Customer Reviews

Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jacqueline Warwick has written a thesis-like revisionist take on the girl group sound of the 1960s, focusing on the messages and impact of The Shangri-Las, Chantels, Ronettes, Marvelettes and their ilk. At times relying heavily on earlier tomes, Warwick nevertheless argues convincingly that teenage girls lip-syncing and singing along with these records and adopting different poses were an important aspect of the womens' movement as well as the civil rights explosion. She points out how many young girls worshipped Diana Ross in the mid to late 1960s, an unprecedented stance that I remember well. She also breaks down a number of songs according to song structure, chords and changes, and things get a bit dry right about then for the non-musician. Scholarly and often fun, this is a welcome addition to the girl group herstory shelf.

An excellent book, provided you realize what it is and what it's not. It is by a college professor and it is published by an academic publisher. It's an academic study. There are lots of footnotes.

So it is not for everyone. It is not INTENDED for everyone.

Warwick argues that the girl groups weren't just disposable pop music. They were a very prominent and important dimension of 1960s feminism. They were also an important element of the civil rights struggle of the time. For musicological analysis the writing is very accessible. I'll never listen to the Crystals in the same way again.