Quote
loog droog
For young Americans who grew up in the '60's, there was a certain exotic appeal of British bands that made them more interesting than their American counterparts. A lot of it probably had to do with their ironic sense of humor.

You look at the Beach Boys, and except for Dennis none of them really seem like rock stars. They were just so...normal. Reminded me of any dude living in the neighborhood. Carl reminded me of the kid hustling groceries at a Drive-Thru Dairy Market, and Al Jardine looked more like a guy working the counter at Pep Boys!

Even the most boring British rocker still had the accent. And while it might be a "working class" one in the home country, in America it was part of the wonderful strangeness of the Rock Star gig which included sudden fame, screaming girls and (it appeared ) tons of money.

After awhile, the next generation of U.S. bands were so influenced by the British invasion that they started imitating a lot of the style, manner, etc. of British groups. So then you had American musicians imitating British musicians who were imitating American music.

Funny, I never thought of Brain Wilson being an ordinary person. Can that type of guy compose the ultimate pop song ( Good Vibrations) or some stuff like " Sloop John B".

For those of you in the USA who liked The Office (UK Version) take a look at Green Wing - that was almost as funny and off the wall.

Quote
colonial

Quote
EddieByword
I don't about British exclusively but English speaking ...yeah....It is strange how English speaking bands can and have made it really big in all the foreign speaking European countries, Japan, Latin America but that interest in their music has never been reciprocated.........(on the same scale at least).....

P.S. I take it you're not a Maori by descent then Colonial.....of course...hence the username....Brit must be in the blood

EddieByword..yea'..I come from a long line of Scottish Chimney Sweepers and Pickpockets..cool a'

lol...does that explain New Zealand ?....(deported)

Quote
71Tele
Another British band...

<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="

?version=3&amp

What the @#$%& is that? I thought i have seen all! But not...

--------------------------------------------


"I'm gonna walk... before they make me run"

--------------------------------------------

Quote
dandelion1967

Quote
71Tele
Another British band...

<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="

?version=3&amp

What the @#$%& is that? I thought i have seen all! But not...

Freddie And The Dreamers, man! From Manchester, UK.

Quote
dandelion1967

Quote
71Tele
Another British band...

<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="

?version=3&amp

What the @#$%& is that? I thought i have seen all! But not...

How can you not be hip to Freddie and the Dreamers? Here's their big hit. Watch as Freddie drives the little girls wild with his sexy English ways!






Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2012-07-07 16:25 by tatters.

Used to love singing along with 'I'm Telling You Now'. British mystique, whatever, is long gone, at least in America. I think it died with The Clash. We have so many Brits on our tube, and please, take Piers Morgan back, okay? And why do we have to have another Simon Cowell show? We love Michael Caine because he harkens back to the cheeky 60s.

Accent-less Australian actors are all the rage. English accents annoy us, especially the white females. Always makes me think of 'Some Girl', "English girls are so prissy..." It's hard to think of the Stones as being exceptionally British any longer. There's no such thing as British style. (Or American style.) I think of Keith as a citizen of Connecticut, and Mick in every corner of the world. Charlie seems to be the only solid Englishman. He's so English with the suits and cricket he seems a caricature.

I don't think of much at all when I think of modern day Britain. It's definitely more multi-ethnic and less an isolated Island. To Americans in the 60s it's very inaccessibility made it more mysterious and romantic. Our rock gods lived there. What was the last big thing in music from the UK that made it big here? Amy Winehouse? I hope she lands on her feet and starts producing songs again.

Remember how Beatles records used to say "Recorded In England" on the label? That seemed like such an exotic, far-off land to a little kid like me in the 1960s. They might as well have said "Recorded On The Moon".

Quote
tatters
Remember how Beatles records used to say "Recorded In England" on the label? That seemed like such an exotic, far-off land to a little kid like me in the 1960s. They might as well have said "Recorded On The Moon".

I smiled when I read that tatters. Indeed it seemed very exotic at the time.

Quote
ChrisM

Quote
colonial

Quote
Gazza

Gazza..And British comedy programmes to..I would say the best in the world.. yea'

This pic is from an American movie by an American author "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" so I don't think Gaz was making a reference to British humor but rather employing it. I do love British, specifically English humor, though, and many bands from Blidy make use of it. The clip above is but one example...

More specifically he might be telling Colonial that "It's medication time!"

That's a recurring quote during the film when the patients/inmates scheduled time for prescribed medicines arrives. "It's medication time!"

Maybe he sending a message?

Quote
phd

Funny, I never thought of Brain Wilson being an ordinary person. Can that type of guy compose the ultimate pop song ( Good Vibrations) or some stuff like " Sloop John B".

I never said Brian was ordinary. I was talking about the Beach Boys image.

Again, my point was, if you grew up in America during the 60's the British bands all seemed pretty exotic and they created a whole new template for the image of the rock star.

Back when Brian Wilson was still touring, before he was considered a genius (and Derek Taylor played a big role in pushing that image ) the Beach Boys were presented as an All-American, fun and sun band with songs about surfing, hot rods and high school. In terms of image, there was nothing inherently exciting about their presentation. They weren't even as dangerous as '50's rock stars. The Beach Boys came across as clean-cut, normal American boys.

The British bands--and the American bands like the Byrds and the Spoonful who would soon copy the British look--had a much more powerful cool factor.


And you did know that Brian did not compose "Sloop John B." right? In fact, it was Alan who brought up the idea of covering it in the first place.

Quote
deadegad

Quote
ChrisM

Quote
colonial

Quote
Gazza

Gazza..And British comedy programmes to..I would say the best in the world.. yea'

This pic is from an American movie by an American author "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" so I don't think Gaz was making a reference to British humor but rather employing it. I do love British, specifically English humor, though, and many bands from Blidy make use of it. The clip above is but one example...

More specifically he might be telling Colonial that "It's medication time!"

That's a recurring quote during the film when the patients/inmates scheduled time for prescribed medicines arrives. "It's medication time!"

Maybe he sending a message?

Whatever anyone thinks of Colonial's thread headers you can't deny that they often open up into interesting discussions with a lot of subscribers......and they're not just commenting on the validity of the the thread, this one being a case in point......



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-07-17 04:55 by EddieByword.

Quote
loog droog
And you did know that Brian did not compose "Sloop John B." right? In fact, it was Alan who brought up the idea of covering it in the first place.

This was a number 5 UK hit in 1960:

Quote
Gazza

That's very funny Gazza. Nurse Rat Shit. Almost fell off my chair at breakfast. Where is she when we need her here at IORR. ><



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-07-16 16:02 by Silver Dagger.

Yeah man, that's the reason I like fish and chips - they're British too.

Quote
loog droog

Quote
phd

Funny, I never thought of Brain Wilson being an ordinary person. Can that type of guy compose the ultimate pop song ( Good Vibrations) or some stuff like " Sloop John B".

I never said Brian was ordinary. I was talking about the Beach Boys image.

Again, my point was, if you grew up in America during the 60's the British bands all seemed pretty exotic and they created a whole new template for the image of the rock star.

Back when Brian Wilson was still touring, before he was considered a genius (and Derek Taylor played a big role in pushing that image ) the Beach Boys were presented as an All-American, fun and sun band with songs about surfing, hot rods and high school. In terms of image, there was nothing inherently exciting about their presentation. They weren't even as dangerous as '50's rock stars. The Beach Boys came across as clean-cut, normal American boys.

The British bands--and the American bands like the Byrds and the Spoonful who would soon copy the British look--had a much more powerful cool factor.


And you did know that Brian did not compose "Sloop John B." right? In fact, it was Alan who brought up the idea of covering it in the first place.

I missed the point about the image on which I agree. About "Sloop John B.", Wilson did so many changes with regard to the"original" that this can be considered as a pure Beach Boys song. Ok with Jardne having first the idea. There is an interesting biography on this on Youtube. Can we interchange the role : The Stones singin' Barbara Ann and The Beach Boys playin' Paint It Black !!!

Quote
deadegad

Quote
ChrisM

Quote
colonial

Quote
Gazza

Gazza..And British comedy programmes to..I would say the best in the world.. yea'

This pic is from an American movie by an American author "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" so I don't think Gaz was making a reference to British humor but rather employing it. I do love British, specifically English humor, though, and many bands from Blidy make use of it. The clip above is but one example...

More specifically he might be telling Colonial that "It's medication time!"

That's a recurring quote during the film when the patients/inmates scheduled time for prescribed medicines arrives. "It's medication time!"

Maybe he sending a message?

Glad someone got it!

Gas, keep in mind & never ever forget it: colonial = what comes out of colon -----> you'd better ignore that



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-07-16 16:39 by Corcovado.

Quote
Corcovado
Gas, keep in mind & never ever forget it: colonial = what comes out of colon

Totally uncalled for.

Quote
Edith Grove

Quote
Corcovado
Gas, keep in mind & never ever forget it: colonial = what comes out of colon

Totally uncalled for.

Edith Grove......Well said..............

I'm a Swede and I love the american people, their hospitality and humbleness. But the english are blessed with the Best Humour and the"X-gene". Hence The Stones, The Who, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Faces and The Beatles.

Quote
Silver Dagger
Yeah man, that's the reason I like fish and chips - they're British too.

Silver Dagger..yea'.. Nothing beats going down to the corner Dairy to get the local Rag..some Fags and me fish and chips then sitting down with a nice cup of English tea watching Coronation Street with all the heaters on.Thats pretty much a typical winters week night down here in wee England..yea'

..............Hey colonial Rock & Roll...all ya need now is a 50's Vauxhall with them there suicide doors .....






ROCKMAN

Quote
Corcovado


Gas, keep in mind & never ever forget it: colonial = what comes out of colon -----> you'd better ignore that

Speak for yourself. He might go off on some weird tangents here at times and some of the threads might be a bit cringeworthy, but Colonial's a top bloke and very good natured.

The colonial is alright in my book.

That said, I'll take Seinfeld over Keeping Up Appearances any day.

Where do Mick and keith live most of the time now?

Keith is in Connecticut isn't he?

Where is Mick's main residence?

I don't think the OP is saying anything off the wall. I sort of agree. I dig bands from the UK more than others too.
I wouldn't quite call it " an attraction to the Welsh" but...

Quote
mitchflorida
Where do Mick and keith live most of the time now?

Keith is in Connecticut isn't he?

Where is Mick's main residence?

England and France.

Three of the four Stones have their main homes in England. Keith is usually there for a couple of months each year. He's the only one who resides in the US on anything like a semi-regular basis.

So?

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
I don't think the OP is saying anything off the wall. I sort of agree. I dig bands from the UK more than others too.
I wouldn't quite call it " an attraction to the Welsh" but...

Nothing wrong with being attracted to the Welsh.....

When people stop their knee-jerk dismissive responses to Colonial's open-ended questions, they can realise that they are quite insightful and thought-provoking.

How does the Stones' English-ness contribute to their appeal and popularity?

I think it's more than simply being English; it's having been English children born during WW2. Bill, Keith and Charlie have working-class origins (as do Ronnie and Mick Taylor, but they were born much later). Keith has often spoken of the privations he suffered as a child, and how he thinks that Americans have no concept of what Brits endured during and after the war; rationing was in effect in Britain til 1952. The post-war boom did not start in Britain til much; much later than in the US. This would have had the effect of making fledgling rock bands more rebellious, more cynical, and also hungrier for success. And even though they weren't oppressed and black, their poor, working-class backgrounds and the wartime privations they endured gave them a certain credibility that a white American band performing blues-based music, born at the same time, would not have had - apart from Elvis.

This is not to say that their year or so of squalor living in *Edith Grove is the equivalent of being a poor, black sharecropper in Mississippi, however. But I think Keith and Brian's obsession with learning and practising blues music during every waking hour in their freezing, filthy flat had a lot to do with their subsequent success.