History of Rock and Roll Lesson 1/30/15

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How did changes in the Soul music of the early 1970s reflect broader shifts in American society during that time?

OVERVIEW

The early 1970s were an unsettling time in America.  The nation was divided about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, and Americans were still reeling from the 1968 assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.  Race riots in cities like Watts, Newark, and Detroit indicated a high level of tension and frustration. During the Civil Rights movement, African Americans had fought hard for equal rights, but in the early 1970s, many of those rights were still unrealized.  Not surprisingly, the Soul music of this era, according to Hip Hop pioneer Chuck D, was “darker,” reflecting national tensions. 

Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye addressed some of these realities with his album What’s Going On, speaking directly about Vietnam and the political upheaval of the time.  Meanwhile, Curtis Mayfield, who with his group The Impressions had recorded the hopeful Civil Rights-era anthem “People Get Ready,” began producing new songs that captured the raw facts of ghetto life.  When Mayfield released the soundtrack album for the movieSuper Fly in 1972, it seemed to epitomize the direction in which music was moving.  The age of Funk was coming. “The groove was so thick you had to get with it,” recalls Chuck D.  Though Hip Hop would not enter the picture until the late 1970s, this period of “Social Soul” in the early 1970s was planting the seeds for Hip Hop’s deep groove and social awareness.
In this lesson, students will examine photographs, live recordings, video interviews, and a government report in order to learn about the historical and cultural context of the Soul music recorded in the 1970s.

Activity #1 

Marvin Gaye was a celebrated Motown recording artist who pushed musical boundaries during his career.  An extended Marvin Gaye biography is available on our site.  You will be listening to two songs from Marvin Gaye, and carefully analyzing the lyrics to those songs.  

1. Play “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” released in 1964, and “What's Going On” released in 1971.

2. Carefully read  Handout 2: Marvin Gaye Lyric Comparison 

• Compare and contrast the two songs.  Are they similar in any way (e.g. vocals by the same artist, recorded for the same label)?  How are they different?  Think about their musicality, along with their message and tone.
• Note the dates the songs were released.  Can you identify any historical events that transpired took place in between the release of these two songs? 

Activity #2 

In this lesson, you will examine photographs, live recordings, video interviews, and a government report in order to learn about the historical and cultural context of the Soul music recorded in the 1970s.

1. Carefully study the photographs by clicking on the following link
2. On looseleaf, or in your notebooks, carefully answer the following questions, as contained in the following worksheet. 
3. Write a reflection, based on the following questions: 

• Are there any historical events that you learned about for the first time today?  Are there any events from the late 1960s that surprised you?
• Which photograph has the biggest impact on you and why?
• What common themes could you come up with in your groups?  How are these stations related, if at all?