Jump to content

Swinging Sixties

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromSwinging London)

Swinging Sixties
Part of thecounterculture of the 1960s
A scene fromCarnaby Street,in London's West End,c. 1966
Date1960s
LocationUnited Kingdom
Also known asSwinging London
OutcomeChanging social, political and cultural values

TheSwinging Sixtieswas ayouth-drivencultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasisingmodernityand fun-lovinghedonism,withSwinging Londondenoted as its centre.[1]It saw a flourishing in art, music and fashion, and was symbolised by the city's "pop and fashion exports", such asthe Beatles,as themultimedialeaders of theBritish Invasionof musical acts; themodandpsychedelicsubcultures;Mary Quant'sminiskirtdesigns; popular fashion models such asTwiggyandJean Shrimpton;the iconic status of popular shopping areas such as London'sKing's Road,KensingtonandCarnaby Street;the political activism of theanti-nuclear movement;and thesexual liberationmovement.[1]

Music was an essential part of the revolution, with "the London sound" being regarded as including the Beatles,the Rolling Stones,the Who,the Kinksandthe Small Faces,bands that were additionally the mainstay ofpirate radiostations likeRadio Caroline,Wonderful Radio LondonandSwinging Radio England.[2]Swinging London also reachedBritish cinema,which according to theBritish Film Institute"saw a surge in formal experimentation, freedom of expression, colour, and comedy", with films that exploredcounterculturalandsatiricalthemes.[1]During this period, "creative types of all kinds gravitated to the capital, from artists and writers to magazine publishers, photographers, advertisers, film-makers and product designers".[2]

During the 1960s, London underwent a "metamorphosis from a gloomy, grimypost-warcapital into a bright, shining epicentre ofstyle".[2]The phenomenon has been agreed to have been caused by the large number of young people in the city—due to thebaby boom of the 1950s—and thepostwar economic boom.[2]Following the abolition of thenational servicefor men in 1960, these young people enjoyed greater freedom and fewer responsibilities than their parents' generation,[2]and "[fanned] changes to social and sexual politics".[1]

Shaping thepopular consciousnessof aspirational Britain in the 1960s, the period was aWest End–centred phenomenon regarded as happening among young,middle classpeople, and was often considered as "simply a diversion" by them. The swinging scene also served as aconsumeristcounterpart to the more overtly political and radicalBritish undergroundof the same period. English cultural geographer Simon Rycroft wrote that "whilst it is important to acknowledge the exclusivity and the dissenting voices, it does not lessen the importance of Swinging London as a powerful moment of image making with very real material effect."[3]

Background[edit]

The Swinging Sixties was ayouth movementemphasising the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and acultural revolution.One catalyst was the recovery of the British economy after post-Second World Warausterity,which lasted through much of the 1950s.[4]

"The Swinging City" was defined byTimemagazine on the cover of its issue of 15 April 1966.[5]In aPiri Halaszarticle 'Great Britain: You Can Walk Across It on the Grass',[6]the magazine pronounced London the global hub of youthful creativity, hedonism and excitement: "In a decade dominated by youth, London has burst into bloom. It swings; it is the scene",[7][8]and celebrated in the name of thepirate radiostation,Swinging Radio England,that began shortly afterwards.

The term "swinging" in the sense ofhipor fashionable had been used since the early 1960s, including byNorman Vaughanin his "swinging/dodgy" patter onSunday Night at the London Palladium.In 1965,Diana Vreeland,editor ofVoguemagazine, said that "London is the most swinging city in the world at the moment."[9]Later that year, the American singerRoger Millerhad a hit record with "England Swings",which steps around the progressive youth culture (both musically and lyrically).

Music[edit]

The Kinksin 1967

Already heralded byColin MacInnes' 1959 novelAbsolute Beginnerswhich captured London's emerging youth culture,[10]Swinging London was underway by the mid-1960s and included music bythe Beatles,the Rolling Stones,the Kinks,the Who,Small Faces,the Animals,Dusty Springfield,Lulu,Cilla Black,Sandie Shawand other artists from what was known in the US as the "British Invasion".[11]Psychedelic rockfrom artists such asPink Floyd,Cream,Procol Harum,the Jimi Hendrix ExperienceandTrafficgrew significantly in popularity.

Large venues, besides former music halls, includedHyde,AlexandraandFinsbury Parks,Clapham Commonand theEmpire Pool (which became Wembley Arena).This sort of music was heard in the United Kingdom on TV shows such as the BBC'sTop of the Pops(where the Rolling Stones were the first band to perform with "I Wanna Be Your Man"), andITV'sReady Steady Go!(which would featureManfred Mann's "5-4-3-2-1"as its theme tune), on commercial radio stations such asRadio Luxembourg,Radio CarolineandRadio London,and from 1967 onBBC Radio One.[12][13]

The Rolling Stones' 1966 albumAftermathhas been cited by music scholars as a reflection of Swinging London.Ian MacDonaldsaid, with the album the Stones were chronicling the phenomenon, while Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon called it "the soundtrack of Swinging London, a gift to hip young people".[14]

Fashion and symbols[edit]

See also:peacock revolution

During the Swinging Sixties, fashion and photography were featured inQueenmagazine, which drew attention to fashion designerMary Quant.[15][16]Mod-related fashions such as theminiskirtstimulated fashionable Londonshoppingareas such asCarnaby StreetandKing's Road,Chelsea.[17][18]Vidal Sassooncreated thebob cuthairstyle.[19]

Carnaby Street,c. 1968

The modelJean Shrimptonwas another icon and one of the world's first supermodels.[20]She was the world's highest paid[21]and most photographed model[22]during this time. Shrimpton was called "The Face of the '60s",[23]in which she has been considered by many as "the symbol of Swinging London"[21]and the "embodiment of the 1960s".[24]

LikePattie Boyd,the wife of Beatles guitaristGeorge Harrison,Shrimpton gained international fame for her embodiment of the "British female 'look' – mini-skirt, long, straight hair and wide-eyed loveliness", characteristics that defined Western fashion following the arrival of the Beatles and other British Invasion acts in 1964.[25]Other popular models of the era includedVeruschka,Peggy MoffittandPenelope Tree.The modelTwiggyhas been called "the face of 1966" and "the Queen ofMod",a label she shared with, among others,Cathy McGowan,the host of the television rock showReady Steady Go!from 1964 to 1966.[26]

The British flag, theUnion Jack,became a symbol, assisted by events such as England's home victory in the1966 World Cup.TheJaguar E-Typesports car was a British icon of the 1960s.[27]

In late 1965, photographerDavid Baileysought to define Swinging London in a series of large photographic prints.[28]Compiled into a set titledBox of Pin-Ups,they were published on 21 November that year.[29]His subjects included actorsMichael CaineandTerence Stamp;musiciansJohn Lennon,Paul McCartney,Mick Jaggerand five other pop stars;Brian Epstein,as one of four individuals representing music management; hairdresserVidal Sassoon,ballet dancerRudolf Nureyev,Ad Libclub manager Brian Morris, and theKray twins;as well as leading figures in interior decoration,pop art,photography, fashion modelling, photographic design and creative advertising.[28]

Bailey's photographs reflected the rise of working-class artists, entertainers and entrepreneurs that characterised London during this period. Writing in his 1967 bookThe Young Meteors,journalistJonathan AitkendescribedBox of Pin-Upsas "aDebrettof the new aristocracy ".[30]

Film[edit]

TheMinibecame an icon of 1960s popular culture, and featured in the 1969 British caper filmThe Italian Job.

The phenomenon was featured in many films of the time, includingDarling(1965) starringJulie Christie,The Pleasure Girls(1965),[31]The Knack...and How to Get It(1965),Michelangelo Antonioni'sBlowup(1966),Alfie(1966) starring Michael Caine,Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment(1966),Georgy Girl(1966),Kaleidoscope(1966),The Sandwich Man(1966),The Jokers(1967),Casino Royale(1967) starringPeter Sellers,Smashing Time(1967),To Sir, with Love(1967),Bedazzled(1967) starringDudley MooreandPeter Cook,Poor Cow(1967),I'll Never Forget What's'isname(1967),Up the Junction(1968),Joanna(1968),Otley(1968),The Strange Affair(1968),Baby Love(1968),The Magic Christian(1969),The Touchables(1968),Les Bicyclettes de Belsize(1969),Two Gentlemen Sharing(1969),Performance(1970), andDeep End(1970).[32]

The comedy filmsAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery(1997) andAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me(1999), written by and starringMike Myers,resurrected the imagery of the Swinging London scene (but were filmed in Hollywood), as did the 2009 filmThe Boat That Rocked.[27]

Television[edit]

  • TheITVspy-fi seriesThe Avengers(1961–1969), particularly after it began broadcasting in colour, revelled in its Swinging Sixties setting.[33]In the 1967 episode "Dead Man's Treasure",Emma Peel(played byDiana Rigg) arrives in the archetypal English village of Swingingdale, dubbing it "notvery swinging ".
  • In the episode "Beauty Is an Ugly Word" (1966) of BBC'sAdam Adamant Lives!,Adamant (Gerald Harper), anEdwardianadventurer suspended in time since 1902, was told, "This is London, 1966 – the swinging city."[34]
  • TheBBCshowTake Three Girls(1969) is noted forLiza Goddard's first starring role, an evocativefolk-rocktheme song ( "Light Flight" byPentangle), aWest Kensingtonlocation, and scenes in which the heroines were shown dressing or undressing.[35]
  • "Jigsaw Man", a 1968 episode of the detective seriesMan in a Suitcase,opened with the announcement: "This is London… Swinging London."[36]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdWakefield, Thirza (15 July 2014)."10 great films set in the swinging 60s".British Film Institute.Retrieved5 November2016.
  2. ^abcde"Swinging 60s – Capital of Cool".History.AETN UK. Archived fromthe originalon 6 November 2016.Retrieved5 November2016.
  3. ^Rycroft, Simon (2016)."Mapping Swinging London".Swinging City: A Cultural Geography of London 1950–1974.Routledge. p. 87.ISBN978-1-317-04734-6.
  4. ^"Going Platinum: The UK's 70 years of change".HSBC.Retrieved11 October2022.1950s and 1960s: the post-war investment boom. When the Queen came to the throne, the UK economy was still in its post-war boom period
  5. ^"TIME Magazine Cover: London – Apr. 15, 1966".TIME.Retrieved25 January2019.
  6. ^Rycroft, Simon (2012).Swinging City: A Cultural Geography of London 1950–1974.Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.ISBN978-1-4094-8887-3.Retrieved26 January2019.
  7. ^"The Diamond Decades: The 1960s".The Daily Telegraph. 10 November 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.
  8. ^most famous (if not the first) identification of Swinging LondonGilbert, David (2006)"'The Youngest Legend in History': Cultures of Consumption and the Mythologies of Swinging London"The London Journal31(1): pp. 1–14, page 3,doi:10.1179/174963206X113089
  9. ^Quoted by John,Weekend Telegraph,16 April 1965; and in Pearson, Lynn (2007) "Roughcast textures with cosmic overtones: a survey of British murals, 1945–80"Decorative Arts Society Journal31: pp. 116–37
  10. ^"Absolute MacInnes: British identity and society".The Guardian.Retrieved2 October2022.
  11. ^Ira A. Robbins."British Invasion (music) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia".Britannica.Retrieved2 October2022.
  12. ^"BBC says fond farewell to Top of the Pops".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 20 November 2018.Retrieved2 September2022.
  13. ^Roberts, David (1998).Guinness Rockopedia(1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p.258.ISBN0-85112-072-5.
  14. ^Norman 2001,p. 197;Moon 2004,p. 697;MacDonald 2002;Margotin & Guesdon 2016,p. 136.
  15. ^Barry Miles (2009).The British Invasion: The Music, the Times, the Era.Sterling. p. 203.ISBN978-1-4027-6976-4.
  16. ^Ros Horton, Sally Simmons (2007).Women Who Changed the World.Quercus. p. 170.ISBN978-1-84724-026-2.
  17. ^Armstrong, Lisa (17 February 2012)."Mary Quant: 'You have to work at staying slim—but it's worth it'".The Telegraph.Retrieved17 October2012.
  18. ^DelaHaye, Amy (2010). Steele, Valerie (ed.).The Berg Companion to Fashion.Oxford: Berg. pp. 586–588.ISBN978-1-84788-563-0.
  19. ^"Telegraph obituary".The Daily Telegraph.10 May 2012.Retrieved16 August2022.
  20. ^Burgess, Anya (10 May 2004)."Small is still beautiful".Daily Post.
  21. ^ab"The Girl Behind The World's Most Beautiful Face".Family Weekly.8 February 1967.
  22. ^Cloud, Barbara (11 June 1967)."Most Photographed Model Reticent About Her Role".The Pittsburgh Press.
  23. ^"Jean Shrimpton, the Famed Face of the '60s, Sits Before Her Svengali's Camera One More Time".30 May 1977.
  24. ^Patrick, Kate (21 May 2005)."New Model Army".Scotsman News.
  25. ^Hibbert, Tom (1982). "Britain invades the world: Mid-Sixties British Music".The History of Rock.Available atRock's Backpages(subscription required).
  26. ^Fowler, David (2008)Youth Culture in Modern Britain, C.1920–c.1970: From Ivory Tower to Global Movement – A New Historyp. 134. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008
  27. ^abJohn Storey (2010). "Culture and Power in Cultural Studies: The Politics of Signification". p. 60. Edinburgh University Press
  28. ^abBrown, Peter; Gaines, Steven (2002) [1983].The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles.New York, NY: New American Library. p. 120.ISBN978-0-451-20735-7.
  29. ^Bray 2014,p. xii.
  30. ^Bray 2014,pp. 252–53.
  31. ^Mitchell, Neil (2011).World Film Locations: London.Intellect Books. p. 66.ISBN978-1-84150-484-1.
  32. ^"10 great films set in the swinging 60s".BFI.org. 10 November 2016.
  33. ^"Patrick Macnee: five things you didn't know about Avengers star",The Week,26 June 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  34. ^Dominic Sandbrook (2015).White Heat: A History of Britain in the Swinging Sixties.Hatchett UK
  35. ^Falk, Quentin; Falk, Ben (2005).Television's Strangest Moments: Extraordinary But True Tales from the History of Television.Franz Steiner Verlag.p. 78.ISBN978-1-86105-874-4.
  36. ^"Man in a Suitcase (1967–68)".CTVA. Retrieved 10 November 2016

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swinging_Sixties&oldid=1228368258"