Transcript Mass Observation`s Study of Dance Music, Jazz and Popular Song

Mass Observation’s Study of Dance
Music, Jazz and Popular Song, 1938-42
Sowing the Seeds of Cultural Studies?
Dan Laughey
Some themes of the study
•
•
•
•
Opinion formation/social function of the press
Music as propaganda
Role of BBC
Cultural gatekeeping (jazz, swing) and
infiltration of American music/dance styles
• Music-based fan and youth cultures (rhythm
clubs, gig clubs, nightclubs)
Gracie Fields – press and public
• Our observation on the reactions of people to the
press campaign against Gracie Fields started on the 8th
August. There was extensive interest in the subject,
almost everyone having an opinion. On that date we
found people almost unanimously on her side.
Criticisms, if any, were directed against Monty Banks,
who was held to be responsible. Some people felt quite
strongly about it: ‘I think it’s disgusting. Think of all she
has done – the thousands of pounds she has given to
charity, and all the pleasures she gives to people. I’m
no capitalist, but I do think she’s earned her money,
don’t you?’ Some people criticized the press campaign:
‘Well I don’t see what’s wrong. After all, she couldn’t
stop here, her husband being an Italian. I don’t see it –
hounding around like this. Always after someone,
aren’t they, the papers?’
Fields – opinion change
• But further observations on the 9th August showed a very
different attitude. This is strange, because the report of the
questions in the House was on the 7th, further news was
published on the 8th in some papers, but there was
practically no reference to her on the morning of the 9th. It
seems that it takes a day or two for opinions to be formed
on such questions. On the 9th antagonistic remarks were
more frequent than ones supporting her: ‘We’d be in a hole
if everybody started taking their money out of the country
– especially if they were all as rich as her.’ ‘Serves her right.
I think she’s behaved abominably.’ The effect of the [press]
campaign was very noticeable in some replies: ‘Well, she
says that it’s all wrong what the papers say about her, but it
looks rather funny to me. I never did like the idea of her
marrying that “dago” much, and then she goes to
Hollywood while a lot of other people are stopping here.’
Analysis – Fields versus the press
• The most puzzling thing about the reactions to the press
campaign against Gracie Fields was the marked change in
attitude between the 8th and 9th. The most likely
explanation appears to be that the reports of the questions
in the House were not read until the evening of the 7th, that
the whole matter was discussed on the 8th (when interest
was certainly high), and that the result was a change in
attitude which became apparent on the 9th. […] Such
campaigns undoubtedly produce unsettling effects in the
public mind; in this case the harm done to different
reactions of the community probably varied. In future
criticisms of the press only the early feelings are likely to be
remembered, and the prestige of the press might suffer; in
any later trouble with leaders, figureheads, or prominent
people the later part of the reaction might be remembered,
and the prestige of the leadership would suffer.
Leonard Feather – cultural gatekeeper
• In 1935 I threw in my job and went to America
to get a first-hand knowledge of swing. I came
back and continued writing and gradually built
up a connection. Letters? Yes, I get lots of
them. People asking who played what record
in 1912. I write in Radio Times, the Melody
Maker, do series broadcasts for the BBC and
have done broadcasts for the IBC. I have also
done broadcasts for American stations, when
over there, and organised jam sessions.
Feather’s secretary
• Yes, we are doing fairly well. The sale of American records
and magazines is fairly good now, and nearly back to
normal. At the start people thought it would go wallop, but
it hasn’t and I get lots of enquiries here for Downbeat,
Swing and other magazines. He’s carrying on in New York.
As you know, we are not allowed to send money out of the
country to buy records and magazines. But Leonard is over
there with a liberal supply of funds, and we are thus able to
get things over. Quite a lot of requests are coming in for
records. Some say that they want to go on getting them
and ask me to send them to their homes. Some beg us to
keep up the flow of records. We are still selling records at
pre-war prices. They will probably have to go up a little
later, but we are keeping the price down. We reckon that
the fans will have less money probably and are content as
long as we clear a slight profit.