The History of Rock and Roll

Discussion in 'Music' started by Meagain, May 22, 2014.

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  1. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    A completely bias version of the history of Rock and Roll presented in as many chapters as I get around to presenting.

    As I was born in 1951, I was there to witness the entire deal.

    So here goes.......

    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 22, 2014
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  3. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    This song was released in 1951 and is often cited as the first Rock and Roll song, although the term had been used before. It was attributed to Jackie Benson and his Delta Cats but they were actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm.
    Ike was pretty cool until it came out that he would beat up Anna Mae Bullock AKA Tina Turner on occasion. This, along with drugs, etc., effectively ruined his career in the 80's.
    He died in 2007.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzYRKJvQqpU"]Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88 - YouTube​
     
    MeAgain, May 22, 2014
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  5. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Others point to Goree Carter's 1949 Rock Awhile.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHwzBZN5j88"]goree carter & his hepcats rock awhile - YouTube

    But it came out in 1949, a couple years before I was born, so it doesn't count.

    Sure sounds a lot like Chuck Berry, don't it?
    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 22, 2014
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  7. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    There's some others, but they are all pre '51, so screw that.

    Here's the first Rock song to hit the Billboard charts in 1953.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNYZ1ApQ6Js"]BILL HALEY with HALEY'S COMETS: "crazy man, crazy", 1953 - YouTube

    ...followed by Bill's Rock Around the Clock, the first commercial success.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw"]Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1955) HD - YouTube

    That's Alan freed during the intro.
    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 22, 2014
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  9. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    This show was on one of the networks a few years back, right? It was in many segments. I watched it and was mesmerized by it. so interesting!
     
    Moonglow181, May 22, 2014
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  11. Karen_J

    Karen_J Visitor


    Yes, recorded in Memphis at the Sun Records Studio! Great museum and tour! :) Great tourguides, filled with love for music and historical knowledge. :cheers2:

    They claim Ike invented electric guitar distortion entirely by accident. His flatbed truck hit a bump on the way to the studio, a guitar amp fell off the back, and busted a speaker. Attempts to wedge things into the crack didn't help. The recording engineer said, "That's okay, I like the sound. Let's use it." And the rest, as they say, is history.
     
    Karen_J, May 22, 2014
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  13. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    I have no idea! :)
     
    MeAgain, May 23, 2014
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  15. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    I didn't know that...but here's some more.....


    Jumping out of sequence a bit (since we got into distortion) into the 60's....

    ​

    ​
    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBSsoOmswbY The Ventures-The 2,000 Pound Bee Pts 1 & 2 (10/62) - YouTube

    The title reminds me of Iron Butterfly's "Iron Butterfly Theme" which came out much later and probably uses distortion to a much greater effect.

    ​
    Hit the link to check it out.
     
    MeAgain, May 23, 2014
    #8
  17. Karen_J

    Karen_J Visitor

    Ike Turner was the songwriter for Rocket 88 and played keyboard on the recording.

    I'm halfway surprised that Ike didn't try to take credit for creating guitar distortion in a flash of musical genius and insight, but he always admitted that it just resulted from a bump in the road and his failure to securely tie down his cargo. Recording engineer Sam Phillips was the one who decided that this unique sound actually added something to the entertainment value of the recording. But...that's what recording engineers are supposed to do.

    [​IMG]

    The original studio entrance is in the low part of the building. The front door opens into the one room office of the Memphis Recording Service, founded in 1950 by Sam Phillips, which became Sun Records in 1952.

    [​IMG]

    This is the room where Elvis Presley sat down to talk to secretary and receptionist Marion Keisker about recording a song in 1953. When she asked him who he sounded like, (I love this!) his reply was, "I don't sound like nobody."

    [​IMG]

    The recording chamber is immediately behind the office. There is a small room in the back, where some remixing was done, and masters were stored. That's it; just three rooms.

    Sun Records expanded into the two story building next door. All that was office space. Today, the first floor is a burger and sandwich shop and the museum's gift shop. The museum occupies all of the second floor, which includes quite a bit of Elvis memorabilia; a surprising amount, considering how much is on display across town at Graceland.

    Did you notice the giant electric guitar sign hanging on the corner? Now you know where the Hard Rock Café got the idea.

    Major artists to record at Sun during its early glory days included Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and BB King. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded one of his biggest hits there in a single take.

    [​IMG]

    This pic, taken in the recording chamber, shows four of the biggest Sun artists along with Marilyn Evans, Elvis' girlfriend at that time. She was cut out of the published version of the picture, which became a classic.
     
    Karen_J, May 23, 2014
    #9
  19. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    That picture reminded me of Jerry Lee Lewis' album Last Man Standing, 2006, which referred to Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Carl Perkins, , Elvis Presley, and the Killer.
    All of which have passed excepting Jerry Lee.

    This is Rock 'n Roll with Jimmy Page, from Last Man Standing.
    Crank it up!​


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzzBAMb3zVM Jerry Lee Lewis & Jimmy Page - Rock'n'Roll (Led Zepelin Cover) - 2006 - YouTube

     
    MeAgain, May 23, 2014
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  21. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Moving on, I'm skipping all the well known songs and trying to put in some lesser known ones that I remember from back in the monaural days.

    1958 Western Movies by the Olympics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUSGKlGCIT4"]Olympics - Western movies - YouTube
    ​
    I was reminded of this song when I was looking for Peanut Butter which I thought was from the 50's but is actually from 1961.


    I haven't heard Peanut Butter for probably 50 years and with the omnipotent net, I thought I'd hunt it up. Turns out it was recorded by the Marathons you, it was believed, was a pseudonym for the Olympics.
    But it wasn't, it was another name for the Vibrations who were moonlighting by standing in for the Olympics when they were on the road touring. They got caught by their own label and the Marathons ceased to exist.
    Peanut Butter reached 20 on the charts.

    Just to confuse things more, the Vibrations had a previous hit in 1955 as the Jayhawks with Stranded in the Jungle. It hit #18.
    ​
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdRB6DL7Iw The Jayhawks Stranded In The Jungle FLASH 109 - YouTube

    It was also covered by The Cadetsin 1956 and The Gadabouts the same year.
    Also a whole lotta other groups.
    "Great googly moogly" came from the Cadet version.​
     
    MeAgain, May 23, 2014
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  23. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Oops! I almost forgot about Peanut Butter.

    I like peanut butter, creamy peanut butter, chunky peanut butter too!!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utA_Oq5SryA"]Peanut Butter-Vibrations aka Marathons-'61-Chess 1790./LP Arvee 428 - YouTube
    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 23, 2014
    #12
  25. Karen_J

    Karen_J Visitor

    :D

    [​IMG]
     
    Karen_J, May 24, 2014
    #13
  27. Asmodean

    Asmodean Slo motion rider

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    [​IMG]
     
    Asmodean, May 24, 2014
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  29. junglejack

    junglejack aiko aiko

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    History of R & R---- maybe.........

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZFiMo8TIc Don McLean - The meaning of American Pie (UPDATE) - YouTube
     
    junglejack, May 24, 2014
    #15
  31. Karen_J

    Karen_J Visitor

    I understood some of the symbolism and code names before today, but not all of it. Thanks for posting that! :cheers2:

    . . .

    Without a doubt, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was the first rock song to have a big impact, but it's an example of what I classify as "nice" rock, which could have easily turned out to be a passing fad. When it comes to down and dirty, bluesy, sexy, soulful rock, nobody got it right before Elvis in 1956:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PotB76gi2_4"]Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel - YouTube
    (1972 live recording)​

    The dance moves didn't hurt either:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fuhzYDeT4"]Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel (Milton Berle Show) - YouTube

    After discovering Elvis, Sam Phillips immediately sold his recording contract to RCA, so nearly all of Presley's greatest hits were recorded in RCA's Nashville Studio B:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Studio B is open to the public for tours, but don't expect to find knowledgeable and passionate tourguides like they have at Sun Records in Memphis.
     
    Karen_J, May 24, 2014
    #16
  33. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGLNtZ0rEg"]The Original Stroll - February 1958 - YouTube


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pje9a3RhFE"]Marty Robbins - A White Sport Coat (Town Hall Party - 1957) - YouTube
    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 24, 2014
    #17
  35. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    A little atmosphere....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PdVqWuqUsI"]1950s preacher vs. rock'n'roll music & Elvis - YouTube

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj-5rCovRH4"]1950's Rock And Roll (Part One) - YouTube
    ​
     
    MeAgain, May 24, 2014
    #18
  37. junglejack

    junglejack aiko aiko

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    Very true- -but don't forget Elvis ,as original as he was, got most of his music from the black R & B bands down south.. Because he was a white guY,,,he was much more accepted- -((OK-IMO
     
    junglejack, May 24, 2014
    #19
  39. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Here's Carl Mann's Cover of

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J24HOe4rTqE Nat King Cole's Mona Lisa.

    He was sixteen at the time, 1959. A fine example of Rockabilly. Also released by

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drd2jQKmHpQ

    Conway Twitty in the same year. I like this version the best of all three.

    MONA LISA - CARL MANN (ROCK VERSION) - YESTERDAYS GOLD VOL. 24 - YouTube​
     
    MeAgain, May 25, 2014
    #20
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