30 Jun 2026

June 2026 – A Year of Notable Anniversaries

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Event, History, Introduction, News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

TO QUOTE THE VENERABLE BARD, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more”. Yup. The breach, dear friends, at least in aphorism, is your June 2026 article from CRAVE Guitars. Let’s hope the figurative wall is not “closed up with English dead”, as in the famous discourse written by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564‑1616) in Henry V, Act III, Scene I (NB. Based on the exploits of English King Henry V (1386‑1422)). Less blood and guts and more vintage guitars lies herein. I think that you might well be relieved about that. This isn’t 1599 after all; we are now in the second half of 2026 and it is officially summertime in the UK. Yay! For everyone suffering excessive heat waves this year, take care.

In the 21^st Century, we should be more civilised than in the 15^th and 16^th Centuries. Sadly, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Have we learned nothing since the combative reign of Henry V over 600 years ago? For all those who are complacently complicit by saying nothing and doing nothing to eradicate the indefensible concepts of warfare and injustice in 2026, don’t take my word for it, take a moment to ponder on the words of someone with far more moral integrity than I can muster…

“We’re all going to have to learn to live together and develop a greater tolerance and get rid of whatever our fathers gave us in the way of hatred between nations” – Joe Strummer (1952-2002)

This Month at CRAVE Guitars…

On a more everyday front… Back in July 2024, CRAVE Guitars published an article celebrating ‘The Fender Stratocaster at 70 and Counting: An Alternative Perspective’. This month’s shorter article serves as a timely companion piece to that one. If you wish to (re‑)view the Strat article, follow the link below (opens in a new browser tab)…

July 2024 – The Fender Stratocaster at 70 and Counting: An Alternative Perspective

Yes, folks, here we are now in mid‑2026 and we’re celebrating a host of anniversaries this month, well five notable ones, actually, in descending order of longevity:

The United States of America – 250 Years (declared independent in 1776)
Fender – 80 Years (founded in 1946)
Fender Telecaster – 75 Years (introduced in 1951)
Fender Precision – 75 Years (introduced in 1951)
Music Man Stingray – 50 Years (introduced in 1976)

As usual, no AI was used in the research, writing or illustrating of this article (bar the seemingly now regular appearance of the Stone Age Rock God that is The CRAVEman, who has to be 100% AI generated). Quotes of wisdom this month are all about history. Quite a few images for you this month as well as few lists. Just trying to keep everyone happy.

“The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice” – Mark Twain (1835‑1910)

The Rationale for the Article

Nothing complicated this month. There are some notable anniversaries and this is an opportunity to explore each one, albeit briefly. This exercise is much shorter than the Stratocaster anniversary, due to other, competing priorities. The Stratocaster article also had a lot of contextual material that I really didn’t feel like reiterating here. I am sure that there are many other anniversaries occurring in 2026, many of which can be covered in passing. For now, these five will provide plenty to talk about.

Without further frivolous fanfare, let’s get into a fleeting celebration of these distinguished anniversaries, starting with the establishment of the UK’s former colony, and then some of the milestones in the guitar industry that wouldn’t have taken place if it wasn’t for the founding of the USA…

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history” – Aldous Huxley (1894‑1963)

The United States of America at 250 and Counting

The history of the United States isn’t really the focus of this article and has nothing to do with vintage guitars. However, without the birth and evolution of the USA and its territories, modern music and musical instrument history wouldn’t be what it is today. So… we’ll start big and then take a bit of a closer look at what came after. Apologies to the American audience for whom the first segment is arguably second nature.

“Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World” – Christopher Columbus (1451‑1506)

While there is increasing evidence that explorers had set foot on the North American continent over many centuries, European exploration of North America began seriously after Italian voyager Christopher Columbus (1451‑1506) discovered the Caribbean in 1492, followed by other expeditions from England, France and Spain. After the short‑lived Roanoke Colony in 1585, established by English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1553‑1618) in what is modern day North Carolina, English settlers established the first permanent settlement in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 and Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620, marking the beginning of permanent European settlements that would form the basis of the Thirteen Colonies in the east coast of what we now call America. The thirteen British colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America (Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North and South Carolinas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia), were established between 1607 and 1733 as part of the British Empire.

The name America may have several origins. Probably the most likely is that it derives from Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454‑1512) who believed the continent to be separate from Asia. America’s name first appeared on a German world map dating from 1507.

The formation of the United States resulted from growing political and economic tensions between the Thirteen Colonies and the British Monarchy. Key protests included taxation, trade and self-governance. These pressures escalated into armed conflict with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, when the union of Thirteen Colonies formed an army to fight the British and appointed George Washington (1732‑1799) as its commander.

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past” – Thomas Jefferson (1743‑1826)

On 2 July1776, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to declare the Thirteen Colonies to be independent from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence had been drafted by a committee including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman. The document set out the grievances of the Thirteen Colonies against King George III of England. On 4 July 1776, Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence and officially established the United States of America.

Following the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, with support from France, continued the American Revolutionary War (1775‑1783) against British forces. Following the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia in 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. In the Treaty of Paris (1783), Britain officially recognised the United States of America as an independent country. The US Constitution was adopted formally in 1788, which established the framework of the federal government. In 1791, the US Bill of Rights was passed, which protected individual liberties and limited the power of the government.

“Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all” – George Washington (1732‑1799)

Historically, 1776 has become widely regarded as the birth of the United States of America, founded on the principles of liberty, equality and rule of law. While independence was declared in 1776, the process to establish a stable federal government, with its fundamental structures and ideology took another 15 years. That foundation has evolved and continues to the current day, 250 years later. A 250^th anniversary is properly denoted as a ‘semiquincentennial’ (NB. half of a 500^th anniversary).

The familiar National Flag of the United States, the ‘Stars and Stripes’ or the ‘Star‑Spangled Banner’ was officially adopted in 1777. Over the years, the flag’s design has evolved with the modern version of the flag being formally adopted in 1960, following the inauguration of Hawaii as the 50^th US state. The 50 white stars on a blue field in the top left corner of the flag represent the current 50 states and the 13 horizontal red and white stripes represent the number of original founding colonies. There have been around 30 different versions of the flag over 250 years. Below are 4 incarnations of the flag (top-bottom: Continental Union 1775‑1777, Betsy Ross 1777, Star Spangled Banner 1777‑1795, Current 1960‑)

“The historian must not try to know what is truth, if he values his honesty; for if he cares for his truths, he is certain to falsify his facts” – Henry Adams (1838‑1918)

So, why make a thing about celebrating USA 250 in an article about (vintage) guitars? Well, without the federation of 50 states (as of 2026), there would not have been Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Martin, Taylor or many of the other world famous guitar brands founded in the USA. The United States provides the wider political, social, cultural, economic and technological context within which these companies were born, grew and prospered (on and off) to become the legendary icons that they are today. As the future of American guitar making is once again under significant threat, the USA still provides the operating environment within which these companies have to compete, not only with domestic but also imported international products. It isn’t European competitors that are the greatest threat to ‘Made in USA’ guitar gear in 2026. The most significant threat comes from China as well as other Pacific Rim countries that are providing viable alternatives to home grown products with aggressive marketing, build quality and pricing strategies.

“In history, there are no accidents. If something happens, be sure it was planned that way” – Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882‑1945)

Returning to the subject of vintage guitars, Gibson celebrated the 200^th anniversary of 1776 with a reissue of the offset ‘reverse’ bodied Gibson Firebird, called the Bicentennial, which was actually produced over a period between 1976 and 1978. CRAVE Guitars is fortunate enough to be the steward of a gorgeous black and gold 1976 Gibson Firebird Bicentennial with its unique commemorative red and blue ’76 Phoenix logo on the white scratchplate. Very cool.

Feature – 1976 Gibson Firebird Bicentennial

Happy 250^th Birthday United States of America on 4 July 2026. For “We the people” (NB. “We the people…” is the brief introductory statement of the American Constitution, setting out its fundamental purposes and guiding principles), it is a reminder that the celebration of USA 250 is about every one of the 338+ million American citizens, not just the president and his acolytes, the half‑dozen or so powerful, hyper‑wealthy elite. The guiding principle of America’s Founding Fathers was of a federal republic that is based on ethical egalitarianism and not egocentric plutocracy.

“All the power’s in the hands of people rich enough to buy it” – Joe Strummer (1952‑2002)

As a casual observer looking in from outside, something seems to have gone badly awry with the fundamental belief in the ideological values underpinning the United States of America (natural rights, limited government, republicanism, separation of powers, and checks & balances) and which (should) define the relationship between the government and the people. There is arguably an imperative to re‑establish the fundamental democratic and governance tenets of America supported since 1776. Such a re‑alignment would enhance The American government’s moral and ethical role both domestically and on the global stage in 2026 and beyond. Such a re‑alignment is arguably essential if the United States of America is to survive for another 250 years. One might ask oneself, “What does America stand for in 2026?” How about, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and “All men are created equal”? (NB. Both phrases taken directly from the US Declaration of Independence, 1776.) Hhmm. Sermon over.

“It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions” – Harvey Milk (1930‑1978)

Fender at 80 and Counting

There is SO much detailed information on the hinterwebby thingummy about the rise and rise, then fall, then rise again of Fender, such that there is little point in dissecting the story again, so here is a potted history of the brand, as covered on the CRAVE Guitars web site and that preceding Stratocaster anniversary article. There is an element of overlap and repetition in the various sources, so I’ve tried to distil some main points.

Clarence Leonidas ‘Leo’ Fender (1909‑1991), a qualified electronics technician, opened the Fender Radio Service in, Fullerton, California, USA in 1938. The business was established to repair radios, phonograph players, home audio amplifiers, PA systems and musical instrument amplifiers.

In 1943, Leo Fender joined forces with former Rickenbacker engineer and inventor of the Vibrola tailpiece, Clayton Orr ‘Doc’ Kauffman (1901‑1990) to create K&F Manufacturing Corporation to build lap steel guitars and amplifiers in California. By 1946, Kauffman and Fender had parted ways and the latter founded a new business in Fullerton to build guitars and amplifiers, initially called Fender Manufacturing and then changing the name to Fender Electric Instrument Company. The rest, they say, is history.

Known to most people simply as Fender, the company has become one of the most widely recognised manufacturers of electric guitars, basses and amplifiers in the world. Fender is particularly important to the music industry because of its ground breaking role in bringing solid‑body electric guitars to mass markets in the 1950s. The west coast revolutionaries were getting themselves noticed, challenging the dominance of east coast manufacturers like Gibson, Gretsch and Martin.

Fender announced the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar to the public in 1950, a model that would become the Telecaster as we know it today (see below). The enormously popular and revolutionary Stratocaster followed shortly after in 1954. Not sitting on its laurels, over the next decade and a bit, Fender introduced a quartet of upmarket offset guitars, the Fender Jazzmaster (1958), the Bass VI (1961), the Jaguar (1962) and the Electric XII (1966).

Fender also pioneered the large scale introduction and subsequent evolution of the electric solid‑body bass guitar. The innovative Precision bass first appeared in 1951 and the Jazz Bass followed in 1960. Fender also introduced the eccentric Bass V 5‑string bass in 1965.

“History books that contain no lies are extremely dull” – Anatole France (1844‑1924)

Once the classic Fender ‘pro’ range was established, Fender moved on to cater for beginners, by releasing four ‘student’ models, the Musicmaster (1955), Duo‑Sonic (1956), Mustang (1964) and Bronco (1967). These were later replaced by the budget Bullet series in 1981 and lasting only until 1983 before it was replaced by the low cost Squier models. The name ‘Bullet’ is still used by Fender for guitar strings.

For a while Fender toyed with the idea of semi‑acoustic electric guitars to compete with Gibson’s successful ‘ES’ (Electro‑Spanish) line of semis. Fender introduced the fully hollow Coronado (1966) and the semi‑hollow Starcaster (1975/1976). Neither model was particularly successful at the time and didn’t last long until they were discontinued (in 1972 and 1982 respectively), although both have since been reissued by Fender for the modern era.

Fender has also sustained a very successful line of guitar and bass amplifiers dating from the late 1940s to the current day, including landmark valve amps such as the Champ, Princeton, Deluxe, Bassman, Pro Reverb, Vibroverb and the mighty Twin Reverb among many others. The design aesthetics of Fender valve amps went through a number of generations including the ‘woodie’, ‘tweed’, ‘brownface’’, ‘blonde’, ‘blackface’ and ‘silverface’ iterations. Fender started building its first solid state transistor amplifiers in 1966. Fender continues to make a wide range of amplifiers and effects today.

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history” – Mahatma Gandhi (1869‑1948)

In early 1965, Leo Fender famously sold his company to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) for $13m. Production quality under CBS varied during the 1970s and Fender sales suffered considerably, especially in the face of stiff Far Eastern competition. Finally, in 1985, 20 years after being sold to CBS, a management buyout initiated by CEO William Schultz (1926‑2006), created the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company. The business was acquired from CBS for $12.5m. The sale didn’t include the Fullerton factory, so production was curtailed until a factory in nearby Corona, California enabled production to resume. Schultz, along with Dan Smith are widely regarded as ‘the men who saved Fender’. The newly privatised company was renamed Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) and remains in business as a private company today.

In 1982, Fender opened its Japanese operation to manufacture a range of Fender‑branded guitars. Early Squier models were a re‑brand of Fender Japan models sold in Europe. By 1985, Fender’s import budget brand, Squier, manufactured and sold a range of lower‑cost Fender models, which have proved massively popular over the decades. These Squier guitars were intended to compete with the influx of cheap Asian copies that were flooding the American and European markets from the late 1970s to mid‑1980s. Squier continue to market a successful range of guitars today (2026).

Fender opened a manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Mexico in 1991 to produce a range of Fender‑branded guitars, basses and amps positioned between the professional ‘Made in USA’ and the budget Far Eastern Squier ranges. In 1987, supervised by William Schultz with master luthiers John Page and Michael Stevens, Fender opened its Custom Shop operation in its Corona facility to make one‑off high‑end customised Fender models. Squier, Japan, Mexico, Corona and Custom Shop guitars form part of a comprehensive strategic approach to industry markets.

Fender was the first company to showcase a ‘relic’ guitar at the NAMM Show in 1995. Unsurprisingly, they were styled along the lines of a 1950s ‘Nocaster’ and Stratocaster. While it may not have been the first attempt to age a guitar artificially, it was the first real attempt to demonstrate and name the process in a high profile way from a major American guitar manufacturer for commercial sale. The introduction and subsequent market niche for ‘reliced’ new guitars has attracted a great deal of attention and has launched a 30+‑year debate on the matter. CRAVE Guitars will no doubt feel obliged to opine further on the subject of ‘relic’ finishes at some point.

“History is a continuous process of the creation of new ideas” – John F. Kennedy (1917‑1963)

After decades of leading the way, any further innovations have largely been few and far between since the turn of the millennium. Fender, like most American manufacturers’, has tended to rely significantly on past glories, which has proved to be both a strength and a weakness. Fender hasn’t produced any genuine all‑new designs that have provided long‑lasting commercial and critical success for (well) over a quarter of a century now. Pause and think about that a moment. All the key Fender models, revolutionary back in the 1950s and 1960s, are still in production in 2026, largely unchanged from their fundamental archetypes which, in itself, is unique and remarkable in contemporary industrial design. While FMIC does produce other models and toys continually with specifications, it relies heavily on its perennial six classic designs, the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Precision, and Jazz Bass. It is interesting and notable that the most recent introduction of those models dates back to 1960 (the Jazz Bass). That is 66 years ago as of 2026 and counting, also noteworthy. Fender has tinkered with other designs over the years but none have captured consumer demand and loyalty like the originals.

Fender’s headquarters are currently in Scottsdale, Arizona, with North American manufacturing facilities in Corona, California, and Ensenada in Mexico. Off‑shore production is based in Korea, Japan and China. Fender still remains a global brand with massive brand loyalty and instantly recognisable iconic models. Like all American manufacturers, Fender is facing significant challenges as we head into the second quarter of the 21^st Century. It will undoubtedly survive for decades to come in one form or another; the brand is too valuable for it not to endure. One might pause for another moment and wonder what Mr. Leo Fender would think about the preceding eight decades and, perhaps, what he would do next if he were still to be around in 2026. Strangely, Fender themselves don’t seem to be shouting from the rooftops about their 80^th anniversary, preferring to promote 75^th anniversary Telecasters and Precision basses. It seems like others are celebrating 80 years on their behalf. Happy 80^th Birthday FMIC.

CRAVE Guitars was founded in July 2007, originally intended to focus just on vintage Fender and Gibson gear. As you might Expect, CRAVE Guitars has a fair ‘collection’ of Fender guitars, basses and amps.

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past” – George Orwell (1903‑1950)

The Fender Telecaster at 75 and Counting

In 1949, Leo Fender and George Fullerton (1923‑2009) developed a prototype for a new solid body guitar design. One that would ultimately become an icon and industry standard. Leo Fender and co. could not possibly have imagined the legacy they were unknowingly creating back the late 1940s. Such an important part of guitar history needs a few words to acknowledge this specific point in time. One thing one can be sure of is that there will be many, many more anniversaries for the perennial Telecaster in years and decades to come.

The single pickup of the prototype was derived from the Fender Champion lap steel guitar in c.1949. The neck was unusual in that it was screwed (not bolted) on with an anchor plate, rather than the set neck of most guitars at the time. It also didn’t incorporate a truss rod to ensure that the single piece maple neck stayed straight. Initially, the headstock used 3‑a‑side tuners before being refined to a small, single‑sided design. Production bodies were made of solid ash tone wood. The bridge design used three individually adjustable saddles whose height and tuning could be set. Electrics comprised a three‑position selector switch and volume/tone controls. Distribution was organised through Don Randall’s (1917‑2008) Radio & Television Equipment Company (RTEC). By late 1950, the guitar with dual pickups and a truss rod was named the Broadcaster.

Images from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are generally considered to be in the public domain and typically not subject to copyright restrictions, so I believe that I have the rights to publish the following 1954 patent, courtesy of the USPTO. Fender filed a patent on 23 April 1951, which was granted on 14 August 1956 to C.L. Fender for the ‘guitar’, i.e. the Telecaster as we know it. The patent represents the familiar design that formed the basis of actual manufacturing and production.

US Patent Application – Fender Telecaster 1951

The first mass produced commercially successful solid body guitar, the forerunner of the Fender Telecaster was announced in mid‑1950 as the single and dual‑pickup Fender Esquire. Fender renamed it the Broadcaster before they were forced to remove the name (the so‑called highly collectable ‘Nocaster’) in 1951, as a result of a legal dispute with Gretsch who owned the Broadkaster brand name. The model was renamed the Telecaster in August 1951 and the Esquire became a lower‑cost single pickup version until it was discontinued in 1969. Early production Telecasters had transparent butterscotch finish, a single ply black scratchplate and a maple neck with a ‘skunk stripe’ (the so‑called highly sought after ‘blackguard’ Telecasters). The Telecaster’s original retail price was set at $139.95. The original Telecaster control layout and function was eccentric to say the least and it wasn’t until the late 1960s that Fender resorted to a traditional electrical format. I still can’t get my head around why such an arcane circuit was used and retained for so long.

The Telecaster’s reputation as an industry standard workhorse was largely down to its simple yet efficient and effective modular design and hugely versatile tones. The Telecaster model has been in continuous production from 1951 to today and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere any time soon. The Telecaster has proved to be a truly remarkable perpetual icon created from humble origins back in the late 1940s. The Telecaster may not have been the first solid body electric guitar but it was the first to be mass produced and commercially successful.

There has been a number of key variants of the classic Telecaster over the years including the Thinline (1968), Custom (1972), Deluxe (1973) and Elite (1983). The standard model has been adapted and improved over the decades and has spawned numerous other variants. However, Fender got the original design right from the outset and many musicians still see the archetype as the only Tele worth having. Having that ‘Fender’ name on the headstock is of historical significance as well as extremely valuable in dollar terms.

Fender’s budget brand, Squier, includes several Telecaster models, which have been manufactured and imported from the Far East to America and Europe since 1985. In addition to Squier Telecasters, other lines come from Mexico, made in USA and Custom Shop models complete a ‘rags‑to‑riches’ range.

On the Fender web site at the time of writing is an in‑depth history of the Telecaster:

Fender FMIC Telecaster History

Below is a list of just some of the famous names past and present (in surname alphabetic order) who have been associated with the legendary Fender Telecaster:

Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
Jeff Beck
Jon Buckland (Coldplay)
James Burton
Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown
Roy Buchanan
Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
Eric Clapton
Albert Collins
Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers)
Graham Coxon (Blur)
Steve Cropper
Danny Gatton
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Merle Haggard
George Harrison (The Beatles)
Steve Howe (Yes)
Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders)
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Jason Isbell
Waylon Jennings
John 5 (Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie)
Wilko Johnson (Dr Feelgood)
B.B. King
Ritchie Kotzen
Albert Lee
J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr)
Buck Owens
Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Brad Paisley
Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
Luther Perkins
Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)
Jim Root (Slipknot)
Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
Bruce Springsteen
Joe Strummer (The Clash)
Marty Stuart
Andy Summers (the Police)
Susan Tedeschi
Pete Townshend (The Who)
Muddy Waters
Clarence White (the Byrds)

… Among many, many others

As you can imagine, CRAVE Guitars is a big fan of the Fender Telecaster, with five different models part of the CVG family. Below are some links and an image of CRAVE Guitars’ ‘collection’ of Fender Telecasters, giving a good indication of a range of variants on the original…

Feature – 1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline
Feature – 1973 Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Feature – 1974 Fender Telecaster Custom
Feature – 1983 Fender Telecaster Elite
Feature – 1988 Fender Telecaster American Standard

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history” – Martin Luther King Jr. (1929‑1968)

The Fender Precision at 75 and Counting

In the same year as Fender introduced the Telecaster, the company also introduced the revolutionary Fender Precision bass. The anniversary of the Precision Bass is often overshadowed by the prominence of the Telecaster. Arguably, though, the Precision may have been as ground-breaking, if not more so, in the history of modern music. Discuss…

Although the first solid body fretted electric bass guitar was the 1935 Audiovox ‘Model 736 Bass Fiddle’ built by Paul H. ‘Bud’ Tutmarc (1896‑1972), it was the Fender Precision that became the first commercially successful mass‑produced solid body fretted electric bass guitar. The introduction of the Precision changed the history of the bass instrument and, arguably, contemporary music forever. 1951 was a big year.

Before the Fender Precision, bass players had to contend with cumbersome acoustic, hollow body, fretless upright basses. The Precision was therefore an ergonomic godsend, especially for travelling musicians. Like a guitar, the Precision featured a fretted neck making the instrument much more accessible to beginners wanting to jump on the bandwagon of popular electric guitar music in the 1950s and 1960s.

Leo Fender was working on a working prototype back in 1950, bringing the Precision to market in 1951 and made widely available by 1952. Fender designed the Precision Bass (often shortened these days to ‘P‑Bass’) to overcome the many drawbacks of the acoustic double bass. The name, Precision, referred to the 34” scale fretted neck that enabled musicians to play in tune far more precisely than on the acoustic double bass’s fretless neck, hence the new bass’s name – Precision. Conservative double bass players may well have looked at the Precision Bass in the same way that conservative guitarists looked at the Fender Telecaster released the same year.

The Precision Bass as we now know it didn’t, however, appear fully formed. Initially, the Precision adopted many design cues from the slab body Telecaster guitar. Initial models carried one single coil pickup, a slab body, large scratchplate and a Tele‑like headstock. Significant updates in 1954 and 1957 gave the Precision the now‑familiar design features. At its most basic, the Fender Precision Bass is a solid body, 4‑string bass guitar equipped with a single pickup and a one‑piece 20‑fret maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard. It all sounds so very straightforward and unremarkable nowadays. Back in 1951, it was anything but.

Fender originally filed a patent for the bass guitar in November 1952, which was awarded in March 1953. The 1957 update led to another patent filed in January 1959, granted in 1961. Below are the Fender patents for both generations of the Precision’s design, courtesy of the USPTO. It is interesting to compare and contrast the fundamental approach to both.

US Patent Application – Fender Precision 1952

US Patent Application – Fender Precision 1959

After Fender introduced the Stratocaster guitar in 1954, some of its design features were migrated to the Precision including a contoured body and a Strat‑like headstock. The original pickup was replaced with a single split coil hum cancelling staggered design and a sleeker redesigned scratchplate. It is this version of the Precision from 1957 that has stayed in production largely unchanged to the current day. There have been many, many variants with numerous changes in specification over the years, including a fretless version (ironic, given the origin and intention of the Precision’s name), 5‑string versions, 22‑fret necks, active electronics, multiple pickups, and a very diverse variety of finishes.

The original pre‑1957 Precision design has been re-issued by Fender at times over the years, often called the Telecaster Bass to differentiate it from the post‑1957 Precision specification. Not resting on their laurels, Fender followed up the hugely successful Precision with the twin‑pickup offset Jazz bass in 1960. Other Fender basses followed, including the ‘student’ Mustang and Musicmaster basses, as well as the semi‑acoustic Coronado bass and budget Bullet models. The unusual and rare 5‑string, 15‑fret Bass V based around the Mustang‑style offset body was produced between 1965 and 1971 (NB. The Fender Bass V was notable as the world’s first 5‑string bass guitar).

Without doubt, the Fender Precision Bass is a major icon of contemporary music and has become an industry standard carrying with it an enviable reputation to which others can only aspire. 75 years later, the Fender Precision remains hugely popular today. Consumers can purchase genuine Precision bass models from the budget Fender‑owned offshore‑produced Squier brand, through Mexican and American‑made Fender models, to the high‑end Fender Custom Shop versions. Throughout the decades, the Precision has oft been imitated and/or blatantly copied by other manufacturers, eager to cash in on Fender’s industry‑dominant status.

Fender Precision 75th Anniversary Promotion

Below is a list of just some of the famous names past and present (in surname alphabetic order) who have been associated with the legendary Fender Precision Bass:

Bill Black (Elvis Presley)
JJ Burnel (The Stranglers)
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
John Cale (Velvet Underground)
Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix)
John Deacon (Queen)
Kim Deal (Pixies)
Mike Dirnt (Green Day)
Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn (Booker T. & The M.G.’s)
John Entwistle (The Who)
Derek Forbes (Simple Minds)
Eva Gardner (The Mars Volta)
Roger Glover (Deep Purple/Rainbow)
Colin Greenwood (Radiohead)
Jet Harris (Shadows)
Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
Dusty Hill (ZZ Top)
Carol Kaye
James Jamerson
John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
John Lodge (Moody Blues)
Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses)
Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters)
Mike Mills (R.E.M.)
Pino Palladino
Suzi Quatro
Dee Dee Ramone (Ramones)
Paul Simonon (The Clash)
Sting (The Police)
Robert Trujillo (Metallica)
Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy)
Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)

Like the Telecaster, CRAVE Guitars is not immune to the influence of the Precision bass. While a guitarist, I do dabble in the low end from time to time. CRAVE’s family of basses is, however, very small compared to guitars. Below is a link and an image of CRAVE Guitars’ wonderful 1977 Fender Precision fretless bass (owned by me for nearly 50 years!)…

Feature – 1977 Fender Precision Fretless Bass

Leo Fender, however, hadn’t finished developing his ideas for electric bass guitars. Ten years after he sold Fender to CBS, he went on to create another milestone bass guitar icon…

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots” – Marcus Garvey (1887‑1940)

The Music Man Stingray Bass at 50 and counting

While, for many, Music Man is a much younger company than its illustrious peers, it seems remarkable, at least to me, that the Music Man Stingray Bass has been around for five whole decades in 2026.

Music Man (a.k.a. MM) was formed in 1974 from another company, Tri‑Sonix Inc. (originally formed in 1971), by Forrest White and Tom Walker. Leo Fender was a silent partner in the venture. Leo Fender was formally named Music Man’s president after a 10‑year exclusion clause after the sale of the Fender brand to CBS in 1965 ended. Leo’s other company, CLF Research (after Clarence Leonidas Fender’s initials), was contracted by Tri‑Sonix to make Music Man guitars and basses which started appearing in 1976.

Music Man really made its name when the breakthrough Stingray bass was introduced in 1976, along with the Stingray guitar and a range of amplifiers. The instruments had many innovative features including being recognised as the first large scale production guitars and basses to include active electronics.

Like Fender, Music Man also manufactured amplifiers including innovative hybrid solid state/valve amplifiers. While being separate companies, the instruments and amps had noticeable Fender traits evidencing the direct lineage from Fender to Music Man. Music Man, unhindered by history and past glories, allowed Leo Fender to innovate and evolve his ideas.

In 1979, relationships between Music Man and CLF Research deteriorated to the point that Leo Fender left Music Man in 1979 and went on to found G&L with George Fullerton in 1980 (NB. named G&L after George and Leo). By 1984, the Music Man business was on the verge of bankruptcy and trademark designs were sold to the massive Ernie Ball Inc. Notably, Sterling Ball had been involved in the design of the original Music Man Stingray Bass so there was already a pre‑existing connection. Instruments under the new brand (EBMM – Ernie Ball Music Man) started appearing in 1985. The Music Man Stingray bass survived the transition and remains in production as a commercial success today. Sadly, the Stingray guitar and amps didn’t endure despite their many merits.

Music Man remains a strong integral part of the Ernie Ball empire in 2026. For enthusiasts, Music Man (and G&L) provide an interesting perspective on a key part of Leo Fender’s long and illustrious career. Oh, how quickly a ‘new kid on the block’ becomes part of the institution.

Ernie Ball Music Man has released two limited edition anniversary Music Man Stingray Bass guitars, Molten Gold and Liquid Gold. While flirting with copyright, I don’t think EBMM will mind publishing their promotional material here, courtesy EBMM.

Below is a list of just some of the famous names past and present (in surname alphabetic order) who have been associated with the legendary Music Man Stingray Bass:

Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)
Rex Brown (Pantera)
Boz Burrell (Bad Company)
Justin Chancellor (Tool)
Tim Commerford (Rage Against The Machine , Audioslave, Prophets Of Rage)
Joe Dart (Vulfpeck)
John Deacon (Queen)
Paul Denman (Sade)
Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie)
Bernard Edwards (Chic)
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith)
Mark Hoppus (Blink‑182)
Randy Jackson (Journey)
Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson)
Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson)
Benjamin Orr (Cars)
Pino Palladino
Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
Steven Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen)
Cliff Williams (AC/DC)
Rick Wills (Foreigner)
Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot)

It is probably of little surprise that CRAVE Guitars is a big fan of vintage Music Man. Just a quick anecdote if I may; I was employed by Music Man’s importer into the UK in the late 1970s – Strings & Things – so I am a bit biased. CRAVE Guitars has not only the Music Man Stingray Bass but also the Stingray guitar and the hybrid 210 ‘sixty‑five’ amp as part of the CVG family. Cool.

Feature – 1978 Music Man Stingray Bass

“If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development” – Aristotle (384‑322BCE)

Final Thoughts on ‘A Year of Notable Anniversaries’

There are (obviously!?) many anniversaries that happen every year. However, the combination of five notable anniversaries provided an interesting take on how key elements of the musical equipment industry evolved to get us to where we are today.

Flirting with copyright (again), I don’t think Fender Musical Instrument Corporation will mind publishing their 75^th anniversary promotional material here, courtesy FMIC.

That is an awful lot of years accrued under the belts of Fender, the Fender Telecaster, Fender Precision and Music Man Stingray. Undoubtedly, these industry stalwarts will be around for many more decades to come and will probably (definitely!) outlive me. They ain’t goin’ nowhere anytime soon. This article is just a celebration of a milestone point in time, taking a retrospective of the past and a conservative view of the future.

Other Notable Anniversaries in 2026

One significant anniversary that has seemingly been totally unnoticed this year is that of the Gibson ES‑150. In November 1936 (90 years ago), Gibson introduced the historically significant ES‑150 hollow body jazz guitar. The model was the guitar industry’s first commercially successful, Electric Spanish (ES) guitar. Happy 90^th birthday, Gibson ES‑150.

Another major anniversary that has largely been overlooked this year is the introduction of the Gibson SG in 1961 (65 years ago), when it replaced the outgoing single cutaway Les Paul Standard. Now… as the model was introduced as the Les Paul SG in 1961, carrying the name of its famous endorsee until 1962, it wasn’t until 1963 that the SG (Solid Guitar) would officially be given the name it bears to the current day and which remains one of the world’s best‑selling electric guitars. Also, the SG moniker had been used for the entirely different double cutaway replacements for the Gibson Les Paul SG Special (1959‑1961). Perhaps, as a result of the nomenclature confusion between c.1958 and 1963, the anniversary hasn’t been headline news. I would dearly like to celebrate the SG as we know it, maybe on its 65^th alternative anniversary in 2028‑ish?

Perhaps, judging by the two examples above, 21^st Century Gibson is missing a trick in not jumping on the anniversary celebration bandwagon.

Another key anniversary in 2026 that has generally slipped beneath the radar is the 60^th anniversary of the Japanese giant, Yamaha Guitars. In 1966, Yamaha introduced the FG‑180 acoustic, followed by the SG‑2 and SG‑3 electric guitars (originally called the S201 and S302). It wasn’t until the mid‑1970s that Yamaha hit the mainstream western market with the now‑classic SG‑1000 and SG‑2000, the latter co‑designed with Mexican/American guitarist Carlos Santana. Yamaha Guitars is still going strong today.

There will be a LOT of other instrument anniversaries that will warrant coverage over the years. Some may well be covered in the annals of CRAVE Guitars’ articles while others are bound to miss out. For now, though, that’s it.

“History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren’t there” – George Santayana (1863‑1952)

The CRAVEman Celebrating Anniversaries

As seems to be becoming the norm these days, el jefe, The CRAVEman is making his prehistoric presence known to the modern world through the mechanism of CRAVE Guitars’ articles. Taking the anniversaries as an excuse to put The CRAVEman onto a pedestal (literally in his case), here is the Stone Age Rock God exhibiting his great taste. Ignore the obvious specification anomalies, The CRAVEman’s versions of the classics predate the genuine articles by several thousand years!!!!

The CRAVEman American Independence Day Anniversary

The CRAVEman Fender Telecaster Anniversary

The CRAVEman Fender Precision Anniversary

The CRAVEman Music Man Stingray Bass Anniversary

“We have progressed from the Stone Age and moved on to the age of stone hearted people” – Amit Abraham (1965‑)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album(s) of the Month’

Given the subject matter of this month’s article, it seems appropriate to pick a landmark piece of music history and something quintessentially American. Heck, why stop at one, why not two complementary pieces? Not only does the music evoke American culture in the 1960s but also demonstrates effectively the impact of both the Fender Telecaster and the Fender Precision Bass had on music at the time. This month’s worthy accolade(s) go to…

Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (1968): At Folsom Prison was recorded at Folsom State Prison, California, on 13^th January 1968 and released on Columbia Records, also in 1968. It was the first live album by American country singer/songwriter Johnny Cash. The original album comprised 16 tracks over 45 minutes with reissues comprising 19 tracks over 56 minutes. The concert was inspired by Cash’s song, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ (1955), played as the opening track (with a running time, 2:42). The performance by Johnny Cash was backed by future wife June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three (Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and W.S. Holland). The album was positively received and helped to revitalise Cash’s career. Album sales of At Folsom Prison exceeded 3.4 million back in 2003 and the recording appears in many ‘greatest albums’ rankings.

Johnny Cash – At San Quentin (1969): At Folsom Prison was supplemented by Johnny Cash’s second live penitentiary album, At San Quentin, which was recorded a year later at San Quentin State Prison, California on 24^th February 1969 and released by Columbia the same year. The album comprised 10 tracks at just over 34 minutes, including the song, ‘San Quentin’ (appearing twice due to audience demand). Cash’s band line up was essentially the same as At Folsom Prison but without Cash’s go‑to guitarist Luther Perkins who had died tragically following a fire at his home in August 1968, between the two prison concerts. Like its earlier companion album, At San Quentin exceeded 3 million sales in 2003. The concert was also filmed and several photographs have since become iconic, including Cash’s famous ‘middle finger’, which apparently was a result of Cash’s frustration with the film crew during the concert.

Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (1968) + At San Quentin (1969)

In many ways, the two live prison recordings are best experienced together, capturing the essence and atmosphere of the ‘Man in Black’s’ prison concerts just over a year apart. A great musical event in American cultural heritage and a brave move for Johnny Cash at the time. NB. Marshall Grant actually used an Epiphone Newport bass, rather than a Fender Precision, on the latter recording (the headstock of which can be seen in the cover photo).

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter” – William Ralph Inge (1860‑1954)

Tailpiece

Well, that’s quite a bit on anniversaries for 2026, all crammed into one article. Some of the information is available elsewhere on the CRAVE Guitars web site and in other CRAVE articles. Some of it is entirely new, so it’s not all contrived and derivative. Thankfully, the vast majority of the information across sources is consistent and corroborative. Phew! Rather than dig around for relevant bits and pieces, I hope bringing them all together here has provided just a bit of learning and, more importantly, provided just a bit of idle entertainment.

Next month’s article will, if all goes to plan, I hope, be a bit more frivolous and less fact based. Why not come back and join me the other side of ‘USA 250’.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman, signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “All that really matters to you is you and the unique journey you are on. Savour it and don’t betray the opportunity”

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30 Aug 2019

August 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part VI

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

So, here we are again, good people. Like the immortal rose‑tinted glasses of the ‘Summer of ‘69’, 50 years on, the summer 2019 is beginning to degrade and enter the memory banks while the evenings are inexorably drawing in again. Perhaps it is poignant to recount the past and reflect a little on how we got to where we are now.

If you would like to (re)visit any or all of the first five parts (and over 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

In the last article, the world of music transformed seemingly overnight with the rise of rock ‘n’ roll acting as a significant catalyst for American and British youth culture in the 1950s. Of course, it wasn’t quite like that in reality – so many different ingredients came together to create an irresistible phenomenon. If the 1950s wasn’t enough to challenge the traditionalists, things were about to get a whole lot more liberal and lively in the 1960s. Even greater social change compounded the consternation of the older, and typically more old-fashioned, conservative generation.

The Story of Modern Music Part VI 1960-1969

While rock ‘n’ roll now seems to be a permanent fixture in the minds of modern music lovers, in its purest form, it didn’t last that long before it became diluted and music evolution moved on rapidly. However, the influence of rock ‘n’ roll was pervasive, acting as a major stimulus to all other sorts of genre developments. The 1960s stood alone from previous and subsequent decades in terms of political, cultural, economic, technological climate and this was reflected in the distinctive music emerging over the same period. For many readers, the 1960s is now within ‘living memory’ – it is, just about, for me. Up to now, much of the chronology will be history, picked up second hand from written or pictorial records. From here on in, readers may well have some experience of these events for real. For a younger audience, be patient, we’ll get to your era soon. There is a lot to get through this month, so it focuses only on one decade with a few photos again.

Historical Context 1960-1969

Although fundamental human equality was still a pipedream for many in the west, freedom of expression and individual liberties probably characterised the ‘Swinging Sixties’ more than anything else, including the Sexual Revolution and civil rights movements. People felt able to say and do things that were unthinkable in previous decades. People were also able to protest against what they felt were moral injustices. Many families experienced benefits from improving economic prosperity and technological advancement. The Cold War and the space race dominated international relations, particularly between the capitalist ‘west’ and communist ‘east’. The latter part of the 1960s saw symbols of the peace & love movement, gaudy fashion and hippie ‘flower power’, all kaleidoscopically prevalent. If there was a decade that could live up to the description of ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’, the 1960s would be it.

Year	Global Events
1960	America launched the first satellite navigation geo‑positioning system into space, called Transit for use by the U.S. Navy, entering operational service in 1964. The oral contraceptive pill was approved for use by married women in America followed by Britain in 1961. The classic great American novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, written by author Harper Lee was published. The classic and ground breaking psychological horror film, ‘Psycho’, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins was released.
1961	Democrat politician John F. Kennedy became the 35^th President of the U.S.A. JFK’s election heralded a new wave of hope and optimism set against the background of the Cold War. The American‑backed military invasion of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba intended to topple Fidel Castro failed, thereby escalating political tensions. The infamous Berlin wall separating east and west Germany was constructed. It remained until 1989 when it was symbolically destroyed by the German people. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space aboard the Soviet Vostok 1 capsule. Astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to go into space aboard a Mercury spacecraft.
1962	The Cuban Missile Crisis between United States and the Soviet Union narrowly avoided escalation into a full‑scale nuclear world war. American actress and cultural icon Marilyn Monroe died of a drug overdose at the age of 36. Her death was ruled controversially as probable suicide. Marvel’s fictional super hero Spider‑Man made his first comic book appearance. The first satellite television transmission and telephone calls took place over the Atlantic ocean from Europe to North America, relayed by the American Telstar communication satellite.
1963	American president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Former U.S. Marine, Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of the murder only to be killed while in police custody by local night club owner, Jack Ruby, fuelling many conspiracy theories. Democrat politician Lyndon B. Johnson became 36^th President of the U.S.A. following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay was closed as a prison. The island is now a museum and tourist attraction run by the U.S. National Park Service.
1964	Sidney Poitier became the first African American actor to win an Academy Award (Oscar) for his role in the film ‘Lilies of the Field’. South African anti‑apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela was jailed, having been charged with sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.
1965	America joined the Vietnam War by sending U.S. Marines into battle supporting the South Vietnamese against the Chinese‑backed North Vietnamese National Liberation Front (the Viet Cong). American space missions took a significant step forward with the launch of manned Gemini low Earth orbiting capsules. The successful programme ended in 1966. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first person to make a spacewalk, lasting 12 minutes after exiting the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. Renowned British Fashion designer Mary Quant launched the iconic mini skirt in London, encouraging young women to dress to please themselves.
1966	The Chinese Cultural Revolution began, led by Chairman Mao Zedong, intended to preserve Chinese Communism and purge capitalism from its society. The oppressive campaign lasted until Mao’s death in 1976. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in Oakland, California in 1966, intended to patrol African American neighbourhoods and protect residents from acts of police brutality. It ceased operation in 1982. The classic, ground breaking science fiction TV series Star Trek was first broadcast, created by American producer and screenwriter, Gene Rodenberry.
1967	British sailor Sir Francis Chichester became the first person to circumnavigate single‑handedly around the globe in his yacht the Gypsy Moth IV. Argentinian Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, a major figure in the Cuban Revolution, was executed while in military detention in Bolivia at the age of 39. His death secured his status as a political martyr and counter‑culture rebel icon. The first successful human heart transplant took place, carried out by Dr Christiaan Barnard in South Africa. The first American Football Super Bowl took place between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay won.
1968	Russia brutally crushed the Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia, forcing the country to subordinate its national interests to those of the ‘Eastern Bloc’. The classic science fiction film, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ was released, directed by Stanley Kubrick. American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by lifelong criminal James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee. The ambitious American Apollo space program got underway with the first manned flight aboard Apollo 7. The program ended in 1972 with Apollo 17.
1969	Supersonic passenger flight became possible with the introduction of the Anglo‑French Concorde airliner. The cult classic counter-culture movie ‘Easy Rider’ was released, starring Dennis Hopper (also directing) and Peter Fonda. American Senator Ted Kennedy  drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, killing 28‑year old Mary Jo Kopechne, a former aide to Senator Bobby Kennedy. Police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City, sparking demonstrations and the start of the gay civil rights movement in the United States. Followers of the cult leader Charles Manson carried out a series of 9 brutal murders including that of actress Sharon Tate. American manned space mission Apollo 11 successfully landed on the Moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon’s surface, with Armstrong proclaiming, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Republican politician Richard Nixon was elected as the 37^th U.S. president. Infamously, he remains the only American President to have resigned from office, following the Watergate scandal. The United Kingdom abolished the death penalty substituting it with a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

Musical Genre Development 1960-1969

The ‘Swinging Sixties’ were particularly important and memorable for music in America and Europe. The musical revolution that began with rock ‘n’ roll in the previous decade rapidly morphed and diversified on both sides of the Atlantic. By the end of the decade, rock and pop were firmly established as major commercial genres that continue to flourish and adapt to the current day. The 1960s was also a time in which large outdoor music festivals flourished, especially towards the end of the decade, with major events like Newport, Monterey and Woodstock in America and Hyde Park and the Isle of Wight in the UK. In addition, the 1960s saw the introduction of the music compact cassette, which made music not only cheaper but also more portable. As the famous quote, probably attributed to American comedian Charles Fleischer (1950-) goes, ‘if you remember the ‘60s, you weren’t really there’. If that is the case, this article might just serve as a timely reminder.

R&B, gospel, and jazz started to evolve into urban African American soul music, made popular by record companies specialising in the genre. One of these labels was Motown in Detroit, Michigan featuring artists such as Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Another record label that was hugely influential at the time was Stax Records based in Memphis, Tennessee which was significant for its racially integrated production of southern soul and blues music, including house band Booker T & the M.G.’s and artists like Otis Redding. Atlantic Records which began in New York also promoted soul artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett. Some other popular soul and R&B artists of the 1960s include The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers and the Jackson Five. Racial segregation was a major hurdle for aspiring black musicians and soul is often seen as being closely associated with the American civil rights movement.

Surf music originated in the early 1960s on the west coast of America, particularly around the surfing culture of Orange County in southern California. It was influenced by instrumental rock ‘n’ roll artists like Link Wray, The Ventures and Duane Eddy. Surf is, however, distinct from rock ‘n’ roll and was important in the formation of modern rock music. Surf music tended to fall either into instrumental tunes performed by the likes of Dick Dale & The Deltones or harmonised vocal songs characterised by The Beach Boys. The musical style is heavily based around reverb‑drenched electric guitar sounds often making use of a guitar’s vibrato and the amplifier’s tremolo effect. Lyrics focused on, unsurprisingly, surfing, girls, cars and sunny west coast beach culture. Surf was relatively short‑lived and was taken over by many other American and European genres from the mid‑1960s onwards.

Up to the early 1960s, British artists were in the shadow of American acts and were often playing catch‑up. While not a genre in its own right, the so‑called ‘British Invasion’ began around 1963 with many artists from Britain becoming massively popular in the United States. UK artists sometimes took American songs and gave them a British sound. Perhaps the most significant phenomenon was coined ‘Beatlemania’, when Merseybeat pop group The Beatles broke onto the American music scene circa 1963 and spearheaded the export of UK music to the USA. Other British artists included The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Cream, The Hollies and The Who. By the end of the decade American artists had largely regained their homeland audiences. Various attempts to recreate the phenomenon have only been partially successful, for instance Britpop in the 1990s with artists like Oasis, the Spice Girls and Robbie Williams.

By the mid‑1960s, there was a strong revival of folk music, notable especially for songs with a social and moral conscience, widely articulating the feelings and messages of the various turbulent protest movements of the time. Songs encompassed issues such as poverty, class, the Vietnam War, social injustice and racial segregation. Songs also began to exhibit a stronger leaning towards the emerging rock oriented music scene. Perhaps the most significant artist of the period was Bob Dylan who controversially and ultimately successfully fused acoustic folk and electric rock genres.

Pop music is a diverse genre that attracts a lot of debate. It developed not from the broader traditional popular music of previous decades but from rock ‘n’ roll in the late 1950s and ‘pop’ became a commonly used term since the 1960s to describe non‑classical highly commercial and easily accessible youth‑oriented music. From about 1967, there was a clear divergence between rock music and pop music. Rock became harder edged and played by ‘real’ musicians recording albums while pop was refined into short catchy radio friendly ‘singles’ that were largely industry driven, highly produced, easily packaged, widely marketable and hugely profitable. Musically and lyrically, pop songs are generally uncontroversial and tended not to challenge the listener to any significant degree. Pop artists would sometimes appear and disappear overnight, as it was the songs, sales and chart position that mattered more to the record companies, rather than the performer. The term ‘one‑hit‑wonder’ is often associated with the throwaway appeal of pop music consumption. Conversely, the corporations assert that profits enable investment in new artists. Successful pop artists from the 1960s included The Monkees, The Shadows, Herman’s Hermits, The Dave Clark Five, The Everly Brothers, The Bee Gees and The Lovin’ Spoonful. Pop music continues to evolve and has had a number of peaks since the 1960s including in the early 1980s with artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna and late 2000s including the likes of P!nk, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Pop therefore represents considerable mainstream economic business to the industry.

Experimental psychedelic rock was popular during the late 1960s and is often associated with the hippie/flower power counterculture. It is also associated with the widespread use of cannabis and manufactured hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD (acid). Song lyrics frequently referenced drugs and altered/elevated states of consciousness. Songs were often long and comprised extended instrumental extemporisation and improvisation (often called jamming). Musicians regularly used esoteric instruments like the sitar, tabla vibraphone and organ, much of it influenced by Asian, Indian and oriental music. Psychedelic rock and folk rock became closely associated with simple messages of peace and love that began with 1967’s ‘Summer of Love’ phenomenon and reached a climax at the Woodstock festival in 1969. Many rock bands of the period stretched the boundaries of the genre, including the Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, The Doors, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Moody Blues, Gong, Hawkwind and early Pink Floyd.

Ska is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and came to popular prominence in the early 1960s. Ska was influenced by Caribbean calypso and Latin music combined with American jazz and R&B. Ska developed heavy basslines and offbeat accents producing a distinctive up‑tempo dance rhythm. Jamaican producers began recording ska on their own labels which were then played on DJ sound systems. Ska became popular not only in Jamaica but also in Britain, being associated with the decade’s mod and skinhead sub‑cultures. Importantly, ska was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Key players in the genre were Prince Buster, Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd and Duke Reid. Ska experienced a major revival in Britain in the late 1970s and early 1980s on the back of the punk rock boom through Two Tone Records and artists like The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, The Selecter, and The Beat.

Classic rock music, or simply just rock, really came into its own as a separate broad genre during the 1960s deriving from America and the UK. Rock’s origins stem from rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk, country and R&B. Experimentation with sound and composition mean that there are many, many sub‑genres and crossover styles of rock music. Rock is predominantly performed by a band with vocals, one or more electric guitars, bass and drums played in an un‑syncopated 4/4 rhythm and comprising a verse and chorus structure. Rock became distinct for increasing use of volume and distorted electric guitar sounds. Classic rock was the starting point for the various offshoots that followed including hard rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, folk rock, progressive/contemporary rock, heavy metal, glam rock, soft rock, AOR, roots rock, jazz rock, punk rock, new wave, post‑punk, grunge, alternative rock and indie. Many of these styles of rock music remain popular to the current day. Culturally, rock music has often been connected with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to race, sex, crime and drug use, and is often seen as an expression of young people’s rebellious rejection of adult uniformity and conformity. Artists associated with classic rock include The Kinks, Small Faces, Free, Bad Company and Jeff Beck.

Hard rock split from pop and rock during the latter half of the 1960s. As rock music was beginning to define itself throughout the 1960s, an offshoot rapidly developed that had its own distinctive sound. Hard rock took commercial rock and gave it a heavier and more aggressive style. Hard rock vocals tended to be in the higher registers and were often raspy and guttural. The hard-edged, loud, distorted guitar‑heavy music was influenced by blues, rock and garage. Hard rock could often be identified by catchy ‘power chord’ riffs and impressive lead guitar solos. Hard rock quickly became associated with excluded and defiant young people and the lyrics frequently had a distinctly anti‑authoritarian slant. This sometimes hostile approach to the mainstream was characterised by some acts destroying their instruments on stage, for instance by Pete Townsend of The Who and Jimi Hendrix. The hedonistic rock lifestyle went hand in hand with the music, resulting in musicians reportedly partying as hard as they played, regularly destroying property. Many rock artists developed drug and alcohol dependencies, which resulted in some high profile deaths, including Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Notable hard rock bands from the 1960s include The Who, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf and The Rolling Stones and later in the early 1970s by bands like Rainbow, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen, AC/DC, Alice Cooper and Van Halen.

Musical Facts 1960-1969

Michael Stipe (REM)

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
4	January	1960	American singer, songwriter, producer, artist and former frontman of indie rock band R.E.M. Michael Stipe was born in Decatur, Georgia.
22	January	1960	Australian singer, songwriter and co-founder of rock band INXS, Michael Hutchence was born in Sydney, New South Wales.
9	February	1960	Legendary American singer Elvis Presley received his first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6777 Hollywood Boulevard.
3	March	1960	American rock ‘n’ roll singer and now soldier, Sargent Elvis Presley set foot in the UK for the first and only (confirmed) time while his forces plane was refuelled at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.
13	March	1960	British/Irish bass guitarist, best known as a member of rock band U2, Adam Clayton was born in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England.
31	March	1960	American blues rock guitarist, Popa Chubby (a.k.a. Theodore ‘Ted’ Horowitz) was born in The Bronx, New York City.
4	April	1960	Legendary American rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley recorded his classic hit single, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
6	April	1960	American guitarist and member of blues/rock groups The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule and The Dead, Warren Haynes was born in Asheville, North Carolina.
17	April	1960	American rock ‘n’ roll singer and guitarist Eddie Cochran died tragically following a car accident in Wiltshire, UK, at the age of just 21.
23	April	1960	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and key member of heavy rock band Def Leppard, Steve Clark (1960-1991, 30) was born in Hillsborough, Sheffield.
10	May	1960	Irish singer and songwriter Paul Hewson, a.k.a. Bono, front man of massive rock band U2 was born in Dublin.
1	June	1960	Great English bass guitarist with indie rock icons The Cure, Simon Gallup was born in Duxhurst, Surrey.
6	June	1960	American virtuoso rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, Steve Vai was born in New York.
20	June	1960	English bass guitarist and co-founder of new romantic band Duran Duran, John Taylor was born in Solihull, Warwickshire.
27	October	1960	American soul singer Ben E. King recorded his first songs as a solo artist after leaving The Drifters, the classics, ‘Spanish Harlem’ and ‘Stand By Me’.
7	November	1960	American guitarist and songwriter with rock band KISS from 2002, Tommy Thayer, nicknamed ‘The Spaceman’ was born in Portland, Oregon.
8	February	1961	After changing their name from The Quarrymen, English pop band The Beatles made their debut appearance at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, their first of 292 performances at the venue.
7	May	1961	Welsh guitarist and long-term member of hard rock band Motörhead, Phil Campbell was born in Pontypridd.
12	May	1961	English guitarist, songwriter and member of post-punk band, The Cult, Billy Duffy was born in Manchester.
29	May	1961	Award-winning American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Melissa Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kansas.
3	June	1961	English guitarist and founding member of psychedelic rock bands Ozric Tentacles and Nodens Ictus, Ed Wynne was born in London.
10	June	1961	American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter, former member of alternative rock band Pixies and currently fronting The Breeders with her twin sister, Kim Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio.
10	June	1961	American guitarist and member of The Breeders with her twin sister, Kelley Deal was born in Dayton, Ohio.
23	July	1961	Multi-talented award-winning English singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, DJ and co-founder of Depeche Mode, Martin Gore was born in Dagenham, Essex.
8	August	1961	Irish guitarist and songwriter with rock band U2, The Edge (a.k.a. David Evans) was born in Barking, Essex, England to Welsh parents.
13	September	1961	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of thrash metal rock band Megadeth, Dave Mustaine was born in La Mesa, California.
16	September	1961	English guitarist, singer and songwriter with indie rock band My Bloody Valentine, Bilinda Butcher was born in London.
3	October	1961	The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee welcomed its first inductees, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams.
10	October	1961	English bass guitarist and actor best known as member of new wave/pop group Spandau Ballet, Martin Kemp was born in London.
10	February	1962	American bass guitarist and songwriter, best known as a member of heavy rock band Metallica, Cliff Burton (1962-1986, 24) was born in California.
11	February	1962	Talented American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, including guitar, bass and drums, Sheryl Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri.
2	March	1962	American singer, songwriter, founder and front man of the rock band that bears his name, Jon Bon Jovi was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
8	April	1962	American guitarist, co-founder and ex-member of rock band Guns N’ Roses, Izzy Stradlin (a.k.a. Jeffrey Dean Isbell) was born in Lafayette, Indiana.
2	August	1962	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist Robert Allen Zimmerman formally changed his name to… the one and only Bob Dylan.
25	August	1962	Northern Irish guitarist who has been a member of hard rock bands Def Leppard, Dio and Whitesnake, Vivian Campbell was born in Belfast, County Antrim.
11	October	1962	English pop group The Beatles had their song ‘Love Me Do’ reach no. 4 in the UK singles chart, their first record to do so.
16	October	1962	Australian/American bass guitarist and co-founder of rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Balzary (a.k.a. Flea) was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
17	October	1962	English newcomers, The Beatles made their first regional television appearance playing 2 songs live on Granada’s ‘People And Places’ show.
18	November	1962	Great American guitarist, songwriter and long-time member of metal rock band Metallica, Kirk Hammett was born in San Francisco, California.
24	November	1962	English guitarist and songwriter with the Stone Roses and The Seahorses, John Squire was born in Altrincham, Cheshire.
8	December	1962	American guitarist, well known for his 10-year stint with heavy metal band Megadeth, Marty Friedman was born in Washington D.C.
9	January	1963	English drummer, Charlie Watts joined the rock band The Rolling Stones, starting a long-term membership of the group.
19	January	1963	English pop/rock band, The Beatles made their first recorded UK TV appearance on the ITV/ABC show, ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’.
2	February	1963	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, the ‘songbird’, Eva Cassidy (1963-1996, 33) was born in Washington D.C.
22	March	1963	Emerging English pop group The Beatles released their debut studio album ‘Please Please Me’ in the UK. Merseybeat had well and truly arrived.
27	May	1963	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan released his classic 2^nd studio album, ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’.
30	June	1963	Impressive, prolific Swedish virtuoso neoclassical heavy rock guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was born in Stockholm.
3	August	1963	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of heavy metal rock band Metallica, James Hetfield was born in Downey, California.
9	August	1963	Popular British weekly pop music television show, ‘Ready Steady Go!’ was first broadcast by ITV. The show ran until December 1966.
9	August	1963	Multi-award-winning American soul/R&B singer and actress, Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey.
30	August	1963	Dutch technology company Philips introduced the Compact Cassette to Europe at the Berlin Radio Show, followed by an American launch in November the same year.
13	October	1963	Emerging English pop band The Beatles made their first major TV appearance on ITV’s famous variety show, ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’.
31	October	1963	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, ex-member of post‑punk rock band The Smiths, as well as a successful solo artist and collaborator, Johnny Marr was born in Manchester.
31	December	1963	American guitarist, singer and founding member of thrash metal rock band Anthrax, Scott Ian was born in Queens, New York.
1	January	1964	The BBC’s popular chart music television programme ‘Top Of The Pops’ (TOTP) was first broadcast in the UK. The show ran for over 42 years until July 2006.
13	January	1964	American folk singer Bob Dylan released his 3^rd studio album ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’, which became a political anthem for social change in 1960s America.
5	February	1964	American bass player and ex-member of rock bands, Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, Loaded and Jane’s Addiction, Duff McKagan was born in Seattle, Washington state.
7	February	1964	‘Beatlemania’ struck America when The Beatles landed at New York’s JFK Airport on their first visit to the USA.
9	February	1964	‘Beatlemania’ struck again when English pop band The Beatles made their American TV debut on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.
11	February	1964	English pop band The Beatles made their debut live performance in America at the Washington Coliseum in front of 8,000 screaming fans.
26	May	1964	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actor, Lenny Kravitz was born in New York City.
30	May	1964	Great American guitarist with rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, as well as several solo projects, Tom Morello was born in New York.
3	June	1964	Great American guitarist with thrash metal rock band Slayer, the formidable Kerry King was born in Los Angeles, California.
19	June	1964	English rock band, The Animals, released their seminal hit single, ‘House Of The Rising Sun’.
10	July	1964	English pop/rock group The Beatles released their 6^th studio album ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in the UK.
24	July	1964	The Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, U.S.A. descended into controversy when Bob Dylan performed an electric rather than acoustic set.
13	November	1964	English rock band The Rolling Stones released their cover of the classic Willie Dixon blues song, ‘Little Red Rooster’ as a single in the UK.
23	December	1964	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and long-time member of rock band Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois.
20	January	1965	The self-proclaimed ‘father of rock ‘n’ roll’, legendary American DJ Alan Freed died from uraemia and cirrhosis in hospital in Palm Springs, California at the age of 43.
28	January	1965	Emerging English rock band, The Who made their debut television appearance in the UK on the ITV music show ‘Ready Steady Go!’
14	February	1965	Australian/French multi-instrumentalist, including guitar, known for working with alternative rock bands Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Warren Ellis was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
8	March	1965	Legendary American folk guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his first top 40 hit single, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ in the U.S.
12	May	1965	English rock band The Rolling Stones recorded their trademark song ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ at RCA’s studio in Hollywood.
17	May	1965	Prolific composer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and founder of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
16	June	1965	Legendary American folk singer and guitarist Bob Dylan recorded his classic song, ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ at Columbia studios in New York.
23	June	1965	English guitarist and founding member of rock band Oasis, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs was born in Manchester.
23	July	1965	British/American guitarist, member of hard rock bands Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, as well as a successful solo artist, Saul Hudson (a.k.a. Slash) was born in London.
29	July	1965	The full-length film ‘Help!’, featuring a certain English pop quartet, The Beatles, was premiered in London.
6	August	1965	English pop group The Beatles released their 5^th studio album, ‘Help!’ in the UK, which was also the soundtrack to their film of the same name.
15	August	1965	English pop band The Beatles broke the (then) record for an audience of 55,600 at Shea Stadium in New York City.
20	August	1965	English rock band The Rolling Stones released their massive hit single, ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’.
28	August	1965	Canadian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, Shania Twain, the ‘Queen of Country Pop’ was born in Windsor, Ontario.
30	August	1965	American folk guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ in the UK.
13	October	1965	English rock band The Who recorded their classic single ‘My Generation’ at Pye Recording Studios in London, UK.
21	October	1965	Pioneering American rock ‘n’ roll bass player, forever associated with singer Elvis Presley, Bill Black died of a brain tumour in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39.
26	October	1965	HM Queen Elizabeth II presented members of the English pop band The Beatles with MBEs at Buckingham Palace in London.
29	October	1965	English rock band, The Who released the single ‘My Generation’ in the UK, reaching number 2 in the British singles chart.
12	November	1965	Emerging young English singer, songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan performed his first single, ‘The Wizard’ on national UK TV music programme ‘Ready Steady Go!’
12	November	1965	American rock band Velvet Underground performed their debut live performance at Summit High School in New Jersey.
19	November	1965	English guitarist, songwriter and lead man for alternative rock band Spiritualized, Jason Pierce was born in Rugby.
21	November	1965	Avant-garde Icelandic singer, songwriter, producer and actress, Björk Guðmundsdóttir was born in Reykjavík.
25	November	1965	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, a member of punk rock bands Rancid and Transplants, Tim Armstrong was born in Albany, California.
3	December	1965	English pop/rock group The Beatles released their 6^th studio album ‘Rubber Soul’ in the UK.
3	December	1965	English rock band, The Who, released their classic debut studio album, ‘My Generation’ in the UK.
10	December	1965	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, front man of alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., the great J. Mascis was born in Amherst, Massachusetts.
4	March	1966	Member of The Beatles, John Lennon, made his infamously controversial statement that the band was “…more popular than Jesus…”.
18	March	1966	American guitarist and founder of heavy rock band, Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell was born in Tacoma, Washington.
25	March	1966	Renowned Canadian blues rock guitarist, Jeff Healey (1966-2008, 41) was born in Toronto.
5	April	1966	American guitarist and co-founder of rock band, Pearl Jam, Mike McCready was born in Pensacola, Florida.
22	April	1966	English garage rock band The Troggs released their version of the Wild Ones’ song, ‘Wild Thing’, which became a classic hit single of its time.
1	May	1966	English pop/rock band, The Beatles performed their final UK live appearance at the NME Poll Winners’ Party, held at the Empire Pool, Wembley in London.
13	May	1966	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their dark and sinister hit single, ‘Paint It, Black’ from the album ‘Aftermath’ (U.S. release).
16	May	1966	Original American surf pop/rock band, The Beach Boys released their best-selling classic 11^th studio album, ‘Pet Sounds’ in the U.S.
16	May	1966	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bob Dylan originally scheduled the release date of his classic 7^th studio double album, ‘Blonde On Blonde’. It didn’t actually become available until early June.
26	May	1966	English pop/rock band, The Beatles recorded ‘Yellow Submarine’ at Abbey Road Studios in London.
30	May	1966	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock bands Pavement and the Jicks, Stephen Malkmus was born in Santa Monica, California.
16	July	1966	British music icons Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker formed the short-lived blues/rock super group Cream.
5	August	1966	English pop/rock group, The Beatles released their classic 7^th studio album, ‘Revolver’ in the UK.
20	August	1966	American guitarist, songwriter and founder of heavy metal rock bands Pantera and Damageplan, ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004, 38) was born in Arlington, Texas.
12	September	1966	Featuring an American/British pop-rock band, The Monkees show premiered on American TV network NBC.
20	September	1966	Portuguese/American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and member of rock band Extreme, Nuno Bettencourt was born in Terceira, Azores.
23	October	1966	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded ‘Hey Joe’, their debut single, which peaked at number 6 in the UK chart.
2	November	1966	American blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt died of a heart attack in a hospital in Grenada, Mississippi at the age of 73.
6	November	1966	American virtuoso rock guitarist, member of rock bands Mr Big and Racer X, as well as successful solo artist, Paul Gilbert was born in Carbondale, Illinois.
17	November	1966	American surf band, The Beach Boys had a number one hit in the UK singles chart with the classic song, ‘Good Vibrations’.
17	November	1966	Talented American singer, songwriter and guitarist, the graceful Mr Jeff Buckley (1966-1997, 30) was born in Orange, California.
25	November	1966	The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their debut live performance in the UK at the Bag O’Nails Club in Soho, London.
7	December	1966	English guitarist and songwriter who has worked with bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Gem Archer was born in Durham.
9	December	1966	English blues/rock super group Cream, comprising Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, released their debut studio album, ‘Fresh Cream’ in the UK.
13	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience, made their UK TV debut on popular music programme ‘Ready Steady Go!’.
13	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their classic track, ‘Foxy Lady’ (a.k.a. ‘Foxey Lady’ in the U.S.), released as a single in May 1967.
16	December	1966	Anglo-American rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their debut single in the UK, ‘Hey Joe’, reaching no. 6. It failed to chart in the U.S.
23	December	1966	After 3 years on air, UK TV network channel ITV broadcast the final episode of the popular music programme, ‘Ready Steady Go!’ following a Musicians’ Union ban on miming on television.
29	December	1966	Anglo‑American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their first UK TV appearance on the BBC’s ‘Top Of The Pops’, performing their single, ‘Hey Joe’.
4	January	1967	American rock band, The Doors, released their classic self-titled debut studio album, ‘The Doors’.
11	January	1967	Anglo‑American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their classic song, ‘Purple Haze’ at De Lane Lea Studios in London. It took 3 takes in 4 hours to complete.
14	January	1967	American heavy metal guitarist, singer and songwriter, founder of heavy metal band Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde was born in New Jersey.
17	January	1967	English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, solo artist and session musician, Richard Hawley was born in Sheffield.
3	February	1967	Pioneering English record producer and studio engineer, Joe Meek murdered his landlady and then committed suicide in London at the age of 37.
17	February	1967	English Blues rock band John Mayall and the Blues Breakers released their 2^nd studio album, ‘A Hard Road’ with Peter Green replacing Eric Clapton as guitarist.
20	February	1967	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with grunge rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain (1967-1994, 27) was born in Aberdeen, Washington state.
12	March	1967	American rock band, The Velvet Underground released their debut studio album, ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’, with iconic cover art by pop artist Andy Warhol.
17	March	1967	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan was born in Chicago, Illinois.
12	May	1967	Anglo‑American rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their debut studio album, ‘Are You Experienced’ in the UK.
29	May	1967	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with rock bands Oasis and High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher was born in Manchester.
1	June	1967	English pop/rock band, The Beatles released their classic 8^th studio album, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in the UK.
1	June	1967	Aspiring English singer David Bowie released his eponymous debut studio album, ‘David Bowie’ in the UK.
7	June	1967	American guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction as well as former member of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Navarro was born in Santa Monica, California.
16	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ officially arrived with the start of the legendary 3-day Monterey Pop Festival in California. Artists included The Animals, Simon & Garfunkel and Sly & The Family Stone.
16	June	1967	English psychedelic/progressive rock band Pink Floyd released their classic single, ‘See Emily Play’, written by Syd Barrett.
17	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ continued with the 2^nd day of the 3-day Monterey International Pop Festival in California. Artists included Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, Steve Miller Band and The Byrds.
18	June	1967	The ‘Summer of Love’ continued with the 3^rd and final day of the Monterey International Pop Festival in California. Artists included Buffalo Springfield, Grateful Dead, Ravi Shankar, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Who.
24	June	1967	German guitarist with Industrial Metal rock band Rammstein, Richard Z. Kruspe was born in Wittenberge.
12	July	1967	Great American guitarist and founding member of heavy rock band Dream Theater, John Petrucci was born in New York.
4	August	1967	English psychedelic progressive rock group, Pink Floyd released their debut studio album, ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’.
25	September	1967	American rock band The Doors released their all-time classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Strange Days’.
30	September	1967	English broadcaster the BBC aired their pop music channel Radio 1 for the very first time in the UK. The first record played by DJ Tony Blackburn was, ‘Flowers in the Rain’ by The Move.
3	October	1967	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Woody Guthrie died from Huntington’s Disease in New York City at the age of 55.
9	November	1967	The brainchild of Jann Wenner, the very first issue of Rolling Stone music magazine was published in the USA, featuring a photo of John Lennon on the front cover.
10	November	1967	English blues/rock super group Cream released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Disraeli Gears’ in the UK.
1	December	1967	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their sophomore studio album, ‘Axis: Bold as Love’ in the UK.
7	December	1967	Shortly before his tragic death, American soul singer Otis Redding recorded his classic single, ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’.
10	December	1967	American soul singer, Otis Redding was killed tragically when the plane in which he was travelling crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of 26.
16	December	1967	English rock band, The Who, released their 3^rd studio album, ‘The Who Sell Out’ in the UK.
27	December	1967	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Leonard Cohen released his classic debut studio album, ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen’.
13	January	1968	American country music legend Johnny Cash performed two live shows at the notorious Folsom State Prison in California.
21	January	1968	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their cover version of Bob Dylan’s, ‘All Along The Watchtower’ at Olympic Studios in London.
30	January	1968	American psychedelic rock band, The Velvet Underground released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘White Light/White Heat’.
8	March	1968	The famous New York live music venue Fillmore East opened its doors at 105 Second Avenue and East 6^th Street in Manhattan. It closed 3 years later on 27 June 1971.
6	April	1968	English progressive rock band Pink Floyd announced that guitarist and singer Syd Barrett had left the band he helped to found.
15	April	1968	English guitarist, singer, songwriter and original member of alternative rock band Radiohead, Ed O’Brien was born in Oxford.
20	April	1968	After changing their name from Roundabout, English hard rock band Deep Purple played their first live concert as Deep Purple in Tastrup, Denmark.
24	May	1968	English rock band, Small Faces released their classic 4^th studio album ‘Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake’.
24	May	1968	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their massive hit single, ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’.
28	May	1968	Multi-talented Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and sex symbol, Kylie Minogue was born in Melbourne, Victoria.
5	June	1968	Marc Bolan’s band Tyrannosaurus Rex released their debut album, ‘My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair… But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows’ in the UK.
15	June	1968	Acclaimed American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack at his home in Indianapolis at the age of 45.
28	June	1968	English progressive rock group Pink Floyd released their sophomore studio album, ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ in the UK. It was the only Pink Floyd album to feature both Syd Barrett and David Gilmour.
29	June	1968	The first Hyde Park Free Concert was held in London, UK, featuring Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Roy Harper.
5	July	1968	The legendary San Francisco live music venue Fillmore West opened its doors at 10 South Van Ness Avenue. It stayed at this location until 4 July 1971.
10	July	1968	English guitarist Eric Clapton announced that the blues/rock super group Cream were splitting up, after just 3 studio albums.
13	July	1968	Under their original name, Earth, English heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath played their first live concert at The Crown pub in Birmingham.
17	July	1968	The unique psychedelic animated film ‘Yellow Submarine’, featuring characters based on The Beatles premiered in London.
5	August	1968	Influential American country guitarist and principal sideman for Johnny Cash, Luther Perkins, one of the famed ‘Tennessee Three’, died tragically in a fire accident in Hendersonville, Tennessee at the age of 40.
9	August	1968	English blues/rock super group Cream released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Wheels Of Fire’.
6	September	1968	English blues/rock guitarist Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo on The Beatles’ song, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.
7	September	1968	English rock band The New Yardbrids, later to become Led Zeppelin performed their live concert debut at Gladsaxe, near Copenhagen in Denmark.
14	September	1968	The animated series based around a fictional pop band, ‘The Archies’, from the original comic strip, premiered on CBS TV in America.
20	September	1968	English Heavy rock band, Led Zeppelin started recording their ground-breaking debut album ‘Led Zeppelin (I)’ in London, to be released in 1969.
7	October	1968	English singer, songwriter and guitarist with alternative rock band Radiohead, Thom Yorke was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
14	October	1968	English psychedelic folk rock duo Tyrannosaurus Rex released their 2^nd studio album, ‘Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages’.
25	October	1968	Nine days after its American launch, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their final studio album ‘Electric Ladyland’ in the UK.
9	November	1968	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin performed their debut London concert at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm. Members’ tickets cost 16 shillings.
21	November	1968	English bass guitarist and songwriter, principally with Britpop band Blur, Alex James was born in Bournemouth.
22	November	1968	English group, The Beatles released their highly regarded 9^th studio double album, ‘The Beatles’, a.k.a. the ‘White Album’ in the UK.
26	November	1968	Aside from their 2005 reunion gigs, English blues/rock super group, Cream played their final ‘Farewell Concert’ at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
29	November	1968	Emerging British/American blues/rock band Fleetwood Mac released their classic instrumental hit single ‘Albatross’.
6	December	1968	British rock band, The Rolling Stones released their classic 7^th studio album, ‘Beggars Banquet’ in the UK.
24	December	1968	American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, prolific musical collaborator as well as solo artist, Doyle Bramhall II was born in Dallas, Texas.
5	January	1969	Controversial American rock singer and songwriter, Brian Warner, better known as the artist Marilyn Manson, was born in Canton, Ohio.
12	January	1969	British rock band Led Zeppelin released their self‑titled debut studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin’ on Atlantic Records in the UK.
13	January	1969	English band The Beatles released their studio album ‘Yellow Submarine’ as a soundtrack to the psychedelic animated film of the same name featuring the Fab Four.
14	January	1969	American singer, songwriter, drummer and guitarist with rock bands Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl was born in Springfield, Virginia.
22	January	1969	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young released his eponymous debut album, ‘Neil Young’.
30	January	1969	English rock band The Beatles made their final live public performance, filming their famous unannounced rooftop gig atop the Apple Studio building in London for the film ‘Let It Be’.
21	February	1969	Welsh singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer with rock band Manic Street Preachers, James Dean Bradfield was born in Pontypool.
22	February	1969	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles started recording their classic studio album, ‘Abbey Road’ at the famous London recording studio of the same name.
24	February	1969	Anglo-American rock trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed their final UK live indoor concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
12	March	1969	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of indie rock/britpop band Blur, Graham Coxon was born in Rinteln, Germany where his father was stationed with the British Army.
7	April	1969	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Leonard Cohen released his classic sophomore studio album, ‘Songs From a Room’.
9	April	1969	American folk rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released his change of direction 9^th studio album, ‘Nashville Skyline’.
13	May	1969	Prolific and inventive American rock guitarist, Buckethead (a.k.a. Brian Carroll) was born in Pomona, California.
14	May	1969	Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter, Neil Young with his band Crazy Horse released their sophomore studio album, ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’.
16	May	1969	Before pioneering glam rock, English singer, songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan with Tyrannosaurus Rex released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Unicorn’.
23	May	1969	English rock band, The Who released their ground breaking epic rock opera double album, ‘Tommy’ in the UK.
26	May	1969	John Lennon and Yoko Ono promoted world peace through an 8-day ‘bed-in’ in Canada proclaiming ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
4	June	1969	American country artist Johnny Cash released his classic live album, ‘At San Quentin’, recorded at the (in)famous high security prison in California.
20	June	1969	Emerging English singer David Bowie recorded his first hit single ‘Space Oddity’ at Trident Studios, London.
3	July	1969	English guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and founder of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, East Sussex at the age of 27.
11	July	1969	Emerging English rock singer and songwriter David Bowie released his classic debut single, ‘Space Oddity’ in the UK.
1	August	1969	The point at which aspiring rock band Earth changed their name to Black Sabbath, announced at a concert held at the Pokey Hole Club in Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK.
5	August	1969	American singer and songwriter Iggy Pop launched his long and varied music career, with or without The Stooges, with the release of his/their debut studio album, ‘The Stooges’.
15	August	1969	The legendary hippie counter-culture Woodstock Festival ‘Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music’ Arts Fair began at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm near Bethel, New York, attended by over 400,000 people. Tickets were priced at $6 per day. Artists included Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez.
16	August	1969	The second day of the legendary Woodstock Festival took place in upstate New York. Artists included Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sly & the Family Stone, The Who and Jefferson Airplane.
17	August	1969	The third and (sort of) final day of the legendary Woodstock Festival took place on Max Yasgur’s 600-acre farm 43 miles south west of the town of Woodstock, New York state. Artists included Ten Years After, The Band, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat & Tears and CSN&Y.
18	August	1969	As the last of 32 acts, American guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix closed the fabled Woodstock Festival by playing a 2-hour set at 9:00 in the morning with a temporary band.
30	August	1969	After changing their name from Earth, English heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath played their first live concert as Black Sabbath at a local pub in Workington, Cumbria.
5	September	1969	Talented American guitarist, son of Frank and carrying on the formidable family legacy, Dweezil Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California.
7	September	1969	English guitarist, best known as a member of Britpop group Cast and his work with alternative rock artist Robert Plant, Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson was born in Liverpool.
22	September	1969	Canadian/American roots/folk/country rock artists, The Band released their classic self-titled 2^nd studio album, ‘The Band’.
25	September	1969	American guitarist, songwriter, producer and one-time member of rock band Guns N’ Roses (2006-2014), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal was born in Brooklyn, New York.
26	September	1969	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles released their classic final studio album with the iconic zebra crossing cover photograph, ‘Abbey Road’ in the UK.
3	October	1969	Influential American delta blues singer and guitarist Skip James died in Pennsylvania at the age of 67.
10	October	1969	American rock guitarist and composer Frank Zappa released his outstanding, classic career-peak studio album, ‘Hot Rats’.
10	October	1969	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their classic studio album, ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ in the UK.
16	October	1969	Anglo‑American rock trio the Jimi Hendrix Experience released their 3^rd and final studio album, the classic ‘Electric Ladyland’ in the U.S.
18	October	1969	American music family, The Jackson 5 made their debut on American TV, appearing on ABC’s ‘Hollywood Palace’.
22	October	1969	English hard rock group Led Zeppelin released their classic multi-million-selling 2^nd studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin II’ on Atlantic Records in the U.S.
28	October	1969	Award-winning multi-genre American guitarist, singer and songwriter Ben Harper was born in Pomona, California.
4	November	1969	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 2^nd studio album, ‘David Bowie’ (also released as ‘Space Oddity’ after the hit single from the album).
7	November	1969	English progressive rock group, Pink Floyd released their 4^th part live, part studio experimental double album, ‘Ummagumma’, with cover art by Hipgnosis.
14	November	1969	Cartoon bubblegum pop group, The Archies began the longest ‘one hit wonder’ UK singles chart-topping streak (8 weeks), with their classic song, ‘Sugar, Sugar’.
27	November	1969	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, a member of heavy rock band Alter Bridge, as well as pursuing many side projects, Myles Kennedy was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
29	November	1969	English rock band, The Rolling Stones, released their classic 11^th studio album, ‘Let It Bleed’ in the UK.
6	December	1969	A man was stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels during The Rolling Stones set at the infamous Altamont Free Festival in California.
14	December	1969	American music family, The Jackson 5 made their American Network TV debut, appearing on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.

Tailpiece

Well there you go… that’s the 1960s in a proverbial (and quite sizeable) nutshell. An appreciation of music genre development and music facts from the 1960s catalogues the seemingly sudden eruption of creativity that took place against the background of momentous global events. The vibrancy and liberalism of the 1960s was exploratory, liberating and empowering for many, mostly young people at the time. Much of the optimistic idealism was, perhaps in hindsight, naively transient and disappointingly ephemeral. All good things come to an end and things were about to change quite fundamentally all over again.

How the heck do you follow the decade of decadence? Well, that will be the fascinating story of the 1970s, which will unfold in all its hedonistic, nihilistic grime and glory. Intrigued? Why not come back for the next enthralling episode of the ‘History of Music’. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “I’m glad I’m alive. What else would I do?”

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31 May 2019

May 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part III

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Well, my, my, my… Here we are back again with spring just about to morph into balmy summer. I can’t believe that we are nearly half way through the last year of the 2010s already.

This means that we are now well into this year’s major music project with article number three of, well, who knows how many at the moment. Such a venture needs breaking down into digestible chunks or it would be colossal as just one bite at the proverbial cherry. The source data is immense, yet still only manages to brush the surface of a monumental subject matter. As always, if there are errors or omissions that I should consider including retrospectively, let me know via e‑mail or the web site’s contact form.

If you would like to pop in and (re)visit the first two parts of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

The Story of Modern Music Part III 1920-1939

This month, we start at the beginning of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and finish at the end of the ‘Dirty Thirties’ (the latter being a moniker apparently associated with the Dustbowl era rather than something inherently naughty – apologies for that!).

The world had never seen decades like these and hasn’t since. As such, they exhibit polar opposites in human endeavour. These twenty years stand a testimonial to the rapid progress of civilisation while also as a condemnation of the self‑destructive stupidity of the human condition. Hindsight, as ‘they’ say is a wonderful thing, so perhaps we should learn something profound from an examination of our collective past and build a better future for mankind. However, I digress…

This brings us to the format of this article, which follows the same tripartite structure for each 10‑year span as last month. Each decade is given a broad historical context outlining the sorts of global events – good and bad – that occurred, followed by examples of how music genres emerged and changed over the period and, finally, the whole point of this series, some music facts associated with the same years. As a whole, it hopefully provides an interesting insight into what went on. Here we go…

One noticeable trait that comes through strongly this month is the number of births occurring in the 1920s and 1930s of people who would go on to be significant musical icons in the 1950s and thereafter. This means that this month’s ‘facts’ are setting the foundation for future articles, while later ones will see a shift to the other, and rather more mortal, end of their illustrious lifetimes.

Historical Context 1920-1929

The 1920s was a paradigm shift in global affairs. The ‘Roaring Twenties’ and were characterised by post‑WWI optimism, individualism, industrial and economic growth, as well as social, artistic, and cultural dynamism. However, underlying the positivity was an omnipresent political paranoia, fuelled by conspiracy and corruption that stood a portent of the looming storm clouds that were gathering. The rise of radical political doctrines including communism and fascism would ultimately lead to further international conflict. Women were experiencing greater emancipation as a result of the suffragette movement, paving the way for later equalities movements.

Year	Global Events
1920	The United States introduced national legislation to ban the production, transport and sale of alcohol, widely known as the prohibition.
1921	The Irish Revolution led to the partitioning of Ireland into Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom and the South, which is now the Republic of Ireland.
1922	The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was created and existed until c.1991 when the political confederation collapsed. Georgian revolutionary and Soviet politician Joseph Stalin became leader, and later dictator, of the USSR. Danish physicist and philosopher Niels Bohr won the Nobel Prize for his work on atomic structure and quantum theory. Fascist leader Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister in Italy and proceeded to seize power as dictator espousing an ideology of ‘revolutionary nationalism’.
1923	Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened by British archaeologist Howard Carter. The first Le Mans 24 Hours Grand Prix of Endurance motor race took place in France. It remains the world’s oldest endurance sports car racing event.
1924	The first international Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France.
1925	Author Franz Kafka wrote the novel, ‘The Trial’, the same year that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote ‘The Great Gatsby’. The first successful black & white television transmission was made by Scottish engineer John Logie Baird in the UK, with the first public demonstration the following year.
1926	The first General Strike took place in Britain after the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called for widespread industrial action to support miners who were locked out by owners demanding longer hours for less pay. The famous U.S. Route 66 highway from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California was opened, with a total length of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).
1927	Aviator Charles Lindburgh made the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in his plane The Spirit of St. Louis. The sprawling epic dystopian science fiction silent film, ‘Metropolis’, directed by Fritz Lang was released. Russian/American singer and actor Al Jolson starred in the first commercial feature length ‘talkie’ film, ‘The Jazz Singer’.
1928	Scottish biologist, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the anti‑biotic penicillin, which would go on to revolutionise modern medicine. American animator Walt Disney introduced Mickey Mouse to the public in the short film, ‘Steamboat Willie’. Republican politician Herbert Hoover became the 31^st president of the United States of America.
1929	Notorious gangster Al Capone allegedly carried out the brutal Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre of 7 members of the North Side Gang in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. American astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated that the universe is expanding. The Vatican City became an independent and sovereign state located within Rome, Italy. The U.S. Stock Market collapsed, known widely as the Wall Street Crash, precipitating the worldwide Great Depression that lasted until the late 1930s.

Musical Genre Development 1920-1929

Blues and jazz continued to be popular during the 1920s, the latter sparking the ‘jazzmania’ craze. These twin pillars of modern musical culture also began to spawn new genre styles and to influence a diverse range of musical expression. Record, radio and film companies started to search out new artists and music to bring to a wider audience. It was in 1925 that the electrical recording and the 78rpm vinyl record became standard, the same year that television began, thereby opening up a whole new market for musicians.

In the 1920s, two separate musical forms emerged from Louisiana in the deep south of the United States, cajun and zydeco. The Cajuns were French colonists, called Acadians, from North Eastern America (Canada and Nova Scotia) who migrated to Louisiana in the late 18^th Century, bringing with them Cajun musical traditions. The creole were people descended from the inhabitants of French colonial Louisiana and who developed their own distinct musical style called zydeco. Although often regarded as similar, the two forms developed in parallel and have different cultural origins and styles. Cajun music is often played on accordion and fiddle, while zydeco is usually played on accordion and washboard. Both forms became popular outside insular local communities from the late 1920s when early recordings became available. Stylistic origins derived from blues, jazz, spirituals, traditional folk and country music, as well as regional influences from Europe, Africa, indigenous Americans and the Caribbean. Both cajun and zydeco are often used as dance music, including two‑steps and waltzes. Cajun and zydeco, in turn, influenced other forms of American roots music.

From the 1880s, musical theatre such as vaudeville and burlesque were common and very popular. From around 1920, commercial theatrical Broadway musicals originated in New York and London, becoming widespread and attracting big audiences before ‘talkie’ cinema movies began to adopt musical storytelling as a reflection of popular culture. Successful composers of the time included George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. Prior to the 1920s most music distribution was by way of sheet music, piano rolls or live performance. It was during the 1920s that recording and distribution of popular music really took off, giving audiences much greater access to a wide range of music. However, the gramophone had strong competition from the proliferation of wireless radio and commercial radio stations during the 1920s, as well as motion pictures. In 1927, the first commercial feature length film to incorporate synchronised music, singing and speech, ‘The Jazz Singer’, starring Al Jolson was released. Broadway musicals reached their zenith in the 1940s with hits such as Oklahoma (1943). The convergence and crossover between Broadway and cinema musicals became a major launch pad for musical dissemination into the 1950s and beyond, including the development of soundtrack compositions for film and, later, television.

Country music was another genre that emerged from the Appalachian Mountain region of southern and eastern America during the 1920s, particularly in Tennessee but also Oklahoma and Texas. The roots of country music came largely from traditional genres such as folk, blues, hillbilly and western music, and was heavily influenced by Irish, English and wider European immigrants to the American east and south. Early popular country music, including cowboy songs, were often regarded as the music of the American rural working classes. Popular establishments for hillbilly music were the rowdy honky‑tonk bars of the period. Country music comprised of song ballads and dances normally constructed from simple arrangements, lyrics that told a story, and vocal harmonies. In addition country music accompaniment was usually provided by an array of acoustic string instruments such as banjos, guitars and fiddles as well as harmonicas and Jews harps. Early pioneers of country music included Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, followed by other famous artists such as Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. Country music is a massive commercial industry, now largely centred on Nashville, Tennessee. Country music is a diverse musical form of expression and continues to evolve, having seen several resurgences of popularity since its early heyday.

Musical Facts 1920-1929

Bert Weedon

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
10	May	1920	English guitarist and a guide for millions of fledgling guitarists the world over, Bert Weedon OBE (1920-2012, 91) was born in London.
29	August	1920	Legendary American jazz/bebop saxophonist and composer, Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker Jr. was born in Kansas City, Kansas.
7	June	1921	Virtuoso American jazz guitarist, Tal Farlow (1921-1998, 77) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
4	August	1921	Influential and highly renowned American jazz guitarist Herb Ellis (1921-2010, 88) was born in Farmersville, Texas.
7	August	1921	French virtuoso gypsy flamenco guitarist Manitas de Plata (1921-2014, 93) was born in Sète.
3	April	1922	American singer and Hollywood actress Doris Day was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
22	April	1922	Hugely influential American jazz double bass player and bandleader Charles Mingus was born in Nogales, Arizona.
10	June	1922	Famous American actress, singer and dancer Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
5	January	1923	Legendary American producer and founder of Sun Records, Sam Phillips was born in Florence, Alabama. Phillips signed artists including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash.
6	March	1923	Legendary and hugely influential American jazz guitarist, Wes Montgomery (1923-1968, 45) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.
25	April	1923	Legendary guitarist and one of the ‘Three ‘Kings’ of blues guitar, the one and only Albert King (1923-1992, 69) was born in Indianola, Mississippi.
29	July	1923	One of the world’s great innovators in modern music, nicknamed ‘The Father Of Loud’, Dr Jim Marshall OBE (1923-2012, 88), founder of Marshall Amplification PLC, was born in London.
17	October	1923	Great American jazz guitarist Barney Kessel (1923-2004, 80) was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
27	March	1924	Highly acclaimed Grammy award winning American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan was born in Newark, New Jersey.
18	April	1924	American blues rock guitarist, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown (1924-2005, 81) was born in Vinton, Louisiana.
20	June	1924	Great American country guitarist and producer who established the Nashville sound, nicknamed ‘The Country Gentleman’ and ‘Mr. Guitar’, Chet Atkins (1924-2001, 77) was born in Luttrell, Tennessee.
6	July	1925	American guitarist, singer and Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneer Bill Haley (1925-1981, 55) was born in Highland Park, Michigan.
15	August	1925	Virtuoso Canadian jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson was born in Montreal, Quebec.
6	September	1925	American electric blues guitarist and Hall of Famer, Jimmy Reed (1925-1976, 50) was born in Dunleith, Mississippi.
16	September	1925	Legendary American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer supreme, one of the ‘Three ‘Kings’ of blues guitar, Mr BB King (1925-2015, 89) was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
28	November	1925	The famous country music institution, the Grand Ole Opry was founded in Nashville, Tennessee by George D. Hay to promote country music and showcase its history.
8	December	1925	American singer, musician, dancer, actor, vaudevillian and comedian Sammy Davis Jr. was born in Harlem, New York.
2	January	1926	The first edition of the monthly popular music magazine ‘Melody Maker’ was published in the UK, priced at just 3 pence. It ran for over 74 years until 2000.
3	January	1926	English record producer, composer and conductor, Sir George Martin was born in London. He was well known for his pioneering collaboration with The Beatles.
26	April	1926	Hugely influential American blues guitarist J.B. Hutto (1926‑1983, 57) was born in Blackville, South Carolina.
26	May	1926	Legendary and hugely influential American jazz trumpeter and composer, Miles Davis was born in Alton, Illinois.
17	September	1926	American bass guitarist who played with Elvis Presley in the pioneering rock ‘n’ roll years, Bill Black (1926-1965, 39) was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
18	October	1926	Hugely influential pioneering American rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, singer and songwriter, the legendary Chuck Berry (1926‑2016, 90) was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
23	November	1926	Underrated American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, the inimitable R.L. Burnside (1926-2005, 78) was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi.
10	December	1926	Pioneering New Orleans blues guitarist, Guitar Slim (real name, Eddie Jones, 1926-1959, 32) was born in Greenwood, Mississippi.
28	January	1927	English jazz saxophonist and founder of the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club situated in Soho, London in 1959, Ronnie Scott OBE was born in Aldgate, London.
–	January	1928	American country guitarist and member of Johnny Cash’s band, the Tennessee Three, Luther Perkins (1928-1968, 40) was born in Como, Mississippi.
19	April	1928	Influential English musician and pioneer of the British blues/R&B scene in the 1960s, Alexis Korner was born in Paris, France.
5	May	1928	One of the main men behind the ‘Man In Black’, American bass player with Johnny Cash’s band, the Tennessee Two, Marshall Grant (1928-2011, 83) was born in Bryson City, North Carolina.
6	August	1928	Famous American pop artist, manager of The Velvet Underground, producer, director and album artwork designer, Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
30	December	1928	Massively influential in the development of modern music, American guitarist, singer and songwriter Bo Diddley (1928-2008, 79) was born in McComb, Mississippi.
13	January	1929	American virtuoso jazz guitarist, Joe Pass (1929-1994, 65) was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
10	February	1929	Legendary American film and television music composer and conductor, Jerry Goldsmith was born in Los Angeles, California.
17	April	1929	German composer and big band leader of the James Last Orchestra, James Last was born in Bremen, Germany.
2	May	1929	Highly influential American rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, Link Wray (1929-2005, 76) was born in Dunn, North Carolina.
23	June	1929	American country singer, songwriter, actress, author, member of the famous Carter family and wife of Jonny Cash, June Carter Cash, was born in Maces Spring, Virginia.
19	December	1929	American blues and gospel guitarist, singer and songwriter, Blind Lemon Jefferson died from a reported heart attack in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 36.

Historical Context 1930-1939

After a period of relative peace during the 1920s, the ‘Dirty Thirties’ followed. The harshness of the global recession set in, resulting in widespread unemployment, hardship, deprivation and poverty. The catalysts for descent of the globe’s major industrialised countries into a second and even more destructive world war had been seeded and, despite progress in other areas of human civilisation such as science, technology and art, the political die was already cast. Expansionist agendas fuelled Fascism in Europe, which coalesced into the rise of the Third Reich in Germany and its Axis power allies, while communism was also on the rise.

Year	Global Events
1930	The first FIFA soccer World Cup was held in Uruguay; the home team beat Argentina in the final.
1931	The Empire State Building opened in Manhattan, New York, reaching 102 stories and 1,250 feet (381m) tall.
1932	English author Aldous Huxley published his famous futurist novel, ‘Brave New World’. American aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1933	Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected 32^ndPresident of the United States of America. After 13 years, the nationwide prohibition of manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol in America was ended. In Germany, Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party became Chancellor and subsequently Führer in 1934, establishing his one‑party dictatorship. Infamous American bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot and killed after being ambushed by a posse of law enforcement officers in Louisiana.
1934	The worst ever American drought led to severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies, known widely as the Dust Bowl. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, an American maximum security prison island located in San Francisco Bay, California, also known as ‘The Rock’, opened its cell doors for the country’s most notorious criminals.
1935	British publishing house Penguin Books was founded and introduced the first inexpensive paperback books.
1936	The massive art deco style Hoover Dam, spanning the Colorado River in Nevada became operational, with a height of 726 feet (221m) and a length of 1,244 feet (379m). British monarch King George V died. His successor, Edward VIII was crowned and soon abdicated, and George VI became King. The bitter Spanish Civil War started after the Spanish army in support of General Franco rebelled against the Republican presidency. The conflict lasted until 1939, resulting in Franco becoming nationalist dictator of Spain until 1975.
1937	The German passenger airship Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed when attempting to dock with a mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 people. Conservative Party MP Neville Chamberlain was elected British Prime Minister.
1938	Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast adapting H.G. Wells’ science fiction novel ‘The War Of The Worlds’ caused mass panic in America. The first comic book appearance of fictional superhero Superman was published by Action Comics.
1939	The classic ‘golden era’ Hollywood films ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Gone with the Wind’ were released. The first comic book appearance of fictional superhero Batman was published by Detective Comics (DC). The Second World War (WWII) began when Britain and France responded to Germany’s military invasion of Poland. The first successful flight of a jet-propelled aircraft was undertaken by a Heinkel He178, developed for the German Luftwaffe, in Rostock, Germany.

Musical Genre Development 1930-1939

Music of the 1930s was largely characterised by social events such as the Great Depression and the growth in popularity of radio and Hollywood cinema, which began to replace Broadway musical theatre. Established genres such as jazz continued to evolve to reflect changes in social culture, giving birth to swing and big band music. Jump blues music began to appear in the 1930s, adapting the grand swing and big band music for smaller venues, performed by small bands. The 1930s also saw the introduction of the electric guitar, which began to play a part in evolution of popular music of the decade.

Hawaiian music was popular with mainstream audiences in America during the 1930s, even though it had been a major genre in the mid-Pacific since the late 19^th Century. Hawaiian music was important because of its influence on country music, including the introduction of the lap steel guitar, often played horizontally and using a slide. It also helped to shape Polynesian music across the Pacific islands.

Traditional folk music has been an enduring form of musical expression throughout the centuries, in many nations and regions across the globe. Historically, folk music is often regarded as an oral tradition being handed down by word of mouth over many generations. During the 1930s, contemporary folk music, an Anglo‑American acoustic style, experienced a revival, often commenting about social issues including war, work, civil unrest, economic hardship, as well as love songs and non‑topical comedy themes. As the roots of folk music predate many modern musical genres, influences came from all over the world, imported by immigrants to America from Europe and Asia, as well as traditional songs used by African slaves. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, America in particular experienced a booming folk scene. The record industry began to exploit folk songs as an alternative to other popular genres. One of the most significant folk singer/songwriters of the generation was Woody Guthrie, whose work in the 1930s and 1940s was often seen as a protest against rural injustice, and which has influenced many artists since. Other famous artists from the 1940s to the early 1960s included Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan in America, Donovan, Ralph McTell and Martin Carthy in the UK, as well as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Buffy Sainte-Marie in Canada.

Swing music is a close relative of jazz and has its roots as early as the 1920s, becoming a dominant genre during the 1930s and 1940s, predominantly in urban cities such as Chicago, New York and Kansas City. It is notable because music with a strong ‘swing feel’ became popular dance music, especially in lively clubs that could accommodate swing ensembles. Swing was popularised by big band swing orchestras such as that led by Benny Goodman. Other famous swing artists included Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. The ‘swing era’ lasted for about 10 years from 1935 to 1946, when popularity began to fade during and after World War II. Swing was also hugely influential in popular music with artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Dance crazes of the swing era included the jitterbug and the shag, which would evolve into dances later associated with genres such as R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. Swing and its derivatives have experienced a number of revivals in subsequent years.

Musical Facts 1930-1939

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
15	January	1930	American Chicago blues guitarist working either solo or with other artists, Earl Hooker (1930-1970, 40) was born in Quitman County, Mississippi.
17	June	1930	American rock ‘n’ roll guitarist who played with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps in the 1950s, Cliff Gallup (1930-1988, 58) was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
3	July	1930	Highly regarded, prolific American session guitarist, Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997, 67) was born in Niagara Falls, New York.
30	August	1930	American entrepreneur, musician and innovator of guitar equipment, Ernie Ball (1930-2004, 74) was born in Santa Monica, California.
29	April	1931	Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist, often referred to as the ‘King of Skiffle’, Lonnie Donegan (1931-2002, 71) was born in Glasgow.
17	September	1931	Record company RCA-Victor first demonstrated the 33¹/₃rpm Long Playing (LP) record. Astoundingly, the vinyl ‘album’ is still going strong, even now.
5	November	1931	Controversial American R&B/soul guitarist, songwriter, producer and rock ‘n’ roll innovator, Ike Turner (1931-2007, 76) was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
16	November	1931	Influential American blues guitarist, singer and long-term member of Howlin’ Wolf’s band, Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011, 80) was born in Greenwood, Mississippi.
27	December	1931	Influential rock ‘n’ roll legend, American guitarist Scotty Moore (1931-2016, 84) who played with Elvis Presley in the early days was born in Gadsden, Tennessee.
26	February	1932	The great American country legend that is Mr Johnny Cash (1932-2003, 71) was born in Kingsland, Arkansas.
9	April	1932	Great American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Carl Perkins (1932-1998, 65) was born in Tiptonville, Tennessee.
1	October	1932	Legendary American blues/rock guitarist and singer, ‘the master of the Telecaster’ and ‘the ice man’, Albert Collins (1932-1993, 61) was born in Leona, Texas.
14	March	1933	Multi-award-winning American musician and record producer Quincy Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois.
29	April	1933	Legendary American outlaw country legend, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas.
3	May	1933	Legendary American singer, songwriter and producer, often proclaimed as the ‘godfather of soul’, James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina.
15	July	1933	English virtuoso classical guitarist and one of the very best musicians of his generation, Julian Bream was born in London.
3	November	1933	English composer of film and TV scores, including 11 James Bond film soundtracks and numerous theme tunes, John Barry OBE was born in York, Yorkshire.
29	November	1933	Legendary English blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and founder of the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall OBE was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
7	February	1934	American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, Earl King (1934-2003, 69) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
28	April	1934	Renowned American delta blues guitarist Charlie Patton died from a heart disorder in Sunflower County, Mississippi at the age of 43.
3	September	1934	Hugely influential American blues guitarist and one of the ‘Three Kings’ of blues guitar, Freddie King (1934-1976, 42) was born in Gilmer, Texas.
21	September	1934	Legendary Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter, Leonard Cohen (1934-2016, 82) was born in Montreal, Quebec.
1	December	1934	American blues and ragtime guitarist Arthur ‘Blind’ Blake died from tuberculosis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of 38.
8	January	1935	American singer, guitarist and cultural icon that would become ‘The King’, Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977, 42) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
3	February	1935	Flamboyant American soul, blues and funk guitarist, singer and songwriter, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson (1935-1996, 61) was born in Houston, Texas.
29	April	1935	Influential American Chicago blues guitarist and singer, Otis Rush, (1935-2018, 84) was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
6	June	1935	American virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer Grant Green (1935-1979, 43) was born in St Louis, Missouri.
17	October	1935	English dairy farmer and founder of the world famous Glastonbury Music Festival from 1970 to date, Michael Eavis was born in Pilton Somerset.
22	April	1936	Great American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Glen Campbell (1936-2017, 81) was born in Billstown, Arkansas.
30	July	1936	Legendary and highly influential American Chicago Blues guitarist and singer, George ‘Buddy’ Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana.
7	September	1936	Legendary American rock ‘n’ roll star, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Buddy Holly (1936-1959, 22) was born in Lubbock, Texas.
24	October	1936	English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, former member of rock band The Rolling Stones and bandleader with The Rhythm Kings, Bill Wyman was born in London.
6	April	1937	Acclaimed American country singer, songwriter and guitarist, Merle Haggard (1937-2016, 79) was born in Oildale, California.
4	May	1937	Influential American surf rock guitarist often referred to as ‘the king of the surf guitar’ Dick Dale (1937-2019, 81) was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
15	May	1937	Renowned American guitarist, singer and actor, Trinidad ‘Trini’ Lopez III was born in Dallas, Texas.
15	June	1937	Influential American country guitarist and singer, Waylon Jennings (1937-2002, 64) was born in Littlefield, Texas.
13	January	1938	Australian guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-founder of psychedelic rock bands Soft Machine and Gong, Daevid Allen (1938-2015, 77) was born in Melbourne, Victoria.
25	January	1938	Grammy award-winning artist and Hall of Famer, legendary American songstress, Etta James was born in Los Angeles, California.
26	April	1938	American rock ‘n’ roll guitarist who became famous for his signature ‘twang’ guitar sound, Duane Eddy was born in Corning, New York.
16	August	1938	Legendary American blues guitarist Robert Johnson died in mysterious circumstances in Greenwood, Mississippi at the age of 27. The bizarre mythology surrounding Johnson’s life and demise continues to deepen with time.
3	October	1938	Legendary American singer and guitarist, Eddie Cochran (1938-1960, 21) was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota.
5	December	1938	Highly influential American guitarist, singer and songwriter, J.J. Cale (1938-2013, 74) was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
18	December	1938	English bass guitarist with The Animals, record producer and manager of both Slade and Jimi Hendrix, Chas Chandler (1938-1996, 57) was born in Newcastle upon Tyne.
2	April	1939	American singer, Motown soul legend and multi-award winning artist, Marvin Gaye was born in Washington DC.
4	April	1939	Incomparable English double bass guitarist who has collaborated with artists like John Martyn and Richard Thompson to great effect, Danny Thompson was born in Teignmouth, Devon.
28	July	1939	American singer and actress, Judy Garland recorded the perennial all‑time‑favourite song, ‘Over The Rainbow’ from the classic feature film, ‘The Wizard Of Oz’.
21	August	1939	Hall of Famer and prolific American guitarist and collaborator extraordinaire, James Burton was born in Dubberly, Louisiana.
23	September	1939	Influential American blues/rock guitarist Roy Buchanan (1939-1988, 48) was born in Ozark, Arkansas.
26	November	1939	American-born Swiss soul/R&B/pop singer, songwriter and actress Tina Turner was born in (where else?) Nutbush, Tennessee.
26	December	1939	Famous but volatile American ‘Wall of Sound’ record producer Phil Spector was born in New York. He is currently serving a 19-year prison sentence in California for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003.

Tailpiece

Phew! That was a bit of a 20‑year roller coaster. However, this still hasn’t got us to point at which ‘modern music’ arguably really begins, i.e. from the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll and will ultimately bring us up‑to‑date. However, it is a fascinating insight into not only what the rapidly growing global population got up to but also how this was inextricably linked to how music was also progressing. Social culture and music are symbiotically interdependent – culture shapes and stimulates music and music reflects and influences culture. The 20 years covered in this article are therefore fundamental building blocks of the unstoppable development that will lead us to rock ‘n’ roll and beyond. The next article will, hopefully, bridge the gap from the start of WWII to the ground-breaking events that would take place in the 1950s.

Watch this space and make sure you tune in, same time same place next month. I can’t wait… can you? Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “Don’t try to learn from geniuses how to be a genius. They are unique. Think for yourself and you are a genius, even if no-one else notices. That is also integrity.”

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