Every musical decade has a transition period.
The musical Fifties didn’t end on New Years Eve 1959, and the musical Sixties didn’t start on New Years Day 1960.
Personally, when I think of the Fifties, it’s Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly but not Cliff Richard, even though he was around back then having hit singles
When I think of the Sixties it’s the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Stones, the Beach Boys, The Who, Herman’s Hermits, Procal Harem and loads more but not Led Zeppelin, even though they had their first two albums released in that decade, Not Pink Floyd who released four albums before the official close of the decade, and still not Cliff Richard either (sorry Cliff).
For me, looking back to the past before me, the feeling I get is the end of the fifties and the beginning of the sixties happened with the rise of, not just the Beatles, but the whole wave of the Merseybeat scene at the end of ‘62 / beginning of ‘63. The beginning of the Seventies around the time of ‘68 and the birth of Led Zeppelin.
There’s always a transition.
Saying that, and looking (and zooming right in and listening to the chart by the time I turn up in 1972, everyone is only just getting over the Sixties.
But what a decade to be trying to get over.
The explosion of, not just music, but fashion, social attitudes, sex, well everything really. It’s when the western world went truly Technicolor in every single way.
By the time I arrived, two years into a new decade, the transition was almost complete…
…with the last lingering remnants of past Sixties glories and whispers of fresh new Seventies soundscapes.
The Beatles had officially split less than 2 years before (they’d actually split around 2 1/2 years before) and the four members were all definitely trying to move musically forward (or in Ringo’s case backward) to distance themselves from the past and look at the future.
Listening back to the music of that time it seems to me that it was like getting over a musical and cultural hangover.
Stumbling around trying to find their feet again.
And, looking past the trends like the Glam Rock takeover, the Osmond’s rise to prominence and the breakthrough of the Bay City Rollers, the undercurrent was spiritual.
The Age of Aquarius, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, all of these were gaining attention.
Even “I Am The Lord Of The Dance Said He” made an appearance.
A load of kids standing on a mountain, who want to make peace with the world and buy them a Coke while their at it (it’s the real thing don’t you know).
To my retrospective brain, it seems that everyone was completely lost .
It would take just a little longer before definite signs of musical change would emerge.
But the signs were there of things to come.
Reggae was having a bit of a moment which would eventually get picked up by the like of established artists such as McCartney and Clapton.
Glam rock acts such as the Sweet would hint at Heavier rock on the horizon.
Led Zeppelin had already opened the door to Heavy Metal and Blues.
For albums, there were certain artists and bands who were pushing the boundaries in adaptation, length, and performance, so that rock music could progress through different perceptions. Much later this would of course be labelled Progressive (or Prog) Rock.
Soul and Funk would morph into the early Disco wave before another Sixties hit band the Bee Gees would turn that wave tidal.
The one thing all these different sounds had in common was that they had a past you could trace quite easily.
But one that took everyone by surprise was Punk, although if you look back for it, it was there.
Punk was the hardest hitting and therefore became the biggest shock which changed everything…
…just as the psychedelic Sixties had done almost exactly 10 years before in 1966.
From the repercussions of the mid seventies, the Reggae sounds would combine and we’d get Ska.
Heavy Rock would blur with Power Rock.
Punk would team up with New Wave.
And as the Disco Ball slowly began to show signs of disintegration as it seared through the late Seventies, chunks would break off and fly into other orbs such as electronic sounds and, pairing with New Wave, New Romantics would appear.
It would end up like a pinball machine, hitting all sorts or other musical genres , including Punk itself, to make something new.
Yes, what the first half of my musical first ten years lacked, it soon made up for in the second half.
But don’t take my word for it, come and hear for yourself.
Grab Your Binoculars, Come Follow Me
What is it…?
Why am I…?
How do I…?
