Down beats and rolling stones
the American jazz press decides to cover rock in 1967
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.2006.1.3.263Keywords:
jazz journalism, popular music journalism, Down Beat magazine, Rolling Stone magazineAbstract
This article explores the relationship between jazz and rock criticism in 1967, and in particular, the relationship between the American publications Down Beat and Rolling Stone. It examines the motivations of jazz publications like Down Beat and Jazz to start covering rock music in the summer of 1967, and how such coverage worked in practice. It then focuses on Jann Wenner and the birth of Rolling Stone, taking into account how other magazines, both music-focused and otherwise, influenced Wenner’s conception of what would eventually become the most authoritative rock magazine in the world.
References
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—1965. Vox amplifier advertisement. July 1: 49.
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Cover. 1967. Down Beat, October 19.
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Frith, Simon. 1983. Sound Effects: Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock ’n’ Roll. London: Constable.
Gabree, John. 1967a. ‘The World of Rock’. Down Beat, July 13: 19–20.
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Gendron, Bernard. 2002. Between Montmartre and the Mudd Club: Popular Music and the Avant-Garde. Chicago and London: Chicago University Press.
Gleason, Ralph. 1967. ‘Perspectives: When Down to Seeds and Stems’. Rolling Stone, December 14: 10.
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Harris, Dave. 1966. ‘Editorial: A Reply to The Oracle’s “Indo-Rock” Article’. Mojo-Navigator, September 7: 7.
Jones, Nick. 1968. ‘Unnerving Jazz with Rock’. Rolling Stone, February 10: 18.
Jones, Steve, and Kevin Featherly. 2002. ‘Re-Viewing Rock Writing: Narratives of Popular Music Criticism’. In Pop Music and the Press, ed. Steve Jones. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
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McDonough, John. 1995. ‘60 Years of Down Beat’. In Down Beat: 60 Years of Jazz, ed. Frank Alkyer. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard.
Morgenstern, Dan. 1967. ‘A Message to Our Readers’. Down Beat, June 29: 13.
—1968. ‘The Year in Review: 1967’. Down Beat Music ’68: 10–14.
—2005. Interview with the author. Newark, February 3–4.
Nicholson, Stuart. 1998. Jazz-Rock: A History. New York: Schirmer.
Pekar, Harvey. 1968. ‘From Rock to ???’. Down Beat, May 2: 20–21, 39–40.
Perlongo, Bob. 1968. ‘The Widening Mainstream: A Look at the Sound of Now’. Down Beat ’68: 28–31.
Rivelli, Pauline. 1967. Editorial. Jazz and Pop, August: 5, 17.
Silver, Horace. 1968. ‘Psychedelic Sally’. Down Beat, April 18.
Spring, Edward A. 1967. ‘The Grateful Dead’. Down Beat, September 21: 31.
Wenner, Jann. 1967. ‘A Letter From the Editor’. Rolling Stone, November 9: 2.
—1971. ‘Introduction’. In The Rolling Stone Record Review. New York: Pocket Books.
Williams, Paul. 1966a. ‘Get Off Of My Cloud!’ Crawdaddy!, February 7: 1.
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Wolf, Mark. 1968. ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’. Down Beat, May 30: 30.
Down Beat. 1956. ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Has Got To Go’. September 19: 39.
—1965. Vox amplifier advertisement. July 1: 49.
—1967a. ‘Chords and Dischords: Letters’. August 10: 7.
—1967b. ‘Chords and Dischords: Letters’. August 24: 8.
—1967c. ‘Chords and Dischords: Letters’. December 28: 8.
Cover. 1967. Down Beat, October 19.
Cover. 1968. Down Beat, April 4.
Down Beat subscription advertisement. 1967a. Down Beat, April 6: 51.
Down Beat subscription advertisement. 1967b. Down Beat, September 7: 45.
Draper, Robert. 1990. The Rolling Stone Story. Worcester: Mainstream.
Frith, Simon. 1983. Sound Effects: Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock ’n’ Roll. London: Constable.
Gabree, John. 1967a. ‘The World of Rock’. Down Beat, July 13: 19–20.
—1967b. ‘The Beatles in Perspective’. Down Beat, November 16: 22.
Gendron, Bernard. 2002. Between Montmartre and the Mudd Club: Popular Music and the Avant-Garde. Chicago and London: Chicago University Press.
Gleason, Ralph. 1967. ‘Perspectives: When Down to Seeds and Stems’. Rolling Stone, December 14: 10.
—1968. ‘Perspectives: A Power to Change the World’. Rolling Stone, June 22: 10.
Goodman, Fred. 1998. The Mansion on the Hill: Dylan, Young, Geffen, Springsteen, and the HeadOn Collision of Rock and Commerce. New York: Vintage.
Gorman, Paul. 2001. In Their Own Write: Adventures in the Music Press. London: Sanctuary.
Harris, Dave. 1966. ‘Editorial: A Reply to The Oracle’s “Indo-Rock” Article’. Mojo-Navigator, September 7: 7.
Jones, Nick. 1968. ‘Unnerving Jazz with Rock’. Rolling Stone, February 10: 18.
Jones, Steve, and Kevin Featherly. 2002. ‘Re-Viewing Rock Writing: Narratives of Popular Music Criticism’. In Pop Music and the Press, ed. Steve Jones. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Lindberg, Ulf, and Gestur Gudmundsson, Morten Michelsen and Hans Weisethaunet. 2005. Rock Criticism from the Beginning: Amusers, Bruisers, and Cool-Headed Cruisers. New York: Peter Lang.
McDonough, John. 1995. ‘60 Years of Down Beat’. In Down Beat: 60 Years of Jazz, ed. Frank Alkyer. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard.
Morgenstern, Dan. 1967. ‘A Message to Our Readers’. Down Beat, June 29: 13.
—1968. ‘The Year in Review: 1967’. Down Beat Music ’68: 10–14.
—2005. Interview with the author. Newark, February 3–4.
Nicholson, Stuart. 1998. Jazz-Rock: A History. New York: Schirmer.
Pekar, Harvey. 1968. ‘From Rock to ???’. Down Beat, May 2: 20–21, 39–40.
Perlongo, Bob. 1968. ‘The Widening Mainstream: A Look at the Sound of Now’. Down Beat ’68: 28–31.
Rivelli, Pauline. 1967. Editorial. Jazz and Pop, August: 5, 17.
Silver, Horace. 1968. ‘Psychedelic Sally’. Down Beat, April 18.
Spring, Edward A. 1967. ‘The Grateful Dead’. Down Beat, September 21: 31.
Wenner, Jann. 1967. ‘A Letter From the Editor’. Rolling Stone, November 9: 2.
—1971. ‘Introduction’. In The Rolling Stone Record Review. New York: Pocket Books.
Williams, Paul. 1966a. ‘Get Off Of My Cloud!’ Crawdaddy!, February 7: 1.
—1966b. Editorial. Crawdaddy!, February 14: 1.
Wolf, Mark. 1968. ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’. Down Beat, May 30: 30.
Published
2004-02-10
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Brennan, M. (2004). Down beats and rolling stones: the American jazz press decides to cover rock in 1967. Popular Music History, 1(3), 263-284. https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.2006.1.3.263
