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Rocksteady, a distinct music genre, originated in Jamaica approximately in the year 1966.
Answer: True
Explanation: The genre known as rocksteady emerged in Jamaica around 1966, succeeding ska.
Rocksteady emerged as a musical style that was significantly faster and more upbeat than its predecessor, ska.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to this statement, rocksteady was characterized by a slower tempo and a more relaxed feel compared to the faster, more upbeat rhythm of ska.
The term "rocksteady" originated from a dance style that was faster than the music it accompanied.
Answer: False
Explanation: The term "rocksteady" is associated with a dance style that matched the music's slower, steadier rhythm, rather than being faster than the music.
The primary stylistic influences leading to rocksteady were ska and American rhythm and blues.
Answer: True
Explanation: Rocksteady developed from ska, incorporating influences from American rhythm and blues and soul music.
"Take It Easy" by Hopeton Lewis and "Tougher Than Tough" by Derrick Morgan are cited as potential early examples of the rocksteady sound.
Answer: True
Explanation: These tracks are often mentioned as significant early recordings that helped define or foreshadow the rocksteady sound.
According to one account, rocksteady originated at Studio One when a drummer struggled with the fast ska tempo, prompting the music director to slow it down.
Answer: True
Explanation: One narrative suggests that the tempo of ska was deliberately slowed at Studio One due to a drummer's difficulty, leading to the development of the rocksteady rhythm.
Lynn Taitt confirmed that rocksteady was essentially a faster version of ska.
Answer: False
Explanation: Lynn Taitt described rocksteady as "really slow ska," indicating it was a slower development rather than a faster iteration.
Rocksteady remained the dominant musical style in Jamaica for nearly a decade, from 1966 to 1975.
Answer: False
Explanation: Rocksteady's period of dominance was relatively brief, lasting approximately two years, from 1966 to 1968.
The phrase "Rocksteady is really slow ska," attributed to Lynn Taitt, suggests rocksteady is a distinct genre with no relation to ska.
Answer: False
Explanation: This statement implies a direct lineage, suggesting rocksteady is fundamentally a slower evolution or variant of ska, rather than a completely unrelated genre.
In which country did the music genre rocksteady originate?
Answer: Jamaica
Explanation: Rocksteady originated in Jamaica, emerging around the mid-1960s.
Approximately when did rocksteady emerge as a distinct music genre?
Answer: Around 1966
Explanation: Rocksteady emerged as a distinct musical style in Jamaica around the year 1966.
Which music genre is considered the direct predecessor to rocksteady?
Answer: Ska
Explanation: Ska is widely recognized as the direct musical predecessor from which rocksteady evolved.
Besides ska, what were the primary stylistic influences on rocksteady music?
Answer: Soul music and American Rhythm and Blues
Explanation: Rocksteady's development was significantly influenced by American soul music and rhythm and blues, in addition to ska.
How long did rocksteady typically remain the dominant musical style in Jamaica?
Answer: Approximately two years
Explanation: Rocksteady's peak as the dominant musical style in Jamaica lasted for approximately two years, from 1966 to 1968.
Which of the following songs is mentioned as a potential early example of rocksteady?
Answer: "Hold Them" by Roy Shirley
Explanation: "Hold Them" by Roy Shirley is cited alongside other tracks as a potential early example of the rocksteady sound.
According to one account, the development of rocksteady at Studio One involved slowing down the tempo because:
Answer: The drummer couldn't keep up with the fast ska tempo.
Explanation: One narrative suggests that the tempo was reduced at Studio One because the drummer found the fast ska tempo challenging to maintain.
The term "Rocksteady" is linked to the name of which artist's song?
Answer: Alton Ellis
Explanation: The term "rocksteady" is closely associated with Alton Ellis, particularly his popular song titled "Rocksteady."
What does the phrase "Rocksteady is really slow ska" imply?
Answer: Rocksteady was fundamentally a slower version or development of ska.
Explanation: This statement suggests that rocksteady represents a slower iteration or evolution of the ska genre, rather than a completely separate musical form.
The slower tempo of rocksteady significantly reduced the importance and complexity of the bass guitar line.
Answer: False
Explanation: Conversely, the slower tempo of rocksteady allowed for greater emphasis and complexity in the bass guitar lines, which became a defining characteristic of the genre.
The lead guitar in rocksteady typically featured a bright, clean tone with heavy reverb, unlike the ska era.
Answer: False
Explanation: Rocksteady lead guitar work, notably by Lynn Taitt, often employed a muted picking technique, differing from the brighter tones sometimes heard in ska.
The rhythm guitar became less prominent and more melodic in reggae compared to its style in rocksteady.
Answer: False
Explanation: The rhythm guitar in reggae typically adopted a scratchier, more percussive sound, contrasting with its role in rocksteady.
How did the tempo of rocksteady typically compare to ska?
Answer: Rocksteady was notably slower than ska.
Explanation: Rocksteady is characterized by a slower tempo compared to the faster pace of its predecessor, ska.
What characteristic technique is associated with the lead guitar playing of Lynn Taitt in rocksteady?
Answer: Muted picking
Explanation: Lynn Taitt's innovative lead guitar style often featured a muted picking technique, which became influential.
The slower tempo of rocksteady allowed for a greater emphasis on which instrument's line?
Answer: Bass guitar
Explanation: The reduced tempo of rocksteady enabled the bass guitar line to become more prominent and intricate, a key feature of the genre.
Which of the following describes the characteristic style of the lead guitar in rocksteady, as exemplified by Lynn Taitt?
Answer: Muted picking technique
Explanation: Lynn Taitt's distinctive lead guitar style in rocksteady often featured a muted picking technique.
The prominent harmony group associated with the rocksteady era was The Beatles.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Beatles were not associated with the rocksteady era; prominent Jamaican harmony groups of that period included The Techniques, The Paragons, and The Heptones.
Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, and Bob Andy were notable vocalists recognized for their contributions to the rocksteady sound, not primarily as instrumentalists or saxophonists.
Answer: False
Explanation: Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, and Bob Andy were celebrated singers during the rocksteady period, not primarily instrumentalists or saxophonists.
Phyllis Dillon is frequently referred to as the "father of rocksteady."
Answer: False
Explanation: Phyllis Dillon was widely recognized as the "Queen of Rocksteady," not the "father."
Studio One and Treasure Isle were minor record labels with little impact during the rocksteady era.
Answer: False
Explanation: Studio One and Treasure Isle were among the most influential and prominent record labels during the rocksteady era, shaping the genre significantly.
Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label primarily released rocksteady recordings by ska artists who refused to adapt to the new style.
Answer: False
Explanation: Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label was instrumental in releasing many key rocksteady recordings, featuring artists who embraced and defined the new sound.
The Wailing Wailers transitioned from reggae to rocksteady before becoming a ska band.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Wailing Wailers' musical progression was from ska, through the rocksteady period, and then into reggae.
Derrick Harriott believed the rocksteady period represented the worst days of Jamaican music.
Answer: False
Explanation: Derrick Harriott expressed the view that the rocksteady period represented some of the "best days of Jamaican music."
The "vocal sound of rocksteady" was primarily shaped by instrumentalists like Jackie Mittoo and Tommy McCook.
Answer: False
Explanation: While instrumentalists were crucial, the "vocal sound" was primarily established through the producers and vocalists associated with labels like Treasure Isle and Studio One.
Who is often recognized as the "father of rocksteady"?
Answer: Alton Ellis
Explanation: Alton Ellis is frequently credited with the title "father of rocksteady," partly due to the popularity of his song of the same name.
Who was a key instrumentalist known for playing keyboards during the rocksteady era?
Answer: Jackie Mittoo
Explanation: Jackie Mittoo was a pivotal keyboardist and arranger whose work was central to the Studio One sound and the rocksteady era.
Which of the following was NOT a prominent record label during the rocksteady era mentioned in the source?
Answer: Motown
Explanation: Studio One, Treasure Isle, and Prince Buster were significant labels in Jamaican music during the rocksteady period; Motown is an American label.
Which of these groups was a key performer during the rocksteady era?
Answer: The Paragons
Explanation: The Paragons were a prominent vocal group whose recordings were central to the rocksteady sound.
How did Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label contribute to the rocksteady sound?
Answer: By releasing significant recordings that helped establish the genre's vocal sound.
Explanation: Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label was pivotal in releasing numerous influential vocal recordings that helped define the rocksteady sound.
Rocksteady served as a crucial precursor to the globally recognized music genre known as reggae.
Answer: True
Explanation: Rocksteady is widely acknowledged as the direct evolutionary link between ska and the subsequent development of reggae music.
Rocksteady music achieved widespread international fame during its peak, surpassing the global reach of later reggae artists.
Answer: False
Explanation: While rocksteady gained some international traction, its global fame was significantly less than that achieved by reggae artists in subsequent decades.
Reggae is the major music genre that evolved directly from rocksteady.
Answer: True
Explanation: Rocksteady is widely acknowledged as the direct evolutionary link between ska and the subsequent development of reggae music.
The transition from rocksteady to reggae involved the replacement of the electric organ with the piano.
Answer: False
Explanation: During the transition to reggae, the electric organ largely replaced the piano, which had been more prominent in rocksteady.
Deejay U-Roy's early 1970s hits helped maintain rocksteady's presence by featuring him rapping over entirely new reggae rhythms.
Answer: False
Explanation: U-Roy's influential early 1970s recordings featured him rapping over existing rocksteady rhythms, thereby extending the genre's relevance.
Reggae achieved international fame primarily due to the influence of rocksteady basslines on American funk music.
Answer: False
Explanation: Reggae's significant international fame is more directly attributed to factors such as the global success of Bob Marley and the film "The Harder They Come."
The basslines from rocksteady songs like "Never Let Go" and "Real Rock" are still utilized in modern Jamaican music.
Answer: True
Explanation: The foundational basslines from influential rocksteady tracks continue to be sampled and referenced in contemporary Jamaican music genres.
Which major music genre evolved directly from rocksteady?
Answer: Reggae
Explanation: Reggae is the primary music genre that developed directly from the rocksteady sound.
Which instrumentation change was characteristic of the transition from rocksteady to reggae?
Answer: The electric organ replaced the piano.
Explanation: A key instrumentation shift during the evolution to reggae was the replacement of the piano with the electric organ.
How did the rhythm guitar style evolve during the shift from rocksteady to reggae?
Answer: It adopted a scratchier, more percussive sound.
Explanation: The rhythm guitar in reggae typically developed a more percussive and 'scratchy' texture compared to its role in rocksteady.
What role did instrumental "versions" (often B-sides) play in rocksteady's relevance?
Answer: They helped maintain the sound's popularity, especially when deejays performed over them.
Explanation: Instrumental "versions" of rocksteady tracks provided a foundation for deejays (like U-Roy) to perform over, extending the genre's lifespan and influence.
Which factor is cited as a reason for reggae's greater international fame compared to rocksteady?
Answer: The global stardom of Bob Marley and the film "The Harder They Come."
Explanation: Reggae achieved significantly broader international recognition, largely propelled by figures like Bob Marley and cultural touchstones such as the film "The Harder They Come."
What is a significant legacy of the rocksteady genre?
Answer: Its foundational elements profoundly influenced reggae, dub, and dancehall.
Explanation: Rocksteady's innovations in rhythm, basslines, and vocal arrangements laid crucial groundwork for the development of reggae, dub, and dancehall music.
Which change in drumming style occurred during the transition from rocksteady to reggae?
Answer: Drumming became more intricate, precise, and aggressive.
Explanation: During the transition to reggae, drumming evolved to become more intricate, precise, and aggressive, often incorporating elements of African drumming styles.
Which of the following is cited as an influential rocksteady bassline still used in modern Jamaican music?
Answer: "Queen Majesty"
Explanation: The bassline from "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques is cited as an example of an influential rocksteady rhythm still employed in contemporary Jamaican music.
Which of the following was a characteristic change in instrumentation during the transition from rocksteady to reggae?
Answer: Replacement of the piano with the electric organ.
Explanation: A notable shift in instrumentation during the evolution from rocksteady to reggae was the increased use of the electric organ, often supplanting the piano.