The "era of the single" died when they stopped making 45's, IMHO. The
switch to those horrid little cassette's in the mid 80's and then the
"cd single" killed the single. I know, I know, a single is a song
released to radio, but who cares anymore? The 45 stood on its own as a
concept. They're still fun to buy: I just picked up some old James Brown
singles on the King label (a purple label, and one with his face on it)
and a couple Al Green on Hi. I don't even need to hear em: just to look
at em is perfect. Who even sees "cassingles" on the market anymore?
Who'd want em?
Then again, maybe I'm getting old.....
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BARNARD [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 1999 7:25 PM
> To: passenger side
> Subject: Re: Era of Perfect Singles
>
> CK archly suggests:
>
> > hope you're not suggesting that the list of 50's and 60's era
> singles are
> > somehow superior to the singles of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Since that
> > would be wrong. <g>
>
> No, but as several pointed out, the era in which the single ruled was
> drawing to a close in the 70s and early 80s. As a medium, as an
> institution (running out to buy 45 rpm records by major artists,
> actually
> playing them, etc...), as a way to conceptualize the writing,
> arranging,
> production, etc., of a piece of music, they really mark an era. In
> that
> sense, it's fair to say there was indeed an "era" of the single which
> is
> long over....
>
> I certainly wouldn't suggest the music of one period is superior to
> that
> of another, but that there was a period during which the 45 medium
> dominated the airwaves and determined a lot of things about both the
> production and reception of pop music, I think there is little doubt.
>
> Smart-ass youngun! <g>
> --junior
>
>
