California Rock

Los Angeles would put forth the great Dylan-esque band the Byrds who would go on to influence country rock. Frank Zappa and “the Mothers” of Invention, (eyebrows), came out with some strange psychedelic like music, Frank would go on to help invent jazz fusion, prog rock and to help cultivate funk and hard rock music and Doo-Wop, (eyebrows). The Beach Boys would have a recording technique innovation. And the great Jim Morrison and the Doors tripped and rocked out, another of rocks greatest songwriters and a band that would be another example of what an American rock & roll band should be like with that California tinge.

San Francisco had great psychedelia and country style rock from bands like Love, the Grateful Dead and off-shoots Canned Heat and Riders of the Purple Sage. Janice Joplin (“and the Holding Company”), Grace Slick and the Jefferson Airplane brought out sounds in a mix of blues, soul, gospel and country music. There are many authentic sounds coming out of the bay area in the mid 60’s. too many to cover here.

The “Soul” Branch from the R&B Tree

Soul as a music is a separate entity or “branch”, if you will, of the rhythm and blues, backbeat form of modern music, was also developing and progressing.  The Beatles had a love of the “crossover” hit, they covered many “girl groups” songs.

It would be girl groups, that would give the Beatles the most competitive on the charts in the 60s, namely the Supremes. The Supremes dominated soul music on the charts when it came to number one “runs” and commercial success, right at the same time that “The God Father” James Brown was developing funk music and before “The Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin had her late 60s ascendency 

Bands like Sly & the Family Stone, Funkadelic and James Brown’s Band, The JBs with Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, and others, were inventing the next stage of development, funk music, with funk going on to influence rock music in another double “crossover” (of music, that is).