The British Invasion: The Beatles versus the Stones

“We idolized the Beatles, except for those of us who idolized the Rolling

Stones” Humorist Dave Barry

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Beatles

“Mersey beat” from Liverpool and ManchesterSkiffle and Buddy Holly influenced early soundClean image, matching suits, heeled bootsJohn Lennon (1940-1980), singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist Paul McCartney (born in 1942), singer, songwriter, electric bass guitar and keyboardsGeorge Harrison (1943-2001), singer, songwriter, lead guitarist, sitaristRingo Starr (born in 1940), singer, drummerTemporary members include Stu Sutcliffe and Pete BestBrian Epstein, managerGeorge Martin, principal producer

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Beatles’ music in three periods:1)Skiffle and Pop-influenced love songs (1957-

1964) 2)Dylan-influenced introspective songs (1965-

1966)3)Studio concentration without touring (1967-

1969)

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Listening Guide

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles (1964)Tempo: 132 beats per minute, 4 beats per barForm: 8-bar sections, with 4-bar refrains, some extensionsFeatures: Downbeat not clear until vocals begin

Even beat subdivisionsBackbeat in drumsInstrumentation, electric lead and rhythm guitars, electric

bass guitar, and drumsNo instrumental solosHand-clapped pattern creates polyrhythmic effect

Lyrics: Hand holding demonstrates a deeper connection with belovedCharts: Pop, #1 for seven weeks, British hits, #1 for five weeks

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Listening Guide

“Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles (1965)Tempo: 3-beat bars in waltz rhythm, with downbeats

at 60 per minuteForm: 8-bar phrasesFeatures: Vocals are gentle and dreamy

Primary accompaniment instruments are acoustic rhythm guitar and sitar with bass and tambourine

The sitar stands out because of bent notesLyrics: A cryptic story about an affair of John Lennon’s

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Listening Guide

“A Day in the Life” by the Beatles (1967)Tempo: 76 beats per minute, 4 beats per bar, but B section twice as fastForm: Sections in unequal lengths, ordered AAABAFeatures: Even beat subdivisions

Drums support rhythms, no backbeatInstruments include strummed acoustic guitar, electric

bass, piano, drums, and, before the B section, a forty-piece orchestra recorded and overdubbed four times to

create a sound massEnd with a long extension of a echo of the final piano chord

Lyrics: A sections include various different images described by John Lennon, B section about ordinary life that includes drug use by Paul McCartney

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The Rolling Stones

Rhythm & Blues band from LondonCasual dress and styleEarly songs included covers, original songs by 1965Mick Jagger (born in 1943), singer, songwriterKeith Richard (born in 1943), guitarist, songwriterBrian Jones (1942-1969), guitarist, multi-instrumentalistBill Wyman (born in 1936), electric bass guitarCharlie Watts (born in 1941), drumsAlso, Ian Stewart, pianist on some recordingsAndrew Oldham, manager

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Listening Guide

“Not Fade Away” by Buddy Holly (1957)Tempo: 184 beats per minute, 4 beats per barForm: 8-bar stanzasFeatures: Drums keep a soft “Bo Diddley” beat

Backbeat not prominent, some stop time used

Backup vocal group imitates the beatLyrics: Holly sings as if he were politely informing

a girl that she will eventually be his

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Listening Guide“Not Fade Away” by the Rolling Stones (1964)Tempo: 208 beats per minute, 4 beats per barForm: Similar to Buddy Holly’s original recordingFeatures: The Bo Diddley beat is stressed

Maracas keep even beat subdivisions, as Bo Diddley often did in his own recordings

Tambourine adds a black gospel feelThe backbeat is not prominentNo stop time is usedBlues harp (harmonica) adds some blues color

Lyrics: Jagger’s vocal tone, singing Holly’s same lyrics, sounds more demanding, and even arrogant, in his pronouncement that

the girl will soon be his

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Listening Guide“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones (1965)Tempo: 138 beats per minute, 4 beats per barForm: 8 or 16 bar sections with some extensionsFeatures: 2-bar opening riff played four times before vocals enter

Riff played on guitar though a Gibson Maestro fuzzbox to sound somewhat like a saxophone

Instruments include electric bass guitar, drums, tambourine, and acoustic guitar

Drums play steady beat with little backbeatLyrics: The song is about a desire for sex and frustration with commercial advertisingCharts: Pop, #1 for four weeks, R&B, # 19, British hits, #1

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Rolling Stones Membership Changes

Brian Jones quit in 1969 and died soon afterMick Taylor (born in 1948), Jones’ replacement

on guitarMick Taylor quit in 1975Ron Wood (born in 1947), Taylor’s replacement

on guitarBill Wyman quit in 1989Darryl Jones, Wyman’s replacement on electric

bass guitar

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Listening Guide

“Miss You” by the Rolling Stones (1978) Tempo: 112 beats per minute, 4 beats per barForm: 4-bar phrases

Four instrumental sections vary in lengthFeatures: Uneven beat subdivisions

Steady pulse in drums, some emphasis on backbeatJagger’s vocals change from soft and subtle to an effective

imitation of African American “jive talk” as he mimics a friend’s voice on the phone

Lyrics: The singer is obsessed by how much he misses the person to whom the song is directed

Charts: Pop, #1, R&B, #33, British hits, #3

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Discussion questions

What was it about the American social, political, and musical situations in the early sixties that made the country so ready for invasion by the British bands?

Were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones so great that they could have taken over the U.S. charts any time, or was it mostly a case of good timing that they became so popular so quickly?

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