A possible history of pop ... DAVID JOHNSTON To musicians and music-lovers, everywhere, and forever. A possible history of pop… DAVID JOHNSTON Copyright © 2020 David Johnston. All rights reserved. First published in 2020. ISBN 978-1-64999-623-7 This format is available for free, single-use digital transmission. Multiple copy prints, or publication for profit not authorised. Interested publishers can contact the author:
[email protected] Book and cover design, layout, typesetting and editing by the author. Body type set in Adobe Garamond 11/15; headers Futura Extra Bold, Bold and Book Cover inspired by the covers of the Beatles’ first and last recorded LPs, Please Please Me and Abbey Road. CONTENTS PROLOGUE 1 I BEFORE THE BEATLES 1 GALAXIES OF STARS 5 2 POP BEGINNINGS 7 3 THE BIRTH OF ROCK’N’ROLL 9 4 NOT ONLY ROCK’N’ROLL 13 5 THE DEATH OF ROCK’N’ROLL AND THE RISE OF THE TEENAGE IDOLS 18 6 SKIFFLE – AND THE BRITISH TEENAGE IDOLS 20 7 SOME MARK TIME, OTHERS MAKE THEIR MARK 26 II WITHOUT THE BEATLES A hypothetical 8 SCOUSER STARTERS 37 9 SCOUSER STAYERS 48 10 MANCUNIANS AND BRUMMIES 64 11 THAMESBEAT 76 12 BACK IN THE USA 86 13 BLACK IN THE USA 103 14 FOLK ON THE MOVE 113 15 BLUES FROM THE DEEP SOUTH OF ENGLAND (& OTHER PARTS) 130 III AFTER THE BEATLES 16 FROM POP STARS TO ROCK GODS: A NEW REALITY 159 17 DERIVATIVES AND ALTERNATIVES 163 18 EX-BEATLES 190 19 NEXT BEATLES 195 20 THE NEVER-ENDING END 201 APPENDIX 210 SOURCES 212 SONGS AND OTHER MUSIC 216 INDEX 221 “We were just a band who made it very, very big.