British rock

British rock was born out of the influence of rock and roll and rhythm and blues from the United States, but added a new drive and urgency, exporting the music back and widening the audience for black R & B in the U.S. as well as spreading the gospel world wide. Much of what has made rock music unique, in its ability to unite audiences and adapt new influences, came from British bands in the late 50s and rock groups in the early 60s.

1960s rockers and rock groups

Rock & Roll faded as Cliff, the Shads and the others followed Elvis into lightweight pop and schmaltzy ballads, but rock groups were stirring at a basement club level. With their 1960 hit "Shakin' all over" Johnny Kidd and the Pirates introduced a harder beat for motorbike rockers and the song was soon being played by amateur groups at dances all round the UK along with R & B from the likes of Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker and invariably Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". London's blues clubs featured Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated which attracted the young trad jazz clarinettist Brian Jones to sit in and decide he too wanted a blues band. Separately, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards joined in for sets along with Korner's drummer Charlie Watts, starting with Berry's "Around and Around". A group developed, taking their name from a Muddy Waters song, and the Rolling Stones formed on 12 July 1962.

Related Topics:
Rock group - Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Jimmy Reed - John Lee Hooker - Chuck Berry - Alexis Korner - Brian Jones - Mick Jagger - Keith Richards - Charlie Watts - Muddy Waters - Rolling Stones - 12 July - 1962

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In 1962 the growing "Beat group" boom surfaced with the signing of Liverpool groups including Brian Poole and the Tremeloes whose hit with their cover of "Do You Love Me" (now that I can dance?) caught the mood: "I can mashed potato, I can do the twist, tell me baby, do you like it like this?" The Beatles were an established Liverpool group, and on 5 October 1962 their first single "Love Me Do" came out. Already this new sound stood out. The beat got harder and the music more inventive with the Beatle's songwriting talents pulling them away from the pack. British rock had established its distinctive identity. The Rolling Stones got their first hit in June 1963 with a high-charged version of Berry's "Come On". Later, The Animals added their blues-rock version of "the House of the Rising Sun". The Who with "My Generation" and the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" kept up the rush while adding a new Mod style. Songs then became more lyrical and ingenious while retaining the distinctive driving rhythm, outright blues were issued with a hard beat instead of the bounce of the originals. This new and developing pop sound drew international interest.

Related Topics:
Liverpool - Brian Poole and the Tremeloes - Do You Love Me - The Beatles - 5 October - 1962 - Love Me Do - The Animals - Blues-rock - The House of the Rising Sun - The Who - My Generation - The Kinks - You Really Got Me - Mod

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The British Invasion (1964–1969)

Main article: British Invasion

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The Beatles brought together a near-perfect mix of image, songwriting, and personality. After their initial UK success they were signed in the US and launched a large-scale stateside tour to ecstatic reaction, a phenomenon quickly dubbed Beatlemania. Although they were not the first British band to come to America, they spearheaded the Invasion, triumphing in the U.S. on their first visit in 1964 (including historic appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show). In the wake of Beatlemania other British bands headed to the U.S., notably The Rolling Stones, who disdained the Beatles' clean-cut image and presented a darker, more aggressive image, The Animals and The Yardbirds. Throughout the early and mid-'60s Americans seemed to have an insatialble appetite for British rock; one of the groups who made a greater mark in the USA than on the UK was Herman's Hermits. Other British bands, including The Who and The Kinks, would have some success during this period but saved their peak of popularity for the second wave of British invasion in the late 1960s.

Related Topics:
The Beatles - Beatlemania - 1964 - Ed Sullivan - The Rolling Stones - The Animals - The Yardbirds - Herman's Hermits - The Who - The Kinks

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To Americans, the British Invasion was when British rock music started. To listeners in the UK and elsewhere, there was no invasion, for these groups as well as many who never gained worldwide recognition had been around since the end of the 50s.

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Blues-rock

Main article: Blues-rock

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The electric blues scene prospered, with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers acting as a breeding ground for new talent.

Related Topics:
John Mayall - Bluesbreakers

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Canterbury

Main article: Canterbury Sound

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Psychedelic rock

Main article: Psychedelic rock

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Druggy references increased in 1966 with Donovan's "Sunshine Superman", Manfred Mann's version of Bob Dylan's "Mighty Quinn" promised snow and the Smoke's "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps" added an acid touch. The Pink Floyd and the Soft Machine took things much fuurther. "The Who sell out" included their psychedelic single "I can see for miles" but the jokey commercialism of the album missed the mood. People were wondering if the Beatles had fallen behind when "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" blasted them to the forefront again.

Related Topics:
Donovan - Sunshine Superman - Manfred Mann - Bob Dylan - The Smoke - Pink Floyd - Soft Machine - The Beatles - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

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Progressive rock

Main article: Progressive rock

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Heavy metal

Main article: Heavy metal music

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An early reference to this genre came when psychedelic poster design artists Hapdash and the Coloured Coat produced an album starring themselves, "the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids".

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Folk-rock

Main article: Folk-rock

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