Banke 1 Emi Banke Christine Olding ENG 200 3 April 2014 The Timeless Croon Synchronized dancing, gold

glittery tuxedos, and doo-wop style singing 1978? The style of music that embodied the doo-wop genre with the group harmony and ensemble set up, with the blending of voices was very prevalent in the 1970s. The Sha Na Na, a group from this time period, adopted this style of music, in addition to their Glam Rock influences. Over thirty years later, a young artist in his early twenties comes along wearing those same gold glittery tuxedos, with that synchronized dancing and doo-wop style of music- and the public loved it. Despite the fact that the Sha Na Na and Bruno Mars have a number of similar characteristics, they have a number of differences as well and this ultimately leaves the audience to have to consider whether the artists share or differ more in style and credibility. However, it becomes quite obvious that although their styles differ, especially considering the eras that they both come out of, the Sha Na Na and Bruno Mars ultimately share more characteristics, from the way they present themselves, to their musical sounds, to their performances, which becomes evident after comparing the rhetorical strategies employed by both. The Sha Na Na was made up of a group of college mates at Columbia University in 1968. The band had a very nostalgic 1950s influence, and the group's image and style were unabashedly anachronistic, as they covered '50s pop and doo wop standards, slicked their hair back in the greaser fashion, and dressed in flamboyant '50s costumes (Huey 1). The band found its most success after their performance at Woodstock in 1969, which led to a number of

Banke 2 different performances at different venues. Bruno Mars grew up in a musical family in Hawaii, watching his father and mother perform on the stage as a young child. When given the opportunity to perform himself, he hit the stage and never looked back. He was very much influenced by the 1950s style, as his father adapted to the doo-wop style and impersonations of past performers. What is most profoundly Glam of Bruno Mars is his love of being on stage, and although he's incredibly proud of the recordings, Mars feels the best way to experience the sound is to see him perform live with his band (Bruno Mars 1). Not only is his actual music important, but the theatrical elements of his songs are significant in the overall presentation of his sound. Add the elements of performance with the number of different rhetorical elements employed by these two groups and one just might find the key to creating a lasting sound. The most apparent use of rhetorical strategy for both the Sha Na Na and Bruno Mars is their use of Ethos, which allows the artist to gain credibility. The way a band presents itself to the world, along with how they present their music to their audiences and provide a bridge for them to connect with the song are all examples of ethos. The Sha Na Na perform the song, Those Magic Changes wearing those gold glittery tuxedos, previously mentioned. The lead singer serenades the audiences, while the group in the back dance in synchronized motions to the rhythm of the music. They harmonized with the lead singer and the gentle, soothing, yet catchy sound of the song. This sound combined with the performance of the band, makes the entire experience aesthetically and audibly pleasing. Bruno Mars takes the stage of the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show wearing a gold glittery tuxedo with an entourage of back up dancers, all dancing in those same choreographed dance moves. Bruno Mars croons to the audience in his genuine, authentic style, which is quite similar to that of the Sha Na Na. However, Bruno Mars is much better at making a bridge for the audience by connecting the old and young sounds. The

Banke 3 younger generation might appeal to him, because he uses modern content areas and references, but with a old-timey sound that is relatable and enjoyable to many. This adds to Bruno Mars versatility because of his classic style and renovation of a style of music that was popular when his parents were his age. Therefore, I believe this credits both the Sha Na Na and Bruno Mars as being credible. Because Bruno Mars was so inspired and captivated by their style of music, he mimicked and influenced his musical style off of that of the Sha Na Na, which gives the band a great deal of credibility for being so influential. Bruno mars is credible because he is able to craftily and naturally incorporate a number of different styles of music into his own personal style which is incredibly interesting and inspiring. More than just gaining credibility, the two different groups sought pathos through the use of their rhetorical strategies. The Sha Na Na appeal to the emotions of their audience with the song taking the form of love ballad; they are serenading a long lost lover that has left them and they wish would return. This unknown recipient of the song makes it hard to dissect the credibility of the song, but the power of the words, adds to the meaning of the words, such as with the lines, While the bass is sounding while the drums are pounding/ Beatings of my broken heart will rise to first place in the charts/ Oh my heart arranges/ Oh those magic changes (Sha Na Na 1). The emotional appeal and passion behind the words leaves the audience to only interpret that he has loved and lost. Similarly, in Bruno Mars song Treasure, he sings with a great deal of passion. It is evident that he is singing to one specific recipient, which is clear when he croons, Give me your, give me your, give me your attention, baby/ I gotta tell you a little something about yourself/ You're wonderful, flawless, ooh, you're a sexy lady (Mars 1). Clearly, this song is directed to a specific audience as well, just unknown to the listeners, which makes the emotional appeal much more apparent, as the listeners are able to better picture his

Banke 4 emotions behind the song and relate to them. While the Sha Na Na have no clear intended argument, just a love ballad crooning the words to no direct audience, Bruno Mars also does not really have any true argument to his song, besides warbling about the spectacular qualities of the mystery recipient. Both the style and vocal presentations of the song change the meaning of the song lyrics, because when reading the lyrics of Those Magic Changes, the meaning of the song appears to be a message to a specific person, but when they perform the song, the words within the lyrics were not as powerful, as I got caught up more in the sound of the song than with what the song was saying. However, the opposite is true with Bruno Mars. The meaning of the song and the true love behind the lyrics is only solidified when listening to the crooning, soothing, powerful singing done by Bruno Mars. He sounds love sick and the emphasis he puts behind the words shows that he places a good deal of value on his love for the person he is singing to. In addition, his crooning sound matches the love song theme, while also matching the retro style, and bringing in a modern soulful sound. However, the groups appear to be lacking in the third and final form of rhetorical strategy, which is the logos, or the logical appeals of the song. The Sha Na Na are not making any specific claim or argument in Those Magic Changes, where they are simply singing about the correlation of wanting someone with musical elements, such as, 'Cause those chords remind me of the night that/ I first fell in love to/ Those magic changes my heart arranges (Sha Na Na 1). The song they hear reminds them of an experience with a specific person, and though this is a clear objective to the song, this is not making a claim for anyone other than the band itself. Rather, this claim of theirs is most definitely a claim, but not a universal one, and, therefore, not a logical appeal. Bruno Mars similarly makes this same mistake with his logical appeal. However, the one universal concept that both songs sing about is love. Love is universal and no

Banke 5 matter what the specific subject or background to a songs meaning, at the end of the day, the audience will most likely agree, or at least appeal to this sort of song, emotionally through pathos.

Through the use of the three different rhetorical strategies discussed, the Sha Na Na and Bruno Mars were able to find a limited amount of credibility, a great deal of pathos, and a lack of logos. The universality of love makes their songs relatable, and with the addition of the crooning, R&B style sound the songs become timeless. With the obvious influences of the Sha Na Na on Bruno Mars style of music, Bruno embodies the very part of the Sha Na Na that was Glam Rock, with their emphasis on performance and theatricality. Taking these elements and adding on modern touches of soul and references, Bruno Mars makes a successful transition from oldtimey to modern music.

Banke 6 Works Cited

Huey, Steve. Sha Na Na Artist Biography. All Music, 2014. Web. 23 April 2014.

Mars, Bruno. Treasure. Unorthodox Jukebox. 2012.

Sha Na Na. Those Magic Changes. 1978.