Mike Tylor - taylormademusic@yahoo.com
Posted on February 14, 2002 on Linedance Magazine Messageboard:

It is NOT aimed at criticising any particular group of people or organisation. I cannot and will not apologise if anyone gets upset whilst reading whats below. I cannot distort history...but I know a COUNTRY that can.

For many, many years we Brit's and the rest of the World have been subjected to the American version of World history via their movies. What a lot of people do not realise is that once history has been changed on celluloid, it is only a matter of time before people (especially the Americans themselves) think it's TRUE. There are too many examples to mention...could be that in a few years time a film will appear where it is the American's who invented the WHEEL and only because they needed something to move along (no pun intended) their other great invention, the AUTOMOBILE. Remember the saying about ' You can fool most of the people........'
The same goes for music.

Over a period of time there have been lots of comments (via letters and email) relating to the 'COUNTRY vs POP' saga...and to be quite honest its boring. Boring because nobody has researched then wrote...its all been based on a emotive basis. Even the most recent letters within Linedancer Magazine by Karen Smith (January), Brandi Brown,Graham & Barbara Smith and G. Roberts (all March) as good and as valid as their comments are they seemed to be missing the crux of the matter.

Its time to lay down a few (well researched and documented) FACTS.

For people who live and breathe, think and dream only 'American' Country Music- NOW would be a good time to go to another 'thread'..because this could hurt....worst still it may stop you long enough to think.

..the rest of you - make yourself a drink, settle down, relax..and read on..

The term 'Country' as in country music and song is NOT an American 'thing' (as many people would have you believe). Country music was type of music and song that accompanied 'Country Dances' that were created by the village folk (hence also 'Folk' music) of Elizabethan England (circa 1600). It is well documented that the Queen enjoyed these 'dances of light refreshment' after the staid and minimul movement of the 'Court' dances. The first noted publication of these dances and the music (mainly 4/4 time) was in 1650. - It is worth commenting at this point that 'Folk' (or Country) music and the songs generally referred to as 'the blues' have a lot in common. They both tell a story, usually about hardship and are/were written by people of their time ('common' folk / those who had to endure the hardship). - As this form of music and dance grew, it spread over to Europe where the pronunciation of 'Country' became 'Contre' in France and 'Contra' in Italy...which now brings in line (again no pun intended) the question of the dance or dances themselves.

These 'Country' dances were for the most part of 'partner' type and done in a circle pattern, later (circa 1590-1610) these changed to become dances done in a line either continuous or a square (another piece of American history debunked). The common denomiator being that the dancers or partners faced each other. Now you can understand where the terminologies of 'Country' and 'Contre(a)' became interwoven. The best example that is known of these traditional type of dances still been used today is in Scotland.

The American Country Song.
If you have digested the information above then the following will be quite clear. Bluegrass music is the only form of (country) music that can be said to have originated in American, even then it owes a small debt to the 4/4 style or 'Jig' made popular elswhere. A lot of the music and songs used in American Country originated elswhere, but it was 'cleaned up' or 'sanitised' and became country 'blues' or country 'rock' or any other form - as long as it had the word 'country' in front of it - so that it could be 'acceptable' to the majority of Americans. It would be wrong of me not to mention that America had at the time of the 'country boom' in the 1930's to late 1960's a 'whites only' policy. This reflected in the music, hence the 'sanitisation' - even today how many non-white 'country' singers can you name. Some people could construe that bigotry is still alive within the country music scene - even within Nashville itself. I certainly hope it is'nt.

Why is there no country 'folk' or country 'pop' music officially accepted with country music circles. Well it could be that the 'folk' bit is already within 'country music' , admitting that would be like shooting yourself in the foot. As for the 'pop' bit.....is'nt pop short for 'popular'. We in the UK are very fortunate. We have a 'pop' chart (Top 10/20) that reflects what the public is buying...not what a local radio station is playing..so okay, the 'charts' can sometimes be minipulated...but only on very rare occasions. We have a Top 10/20 chart which can (and has) consisted of every concievable musical style and that includes 'country' (be it in 'standard' form or 'remixed').

'Country' singers could be turning towards 'pop' music to make them (and possibly 'country' music) more accepted (chart wise) throughout the world. Though this is not the first time this has happened. In the late 1950's to early 1970's even the most country of country singers opted to go 'pop' on occasions (some of these have short memories and slag off the likes of Shania Twain and to a lesser extent LeAnn Rimes). It was only about three or four years ago that I found out by sheer chance that the song 'When' by the Kalin Twins was in fact a 'country' song sung by a 'country duo. I have been in the 'business' (as a D.J.) throughout four decades and If I had not read about it in a Country Music Encyclopedia I would NEVER have thought it to be anything but teen music chart fodder (1950's style)...by the way it got to No.1 in the Uk in 1958. So you see, sometimes we can be fooled into which catogory certain music falls. Other music such as 'Mony Mony' , 'Wig Wam Bam', and 'Amor'e' are 'pop' although 'Flora's secret' (by Enya) is modern day folk music...and yes in its purest form can be deemed 'country music'.

Remember the old saying....'There's none so blind as those who will not see' - true is'nt it.

As a footnote: within the Australian Country Line Dancing Championship rules is a section which covers 'Definition of Country Music' - an extract (not taken out of context) is as follows-' .....'A Country artist singing a 'non country' song does not make it a country song unless it it is performed in "Country Style". The majority of Country Music Patrons recognise Country material, if in doubt, the suggestion is to contact your local Country Music Club or Country Music Radio Station Program.......'
Can someone tell me what 'Country Style' is......I thought I'd covered that....but if someone could tell me and everybody else what THEIR idea of 'Country Music' is, I think we would be quite interested.

Sources: Playford's 'English Dancing Master' (1650)
Rousseau's 'Dictionary Of Music' (1767)
Cecil Sharp's 'Practical Guide To Dancing' (Playford updated circa 1930)
The Oxford Companion To Music (1950)
(the 'Oxford' is regarded by many as 'the' reference book of music and verse)
Also: William Sevone (Australia)