Let's Give It To 'Em Right Now

September 23, 2003 5:44 PM

Plenty of pop music explosions have been international in scope-metal, punk, hip-hop. But none as much as the initial blast garage rock and roll that erupted after the Beatles and Stones broke big. Cutie Morning Moon does an astounding job of documenting the far flung outposts of garageland like Chile, Hong Kong, Sweden, Holland Japan Uruguay, Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe. It also includes the story of Japanese Brazillian expatriates Os Incriveis , plenty of wild photos, movie footage of swede legends the Tages and an article on the secret history of Joan Jett's #1 hit " I Love Rock And Roll". This site is seemingly bottomless, but if that ain't enough there's great links too. If the whole world gan get together and dig three chord boogie, I say there's still hope. *some pages are translated from Japanese. The prose can be awkward. But the feelings there.
posted by jonmc (13 comments total)

"But none as much as the initial blast garage rock and roll..."

With hip hop in mind, I'd certainly refute that statement.
posted by nthdegx at 5:48 PM on September 23, 2003

It'd be an interesting horse race that's for sure. And one I'd love watching and collecting records from.
posted by jonmc at 5:51 PM on September 23, 2003

Awesome links, jonmc. I think that the explosion of "garage rock and roll" was the harbinger of things to come and made people all over the world realise that they too could get a band together and play. It didn't really matter how good you were or if you had anything original, as long as you were enthusiastic you could have some fun and probably get at least some following. Live venues were everywhere and people were interested in hearing something new (or live covers of what was big on the UK or US at the time). I compare and contrast this with the pap that passes for new music today and it almost brings a tear to my eye.
posted by dg at 6:00 PM on September 23, 2003

Great big cracking post, jon - thanks!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:10 PM on September 23, 2003

nthdegx-

"But none as much as the initial blast garage rock and roll..."

...that stood out to me too, but then I thought about it...The Beatles broke in 1964, and by 1968, there were 'beat' bands in Brazil, South Africa and Japan. And it was already incorporated as much into Bollywood as Hollywood. It took punk and hip hop six or seven years to be heard around the world, and they remained outside the mainstream for ten years or more. But good garage rock was coming from everywhere in just a few months after the initial explosion. My all time favs are The Cynics.
posted by bendybendy at 8:41 PM on September 23, 2003

With hip hop in mind, I'd certainly refute that statement.

Was there an immediate hip-hop explosion in the early 80s that was international? I don't remember that. Can you elaborate?

Great links, jonmc. Believe it or not, I found the Tages compilation (1964-68) on Half.com not that long ago!
posted by dhoyt at 9:02 PM on September 23, 2003

[this is good rocks]
posted by anastasiav at 9:12 PM on September 23, 2003

Plenty of pop music explosions have been international in scope-metal, punk, hip-hop. But none as much as the initial blast garage rock and roll that erupted after the Beatles and Stones broke big.

Was there an immediate hip-hop explosion in the early 80s that was international? I don't remember that. Can you elaborate?

Well, yes, although I'd say the explosion occurred mid 80's and early 90's, but then rock and roll had been around quite a while before the Beatles "exploded", too. It wouldn't surprise me that people are unaware of the considerable hip hop movements in Scotland, Scandanavia, the Balkans, East Asia, Africa etc etc - most of which originated before hip hop's true global pop-appeal.

I can't say for sure and I have no axe to grind. I'd say, though, that Beat and Garage Rock are sub-genres of rock and roll (like hip hop, a music of black origin). I'd argue, then, that hip hop was more of an explosion as it was a brand new music and art form that certainly had international followings in the mid-80s, whereas the Beatles were standing on the shoulders of giants.
posted by nthdegx at 3:46 AM on September 24, 2003

Nice links - thanks jon.
posted by plep at 4:16 AM on September 24, 2003

nthdegx- I'd agree with a lot of what you said, but it really wasn't meant to be a debate-type post, more a "wow, these links are cool" type thing.
posted by jonmc at 5:20 AM on September 24, 2003

Absoultely, jonmc - and a great post indeed - had what I said not been questioned I wouldn't have harped on...

Apologies
posted by nthdegx at 7:09 AM on September 24, 2003

[This is too good for words]
posted by soundofsuburbia at 4:02 AM on September 25, 2003

the far flung outposts of garageland

Speaking of which, I just have to tell you a story.

My father was born (in 1948) and raised in northern Sweden, where rock'n'roll records were few and far between in the sixties. But as a true believer in the three chords he and a couple of friends formed a garage rock combo; Come Over Here And Play Music 5.

COHAPM5 relied on material mostly written by others, and being first with the latest was crucial. But, as I said, discs were few and far between. Still, one of the local cafes had a decent jukebox and in it resided a copy of Lee Dorsey's seminal "Working in a Coal Mine". A favourite with all the members of the group, they just had to incorporate it in their set.

But how would they transcribe it? By going down to the cafe with their instruments on their backs and their pockets full of loose change.

Those of you who've heard "Working in a Coal Mine" know that it begins with a rather complicated drum break. A rather complicated drum break the drummer of COHAPM5 had a hard time figuring out. And after about twenty repeated plays on the jukebox and much banging of cutlery over the intro (he didn't bring his drums along, of course) the owners of the cafe decided they'd had enough.

So they threw the whole band out. No more "Working in a Coal Mine" for them.

Not an unusual story, I suppose. But it makes me feel all warm inside, despite the fact that cafe owners in northern Sweden didn't believe enough in the power of rock'n'roll...
posted by soundofsuburbia at 5:07 AM on September 25, 2003