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OLLI CAL, 2020 fall online syllabus Instructor: Pete Elman Course Title: "It's All About the " Sub-title: "The Mount Olympus of American pop-rock "

Course description : The essence of popular music is the song; whether it is folk, pop, rock, R&B, soul or country, the song is the core of the popular record. This course examines the lives and work of eight great /artists of the golden era of . We will study the contributions of , , the team of and , , the duo of and Cynthia Weill, , and . Through the use of audio, video, stories and live in-class music, we will at, listen to and break down the musical and lyrical components of by these composers, in order to better understand and appreciate the artistry, insight and social context these songwriters brought to popular music.

Class description: The course will be broken up chronologically, focusing on one songwriter each week. Each session will include: --A thorough, background lecture about each composer, including the musical style most associated with them and stories, sometimes primary source. --A slide show with photographs, charts, maps and information on each composer. --In depth analysis of select lyrics from songs by each songwriter --Audio CD versions of songs --select video clips culled from film documentaries of each songwriter and other artists who performed their songs --live musical, examples of chords, rhythms, instrumentation, styles, etc…played on , organ, (strings, horns, bells) guitar, bass and vocals by instructor during class.

COURSE OUTLINE Week 1: Chuck Berry. He was rock & roll's first singer-songwriter, and the music's first guitar hero, as well. "If you gave rock & roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." () “His songs were concise and mythic, celebrating uniquely American freedoms or protesting their denial.” () Week 2: Buddy Holly. Chuck Berry wrote about teenage America. Buddy Holly, the other great rock & roll singer-songwriter of the Fifties, embodied it. Holly was one of the first rock & roll singers to write his own material, exerting a huge influence on and Rolling Stones, among countless others. Week 3: Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Goffin and King were pop's most prolific songwriting partnership –and, even more impressively, they kept their winning streaks going even after their marriage split up. With King handling melodies and Goffin the lyrics, they wrote many of ’s most evocative songs, tender snapshots of the adolescent experience. "When Paul and I first got together, we wanted to be the British Goffin and King," (John Lennon) Week 4: Brian Wilson. The Beach Boy’s musical director wrote gloriously ecstatic anthems, rock & roll's greatest odes to idyllic summertime freedom. But he also penned darkly introspective masterpieces as well as groundbreaking symphonic masterpieces. His continued resilience in the face of tremendous challenges has been an inspiration. Week 5: Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill. The legendary duo—and best friends of Carole King and Gerry Goffin—brought pop dreams to life with such 1960’s masterpieces as: Blame It on the Bossa Nova, On Broadway, Walking in The Rain, Saturday Night at the Movies, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', You're My Soul and Inspiration, Kicks, Hungry and We Gotta Get Out of this Place, and continued their streak of hits well beyond. Week 6: Paul Simon. The quintessential singer-songwriter, he switched between styles effortlessly with as much attention to rhythm as melody and lyrics. Over the decades, his music incorporated Tin Pan Alley, world music, acoustic reveries, gospel, R&B and electronic music, all without diluting his core appeal as an eloquent chronicler of everyday alienation. Week 7: Jackson Browne. The quintessential California singer-songwriter, don’t let his laid- back persona fool you: beneath those good looks lies a brilliant, incisive, talented singer- songwriter whose tales of love, coming of age and society are ennobling, inspiring, and—catchy. Week 8: Joni Mitchell. Never a pure folkie, she started out banging on her acoustic guitar in innovative ways and tunings, moved to writing sophisticated melodies at the piano, all the while unfurling starkly personal lyrics that pushed beyond traditional songwriting towards intimacy and rawness. Mitchell's run of in the early 1970's, on which she perfected a jazzy form of pop, rival critically any streak of record-making in pop history, and her lyrical depictions of being a strong woman offered a unique look at the era.

Under each week you will see the following different listings: suggested reading, listening, and viewing: --Nothing is required here; rather, these are just recommended books, articles, albums and films/TV shows that will give the students an excellent snapshot into the brilliance and deep catalog of each of these songwriters. audio playlist: --Every song that is played during each class is listed here, so you can use them as reference video clips (): --Also, all video clips from each class are listed her as youtube clips. Simply click on each url to access the video. This way you can find them easily, and watch them at your leisure, repeatedly.

Week 1: Chuck Berry Reading: Chuck Berry: the Autobiography (2001) : The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry, by Bruce Pegg, Listening: The Great Twenty-Eight, Chuck Berry, (Chess, 1982) Chuck Berry Is On Top (Chess, 1959) St. Louis to Liverpool (Chess, 1964) Viewing: The Tami Show (1964) Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ roll, Chuck Berry with Keith Richard, (1987) audio playlist: Nadine Maybelline Brown Eyed Handsome Man School Days Reelin and a rockin’ Johnny B. Goode Carol Memphis No Particular Place to Go You Never Can tell Promised Land video clips (youtube) You can’t catch me, 1956, from the film “rock, rock, rock” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jKrHzps0XM , 1958 from Bandstand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E , the Stones, 1964 the TAMI show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUbWAzQszNY back in the USA, with , from Hail Hail Rock and Roll, 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVLy-ltjHs

Week 2: Buddy Holly Reading: Remembering Buddy: The Definitive Biography Of Buddy Holly (2001), John Goldrosen : The Last Tour Of Buddy Holly, , And Richie Valens 2003 by Larry Lehmer Listening: 20 Golden Greats, Buddy Holly and (EMI, 1978) 2009 (Decca, Geffen) Viewing: , dir. by Steve Rash (1978) audio playlist: That’ll be the Day Everyday Not Fade Away Oh Boy It’s so easy Well all right Heartbeat It Doesn’t Matter anymore Crying, Waiting, Hoping Paul McCartney—Words of Love Maybe Baby Love’s Made a Fool of You video clips (youtube) Peggy Sue, from Arthur Murray Dance Party, 1957 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiIMuOKIzY not fade away, Mike Douglas, 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZSOXZcQfQ oh boy, from Show, 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j53OPR-cuYY words of love, Paul McCartney 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJHS7Y8LlA

Week 3: Carole King and Gerry Goffin Reading: Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era, Emerson A Natural Woman: A Memoir: Carole King (2012) Listening: Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King, by Carole King 1980 Tapestry, 1970 by Carole king Viewing: About Carole King: Natural Woman; American masters, PBS (2016) Troubadours: Carole King / & The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter: PBS audio playlist: Will you still love me tomorrow Take good care of my baby It might as well rain until September Locomotion Chains I’m into something good Up on the roof I wasn’t born to follow Don’t bring me down I feel the earth move Tapestry So Far Away You’ve got a Friend Natural Woman video clips (youtube) I’m into something good, Herman’s hermits, 1965 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydfG6t6VL8s wasn’t born to follow, Byrds, from 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hEfcawx6Fc you’ve got a friend, James Taylor 1999 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WJ1cf3nrLE Natural Woman, , 2015 Kennedy Center awards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsnZT7Z2yQ

Week 4: Brian Wilson Reading: : The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Brian Wilson by Peter Ames Carlin 2006 The Nearest Faraway Place, Timothy White, 1996 Listening: Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) , (Capitol, 1965) , The Beach Boys (1966) Viewing: The TAMI show, 1964 (feature film, 2014) audio playlist: Surfin’ Safari Fun, fun, fun Don’t Worry baby Do you wanna dance Help me Rhonda Wouldn’t it be nice . Oh Caroline No video clips (youtube) I get around TAMI show, 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDIBMaCTwFw surfer girl TAMI show, 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL25lgUvPgs The making of good vibrations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVlSVkzbJDA Pet Stories, from The making of Pet Sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0vAL8dHBxA

Week 5: Barry Mann and Reading: Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era, Emerson Listening: Born to Be Together: The Songs of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil Viewing: “The Brill Building, a Documentary” 1999 audio playlist: (with artists listed) Who put the bomp, Barry Mann Uptown, Crystals Blame It on the Bossa Nova, Eydie Gorme Only in America, Walkin’ in the Rain, Ronettes On Broadway, Drifters Saturday night at the movies, Drifters Lovin’ Feelin’—Righteous Brothers Soul and Inspiration—Righteous Brothers We Gotta Get out of This Place, Kicks, Paul Revere and the Raiders Hungry, Paul Revere and the Raiders Just a little lovin’, Here you come again, Sometimes when we touch, He’s so shy, Pointer sisters Just Once, Somewhere out there, James Ingram and Linda Ronstadt Don’t know much, and Linda Ronstadt video clips (youtube) Barry and Cynthia on Theater talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmkYjn3DPh8 Animals, We Gotta get out of this place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3mgapAcVdU Barry and Cynthia on songwriting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-9Q1ECAY4

Week 6: Paul Simon: Reading: Simon and Garfunkel: The Biography by Victoria Kingston Listening: Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964) (1966) Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)

Bookends(1968) Bridge over Troubled Water (1970) Graceland 1986

There Goes Rhymin' Simon, 1973 Still Crazy after all These Years 1975 Graceland 1986 Viewing: Rock Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert, 2009 Concert in Central Park, DVD, 1982 audio playlist: Red , () Mrs. Robinson Sounds of Silence Leaves that are Green Homeward Bound Hazy shade of winter Bridge over troubled water Me and Julio down by the schoolyard Kodachrome Still crazy after all these years Graceland Diamonds on the soles of her shoes video clips (youtube) Homeward Bound, from BBC 1975 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yspg1R6pSaI Me and julio official 1982 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6VrKro8djw diamonds on the soles of my shoes, with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A

Week 7: Jackson Browne Reading: Jackson Browne: The Story of a Paperback – 1982, by Rich Wiseman Listening: The Very Best of Jackson Browne Viewing: Jcskiosn Browne, Going Home, 1994 audio playlist: These Days Doctor my eyes say you will Before the Deluge For a dancer Load out/Stay Pretender Running on Empty Somebody’s Baby I’m Alive The Barricades of Heaven video clips (youtube) Before the Deluge 2006 witrh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8y45mAGJRA The Load-out and Stay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsJZ67ssDY The Pretender, with Crosby and Nash, from the Rock hall 25 anniversary concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV03illYdTM Running on Empty, from No Nukes 1979 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNmIbSre7Tw

Week 8: Joni Mitchell: Reading: Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words, by Malka Marom (2014) Listening: Clouds (1969) Ladies of the Canyon (1970) Blue (1971) (1972) (1974) The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) Viewing: , 1977 “Coyote” with 1991 Joni Mitchell VH1 interview audio playlist: Both sides now Born to take the highway Circle Game Woodstock Urge for going Carey California You turn me on I’m a radio Help me Cherokee Louise Coyote video clips (youtube) I was born to take the highway 1965 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUNrZFreRx4 Chelsea Morning from Dick Cavett show, 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXe95iTtci0 Big yellow taxi, Both Sides Now, from BBC 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFB-d-8_bvY