Other Voices: Hidden Histories of Liverpool's Popular Music Scenes, 1930s-1970sAt times it appears that a whole industry exists to perpetuate the myth of origin of the Beatles. There certainly exists a popular music (or perhaps 'rock') origin myth concerning this group and the city of Liverpool and this draws in devotees, as if on a pilgrimage, to Liverpool itself. Once 'within' the city, local businesses exist primarily to escort these pilgrims around several almost iconic spaces and places associated with the group. At times it all almost seems 'spiritual'. One might argue however that, like any function myth, the music history of the Liverpool in which the Beatles grew and then departed is not fully represented. Beatles historians and businessmen-alike have seized upon myriad musical experiences and reworked them into a discourse that homogenizes not only the diverse collective articulations that initially put them into place, but also the receptive practices of those travellers willing to listen to a somewhat linear, exclusive narrative. Other Voices therefore exists as a history of the disparate and now partially hidden musical strands that contributed to Liverpool's musical countenance. It is also a critique of Beatles-related institutionalized popular music mythology. Via a critical historical investigation of several thus far partially hidden popular music activities in pre- and post-Second World War Liverpool, Michael Brocken reveals different yet intrinsic musical and socio-cultural processes from within the city of Liverpool. By addressing such 'scenes' as those involving dance bands, traditional jazz, folk music, country and western, and rhythm and blues, together with a consideration of partially hidden key places and individuals, and Liverpool's first 'real' record label, an assemblage of 'other voices' bears witness to an 'other', seldom discussed, Liverpool. By doing so, Brocken - born and raised in Liverpool - asks questions about not only the historicity of the Beatles-Liverpool narrative, but also about the absence o |
Contents
Capital of Culture is anybody listening? | 1 |
Looking back not through an overview Beatlesology and historicism | 9 |
Antediluvian images? Popular music and parochial space in interwar Liverpool | 35 |
Jazz the Cavern and skiffle | 55 |
Oral histories public and private spaces the partiallyhidden histories of Joe Flannery and Gardner Road 196162 | 79 |
I like your hat country music and Liverpool | 107 |
Some Other Guys RB in Liverpool | 135 |
Mist over the Mersey folk scenes on Merseyside | 159 |
Cabaret reality amid the fake | 179 |
Tastemakers reception wordofmouth | 199 |
Epilogue | 229 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alan Sytner album appeared artists audience authenticity BBC Radio Merseyside Beatles became Billy Butler blues Brian Epstein British broadcasting Brocken cabaret circuit Cavern concerning country music creative dance band Decca deejay discourse Donegan existed fans folk music genre Geoff Speed gigs Grafton Hall Hank Walters Hideaways interest Joe Flannery John Kirkby later Lee Curtis Leigh Lennon listening Live 61 Liver Birds Liverpudlians London Lonnie Donegan Melody Maker Mersey Merseybeat Mick O'Toole Mona music in Liverpool music scene musicians narrative NEMS night performed perhaps Pete Best played popular music popular music activity popular music historian post-WWII programme Quarry Quarry Men Radio Luxembourg Radio Merseyside recalls record collectors record label released remember retailing Rhythm Club rock roll sessions significance singer skiffle social songs space Stag Music Star Club studio surrounding Sytner tape taste cultures trad jazz traditional venues young