THE SECOND GENERATION-THE EARLY 1960’S, MOTOWN, SOUL MUSIC

LESSON 3
THE SECOND GENERATION-THE EARLY 1960’S, MOTOWN, SOUL MUSIC
Reading: Rock and Roll: A Social History Chapters 6, 12, and 13
LESSON 3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Define and be able to recognize the Motown Sound music through the chapter readings and in the songs included in the
Listening Selections for this lesson.
• Define and be able to recognize Soul Music through the chapter readings and in the songs included in the Listening
Selections for this lesson.
• To become familiar with, recognize, and apply specific music characteristic terms to describe the music of The Supremes,
The Ronettes, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Booker T. and the MG’s.
• To recognize the characteristics of Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”
• To become familiar with, recognize, and apply specific music characteristic terms to describe the music you listen to in this
lesson.
Students are encouraged to repeat the listening examples (located in the Listening Links for Lesson 3) as necessary. It would be
counterproductive to listen to this great music only once.
LESSON 3 QUESTIONS
1. Complete the following sentence from Friedlander, “The years between 1959 and 1963 were . . . .”
2. According to Friedlander, what were some of the reasons that “hastened the demise of fifties rock”?
3. Describe the music of the so-called “teen idols”. Name two of these artists. What image did they present to the public? In what
ways were they different from the classic rockers of the fifties?
4. Name the host of the popular ABC Television network weekday afternoon show, American Bandstand.
5. What is payola?
6. In what way did music of the sanctified church influence the music of Ray Charles? To help you with your response, listen to Ray’s
cover of Hank Snow’s country song, “I’m Movin’ On”, and the cover of the Walter Davis composition, “Come Back Baby”.
“I’m Movin’ On”
“Come Back Baby”
7. In the early years of the 20th century, many music publishers located in an area of New York City that became known as Tin Pan
Alley. In the late fifties and early sixties, popular music composers also seemed to be centered in office buildings within a few blocks
of each other in the city of New York. Name the streets, the office buildings, and companies involved in this modern era “Tin Pan
Alley”.
8. In 1961, Ben E. King was playing with the words to an old spiritual called Lord, Stand By Me. His placement of secular lyrics into
the spiritual created the pop classic, Stand By Me-a song that is considered to be one of the earliest examples of what would
become known as Soul Music. Listen to the recording of Stand By Me, by Ben E. King. List some of the characteristics you notice in
the song. Do you hear any influence from the church or the blues? If so, what?
“Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
9. Listen to the recorded selections by James Brown. As you listen to the amazing sounds of James Brown, list any of the unique
characteristics (as detailed in Friedlander) you happen to hear in his music. Also, check out the video of James below performing
“Sex Machine” from 1971.
“Sex Machine” – James Brown 1971
10. Briefly compare and contrast the careers and music of Ray Charles and James Brown.
11. Briefly describe the life and business philosophy of Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.. What city was Motown based in?
12. What was the name of the excellent Motown House Band that featured the great James Jamerson on Bass? Name two songs
composed by Smokey Robinson. Name two songs composed by the song writing team of Holland, Dozier, & Holland (HDH).
Listening to the following songs will help you with your responses:
a) My Guy – Mary Wells
b) Heat Wave – Martha and the Vandellas
c) For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
d) Where Did Our Love Go? – The Supremes
e) My Girl – The Temptations
f) Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – The Temptations