April 6, 2017

BEAT FILM POP

As youth culture exploded as the dominant force in society in the early 1960s, movie studios began to release projects that hoped to capitalize on new attitudes and music trends. The early Rock and Roll movies from the US inspired similar projects in late-50s Britain, which often focussed on Trad Jazz, skiffle, and popular American acts like Gene Vincent. The "Beat Films" of the new decade continued to spotlight music, youth, fun, as well as occasional dashes of rebellion (look for the biker films). The Beatles first cinematic outing, A Hard Days Night (1964), set a high bar in terms of artistry and profits, and a number of British Invasion acts jumped on the band wagon with their own attempts- none of which were especially memorable. One movie of note was the Dave Clark Five film, Having a Wild Weekend (1965), which somehow captured quite a bit of counter-culture vibe years before it was mainstream to do so. Art & Hue has celebrated the era of Beat Films in a new series of Pop Art prints. The collection includes Beat Girl (Wild For Kicks/1960), which launched the soundtrack career of James Bond composer, John Barry! See samples below. More info at Art & Hue. Enjoy! By the way, have folks heard Spy Vibe's new radio segments on Cocktail Nation? More info HERERelated posts: Jet Set Prints, Interview: Avengers Pop Art, Paul McCartney At 71, Folk Boom: Pete Seeger, John Barry: The Knack, Beat GirlThe Curious Camera, Fabulous 1960s, Lee King Perry: Pussy Galore, Pussy Galore Calypso







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