Space age pop is a general and loosely based term for a music genre associated with certain American composers and songwriters in the Space Age of the 1950s and 1960s - hence the name. Although there's no specific album, date or year when the genre was born, producer Irwin Chusid identifies its heyday as "roughly 1954 to 1964--from the dawn of high-fidelity (hi-fi) to the arrival of the Beatles."[1] The music is not limited to a single style, and it is not always easily categorized. There are several styles that can be recognized as an influence; classical composers like Ravel and Debussy; the big bands of the 40's, and different exotic styles, such as samba, latin, and calypso jazz. Some of the music in this genre is also known as lounge music or exotica. A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... The Space Shuttle takes off on a manned mission to space. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, best known for his orchestral work, Boléro, and his famous 1922 orchestral arrangement of Modest Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. ... Claude Debussy Claude Achille Debussy (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918), composer of impressionistic classical music. ... Samba is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. ... Latin American music, or the music of Latin America, is sometimes called Latin music. ... Calypso jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines elements of calypso music with elements of traditional jazz. ... Lounge music refers to music played in the lounges and bars of hotels and casinos, or at standalone piano bars. ... This article is about the musical genre. ...

Genre and style

Even though the space age pop-music takes on a variety of approaches in style, rhythm, composition and arrangement, it also shows some similarities. For instance, many of the composers associated with the genre used a string orchestra for applying warmth and color to the sound, often combined with a latin percussion section. A variety of keyboard instruments, from piano to marimbas, are frequently used, and occasionally even a theremin for that out-of-this-world sound. The arrangements of the instruments tend to be highly original, conveying a sense of humor and playful charm. Even the album covers often have space or modernist themes. // Rhythm (Greek ρυθμός = tempo) is the variation of the duration of sounds or other events over time. ... Musical composition is: an original piece of music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new piece of music // A musical composition A piece of music exists in the form of a written composition in musical notation or as a single acoustic event (a live performance... In music, an arrangement loosely describes rewriting a piece of pre-existing music for a specific set of instruments or voices, often in harmony or with additional original material. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. ... Léon Theremin playing an early theremin The theremin or thereminvox (originally pronounced but often anglicized as [1]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. ... Modernism is a term which covers a variety of political, cultural and artistic movements rooted in the changes in Western society at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. ...

It is also common for composers to use well-known jazz standards as a basis for their own work and recordings, such as Harlem Nocturne, Caravan and Autumn Leaves. Classical pieces are also popular among space age composers, but almost always arranged in a lighter way than the original. Jazz standard refers to a tune that is widely known, performed, and recorded among jazz musicians. ... Look up caravan and Caravan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The name Autumn Leaves can refer to: A heavy metal band A 1956 movie A 1940s popular song A book by P. W. Litchfield A book by Ram Nath Kak This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ...

Composers associated with the genre

• Dick Hyman
• Juan Garcia Esquivel
• Hugo Montenegro
• Les Baxter
• Henry Mancini
• Ferrante & Teicher

Dick Hyman Joke: What is the difference between Dick Hyman, and a regular Hyman? A regular hyman goes away when penetrated by a penis. ... Juan Garcia Esquivel (January 20, 1918 – January 3, 2002) often known as simply Esquivel, was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and film composer. ... Hugo Montenegro (b. ... Les Baxter (March 14, 1922 - January 15, 1996) studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. ... Henry Mancini (April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994), was a noted American composer and arranger. ... Ferrante & Teicher were one of the most successful easy listening acts of the 1960s and 1970s, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes. ...

CD compilations

• Melodies and Mischief: The History of Space Age Pop Vol. 1, RCA 07863 66645-2
• Mallets in Wonderland: The History of Space Age Pop Vol. 2, RCA 07863 66646-2
• The Stereo Action Dimension: History of Space Age Pop Vol. 3, RCA 07863 66647-2
• Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 3: Space Capades, Capitol 7 2438-35176-2

External links

• The space age pop-music page
• Gallery of space age pop album covers