A confluence of interests, Mr. Daroga's and mine, has me reading about the Walker Brothers (a pop trio that rivaled the Beatles for fame in the UK in and around 1966) and listening to a Four Tops live show Mr. D found somewhere. And it's gotten me thinking about a few things that you just don't see anymore.

1. The Walker Brothers experienced that kind of fame that had hysterical teen girls tearing their clothes off (the brothers', I mean, not their own, though probably that too) and required them to wear crash helmets to and from the stage door. No one ever heard one of their shows over the screaming, which is probably just as well as they could never replicate their sound live. It was in the air, I guess, this license to get as close as possible to your idols, and it made me think about the codification of online fandom and the fact that I can't imagine anyone getting away with engaging in such behavior. I don't mean just because celebrities are more savvy, but I think that fandoms police themselves now and people who do indulge in invasive behavior, and are found out, are punished socially. Everyone wants to maintain the access they have, so things are both more strict and less dangerous.

ETA: It's been pointed out to me that this stuff still goes on in (physical) music fandom especially, and I just wasn't aware. Oh well!

2. In the live Four Tops gig, they move through Motown and rock to standards, Tom Jones, and Rogers and Hammerstein. What fascinates me about this is that popular music seems a lot more niche-oriented and narrowly focused today. Of course, it's awesome we have so much variety, and that the internet and cheap recording processes allow a great number of things to be heard. However, I can't imagine many rock groups indulging in a bit of Lloyd Webber or Sondhiem or Sinatra without either camping it up or arousing disappointment and disdain. Or being accused of currying middle of the road favor and being seen as sell-outs or posers. Which is too bad. I think that inflexibility is a loss to culture, though I'm certain there are trade-offs. I was watching a film the other day that had a bus-load of people all singing together, and I can't imagine a song today that everyone on a bus would know. That doesn't make them good songs. And I don't lament the fact we've got so many options. But I do think it's too bad our shared culture is so small. [I should disclaim I am American, and talking from middle-class American experience.]

[Note: I keep meaning to post simultaneously to LJ and DW, and forgetting to post here. So I'm playing a bit of catch-up; if anyone's reading this, there may be some back-dated stuff. Probably just rpf. Just in case.]

I first "discovered" Scott Walker many years ago, when something in Richie Unterberger's Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll made Mr. Daroga find some and bring it home. Or maybe it was on the CD that came with the book, I don't remember. But you may remember this oldie from his first band, teenie-bopper bait The Walker Brothers:


I've known this song forever and didn't actually think it was hot until he started pointing, around 1:23. Hmm.

ANYWAY. These (American) guys were big hits in Britain, with the screaming girls, torn clothes, all that stuff. And yet, what's the first song I was introduced to, not ever having heard of the Walker Brothers? This one:


Seriously, listen to the whole thing, and don't let the over the top 60's orchestration put you off. But don't listen to it at work, unless you've got headphones or VD is an acceptable subject for your workday music. If you're not intrigued, you don't have to read any further. [lyrics]

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