| Description | The interview is probably conducted by Geoffrey Reeves.
Track 1: Test tone, 1.11 mins
Tracks 2-11: A man talks about pop music in Britain, America, and France. He describes America as a sentimental, puritanical society, and talks about sentimentality in pop songs, which he says comes from Jewish culture in America. He talks about American individualism and optimism as new elements in English pop and says that the tragic and unhappy is missing from the American experience after the 1930s - before this America was in touch with its regional and family roots - he talks about actors like James Dean and Marlon Brando who questioned rationalism and conformity and says that British pop gave regionalism back to America.
He talks about pop in France, and says that in the French tradition poetry and song are closely connected, that the 'folk spirit' was kept, and that there was a 'more easily flowing emotional attitude', mentioning Edith Piaf as an example. He talks about the close connection between poetry and music in France. He says that in the future there will be an easier interflow between France and Britain, that France will become more American and Britain more European.
The interviewer asks about the sex aspect of pop, talking about the 'strong sexual dynamic' of artists like Elvis Presley and the 'asexuality' of the Beatles. He says he sees the sexual theme as a convention and 'purely formal'. They talk about the survival of the beat scene and discuss whether calypso might be the 'next big thing'.
The interviewer asks about corruption in pop - he says that corruption begins in school, schools do not touch life, teenagers' responses have been dulled by the schoolroom, the danger that the 'schoolmaster spirit' will gain ascendency over 'the truant spirit'. They discuss pop as a 'panacea', pop as muzak, compare pop and jazz and talk about 'the kids' responses to pop, whether they make distinctions, he talks about pop music he likes and dislikes.
Total: 28.13 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF565D0969780 |