originating in New York house and block parties in the Bronx during the early 1970s. The largely vernacular spoken rhyming lyrics were backed by rhythmic percussive soul, funk and disco beats of the period. The sub‑culture expanded by the late 1970s to include MCing, DJ scratching, sampling and beatboxing frequently using drum machines. Also associated with rapping were break dancing, urban graffiti art and aggressive gangland/gun culture. The broader cultural definition has become widely known as hip hop, which is the current common categorisation. Early practitioners included Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, the Sugarhill Gang and Afrika Bambaataa. The genre spread widely during the ‘golden age of hip hop’ from the 1980s up to the early 1990s spawning many sub‑genres, often associated with the region or country. For instance, there was intense rivalry between U.S. West Coast and East Coast hip hop during the 1990s, coining the term ‘gangsta rap’. Hip hop became massively influential in many other mainstream musical genres who adapted the rhyming lyrical style and sparse percussive beats. Despite a decline in the mid‑2000s, hip hop is now a global phenomenon with numerous offshoots and diverse styles. While its origins are African American, a few white artists have been successful including the Beastie Boys and Eminem. There are way too many hip hop artists to mention all of them. However, they include Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ice‑T, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, N.W.A., The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, OutKast, Jay‑Z and Kanye West among many others.

Like other musical forms, funk and disco adapted from previous genres, becoming mainstream during the 1970s. Funk emerged from African American communities and mixed soul, jazz and R&B. Funk is recognisable by have an addictively danceable groove. Funk focused on a strong first beat of the bar and was driven by strong insistent bass and drum rhythms. Funk artists included James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire and Kool & The Gang. Later, artists like Rick James and Prince would adopt funk as a key ingredient in their dance‑fused arrangements. Funk tends to be more musically complex than its sister genre, disco. Disco originated in America and rapidly spread to the UK. It is associated with urban nightclubs and DJs mixing dance records through loud sound systems to audiences in clubs and discothèques. Discos also used complex light and strobes to emphasise the beat. Disco is a heavily produced bass and drum‑driven 4/4 rhythm, often using electronic instruments to add syncopation. Disco’s core rationale was music to dance to, so disco dancing became very popular. Culturally, disco is also associated with fashion, drug use and promiscuity. Disco artists included Gloria Gaynor, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, The Village People, Sylvester and Chic. Disco was hugely influential on later dance genres such as house, techno, drum ‘n’ bass and rave. Like many other broad genres, funk and disco have diversified into many other related sub‑genres over the years.

Widespread social dissatisfaction and a rejection of established musical forms on both sides of the Atlantic during the mid‑1970s led to the emergence of punk rock. Loud, brash, nihilistic and stripped‑back arrangements performed mainly on guitar, bass and drums were used to support often angry and alienated anti‑establishment lyrics. The result was short, sharp bursts of controversial and provocative music. The emergence of punk in America is associated with artists such as Television, Patti Smith and Ramones, building on the work of proto‑punk bands like Velvet Underground, New York Dolls and Iggy & The Stooges. Meanwhile a parallel evolution in the UK was epitomised by bands such as Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Buzzcocks, Sham 69 and The Ruts. As with many other music‑related sub‑cultures, punk led to distinctive fashions (Vivienne Westwood), art (Jamie Reid) and agressive attitudes. The anarchic punk movement spread rapidly and by 1977 was pervasive in many westernised countries. As popularity increased and punk sensibilities were adopted by the commercial mainstream, the essential ethos of punk imploded and was overtaken by the music business machinery that, ironically, was punk’s original anathema. The demise of chaotic punk rock principles led to post‑punk sub‑genres that expanded its appeal beyond the original audience, including artists like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Ian Dury, The Cure and The Sisters Of Mercy. Punk in its purest form could not and did not last long. However, it was very influential in subsequent styles such as new wave, new romantic, emo and Goth sub‑genres. Live music venues were very important for audiences to experience the visceral nature of punk rock first hand, including CBGBs in New York and the Marquee in London. Punk saw a revival in the 1990s with bands like Green Day, Blink‑182 and The Offspring but it was far more commercial and lacking the authenticity of the original.

Musical Facts 1970-1979

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
26	January	1970	American folk rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel released their 5^th and final classic studio album, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
3	February	1970	Multi-talented American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, solo artist and member of rock super group The Winery Dogs, Richie Kotzen was born in Reading, Pennsylvania.
13	February	1970	English heavy metal legends Black Sabbath released their classic, game-changing self-titled debut album, ‘Black Sabbath’ in the UK (NB. appropriately on Friday 13^th).
14	February	1970	English rock band The Who performed a concert at Leeds University. The show was recorded and released as the band’s first official live album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	March	1970	American guitarist, former member of rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and solo artist, John Frusciante was born in New York City.
9	March	1970	After changing their name from Earth, English heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath performed their debut live concert at the Roundhouse in London.
22	March	1970	Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex released their last studio album before transforming into glam rockers T.Rex, ‘A Beard of Stars’.
10	April	1970	English singer, songwriter and bass guitarist, Paul McCartney issued a press statement that he was leaving The Beatles, signalling the band’s break up.
21	April	1970	American Chicago blues guitarist Earl Hooker died of complications from tuberculosis in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 40.
1	May	1970	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and former member of indie rock band Suede, Bernard Butler was born in London.
3	May	1970	English rock band The Who released their classic live album, ‘Live At Leeds in the UK.
8	May	1970	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles released what would be the group’s 12^th and final studio album, ‘Let It Be’, after the band split up.
3	June	1970	British heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic breakout studio album, ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ in the UK.
5	June	1970	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their breakthrough hit single ‘Black Night’ in the UK.
6	June	1970	American rhythm guitarist and co-founder of Nu-Metal rock band Korn, James Shaffer (a.k.a. Munky) was born in Bakersfield, California.
8	July	1970	Innovative and massively talented American alternative rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Beck was born in Los Angeles, California.
18	July	1970	London hosted the third Free Concert held in Hyde Park featuring Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, and the Edgar Broughton Band.
14	August	1970	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind released their debut studio album, the eponymous, ‘Hawkwind’.
23	August	1970	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed performed his final live concert appearance with The Velvet Underground (bar reunions) at Max’s Kansas City rock club in Manhattan, New York City.
26	August	1970	The famous Isle of Wight Festival began at Afton Down, attracting between 600,000 and 700,000 attendees, the largest open air music festival of its kind. Tickets for the weekend cost £3.
28	August	1970	Well over half a million people attended the 3^rd day of the UK’s famous Isle of Wight Festival to see artists including Taste, Chicago, Family and Procol Harum.
29	August	1970	The 4th day of the massive Isle of Wight Festival continued starring Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, ELP, The Doors, The Who and Sly & The Family Stone.
30	August	1970	The 5^th and final day of the gigantic Isle of Wight Festival took place starring Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and Richie Havens.
4	September	1970	English rock group The Rolling Stones released their classic live album, ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’ in the UK.
6	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix played his final live concert at the Isle of Fehmarn in Germany.
11	September	1970	American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix gave his final interview for the UK weekly music magazine New Musical Express (NME).
12	September	1970	London hosted the fourth Free Concert held in Hyde Park (the 2^nd that year) featuring Canned Heat, Eric Burdon and War, John Sebastian, Michael Chapman, Stoneground and others.
18	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix died tragically of asphyxia in his London flat at the age of 27.
18	September	1970	Pioneering English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Paranoid’ in the UK.
19	September	1970	The very first Glastonbury Pop, Folk & Blues Festival took place at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by approximately 1,700 people.
19	September	1970	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘After The Gold Rush’.
1	October	1970	American guitarist Jimi Hendrix’s funeral service took place at Dunlap Baptist Church in his hometown of Seattle before he was buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Renton, also in Seattle.
2	October	1970	English glam rock band Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic breakout hit single ‘Ride A White Swan’ in the UK.
2	October	1970	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their 4^th studio album, ‘Atom Heart Mother’ in the UK.
4	October	1970	Respected American rock, soul and blues singer Janis Joplin was found dead following an accidental heroin overdose in Los Angeles, California at the age of 27.
5	October	1970	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin III’ in the UK.
10	October	1970	English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath had their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Paranoid’ reach No. 1 in the UK album chart.
23	October	1970	The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the song ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ shortly after the guitarist’s untimely death. It reached number 1 in the UK singles chart.
23	October	1970	English progressive rock band Genesis released their breakout studio album, ‘Trespass’ in the UK.
1	November	1970	Legendary American psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘American Beauty’.
4	November	1970	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ in the UK.
6	November	1970	Emerging American rock band Aerosmith made their debut live appearance in the gymnasium at what was Nipmuc Regional High School (now Miscoe Hill Middle School) in Mendon, Massachusetts.
9	November	1970	American blues/rock guitarist, singer and member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band along with hubby, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
15	November	1970	American alternative rock band, The Velvet Underground released their 4^th and possibly most commercial studio album, ‘Loaded’.
27	November	1970	Former member of English rock band The Beatles, George Harrison released his hugely successful solo triple studio album, ‘All Things Must Pass’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released the first post-Tyrannosaurus Rex studio album, ‘T.Rex’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer and songwriter John Lennon released his post-Beatles solo album, ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ in the UK.
12	December	1970	American rock band, The Doors played their final live concert with singer Jim Morrison at the Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.
16	January	1971	American blues rock band, ZZ Top, released their debut studio album, ‘ZZ Top’s First Album’ in the UK.
17	March	1971	Renowned Canadian singer, songwriter and poet, Leonard Cohen released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ in the UK.
19	March	1971	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Aqualung’ in the UK.
16	April	1971	English blues rock band The Rolling Stones released their huge hit single, ‘Brown Sugar’, taken from the album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
23	April	1971	The Rolling Stones released what was probably their career peak 9^th studio album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
29	April	1971	American rock band, The Doors released their massive 6^th studio album, ‘L.A. Woman’, including the classic single, ‘Riders On The Storm’, recorded shortly before singer, Jim Morrison’s death.
22	June	1971	The second Glastonbury Festival took place in Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by c.12,000 fans. Artists included Hawkwind, Traffic, David Bowie, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Quintessence and Melanie.
2	July	1971	English glam rock group T.Rex, led by the late Marc Bolan, released their classic hit single ‘Get It On’.
3	July	1971	American singer, poet and member of rock band The Doors, Jim Morrison died from reported heart failure at an apartment in Paris, France at the age of 27.
6	July	1971	American jazz trumpeter and singer, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack in a New York hospital at the age of 69.
31	July	1971	American guitarist known for his work with heavy rock bands Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, as well as a solo artist, John Lowery (a.k.a. John 5) was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
25	August	1971	English rock band, The Who, released their 5^th studio album, ‘Who’s Next’ in the UK.
9	September	1971	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former Beatle, John Lennon released his career-defining solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ in the UK.
15	September	1971	English heavy rock band, Deep Purple released their flaming hot 5^th studio album, ‘Fireball’ in the UK.
21	September	1971	UK broadcaster, the BBC aired their highly regarded long-running contemporary music TV programme, ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ for the first time.
8	October	1971	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind, released their 2^nd studio album ‘In Search Of Space’ in the UK.
29	October	1971	American guitarist and co-founder of rock band The Allman Brothers Band, Duane Allman died tragically in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia at the age of 24.
30	October	1971	English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his classic solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ reach number 1 in the UK album chart.
1	November	1971	The classic hit single ‘Jeepster’ was released, performed by English glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan and T.Rex, reaching No. 2 in the UK singles chart.
1	November	1971	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 3^rd solo album ‘Bless The Weather’ in the UK.
5	November	1971	Supremely versatile English lead guitarist with alternative rock band Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood was born in Oxford.
8	November	1971	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic multi-million-selling 4^th studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Stairway To Heaven’.
12	November	1971	English progressive rock band Genesis released their ambitious 3^rd studio album, ‘Nursery Cryme’ in the UK.
13	November	1971	English progressive rock band Pink Floyd released their outstanding 6^th studio album, ‘Meddle’ in the UK.
4	December	1971	The Montreux Casino in Switzerland, built in 1881, burnt down during a Frank Zappa gig, inspiring Deep Purple’s classic rock song, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
17	December	1971	Legendary English rock singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hunky Dory’ in the UK.
27	December	1971	Remarkable English guitarist with The Aristocrats and noted guitar teacher, Guthrie Govan was born in Chelmsford, Essex.
21	January	1972	English glam rockers Marc Bolan with T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Telegram Sam’ in the UK.
10	February	1972	English glam rock singer David Bowie made his debut live appearance as his legendary alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust at the Toby Jug pub in London.
17	February	1972	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, front man and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Oakland, California.
25	February	1972	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake, released his sublime 3^rd and final studio album, ‘Pink Moon’.
25	February	1972	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young, released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Harvest’.
3	March	1972	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Thick As A Brick’ in the UK.
25	March	1972	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic 6^th studio album, ‘Machine Head’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
29	April	1972	English hard rock band Wishbone Ash released their career-defining classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Argus’.
5	May	1972	English glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘Metal Guru’ in the UK.
12	May	1972	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their massive 10^th studio double album, ‘Exile On Main Street’.
6	June	1972	English glam rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’.
3	July	1972	American country blues guitarist, Mississippi Fred McDowell died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 66.
23	July	1972	British glam rock band, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic studio album ‘The Slider’ in the UK.
8	September	1972	British glam rock star Marc Bolan and his band T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Children Of The Revolution’.
11	October	1972	Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana with his band released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Caravanserai’.
17	October	1972	American rapper and hip-hop artist, Eminem was born as Marshall Bruce Mathers III, a.k.a. ‘Slim Shady’ in St. Joseph, Missouri.
10	December	1972	British singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock band Placebo, Brian Molko was born in Brussels, Belgium.
5	January	1973	American rock band, Aerosmith, released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Aerosmith’.
5	January	1973	American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his debut studio album, ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’.
30	January	1973	After changing their name to KISS, the American rock band made their debut live performance in Queens, New York.
1	February	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn released his classic 4^th solo studio album, the sublime and career-defining, ‘Solid Air’.
7	February	1973	American proto punk rock band Iggy The Stooges released their hugely influential 3^rd studio album, ‘Raw Power’.
8	February	1973	Max Yasgur, who owned the New York dairy farm on which the legendary Woodstock Festival was held in August 1969, died from a heart attack in Florida at the age of 53.
23	February	1973	English pop/rock band Slade released their classic hit single, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ in the UK.
2	March	1973	British glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘20^th Century Boy’ in the UK.
16	March	1973	English progressive rock group Pink Floyd released their career pinnacle 8^th studio album, ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ in the UK.
23	March	1973	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 5^th studio album, ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic’.
28	March	1973	British heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 5^th studio album, ‘Houses Of The Holy’ in the UK.
12	April	1973	English glam rock singer, David Bowie released his milestone classic 6^th studio album, ‘Aladdin Sane’ in the UK.
13	April	1973	Jamaican Reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their classic 4^th studio album ‘Catch A Fire’ in the UK.
17	May	1973	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor and founder of rock bands Queens Of The Stone Age and Eagles Of Death Metal, Josh Homme was born in Joshua Tree, California.
25	May	1973	Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label was launched, marked by the release of Mike Oldfield’s seminal studio album, ‘Tubular Bells’.
18	June	1973	American folk rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Ray LaMontagne was born in New Hampshire.
22	June	1973	English glam rock singer David Bowie released his classic hit single, ‘Life On Mars?’, with ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ on the B-side.
3	July	1973	English glam rock star David Bowie announced that his iconic on-stage persona, Ziggy Stardust was to retire (not Bowie himself, as was widely reported in the press).
13	July	1973	English rock/pop band Queen released their great debut studio album in the UK, the eponymous ‘Queen’.
15	July	1973	American bluegrass and country rock guitarist, a member of rock band The Byrds and an accomplished session musician, Clarence White died in a car accident in Palmdale, California at the age of 29.
26	July	1973	American southern blues/rock power trio ZZ Top released their critically acclaimed 3^rd studio album, ‘Tres Hombres’.
6	August	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Memphis Minnie (real name Lizzie Douglas) died from a stroke in a nursing home in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 76.
13	August	1973	American southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their storming debut album, ‘(pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd)’, featuring their career-defining signature song, ‘Freebird’.
11	September	1973	American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bruce Springsteen released his sophomore studio album, ‘The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle’.
19	September	1973	American guitarist with country rock band The Byrds, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California at the age of 26.
20	September	1973	American folk/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jim Croce died tragically along with 5 others in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana at the age of 30.
1	October	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his remarkable change of direction 5^th studio album, ‘Inside Out’ in the UK.
9	October	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe died from a stroke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 58.
12	October	1973	English progressive rock band Genesis released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Selling England By The Pound’.
19	October	1973	Jamaican reggae legends (Bob Marley &) The Wailers released their classic studio album, ‘Burnin’’ in the UK.
19	October	1973	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 7^th studio album comprising cover songs, ‘Pin Ups’ in the UK.
26	October	1973	English rock band, The Who, released their classic 6^th studio double album; the rock opera and ode to the UK’s mod movement, ‘Quadrophenia’.
11	November	1973	Legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his 4^th studio album, ‘Tattoo’ in the UK.
1	December	1973	English heavy metal band Black Sabbath released their 5^th studio album, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’.
5	December	1973	English former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings released his 5^th and most successful ‘solo’ studio album, ‘Band On The Run’ in the UK.
10	December	1973	The legendary New York alternative, punk and New Wave music venue at 315 Bowery, Manhattan, CBGB & OMFUG, was opened by club owner Hilly Kristal.
31	December	1973	Australian heavy rock band AC/DC made their debut live performance at a local bar in Sydney, Australia.
17	January	1974	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released the studio album recorded with The Band, ‘Planet Waves’.
15	February	1974	British hard rock band, Deep Purple released their classic 8^th studio album, ‘Burn’ in the UK.
20	February	1974	American jazz rock band Steely Dan released their critically well-received and commercially successful classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Pretzel Logic’.
8	March	1974	English rock band, Queen released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Queen II’ in the UK.
15	April	1974	American southern rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their classic breakout 2^nd studio album ‘Second Helping’.
17	April	1974	Swedish guitarist, singer and songwriter with progressive death metal rock band Opeth, Mikael Åkerfeldt was born in Stockholm.
18	April	1974	Accomplished American guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock bands Creed, Alter Bridge and as a solo artist, Mark Tremonti was born in Detroit, Michigan.
24	April	1974	English glam rock legend, David Bowie released his classic 8^th studio album, ‘Diamond Dogs’ in the UK.
1	June	1974	Talented Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, activist and actress Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Ontario.
15	June	1974	English rock super group Bad Company released their self‑titled debut studio album, ‘Bad Company’ in the UK.
1	July	1974	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 2^nd studio album, ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’.
21	July	1974	Highly acclaimed Irish blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher released his hugely successful live album, ‘Irish Tour ‘74’.
29	July	1974	Perennial Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘On The Beach’.
16	August	1974	American punk rock band Ramones played their first live concert at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
6	September	1974	English space rock band, Hawkwind, released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’.
14	September	1974	English guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his cover of Bob Marley’s ‘I Shot The Sherriff’ as a single, which reached number 1 in the U.S.
6	October	1974	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 7^th studio album, ‘Red’.
12	October	1974	American punk rock band Blondie made their first appearance at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
25	October	1974	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Natty Dread’ in the UK, the first Wailers’ album to bear Marley’s name in the title.
29	October	1974	Hugely impressive American blues/rock guitarist, Eric Gales was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
8	November	1974	English rock band Queen moved in a more commercial direction and released their successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ in the UK.
18	November	1974	English progressive rock band Genesis released their 6^th studio double concept album, and their final LP with singer Peter Gabriel, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’.
25	November	1974	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake died from a drug overdose at his home in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire at the age of 26.
28	November	1974	English former Beatle, John Lennon made his final live appearance, joining Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
16	December	1974	After 5 years as a member of The Rolling Stones, English guitarist, Mick Taylor announced that he was leaving the band.
17	January	1975	English former member of The Beatles John Lennon released his classic solo covers album, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ in the UK.
18	January	1975	American jazz, blues and country rock guitarist, Johnny Hiland was born, growing up in Maine.
20	January	1975	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his renaissance studio album, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ in the UK.
24	January	1975	Influential and pioneering British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his 6^th studio album, ‘Sunday’s Child’.
7	February	1975	American guitarist and member of nu-metal band Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns, Wes Borland was born in Richmond, Virginia.
17	February	1975	Australian hard rock band, AC/DC released their debut studio album, ‘High Voltage’.
24	February	1975	English heavy rock band, Led Zeppelin released their epic 6^th studio double album, ‘Physical Graffiti’.
7	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and true rock legend, David Bowie released his change of direction classic 9^th studio album, the soul-oriented ‘Young Americans’ in the UK.
11	March	1975	English pop/art/rock band 10cc released their hugely successful 3^rd studio album, ‘The Original Soundtrack’ in the UK.
16	March	1975	American blues legend, Aaron Thibeaux ‘T-Bone’ Walker died from pneumonia following a stroke in Los Angeles, California at the age of 64.
17	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as member of hard rock band The Darkness, Justin Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
29	March	1975	Experimental virtuoso English rock guitarist, Jeff Beck released his seminal and commercially successful 2^nd solo album, ‘Blow By Blow’ in the UK.
2	April	1975	English super group Bad Company released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Straight Shooter’.
8	April	1975	American hard rock band Aerosmith released one of their most successful records, their 3^rd studio album, ‘Toys In The Attic’, including the hit track, ‘Walk This Way’.
9	May	1975	English space rock perennials, Hawkwind, released their 5^th studio album ‘Warrior On The Edge Of Time’ in the UK.
23	May	1975	English pop/rock band 10cc released their superbly written and produced massive hit single, ‘I’m Not In Love’.
20	June	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Tonight’s The Night’.
23	June	1975	Hugely talented Scottish multi-genre singer, songwriter and guitarist, KT Tunstall was born in Edinburgh.
29	June	1975	Influential American singer, songwriter and guitarist Tim Buckley died from a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 28.
9	July	1975	Mercurial American singer, songwriter and flamboyant guitarist with The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, as well as solo artist, Jack White was born in Detroit, Michigan.
11	July	1975	British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled 10^th studio album, ‘Fleetwood Mac’.
17	July	1975	Jamaican reggae icons, Bob Marley And The Wailers performed the first of 2 live concerts at London’s Lyceum. The concerts were recorded for the classic live album, ‘Live!’
25	July	1975	English singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his hit single, ‘Fame’, co-written with Carlos Alomar and with backing vocals by John Lennon. It was reportedly a jibe at Bowie’s artist management.
16	August	1975	English singer and songwriter Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis, the progressive rock band he co‑founded.
25	August	1975	American rock icon Bruce Springsteen released his massively successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Born To Run’.
1	September	1975	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his masterful live concert album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	September	1975	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their 8^th studio album, ‘Minstrel In The Gallery’ in the UK (8 September in the U.S.).
12	September	1975	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their massive classic 7^th studio album, ‘Wish You Were Here’.
23	October	1975	English singer and songwriter, Elton John received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard.
6	November	1975	British punk rock band, Sex Pistols made their debut live performance as a support act in the Common Room of Saint Martin’s School Of Art at Charing Cross Road in central London.
10	November	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young with his band Crazy Horse released the classic 7^th studio album, ‘Zuma’.
2	December	1975	English pop/rock band Queen released their 4^th studio album, ‘A Night At The Opera’, including the massive hit single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
5	December	1975	Jamaican reggae legends Bob Marley And The Wailers released their classic live album, ‘Live!’ recorded at London’s Lyceum Theatre on 17 & 18 July 1975.
13	December	1975	American punk rock singer, beat poet and political activist, Patti Smith released her classic anti‑establishment debut studio album, ‘Horses’, produced by John Cale.
13	December	1975	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Blink-182, Tom DeLonge was born in Poway, California.
20	December	1975	American guitarist Joe Walsh joined the country rock band Eagles, replacing former band guitarist Bernie Leadon.
5	January	1976	Renowned American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his classic mid-career studio album, ‘Desire’ in the UK.
10	January	1976	American blues legend Howlin’ Wolf died from complications of kidney surgery in Hines, Illinois at the age of 65.
23	January	1976	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 10^th studio album, ‘Station To Station’.
9	March	1976	Country music legend Johnny Cash received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6320 Hollywood Boulevard.
18	March	1976	The classic sci-fi film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring English singer David Bowie was released in the UK.
19	March	1976	English guitarist with rock band Free, Paul Kossoff died from a drug-related heart attack on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City at the age of 25.
21	March	1976	Guitar pioneer, innovator and entrepreneur, Adolph Rickenbacker died from cancer in Orange County, California at the age of 89.
23	March	1976	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’.
26	March	1976	Irish rock group, Thin Lizzy released their breakout classic 6^th studio album, ‘Jailbreak’.
28	March	1976	American guitarist with rock group The Killers, Dave Keuning was born in Pella, Iowa.
31	March	1976	Legendary English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 7^th studio album, ‘Presence’.
3	April	1976	British pop group Brotherhood Of Man won the 21^st Eurovision Song Contest with, ‘Save Your Kisses for Me’.
23	April	1976	American punk rock band, Ramones released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Ramones’.
30	April	1976	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their commercially successful studio album, ‘Rastaman Vibration’.
3	May	1976	American hard rock band, Aerosmith, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Rocks’.
4	July	1976	British punk rock band The Clash made their live concert debut supporting the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan pub (known to locals as ‘The Mucky Duck’) in Sheffield, England.
27	July	1976	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former member of The Beatles, John Lennon, finally had his application for permanent American residency approved by the U.S. Government.
31	July	1976	American hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult released their signature tune and huge commercial hit, the classic single, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’.
29	August	1976	Exemplary American blues guitarist and singer, Jimmy Reed died from respiratory failure in Oakland, California at the age of 50.
13	September	1976	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their great live double album ‘One More From The Road’ in the US.
7	October	1976	Following an appeal hearing, English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his permanent residency of the USA confirmed.
8	October	1976	American jazz fusion pioneer and bass guitarist Stanley Clarke released his ground breaking studio album ‘School Days’.
22	October	1976	Influential American poet, singer, songwriter, artist and activist Patti Smith released her 2^nd studio album, ‘Radio Ethiopia’.
24	October	1976	Legendary Irish guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Calling Card’.
25	November	1976	Canadian/American rock group, The Band, played their final concert in San Francisco, California, ‘The Last Waltz’, documented by filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
26	November	1976	English punk rock pioneers, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut single, ‘Anarchy In The UK’ on EMI Records.
2	December	1976	The photoshoot for the iconic album cover to Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ (released in 1977) took place at Battersea Power Station in London, complete with giant inflatable pig.
3	December	1976	Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley was wounded when gunmen shot him, his wife and manager at his home in Kingston. The incident was widely thought to be a politically motivated act.
5	December	1976	French electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre released his milestone 3^rd studio album Oxygène in France.
8	December	1976	American country rock band Eagles released their top‑selling and career-defining classic 5^th studio album, ‘Hotel California’.
12	December	1976	English guitarist with hard rock bands The Darkness and Stone Gods, Dan Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
28	December	1976	American blues guitar legend, Freddie King died of complications from ulcers and acute pancreatitis in Texas at the age of 42.
14	January	1977	English rock singer David Bowie released his 11^th studio album and the first part of his highly acclaimed ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Low’ in the UK.
23	January	1977	Highly acclaimed English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd, released their 10^th studio album, ‘Animals’, in the UK.
4	February	1977	Anglo-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac released their massive career-topping 11^th studio album, ‘Rumours’ in the US.
26	February	1977	American delta blues guitarist and singer Booker T. Washington ‘Bukka’ White died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 67 or 70 (age disputed).
2	March	1977	English singer, songwriter, co-founder and front man of band Coldplay, Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon.
10	March	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols controversially ‘signed’ a short-lived recording contract with A&M Records outside Buckingham Palace in London.
21	March	1977	Australian hard blues/rock band, AC/DC, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Let There Be Rock’.
8	April	1977	English punk rock band, The Clash released their classic eponymous debut studio album, ‘The Clash’. Often considered to be one of the finest British punk albums.
8	May	1977	Great American blues rock guitar maestro, Joe Bonamassa was born in New Hartford, New York.
27	May	1977	In the same year as Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, British punk pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 2nd single, ‘God Save The Queen’ in the UK.
31	May	1977	The BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority banned the Sex Pistols’ controversial single, ‘God Save The Queen’ from being played on UK radio for being “in gross bad taste”.
3	June	1977	Jamaican reggae icons Bob Marley & The Wailers released their career-defining massively successful 9^th studio album, ‘Exodus’.
12	June	1977	Talented American blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born in Shreveport Louisiana.
15	June	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols infamously performed ‘Anarchy In The UK’ aboard a party boat on the River Thames outside the Houses of Parliament in London.
20	June	1977	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his 8^th studio album, ‘American Stars ‘n Bars’.
30	June	1977	Marvel Comics published the first comic book with characters loosely based on members of the American rock band KISS.
2	July	1977	British punk rock pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 3^rd single, ‘Pretty Vacant’ in the UK.
16	August	1977	American rock ‘n’ roll legend, Elvis Presley died from a drug-related heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 42.
18	August	1977	The funeral of American singing legend, Elvis Presley took place at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.
11	September	1977	Welsh guitarist and co-founder of rock band Coldplay, Jonny Buckland was born in London.
16	September	1977	Flamboyant English glam rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan of Tyrannosaurus Rex and later T.Rex died tragically in a car accident in London at the age of 29.
16	September	1977	American alternative rock band, Talking Heads, released their remarkable debut studio album, ‘Talking Heads: 77’.
23	September	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released the single ‘Heroes’, which would become one of his greatest signature songs.
24	September	1977	English heavy rock band Motörhead released their debut studio album, the self-titled ‘Motörhead’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	English post-punk and new wave singer, songwriter and actor, Ian Dury released his debut studio album with The Blockheads, ‘New Boots And Panties!!’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	Fiery American blues/rock guitarist and member of Supersonic Blues Machine, Lance Lopez was born in Galveston, Texas.
7	October	1977	English guitarist Steve Hackett left progressive rock band Genesis to pursue a successful solo career.
12	October	1977	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Bruce Springsteen released his 4^th studio album, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’.
14	October	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 12^th studio album, ‘Heroes’, the 2^nd part of his famed ‘Berlin Trilogy’.
16	October	1977	Award-winning American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
17	October	1977	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their 5^th studio album, ‘Street Survivors’, just days before the band’s tragic plane crash.
20	October	1977	Several members of American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, singer Cassie Gaines were among those tragically killed and injured in a plane crash near Gillsburgh, Mississippi.
21	October	1977	American rock band, Meat Loaf, released their best‑selling debut studio album, ‘Bat Out Of Hell’.
28	October	1977	English punk rock band, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut (and currently only) studio album, ‘Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols’.
4	November	1977	American punk rock pioneers, Ramones released their definitive 3^rd studio album, ‘Rocket To Russia’.
4	November	1977	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 7^th solo studio album, ‘One World’ in the UK.
25	November	1977	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘Slowhand’.
1	December	1977	American guitarist, producer and founding member of nu-metal rock band Linkin Park, Brad Delson was born in Agoura, California.
25	January	1978	After changing their name from Warsaw to Joy Division, the post-punk rock band made their first live performance in Manchester, UK.
6	February	1978	Influential Dutch/American guitarist, Eddie Van Halen released the eponymous debut studio album that launched the band’s career ‘Van Halen’.
10	February	1978	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Stained Class’.
3	March	1978	American punk rock singer, poet, activist and artist, Patti Smith released her classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Easter’.
23	March	1978	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their 9^th studio album and follow up to the massive ‘Exodus’, ‘Kaya’.
5	April	1978	English new romantic and pop/rock band Duran Duran performed their debut live concert at Birmingham Polytechnic.
15	May	1978	Antipodean heavy rock band, AC/DC released their storming 5^th studio album, ‘Powerage’.
19	May	1978	British rock band, Dire Straits released their breakout debut single, ‘Sultans of Swing’ in the UK.
2	June	1978	Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy released their massive live double album, ‘Live And Dangerous’ in the UK.
9	June	1978	Mercurial English guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of rock band Muse, Matt Bellamy was born in Cambridge.
7	July	1978	American indie rock band, Talking Heads, released their 2^nd studio album, ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’.
7	September	1978	English drummer with rock band The Who, Keith Moon, died of a drug overdose in London at the age of 31.
12	October	1978	English bass guitarist with the Sex Pistols, John Ritchie (a.k.a. Sid Vicious) was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.
30	October	1978	American punk rock band Blondie released their single ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, their first Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart.
2	November	1978	English post-punk rock band The Police released their astounding debut studio album, ‘Outlandos d’Amour’ in the UK.
11	November	1978	The first commercially available vinyl 7” single picture disc was released by the Elektra label, featuring The Cars, ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’.
23	November	1978	American singer, songwriter, artist and occasional guitarist with rock bands, The Kills and The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart was born in Vero Beach, Florida.
2	January	1979	The trial of English bass guitarist with Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, started in New York. He was accused of murdering his American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen in 1978.
31	January	1979	American virtuoso jazz guitarist Grant Green died of a heart attack while on the road in New York City at the age of 43.
2	February	1979	English bass guitarist of Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) died from a heroin overdose in New York City at the age of 21.
7	February	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter Stephen Stills became the first major rock artist to record tracks using digital studio equipment at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.
3	March	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Frank Zappa released his highly successful and humorous part studio, part live double album, ‘Sheik Yerbouti’.
12	March	1979	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of indie rock bands The Libertines and Babyshambles, Pete Doherty was born in Hexham, Northumberland.
24	March	1979	English rock band, Motörhead hit the mainstream with the release of their classic 2nd studio album, ‘Overkill’.
8	May	1979	English indie rock giants The Cure released their debut studio album, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ in the UK.
14	May	1979	Great American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and member of blues rock band The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach was born in Akron, Ohio.
18	May	1979	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 13^th studio album and the third part of his ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Lodger’.
8	June	1979	American guitarist, songwriter, member of rock band The Allman Brothers Band and founder of The Derek Trucks Band, Derek Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
15	June	1979	English post-punk band Joy Division released their impressive debut studio album, ‘Unknown Pleasures’.
20	June	1979	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, former member of indie rock band Ash and then solo artist, Charlotte Hatherley was born in London.
29	June	1979	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with Little Feat, Lowell George died from a cocaine-related heart attack in Arlington, Virginia at the age of 34.
1	July	1979	Japanese technology company Sony launched the first Walkman portable media player, capable of playing Compact Cassettes while on the move.
27	July	1979	Australian hard rock band AC/DC released their classic 6th studio album, ‘Highway To Hell’.
3	August	1979	American alternative rock band Talking Heads released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Fear Of Music’, produced by Brian Eno.
11	August	1979	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin played their final UK concert with their original line up at Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire.
12	August	1979	American pop singer and songwriter Michael Jackson released his 5^th studio album, ‘Off The Wall’, marking his status as a global superstar.
15	August	1979	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their last album with their original group line up, ‘In Through The Out Door’.
24	August	1979	American guitarist Peter Frampton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6819 Hollywood Boulevard.
17	September	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his studio album, ‘Joe’s Garage Act I’. The first of 3 ‘parts’.
29	September	1979	English post-punk rock trio The Police had their first UK No.1 hit single with, ‘Message In A Bottle’, the band’s 3^rd Top 20 hit.
2	October	1979	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Survival’ in the UK.
2	October	1979	English post-punk rock band The Police released their massively commercial chart-topping 2^nd studio album, ‘Reggatta de Blanc’ in the UK.
7	October	1979	English post-punk rock band Joy Division released their debut single ‘Transmission’ on Factory Records in the UK.
19	October	1979	Anglo-American rock group Fleetwood Mac released their divisive, experimental 12^th studio album, ‘Tusk’ amidst reports of the band’s excess.
27	October	1979	English rock band Motörhead released their strong 3^rd studio album, ‘Bomber’ in the UK, with the classic line up of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor.
19	November	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his classic studio double album, ‘Joe’s Garage Acts II & III’.
30	November	1979	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their epic 11^th studio double concept album, ‘The Wall’. Estimated worldwide sales are around 30 million copies.
14	December	1979	English punk rock band, The Clash released their mighty 3^rd studio double album, ‘London Calling’ in the UK.

Tailpiece

That’s more than enough for now! Looking at the list of artists, it is a veritable roll call of modern music. Just contrast the albums that started and ended the decade to see how much irreversible change had occurred in just 10 years. For many, the 1970s was the last decade to witness truly fundamental changes in musical and social paradigms. While not being strictly true, it was always going to be a tough task to sustain the energy and innovation of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s into subsequent decades. However, this didn’t stop existing and emerging artists trying to break the constraints of predictability. So, the 1980s was to prove a different kettle of fish altogether and that is what the story seeks to explore in the next article. Are you with me? Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Nobody should have to play a secondary character in their own life”

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30 Jun 2019

June 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part IV

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Welcome once again all guitar and music aficionados. We are now half way through 2019 and not only are the evenings once again beginning to draw in but also the end of the ‘noughties’ is just a few months away. What a sobering thought. One wonders whether the 2020s will match the exhilarating heights (and lows) of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ of last Century. Sometimes, I doubt it and there are too many ‘harbingers of doom’ for optimism and hope to reign too strongly but perhaps it was ever thus – I hope I’m wrong. However, that sort of future speculation is for another place an time, as this month we are looking back to some 70‑80 years’ ago.

We are here in the midst of a series of articles chronicling the story of modern music by way of numerous guitar‑oriented facts and events. If you’ve been following the series so far, you’ll already know that, so I won’t bang on about it any longer.

If you would like to (re)visit the first three parts (and nearly 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

The Story of Modern Music Part IV 1940-1949

There are so many facets to the 1940s that to cover the 1950s as well would make for an overlong article, so for the sake of our mutual sanity, let’s take it one step (and decade) at a time. So… this month, we concentrate solely on the 1940s, a watershed decade during which epochal change was increasing in both pace, scale and scope. Without further ado, assuming you know the routine and format by now, let us dispatch our ‘boots on the ground’ and get on with the show. Onward to the fascinating Forties…

Historical Context 1940-1949

The 1940s was known simply, and rather unimaginatively, as ‘The Forties’. During the first half of the decade the world was dominated by major conflict and brutal warfare. As if the world had not already seen enough, almost as soon as WWII ended, the Cold War began, again raising international political and military tensions between the capitalist west and communist eastern blocs, a struggle that would last for several decades. Ordinary people in many countries suffered on‑going economic austerity, adversity and disadvantage for many years as a consequence of WWII. Socially, concerns over the possibility of widespread post‑war friction sat at odds with hopes for long‑term peace. Technological progress was closely linked to competitive military advances and many major innovations spawned during the 1940s would ultimately benefit future generations.

Year	Global Events
1940	Conservative MP Winston Churchill became British Prime Minister and would remain in power to lead Britain to victory in WWII. The mass evacuation of more than 330,000 allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France to England took place during WWII. In WWII, the German Luftwaffe carried out the ‘Blitz’, the massive air bombardment of London, UK. The WWII aerial Battle of Britain took place in the skies over Britain and Europe.
1941	Russia entered WWII when German‑led Axis forces crossed the area covered by the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact, thereby effectively invading the Soviet Union. The classic motion picture film, ‘Citizen Cane’ directed by and starring Orson Welles was released. After 14 years of labour, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Black Hills, South Dakota was opened to the public, depicting the massive sculptures of four American presidents; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. America joined WWII after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
1942	The classic movie, ‘Casablanca’ was premiered, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
1943	The world’s largest office building and headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, The Pentagon, was completed in Virginia.
1944	Operation Overlord (commonly known as ‘D-Day’) saw 150,000 allied troops successfully storm the beaches of Normandy in France against German defences.
1945	Germany surrendered to the allied forces, effectively ending WWII in Europe. U.S. atomic weapons testing was undertaken at the Trinity nuclear test site in New Mexico as part of the research & development programme known as the Manhattan Project. Two American atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan leading to unconditional surrender and the formal end of WWII. Over 60 million people were killed during the conflict. The United Nations (UN) organisation was formed, with a mission to maintain international peace and security. Democrat Harry S. Truman became 33^rd President of the U.S.A. following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Nuremburg Trials began; a military tribunal established to prosecute the most prominent political and military leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes during WWII.
1946	ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first programmable electronic computer was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania.
1946/ 1947	The Cold War between Russia with its neighbouring Eastern Bloc states and America with its western allies started and lasted until the collapse of Communism and the Soviet Union between 1889 and 1991. The transistor semiconductor was developed by American technology company, Bell Labs in New Jersey.
1947	Italian motor company Ferrari started production of luxury sports cars in Modena. American test pilot Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier in level flight in a rocket-propelled Bell X-1 aircraft that he nicknamed ‘Glamorous Glennis’, achieving a recorded top speed of Mach 1.06 (807.2mph) at an altitude of 45,000 ft.
1948	British author George Orwell wrote his prophetic dystopian novel, ‘1984’. The independent state of Israel was established after the British pulled out of Palestine. The British National Health Service (NHS) was founded and would become the model for universal health care in the country. The NHS was part of the wider liberal welfare state system reforms that were implemented the UK.
1949	The Communist People’s Republic of China was proclaimed by Chairman Mao Zedong. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was formed comprising 29 independent member states committed to mutual defence in response to an attack by any non‑member countries.

Well that is where the world was at, at the time. Now to refocus our attention onto the matter in hand, musical history.

Musical Genre Development 1940-1949

Music of the 1940s built on the sustained popularity of jazz, bebop and swing/big band music to provide upbeat positivity against the background of WWII, as played by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Artie Shaw. Electric blues had spread to the west coast of America, particularly California, performed by artists such as T-Bone Walker and B.B. King. Chicago also became a vital locus for electric blues, as played by Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, as did Detroit with the likes of John Lee Hooker, and Indiana with Albert King and Jimmy Reed. Blues remained strong in the southern states, including artists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Freddie King. Country and western music also became popular again with ‘singing cowboys’ such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Wartime songs would feature across many musical genres and many entertainers helped to support the allied forces at home and abroad, including Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields and The Andrews Sisters. It was also during the 1940s that the influence of Latin music began to be felt across other genres, popularised by the likes of ‘The Brazilian Bombshell’, Carmen Miranda brought to western cinemagoers by film director Busby Berkeley.

Around 1945, bluegrass began to make its mark. Bluegrass fused many American, European and African roots styles culminating in a unique blend of country, folk, traditional and Appalachian mountain music incorporating blues and jazz influences. The music is usually played on acoustic string instruments including fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. Bluegrass was particularly popular for dancing, including dance styles such as buckdancing, flatfooting and clogging. The term ‘bluegrass’ arose not only from a type of grass in the region near Kentucky but also from the name used by pioneers of the genre, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Monroe is often called the ‘Father of Bluegrass’ and his band notably featured Earl Scruggs on banjo and Lester Flatt on guitar. In the early days, bluegrass was categorised along with country & western, hillbilly and folk music before being defined as a discrete genre that remains popular today.

Traditional popular music is generally defined as having broad appeal for a wide audience and has existed throughout time and across the globe. While the ‘pop song’ originated in the 1920s, modern popular music is largely accepted to be Anglo‑American in origin and arose during the 1940s as the big bands declined and before rock & roll music took off in the mid‑1950s. Popular music was notable for structured song writing, often comprising repeated verse and chorus with a middle bridge section. Popular music was often based on musical standards, sung by ‘crooners’. In addition, popular music was also often composed by professional songwriters, which was then performed by a vocalist accompanied by a backing band or orchestra. Success was characterised by record sales and chart position as a measure of achievement. Perhaps the most famous popular music artists of the early popular music era were Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby who achieved enormous commercial success. The familiar term ‘pop music’ actually appears to have its origins in Britain in the mid‑1950s. Popular music is often referred to as, but not synonymous with, ‘pop’ music; however, pop music developed as a major separate genre during the 1960s and has largely remained so to the current day. Another characteristic is that popular music is constantly evolving into many different formats and styles to keep pace with social and cultural changes, including aging western populations. Traditional popular standards were being released well into the 1950s by the likes of Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Dean Martin.

During the late 1940s, there was already indicative evidence of the sounds that would coalesce and become what we now call rock ‘n’ roll during the 1950s, particularly by blues/R&B artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe. That fundamental step-change is now for the next article.

Musical Facts 1940-1949

Many legendary artists that we now take for granted as part of today’s musical landscape were not yet born or still mere fledglings yet to make their indelible mark on our collective consciousness. As with last month’s article, a large proportion of the musical facts relate to births of future stars.

Looking down the long list of nearly 200 musical events during the 1940s, it could quickly become repetitive, e.g. American/English blah‑de‑blah was born in blah, blah. However, just a scan of the names and places gives a sense about what these youthful individuals were experiencing as teenagers during the ‘big bang’ of rock ‘n’ roll and the tsunami of the ‘British Invasion’, just a few years later. Just think of the exposure they had to sweeping new music crazes and how the fads might have inspired and stimulated these curious youngsters on to great music careers that they could never have foreseen. Some of these fabulous flames would burn brightly and briefly, while others would endure as wizened veterans still working hard and influencing today’s generations. As time passes, the balance between births, lifetime achievements and, sadly, deaths will shift considerably.

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
–	–	1940	American blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Seasick Steve was born c.1940 or 1941 (date not disclosed) in Oakland, California.
27	July	1940	Billboard magazine published its first Music Popularity Chart. Topping the chart at No. 1 was Tommy Dorsey with his hit song, ‘I’ll Never Smile Again’.
9	October	1940	Massively influential of English singer, songwriter, guitarist, former member of The Beatles and successful solo artist, John Lennon MBE (1940-1980, 40) was born in Liverpool.
26	November	1940	Hugely influential English folk guitarist, Davey Graham (1940-2008, 68) was born in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire.
21	December	1940	Prolific genius, American guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer, the one and only Mr Frank Vincent Zappa (1940-1993, 52) was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
9	January	1941	Legendary perennial American folk/protest singer, songwriter, guitarist, and political activist, Joan Baez was born in Staten Island, New York.
15	January	1941	Influential American rock singer, songwriter and musician, Don Van Vliet (better known as Captain Beefheart) was born in Glendale, California.
24	January	1941	Acclaimed American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor Neil Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York.
24	January	1941	English folk singer, songwriter and guitarist Michael Chapman was born in Leeds, Yorkshire.
14	February	1941	Prolific English studio session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan (1941-2012, 71) was born in Uxbridge, Middlesex. Sullivan appeared on about 750 chart singles including 54 chart toppers.
24	April	1941	Australian virtuoso classical and contemporary guitarist, as well as one-time member of instrumental fusion rock group SKY, John Williams was born in Melbourne.
24	May	1941	Nobel prize-winner for literature, American folk/rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota.
18	July	1941	Influential country/blues/rock guitarist and singer songwriter, Lonnie Mack (1941-2016, 74) was born in West Harrison, Indiana.
14	August	1941	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, founder of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Hall of Famer, David Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California.
20	August	1941	The ‘grandfather of space rock’, English guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of psychedelic rock band Hawkwind, Dave Brock was born in Isleworth, Middlesex.
13	October	1941	Living legend, American singer, songwriter, guitarist, formerly half of Simon & Garfunkel and a successful solo artist, Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey.
21	October	1941	Multi-Hall of Famer, American guitarist, songwriter, record producer and member of Stax Records’ house band Booker T. & the MG’s, Steve Cropper was born in Dora, Missouri.
28	October	1941	English guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his uniquely distinctive work with The Shadows, Hank Marvin was born in Newcastle upon Tyne.
2	November	1941	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as an original member of instrumental pop/rock band The Shadows, Bruce Welch OBE was born in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
20	November	1941	Great American singer, songwriter, pianist and occasional guitarist Dr John was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
4	January	1942	English jazz/rock fusion guitarist, composer, solo artist and member of Mahavishnu Orchestra, John McLaughlin was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
28	February	1942	English guitarist and founding member of rock band The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones (1942-1969, 27) was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
2	March	1942	Legendary American virtuoso jazz guitarist Charlie Christian died from tuberculosis in New York at the age of just 25.
2	March	1942	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with The Velvet Underground and as a successful solo artist, Lou Reed (1942-2013, 71) was born in Brooklyn, New York.
24	April	1942	Oscar-winning American singer, songwriter, actress and film maker Barbra Streisand was born in New York City.
17	May	1942	Hugely influential American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Taj Mahal (a.k.a. Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, Jr) was born in Harlem, New York.
1	June	1942	Highly influential virtuoso Spanish flamenco guitarist, Paco Peña was born in Cordoba.
18	June	1942	English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of pop/rock bands The Beatles and Wings, as well as a successful solo artist, Sir Paul McCartney MBE was born in Liverpool.
13	July	1942	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of rock band The Byrds, Roger McGuinn was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1	August	1942	Influential American singer/songwriter and guitarist with Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia (1942-1995, 53) was born in San Francisco, California.
27	November	1942	A true music legend, American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, the one and only James Marshall Hendrix (1942-1970, 27) was born in Seattle, Washington.
31	December	1942	English guitarist, composer, member of rock band The Police and successful solo artist, Andy Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire.
10	January	1943	American folk/rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jim Croce (1943-1973, 30) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
19	January	1943	Legendary American psychedelic blues/rock singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas.
25	February	1943	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of The Beatles, George Harrison (1943-2001, 58) was born in Liverpool.
22	March	1943	Influential American jazz/soul/R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter, George Benson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
2	April	1943	American jazz guitarist, the ‘Godfather of Fusion’, Larry Coryell (1943-2017, 73) was born in Galveston, Texas.
14	May	1943	Scottish bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of blues rock super group Cream, Jack Bruce (1943-2014, 71) was born in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire.
5	July	1943	Canadian guitarist, songwriter, composer, producer and former member of Americana rock group The Band, Robbie Robertson was born in Toronto, Ontario.
26	July	1943	English singer, songwriter and occasional guitarist, a founding member of rock band the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger was born in Dartford, Kent.
28	July	1943	Renowned American blues guitarist and Hall of Famer, Mike Bloomfield (1943-1981, 37) was born in Chicago, Illinois.
24	August	1943	American guitarist and founder of west coast rock bands Quicksilver Messenger Service and Copperhead, John Cipollina (1943-1989, 45) was born in Berkeley, California.
6	September	1943	English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of progressive rock band Pink Floyd, Roger Waters was born in Great Bookham, Surrey.
5	October	1943	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader, Steve Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
3	November	1943	Sublimely talented Scottish guitarist and founding member of folk revival band Pentangle, Bert Jansch (1943-2011, 67) was born in Glasgow.
7	November	1943	Highly influential Canadian folk, jazz, rock and pop guitarist, singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta.
28	November	1943	Highly acclaimed American singer, songwriter and composer of numerous film scores, Randy Newman was born in Los Angeles, California.
8	December	1943	Iconic American singer, poet, counter-culture rebel and front man of rock band, The Doors, Jim Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida.
12	December	1943	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer and founding member of rock band The Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts was born in West Palm Beach, Florida.
18	December	1943	Legendary English guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of rock band The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards was born in Dartford, Kent.
21	December	1943	Hugely talented English guitarist and songwriter known for his country/rock hybrid picking style, Albert Lee was born in Lingen, Herefordshire.
31	December	1943	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, John Denver (1943-1997, 53) was born in Roswell, New Mexico.
9	January	1944	English musical innovator and legendary guitarist, best known for his work with hard rock band Led Zeppelin, the highly influential Jimmy Page OBE was born in Heston, Middlesex.
23	February	1944	Great American blues guitarist and Blues Hall of Famer, Johnny Winter (1944-2014, 70) was born in Beaumont, Texas.
1	March	1944	English singer, actor, founder and long-term front man of rock group The Who, Roger Daltrey was born in London.
23	March	1944	Trailblazing English guitarist and founder of blues/rock band Groundhogs, Tony McPhee was born in Humberston, Lincolnshire.
15	April	1944	Welsh rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Dave Edmunds was born in Cardiff.
28	May	1944	American Motown legend and award-winning ‘Empress of Soul’, the formidable Gladys Knight was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
7	June	1944	American bluegrass and country rock guitarist who was a member of rock band The Byrds and an accomplished session musician, Clarence White was born in Lewiston, Maine.
8	June	1944	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, former member of the Steve Miller Band and a successful solo artist, Boz Scaggs was born in Canton, Ohio.
17	June	1944	Respected, versatile and prolific English session guitarist, singer and producer, Chris Spedding was born in Staveley, Derbyshire.
21	June	1944	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former front man of pop/rock band The Kinks, as well as solo artist, Sir Ray Davies CBE was born in London.
24	June	1944	Outstanding and prolific English instrumental guitar genius, as well as former member of blues/rock band The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck was born in Wallington, Surrey.
8	August	1944	Renowned English guitarist and songwriter, known for his work with Bert Jansch and folk revival group Pentangle, John Renbourn (1944-2015, 70) was born in London.
16	August	1944	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with psychedelic rock band Soft Machine, as well as a successful solo artist, Kevin Ayers (1944-2013, 68) was born in Herne Bay, Kent.
9	October	1944	Legendary English bass guitarist with rock band The Who, nicknamed ‘The Ox’, John Entwistle (1944-2002, 57) was born in London.
19	October	1944	Jamaican reggae guitarist, singer and songwriter, a member of Bob Marley & The Wailers and a successful solo artist, Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica.
15	December	1944	Famous American big band leader and musician Glenn Miller was killed when the plane in which he was flying disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel during WWII at the age of 40.
18	December	1944	British guitarist, best known as member of progressive rock band Man, Deke Leonard (1944-2017, 72) was born in Llanelli, South Wales.
19	December	1944	Highly regarded English guitarist, singer, and member of blues/rock group Ten Years After, Alvin Lee (1944-2013, 68) was born in Nottingham.
3	January	1945	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, famous for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), Stephen Stills was born in Dallas, Texas.
6	February	1945	A true legend as well as a great ambassador for Jamaica and reggae music with The Wailers, Rastafarian singer, songwriter and guitarist Bob Marley (1945-1981, 36) was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica.
9	March	1945	English blues/rock guitarist who came to fame as a member of rock band Procol Harum, before embarking on a long and successful solo career, Robin Trower was born in London.
11	March	1945	American guitarist, member of Canned Heat amongst others, and one of the first to popularise the two-handed tapping playing technique, Harvey Mandel was born in Detroit, Michigan.
30	March	1945	Highly renowned English blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and Hall of Famer, Eric Clapton CBE was born in Ripley, Surrey.
13	April	1945	Great American guitarist, singer and songwriter with Little Feat, Lowell George (1945-1979, 34) was born in Hollywood, California.
14	April	1945	Hugely influential English guitarist and co-founder of hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow, as well as folk rock duo Blackmore’s Night, Ritchie Blackmore was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
6	May	1945	American rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and leader of the Silver Bullet Band, Bob Seger was born in Detroit, Michigan.
19	May	1945	English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and member of The Who, Pete Townshend was born in London.
28	May	1945	American rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and former member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty was born in Berkeley, California.
1	July	1945	American singer, songwriter, actress and founding member of rock band Blondie, Debbie Harry was born in Miami, Florida.
31	August	1945	Northern Irish rhythm & blues singer, songwriter and producer, Sir Van Morrison OBE was born in Belfast.
4	September	1945	Amazing American ‘Redneck Jazz’ guitarist, Danny Gatton (1945-1994, 49) was born in Washington D.C.
10	September	1945	Prolific Puerto Rican guitarist, singer and songwriter, José Feliciano was born in Lares.
11	September	1945	Extraordinary American multi-genre acoustic guitarist and a true master of his instrument, Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia.
26	September	1945	English singer, songwriter and former front man of glam art rock band Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry CBE was born in Washington, County Durham.
3	October	1945	American singer Elvis Presley made his first public performance at the age of 10 when he sang ‘Old Shep’ at the Mississippi/Alabama Dairy Show talent competition. Reports say he came 2^nd and won $5, while Elvis later recollected coming 5^th and not winning a prize.
31	October	1945	English guitarist, singer, producer and one time member of rock band Argent, Russ Ballard was born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire.
26	November	1945	English bass guitarist with rock bands John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and then Fleetwood Mac, John McVie was born in London.
30	November	1945	Welsh bass guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as a member of heavy rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow, Roger Glover was born in Brecon, Powys.
24	December	1945	English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and founder of rock band Motörhead, Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister (1945-2015, 70) was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
25	December	1945	English bass guitarist and member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Noel Redding (1945-2003, 57) was born in Folkestone, Kent.
3	January	1946	English bass guitarist, songwriter, former member of hard rock band Led Zeppelin, solo artist as well as a member of Them Crooked Vultures, John Paul Jones was born in Sidcup, Kent.
6	January	1946	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of psychedelic/progressive rock band Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett (1946-2006, 60) was born in Cambridge.
8	January	1946	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a key member of rock band The Doors, Robby Krieger was born in Los Angeles, California.
19	January	1946	Larger-than-life American country music legend, successful business woman and actress, Dolly Parton was born in Pitman Center, Tennessee.
20	February	1946	American guitarist and leader of The J. Geils Band, John ‘J’ Geils (1946-2017, 71) was born in New York City.
6	March	1946	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and former member of Pink Floyd, as well as a successful solo artist, the incomparable David Gilmour was born in Cambridge.
12	March	1946	Oscar-winning American singer and actress, Liza Minelli was born in Los Angeles, California.
1	April	1946	English bass player, singer, songwriter and founder of rock bands the Small Faces and the Faces, Ronnie Lane (1946-1997, 51) was born in Plaistow, Essex.
4	April	1946	English guitarist and member of pop/glam rock band Slade, Dave Hill was born in Holbeton, Devon.
16	May	1946	One of the great experimental English guitarists of our time and member of progressive rock band King Crimson, Robert Fripp was born in Wimborne Minster, Dorset.
26	May	1946	Great English rock guitarist and close companion of David Bowie, Mick Ronson (1946-1993, 46) was born in Kingston upon Hull.
7	June	1946	Welsh guitarist and co-founder of progressive/psychedelic rock band Man, Micky Jones (1946-2010, 63) born in Merthyr Tydfil.
15	June	1946	English guitarist and singer with glam pop/rock group Slade, Noddy Holder MBE was born in Walsall, Staffordshire.
6	August	1946	Extraordinarily talented English virtuoso fusion/rock guitarist Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017, 70) was born in Bradford.
23	August	1946	Influential and eccentric English drummer and member of rock band The Who, Keith Moon, was born in Wembley, Middlesex.
5	September	1946	Flamboyant English singer with rock/pop band Queen, Freddie Mercury (real name Farrokh Bulsara) was born in Stone Town in the Sultanate of Zanzibar (now Tanzania).
14	October	1946	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with rock band The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward was born in Swindon, Wiltshire.
29	October	1946	Highly acclaimed and influential English guitarist and co-founder of blues/rock band Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green was born in London.
5	November	1946	American country rock guitarist with The Byrds, Gram Parsons (1946-1973, 26) was born in Winter Haven, Florida.
17	November	1946	Great English guitarist, best known as a long-term member of rock band Jethro Tull, Martin Barre was born in Birmingham.
20	November	1946	Legendary American guitarist and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, nicknamed ‘Skydog’, Duane Allman (1946-1971, 24) was born in Nashville, Tennessee.
22	November	1946	Jamaican bass guitarist and producer who played with reggae bands Bob Marley & The Wailers and The Upsetters, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett was born in Kingston.
24	December	1946	Dutch progressive rock and jazz fusion guitarist best known for his work with rock band Focus, as well as a long solo career, Jan Akkerman was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
30	December	1946	Influential American singer, poet and activist, part of the vibrant New York punk movement, Patti Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois.
–	–	1947	American session guitarist and collaborator, best known for his work with Steely Dan, Elliott Randall was born (exact date not known).
8	January	1947	A true legend, English singer, songwriter, occasional guitarist and actor, the one and only David Bowie (1947-2016, 69) was born in London.
22	January	1947	English punk pioneer, the manager of New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols, as well as a solo music artist, Malcolm McLaren was born in London.
30	January	1947	English ‘mod’ guitarist with rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, Steve Marriott (1947-1991, 44) was born in London.
3	February	1947	English guitarist, singer and songwriter who, along with his older brother Ray, provided the driving force behind pop/rock band The Kinks, Dave Davies was born in London.
14	February	1947	American multi-genre singer, songwriter and guitarist, Tim Buckley (1947-1975, 28) was born in Washington D.C.
15	March	1947	American musician, composer, songwriter and phenomenal slide guitarist, Ry Cooder was born in Los Angeles, California.
25	March	1947	Flamboyant multi-award-winning English pop singer, songwriter and pianist, Sir Elton John CBE was born in Pinner, Middlesex.
8	April	1947	Great English guitarist, songwriter and producer best known as a long-time member of progressive rock group Yes, Steve Howe was born in London.
1	June	1947	English guitarist with rock band The Rolling Stones and previously the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Ronnie Wood was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex.
5	June	1947	American guitarist, singer, co-founder of funk band Sly And The Family Stone, and now a Christian pastor, Freddie Stone was born in Vallejo, California.
9	June	1947	English guitarist and long-time member of rock band Uriah Heep, Mick Box was born in Walthamstow, East London.
12	July	1947	Influential English guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of pub rock band Dr. Feelgood, Wilko Johnson was born in Canvey Island, Essex.
19	July	1947	Award-winning English guitarist, astrophysicist, animal rights activist and co-founder of rock/pop band Queen, Dr. Brian May CBE was born in Hampton, Middlesex.
20	July	1947	Highly acclaimed Mexican/American guitarist, songwriter and main man for Latin/jazz/fusion/rock group Santana, Carlos Santana was born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco.
3	September	1947	Northern Irish blues/rock guitarist and founder of rock group Thin Lizzy, Eric Bell was born in Dublin.
30	September	1947	Massively influential English glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan of Tyrannosaurus Rex and then T.Rex (1947-1977, 29) was born in London.
1	October	1947	English bass guitarist, singer and founding member of rock band Wishbone Ash, Martin Turner was born in Torquay, Devon.
8	November	1947	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and former member of pop/rock bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Wizzard, Roy Wood was born in Birmingham.
10	November	1947	English bass guitarist, singer and songwriter, famous for his work with progressive rock bands King Crimson and ELP, as well as a successful solo artist, Greg Lake (1947-2016, 69) was born in Poole, Dorset.
10	November	1947	American guitarist best known for working with the original Alice Cooper band, Glen Buxton (1947-1997, 49) was born in Akron, Ohio.
12	November	1947	American guitarist with rock band Blue Öyster Cult since its formation in 1967, Buck Dharma (a.k.a. David Roeser) was born in Long Island, New York.
20	November	1947	Great American guitarist, singer, songwriter, solo artist and member of country rock band Eagles, Joe Walsh was born in Wichita, Kansas.
8	December	1947	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman (1947-2017, 69) was born in Nashville, Tennessee.
21	December	1947	Highly influential Spanish virtuoso Flamenco guitarist, Paco de Lucíá (1947-2014, 66) was born in Cadiz.
12	January	1948	English jazz fusion guitarist supreme and long-term member of progressive rock band Soft Machine, John Etheridge was born in London.
15	January	1948	American singer and frontman of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, the great Ronnie Van Zant was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
2	February	1948	American guitarist, songwriter, producer and ex-member of funk band Earth Wind & Fire, Al McKay was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
4	February	1948	Theatrical American rock singer, songwriter, actor and presenter, Alice Cooper was born in Detroit, Michigan.
19	February	1948	English rock guitarist with Black Sabbath and the ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’, Tony Iommi was born in Birmingham.
2	March	1948	Legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Rory Gallagher (1948-1995, 47) was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal.
2	March	1948	American jazz fusion guitarist, composer and prolific multi‑genre session musician, the great Larry Carlton was born in Torrance, California.
4	March	1948	Renowned English bass guitarist and co-founder of progressive rock band Yes, Chris Squire (1948-2015, 67) was born in London.
6	April	1948	Talented English multi-genre guitarist and composer, Gordon Giltrap was born in Brenchley, Kent.
30	April	1948	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, composer and co-founder of rock band MC5, Wayne Kramer was born in Detroit, Michigan.
15	May	1948	Pioneering experimental English composer, producer, musician and founding member of glam rock band Roxy Music, Brian Eno was born in Melton, Suffolk.
18	June	1948	Columbia Records began mass producing the 33RPM long‑playing (LP) record. The original concept of the vinyl ‘album’ has endured and has undergone a retro revival in the digital age.
19	June	1948	Highly respected English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake (1948-1974, 26) was born in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar).
20	June	1948	Scottish bass guitarist and founding member of 1970s pop group, The Bay City Rollers, Alan Longmuir (1948-2018, 70) was born in Edinburgh.
22	June	1948	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, solo artist and founding member of progressive rock band Utopia, Todd Rundgren was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
17	July	1948	American guitarist and songwriter with Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Ron Asheton (1948-2009, 60) was born in Washington D.C.
2	August	1948	Welsh singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of rock band Amen Corner, Andy Fairweather Low was born in Ystrad Mynach.
24	August	1948	French electronic composer, instrumentalist and producer, Jean-Michel Jarre was born in Lyon.
31	August	1948	German rhythm guitarist, songwriter and founder of hard rock band Scorpions, Rudolf Schenker was born in Hildesheim.
11	September	1948	Hugely influential and innovative British singer, songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn (1948-2009, 60) was born in London.
8	October	1948	Pioneering American punk rock guitarist and songwriter with the Ramones, Johnny Ramone (1948-2004, 56) was born in New York.
12	October	1948	English guitarist and long-term member of rock band Status Quo, Rick Parfitt (1948-2016, 68) was born in Woking, Surrey. ‏
6	November	1948	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and founding member of country rock band Eagles, Glenn Frey (1948-2016, 67) was born in Detroit, Michigan.
3	December	1948	English singer, songwriter, TV personality and member of heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath, nicknamed ‘The Prince of Darkness’, Ozzy Osbourne was born in Birmingham.
13	December	1948	American guitarist, best known for his work with Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers and Spirit, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter was born in Washington D.C.
13	December	1948	Controversial American singer, songwriter and guitarist, known for his ultra-conservative political views, the ‘Motor City Madman’, Ted Nugent was born in Redford, Michigan.
18	December	1948	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with experimental rock band Be-Bop Deluxe, Bill Nelson was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire.
22	December	1948	American guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock band Cheap Trick, Rick Nielsen was born in Elmhurst, Illinois.
17	January	1949	English guitarist and former member of blues/rock bands John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones, Mick Taylor was born in Welwyn Garden City.
19	January	1949	English pop/rock singer and songwriter and member of rock bands Vinegar Joe and the Power Station, Robert Palmer was born in Batley, Yorkshire.
7	February	1949	English bass guitarist and founding member of pop/rock band Status Quo, Alan Lancaster was born in London.
31	March	1949	Record company, RCA Victor released their first 45RPM 7″ single, ‘Texarkana Baby’ by Eddy Arnold… on green vinyl.
3	April	1949	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, solo artist and former member of folk rock band Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson was born in London.
4	May	1949	Scottish guitarist, best known for his work with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in the 1970s, Zal Cleminson was born in Glasgow.
17	May	1949	English guitarist, singer, composer and founder of progressive rock band Camel, Andrew Latimer was born in Guildford, Surrey.
19	May	1949	American bass guitarist and long-term member of southern blues/rock band ZZ Top, Dusty Hill was born in Dallas, Texas.
29	May	1949	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with rock/pop band Status Quo, Francis Rossi OBE was born in London.
17	July	1949	Great English bass guitarist with heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath, Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler was born in Aston, Birmingham.
12	August	1949	British guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, composer and co-founder of rock band Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler OBE was born in Glasgow.
20	August	1949	Irish bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of rock group Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, (1949-1986, 36) was born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England.
25	August	1949	Israeli/American bass guitarist, singer, actor, businessman and co-founder of rock band KISS, Gene Simmons, nicknamed ‘The Demon’ was born in Tirat Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
28	August	1949	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and ex-member of punk rock pioneers, The Stranglers from 1974-1990, Hugh Cornwell was born in London.
5	September	1949	English guitarist with rock bands Colosseum, Humble Pie and a successful solo artist, Clem Clempson was born in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
14	September	1949	American guitarist with southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Gaines (1949-1977, 28) was born in Seneca, Missouri.
14	September	1949	American guitarist and bass guitarist with southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ed King (1949-2018, 68) was born in Glendale, California.
23	September	1949	American living legend that is ‘The Boss’, Mr. Bruce Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey.
3	October	1949	American guitarist, singer and songwriter primarily with rock band Fleetwood Mac and now solo, Lindsey Buckingham was born in Palo Alto, California.
8	November	1949	American blues, rock, Americana roots and with a hint of country guitarist, singer, songwriter and activist, Bonnie Raitt was born in Burbank, California.
6	December	1949	American blues/folk guitarist and singer, Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter) died of motor neurone disease in New York at the age of 61.
7	December	1949	Prolific and hugely influential American singer, songwriter, composer and actor, Tom Waits was born in Pomona, California.
13	December	1949	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with alternative post-punk rock band Television, Tom Verlaine was born in Denville, New Jersey.
16	December	1949	American guitarist, singer and songwriter with blues/rock band ZZ Top and solo artist, Billy F. Gibbons was born in Houston, Texas.
23	December	1949	American guitarist and singer with a long solo career and known for his work with British progressive rock band King Crimson and a host of others including Frank Zappa, David Bowie and Talking Heads, Adrian Belew was born in Covington, Kentucky.

Tailpiece

Well, that’s it for another month – that is a veritable roll call of rock ‘n’ roll, all packed into just 10 years. The thing that struck me most about this article is the overwhelming focus on America and Britain as the drivers for musical change in the 20^th Century. Today, we readily accept a much more diverse, global infusion of styles and influences. One can pontificate that it had to start somewhere and these two countries largely made it happen bilaterally; maybe not exclusively but certainly predominantly. Unsurprisingly, perhaps given the period, it is also male dominated.

Just how quickly we proceed from here depends entirely on the volume of the content. At this rate, we could be at this for a while yet. I didn’t realise when I started, what a colossal exercise it was going to be. However, I have found it fascinating to focus on musical evolution through this lens and I hope that you have found something of interest along the way. Maybe the Forties were not a great deal of interest to you, they were certainly before my time. We will get around to other periods that may motivate your attention span in a different way, I promise… eventually.

We are now well past the chronological midway point but we haven’t yet reached half way in terms of content. The massive upsurge of musical events that took place over the latter part of the 20^th Century has still to unfold fully, raising the anticipation of plenty more to come… and, boy, is there plenty more! The ambitious effort to bring an interrelated bunch of musical factoids to life within the context of the broader human condition continues unabated. I hope you will join me on the rest of the journey, hopefully reconvening here‑ish next month. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “Material things feed the vanity of the ego, while music nourishes the spirit and sustains the soul.”

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