TheNashville soundis a subgenre of Americancountry musicthat originated in the 1950s inNashville, Tennessee.It replaced the dominance of the roughhonky tonk musicwith "smooth strings and choruses", "sophisticated background vocals" and "smooth tempos" associated withtraditional pop.[1][2]It was an attempt "to revive country sales, which had been devastated by the rise ofrock 'n' roll".[2]
| Nashville sound | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1950s,Nashville, Tennessee,United States |
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Origins
editThe Nashville sound was pioneered by staff atRCA Victor,Columbia RecordsandDecca RecordsinNashville, Tennessee.RCA Victor manager, producer and musicianChet Atkins,and producersSteve Sholes,Owen BradleyandBob Ferguson,and recording engineerBill Porterinvented the form by replacing elements of the popularhonky tonkstyle (fiddles,steel guitar,nasal lead vocals) with "smooth" elements from 1950s pop music (string sections, background vocals, crooning lead vocals), and using "slick"production,andpop musicstructures.[3][4]The producers relied on a small group of studio musicians known asthe Nashville A-Team,whose quick adaptability and creative input made them vital to the hit-making process. TheAnita Kerr Quartetwas the main vocal backing group in the early 1960s.
The term "Nashville sound" was first mentioned in an article aboutJim Reevesin 1958 in the Music Reporter and again in 1960 in aTimearticle about Reeves.[5]Other observers have identified several recordings that helped establish the early Nashville sound. The country historian Rich Kienzle identified that "Gone",aFerlin Huskyhit recorded in November 1956, as a possible precursor. The writerColin Escottargued that Reeves' "Four Walls",recorded February 1957, as the" first 'Nashville sound' record ", andChet Atkins,the RCA Victor producer and guitarist most often credited with being the sound's primary artistic creator, pointed to his production ofDon Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me"later the same year.[6]In an essay published inHeartaches by the Number: Country Music's 500 Greatest Singles,David Cantwell argues thatElvis Presley'srock and rollrecording of "Don't Be Cruel"in July 1956 was the record that sparked the beginning of the era now called the Nashville sound.[6]
Regarding the Nashville sound, the record producerOwen Bradleystated
"Now we've cut out the fiddle and steel guitar and added choruses to country music. But it can't stop there. It always has to keep developing to keep fresh."[7]
Bradley Studios,RCA Studio Band laterRCA Studio A,located directly center ofMusic Row,were considered pivotal as well as essential locations to the development of the Nashville sound musical techniques. RCA Studio A specifically was designed and built to incorporate these techniques and was designed by RCA's sound engineerJohn E. Volkmann.[8]In 1960,Timereported that Nashville had "nosed outHollywoodas the nation's second biggest (afterNew York) record-producing center. "[9]
Countrypolitan
edit
In the early 1960s, the Nashville sound began to be challenged by the rivalBakersfield soundon the country side[3]and by theBritish Invasionon the pop side;[10]compounding these problems were the sudden deaths, in separate airplane crashes, ofPatsy ClineandJim Reeves,two of the Nashville sound's biggest stars. Nashville's pop song structure became more pronounced, and it morphed into what was calledCountrypolitan:a smoother sound typified through the use of lush string arrangements with a realorchestraand often background vocals provided by a choir. Countrypolitan was aimed straight at mainstream markets, and its music sold well through the later 1960s into the mid-1970s. Among the architects of this sound were producersBilly Sherrill(who was instrumental in shapingTammy Wynette's early career) andGlenn Sutton.Artists who typified the countrypolitan sound initially included Wynette,Charlie Rich,andCharley Pride,along withLos Angeles–based singersLynn AndersonandGlen Campbell.George Jones's style of the era successfully fused the countrypolitan sound with the honky-tonk style that had made him famous.[4]
The Bakersfield sound, and lateroutlaw country,dominated country music among aficionados while countrypolitan reigned on the pop charts.[4]
Upon being asked what the Nashville sound was,Chet Atkinsput his hand into his pocket, shook his loose change, and said "That's what it is. It's the sound of money."[11]
Country pop
editBy the late 1970s and 1980s, many pop music singers picked up the countrypolitan style and created what is known ascountry pop,the fusion ofcountry musicandpop music.
See also
edit- The Nashville A-Team
- Nashville Sounds,a baseball team that borrows its name from the style
References
edit- ^Byworth, Tony, ed. (2006).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music.London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 7, 115–117, 169.ISBN978-1-84451-406-9.
- ^abDawidoff, Nicholas (1997).In the Country of Country.Great Britain: Faber and Faber. pp. 48–50.ISBN0-571-19174-6.
- ^abThe Tennessee Encyclopedia. Nashville Recording Industry.Accessed April 9, 2016.
- ^abcSanjek, Russell. (1988). "American Popular Music and Its Business: the first four hundred years". Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-504311-1.
- ^Bill Ivey, Encyclopedia of Country Music
- ^ab"The" Nashville Sound "Begins".Archived fromthe originalon May 25, 2012.RetrievedAugust 8,2011.
- ^Du Noyer, Paul (2003).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music(1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 14.ISBN1-904041-96-5.
- ^"Three Years After Being Saved from Wrecking Ball Studio a Still Makes an Impact".Nashville Scene.Retrieved2018-04-08.
- ^"Country After Elvis | Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum | Nashville, Tennessee".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-16.Retrieved2008-11-11.
- ^Barnes, Ken (February 9, 2021)."Did the Beatles kill America's radio stars?".Radio Insight.RetrievedFebruary 20,2021.
- ^"Bet on Chet - eMusic Spotlight".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-13.Retrieved2011-07-04.