Ready For a Brand New Beat

How "Dancing in the Street" Became the Anthem for a Changing America

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Theory & Criticism, History & Criticism, Reference, History
Cover of the book Ready For a Brand New Beat by Mark Kurlansky, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mark Kurlansky ISBN: 9781101616260
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: July 11, 2013
Imprint: Riverhead Books Language: English
Author: Mark Kurlansky
ISBN: 9781101616260
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: July 11, 2013
Imprint: Riverhead Books
Language: English

Can a song change a nation? In 1964, Marvin Gaye, record producer William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter wrote “Dancing in the Street.” The song was recorded at Motown’s Hitsville USA Studio by Martha and the Vandellas, with lead singer Martha Reeves arranging her own vocals. Released on July 31, the song was supposed to be an upbeat dance recording—a precursor to disco, and a song about the joyousness of dance. But events overtook it, and the song became one of the icons of American pop culture.

The Beatles had landed in the U.S. in early 1964. By the summer, the sixties were in full swing. The summer of 1964 was the Mississippi Freedom Summer, the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the beginning of the Vietnam War, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and the lead-up to a dramatic election. As the country grew more radicalized in those few months, “Dancing in the Street” gained currency as an activist anthem. The song took on new meanings, multiple meanings, for many different groups that were all changing as the country changed.

Told by the writer who is legendary for finding the big story in unlikely places, Ready for a Brand New Beat chronicles that extraordinary summer of 1964 and showcases the momentous role that a simple song about dancing played in history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Can a song change a nation? In 1964, Marvin Gaye, record producer William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter wrote “Dancing in the Street.” The song was recorded at Motown’s Hitsville USA Studio by Martha and the Vandellas, with lead singer Martha Reeves arranging her own vocals. Released on July 31, the song was supposed to be an upbeat dance recording—a precursor to disco, and a song about the joyousness of dance. But events overtook it, and the song became one of the icons of American pop culture.

The Beatles had landed in the U.S. in early 1964. By the summer, the sixties were in full swing. The summer of 1964 was the Mississippi Freedom Summer, the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the beginning of the Vietnam War, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and the lead-up to a dramatic election. As the country grew more radicalized in those few months, “Dancing in the Street” gained currency as an activist anthem. The song took on new meanings, multiple meanings, for many different groups that were all changing as the country changed.

Told by the writer who is legendary for finding the big story in unlikely places, Ready for a Brand New Beat chronicles that extraordinary summer of 1964 and showcases the momentous role that a simple song about dancing played in history.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Mary Tudor by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The House of Mondavi by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Black Magic by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book If You Were Here by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Wildgun #8: Oregon Trail by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Jim Brown by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The Lost Eleven by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The Self-Love Experiment by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The Pacific by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Decadent by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The Texan's Reward by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Tethered (Novella) by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book The Mullah's Storm by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Patricia Cornwell FIVE SCARPETTA NOVELS by Mark Kurlansky
Cover of the book Chevelle/Elcamino Handbook HP1428 by Mark Kurlansky
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy