Space age pop
Encyclopedia
Space age pop is a general and loosely based term for a music genre
associated with certain Mexican and American composer
s and songwriters in the Space Age
of the 1950s and 1960s. It is also called bachelor pad music or lounge music
. Space age pop was inspired by the zeitgeist
of those times, an optimism based on the strong post-war economy and technology boom, and excitement about mankind's early forays into space. Although there is no specific album, date, or year when the genre was born, producer Irwin Chusid identifies its heyday as "roughly 1954 to 1964—from the dawn of high-fidelity (hi-fi) to the arrival of the Beatles
."
The music is not limited to a single style, and it is not always easily categorized. There are several styles that can be recognized as an influence: classical composers like Ravel and Debussy; the big band
s of the 1940s; and different exotic styles, such as samba
, latin, and calypso jazz. Space Age pop is related to the genres of lounge music
, exotica
, or beautiful music
, and may be regarded as a precursor to the musical genre of space music
.
s, and embraced the earliest form of multi-channel surround sound
known as quadraphonic
, four-channel recordings on LP introduced in 1957.
Even though the space age pop-music takes on a variety of approaches in style, rhythm
, composition
and arrangement
, it also shows some similarities. For instance, many of the composers associated with the genre used a string orchestra for applying warmth and color to the sound, often combined with a Latin percussion section. A variety of keyboard instruments, from piano
to marimba
s to organ
, are frequently used, and occasionally even the theremin
for that out-of-this-world sound. The arrangements of the instruments tend to be highly original, conveying a sense of humor and playful charm. Even the album covers often have space or modernist
themes.
It is also common for composers to use well-known jazz standard
s as a basis for their own work and recordings, such as Harlem Nocturne
, Caravan
and Autumn Leaves
. Classical pieces are also popular among space age composers, but almost always arranged in a lighter way than the original.
, Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music, which sold over 70,000 copies. Underground pop band Stereolab
, in 1993, released Space Age Batchelor Pad Music [sic
], an EP which is said to have factored significantly in raising awareness of the band.
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
associated with certain Mexican and American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s and songwriters in the Space Age
Space Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
of the 1950s and 1960s. It is also called bachelor pad music or lounge music
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
. Space age pop was inspired by the zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
of those times, an optimism based on the strong post-war economy and technology boom, and excitement about mankind's early forays into space. Although there is no specific album, date, or year when the genre was born, producer Irwin Chusid identifies its heyday as "roughly 1954 to 1964—from the dawn of high-fidelity (hi-fi) to the arrival of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
."
The music is not limited to a single style, and it is not always easily categorized. There are several styles that can be recognized as an influence: classical composers like Ravel and Debussy; the big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s of the 1940s; and different exotic styles, such as samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
, latin, and calypso jazz. Space Age pop is related to the genres of lounge music
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
, exotica
Exotica
Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny album of the same title, popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s, typically with the suburban set who came of age during World War II. The musical colloquialism, exotica, means tropical ersatz: the non-native, pseudo experience of Oceania...
, or beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
, and may be regarded as a precursor to the musical genre of space music
Space music
Space music, also called spacemusic, is an umbrella term, synonymous with a segment of New Age Music and Ambient Music, used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness. Space music can be found within a wide range of genres. It is particularly associated with ambient, New...
.
Genre and style
Space age pop brought innovation to popular music in several ways. Its LPs in the early 1950s included some of the earliest examples of concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s, and embraced the earliest form of multi-channel surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
known as quadraphonic
Quadraphonic
Quadraphonic sound – the most widely used early term for what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of one another...
, four-channel recordings on LP introduced in 1957.
Even though the space age pop-music takes on a variety of approaches in style, rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
, composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, it also shows some similarities. For instance, many of the composers associated with the genre used a string orchestra for applying warmth and color to the sound, often combined with a Latin percussion section. A variety of keyboard instruments, from piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
to marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
s to organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, are frequently used, and occasionally even the theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
for that out-of-this-world sound. The arrangements of the instruments tend to be highly original, conveying a sense of humor and playful charm. Even the album covers often have space or modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
themes.
It is also common for composers to use well-known jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
s as a basis for their own work and recordings, such as Harlem Nocturne
Harlem Nocturne
"Harlem Nocturne" is a jazz standard written by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers in 1939. The song was adopted by bandleader Randy Brooks the next year as his theme song."Harlem Nocturne" has been frequently recorded...
, Caravan
Caravan (song)
"Caravan" is a jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and first performed by Duke Ellington in 1937. Irving Mills wrote the lyrics, but he sometimes is not credited on the many instrumental versions. Its exotic sound interested exotica musicians; Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman both covered it. Woody...
and Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves (song)
"Autumn Leaves" is a much-recorded popular song. Originally it was a 1945 French song "Les Feuilles mortes" with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert. Yves Montand introduced "Les feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit...
. Classical pieces are also popular among space age composers, but almost always arranged in a lighter way than the original.
Resurgence in popularity of space age pop in the early 1990s
Space age pop, after being largely forgotten after 1965, underwent an enormous surge in popularity in the early 1990s, leading to the release in 1994 of the signature CD compilation of the space age pop music of Juan Garcia EsquivelJuan García Esquivel
Juan García Esquivel often simply known as Esquivel!, was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and composer for television and films. He is recognized today as one of the foremost exponents of a sophisticated style of largely instrumental music that combines elements of lounge music and jazz with Latin...
, Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music, which sold over 70,000 copies. Underground pop band Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
, in 1993, released Space Age Batchelor Pad Music [sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
], an EP which is said to have factored significantly in raising awareness of the band.
Composers associated with the genre
- Juan García EsquivelJuan García EsquivelJuan García Esquivel often simply known as Esquivel!, was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and composer for television and films. He is recognized today as one of the foremost exponents of a sophisticated style of largely instrumental music that combines elements of lounge music and jazz with Latin...
- Dick HymanDick HymanRichard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
- Hugo MontenegroHugo MontenegroHugo Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best known work is derived from interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially his cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
- Les BaxterLes BaxterLes Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
- Henry ManciniHenry ManciniHenry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
- Ferrante & TeicherFerrante & TeicherFerrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
- Bob ThompsonBob Thompson (musician)Bob Thompson born Robert Lamar Thompson in San Jose was a composer, arranger, and orchestra leader from the 1950s through the 1980s...
CD compilations
- Melodies and Mischief: The History of Space Age Pop Vol. 1, RCA 07863 66645-2
- Mallets in Wonderland: The History of Space Age Pop Vol. 2, RCA 07863 66646-2
- The Stereo Action Dimension: History of Space Age Pop Vol. 3, RCA 07863 66647-2
- Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 3: Space Capades, Capitol 7 2438-35176-2
- "RE/SEARCH: Incredibly Strange Music Vols. 1 & 2," Caroline Records 1993 (Vol. 1) & Asphodel Records 1995 (Vol. 2)
Notable Space Age Pop Recordings From The 1950s And 1960s
- "From Another World" by Sid Bass (songwriter)Sid Bass (songwriter)Sid Bass was a songwriter and orchestra leader. He was born in New York City and attended New York University.After working for Muzak he was hired as a staff composer by RCA...
(RCA Vik) - "Re-Percussion" by Dick Schory
- "Wired For Sound" (RCA Vik) and "Soundpower!" by Marty GoldMarty GoldMartin Gold was a composer, pianist, and bandleader born in New York City, New York. He was the pianist and arranger for the Korn Kobblers, a popular 1940s novelty group billed as "America's most nonsensical dance band", but was probably best known as the composer of the song "Tell Me Why", which...
- "Other Worlds Other Sounds" by EsquivelEsquivelEsquivel is a surname of Basque origin as well as a place name.-Origin:The last name Esquivel has its origins in the village of Esquivel, located in the ayuntamiento of Mendoza, Álava, in Euskadi .-Meaning:...
- "Skin Diver Suite" by Leo Diamond
- "Persuasive Percussion" by Enoch LightEnoch LightEnoch Henry Light was a classical violinist, bandleader, and recording engineer. As A&R chief and vice-president of Grand Award Records, he founded Command Records in 1959. Light's name was prominent on many albums both as musician and producer...
(Command)