For our AS piece of coursework we made a 2 minute film opening which we named 'Leyla'. We had a clear idea of the narrative involved within the film however it may not have been particularly clear to the viewer from the opening, though they would have got the jist of it.
Our idea was actually a second attempt at our coursework as before it didn't go as well as we had hoped. We filmed our coursework and the concept was probably influenced slightly by the film 'Se7en' which we had watched in class. The idea was based around a young girl's stalker and her abduction by him. There was going to be a lot of camera shots in the photography dark room at school but other than this it was a very vague idea on the whole.
Our new narrative proved to work much better whilst filming. The narrative involves a young girl waking up in a field following a flashback which is what is shown in the opening. As we restarted our coursework we were very unsure of where we were heading with our coursework piece as our confidence was lowered from the bad attempt beforehand. We decided the flashback being shown would have effective camera shots that would certainly grab the viewers attention. We brainstormed and decided that the items shown in the flashback wouldn't make sense to the viewer at the beginning of the film, but as the film continues, the objects will be referred to from the flashback. Eventually all the items shown would reveal why the girl ended up lying in a field.
The voiceover used in the opening is effective because it is a police interview between the girls mother and a policewoman. Though the viewers do not know it yet, it is involved in our narrative that it is infact the girls mum who put her child there in the forest.
Digipak
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Friday, 10 December 2010
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Storyboard
Here is our storyboard that we have made into a video to go along with our song, 'Charmer'. Some of the shots look like they would be very long but there will be a lot of improvisation from the storyboard as we realised last year filming our AS piece of coursework. The storyboard however gives us some structure and makes it easier when we are filming. By following these guidelines it will ensure that we do not forget to film any important camera shots, etc.
Here are some pictures from our original storyboard that we made before making this animation of it:
Here are some pictures from our original storyboard that we made before making this animation of it:
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Aha - Take On Me
This video for me is one of the most iconic music videos and definitely one of the best. The video was directed by Steve Barron. The video features a pencil-sketch animation and a live action combination which is called rotoscoping. The live action footage is traced over frame by frame to give the characters realistic movements. Around 3,000 frames were rotoscoped, taking 16 weeks to complete.
The theme of the video is a romantic fantasy narrative. The girl featured in the video, played by Bunty Bailey, is reading a comic book. As the girl reads the hero of the comic winks at the girl and his animated hand reached out of the comic book inviting the girl into it. She gets taken inside into the comic book and she appears animated too. There is then a fight with two thugs and the hero tears a hole in the wall for the girl to escape. She's then found outside a dustbin where the waitress from the cafe placed her comic. The hero is then shown seeming lifeless and she begins to cry. But he wakes up and attempts to break out of his comic book frames. At the same time his image then appears in the girls hallway, torn between real and comic form as he is trying to break his barriers. He manages to escape the comic book by becoming human. The final scene is based on the 1980 film, 'Altered States'.
The music video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The awards it won were:
Best New Artist in a Video
Best Concept Video
Most Experimental Video
Best Direction
Best Special Effects
Viewer's Choice
The video was also nominated for two others which were Best Group Video and Video of the Year. It was also nominated for Favourite Pop/Rock Video at the 13th American Music Awards, 1986.
The theme of the video is a romantic fantasy narrative. The girl featured in the video, played by Bunty Bailey, is reading a comic book. As the girl reads the hero of the comic winks at the girl and his animated hand reached out of the comic book inviting the girl into it. She gets taken inside into the comic book and she appears animated too. There is then a fight with two thugs and the hero tears a hole in the wall for the girl to escape. She's then found outside a dustbin where the waitress from the cafe placed her comic. The hero is then shown seeming lifeless and she begins to cry. But he wakes up and attempts to break out of his comic book frames. At the same time his image then appears in the girls hallway, torn between real and comic form as he is trying to break his barriers. He manages to escape the comic book by becoming human. The final scene is based on the 1980 film, 'Altered States'.
The music video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The awards it won were:
Best New Artist in a Video
Best Concept Video
Most Experimental Video
Best Direction
Best Special Effects
Viewer's Choice
The video was also nominated for two others which were Best Group Video and Video of the Year. It was also nominated for Favourite Pop/Rock Video at the 13th American Music Awards, 1986.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Music Video Practice
Molly and myself were sitting in our free periods at school with very little to do when we realised we could practice lip syncing as we knew it was fairly difficult. So with the help of another media student, Dominique, we filmed a practice music video to a song we were introduced to at the Richmix trip, 'Funky y-2-c' by The Puppies. We enjoyed watching other students music video to this song and decided we'd give it a go ourselves.
We used various shots that we are hoping to use in our actual coursework piece for 'Charmer' such as the close up's of mouths. I think the editing in this practice piece is very good and all looks in time, other than the first line which is slightly out of time, but practice makes perfect!
Can't quite believe I'm putting this embarrassing piece of work up but here is the video we made itself:
We used various shots that we are hoping to use in our actual coursework piece for 'Charmer' such as the close up's of mouths. I think the editing in this practice piece is very good and all looks in time, other than the first line which is slightly out of time, but practice makes perfect!
Can't quite believe I'm putting this embarrassing piece of work up but here is the video we made itself:
Ben Newman
I really like this music video as I think the content involved with the skipping ropes goes really well to the beat of the song. I think the video captures the neighbourhood feel as all the people are gathered together. The video is directed by Ben Newman who has also directed some other videos I am quite fond of for artists such as Wiley, Bombay Bicycle Club and Example.
Here is an example of a video he directed for Example:
This video was nominated at last year’s MVAs in one of the Best Budget Video categories for 2009. His music videos from the past year have shown the promising talent he offers as a director working with music videos.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Framing and Composition
The Rule Of Thirds:
This rule means that whatever is in front of you should be divided into nine equal parts, this applies in photography and in framing compositions in media. These nine equal parts are by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. Compositional elements should be placed amongst these lines or the intersections of them.
Here is an example of a photograph using the rule of thirds:
By using the rule of thirds it makes it more interesting for the viewer, the main reason for observing this rule is to discourage the subject being placed in the center of a shot, or to prevent a horizon from appearing to divide the picture in half.
This rule means that whatever is in front of you should be divided into nine equal parts, this applies in photography and in framing compositions in media. These nine equal parts are by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. Compositional elements should be placed amongst these lines or the intersections of them.
Here is an example of a photograph using the rule of thirds:
By using the rule of thirds it makes it more interesting for the viewer, the main reason for observing this rule is to discourage the subject being placed in the center of a shot, or to prevent a horizon from appearing to divide the picture in half.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Oliver!
As a treat for my mum's birthday I took her to see 'Oliver!' in the theatre. We have wanted to see it since Jodie Pregner was starring as 'Nancy' but we could never get tickets. My brother and I managed to get some good tickets though the cast is now different to how it was when it first started.
I was looking forward to it and I felt it definitely lived up to my expectations. I thought the set was amazing and there was always so much going on, it was brilliant! The songs in the musical are all really good as well and the way they were performed was very good. The choreography went specifically to the beats and it looked really effective. Here is a video I found on youtube of past people that were part of the musical.
I was looking forward to it and I felt it definitely lived up to my expectations. I thought the set was amazing and there was always so much going on, it was brilliant! The songs in the musical are all really good as well and the way they were performed was very good. The choreography went specifically to the beats and it looked really effective. Here is a video I found on youtube of past people that were part of the musical.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Justice - Stress
Here is the music video for Justice's song 'Stress'. The video has caused a lot of controversy due to the violent content it involves.
The video was first posted on May 1st by Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay (Justice) on rap artists Kanye West website. The video is around 7 minutes long and it displays a group of French adolescents in jackets with the Justice logo on the back. There was an uproar as many people thought it was just youths of African descent shown in the video, but it is clearly youths of all different descents shown in the video. The youths cause havoc in the video and it goes to the electro beat of the music. It is filmed in a documentary type style as if they are being followed by a camera crew. They harass women, break a bottle over a cafe owners head, fight with the police and steal a car. The video ends with the car being set alight and the cameraman apparently beaten unconscious. The screen goes black and then a voice screams in French, "Does filming this get you off, you S.O.B?".
In France the video caused much uproar, and the police saw the video without knowing it was an official music video. This raised huge concern and a hunt began for the people shown in the footage. Two of the actors were found and remained in custody until they were proven innocent for the crimes committed in the video by Justice.
There was a parody made of the video which has also been a big hit in France, here is the parody:
The video was first posted on May 1st by Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay (Justice) on rap artists Kanye West website. The video is around 7 minutes long and it displays a group of French adolescents in jackets with the Justice logo on the back. There was an uproar as many people thought it was just youths of African descent shown in the video, but it is clearly youths of all different descents shown in the video. The youths cause havoc in the video and it goes to the electro beat of the music. It is filmed in a documentary type style as if they are being followed by a camera crew. They harass women, break a bottle over a cafe owners head, fight with the police and steal a car. The video ends with the car being set alight and the cameraman apparently beaten unconscious. The screen goes black and then a voice screams in French, "Does filming this get you off, you S.O.B?".
In France the video caused much uproar, and the police saw the video without knowing it was an official music video. This raised huge concern and a hunt began for the people shown in the footage. Two of the actors were found and remained in custody until they were proven innocent for the crimes committed in the video by Justice.
There was a parody made of the video which has also been a big hit in France, here is the parody:
Useful tips for a successful music video
Here are some useful points to consider whilst considering how to make our music video look successful:
Lip Syncing
- Know your lyrics (One mistake could ruin the entire look of the video).
- Pronunciation (Words need to be clear to the viewer).
- Mouth what it sounds like.
- Only lipsync the lead singers words not the backup as it can ruin continuity.
- Play the song whilst miming.
Lyrics
- Lyrics tends to establish a general mood, feeling or sense of subject metter, rather than offering coherent meaning.
- Key lines may play a part in the associated visuals but rarely will a music video simply wholly illustrate the lyrics. Remember mise-en-scene.
Music
- Take note of the tempo and pay attention to this during editing.
- Repeat with the beat.
Genre
- Some music videos do transcend genre while others can be categorised.
- Some music channels focus on genre, pay attention to this and think of what channels your video will be played on.
- Show genre conventions through; Mise-en-scene, narrative themes, performance, camera & editing style
Camerawork
- Take note of your camera movement, angles and shot distance.
- Camera movements may accompany the movement of the performers or be used to create a dynamic feel or disorientate.
- Close ups of the singer usually dominate.
Editing
- Usually fast paced, pay attention to the pace of your song
Lip Syncing
- Know your lyrics (One mistake could ruin the entire look of the video).
- Pronunciation (Words need to be clear to the viewer).
- Mouth what it sounds like.
- Only lipsync the lead singers words not the backup as it can ruin continuity.
- Play the song whilst miming.
Lyrics
- Lyrics tends to establish a general mood, feeling or sense of subject metter, rather than offering coherent meaning.
- Key lines may play a part in the associated visuals but rarely will a music video simply wholly illustrate the lyrics. Remember mise-en-scene.
Music
- Take note of the tempo and pay attention to this during editing.
- Repeat with the beat.
Genre
- Some music videos do transcend genre while others can be categorised.
- Some music channels focus on genre, pay attention to this and think of what channels your video will be played on.
- Show genre conventions through; Mise-en-scene, narrative themes, performance, camera & editing style
Camerawork
- Take note of your camera movement, angles and shot distance.
- Camera movements may accompany the movement of the performers or be used to create a dynamic feel or disorientate.
- Close ups of the singer usually dominate.
Editing
- Usually fast paced, pay attention to the pace of your song
Our Questionnaire
The following is the Questionnaire we have made, results are to follow.
1. How old are you?
-14 [ ] 14-16 [ ] 17-20 [ ] 21-25 [ ] 25-30 [ ] 30+ [ ]
2. Are you male or female?
Male [ ] Female [ ]
3. How do you usually watch music videos?
TV [ ] Internet [ ] Download [ ] Other [ ]
4. What is your favourite genre?
Rock [ ] Pop [ ] Alternative [ ] Jazz [ ] RnB [ ] Heavy metal [ ] Classical [ ] Other [ ]
5. How often do you watch music videos?
Never [ ] Everyday [ ] Every week [ ] Every few weeks [ ] Rarely [ ]
6. Do you prefer funny or serious music videos?
Funny [ ] Serious [ ]
7. Do you prefer music videos that are reaistic or non realistic?
Realistic [ ] Non realistic [ ]
8. What are your expectations of rock music videos?
9. How do you interpret the lyrics "She's such a charmer"?
10. What music channel would you expect to see a Kings of Leon music video on?
11. What colours do you think represent the rock genre? and why?
1. How old are you?
-14 [ ] 14-16 [ ] 17-20 [ ] 21-25 [ ] 25-30 [ ] 30+ [ ]
2. Are you male or female?
Male [ ] Female [ ]
3. How do you usually watch music videos?
TV [ ] Internet [ ] Download [ ] Other [ ]
4. What is your favourite genre?
Rock [ ] Pop [ ] Alternative [ ] Jazz [ ] RnB [ ] Heavy metal [ ] Classical [ ] Other [ ]
5. How often do you watch music videos?
Never [ ] Everyday [ ] Every week [ ] Every few weeks [ ] Rarely [ ]
6. Do you prefer funny or serious music videos?
Funny [ ] Serious [ ]
7. Do you prefer music videos that are reaistic or non realistic?
Realistic [ ] Non realistic [ ]
8. What are your expectations of rock music videos?
9. How do you interpret the lyrics "She's such a charmer"?
10. What music channel would you expect to see a Kings of Leon music video on?
11. What colours do you think represent the rock genre? and why?
Questionnaire Content
In order to gain some ideas or to consolidate on those we already have we are making a questionnaire to gain some audience feedback on various aspects regarding music videos to gain some ideas.
We will be finding out:
- Who our audience are
- Where are they?
- How they gain access to music videos
- Their expectations of a music video from our particular genre
In order to gain a good amount of information we will be including a variety of qualitative and quantitative questions in our questionnaire. As well as this being useful for our own sakes, it is also better to have a variety of types of questions for the people answering the questionnaire, this way they don't get (as) bored.
The group have not decided how we are going to distribute our questionnaire as of yet, whether it is face to face or on the internet, there is a wide range of options of how we can distribute it. We are hoping however to have some face to face questionnaires with people and filming it on our flip cameras so it can be uploaded straight to our blogs.
We will be finding out:
- Who our audience are
- Where are they?
- How they gain access to music videos
- Their expectations of a music video from our particular genre
In order to gain a good amount of information we will be including a variety of qualitative and quantitative questions in our questionnaire. As well as this being useful for our own sakes, it is also better to have a variety of types of questions for the people answering the questionnaire, this way they don't get (as) bored.
The group have not decided how we are going to distribute our questionnaire as of yet, whether it is face to face or on the internet, there is a wide range of options of how we can distribute it. We are hoping however to have some face to face questionnaires with people and filming it on our flip cameras so it can be uploaded straight to our blogs.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Andrew Goodwin's analysis on music videos.
When we were on our trip at Rich Mix, Pete Fraser spoke to us about the theory Andrew Goodwin displays in his book called 'Dancing in the distraction factory'. This theory involves what he feels are the 6 key points of what should be displayed in a music video.These are:
1. It should demonstrate genre conventions, for example in a rock video, a stage performance. Another example would be a pop video's artist having a particular dance routine.
2. There must be a relationship between lyrics and visuals. This can be whether it is illustrative, amplifying or cotradicting but there has to be some kind of relationship between the lyrics and the visuals appearing in the music video.
3. Again, there should be a relationship between the music and visuals too, whether its illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs that run which recur across their work
(there is a creative style)
5. There is frequent reference to looking and the notion of looking
(screens within screens, telescopes and voyeuristic treatment of the female body)
6. Intertextual reference to films, Tv programmes and other music videos is often used.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Lip syncing
As a group we were deciding on where we could have our band playing. We thought we would try out our school hall as a possible place and decided we would stand in the positions we would have each member of the band in. Molly was on guitar, Charlotte was on bass, Aimie was on the Drums, and I just looked silly as lead vocalist. We decided whilst looking at the positioning we'd do our own rendition of 'Charmer' in order to practice lip syncing.
Here is a video of what we got up to:
We realised whilst editing just this small section that the editing has to be so precise. We also fimed a close up of Charlottes mouth singing the words as we are wanting to have a camera shot like this in our actual music video. Though it is slightly out of time, we are getting the hang of it and we knew it wouldn't be an easy job.
Here is a video of what we got up to:
We realised whilst editing just this small section that the editing has to be so precise. We also fimed a close up of Charlottes mouth singing the words as we are wanting to have a camera shot like this in our actual music video. Though it is slightly out of time, we are getting the hang of it and we knew it wouldn't be an easy job.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Trip to Rich Mix
As a class we made a trip to Bethnal Green to 'Rich Mix', an up and coming arts centre. At Rich Mix they were holding a music video workshop called 'MTV to Youtube'. First of all we were welcomed by the Rich Mix Education officer, Thalia Cassimatis. She informed us of the itinerary for the day.
We were firstly spoken to by Pete Fraser, the Chief Examiner for OCR A Level Media Studies. He spoke to us about the history of music video, mentioning the roots and the beginning of music videos. He showed us Len Lye: A Colour Box which is believed to be one of the starting points of music videos as it was made in 1935.
We were taken through the history and worked our way up to music videos of the present time. We looked at various videos ranging from the Beatles to Jay-Z. He spoke about how the Jay-Z music video for 99 problems was different at the time to what people had seen before as he got a different director to direct this video for him in comparison to usual. He managed to get Rick Rubin to direct his video who was a very renowned director for the rock genre's music videos. He worked with the likes of the Slipknot, Metallica, System Of A Down and Rage Against The Machine. This gave '99 Problems' a different edge to most usual hip hop videos, and the amount of cuts used in the music video is certainly noticeable which Pete Fraser pointed out at the start of the music video.
The video is shot entirely in black-and-white. It received a lot of praise and also a lot of criticism from the public. It was no surprise that there would be controversy following the end of the music video with Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by people we do not see. This is very controversial as music video networks would not usually air videos with any violent content. On MTV, there was an explanation on every airing of the video to why it was appropriate to air the video unedited.
We were also shown a music video that was a remix of Jay-Z's 'The Black Album' and the Beatles 'The White Album' by Dangermouse (a DJ) forming a mashup of the two naming it 'The Grey Video'. I'd never seen this before and found it interesting as we were informed that music video producers heard the track and decided to then 'mash up' the video which I think looks really effective.
Pete Fraser then went on to give us tips for making our own music videos as well as informing us about the main conventions of a music video. We were then given our task to think of a concept for a music video to a given song. Pete Fraser announced the song that we would be thinking of an idea for would be Biffy Clyro - God & Satan. This caused a bit of excitement amongst some people from our school! We breaked for lunch and as a school we conducted a meeting and thought of some ideas.
We were firstly spoken to by Pete Fraser, the Chief Examiner for OCR A Level Media Studies. He spoke to us about the history of music video, mentioning the roots and the beginning of music videos. He showed us Len Lye: A Colour Box which is believed to be one of the starting points of music videos as it was made in 1935.
We were taken through the history and worked our way up to music videos of the present time. We looked at various videos ranging from the Beatles to Jay-Z. He spoke about how the Jay-Z music video for 99 problems was different at the time to what people had seen before as he got a different director to direct this video for him in comparison to usual. He managed to get Rick Rubin to direct his video who was a very renowned director for the rock genre's music videos. He worked with the likes of the Slipknot, Metallica, System Of A Down and Rage Against The Machine. This gave '99 Problems' a different edge to most usual hip hop videos, and the amount of cuts used in the music video is certainly noticeable which Pete Fraser pointed out at the start of the music video.
The video is shot entirely in black-and-white. It received a lot of praise and also a lot of criticism from the public. It was no surprise that there would be controversy following the end of the music video with Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by people we do not see. This is very controversial as music video networks would not usually air videos with any violent content. On MTV, there was an explanation on every airing of the video to why it was appropriate to air the video unedited.
We were also shown a music video that was a remix of Jay-Z's 'The Black Album' and the Beatles 'The White Album' by Dangermouse (a DJ) forming a mashup of the two naming it 'The Grey Video'. I'd never seen this before and found it interesting as we were informed that music video producers heard the track and decided to then 'mash up' the video which I think looks really effective.
Pete Fraser then went on to give us tips for making our own music videos as well as informing us about the main conventions of a music video. We were then given our task to think of a concept for a music video to a given song. Pete Fraser announced the song that we would be thinking of an idea for would be Biffy Clyro - God & Satan. This caused a bit of excitement amongst some people from our school! We breaked for lunch and as a school we conducted a meeting and thought of some ideas.
Our concept:
We decided that we would have two individuals hunched over at a bar for the opening shot of the music video to 'God & Satan'. Then a split screen of the individuals and their doings to represent God & Satan. The person being represented as God would be a doctor and the person as Satan a drug addict, however due to events happening the audience's view would be switched from the stereotype they had of the doctor and drug addict as it infact would be the other way round as the doctor would be 'Satan' and the drug addict would be 'God'
The Afternoon session:
We came back from lunch to be spoken to by Liz Kessler who works in the industry producing and commissioning music videos. I found her talk really interesting as she spoke to us about all the different jobs and their roles that are possible in her specific field of the media and she also spoke about the stages of producing a music video. Liz Kessler showed us some of her exsisting work with music videos and upcoming music videos that haven't been released yet. She spoke to us about the problems encountered and also the successes. I found her talk very useful and interesting due to the fact that a lot of what was being said could definitely contribute towards helping make our music video better.
Here is one of her videos for Paolo Nutini, who stated in the brief that he wanted to be in the music video, but at the same time, he didn't.
Following this, the pitch was made for the idea for the music video of 'God & Satan'. This featured Pete Fraser, Liz Kessler, and Corin Hardy - a music director who we were still awaiting to be spoken to by. Each school pitched their ideas and then Charlotte and Dom took their turn to pitch our idea. It went down well as it got a clap from the audience which pleased us. The feedback we received from each of the panel was also very good so we were happy that our ideas and efforts paid off.
After the pitch, there was then an interview based talk with Corin Hardy and Pete Fraser. This was all about him working as a music video director and I found this very interesting. We were shown some of his work and a lot of it is mainly animation based unlike his video for God & Satan. I love the video for warriors dance - the prodigy, and when I found out he made the video for it I have to say I was quite inspired.
OMD
I went to see 'Orchestral Manoeuvres in the dark' with my family a few days ago and they were brilliant. I've had a strong interest in them for a while now as my family quite enjoy their music. I decided to look at some of their music videos because they would have been made in the 1980's to see how they would look
Here is their hit, 'Walking on the Milky Way'.
and here is a hit from their forthcoming album, "If you want it'.
It is obvious from these two videos how far music videos have come in the past 20 years due to technology. It can be seen quite clearly how camera's have advanced due to the quality these are shown in.
Here is their hit, 'Walking on the Milky Way'.
and here is a hit from their forthcoming album, "If you want it'.
It is obvious from these two videos how far music videos have come in the past 20 years due to technology. It can be seen quite clearly how camera's have advanced due to the quality these are shown in.
Friday, 22 October 2010
Audience Theory
What is audience theory?
Audience theory is an element of thinking that developed within academic literary theory and cultural studies. Some suggest that audience is constructed by the rhetoric and the rhetorical situation being addressed. Others believe that writers and speakers can specifically target their communication to address a particular audience. Others try to combine these two approaches and this would make the audience 'fictionalized'.
There is a wide range of media theories about the audience's role in any kind of situation to do with the media.
The Hypdermic Syringe model:
This is also known as the hypodermic needle model and is a model of communcations which can also be referred to as the "magic bullet" perspective. This model is an intended message is directly received and accepted by the receiver. This model came about in the 1930's.
The theory implied that the mass media had a powerful and direct effect on its audience. The mass media in the 1940's and 1950's were perceived as a powerful influence on behaviour change. Various factors contributed to the strong effect theory of communication. This includes:
- The rapid rise and popularization of radio and television
- The emergence of persuasian industries, i.e. Advertising and propaganda.
- Hitler's manipulation of the media during WWII to brainwash the German public and gain their support for the Nazi Party.
Audience theory is an element of thinking that developed within academic literary theory and cultural studies. Some suggest that audience is constructed by the rhetoric and the rhetorical situation being addressed. Others believe that writers and speakers can specifically target their communication to address a particular audience. Others try to combine these two approaches and this would make the audience 'fictionalized'.
There is a wide range of media theories about the audience's role in any kind of situation to do with the media.
The Hypdermic Syringe model:
This is also known as the hypodermic needle model and is a model of communcations which can also be referred to as the "magic bullet" perspective. This model is an intended message is directly received and accepted by the receiver. This model came about in the 1930's.
The theory implied that the mass media had a powerful and direct effect on its audience. The mass media in the 1940's and 1950's were perceived as a powerful influence on behaviour change. Various factors contributed to the strong effect theory of communication. This includes:
- The rapid rise and popularization of radio and television
- The emergence of persuasian industries, i.e. Advertising and propaganda.
- Hitler's manipulation of the media during WWII to brainwash the German public and gain their support for the Nazi Party.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
What's included in our treatment..
We have made a treatment about our song "Charmer" by Kings of Leon which we pitched infront of an audience to gain audience feedback to see if our ideas are realistic, achievable and effective.
We made a document to hand out to our audience which included details of our initial ideas and included pictures for the visual concept of our video. Some of the things we needed to include in our treatment were:
• Background on song
• The basic narrative or concept of our video - performance, narrative or concept
• What ‘feel’ we want to provide for our audience
• How we will achieve this
• What are the codes and conventions of our genre
• In what ways are we conforming to or subverting them
• What themes are running through our video
• How we will use costume and make up to convey our messages
• The location
Here is a video of our treatment presentation:
We made a document to hand out to our audience which included details of our initial ideas and included pictures for the visual concept of our video. Some of the things we needed to include in our treatment were:
• Background on song
• The basic narrative or concept of our video - performance, narrative or concept
• What ‘feel’ we want to provide for our audience
• How we will achieve this
• What are the codes and conventions of our genre
• In what ways are we conforming to or subverting them
• What themes are running through our video
• How we will use costume and make up to convey our messages
• The location
Here is a video of our treatment presentation:
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Band Brand
We had a group meeting on Friday regarding our "Band Brand". This will be the image that will be created around our band. The image created would be directed at a potential target audience so it is important it fits well with the band. We have thought about various aspects that the band would revolve around and thought of words to describe them. Here's a wordle showing various words that could be used to describe our band's style.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Wordle
www.wordle.net
The website above is a really creative and effective way of displaying work. The website enables you to enter different words into a box and then forms a word cloud. Words that are said more often in the text you have entered appear bigger on the wordle. They may also look bolder and this makes them stand out. Here is an example from the website of a typical wordle.
A wordle could be very useful to us in media when looking at various things such as audience feedback or our band brand. It will make the most used words appear most and this will give us a clearer idea of what is being portrayed of our band.
You can edit wordles to the way you would like them to look so you can make them bright or dull depending on the look you desire. There is also the option tocan 'randomize' wordles and this will give you a random wordle.
The website above is a really creative and effective way of displaying work. The website enables you to enter different words into a box and then forms a word cloud. Words that are said more often in the text you have entered appear bigger on the wordle. They may also look bolder and this makes them stand out. Here is an example from the website of a typical wordle.
A wordle could be very useful to us in media when looking at various things such as audience feedback or our band brand. It will make the most used words appear most and this will give us a clearer idea of what is being portrayed of our band.
You can edit wordles to the way you would like them to look so you can make them bright or dull depending on the look you desire. There is also the option tocan 'randomize' wordles and this will give you a random wordle.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Permission email
It is important that we request permission from the producers of the song, following some research we found that the producers are Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns. By emailing them this proves that we are not trying to claim the song as our own.
Here is the email we have sent the producers of the 'Because Of The Times' Album in order to request permission to use their song 'Charmer' for our a2 coursework.
"Dear Sirs,
Our names are Molly Wing, Aimie Condon, Sarah Isaacs and Charlotte Boag and we are media studies students at Enfield County School and we are currently in the early stages of producing a music video and promotional digipack alongside that. The reason for our email is to request your permission to use Kings of Leons' song 'Charmer' that you produced for our chosen video song. We have no intention of selling our video and we can assure you there will be no copyright issues at akk as it will solely be used for educational purposes.
If there are any issues please feel free to contact us.
Yours Sincerely
Molly Wing, Aimie Condon, Sarah Isaacs and Charlotte Boag."
Here is the email we have sent the producers of the 'Because Of The Times' Album in order to request permission to use their song 'Charmer' for our a2 coursework.
"Dear Sirs,
Our names are Molly Wing, Aimie Condon, Sarah Isaacs and Charlotte Boag and we are media studies students at Enfield County School and we are currently in the early stages of producing a music video and promotional digipack alongside that. The reason for our email is to request your permission to use Kings of Leons' song 'Charmer' that you produced for our chosen video song. We have no intention of selling our video and we can assure you there will be no copyright issues at akk as it will solely be used for educational purposes.
If there are any issues please feel free to contact us.
Yours Sincerely
Molly Wing, Aimie Condon, Sarah Isaacs and Charlotte Boag."
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Treatment Document
Kings of Leon Treatment
Here is our Treatment Document for our chosen song, Kings of Leon - Charmer. This was handed out amongst our audience whilst the presentation was carried out.
Here is our Treatment Document for our chosen song, Kings of Leon - Charmer. This was handed out amongst our audience whilst the presentation was carried out.
Kings Of Leon
The Band:
Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar - Caleb Followill
Bass - Jared Followill
Lead Guitar - Matthew Followill
Drums - Nathan Followill
Kings Of Leon are an American rock band who formed in Tennessee, USA in 1999. It formed of 3 Brothers, Caleb, Jared and Nathan Followill and their cousin, Matthew Followill. The band's music began as an upbeat blend of blues and southern rock. However the band can now be considered a variety of genres as their sound often changes, they are now referred to as more of a rock or alternative band.
The band achieved real success in the UK where they became hugely loved by the public. They had 9 top 40 singles, and received 2 BRIT Awards in 2008. All three of their albums also reached the top 5 in the UK Albums Chart. Their third album "Because of the Times" also reached the #1 spot. When they released "Only by the Night" in September 2008, they achieved chart success in the USA too. The singles 'Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody" and "Notion" all reached #1. Their fifth album is yet to be released on October 18th in the UK.
Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar - Caleb Followill
Bass - Jared Followill
Lead Guitar - Matthew Followill
Drums - Nathan Followill
Kings Of Leon are an American rock band who formed in Tennessee, USA in 1999. It formed of 3 Brothers, Caleb, Jared and Nathan Followill and their cousin, Matthew Followill. The band's music began as an upbeat blend of blues and southern rock. However the band can now be considered a variety of genres as their sound often changes, they are now referred to as more of a rock or alternative band.
The band achieved real success in the UK where they became hugely loved by the public. They had 9 top 40 singles, and received 2 BRIT Awards in 2008. All three of their albums also reached the top 5 in the UK Albums Chart. Their third album "Because of the Times" also reached the #1 spot. When they released "Only by the Night" in September 2008, they achieved chart success in the USA too. The singles 'Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody" and "Notion" all reached #1. Their fifth album is yet to be released on October 18th in the UK.
Let you go - Chase & Status
I saw this music video a while ago, and thought it was really good. It is purely narrative and has no performance aspects in it. The camera shots are often changed to the beat of the music which I think is very effective in the story that the video portrays.
It is based on 'Patrick Chase', a character with his own reality talk show, similar to the likes of 'The Jeremy Kyle Show'. It puts him across as being a good man, yet the second half of the video contradicts this. There is a point where he brands one of his guests 'disgusting and pathetic' for his useage of drugs. As the music video continues it begins to show his true personality, which is very different to the liked man 'Patrick Chase' seems to be as he receives standing innovation from his audience. The personality it begins to reveal shows him as a drug-user, a cheating man on his family and having a generally wild lifestyle in comparison to his showbiz personality. The beat of the song goes well to the hidden life he leads and I think it's very effective.
It is based on 'Patrick Chase', a character with his own reality talk show, similar to the likes of 'The Jeremy Kyle Show'. It puts him across as being a good man, yet the second half of the video contradicts this. There is a point where he brands one of his guests 'disgusting and pathetic' for his useage of drugs. As the music video continues it begins to show his true personality, which is very different to the liked man 'Patrick Chase' seems to be as he receives standing innovation from his audience. The personality it begins to reveal shows him as a drug-user, a cheating man on his family and having a generally wild lifestyle in comparison to his showbiz personality. The beat of the song goes well to the hidden life he leads and I think it's very effective.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Song lyrics
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's stole my karma oh no.
Sold it to the farmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.
Born in west virginia oh no.
Married to the preacher oh no.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no.
oh no.
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's stole my karma oh no.
Sold it to the farmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.
Born in west virginia oh no.
Married to the preacher oh no.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no.
oh no.
Song Choice
When we were first choosing a song for our music video we began to sway towards the Ska genre of music. We listed a few different artists and came up with the likes of 'The Specials', 'Madness' and 'Toots and The Maytals'. We decided to originally go with 'Toots and The Maytals - 54-46 was my number'. We had heard the song in 'This Is England' as it features in the soundtrack and it had a catchy beat which we all liked.
We soon changed our minds, and began to gear more towards the 'Rock' genre. We then decided on 'Jumpin Jack Flash' by the 'Rolling Stones'. Again, it's a catchy song, and we decided we'd make this our video over the 'Toots and Maytals' song.
In the end, our final choice was in the 'Rock' genre. But we ended up going for a more recent song, 'Charmer' by 'Kings of Leon'. Although it is older material from Kings of Leon it is still much more recent than the likes of 'Jumpin Jack Flash'.
We soon changed our minds, and began to gear more towards the 'Rock' genre. We then decided on 'Jumpin Jack Flash' by the 'Rolling Stones'. Again, it's a catchy song, and we decided we'd make this our video over the 'Toots and Maytals' song.
In the end, our final choice was in the 'Rock' genre. But we ended up going for a more recent song, 'Charmer' by 'Kings of Leon'. Although it is older material from Kings of Leon it is still much more recent than the likes of 'Jumpin Jack Flash'.
The Rock Genre
Our chosen band and song come under the Rock genre so in order to gain a wider understanding about their genre. Rock music is very popular and began to enter the mainstream in the 1960s. It's roots orginate from the 1940/50's rock and roll.
Kings Of Leon are often referred to being more of an alternative rock. Alternative Rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980's and became more widely popular in the 1990's. Alternative rock is a genre that became more widely popular in the 1980s/1990s. It consists of various subgenres such as Britpop, grunge, gothic rock and indie pop. Alternative rock has sometimes been used as a catch phrase for rock music from the more underground artists in the 1980's.
There were some bands such as "The Cure" and "R.E.M." who managed to achieve commercial success and recognition. However many alternative rock artists during the 1980s were more cult bands that recorded through independent labels and received recognition through word of mouth and college radio stations. The breakthrough of Nirvana and the rise of Britpop movements in the 1990s enabled alternative rock to enter the musical mainstream and many alternative bands began to become commercially successfull.
R.E.M.
At the start of the 1990s, the music industry was full of alternative rock bands who were signed by major labels. Some of these included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. R.E.M.'s success was inspirational for other alternative bands around the 1980's/1990's and they would be a hard band to follow, as they were viewed as one of the most popular bands in the world.
The success of Nirvana led to alternative rock becoming extremely popular in the 1990's. The success of their album Nevermind surprised the music industry but by Christmas 1991 it was selling 400,000 copies a week. It managed to popularize grunge music and alternative rock. The surprise success of their album made it to the commercial radio stations and this opened doors for other bands. Alternative rock found itself in the mainstream and major labels scrambled to sign bands to capatalize the music. Though people were eager to sign the bands, many of the bands rejected success as it conflicted with their rebellious ethic the genre held before they reached the mainstream.
In the 1990's the grunge music from America dominated the British alternative scene and press. In reaction to this some defiant British bands emerged that wished to get rid of the grunge that was overtaking the press and take the public and press by storm. The media branded this seeming movement as "Britpop". This movement is represented by Blur, Oasis, Suede and Pulp. The phenomenon was mainly a rivalry between two main groups, these being Oasis and Blur. The competition was obvious as they would compete by releasing singles on the same day. Blur won "The Battle of Britpop", however Oasis then released their second album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" which then went on to become the third best-selling album in Britain's history.
During the late 1990's, many alternative rock bands emerged. These included Muse, The Strokes, Interpol and Franz Ferdinand. Popular bands around currently that may come under the alternative rock genre would be bands such as The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon. These bands have shown mainstream alternative rock is still good and successfull.
Kings Of Leon are often referred to being more of an alternative rock. Alternative Rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980's and became more widely popular in the 1990's. Alternative rock is a genre that became more widely popular in the 1980s/1990s. It consists of various subgenres such as Britpop, grunge, gothic rock and indie pop. Alternative rock has sometimes been used as a catch phrase for rock music from the more underground artists in the 1980's.
There were some bands such as "The Cure" and "R.E.M." who managed to achieve commercial success and recognition. However many alternative rock artists during the 1980s were more cult bands that recorded through independent labels and received recognition through word of mouth and college radio stations. The breakthrough of Nirvana and the rise of Britpop movements in the 1990s enabled alternative rock to enter the musical mainstream and many alternative bands began to become commercially successfull.
R.E.M.
At the start of the 1990s, the music industry was full of alternative rock bands who were signed by major labels. Some of these included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. R.E.M.'s success was inspirational for other alternative bands around the 1980's/1990's and they would be a hard band to follow, as they were viewed as one of the most popular bands in the world.
The success of Nirvana led to alternative rock becoming extremely popular in the 1990's. The success of their album Nevermind surprised the music industry but by Christmas 1991 it was selling 400,000 copies a week. It managed to popularize grunge music and alternative rock. The surprise success of their album made it to the commercial radio stations and this opened doors for other bands. Alternative rock found itself in the mainstream and major labels scrambled to sign bands to capatalize the music. Though people were eager to sign the bands, many of the bands rejected success as it conflicted with their rebellious ethic the genre held before they reached the mainstream.
In the 1990's the grunge music from America dominated the British alternative scene and press. In reaction to this some defiant British bands emerged that wished to get rid of the grunge that was overtaking the press and take the public and press by storm. The media branded this seeming movement as "Britpop". This movement is represented by Blur, Oasis, Suede and Pulp. The phenomenon was mainly a rivalry between two main groups, these being Oasis and Blur. The competition was obvious as they would compete by releasing singles on the same day. Blur won "The Battle of Britpop", however Oasis then released their second album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" which then went on to become the third best-selling album in Britain's history.
During the late 1990's, many alternative rock bands emerged. These included Muse, The Strokes, Interpol and Franz Ferdinand. Popular bands around currently that may come under the alternative rock genre would be bands such as The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon. These bands have shown mainstream alternative rock is still good and successfull.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Narrative and Performance music videos used together
In most music videos, there tends to be a mix of both narrative and performance techniques. It's very effective because it is good to see a band/artist performing though too much performing could become a bit boring and repetitive for the viewer. So by having a storyline it makes the video more interesting but not too complicated as the performing splits it up a little.
Here are some examples:
The Cribs: I'm A Realist
The Coral: 1000 Years
Deneice Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
Here are some examples:
The Cribs: I'm A Realist
The Coral: 1000 Years
Deneice Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Narrative videos
A narrative music video is like a short film accompanied by a musical background. It contains a short story that is easy to follow for the viewer and the lyrics can sometimes be put in time to various things going on in the short story. Sometimes there is no lip synchronisation but most music videos tend to use a bit of both for their music video.
Here are some examples of narrative music videos:
Armand Van Helden - I Want Your Soul
Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
Yolanda Be Cool Vrs DCup: We no speak Americano
Here are some examples of narrative music videos:
Armand Van Helden - I Want Your Soul
Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
Yolanda Be Cool Vrs DCup: We no speak Americano
Friday, 9 July 2010
Performance music videos
A performance music video is when a vocalist and sometimes other members of the band are miming/singing the song in the video in either one setting or it can be a variety of settings. For instance they may stay in the same setting if it is a live gig performance, or it may be abstract showing them in a desert and these can be graphically enhanced into videos.
In a performance video you can see the vocalist singing/miming the song and you can see the instruments involved in the song shown in the video. I think that older music video's are more likely to be performance videos. This could be because technology was not what it is today back in that music's era.
Here are some examples of performance videos:
Oasis - Whatever:
Though I can't get the embed code for my blog here is a link to Kings of Leon - Molly's Chambers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2WGS6O2y0A&feature=PlayList&p=FE9353F2CA45CB11&playnext_from=
In a performance video you can see the vocalist singing/miming the song and you can see the instruments involved in the song shown in the video. I think that older music video's are more likely to be performance videos. This could be because technology was not what it is today back in that music's era.
Here are some examples of performance videos:
Oasis - Whatever:
Though I can't get the embed code for my blog here is a link to Kings of Leon - Molly's Chambers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2WGS6O2y0A&feature=PlayList&p=FE9353F2CA45CB11&playnext_from=
PL&playnext=1&index=18
Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer
Gloria Estefan - Rhythm is gonna get you
Jermaine Stewart: We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off
Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer
Gloria Estefan - Rhythm is gonna get you
Jermaine Stewart: We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
The Drums
Here is "The Drums" video for "Let's Go Surfing".
This video is very simple and would probably be too basic for a coursework piece at A2 because it only captures one camera angle. It shows that making a music video to this type of music is infact do-able because this official video does not have much to it regarding mise-en-scene, etc.
And here is Katy Perry's "California Gurls" music video:
This video is from a completely different genre, pop. There is a blatent difference between these two videos as it would be extremely difficult to make a music video of the standard of "California Gurls". There is lots of Mise-en-scene and superimposed images in the video. The costumes would have cost a lot of money, unlike "The Drums" in their music video who are wearing everyday clothing. Pop artists are often signed by major labels and can achieve success with more ease than artists on an independent label.
These two videos show the contrast between what some indie rock videos may be like and what some pop videos may be like. There is an obvious difference between the two and which would be more possible for students of an A2 standard to make. I chose to research the indie rock genre because of this reason and although not all indie artists have music videos as simple as this one, they do tend to be more do-able than perhaps a pop video.
This video is very simple and would probably be too basic for a coursework piece at A2 because it only captures one camera angle. It shows that making a music video to this type of music is infact do-able because this official video does not have much to it regarding mise-en-scene, etc.
And here is Katy Perry's "California Gurls" music video:
This video is from a completely different genre, pop. There is a blatent difference between these two videos as it would be extremely difficult to make a music video of the standard of "California Gurls". There is lots of Mise-en-scene and superimposed images in the video. The costumes would have cost a lot of money, unlike "The Drums" in their music video who are wearing everyday clothing. Pop artists are often signed by major labels and can achieve success with more ease than artists on an independent label.
These two videos show the contrast between what some indie rock videos may be like and what some pop videos may be like. There is an obvious difference between the two and which would be more possible for students of an A2 standard to make. I chose to research the indie rock genre because of this reason and although not all indie artists have music videos as simple as this one, they do tend to be more do-able than perhaps a pop video.
Indie Rock
Indie rock is a term commonly used for rock music that is produced by small, independant record labels or by artists themselves. The idea of rock music being made independant from major labels began to gain recognition in the UK and in the United States in around the 1980s. It tends to be thougth of as it's own genre of music but it is the terms used to describe its production and distribution, "Independent music".
Indie rock artists release albums on independent record labels (sometimes owned by themselves) and rely on touring through word-of-mouth and independent radio stations, and more recently through internet promotion, using websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter where thousands of users intereact and it can gain them a lot of recognition. A lot of indie artists switch to major labels mid-career dependant on their success. This makes it difficult to distinguish indie music with mainstream music and can cause huge debate amongst fans. Some bands have always been associated with major labels but may be referred to as 'indie rock bands' because of the way their music sounds.
There is a variety of genres that overlap and are associated with 'Indie rock'. This includes:
indie pop, post-punk revival, dance-punk, indie folk, indietronica, etc.
The beginning of indie rock:
The roots are often refered back to "The Velvet Underground" debut album, released in 1967. The Beach boys 1966 album "Pet Sounds" is also commonly thought of as a starting point, same with the Kinks.
The 1980's:
In the UK, indie charts have been used since the early 1980s. Some examples of very known British indie rock bands from the 1980s were:
- The Smiths
- The Stone Roses
- Happy Mondays
- The Cure
These bands music heavily influenced the 1990's 'Britpop' movement. In the US, the term 'indie rock' was associated with distortion and heavy sounds such as Sonic Youth.
Record Labels:
The following record labels were founded in the 80's and are very renowned for being indie rock record labels:
- Washington DC's Dischord Records (1980)
- Seattles Sub Pop Records (1986)
- Chicago's Touch and Go Records (founded in 1979, released music in 1980's)
1990s:
In the 1990s there were major changes in the alternative rock scene. Grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream, achieving chart success commercially. Punk revival bands such as Greenday also gained popularity and were grouped under the alternative label. The meaning of alternative changed and now refered to new music achieving mainstream success. Indie rock then became associated with bands that still remained underground in the music scene.
Current indie bands:
Indie rock is now hugely thought of as a genre by many people (including myself before researching into it.) It is well liked by many people and some artists that would be included in this type of music would be:
- The Maccabee's
- Vampire Weekend
- The Pigeon Detectives
- The Kooks
- Florence and the Machine
- Foals
- The Drums
- Bombay Bicycle Club
- Bloc Party
- Arctic Monkeys
Indie rock artists release albums on independent record labels (sometimes owned by themselves) and rely on touring through word-of-mouth and independent radio stations, and more recently through internet promotion, using websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter where thousands of users intereact and it can gain them a lot of recognition. A lot of indie artists switch to major labels mid-career dependant on their success. This makes it difficult to distinguish indie music with mainstream music and can cause huge debate amongst fans. Some bands have always been associated with major labels but may be referred to as 'indie rock bands' because of the way their music sounds.
There is a variety of genres that overlap and are associated with 'Indie rock'. This includes:
indie pop, post-punk revival, dance-punk, indie folk, indietronica, etc.
The beginning of indie rock:
The roots are often refered back to "The Velvet Underground" debut album, released in 1967. The Beach boys 1966 album "Pet Sounds" is also commonly thought of as a starting point, same with the Kinks.
The 1980's:
In the UK, indie charts have been used since the early 1980s. Some examples of very known British indie rock bands from the 1980s were:
- The Smiths
- The Stone Roses
- Happy Mondays
- The Cure
These bands music heavily influenced the 1990's 'Britpop' movement. In the US, the term 'indie rock' was associated with distortion and heavy sounds such as Sonic Youth.
Record Labels:
The following record labels were founded in the 80's and are very renowned for being indie rock record labels:
- Washington DC's Dischord Records (1980)
- Seattles Sub Pop Records (1986)
- Chicago's Touch and Go Records (founded in 1979, released music in 1980's)
1990s:
In the 1990s there were major changes in the alternative rock scene. Grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream, achieving chart success commercially. Punk revival bands such as Greenday also gained popularity and were grouped under the alternative label. The meaning of alternative changed and now refered to new music achieving mainstream success. Indie rock then became associated with bands that still remained underground in the music scene.
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Current indie bands:
Indie rock is now hugely thought of as a genre by many people (including myself before researching into it.) It is well liked by many people and some artists that would be included in this type of music would be:
- The Maccabee's
- Vampire Weekend
- The Pigeon Detectives
- The Kooks
- Florence and the Machine
- Foals
- The Drums
- Bombay Bicycle Club
- Bloc Party
- Arctic Monkeys
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Lady Gaga - Alejandro
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, more known as 'Lady Gaga' is an American artist who has become huge in the UK. She began performing music in New York city. She signed with Streamline Records and worked as a songwriter for other label artists. She attracted attention from singer, Akon, who recognised her potential and got her signed to his own label, Kon Live Distribution. Lady Gaga released her debut album reached number 1 in UK charts and success immediately started for Lady Gaga. She never fails to amaze people with her music and videos. Comparisons can be made between Lady Gaga and Madonna, as like Madonna, Lady Gaga is so different to anyone else in the music scene.
Lady Gaga's most recent video release 'Alejandro' as proved controversial to some people. It is seen as controversial for religious reasons, just like Madonna's. Here's the video:
The music video, directed by photographer Steven Klein, was inspired by Gaga's love for gay people and her admiration for gay love. The video shows Gaga with a group of soldiers in a cabaret all dancing to the song. It also features scenes of Gaga as a nun swallowing rosary beads, being with near naked man and holding machine guns. The videos recieved mixed reviews, positively because of its dark nature, and negatively by Catholics who have attacked Gaga on her use of blasphemy. The answer director Klein gave to Gaga swallowing rosary beads is Gaga's "desire to take in the Holy". There are a lot of crosses in the background of the video which relates to christianity, and the behaviour she has does not reflect the catholic faith, her expressing for gay love also doesn't fit in with christian beliefs as they are against homosexuality.
Lady gaga and Madonna can be compared hugely in my opinion, as they are were both so different in the time they hit the music scene to anyone else at the time. The style of this video can be compared Madonna's "like a prayer" as it has many aspects involved that are controversial to religion.
Lady Gaga's most recent video release 'Alejandro' as proved controversial to some people. It is seen as controversial for religious reasons, just like Madonna's. Here's the video:
The music video, directed by photographer Steven Klein, was inspired by Gaga's love for gay people and her admiration for gay love. The video shows Gaga with a group of soldiers in a cabaret all dancing to the song. It also features scenes of Gaga as a nun swallowing rosary beads, being with near naked man and holding machine guns. The videos recieved mixed reviews, positively because of its dark nature, and negatively by Catholics who have attacked Gaga on her use of blasphemy. The answer director Klein gave to Gaga swallowing rosary beads is Gaga's "desire to take in the Holy". There are a lot of crosses in the background of the video which relates to christianity, and the behaviour she has does not reflect the catholic faith, her expressing for gay love also doesn't fit in with christian beliefs as they are against homosexuality.
Lady gaga and Madonna can be compared hugely in my opinion, as they are were both so different in the time they hit the music scene to anyone else at the time. The style of this video can be compared Madonna's "like a prayer" as it has many aspects involved that are controversial to religion.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Madonna - Like A Prayer
Madonna is recognised as one of the biggest-selling artists in music history and a huge icon of the 80's. Throughout her career she has had many number one's such as "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". When Madonna hit the scene of music she was very different to what anyone had seen before and this caused attraction to the general public as they wanted to find out more about her. She has sold more than 250 million records within 20 years of her career.
Her video "Like a prayer" caused a lot of controversy because of the religious references used throughout, here is the video:
The video features Madonna as a witness of the murder of a white girl by three white men, and the arrest of a black man who attempted to save the victim, but ends up being accused of the crime. Following his arrest, Madonna goes to the chapel for safety and at the end testifies the black man's innocence.
The video attracted so much criticism because there is a black man being percieved as Christ. This goes against the typical stereotype people have of Jesus Christ. In the chapel Madonna visits there are black statues of Jesus Christ which is rare as he is often percieved as a white man.
There is use of Catholic iconography in the video, and there is a scene including Madonna developing stigmata. There are also burning crosses in the background which attracted a lot of criticism. She also seduces the man acting as Jesus which obviously caused a lot of commotion amongst viewers.
Madonna knew that she was going to shock viewers with the 'like a prayer' video. Madonna stated "When I think of controversy, I never really think people are going to be half as shocked as they are at what I do." So it seems that she perhaps didn't realise quite how controversial her video would be.
It reached number 1 on MTV's "100 Videos That Broke The Rules".
Her video "Like a prayer" caused a lot of controversy because of the religious references used throughout, here is the video:
The video features Madonna as a witness of the murder of a white girl by three white men, and the arrest of a black man who attempted to save the victim, but ends up being accused of the crime. Following his arrest, Madonna goes to the chapel for safety and at the end testifies the black man's innocence.
The video attracted so much criticism because there is a black man being percieved as Christ. This goes against the typical stereotype people have of Jesus Christ. In the chapel Madonna visits there are black statues of Jesus Christ which is rare as he is often percieved as a white man.
There is use of Catholic iconography in the video, and there is a scene including Madonna developing stigmata. There are also burning crosses in the background which attracted a lot of criticism. She also seduces the man acting as Jesus which obviously caused a lot of commotion amongst viewers.
Madonna knew that she was going to shock viewers with the 'like a prayer' video. Madonna stated "When I think of controversy, I never really think people are going to be half as shocked as they are at what I do." So it seems that she perhaps didn't realise quite how controversial her video would be.
It reached number 1 on MTV's "100 Videos That Broke The Rules".
Genre Research
As a class we came up with over 20 different types of music genres which wasn't much of a surprise as there are hundreds of music genres. Throughout time more and more music genres seem to have stemmed off of one another, some collaborating together and some being completely new. There are always new genres emerging into the music scene.
The genres I thought of from the top of my head included: Rock, Alternative, Indie, Pop, Dance, Club, Trance, Drum n Bass, Dubstep, Electro, House, Funky House, RnB, Hip Hop, Folk, Heavy Metal, Punk, Country, Jazz, Blues, Rap, Grime, Garage. These are just a few of very many genres.
When asked to pick a favourite, it proved difficult as I have a very varied music taste and I feel that many bands fit into more than one genre. On the whole though I mostly enjoy Alternative/Rock, Indie, Electro/House and of course some cheesy pop classics.
The genres I thought of from the top of my head included: Rock, Alternative, Indie, Pop, Dance, Club, Trance, Drum n Bass, Dubstep, Electro, House, Funky House, RnB, Hip Hop, Folk, Heavy Metal, Punk, Country, Jazz, Blues, Rap, Grime, Garage. These are just a few of very many genres.
When asked to pick a favourite, it proved difficult as I have a very varied music taste and I feel that many bands fit into more than one genre. On the whole though I mostly enjoy Alternative/Rock, Indie, Electro/House and of course some cheesy pop classics.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Oasis
Oasis were an English rock band who formed in Manchester in 1991. They were previously known as "The Rain". The group was formed by Liam Gallagher.
The Band members are as follows:
- Liam Gallagher (Vocals and tambourine)
- Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (Guitar)
- Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (Bass guitar)
- Tony McCarroll (Drums, percussion)
- Noel Gallagher (Lead guitar and vocals)
The Band members are as follows:
- Liam Gallagher (Vocals and tambourine)
- Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (Guitar)
- Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (Bass guitar)
- Tony McCarroll (Drums, percussion)
- Noel Gallagher (Lead guitar and vocals)
The beginning of Oasis:
Oasis started as band called 'The Rain'. Liam Gallagher, the creator of the band suggested the band name should change to Oasis. This was inspired from an Inspiral Carpets tour poster that was hung in his room. One of the venues on the poster was the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, and 'The Rain' then became 'Oasis'. Oasis played their first live gig in 1992 in Manchester. Noel Gallagher, Liam's older brother went to support the band. Noel saw potential and approached the band with the idea that he could become the bands songwriter. Noel changed the way Oasis worked for good. After a year of live gigs, rehearsals and recording of a demo, the big break came in 1993 for the band where they were spotted by Creation Records. The band opened a show in a club in Glasgow and impressed Alan McGee causing him to sign the band to Creation four days later.
Oasis' first single, "Supersonic" was released in April 1993 reaching number 31 in the charts. Their third single "Live Forever" was the bands first song to enter the top 10 in the UK charts. The bands debut album, "Definitely Maybe" was released in September 1994, this entered the charts at number 1, and became the fastest selling debut album in the UK at that moment in time.
Oasis were heavily associated with drugs and alcohol and the lifestyle of Oasis began to take a toll on the band eventually. During a gig in LA in 1994, Liam was under the influence of Crystal Meth and in the performance he made offensive comments towards American audiences and assaulted his brother with a tambourine. This upset Noel who temporarily quit the band. Creation's Tim Abbot tracked him down and persuaded him to reconcile with his brother in which he did so. The band followed their American tour with their fourth single release of "Cigarettes & Alcohol" which reached number 7 in the UK charts. Their Christmas single "Whatever" entered the charts at number 3, being their biggest hit.
The rise of Oasis:
Oasis had their first UK Number 1 in 1995 with "Some might say", the first single from their second album. At this point Tony McCarroll left the band as he felt there was a personality clash with the Gallagher brothers. Londoner, Alan White replaced him, making his debut for the band at a Top of the Pops performance of the number 1 single. The band went head to head with Blur when they released "Roll with it" the same day as Blur released "Country House". Blur outsold Oasis and many believe it was simply because Blur's single was cheaper than Oasis'. Noel Gallagher told the Observer newspaper that he hoped Damon Albarn and Alex James of Blur would "Catch AIDS and die" which caused a lot of commotion in the media. He apologised for this in a formal letter to many publications.
Paul McGuigan (bassist) left the band in 1995 due to exhaustion but was persuaded to return to the band to complete their tour. Oasis took on a sofer sound in their second album "(What's the story) Morning Glory?" which led to mixed reviews from the public. However, it was a commerical success. It became the third largest selling album of all time in the UK with over 4 million copies having been sold. The album contained two of Oasis' biggest hit singles "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger", which reached numbers two and one in the charts. It also contained a single that wasn't released in the UK but reached number 1 in US modern rock charts 'Champagne Supernova'. Oasis' career reached it's peak and they performed back-to-back concerts at Knebworth which sold out within minutes. 2.5 million people applied for tickets and 375,000 were sold. This was recording breaking for an outdoor concert in the UK and is believed to be the largest demand for a show in British history.
Oasis spent the end of 1996 and start of 1997 recording their third album. Arguments between the Gallagher brothers and heavy drug use affected their recording sessions. "Be here now" was released in August 1997 and was very anticipated by the public. It's first day of release sold over 350,000 copies and by Saturday of that week sales reached 696,000, making the album the fastest-selling in British history. Oasis released a compliation album late in the year of 1998 entitled "The Masterplan".
In 1999, the band began to work on their fourth album. Things weren't going well and Paul Arthurs made a shock departure from the band. Arthurs wanted to concentrate on other things and spend more time with his family. Following this, two weeks later Paul McGuigan departed from the band also. The Gallagher brothers held a press conference ensuring the public that the future of Oasis was secure. The three man band continued with the recording of the album. After the recording was finished the band began to search for replacement members. Firstly announced was Colin Archer as the lead/rhythm guitarist. Andy Bell then joined as their new bassist. Creation records folded and Oasis made their own label, "Big Brother" which released all of Oasis records in the Uk and Ireland. The fourth album was released in 2000 and peaked at number 1 on British charts. Three singles were released from the album, these being "Go Let It Out", "Who Feels Love?" and "Sunday Morning Call" which all made it to the top five in the charts. Following the departure of some of the founding members, the band made several changes to their image and sound. This featured a new "Oasis" logo, designed by Gem Archer, and the album featured a song written by Liam Gallagher, named "Little James".
in 2002, Oasis released another album 'Heathen Chemistry, Oasis". The album reached number 1 in the UK charts although critics gave it mixed reviews.Four singles were released from the album, "The Hindu Times", "Stop Crying Your Heart Out", "Little by Little/She Is Love", and the Liam's "Songbird", Oasis' first single not written by Noel.
Following this albums release, the band had a successful world tour. The band's sixth album was record in LA. Producer Dave Sardy took over the lead producer role from Noel who decided he would step back after a decade of production leadership over the band. Their sixth album "Don't believe the Truth" followed the same path as "Heathen Chemistry" as it was a colloborative project yet again. Alan white left the band and the album featured Zak Starkey, previous drummer of 'The Who'. The album had two UK number 1 singles "Lyla" and "The Importance of Being Idle", whilst "Let There Be Love" entered at number 2.
In 2006, Oasis released a compilation double album titled "Stop the Clocks." This featured what the band considered as their "definitive" songs. In 2008, Starkey left the band following the recording of the seventh album and was replaced by former Robbie Williams drummer, Chris Sharrock. The band also resigned with Sony for a three-album deal. The first single from the bands seventh album "Dig out your Soul" was "The Shock of the Lightning" written by Noel Gallagher. The band toured again with support from Reverend and the makers, The Enemy and Kasabian.
The Breakup:
Oasis split up in August 2009 following a row between the brothers backstage at V festival (Weston Park). Supposedly Liam broke Noel's guitar and they quarrelled. They cancelled their performance the following night at V festival (Hylands Park) due to the instant decision of the band splitting.
Success:
- 8 UK number 1 singles
- 7 UK number 1 albums
- 15 NME Awards
- 9 Q Awards
- 4 MTV Europe Music Awards
- 6 BRIT Awards
- Nominated for 3 Grammy Awards
- Listed in Guinness Book of World Records (2010) for "Longest Top 10 UK Chart Run By A Group"
- Hold the Guinness World Record for being the "Most Successful Act of the Last Decade" in the UK (1995-2005)
Record Label:
Members of Oasis were signed to independant record label 'Creation Records'. The band have sold an estimated figure of about 70 million records worldwide.
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly lived a short life from September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959. His real name was Charles Hardin Holley but he was far better known as 'Buddy Holly'. His success was cut short as he died at just 22 in an airplane crash. Buddy Holly had huge potential and his success only lasted a year and a half. He had only been recording for 2 years, yet during these 2 years he wrote and performed some of the most progressive music of his time, becoming an inspiration to many musicians. He created a musical foundation for bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. His early rock and roll/rockabilly genre proved very popular amongst the general public.
The Life of Buddy Holly:
Charles Hardin Holley was born in Texas as the youngest of four children. The 'e' in Buddy Hollys surname was dropped because there was a spelling error on his first recording contract, but due to excitement and not wanting to put his contract in jeopardy he signed it anyway, with his name as 'Buddy' and used his childhood nickname, Holly.
Buddy began making music from a very early age at 11 with piano lessons. Though after 9 months of lessons and being praised by many people including his teacher as one of her top students, without any explanation, Buddy quit. However he took up playing the guitar and entertained friends and family with his talent.
Buddy's and Bob Montgomery went to school together and performed with one another, known by family and friends as 'Buddy and Bob'. They began to perform local events throughout their home town of Texas. Following opening a show for Elvis Presley at a local gig in 1955 Buddy knew where his future lied in music. Buddy and Bob didnt particularly hit off well, so Buddy formed his new group. "The Crickets."
The Crickets consisted of:
- Jerry Allison (Drums)
- Nick Sullivan (Guitar)
- Joe Maudlin (Bass)
- Buddy Holly (Vocals)
The crickets recorded 'That'll be the day' and it became top of the charts in September 1957. Here's a video of it.
The group continued with their success with songs such as "Oh Boy" and "Peggy Sue." Buddy began to get restless and due to legal problems concerning royalty money, he split from the Crickets.
Buddy Holly then joined with Valens and Richardson and toured doing the "Winter Dance Party". The 3 along with pilot Roger Peterson took off from Mason City airport on Feburary 3rd. Their four seat aircraft crashed soon after takeoff. The surviving members did not want to continue the tour but gave in to the pressures of performing the final show. However when they appeared on stage without Buddy, audiences were shocked and it was a tragedy that took the musical community by complete shock as Buddy was a huge upcoming star. Don Mclean dedicated his 1971 hit "American Pie" to Buddy Holly and stated it was “The day the music died.”
Record Label:
Buddy Holly has been signed up to Decca, Brunswick and the one he last signed with was Coral. Coral was based in the USA and various Swing and Jazz recordings were made with Coral.
Discography:
Buddy Holly released 3 albums in his lifetime, but due to the amount of material he had written, Coral were able to release his music for up to 10 years after his death.
The Life of Buddy Holly:
Charles Hardin Holley was born in Texas as the youngest of four children. The 'e' in Buddy Hollys surname was dropped because there was a spelling error on his first recording contract, but due to excitement and not wanting to put his contract in jeopardy he signed it anyway, with his name as 'Buddy' and used his childhood nickname, Holly.
Buddy began making music from a very early age at 11 with piano lessons. Though after 9 months of lessons and being praised by many people including his teacher as one of her top students, without any explanation, Buddy quit. However he took up playing the guitar and entertained friends and family with his talent.
Buddy's and Bob Montgomery went to school together and performed with one another, known by family and friends as 'Buddy and Bob'. They began to perform local events throughout their home town of Texas. Following opening a show for Elvis Presley at a local gig in 1955 Buddy knew where his future lied in music. Buddy and Bob didnt particularly hit off well, so Buddy formed his new group. "The Crickets."
The Crickets consisted of:
- Jerry Allison (Drums)
- Nick Sullivan (Guitar)
- Joe Maudlin (Bass)
- Buddy Holly (Vocals)
The crickets recorded 'That'll be the day' and it became top of the charts in September 1957. Here's a video of it.
The group continued with their success with songs such as "Oh Boy" and "Peggy Sue." Buddy began to get restless and due to legal problems concerning royalty money, he split from the Crickets.
Buddy Holly then joined with Valens and Richardson and toured doing the "Winter Dance Party". The 3 along with pilot Roger Peterson took off from Mason City airport on Feburary 3rd. Their four seat aircraft crashed soon after takeoff. The surviving members did not want to continue the tour but gave in to the pressures of performing the final show. However when they appeared on stage without Buddy, audiences were shocked and it was a tragedy that took the musical community by complete shock as Buddy was a huge upcoming star. Don Mclean dedicated his 1971 hit "American Pie" to Buddy Holly and stated it was “The day the music died.”
Record Label:
Buddy Holly has been signed up to Decca, Brunswick and the one he last signed with was Coral. Coral was based in the USA and various Swing and Jazz recordings were made with Coral.
Discography:
Buddy Holly released 3 albums in his lifetime, but due to the amount of material he had written, Coral were able to release his music for up to 10 years after his death.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Just Jack - The Day I Died
I posted this on my blog for AS as it is one of my favourite music videos. I posted it because the way it has been constructed is very clever and there is a number of aspects in the video that i spotted which interested me.
The images in the video are to do with the words being sung in the song, this is introduced to the viewer instantly. One thing i noticed about the beginning was his little boy sitting playing with toy cars (17 seconds in) crashing them into one another and then bringing an ambulance into the scene meaning somebody has been hurt. This relates to the end of the video because his dad dies through being run over and an ambulance comes in attempt to save him. This relates because the car crash the boys dad dies in is a reinactment of how the boy is playing with the cars at this point in the video.
When James Nesbitt says goodbye to his wife and kids I noticed he has rips in his suit on the way to work. Obviously someone wouldn't leave for work with a ripped suit it was again until later i realised why he had a ripped suit. His suit rips in the car accident shown later on as he is hit and stumbles to the floor causing the rip and a blooded bruise on his head.
When sitting in the park on his work break, at around 1.44 in to the video James Nesbitt picks up a book, he opens it on the last page and then closes it again. This could symbolise he has reached the end of something, the song title gives away what he has reached the end of. As the song is about the day i died and the video is based around a mans last day alive, the closing of the book could symbolise the end of his life.
At 2.19 in the video, James Nesbitt is pictured on "top of the world". He donates money to an artist painting the world on the floor but this could be a hidden metaphor in the video. The video is based around the day he died being the best day of his life, and him standing on top of the world thats been painted could relate to when people do feel on top of the world. Following this he misses the bus, and this could have meaning behind it because by doing a good deed, admiring and giving the artist money for his work he has missed his bus.
James Nesbitt is then walking across the street and the lyrics say 'I guess I never saw that taxi'. When this happens there is no singing from Just Jack anymore but what sounds like choir voices. This could be the realisation hitting him that he's been hit by a car and how his life froze at that point. During this we see him touch his head and it strikes him that he's been hit, we also see the ambulance that has come to attempt to save his life. This could be the way of showing somebody looking back at their death as it is acted out before the crash and then James Nesbitt just falls to the floor which indicates his death. As he falls to the floor, Just Jack begins to sing again.
As he lies on the floor, he has a flashback of his wife and kids and it relates to the lyrics once again. The music video is based around a mans flashback in the dying moments of his life featuring his wife and kids, and that day being the best day of his life.
The images in the video are to do with the words being sung in the song, this is introduced to the viewer instantly. One thing i noticed about the beginning was his little boy sitting playing with toy cars (17 seconds in) crashing them into one another and then bringing an ambulance into the scene meaning somebody has been hurt. This relates to the end of the video because his dad dies through being run over and an ambulance comes in attempt to save him. This relates because the car crash the boys dad dies in is a reinactment of how the boy is playing with the cars at this point in the video.
When James Nesbitt says goodbye to his wife and kids I noticed he has rips in his suit on the way to work. Obviously someone wouldn't leave for work with a ripped suit it was again until later i realised why he had a ripped suit. His suit rips in the car accident shown later on as he is hit and stumbles to the floor causing the rip and a blooded bruise on his head.
When sitting in the park on his work break, at around 1.44 in to the video James Nesbitt picks up a book, he opens it on the last page and then closes it again. This could symbolise he has reached the end of something, the song title gives away what he has reached the end of. As the song is about the day i died and the video is based around a mans last day alive, the closing of the book could symbolise the end of his life.
At 2.19 in the video, James Nesbitt is pictured on "top of the world". He donates money to an artist painting the world on the floor but this could be a hidden metaphor in the video. The video is based around the day he died being the best day of his life, and him standing on top of the world thats been painted could relate to when people do feel on top of the world. Following this he misses the bus, and this could have meaning behind it because by doing a good deed, admiring and giving the artist money for his work he has missed his bus.
James Nesbitt is then walking across the street and the lyrics say 'I guess I never saw that taxi'. When this happens there is no singing from Just Jack anymore but what sounds like choir voices. This could be the realisation hitting him that he's been hit by a car and how his life froze at that point. During this we see him touch his head and it strikes him that he's been hit, we also see the ambulance that has come to attempt to save his life. This could be the way of showing somebody looking back at their death as it is acted out before the crash and then James Nesbitt just falls to the floor which indicates his death. As he falls to the floor, Just Jack begins to sing again.
As he lies on the floor, he has a flashback of his wife and kids and it relates to the lyrics once again. The music video is based around a mans flashback in the dying moments of his life featuring his wife and kids, and that day being the best day of his life.
Madness
Madness are a British Ska band from Camden Town, London. They formed in 1976 and have continued to perform for fans with their recognised seven members. Madness were one of the biggest bands in the late 1970's and contributed to the rise of Ska music.
Madness achieved most of their success from the early 1980s up until the mid 1980s. Madness spent 214 weeks on the UK singles chart over the course of their success. They beat UB40's record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles chart during their success period from 1980-1986.
The formation of whom makes up Madness has changed slightly over the years, but the main people are:
- Graham McPherson better known as 'Suggs' – Lead Vocals.
- Mike Barson also known as 'Monsieur Barso' – Keyboards, Pianos, Vibraphone.
- Chris Foreman also known as 'Chrissy Boy' – Guitar.
- Mark Bedford also known as 'Bedders' – Bass Guitar.
- Lee Thompson also known as 'Kix' – Saxophone, Backing vocals.
- Daniel Woodgate also known as 'Woody' – Drums, Percussion.
- Cathal Smyth better known as 'Chas Smash' – Backing vocals, dancing
The Beginning of Madness:
In 1979, the band recorded famous single "The Prince." This single was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of the founder of The Specials, Jerry Dammers. "The Prince" was a surprise hit for madness, as it peaked to number 16 in the UK charts. Performing this song on popular TV music show 'Top of the Pops' helped Madness gain recognition from the public. Following this single gaining some success, Madness then toured with fellow 2 tone bands, The Specials and The Selecter, before recording their debut album, "One Step Beyond..." (Released by Stiff Records.) The album stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks, and reached its peak at number 2. Madness then went on to release another 8 albums, which all contributed in making them who they are today.
The Breakup:
Following Mike Barson leaving in 1984, Madness' success started to decline and after one self titled album, and two other albums which failed to reach the top 40 in the UK charts, Madness completely split in 1988.
The Reunion:
Towards the end of 1991, massive hit "It Must Be Love" was re-released and reached number 6 in the UK singles chart in Feburary of 1992. Following the success of this re-release, an album "Divine Madness" was released with some of the greatest hits from Madness and peaked at number 1 in the album charts. Madness then announced a reunion concert, "Madstock!". This was held at Finsbury Park, London with the original lineup of Madness reunited performing for the first time since Barson left Madness in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival and the boisterous crowd caused Madness to officially reunite. The band did Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock! festivals. In June 2008, "The Liberty Of Norton Folgate" was released, currently the most recent Madness album. This reached number 5 in UK charts.
Awards:
1983: Ivor Novello Award - Best Song, "Our House".
2000: Ivor Novello Award - Outstanding Song Collection
2005: MOJO "Hall of Fame" Award - for being 'an artist's artist'.
2009: 'Silver Clef' Icon Award.
Music Label - Lucky 7 Records:
This label was actually founded by Madness themselves. The launch of the label enabled Madness to release new material. So far the label has released 5 Madness singles and the album "The Liberty of Norton Folgate".Madness also set up their old label 'Zarjazz Records".
The other labels Madness have also been part of are as follows:
- 2 Tone
- Stiff
- Zarjazz
- Virgin
- V2 Sire
- Geffen
- Union Square Music
Here is the video of one of Madness' biggest hits, "One Step Beyond". The video portrays them as a lively band.
Madness achieved most of their success from the early 1980s up until the mid 1980s. Madness spent 214 weeks on the UK singles chart over the course of their success. They beat UB40's record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles chart during their success period from 1980-1986.
The formation of whom makes up Madness has changed slightly over the years, but the main people are:
- Graham McPherson better known as 'Suggs' – Lead Vocals.
- Mike Barson also known as 'Monsieur Barso' – Keyboards, Pianos, Vibraphone.
- Chris Foreman also known as 'Chrissy Boy' – Guitar.
- Mark Bedford also known as 'Bedders' – Bass Guitar.
- Lee Thompson also known as 'Kix' – Saxophone, Backing vocals.
- Daniel Woodgate also known as 'Woody' – Drums, Percussion.
- Cathal Smyth better known as 'Chas Smash' – Backing vocals, dancing
The Beginning of Madness:In 1979, the band recorded famous single "The Prince." This single was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of the founder of The Specials, Jerry Dammers. "The Prince" was a surprise hit for madness, as it peaked to number 16 in the UK charts. Performing this song on popular TV music show 'Top of the Pops' helped Madness gain recognition from the public. Following this single gaining some success, Madness then toured with fellow 2 tone bands, The Specials and The Selecter, before recording their debut album, "One Step Beyond..." (Released by Stiff Records.) The album stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks, and reached its peak at number 2. Madness then went on to release another 8 albums, which all contributed in making them who they are today.
The Breakup:
Following Mike Barson leaving in 1984, Madness' success started to decline and after one self titled album, and two other albums which failed to reach the top 40 in the UK charts, Madness completely split in 1988.
The Reunion:
Towards the end of 1991, massive hit "It Must Be Love" was re-released and reached number 6 in the UK singles chart in Feburary of 1992. Following the success of this re-release, an album "Divine Madness" was released with some of the greatest hits from Madness and peaked at number 1 in the album charts. Madness then announced a reunion concert, "Madstock!". This was held at Finsbury Park, London with the original lineup of Madness reunited performing for the first time since Barson left Madness in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival and the boisterous crowd caused Madness to officially reunite. The band did Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock! festivals. In June 2008, "The Liberty Of Norton Folgate" was released, currently the most recent Madness album. This reached number 5 in UK charts.
Awards:
1983: Ivor Novello Award - Best Song, "Our House".
2000: Ivor Novello Award - Outstanding Song Collection
2005: MOJO "Hall of Fame" Award - for being 'an artist's artist'.
2009: 'Silver Clef' Icon Award.
Music Label - Lucky 7 Records:
This label was actually founded by Madness themselves. The launch of the label enabled Madness to release new material. So far the label has released 5 Madness singles and the album "The Liberty of Norton Folgate".Madness also set up their old label 'Zarjazz Records".
The other labels Madness have also been part of are as follows:
- 2 Tone
- Stiff
- Zarjazz
- Virgin
- V2 Sire
- Geffen
- Union Square Music
Here is the video of one of Madness' biggest hits, "One Step Beyond". The video portrays them as a lively band.
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