Episode 6: Soul Sisters

Episode 6: Soul Sisters

Author: Pantheon Media January 27, 2016 Duration: 57:47
We open in Manhattan, in the main room, the big studio at Columbia Records. It’s Fall of 1963. A big-time, high-stakes recording session for Aretha Franklin is about to get underway. Aretha is an astonishing, one-in-a-billion talent, but it’s just not clicking for her at Columbia. We spend a little time exploring why it isn’t clicking, and then we talk a little about the feminist perspective, and why we think it is called for. And we move on from Manhattan, to South Grand Avenue in Detroit; to Hitsville, USA—Motown Records. Early summer, 1964, and Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson are worried. Motown has taken a tough hit, losing their top-selling artist, Mary Wells. These guys have no way of knowing it, but not to worry: Motown is just about to BLOW UP. And it’s the first female pop superstar, Diana Ross, who will touch off that explosion. We talk a bit about Berry, about the Motown Fun Factory, and about Diana. And we have to stop and wonder: why does a driven, ambitious man like Berry Gordy get called a visionary and a leader, but a driven and ambitious woman like Diana…well she gets called something else entirely. What’s the deal there? Then we head south, Deep South, to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and meet the Swampers. We hear from the effusive, fast-talking Atlantic Records Exec, Jerry Wexler. When Aretha comes over to Atlantic, it’s Wex who puts her together with the Swampers. It’s a magical moment, but it does not last. While there may have been cooperation and racial harmony in the studio, outside it’s still Alabama. That state is convulsed by the civil rights movement and the angry, hateful backlash it inspires. And it’s not just the state of Alabama; it is a tense and angry nation that awaits The Fire Next Time. We close out the show with a detailed look at the anguish and the glory of Aretha Franklin and her music. A holy blend; a terrible beauty: captured and preserved forever. 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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