Need Help Finding "50's Underground British Music"

[Groucho Marxist]

I've been pouring over countless vinyl and CD collections as part of my pre-production work for a theatrical production I'm working on. As the Sound Designer, I will not only be operating the audio console, but selecting the music for use throughout the production (pre-show music, intermission, accompaniment... etc). However, my director wants me to use "50's underground British music," which is rather vague.

I have been delving into Beatnik and some Mod music from the mid to late 1950's, but I recognize that I need assistance in figuring out the right sound to the show. My director wants the music to not be immediately recognizable (i.e. nothing from famous bands like the Beatles) and it has to be from the 1950s. Can anyone here offer any musical suggestions for this production? I greatly appreciate any assistance in this matter.

[KegHead]

I'd like to know also.

John Mayall had some early goodies.

Is there such a thing as 50's motorcycle music from the UK?

KegHead

[jayze]

Well there wasnt really an "underground" as such in the 50's...your nearest equivalent would be jazz (nearly always played live in a cellar full of beatniks)..things took off when the local jazz clubs began to host groups copying american rock..there was some folk about too... but ditto. nearly always live.... Underground, I think, was coined by the Andy Warhol mob in the 60's...and the first real subcultures burst forth with offshore Radio Caroline (beamed from a ship) as everyone was fed up with the bbc monopoly and tried to listen to radio luxembourg with coathangers on trannies. The pure brute strength mass hysteria caused by the beatles in the UK caused the mainstream to have to accept the music..which previously ..yes might have been considered "underground". I'll check it out and if I come up with anything I'll message you. ps if it were me I'd start at an antique record dealers store and pick their brains if poss. hope this helps you

[MickS]

Don't know if it's useful or not but if searching amongst old records you will need to look at 78s, I would imagine some lessor known Rock'n Roll would have been thought of as "underground" in them days.


Mick

[jayze]

Good point mick...it would definately be on 78's..maybe just edging into being on 45's (dont know the exact dates sorry)..here in the UK at that time underground is the wrong word..not socially acceptable would better describe it maybe...which is why then the "not socially acceptable" eventually became underground I guess. What year was the first "top of the pops" broadcast I wonder. anyone know?

[CJ56]

There wasn't any Mod music in the Fifties - the Mods were strictly Sixties...

Fifties music for Beatniks was the same as for anywhere else: Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Coltrane, Miles Davis et al. Or, failing that, mainstream performers such as Sinatra, Julie London, Tony Bennett

Britain had a particularly terrible pop music scene at the time, too, based almost entirely on rip-offs of American artists. Hence, Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury. Really awful, handle with care.

There was also Trad Jazz in the UK - which had a huge young persons' following in the mid-Fifties - Ken Colyer, Kenny Ball, Humphrey Lyttleton

And -

Skiffle, which was equally huge, and maybe the first native Rock'n'Roll in the UK. Lonnie Donnegan was the King of Skiffle, and although he sounds dated now, was massive at the time. The Beatles started out as a Skiffle band (as The Quarrymen) and Lonnie was The Man. Check him out

Hope this helps...

[jayze]

Yes I second that