Listening to the 1970s channel on Sirius a while back, I noticed that quite a few songs from the early years of that decade have a very distinctive ragtime-y sound - specifically, a tinkling piano-kind of sound. Was there really a ragtime revival during the era, much like the swing influence in some popular music in the late 1990s?
Ian Whitcomb definitely tried to start a Ragtime Revival. His Big Hit was “You Turn Me On” back in the 60’s; it was not Ragtime. But he’s still playing. And he’s written some interesting books–After the Ball; A Chronicle of Pop Music From Ragtime To Rock is one.
Nonesuch records released a set of Scott Joplin rags in the 70’s.
Marvin Hamlisch’s soundtrack to the movie The Sting (1973) sparked a huge revival of Scott Joplin’s piano rags which, no doubt, crossed over into other music genres of the era.
Good movie, excellent soundtrack.
Well, guess what earworm I’ll be having all day.
Da Da Da Dee Dee
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Dee Dee
Doctor Hook and Mungo Jerry certainly had an “old-time” feel to their music. I would describe it as “Dixieland jazz”, more than “Ragtime”, but “revival” is a good description.
I think it’s more a tack piano sound when we’re talking about pop music of the 1970s. It followed the harpsichord fad in pop music of the late 1960s.