new thread
This guys is around 60 and has long hair and indicated he's worn it long for over 40 years and we were discussing musical groups and he said once the Beatles hit everyone wanted longer hair, but it was an issue for many kids still in school, but he said by 1968 most rock and roll groups had AT LEAST
shoulder length hair regardless if they were acid rock, prog rock, Folk, or pop bands.
we also discussed that Long hair became associated with the Metal genre by the 1980s while other genres including New Wave, Synth Pop and Punk had become associated with Shorter hairstyles and he said while he enjoyed music by groups such as Human League, Split Enz, Midnight Oil and others he thought it was a shame that many of these bands had gone short
, but when I mentioned some more groups like White Stripes, raconteurs to a few indie bands he said he was glad to see a resurgence of longer hair on bands outside of the metal genre.
he said "it sounds very encouraging man. just like back in the old days when everyone in a band HAD to have long hair!"
;-)
He is summarly correct. I was one of those young men, 12 athe time, when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I had a moderate amopunt of trouble as I let my hair grow. I had a cut called the "Princeton cut" Which was longer on top and front (incrementally) than on the sides and back, so I was able to achieve the "Beatle" Look nearly immediately. I was among the first kids to come up against dress codes in school. Perhaps it was my good grades, but I prevailed and did not cut my hair (much to the early dismay of my parents, though they eventually relented) In High school. I also was on the frontier of "fashion" being as I was, with a few friends, the 1st to wear harness boots (Known to us as "Roadie Boots") and bell bottom jeans to school. Through this I kept my hair long. usually just below shoulder length, but in my senior year., I let it grow. Most of the groups I listened to local and national, had as long or longer hair than I . And in the legion of Jam sessions (keyboards, mostly) I was a part of in H.S. and College. long hair was the norm. Anyone sporting short hair, I.E. military or business cuts of the day, was either fresh out of the military and itching to grow his hair, or was either a narc or severely unhip. had friends who sported lengths from stubble to waist. It wasn't truly an issue. However, Long hair, in the music industry was a given. and by the early 70s, even the good ol' boys, who a few years earlier were given to yelling insults and catcalls, were now strummin' with long locks. It all should only happen again.
imagine Ed Sullivan introducing this band when you were a kid
Ed: now here are five youngsters making their television debut on our show
ladies and gentlemen.............
http://www.spin.com/articles/watch-cults-rock-spins-rooftop
Even though this was before my time I've seen enough old clips to know the dialog lol
Here they talk about the long hair thing
The gentleman you spoke with is correct. I was one of those young guys ( iwas 12 ) when the Beatles hit big in this country. Immediately started combing my hair differently. Had "longer than allowed" hair in Junior high and in High School. all the groups, local and national, sported long hair. It was truly a badge of recognition. Though not an established musician, I was versed in keyboards. I and my friends were all playing, and we all sported long hair, at least shoulder length and beyond. By the early 70s, even the country musicians were growing out their hair and many of the good ol' boys that were a few years earlier making threats to long haired guys were now sporting facial hair and long locks.