British Invasion - Was it Hype? Part 1

winston · Post by **winston** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:41 am

Packaged Groups could also arguably include Cream. The hype around them being a so called "supergroup" right out of the gate was unbelievably intense and yet they did not immediately produce "chart" success. No one can dispute their talent either, especially if you fast forward to today, given the benefit of time to assess how good they really were together.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:48 am

Well, if you put a band together, you've already 'packaged' yourselves...then it comes down to a choice: paper or plastic?

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:59 am

Today, packaged is step one to success.
Every band has an image, a look.
Look at Metal. The imagery and song subjects are predictable (and laughable to me), but that's almost a pre requisite. Same with every new band that breaks, they've got their schtick down.

Believe me, you don't have an instantly identifiable (read easy to label) sound and image today, the majors and the public won't know what to do with you for the most part. How many new bands put a CD together like (I hate to bring 'em up) the fabs, where you'd have rockers and pop songs and country songs and ballads all on one record? That's a marketing team's nightmare today!

As for lightweights of the past falling by the wayside, many of them are probably earning more now in the nostalgia markets than they ever did under their heyday contracts.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:20 am

So, for those of us who were present at the time of the British Invasion, have we perhaps romanticised it to the point where it is larger than life today.

Was this "special time" merely a "Backstreet Boys' event" of yesteryear or was it a musical Renaissance that emerged from Rock and Roll?

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:34 am

I'd suggest not a "Backstreet boys event", because, "practically speaking", my daughter doesn't know who are backstreet boys, and as far as myself is concerned, i can hardly remember who they were. Does anybody remember the name of the guys who sang "Macarena"? Well, maybe in 20 years from now those "boy bands" of today will be earning megabuck as "nostalgia acts" - personally, i doubt it, but who knows?..

winston · Post by **winston** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:36 am

Peter,

In my view it was a major event. We went from acts like Frank Sinatra, Perry Como to Bill Haley and the Comets to Elvis in the US and from Frank Ifield to Tommy Steele to Lonnie Donegan to Cliff Richard to The Beatles in the UK. All in the blink of an eye.

That was a period in time when what was "in" was redefined by something entirely new and fresh. We've talked about this before but the music presented by the Beatles was stripped down and driven by great vocals and a tight four piece band. The end result of that approach was very exiting. I cannot imagine that ever happening again. Never say never though!

"Was this "special time" merely a "Backstreet Boys' event" of yesteryear or was it a Renaissance that emerged from Rock and Roll?"

It was a Renaissance IMO.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:52 am

It was the music of the time. Our music for our generation, nothing more, nothing less. Better than previous or present generations and their music? To us, probably so. Music is as much a sound as it is a time and place, an age and a memory.
A Renaissance? I don't know, but it was certainly an evolution.
I surely believe it was a special time. It was my time, my peers time.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:12 am

Thanks to all for the input and I agree Stan,a special time, that's why forums like this exist I suppose, but I feel we have gone off in a different direction to what I intended.

For a brief moment I thought we were discussing the merits of McDonalds v Burger King.

The purpose of the exercise was to see if anyone's perceptions were as they remembered them, we all know The Beatles were huge but did we really appreciate how much impact Herman's Hermits or DC5 had in US.

Peter did in fairness pick this up, but were there any real surprises in this list 42 years on,how were Searchers perceived say , was Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders perceived as a one hit wonder, apart from his two top 20 hits did any of you guys/gals remember any more by Freddie and the Dreamers.

Billy J Kramer had very few hits in US, in fact he did not have that many in UK , yet he lives and works in States on strength I assume of those hits, he wasn't a album seller, in fact he only released one official album in UK, rest were compilations.

Yes acts were packaged, a lot of these acts were packaged as Merseybeat.

Some say the charts don't tell the real story perhaps they don't fully I accept, but the reason certainly in UK, that sixties acts still fill venues on package tour type things is because of their chart hits legacy.

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:28 am

That's a bit unfair, Stan. My Dad's 59 and it's his music. I'm 31 years & coupla months younger and it's my music, too! I was listening to those "old tapes" as a kid, so hope i also have a right to say it's mine, too?

did any of you guys/gals remember any more by Freddie and the Dreamers

A little you
A love like you
Come back when you're ready
I just don't understand
I'm telling you now
I understand
I will
I wonder who the lucky guy will be
I'm a hog for you
In my baby's arms
Kansas city
Money
Send a letter to me
Silly girl
Things I'd like to say
What have i done to you
You were made for me
Zip a dee doo dah
Okay, i guess somebody here knows where did i get this list from...

(McDonald's is a no-no... ehm. Sorry, couldn't resist.

)

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:49 am

Roy: This thread has been great in that it has revealed how people look at music differently.

The surprise in all of this for me is the considerable importance of this music for me, and seemingly others after many decades.

The British Invasion has become part of who we are and how we think about many things, not just music. I have learned more about Liverpool in studying the music that was played there, than I have from any history book.

The passion shines through when it comes to our love of music. It was most interesting to see who joined in, even some who do not post here that often.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:55 am

It's not unfair. It's an opinion. I know folks in their twenties who prefer " Big Band" music, but it doesn't mean it is representative of their generation. I'm glad you like it, Sheena, you should have been there. Of course, as Wavy Gravy said of the '60's, " If you remember it, then you weren't there." Or some such parable.

winston · Post by **winston** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:03 am

I was there and apart from my faulty memory, I remember it well. It was a great era. Especially if you were a competent musician.

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:28 am

I was just joking, Stan. That was said just in order to show that this music lives in "younger" generations as well, and i'm not so sure music of today will live in generations who come after. I've never met anybody from my "generation" in my country (b. 1970 to 1982) who doesn't know at least a coupla Beatles songs. I'd suggest, your "beat generation" and my "beat generation" may have something in common?

Back to the topic, however - not to offend anybody, but Mark Twayne said something like (sorry if i quoted wrong - i'm making "back translation"): "There are three kinds of lie: lie, imprudent lie, and statistics". Time sometimes plays tricks, and those who were on top may find themselves in the "basement" years later, and then, in some years, "he who gets hurt will be he who is strong". Hard to predict.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:53 am

"Especially if you were a competent musician."

I was incompetent Brian but still enjoyed it!!!

winston · Post by **winston** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:04 am

Well Roy, if we could somehow join your great memory up with my ability to play guitar we would do well on the circuit today. But alas we both seem to have something lacking. Now how does that song I was trying to remember go again and was I going up the stairs or down the stairs? Oh well tomorrow is another day.