Mod Pop

The sound of the high 1960s, permeating pop, jazz, soul, rock, film, television, and advertising, was "mod." Known variously as "now sound," "big beat," "in sound," "music for the jet set," and "au go go," the mod sound's defining characteristic was the ensemble brass riff. "Brass" is the keyword. Think of the horns in the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme, Joe Tex's "Show Me," and Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova." Secondary elements include amplified electric bass (a major development in pop), wordless chorus, fuzz-tone guitar, and other period effects such as Vinnie Bell's "water" sound or Kai Winding's use of ondioline.

Mod is not just any music from the mid-1960s, although it overlaps strongly with spy and European soundtrack music as well as Mexicali brass (e.g., "Casino Royale"). "Sock soul" is mod, discotheque soul. And mod jazz places more emphasis on blues and has its own overlappings with bossa nova and jazz boogaloo. Brasilian organist Walter Wanderley's hit remake of "Summer Samba" ranks among the great mod tunes. But if it is not tightly arranged pop (played by jazz men), with a blaring horn section, it probably is not mod. Mod icons include Nancy Sinatra's go-go boots, psychedelic miniskirts, and the Dodge Dart Swinger.

Chief exponents include Kai Winding and Claus Ogerman (separately or together) and Dick Hyman, who plays Lowrey organ on many mod albums. Quincy Jones, Enoch Light, Henry Mancini, Bob Crewe, Pat Williams, Hugo Montenegro, Warren Kime, Billy May, Buddy Morrow, and Les & Larry Elgart are others. Most of the old masters of brass and many top composers got into the act.

What's hip about mod? The big beat made it accessible to rock fans, the horns to jazzbos, and the pop construction to oldsters. These qualities of near-universal appeal were not lost on Madison Avenue. The "Batman" television series theme, one of the most annoying riffs covered at least a thousand times, clings to indelible hipness after periodic waves of hype.

Buying: Look for covers of such upbeat classics as "Music to Watch Girls By," "One Mint Julep," "A Man & a Woman," and "Baby Elephant Walk." On the softer side: "Love is Blue," "The Look of Love," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Goin' Out of My Head."