| Orchestral pop | |
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| Other names |
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| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1960s,United States andUnited Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
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Orchestral pop ispop music that has been arranged and performed by asymphonic orchestra.[3] It is sometimes used interchangeably with the termssymphonic pop andchamber pop.[4]
During the 1960s,pop music on radio and in both American and British film moved away from refinedTin Pan Alley to more eccentric songwriting and incorporated reverb-drenchedrock guitar, symphonic strings, and horns played by groups of properly arranged and rehearsed studio musicians.[5] The rapid development ofmultitrack recording in the mid 1960s also drove the ability of producers to create recordings with ever more complex and sonically sophisticated arrangements. Pop arrangers and producers worked orchestral pop into their artists' releases, includingGeorge Martin and his strings arrangements withthe Beatles, andJohn Barry for his scores to theJames Bond films.[6] Also in the 1960s, a number of orchestral settings were made for songs written by the Beatles, including symphonic performances of "Yesterday" by orchestras. Some symphonies were specifically founded for playing predominantly popular music, such as theBoston Pops Orchestra.[3]Nick Perito was one of orchestral pop's most accomplished[according to whom?] arrangers, composers, and conductors.[7]
According toChris Nickson, the "vital orchestral pop of 1966" was "challenging, rather than vapid, easy listening".[8]Spin magazine refers toBurt Bacharach and the Beach Boys'Brian Wilson as "gods" of orchestral pop.[9] In Nickson's opinion, the "apex" of orchestral pop lay in singerScott Walker, explaining that "in his most fertile period, 1967–70, he created a body of work that was, in its own way, as revolutionary as the Beatles'. He took the ideas of[Henry] Mancini and Bacharach to their logical conclusion, essentially redefining the concept of orchestral pop."[10]
In the 21st century, few artists explore the genre, with the most notable being English supergroupThe Last Shadow Puppets (formed byArctic Monkeys frontman,Alex Turner and solo artistMiles Kane), American artistCody Fry,[11] and American artistAmadour.[12][13]
Ork-pop is a 1990s movement which took its name from orchestral pop.[14] Leading artists of the movement included Yum-Yum,The High Llamas,Richard Davies,Eric Matthews,Spookey Ruben, Witch Hazel, andLiam Hayes (Plush).[14] Matthews, who partnered with Davies for duoCardinal, was considered a leading figure in the style.[15]