The British Invasion

Link to Spotify playlist: Mus115 - 05. British Invasion

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The U.S.A. in disarray

The 1960s started as Kennedy's "New Frontier". Unfortunately, there was a lot of cultural anxiety and insecurity. Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy assassination, the Kennedy assassin's assassination, and other social upheaval (women's sexual liberation, and other topics) left the US feeling, as a whole, a bit insecure. Another factor adding to America's overall insecurity was the fact that Rock and Roll, viewed as "noisy teen music", was taking over the airwaves and pop culture. The grown ups viewed it as embarrassing, as it seemed like an "illegitimate" form of music. After all, Europe wasn't gaga over this music.

That all changed when The Beatles broke through and started the British Invasion. They added a level of sophistication to their music. Generally likable in press interviews (until John's religion statements) and quick-witted, with their non-threatening bowl haircuts, middle-class white America started to accept and purchase British Rock and Roll records, and started to also purchase American Rock and Roll now that it seemed more "legitimate".

The Other Big Players

The other big players in the British Invasion were The Rolling Stones. Where as The Beatles were somewhat refined, and non-threatening (even with their later experimental side), the Stones were much more raw, R&B oriented, and explicitly sexual. Generally, you were either a Beatles or a Stones fan, but rarely both.

The Stones started off in the same vein as The Beatles - playing in suits, with Bowl haircuts, and not being too overt. Two of their first hits were a Chuck Berry cover and a Beatles cover, originally written for Ringo to sing.

Early Rolling Stones

• Come On (Chuck Berry cover)
• I Want To Be Your Man (Beatles cover)

But as time went on, they gradually aimed to be the "counter image" of The Beatles. Hair grew longer and scruffier. Suits were doffed for street clothes. Sexuality, surliness, rebellion became forefront.

Their first foray into America wasn't very successful, playing to almost empty stadiums and concert halls, but they did meet Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and Willie Dixon and recorded "It's All Over Now"

• It's All Over Now

Later in 1965, during another US tour, they ended up writing what is probably their number one most recognizable hit:

• (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

The followed it with a few more hits:

• Get Off of My Cloud
• Ruby Tuesday

They tried a few "Beatlesque" tunes, but returned to their signature sound with:

• Jumpin' Jack Flash

One more big event you should know about is the disastrous Altamont concert. Initially conceived as a West Coast response to Woodstock, it turned into mayhem. Read about it here on wikipedia. Essentially, the Hell's Angels were hired for $500 worth of beer to guard the generators, but they ended up doing a lot more than that, and killed a fan named Meredith Hunter. According to the wikipedia article:

At this point, some of the Hells Angels got into a scuffle with Meredith Hunter, age 18, when he attempted to get onstage with other fans. One of the Hells Angels grabbed Hunter's head, punched him, and chased him back into the crowd. After a minute's pause, Hunter returned to the stage where, according to Gimme Shelter producer Porter Bibb, Hunter's girlfriend Patty Bredehoft found him and tearfully begged him to calm down and move further back in the crowd with her, but he was reportedly enraged, irrational and "so high he could barely walk". Rock Scully, who could see the audience clearly from the top of a truck by the stage, said of Hunter, "I saw what he was looking at, that he was crazy, he was on drugs, and that he had murderous intent. There was no doubt in my mind that he intended to do terrible harm to Mick or somebody in the Rolling Stones, or somebody on that stage."

verses this from a Rolling Stone (no relation) article:

What was this guy’s condition? Had he been smoking, had he been drinking, or do you know?

He was really straight, he was really . . . Feeling really weird about being pushed around and stuff, but he was really pretty straight.

When the cat started grabbing him, what did he say? What did this black guy say?

He just gave him a weird look, kind of a mean look, and yanked away. He didn’t give him any verbal provocation or anything. So they’re chasing through the crowd. And they hitting him and one Hell’s Angel pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the back.

Somewhat wildly different viewpoints. The Rolling Stone article is a good read, as it is an interview with an eyewitness.

There's a lot more to the Stone's bio than that, but I'm just trying to give a high level overview here. They've toured and endured for 50+ years, and are still selling out stadiums.

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The Imitators

Here is a partial list of British groups imitating The Beatles or the Stones in the 1960s, helping add to the British Invasion. To be added to by Music 115 students:

• House of the Rising Sun - The Animals (1964) - this became the first #1 US hit in the British Invasion by somebody other than the Beatles.