University of Toronto Coming Up Together Motown and Miracle of Smokey Robinson Paper

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Artist Profile:

Write an Artist Profile on one of the following artists or songwriting teams:

Carol Kaye- [bass, guitar]

James Jamerson [bass]

Lieber & Stoller [songwriters]

Smokey Robinson [songwriter/producer/performer]

What are the formative influences for this artist? How did they learn their trade and in which kinds of music? If there was a breakthrough moment in their career, when did it occur? Describe this moment. What were the factors in play? Was this artist involved in any major recordings? i.e. songs that are considered “classic” or notable contributions in the history of popular music. Did this artist influence future musicians in the field? If so, who, and briefly describe.

Your assignment should be roughly 1000 words [2 pages singles spaced].

You must provide three online sources for this assignment. Wikipedia is an acceptable place to begin given current conditions, but there are numerous sources of information. I’ve provided some tips for online research on Brightspace. You cannot use quotes of any kind in this assignment. It is to be written in your own words. However, avoid writing in first person unless you wish to express personal opinion at the end of the report. This is acceptable once you have completed the criteria for the assignment. You cannot submit this assignment in point form. One strategy is to create a point form draft in which you answer all of the pertinent questions. Then write the assignment using your draft as a skeleton [I have included a sample version of a point form rough draft and a final draft].

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Joey Ambers B00TooOld MUSC 2019: Rock ‘n’ Roll Era & Beyond: Assignment 1 – Ar@st Profile: Grady Mar@n Grady Mar4n (1929-2001) was a prolific session guitarist based in Nashville from the 1950s un4l the 1990s. Mar4n has appeared on countless recordings as a guitarist, both electric and acous4c. He also recorded playing fiddle and the electric six-string ‘4c tac’ bass, illustra4ng his versa4lity as a musician. Mar4n was familiar playing various musical styles including country, rockabilly, and pop. Along with his fellow session musician team, Mar4n worked with many popular music legends including Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline. While these ar4sts are household names, the musicians on their records, like Grady Mar4n, have not received much recogni4on. Like many children growing up in Tennessee in the 1930s, and like so many of his musical peers growing up in the American South, Grady Mar4n tuned into radio broadcasts of the iconic Grand Ole Opry show. The Grand Ole Opry aired live from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, considered the Mother Church or epicenter of country music. The Opry featured performances from the top country music stars including Hillbilly singer Roy Acuff and harmonica player DeFord Bailey, two ar4sts the young Mar4n was especially fond of. Mar4n moved to Nashville at just fi[een to play fiddle professionally with a radio singer named Big Jim Bess. Mar4n’s early career featured many stepping stones. He worked in Nashville for a few years, making friends, industry connec4ons, and a name for himself as a fiddler and guitarist. In 1949 Mar4n got hired to play with Grand Ole Opry star Li^le Jimmy Dickens. Ge_ng close to the Opry’s inner circle would be considered a major breakthrough in those days, opening many music industry doors. In 1949 Mar4n recorded electric guitar on Red Foley’s “Cha^anooga Shoe Shine Boy.” The single featured Mar4n’s raw, bluesy guitar solo and enjoyed thirteen weeks at number one on the country charts, as well as claiming the top spot on the pop charts for eight weeks. “Cha^anooga Shoe Shine Boy” was a major stepping stone in Mar4n’s career as a session guitarist in Nashville. In the 1950s, the opening of new recording studios on Nashville’s Music Row led to steady session work for Mar4n as Nashville became a major player in the recording industry. Under the supervision of studio owners Owen and Harold Bradley, a core group of musicians working in these studios evolved and were later dubbed the “A-Team.” Along with Grady Mar4n, the “ATeam” included bassist Bob Moore, pianist Floyd Cramer, and drummer Buddy Harman, who would appear on Nashville’s top recordings from the 1950s and ‘60s. Similar to later session crews like the Funk Brothers (Motown in Detroit), the Wrecking Crew (Phil Spector in LA), and Booker T & the MGS (Stax in Memphis), the A-Team played on seemingly countless recordings with minimal recogni4on. These studio musicians are rarely singled out for their musical efforts or talents. They worked as a team to create a cohesive sound and arrangement that suited the song being recorded. The studio process on Music Row in Nashville during the 1950s and ‘60s was like a produc4on line of pop and country hits, much like Motown’s efficient process in Detroit. Hits from Nashville during the ‘50s and ‘60s were recorded so quickly and efficient largely due to the playing, arranging and improvising of the session musicians, including guitarist Grady Mar4n. The A-Team, with guitarist Grady Mar4n, recorded on many notable pop and country hits during the 1950s and ‘60s. Mar4n’s infec4ous electric guitar riff can be heard on Roy Orbison’s “Pre^y Woman,” recorded on Music Row in 1964. Mar4n worked with country legend Ray Price on his 1970 song “For the Good Times.” The song was wri^en by Kris Kristofferson, who was at the 4me just another starving songwriter in Nashville. Ray Price’s recording of “For the Good Times” jumpstarted Kristofferson’s lengthy and decorated career as a singer-songwriter. Arguably, Grady Mar4n’s most historically significant recordings are the Decca Records sessions with Patsy Cline that took place just before she died. These sessions at Owen Bradley’s studio on Music Row produced hits like “Crazy” (1961), “Walking A[er Midnight” (1961) “She’s Got You” (1961), and “Sweet Dreams” (1963). Patsy Cline died tragically in a helicopter crash on March 5th, 1963. She was just thirty years old, a mother of two, and at the peak of her career. Her version of “Sweet Dreams” was released just weeks a[er her death and rose to the top of the country charts. This recording captured an important piece of country music history and provided a haun4ng posthumous keepsake for fans. Grady Mar4n’s guitar playing was influen4al in the sense that he was heard on just about every record coming out of Nashville from the 1950s un4l the 1970s. His versa4lity as a guitarist allowed him to master many styles like the acous4c guitar Tex-Mex flourishes on Marty Robbins’s “El Paso” (1959), raucous hollow-body electric guitar riffs on 1950s rockabilly recordings, or clean-sounding electric and acous4c guitar for the pop stylings of Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline in the early 1960s. Mar4n’s claim to guitar fame was apparently accidental. Mar4n is credited with discovering the iconic fuzz tone on electric guitars, also known as distor4on. Mar4n accidentally achieved this fuzz tone when the mixing board wiring shorted during the recording session for Marty Robbins’s “Don't “Worry” in 1961. The faulty wiring caused Grady Mar4n’s electric six-string (‘4c tac’) bass to sound fuzzy, dirty, and distorted. Mar4n’s tone accident inspired an electric guitar effect pedal called the Maestro Fuzz Tone. This popular electric guitar pedal can be heard on Keith Richards’s signature guitar riff from The Rolling Stones’ hit single “Sa4sfac4on,” released in 1965. A signature guitar tone is sought-a[er asset and key component to a guitarist’s sound, a no4on that would con4nue to inspire and taunt guitarists in popular music for decades to come. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Fanelli, Damien. “Essen4al Listening: 10 Great Fuzz Guitar Songs.” Guitar World. May 29, 2018. h^ps://www.guitarworld.com/ar4sts/10-great-fuzz-guitar-songs “Grady Mar4n.” Wikipedia. Accessed May 13, 2020. h^ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Grady_Mar4n Gray, Michael. “Guitar Great Grady Mar4n Dies At 72.” CMT News. December 4, 2001. h^p:// www.cmt.com/news/1451304/guitar-great-grady-mar4n-dies-at-72/ Kienzle, Rich. “Grady Mar4n.” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Accessed May 13, 2020. h^ps://countrymusichalloffame.org/ar4st/grady-mar4n/ “Obituaries; Grady Mar4n, 72; Veteran Nashville Studio Musician.” Los Angeles Times. December 5, 2001. h^ps://searchproquest.com.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/news/docview/ 421668026/5BD341DC0F0E4124PQ/1?accoun4d=10406 Sullivan, Steve. Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 1. Toronto: The Scarecrow Press, 2013. Wolfe, Charles K. “Mar4n, (Thomas) Grady.” Grove Music Online. January 13, 2015. h^ps:// www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/ 9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002276031?rskey=2fokwL&result=1 MUSC 2019: Rock ‘n’ Roll Era & Beyond: Assignment 1 – ArBst Profile – ROUGH DRAFT ArBst Profile: Grady Mar(n 1929-2001 • Guitarist/Session Musician/Band Leader/Arranger • Based in Nashville, associated with rockabilly, country and pop ar(sts, ac(ve career from 1950s to 1990s • Part of the “A-Team” of studio musicians in Nashville • Recorded with Roy Orbison, Johnny Horton, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson. • Emphasize his reach and volume of recordings; the big hits; versa(lity as a player • He played electric and acous(c guitar, fiddle, electric six-string bass ((c tac bass) What are the formaBve influences for this arBst? How did they learn their trade and in which kinds of music? • Grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcasts, especially enjoyed singer Roy Acuff and harmonica player DeFord Bailey • Moved to Nashville at 15 to play fiddle professionally, western swing groups • Country Jazz with his group Grady Mar(n & the Slewfoot 5 (electric guitar) If there was a breakthrough moment in their career, when did it occur? Describe this moment. What were the factors in play? • Mar(n got hired to play in Grand Ole Opry star Jimmy Dickens’s band (connec(ons/ experience) • Recorded guitar on Red Foley’s “Cha`anooga Shoe Shine Boy” (1949), #1 hit, propelled his session guitarist career in Nashville • Opening of new recording studios on Nashville’s Music Row led to steady employment as Nashville became a major player in the recording industry, development of the “ATeam,” similar to later session crews like the Funk Brothers (Motown/Detroit), the Wrecking Crew (Phil Spector/LA), Booker T & the MGS (Stax/Memphis) Was this arBst involved in any major recordings? i.e. songs that are considered “classic” or notable contribuBons in the history of popular music. • Roy Orbison “Pre`y Woman” (1964)– electric guitar, one of the most famous guitar riffs • Willie Nelson “On the Road Again” – toured with for years Willie as well • Ray Price “For the Good Times” • Patsy Cline “Crazy” (1961), “Walking Aeer Midnight” (1961) “She’s Got You” (1961). “Sweet Dreams” (1963) last recording sessions before Cline’s un(mely death, “Sweet Dreams” released aeer her death. (Country music legacy/importance). Did this arBst influence future musicians in the field? If so, who, and briefly describe. • The fuzz tone/accidental distor(on on Marty Robbins’s “Don't Worry” (1961). One of the first instances of distor(on. Fuzz tone on the guitar became a key component of rock music in the ‘60s. Use Maestro Fuzz Tone guitar pedal used on The Rolling Stones “Sa(sfac(on” (1965) played by Keith Richards as an example. (Cite: CMHOF site) • Reiterate Grady Mar(n’s number of recordings as influence, the A-Team’s influence as a whole on other studios, industry norms Other Info: • Awards: Was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Che`y Award (2000) named aeer Chet Atkins for significant instrumental achievement SOURCES: Sources can be cut down later aeer you have decided which informa(on you are using for your ar(st profile. Acquiring more than enough informa(on and condensing it down to relevant details for your assignment is a good way to start. Make sure to keep track of what informa(on comes from which website in case you need to cite it in the final copy of your assignment. Wiki: h`ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grady_Mar(n Museum: h`ps://countrymusichalloffame.org/ar(st/grady-mar(n/ All Music: h`ps://www.allmusic.com/ar(st/grady-mar(n-mn0000802915 Online Forum (Vinyl Record collec(ng) h`ps://www.discogs.com/ar(st/322817-Grady-Mar(n Instrument/Player Magazine h`ps://www.guitarworld.com/ar(sts/10-great-fuzz-guitar-songs Instrument/Gear Website h`p://gretschpages.com/forum/vintage-gretsch-guitars/ remembering-grady-mar(n/64704/page1/ Online Encyclopedia h`ps://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/grovemusic/ view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002276031? rskey=2fokwL&result=1 Online News Source h`p://www.cmt.com/news/1451304/guitar-great-grady-mar(n-dies-at-72/ Historical Organiza(on h`p://www.rockabillyhall.com/gradytribute.html Google Books h`ps://books.google.ca/books? id=QWBPAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA316&lpg=PA316&dq=did+grady+mar(n+play+on+oh+pre`y+woma n&source=bl&ots=ZShHmCKwKS&sig=ACfU3U3fVdWqUOzpLW2MD5bdvSHQMPnfw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjrlp6UprHpAhWyct8KHQzkBM MQ6AEwCHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=did%20grady%20mar(n%20play%20on%20oh%20pre`y %20woman&f=false Newspaper (Obituary) h`ps://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/news/docview/ 421668026/5BD341DC0F0E4124PQ/1?accoun(d=10406
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Coming Up Together: Motown and the Miracle of Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson is a remarkable figure in the history of American popular music for
many reasons. According to Biography.com, he wrote 37 top 40 hits for Motown records, one of
the most influential labels of his era. He has written more than 4,000 songs, including hits for
many other musicians. His own band, the Miracles, were a wildly popular group. He has been
awarded by his industry and the nation through induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress, to name just a couple of the
most prestigious honors he has earned. Bob Dylan has called him America’s “greatest living
poet” (Prato, 2009).
Robinson was an African American musician in an era when being part of either of those
groups meant limited opportunities. Instead of struggling to get by the way a lot of other people
had to, he succeeded in both a professional and a creative capacity. The difference in Robinson’s
story from many other people was connected to his encounter with Berry Gordy, founder of
Motown Records, in 1957.
The encounter was an audition, one in which the Miracles impressed Gordy. It was not
long before he was even more impressed with Robinson in particular. Gordy had a management
company at the time and was looking to represent the Miracles. He produced two records for
them and licensed them ...


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Excellent resource! Really helped me get the gist of things.

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