Episode 04: The Change of the Guard

Episode 04: The Change of the Guard

Author: Pantheon Media December 9, 2015 Duration: 1:02:39
The Sixties are about to begin and we’re feeling the change of the guard. We briefly recap the first Golden Age of Rock N Roll: 1956 to 1959. A lot happened, and fast. Too fast to last. We skid perilously into a new decade. As we open the sixties, all the big players are offstage, and a lot of folks are saying Rock N Roll is dead. We open in a police station in St. Louis, and Chuck Berry is in big trouble with the law. We detail Chuck’s legal fight to its conclusion in early ’63. We also catch up with the disc jockey Alan Freed, who is going through some legal problems of his own—legal problems that are part of a larger story. We take a look at the state of mainstream popular music in 1960. It’s grim. But the R&B charts are looking good, lots of great songs and artists. Black America is reasserting itself musically. We will get to that…but first, Rock N Roll is about to become BIG Business. So we unpack that a little bit, and devote a big part of the show to an examination of the record industry. They were slow to catch on, but the corporate labels—The Big Six—are now in the business of Rock N Roll. We use humor to make our point, but we also have some caustic, tough things to say about the industry. Ever seen these acronyms: ASCAP and BMI? And what wondered what the heck they mean? We answer that question, and explain why it’s important. We tell a tale of two Disc Jockeys: Alan Freed and Dick Clark. That tale is a metaphor for what happens in the music business from 1960 on. For the last act, we go back to discussing great music and great musicians and we meet the Godfather of Soul: James Brown. It’s a true rags-to-riches story. Finally, we grab a cab in front of the Apollo Theater, and head down to Greenwich Village. There we will briefly meet an up-and-coming folksinger, and set the stage for Episode Five. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digging through the layers of myth and memory, Rock N Roll Archaeology from Pantheon Media unearths the stories behind the soundtrack of our times. This isn't just a chronological retelling of famous bands and hit songs. Instead, each season functions as a deeply researched audio documentary, meticulously connecting the music to the forces that shaped it and that it, in turn, shaped. You'll hear how specific technological breakthroughs changed how music was made and heard, how political upheavals filtered into lyrics and attitude, and how cultural shifts were both reflected and accelerated by the rock genre. The podcast moves beyond biography to examine the interplay between the recording studio, the stage, the society, and the individual artist. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered not just who played a riff, but why that riff resonated when it did. With a narrative approach that blends storytelling with insightful commentary and a thoughtful touch of musicology, Rock N Roll Archaeology constructs a rich, contextual understanding of this powerful art form. Listen for a perspective that treats rock history as a vital part of our broader history, revealing how the music served as both a catalyst and a chronicle for the changing world from the latter half of the twentieth century into the present day. The production is crafted to be as immersive as the subject matter demands, making each episode a journey into the specific moments where sound, culture, and innovation collided.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Rock N Roll Archaeology
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Duration: 1:07:35
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