Golden Age of Music

[ColinEssex]

I've noticed that several members here are basically of the mature variety. That means they lived through the 60's and 70's - some say the golden age of pop music.

I was listening to the radio station "Gold" today and they played a series of American artists and bands from that era.

I was wondering what you all thought were the great groups and artists of that era- particularly American ones.

To my mind, Connie Francis, The Ronnettes and The Supremes should feature - what was / is your favourites?

Col

 

[Galaxiom]

70s pop. The Carpenters. Karen had one of the great voices of all time. So rich and mellow.

I am not so much into their music per se but I sing some of their songs anyway just to get the feel of what she does.

 

[stopher]

Cricky, a lot to consider but off the top of my head (some obvious American ones)...

Since my dad had lots of LPs I grew up listening to and enjoying: Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride

Also like the soul/blues/jazz stuff so: Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Arethra Franklin, Luther, Whitney (the list is endless)

Rock/Pop: The Beach Boys, Boney M, The Eagles, Earth, Wind and Fire, Meat Loaf, Simon & Garfunkel

Non-American: Bee Gees, Moody Blues

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

Cricky, a lot to consider but off the top of my head (some obvious American ones)...

Since my dad had lots of LPs I grew up listening to and enjoying: Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride

Also like the soul/blues/jazz stuff so: Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Arethra Franklin, Luther, Whitney (the list is endless)

Rock/Pop: The Beach Boys, Boney M, The Eagles, Earth, Wind and Fire, Meat Loaf, Simon & Garfunkel

Non-American: Bee Gees, Moody Blues

Boney M?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boney_M.

 

[watfordkev]

Ages ago a good friend said to me "music's infinite" - a little phrase I not only believe in but trot out at every available opportunity. I'm also a child of the 1960's and 1970's - the emotional and nostalgic attachment to those sounds is compelling for me. And on a weekly basis a trawl through BBC radio, the occasional album review, etc. continues to unearth treasures new and old.

 

[joe55555]

i'm still in my twenties, but 60's, 70's and 80's are my favorite music.

i rarely listen to nowadays stuff, i guess it's not about music now it's just the stupid bit or whatever they like to hear people !!!

smoothness, softness, reality and soul can be felt in old music...

wish i could be living the past 40 - 30 years !!!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s - which included rockabilly, early rock-n-roll, and more than a few interesting titles and names. I played music in the New Orleans French Quarter to work my way through college. (I was the band's organist.) We did a lot of what we called "the British Invasion" - referring of course to various UK groups. Obviously, the Rolling Stones and Petula Clark and the Who, plus a few others.

If I wanted to limit myself to what I thought were good USA groups?

Chicago was later than that era, but they were really good musicians for the most part.

There was no voice more angelically pure than the late Karen Carpenter, though I must add that later on, Mama Cass Elliot had similar if not identical vocal purity.

As to vocal groups, I found the Four Tops to have lots of ability that could go either way - into luscious ballads or really funky bluesy styles. I also appreciated the Fifth Dimension, mostly due to the vocal talents of Marilyn McCoo.

When I was in the mood for it, I found some of Tony Bennett's work to be excellent, as well as that of Billy Joel, though Billy was from a later time than my youth. I liked Dionne Warwicke, too. (In Dionne's case, it didn't hurt for her to be chosen for some of the better early works of Burt Bacharach.)

It was schlockey but fun to listen to some of the pop music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. I also found myself strangely drawn to the Amboy Dukes, though they split up too soon. They had great talents including Ted Nugent on lead guitar. It is not relevant to his music that Ted later became a political air-head.

I have to admit to a guilty pleasure that was specific to my own talents and interests. I very much enjoyed some of the work of the late Earl Grant, a master of the Hammond B3 organ. Didn't care so much for Jimmy Smith, another B3 artist, because I felt he over-emphasized pyrotechic musical styles ... all flash and no substance.

I also should add that in retrospect, my tastes have changed somewhat. I now more deeply appreciate groups such as Booker T and the MGs, particularly with the advent of some of the tripe that kids today play at ear-splitting volume levels that are totally devoid of any content other than rhythm and a "patter" of some sort.

Just to clarify my tastes so that you can catch my perspectives - the only three types of music I don't let into the house are the super-angry "gangsta" rap, the howling-dog country lament, and the extreme super-heavy-metal rock that can shatter eardrums and eyeglasses with its intense frequencies.

 

[Vassago]

...and the extreme super-heavy-metal rock that can shatter eardrums and eyeglasses with its intense frequencies.

Then you are missing out!