On the British Invasion and Showtunes

A few days ago, I was involved in a discussion with some co-workers about musicals. One of the interlocutors, a music industry veteran, lamented that he had not been impressed by a musical since West Side Story (1961). He went on to say that at one point, musicals were a large part of the popular music spectrum. Imagine that. Radios blaring with the sounds of Broadway.

In fact, the influence of such material is in plain sight, particularly in British Invasion rock groups. The Beatles recorded a number from the Music Man (1957), "Til' There Was You," on their 1964 album, With the Beatles. Later, as the Beatles (White Album) gave the band an excuse to explore its influences, Paul McCartney revived the schmaltz for his track, "Honey Pie." Of course, today we remember the British Invasion for its primary influence: American R&B. Nonetheless, it's interesting to note that the influence was perhaps less monolithic than we assume.

In this 1964 clip of the Zombies, we see the band miming Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess (1935). Initially intended to be their first single (before being replaced by an original, "She's Not There"), this version of "Summertime" reflects the band's love of jazz and standards.

Also of note: the electric piano is neither a Rhodes nor a Wurlitzer (the two most prominent electric pianos in pop), but a Hohner Pianet N. Lovely sound, but one major drawback: the piano had no sustain pedal. Apparently, that didn't make a difference to Rod Argent.