Module 4

Heavy Blues

Led Zeppelin IV

In 1969, Jimmy Page, a professional electric guitarist from the U.K., found himself as the only member left in his band the Yardbirds. To fulfill some performance dates already scheduled for the popular U.K. band, he recruited fellow studio great John Paul Jones on bass, Robert Plant on vocals, and John Bonham on drums. Page promoted the band as the New Yardbirds. After a few live performances, the band renamed themselves Led Zeppelin. Page was part of a new generation of guitarists interested in developing a high-powered, electrified blues in the U.K. This elite group included Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, who both at one time played for the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix who migrated to the U.K. after beginning his career as an R&B sideman in the U.S. As rock and roll entered the 1970s, Led Zeppelin emerged as a leading force in defining mainstream rock for the new decade.

Zeppelin’s music was rooted in American blues, often presenting clear evidence. Their 1969 recording “Whole Lotta Love” was a reworking of Muddy Water’s 1963 rhythm and blues record “You Need Love.” The band also incorporated musical elements of acoustic folk and lyrics based on Medieval folklore. Zeppelin took advantage of advances in recording technology and experimented extensively. Following the precedent set by the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Zeppelin focused on producing albums rather than singles. They became one of the best selling acts of the 1970s, producing eight chart-topping albums in the U.K. and six in the U.S. One of their best-known albums, Led Zeppelin IV was released in 1971. The iconic album included the epic “Stairway to Heaven,” a textbook example of Zeppelin’s sound. None of the songs on the album was released as a single, therefore fans had to purchase the full album to hear any of their favorite songs.

Watch the following breakdown of Led Zeppelin and the blues:

Zeppelin’s live performances also revolutionized 1970s rock. They became one of the first bands to regularly sell out arenas, often playing for well over twenty thousand people per show. Zeppelin redefined what a band could demand for live performances, often collecting up to ninety percent of the venue’s profits, while the venue itself kept the remaining ten percent. Up to this point, the roles were reversed and the artist would typically be content to agree on ten percent. Both artistically and as a business, Led Zeppelin changed the course of rock and roll in the 1970s, by this time simply referred to as “rock.”

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

In 1967, four young musicians from the working-class, industrial town of Birmingham, England formed the band Earth. They soon changed their name Black Sabbath and began to develop a sound and visual aesthetic that would become the cornerstone of heavy metal. Guitarist Tony Iommi was key in developing a new, grungier electric guitar style, much of it due to a hand injury he suffered while working in a machine factory. Combined with Bill Ward’s drumming, who was inspired by the percussive machine sounds he would hear in local factories, Black Sabbath created music that possessed a much heavier feel. Geezer Butler on bass and John “Ozzy” Osbourne on vocals rounded out the band, contributing to the unique sound, especially the high range, otherworldly vocals of Osbourne. The band released their debut album Black Sabbath in 1970, complete with album artwork featuring occult-like images and darker themes. Sonically, the album featured sounds of church bells and thunder, much like the sound track to a horror film.

Watch the following breakdown of Black Sabbath:

Glam Rock

David Bowie

In 1969, David Bowie emerged from the U.K. glam rock scene with his first U.K. Top Ten record “Space Oddity.” Born David Robert Jones in 1947, Bowie changed his last name to avoid confusion with Davey Jones from the Monkees. Bowie was a pioneer in developing the elements of glam rock and rock theater. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, androgynous, heavily made-up musicians characterized glam rock. These musicians focused on developing a distinct visual image to compliment their musical identity. In 1972, Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The album reached number five on the U.K. charts and established Bowie’s popularity that eventually spread throughout Europe and America. Ziggy Stardust was the stage character Bowie created, dressing up for every show as the alien rock star. Several acts adopted this concept of fabricated stage characters including Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, KISS, and Parliament Funkadelic. Bowie continued to reinvent himself throughout the 1970s and beyond. On January 8, 2016, his sixty-ninth birthday, Bowie completed his final album Blackstar. He passed away from cancer two days later. David Bowie is remembered as an icon and true pioneer in rock history.

In the late 1960s, Vincent Furnier, originally from Detroit, began to record on Frank Zappa’s independent label. His first two albums were not successful by commercial standards. Furnier then began to develop his stage persona, Alice Cooper, into a complete live experience. He incorporated performances of nightmarish acts on stage, including his character being hanged, decapitated at the guillotine, and electrocuted. Alice Cooper’s image became an icon in rock history, with the trademark black eye makeup and ever-present black leather outfit. Furnier has kept the same image to the present day. After increased success with record sales in the early 1970s, Cooper’s breakthrough came with his 1973 release Billion Dollar Babies. The album reached number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. After only the first few months of their promotional tour, Alice Cooper grossed over six million. In the 1970s, the music industry’s first millionaire acts emerged.

KISS
KISS

In 1974, former schoolteacher Gene Simmons formed the band KISS. The band included Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on lead vocals and guitar, Ace Frehley on lead guitar, and Peter Criss on drums. Originally from New York, Simmons was heavily influenced by the New York Dolls. He developed a demon-like character with full-face makeup. Eventually each member of the band developed distinct characters in full make up, and literally hid their identities for years. They developed a stage show that incorporated pyrotechnics, elaborate lighting, and levitating drum sets. By 1975, the band was selling out arenas and climbing the charts with record sales. In 1976, KISS topped the U.S. album charts with Destroyer. KISS also took advantage of marketing and appeared in sci-fi feature films. The band even had toy action figures of their characters mass-produced.

Queen was another major act to have an impact on 1970s rock. Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor formed the band in 1971. Soon they recruited vocalist Farok Bulsara, better known as Freddie Mercury. Mercury fashioned himself in several different looks including tights, dresses, and what was known as the “clone” look, popular in the gay community in the 1980s. Mercury provided a high range, tenor voice that many consider to be one of the best in rock history, and was responsible for producing creative arrangements that reflected influences from rock, Broadway show music, and classical music. In 1975, the band recorded the epic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a work that would remain a favorite among the youth of the 1970s and future generations up through the present day. The song was featured in the 1992 film Wayne’s World, in a scene that has since become an iconic moment in rock history. A Night at the Opera, the album that featured “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached number four on the U.S. album charts and topped the British charts in 1976. Additionally, Queen produced a promotional film of the popular song. The film is considered by many to be the first music video, six years before Music Television (MTV). Queen continued their success into the 1980s with several hits songs including “Another One Bites the Dust” in 1980 and “Under Pressure,” a 1981 collaboration with David Bowie.

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