Was Rock 'n' Roll Banned at CH in the Fifties?

[Pe.A]

Why is it that the previous generation always seem to think they know best? Let the youngsters have their fun even if it's not our music. Today it isn't my music but at least I wouldn't try to have it banned. Each generation lives out its adolescence

The terms adolescent/teenager was quite a new concept in the post-war period, wasn't it...?

[rockfreak]

It was a new concept partly because, for the first time in our history and particularly in the 1960s, young working class people had a bit of disposable income in their pockets and of course were present in large numbers as a result of the proverbial baby boom after the war. Their tastes and demands were irresistible and even the old farts in the major record labels whose preferences ran more to swing band dance music knew it. When a lucrative new market announces itself capitalism is quick to swallow its misgivings and cock an ear to new trends.

[Pe.A]

It was a new concept partly because, for the first time in our history and particularly in the 1960s, young working class people had a bit of disposable income in their pockets and of course were present in large numbers as a result of the proverbial baby boom after the war. Their tastes and demands were irresistible and even the old farts in the major record labels whose preferences ran more to swing band dance music knew it. When a lucrative new market announces itself capitalism is quick to swallow its misgivings and cock an ear to new trends.

Why would capitalism have misgivings about new trends and their lucrative markets? Isn’t that what capitalism is?

[Straz]

A little off subject, but I'm so pleased that Seaman's ban on rock 'n' roll didn't last very long.
In the late 60s/early 70s, CH was positively buzzing with music of all sorts - pop, glam, rock, prog, jazz, folk, classical, opera, etc.
The wide range of music you could hear was an education in itself, especially once you moved into a senior house.
I will never forget hearing Santana's third album at mega volume through some huge stereo hi-fi speakers that someone had rigged up on the asphalt between Lamb A and Dining Hall. Magic!
Or the afternoon where I caught the first half of Hawkwind's seminal "In Search Of Space" album at Lamb A, and then heard the rest of it about 20 minutes later, playing on someone else's hi-fi in Mid A. Amazing!
And through friends playing me their records, I became a fan of Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, Man, David Bowie, Traffic, John Martyn - the list goes on and on.
I don't know what CMES would have made of it all, but I loved it!

[sejintenej]

The wide range of music you could hear was an education in itself, especially once you moved into a senior house.
I will never forget hearing Santana's third album at mega volume through some huge stereo hi-fi speakers that someone had rigged up on the asphalt between Lamb A and Dining Hall. Magic!
Or the afternoon where I caught the first half of Hawkwind's seminal "In Search Of Space" album at Lamb A, and then heard the rest of it about 20 minutes later, playing on someone else's hi-fi in Mid A. Amazing!
And through friends playing me their records, I became a fan of Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, Man, David Bowie, Traffic, John Martyn - the list goes on and on.

Paul. I think you were lucky to be there a decade later. In Col A 1959 the ear destroying racket was then "latest" not too good stuff. (OK John W, your taste may differ but it was at least better than the Big School crap.

Of the names you mention I only recognise three including Santana who still seems to be going and, amazingly at my age, I enjoy.
At your non-suggestion just started the digeridoo (?sp) of Hawkwind. Not too sure of that FOR ME though the near hairless monsters at 29.53 should take a lesson from my son whose hair he could sit on.

Yes, I do try different types of music - there is some nice Auvergnois music around but perhaps not your taste. There was/is a TV equivalent to Dallas which had 200 million 4 nights a week audience.I was hooked on it and perhaps Mid** also enjoyed Pantanal in Manaus. One of the two theme songs was written by George Martin for Yellow Submarine - Pepperland which I listen to sometimes. Just about the best background nature film I have ever seen. Indeed there was a ?American nature series filmed there and shown a few months ago without the music.

Somehow Youtube seems to have created a mix for me, with a lot with a Croation orchestra playing; when you see the chorus go wild in Y.M.C.A . that is pure enjoyment for them and for me.

[Straz]

Thanks for the musical suggestions David. I'll try a few of them.
Yes, I know that we were very lucky at CH in the 1970s to have so much music available to listen to, and no one banning any of it.
And - subjective this - I think the late 60s and 70s was a time of great and long-lasting albums, rather than just the odd disposable tune from an artist.
I could go on for hours about all the wonderful music that I heard being played by people on their record players and hi-fi systems while I was at CH.
What I will say is that the wide range of material that I heard has had a huge influence on me throughout the years - as a musician, as a music journalist and as a music fan - and I'm very grateful to all concerned.

[Jabod2]

Or the afternoon where I caught the first half of Hawkwind's seminal "In Search Of Space" album at Lamb A, and then heard the rest of it about 20 minutes later, playing on someone else's hi-fi in Mid A. Amazing!
And through friends playing me their records, I became a fan of Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, Man, David Bowie, Traffic, John Martyn - the list goes on and on.

Hawkwind was known in Mid B as 'baked bean music' due to one fan (David Agnew, I think?) being found blasting it out of his hifi while eating directly from a can of beans. Of such things legends were made... Likewise the loan of records, and studies with record players for those less fortunate, created my very catholic taste in music. Michael Chapman (who played in Big School, with herbal accompaniment), Al Stewart (replaced by MC due to Al's reticence/unavailability for the gig), Fairport Convention, Curved Air, Groundhogs, Ralph McTell, Elton John, Black Sabbath, etc... I've mentioned elsewhere wiring up a collection of speakers in the dormitory and playing Pink Floyd's 'Time' in place of the rising bell.

Was it you who used to belt out Elton John (and other tunes) on the scout hut piano?

[harryh]

Or the afternoon where I caught the first half of Hawkwind's seminal "In Search Of Space" album at Lamb A, and then heard the rest of it about 20 minutes later, playing on someone else's hi-fi in Mid A. Amazing!
And through friends playing me their records, I became a fan of Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, Man, David Bowie, Traffic, John Martyn - the list goes on and on.

Hawkwind was known in Mid B as 'baked bean music' due to one fan (David Agnew, I think?) being found blasting it out of his hifi while eating directly from a can of beans. Of such things legends were made... Likewise the loan of records, and studies with record players for those less fortunate, created my very catholic taste in music. Michael Chapman (who played in Big School, with herbal accompaniment), Al Stewart (replaced by MC due to Al's reticence/unavailability for the gig), Fairport Convention, Curved Air, Groundhogs, Ralph McTell, Elton John, Black Sabbath, etc... I've mentioned elsewhere wiring up a collection of speakers in the dormitory and playing Pink Floyd's 'Time' in place of the rising bell.

Was it you who used to belt out Elton John (and other tunes) on the scout hut piano?

True story alert....
Every time I catch up at a gig with Michael Chapman we reminisce about his CH visit. He never forgets to remind me that he travelled on to France with his wife Andru after the concert. The next evening both of them discovered they had nits. That is his main recollection of his evening at CH!!!

PS I have to add that I have no recollection of Dave Agnew being a fan of Hawkwind.

[Jabod2]

PS I have to add that I have no recollection of Dave Agnew being a fan of Hawkwind.

I think that hare may have been started by Nick 'Normal' Houghton-Brown (so named by Dave, who was therefore named Abby, short for Abnormal). 'Dribbling into a tin of baked beans, blasting his brains(?) out with Hawkwind' was how I recall the description, libellous or otherwise!
Re Michael Chapman and Andru, the sleeve of 'Window' had an effect on many of us - possibly matching the impact that Priscilla Davies' arrival in the house tutor's flat had on David Hughes (I think). But that's another story...
Also I remember Steve Connor's meticulous rendition of Mike's 'Not so much a garden, more like a maze' in the day room. More impressive than the intro to Groundhog's Split, but I can't put the name to the player of that one, even though I can see him in my mind's eye... Steyn, perhaps?

[allanrowe]

Yes There was a ban on "Pop Slush" which in effect was a ban on records being brought in rather than radio. However we had to listen to a deal of two way family favourites to hear anything worth listening to. A few of us challenged the ban by setting up a jazz appreciation group that allowed us to challenge notions of a homogenious American popular culture. We were only allowed to play records in the music school, and I can recall a session where we introduced each track with a learned account drawn from The Jazz Scene, for the benefit of the master looking in. After he had gone we were able to play the blues, perhaps anticipating its influence on British sixties Popular Music

[rockfreak]

Yes, that's right. Jazz was acceptable. The book 'The Jazz Scene' was written under the pen name of Francis Newton (jazz critic for the New Statesman, I think) who was actually Eric Hobsbawm - left wing political writer whose book is an excellent socio-political resume of the development of jazz and, it has to be said, an impressive essay on black street culture by a middle class white pundit. By the way Allan, you weren't the same Allan Rowe who was in Col B in the 50s by any chance?

[sejintenej]

Yes There was a ban on "Pop Slush" which in effect was a ban on records being brought in rather than radio. However we had to listen to a deal of two way family favourites to hear anything worth listening to.

I think it was a question of house masters. John Wexler might disagree with me but to Kit it was a total ban on anything; he just m i g h t have given permission for the National Anthem, perhaps even Rule Britannia but Jerusalem would have been trying it on.**
Allan goes oon to mention jazz records in the music school - I suspect that that was like exploring the outer reaches of the Tube - done but kept secret for the music police

** One must bear in mind his in court martial!

[Straz]

Hawkwind was known in Mid B as 'baked bean music' due to one fan (David Agnew, I think?) being found blasting it out of his hifi while eating directly from a can of beans. Of such things legends were made... Likewise the loan of records, and studies with record players for those less fortunate, created my very catholic taste in music. Michael Chapman (who played in Big School, with herbal accompaniment), Al Stewart (replaced by MC due to Al's reticence/unavailability for the gig), Fairport Convention, Curved Air, Groundhogs, Ralph McTell, Elton John, Black Sabbath, etc... I've mentioned elsewhere wiring up a collection of speakers in the dormitory and playing Pink Floyd's 'Time' in place of the rising bell.

Was it you who used to belt out Elton John (and other tunes) on the scout hut piano?

I've never thought of Hawkwind as "baked bean music". I'll remember that next time I stick on "Silver Machine". Fascinating to hear that Michael Chapman was a replacement for Al Stewart, btw.I remember that gig well - Chapman was the first major solo artist I ever saw.
And yes, guilty m'lord. It was me in the scout hut on the joanna. I'm still playing, now with a bluesy-jazzy quartet.

[eucsgmrc]

... John Wexler might disagree with me but to Kit it was a total ban on anything; he just m i g h t have given permission for the National Anthem, perhaps even Rule Britannia but Jerusalem would have been trying it on.

I suspect Kit categorised music by what the performers were wearing: hymns (cassocks), military marches (uniform), scottish country dances (kilts), rugby songs (striped shirts), Gilbert & Sullivan (costume), highbrow (black tie). Any other clothes => treat with suspicion.

That said, I have come to realise that there was far more to Kit than I ever recognised sixty years ago. I could probably have learned a lot from him if I'd had the imagination or the experience to see past his authoritarian facade.

[keibat]

I have no recollection of any kind of music being banned in Barnes B mid-fifties to early-sixties, and there was at least one, I think more than one, private radio set in use. I remember being keen on Buddy Holly, but also on the relatively brief period when instrumentals were big in British music – John Barry comes to mind. At house level, it surely depended (like so much else) on the housemaster.