"Since reading the blog, I have been amazed at the amount of plagiarism that went on from old black blues music." PrivatePerson3
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Rock & Roll, as a musical term, hadn’t even been invented when these ten ripsnorters were let loose on America. Naturally, all tracks bar one were by black artists for America’s black markets.
The exception, of course, was the white all-girl group, The Andrews Sisters, and their wartime smash, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. A mix of jump blues and boogie, Bugle Boy must have been the first time that white audiences, internationally, heard a taste of the rhythm that would become rock. But it would take another 14 years before Bill Hayley’s 12-bar blues, ‘Rock Around The Clock’, would enter history as the song that turned the world on to rock & roll.
That was in 1954, which only goes to prove just how conventional history so often gets it wrong.
The mother and father of rock & roll
The chart’s earliest three tracks, as you’ll see from their titles, were all boogies, which strengthens the argument that boogie woogie piano is the mother of rock & roll. The father, then, must be the electric guitar which makes its first contribution to rock & roll's emergence in 1944. Paradoxically this electric guitar was in the more than capable hands of a woman, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who added a dose of gospel to rock’s evolving sound.
The mother and father of rock & roll
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| Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup was covered by Elvis. |
Arthur Crudup brought us closer to the spirit of guitar-driven rock with his Elvis precursor in 1946. That same year, the words 'rock' or 'rockin' started appearing regularly in song titles, as tracks six to ten on the list below demonstrate.
After that, America rocked all the way into the 50s and beyond. Until 1949, such songs were called race records. Then Billboard started describing them as rhythm & blues.
After that, America rocked all the way into the 50s and beyond. Until 1949, such songs were called race records. Then Billboard started describing them as rhythm & blues.
While conventional rock history often claims Ike Turner’s ‘Rocket 88’ was the first rock & roll record in 1951, this is probably because Sam Phillips, in whose studio it was recorded, constantly claimed it to be. As you know, say something enough times and people start to believe it.
Named in 1952
By 1952, Alan Freed had dubbed this rocking new music, rock & roll, although the term had been around for years. As Bing Crosby said in 1939, describing the Andrews Sisters. Their songs were, “rock and roll with unleashed enthusiasm tempered to strict four-four time”.
Named in 1952
By 1952, Alan Freed had dubbed this rocking new music, rock & roll, although the term had been around for years. As Bing Crosby said in 1939, describing the Andrews Sisters. Their songs were, “rock and roll with unleashed enthusiasm tempered to strict four-four time”.
The first musical reference to rock & roll, incidentally, was by the university-educated African American blues singer, Trixie Smith, who recorded, ‘My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)’, in 1922.
If you have the time, take a listen to these fine tracks in the order they were recorded and hear for yourself just how the development of rock & roll unfolded. And note the geographical diversity of where they were made. Three were cut in Chicago, two in New York, and one each in L.A., New Orleans, Cincinnati, Houston and Philadelphia.
Are these the earliest ten rock & roll records known?
Are these the earliest ten rock & roll records known?
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| Big Joe Turner sang earliest rock & roll vocals in 1938. |
1. Boogie Woogie Stomp, Albert Ammons. 1936. Recorded in Chicago.
8. Good Rockin’ Tonight, Wynonie Harris. 1948. Recorded in Cincinnati.
10. Rock The Joint, Jimmy Preston. 1949. Recorded in Philadelphia.
Note: I came across these fantastic rock & roll tracks while researching How Blues Evolved Volumes One and Two, which are available for a song on the links below. Next book: How Rock & Roll Evolved.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=how+blues+evolved+volume+one
U.S. How Blues Evolved link
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+blues+evolved
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+blues+evolved
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