Capturing the essence of a period 1966

cooeedownunder · Mar 16, 2012

I have a story set in Australia between February - August 1966

Although I have thought about an author's note, and do have one, I am wondering if placing something that happened, but isn't placed in necessary an accurate sequence will be an issue.

For example

Que Sera, Sera (what will be will be) fits nicely into my timeline of February as it was released by a well known Australian singer in 1965 and was a number one selling song here. But I guess people outside of Australia probably know nothing of Normie Rowe, which makes me wonder if some may think the story is set earlier, despite the date on the opening chapter.

I was thinking about replacing this song with the Yellow Subarine by the Beatles, for the above reason and also because a childlike person is singing the song, but it wasn't released until later that year - and the scene I have is in February and can't be moved to August

The other thing is the Rolling Stones toured here in Australia in January or February 1966 - but I would like to have it later because it suits the plot of the story

I have thought about removing my month date on the opening chapter and just leaving it as 1966

Anyone have suggestion?

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 16, 2012

Que sera sera is probably fine. I remember singing snatches of it as a kid from nostalgia record ads on UHF TV, and I wasn't born when your story starts. I wouldn't expect up-to-the-minute bleeding edge culture in a historical novel any more than I would expect the characters to all live in monochromatic, minimalist homes with egg-shaped chairs, the way the interior design magazines showed 1966.

So you're probably fine.

Siri Kirpal · Mar 16, 2012

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

No problem with Que Sera, Sera. I was born in the US in 1953. I vaguely remember it...but not enough to hum the melody.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

cooeedownunder · Mar 16, 2012

Thanks for your thoughts, but although I can live with Que Sera, Sera because it’s culturally and time accurate, what if I did change it to the Yellow Submarine, which will mean I will be mentioning it a few months prior to its release date?

And I do have the Rolling Stones tour mentioned a few months later than they actually came - should I just avoid this?

KayEn78 · Mar 16, 2012

The way I see it, mentioning a song that hadn't been released yet, it seems odd because why would they know that song in the first place, if it hadn't been released yet? Using Que Sera Sera will work fine with what you have.

-Kristi

pdr · Mar 17, 2012

Difficult.

How about doing it your way, cooee, and adding an author's note to explain that you know that the Rolling Stones visit was actually earlier, and the Beatles' song later, but you needed to alter the facts for your story?

cooeedownunder · Mar 17, 2012

pdr said:
How about doing it your way, cooee, and adding an author's note to explain that you know that the Rolling Stones visit was actually earlier, and the Beatles' song later, but you needed to alter the facts for your story?

I don't know... I think I can work out a way to get the part in about the Rolling stones ealier...maybe

But I really want to be able to use the Yellow Submarine song - it would show charachter very well - but I am thinking, beacuse the historical note doesn't come to the end, that some history buff might read my third chapter and say WT- - it wasn't even released. Sigh....

I think the only way I might get away with it, is if I remove the month the story starts in - but I gather a history buff will still pick that up and think it is an error.....mmmm

Maryn · Mar 17, 2012

What is your intended readership? If it's Australian, then Que Sera, Sera is fine. But if you hope for an international readership which includes North America, I'd consider it a mistake. We know that song--I bet I can still sing a few verses, since I've seen The Man Who Knew Too Much four or five times--and I identify it solely with Doris Day singing it in that movie, released in 1956. I don't believe I've heard the Australian cover.

I doubt if many of your readers are going to remember the month a song debuted or the touring schedule of a particular band more than forty years ago, but there's such a wealth of pop and rock of that era which has survived that I see no reason not to use something that's both historically accurate and remains well known. How about Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walking, released in February of 1966?

Maryn, who knows the music of the era

cooeedownunder · Mar 17, 2012

Maryn, that is good choice – It was a number one hit for 8 weeks that year. I see my character bopping around to the song. I looked at it months ago but then reverted to the Normie Rowe song because he was so well known here....and I've always thought of Nancy Sinatra as old - lol - I think that might be my problem in being indecisive – I wish I could remember stuff prior to being born.

Thank you guys.

KayEn78 · Mar 17, 2012

If you did want to switch the two around (Yellow Submarine and the Rolling Stones tour) for your story, you could put the Author's Note in the beginning, before the first chapter. That way, the reader will see it and the history buffs/music buffs/die-hard Beatles/Rolling Stones fan won't nit pick.

-Kristi

cooeedownunder · Mar 17, 2012

Yes, well I never thought of that...mmmm

Old Hack · Mar 18, 2012

All this discussion might come to nothing if you intended to quote any of the lyrics of the songs you mention, I'm afraid: you'll need to get permission to do that, and it'll cost you. To quote from one of the Beatles songs is going to be very expensive. Please be careful.

cooeedownunder · Mar 19, 2012

No, I'm not using the lyrics as such - I'm already aware of the copyright issue, just the title. Using the title is enough for me to be able to give the impression of the song being sung.

DianeL · Mar 19, 2012

To some degree, this is a question of how much you care about the guitarist at the back of the bar, picking apart your "performance" as an author. I did use my own author's note (far more extensive than the link includes; I created a glossary as well) to address the extent to which I consciously chose to fictionalize the history of my novel, BUT at the end of the day I wrote the work itself as if that note were not there. Not everyone will read it, not everyone will agree, not everyone could possibly care - but the story must still stand.

Write to your story, and to your characters. If THEIR integrity is true, there's an extent to which you can sort of wave off anyone who might sneer about particulars. Or you can find ways to work around those details, it's happened for me more than once, certainly!

Best of luck ...

Deb Kinnard · Mar 19, 2012

I like the idea of an author's note. Many, many historical writers put the note at the end, and explain that they've tweaked actual dates, etc., for the sake of the story. Creative license and all that. It's doable, as long as it works for your story.

I remember the song "Que Sera, Sera" from when I was a kid in the 50s, but I'm from the US. It was very popular here.

anguswalker · Mar 26, 2012

I personally don't mind much about minor historical inexactitudes, though I know some do. The question is, do you care enough about the handful of music-nerd readers who will throw your novel in the bin in disgust (OK so long as they have bought it already...) to give up on using Yellow Submarine if that is definitely the right song for your story.

That said, this is one of those situations when the internet can be a wonderful resource- not so much for historical accuracy but just to spark off thoughts/ideas/connotations. Personally I love reading something like This list of Top 25 singles for 1966 in Australia just because it immediately sets my mind back to that era (not you maybe, if you weren't born then) and helps me visualise the characters and setting better. Plus, who knows, you may find a song that has a deeper symbolic relevance. Depending on your story (which I know nothing about) that could be Nowhere Man, or Strangers in the Night, or Wild Thing, or Born Free. Any of those strike a chord (as it were)?

Tom from UK · Mar 28, 2012

One of the reasons for including songs is that they so exactly capture the times. So if they capture the wrong times, the effect is really awful. I'm happy to have people move battles or great historical events but if they refer to the music of my youth at a time I don't think I could have heard it, I'm into Wikipedia at the speed of light. And I am not a music nerd and I can absolutely guarantee I won't be alone. Those are my teenage memories you're messing with. Don't do it.

mtrenteseau · Apr 7, 2012

I don't know if the television show Mad Men is popular outside the United States. The first season was set in 1960, and the newest season, coincidentally, starts in mid-1966.

The season premiere was originally supposed to include Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love," from Casino Royale. When critics at the preview pointed out that it wasn't released until January 1967, the producers pulled the song and substituted another.

So yes, people will notice. But it's much easier to find a song that was appropriate to your scene than to change the date of your scene to match a song you want to use.

I don't think it matters that the song is associated with a 1956 movie. If it was popular when your scene takes place, what's important is that it did indeed already exist.

cooeedownunder · Apr 9, 2012

I forgot this was here. I've resolve what was bothering me about it. Thanks for everyones thoughts.

Capturing the essence of a period 1966

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

KayEn78

pdr

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

Maryn

I Tried

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

KayEn78

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

DianeL

Deb Kinnard

anguswalker

Tom from UK

mtrenteseau

Mild-mannered accountant by day...

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day