Rock & Roll 50!

[Borderstone]

As incredible and almost unbelievable as it may sound,the upcoming week of Sunday July 3rd through Saturday July 9th marks the 50th anniversary of what Billboard magazine (and anyone who was paying attention at the time)dubbed as the dawn of the Rock & Roll era.

50 years ago,"Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & The Comets hit #1 on all of Billboard's then current charts for pop music. Spending 8 weeks at #1 on "The Best Sellers in Stores" chart and also #1 on "Most Played by (Disc) Jockeys & "Most Played In Jukeboxes". (What did they do?...go to every juke-joint & malt shop in the U.S. and ask??!! :rolleyes: ) :D

Anyhow,it's incredible for me to look back in my Top 40 & #1 hits books,as well as having heard & seen a lot in just the past 30 years,and seen and heard all that has been on our record/tape/8-track & CD players. As well as radio & video!

I'd tell you what my most favorites have been overall in the rock era,but it would be to time consuming! tongue.gif *whew!*.

Happy Birthday Rock & Roll! (Whatever the definition may be!) ;)

[Auburn Annie]

Good golly Miss Molly! I'm older than rock and roll?

[ELizabeth]

Borderstone,
What about Bo Diddley? I would give him the place of honor in 'birthing' R&R. Possibly, Bill Haley and the Comets were the beginning of white R&R. I thought for years that BH was the beginning of R&R. Later I realized the BO D. counted. Bonnie Riatt must have realized the same thing as she has worked diligently to repay BD (and others) who didn't have the money, or the knowledge to obtain copywrites. Just my opinion - YMMV.

[Borderstone]

I agree with you Elizabeth. :) Not just Bo Diddley but Little Richard,Bill Black's Combo,Chuck Berry,Fats Domino & many more were there before caucasions started "diggin'" R & B.

The unfortunate racism so strong in the 1950's at that time,made it almost 100% impossible for an African American artist to be played on the radio. (Good thing there were jukeboxes & records for the kids to buy! ;) ) (Thank radio DJ Allen Freed also who "coined" the term Rock & Roll & dared to played the music on the air!) :D

Because the industry was as divided as the country,it took caucasion acts like Bill Haley,Buddy Holly,Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis to push R & R into the mainstream and change the way music was made and listened too. If not for them...who knows? No Beatles?? :eek:

So to all who had a hand in it,thank you-thank you-thank you! :cool: :cool:

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

well most of the black artists did get reconition as i'm sure you know and Berry and didley did come about in 1955 though you're right about the racisim part. in a way R&R might of begun in the early 50s though it was probably just called R&B i heard and i can't think of his name but some say he recorded the 1st R&R song in 1951 called Rocket 88. but of course it took Elvis to put it on the map and as you said Freed called it was it was to make it more acceptable.

[charlene]

me and rock and roll turning 50 - who'd a thunk it? who'd a thunk it that i'd be spending my 50th with the ultimate singer songwriter of any genre, in his hometown! heck i was there for my 45th too! i think Gord I have a "thing" going on!
lol
Char

[Jim Nasium]

(Thank radio DJ Allen Freed also who "coined" the term Rock & Roll & dared to played(sic) the music on the air!)I am going to have to take issue with you Borderstone, Alan Freed found the term Rock & Roll, probably at same place I did. In my case it was some time later.
http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/vintageimages/BoswellSisRhythmBorn200.gif

That's How Rhythm Was Born

Rock And Roll
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
Louisiana Hayride
Shuffle Off To Buffalo
Sophisticated Lady
Song Of Surrender
Sleep, Come On And Take Me
That's How The Rhythm Was Born
The Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia
Coffee In The Morning And Kisses In The Night
Forty-Second Street
Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day
The Darktown Strutters Ball
If I Had A Million Dollars
It's Written All Over Your Face
Charlie Two-Step
Trav'lin' All Alone
St. Louis Blues
Dinah
The Object Of My Affection

These accompanied songs were recorded in the early 1930's, when the Boswell Sisters enjoyed a devoted following - unexpected, given that they were three classically-trained women singing New Orleans blues-flavored jazz! This recording's quality, incidentally, is very good, with every attempt to preserve the integrity of the original analog masters, but using today's digital technology for clarity. The CD's opening track, "Rock and Roll," though having nothing to do with its current meaning, shows that the term predated Alan Freed by over twenty years! Uptempo numbers, such as "Louisiana Hayride," with its swerving instrumental break and riffing clarinet, are interspersed with ballads, such as Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady," and "Song Of Surrender," from the film Moulin Rouge. The Boswells close harmony sound is much more blues than classically oriented - not refined or shrill, but punchy and full.

[The Rez]

Rocket 88 was Ike Turner.

Lots of critics cite Sh-Boom also as the "first."

But, the American consciousness didn't get it till Bill Haley - and he was a country singer. I figure the film The Blackboard Jungle had as much to do w/ breaking Rock Around the Clock as the song itself. Talk about in your face.

But, Little Richard was there all along, and Ike Turner, and Big Joe Turner, and Ray Charles, and so on and so on. Y'all are right. They called that "Race Music."

Out here on the Coast, it was Hunter Hancock who first championed all the "Littles" & "Bigs" above. He and Alan Freed were kindred - and both white. Made this little white boy buckle.

Just like Rap - it ain't really new these last 20yrs. A guy named Louis Jordan did what he called Rap Jazz in the 30s & 40s.

Actually, it's all just a wonderful chain of "begats." Right on, Miranda - Beethoven Bombast.

The Rez

. . . Alle Menshen Werden Bruder

[ELizabeth]

Yes! Yes! Rez! In all honesty Beethoven is considered the great grandfather of R&R. If you have ever walked into a Beethoven concert you will notice, depending on the program, 1,2 or 3 kettle drums. Although I don't know for certain, I think he was one of the first if not the first composer to use kettle drums so prominently in his compositions. He, and later Wagner, became the first over the top composers - loud, racous,and according to Beethoven's bio. overwhelming to the audience. They left stunned but couldn't get enough of it. This is not to say that all of Beethoven's music was loud and over the top - hear the 3rd movement of his 9th Symphony - serene and most beautiful. And to think that he was stone deaf when he wrote the 9th - amazing.

[ July 21, 2005, 19:04: Message edited by: ELizabeth ]

[Borderstone]

Well Jim & Co. ...I just mentioned Alan Freed because tha's the way i heard about it growing up. Thanks for the insight though! :)

By the way,did you know that Bill Haley had his #1 hit with Rock Around The Clock,the same week as his 30th birthday? Also,if he had lived...he would have turned 80 back on July 6th and been the olest living rocker! :eek:

Right now,Chuck Berry is going to be 79 this year in Oct. and then be 80 in 2006. He's waaaaay up there and still going at it on stage.

[The Rez]

The Boswell Sisters, Rocket 88, Sh-Boom - even Ludwig Van still add up to that "public consciousness thing."

And in the Public's Perception, Alan Freed gets the nod, as does Bill Halley.

What year was Kay Starr's Rock & Roll Waltz? (well, it was a waltz . . .)

As a wise man at The Smitsonian once told the lovely Miranda, Rock and Roll began w/ Grog, a log, and a big stick. Same formula, I believe, as Metallica's drummer.

Rock occured, as Gary Larson once pointed out, in the days before Paper and Scissors.

Don't it make you feel aw-rite!

The Rez

. . . "Dang! Tied again."

[Borderstone]

Hey Rez! :) "Rock and Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr was in 1956 and yeah..it was a waltz,not rock & roll. I think it was meant to kind of make fun of the new music.

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone out there that...I have that song! :rolleyes: (No! Really B???!!!) :D It's on a cassette with many other Kay Starr songs. My tastes run very eclectic. ;)

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

we've been talking about how in so many cases whites would often get the notoriety of songs black artists did. If i'm not mistaken some other lady did Roll With Me Henry with was 1st done by Etta James. I assume this because in the movie Back to The Future when Marty was entering the cafe the lady singing on the jukebox sounded different. who was it?

[The Rez]

I may be gettin' corfid-fused here, but was it Georgia Gibbs? This "free range" thinking gets me in trouble.

I know Hank Ballard did Rock With Me Annie, followed by Annie Had a Baby (which didn't set to well w/ the white folks.)

I think that's where Georgia Gibbs came in with the Roll w/ me Henry thing. But Etta James - ooo, my soul (thus sayeth Richard the Little) - a ton of soul even now. I'm glad she regularly plays the House of Blues near Disneyland. When she's there that's where you'll find me.

Listened today to a live cut of Ray Charles "Yes, Indeed" which is about Rock & Roll. The cut was live at Newport Jazz '58, but don't know when the tune was penned.

Good Night Touhy, Farewell Borderstone, Sweet Li'l Miranda, i'm goin' to sleep right now.

The Rezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[ELizabeth]

Rez, Wasnt G Gibbs called'Her Nibs'?

[Jim Nasium]

Right now,Chuck Berry is going to be 79 this year in Oct. and then be 80 in 2006. He's waaaaay up there and still going at it on stage.Didn't John Lennon say, "If you have to try and give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry"?

With all those great songs CB has written, what is his biggest hit?

My Ding a Ling.

Is there any justice?

[Borderstone]

I can't believe that's his biggest either but then again,in the 1950's radio programmers sometimes leaned on their DJ's not to play black artists. That's why all the great ones who were there first never had a #1 hit.

Things were different almost 15 years later,which is most likely the reason for this #1 success (despite the obvious edit at the start of the 45!)
The only really bad thing is keeping Elvis from getting his 18th #1 hit. Burning love sat at #2 and then along came MJ with "Ben"! :eek:
Song about a rat.(I think America truly was "out of it" then! :rolleyes: :cool:

[The Rez]

Elizabeth:

Indeed - "and now, here she is "Her Nibs" Miss Georgia Gibbs" Intro by Arthur Godfrey (as I recall)

And, for the record: Rats is Bad!

Later Gator,

The Rez

. . . My My Hey Hey - Rock & Roll is Here to Stay

[Borderstone]

Sometimes i think "Ben" was the first sign of "oddness" from Michael ever! I stil think he's okay,he just has quite a # of personal problems.

Nevertheless,he is still an integral part of Rock & Roll (and/or pop music) History. That'll never change.

[The Rez]

Borderstone - how true!

The Twist and The Moonwalk are forever indellible (or however you spell it) in rock.

As I recall, I could do The Twist. Don't know 'bout now.

The Rez

[johnfowles]

hrmmph hrmmph at the risk of ridicule due to my advanced years.Here are some observations
by a Brit who was a teenager during those exciting early days of Rock and Roll.
in the early 50's I became an inmate of an English boarding school, this possessed one solitary radio monopolised by the
older boarders and from which one could typically hear such long forgotten gems as "Jezebel" by Frankie Laine and "Cry" by Johnnie
Ray.Then the film Blackboard Jungle opened to bring riotious behaviour in the cinemas and rocking all round the clock.
At this time the BeebBeebCeeb had a monopoly on radio broadcasts and the UK musician's Union not only severely limited
the needle time the BBC could use to play actual records but also restricted the appearance in the UK by non-UK artists unless a reciprocal arrangement could be set up with equivalent UK acts touring America. oh come on there were none back then the states was where it was all happening!! (all to conserve employment for live British musicians). hence it was quite a while before any of the new American acts could
tour the UK (I believe Bill Haley was the first quickly followed by "the killer" Jerry Lee who was soon sent packing when the tabloid press found out that his new wife was in fact his teenage cousin.
At about the same time there was a revival of New Orlean jazz initiated by one Ken Colyer (http://www.kencolyertrust.org/) who spawned the
Chris Barber Band of which a sub group was formed to play the newly popular Skiffle music led by the ebulliant Lonnie Donegan (at first I thought he was a woman!!)
No doubt people here have heard about his father being a dustman (garbage collector) and his question about the flavo(u)r retaining capacity of chewing gum.This lasted until a Memphis truck driver erupted on the scene plus the son of Ozzie and Harriet
(Nelson) escaped from his television show.
In the summer of 1957 there was an explosion of great new sounds beginning with Paul Anka's Diana and the Everly's Bye Bye Love and reaching a crescendo with Buddy Holly (http://htp://www.buddyholly.com)'s That'll Be The Day
One of my life's biggest regrets is that due to the restrictions placed on the boarders I was unable to get to the concert by Buddy and the Crickets at Salisbury a mere 36 miles east of my school. Then in february 1959 another blow when a planned follow up UK tour did not happen due to his unfortunate death.So Rock and Roll grew in popularity and Britain created its own R and R
stars beginning with Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde, Duffy Power Billy Fury Dickie Pride etc. (all pale shadows of the original US variety). talking of
"Shadows" in 1958 Harry Webb/Cliff Richard and his group The Drifters ( renamed The Shadows) urged us to "Move It" and UK
R and R found its voice still going strong nearly 50 years later.
Around that time my father made me a fine crystal set and after I became the head boarder I found that the position of my
bed near a window gave access to the building's lightning conductor and this plus an old under floorboard gas pipe we found
enabled reception of a steady stream of highly distorted pop from the commercial radio station based in Luxembourg a
lamentable situation not assuaged until the Auntie Beeb woke up to reality in 1967 with their radio 1 replacement for the
by then burgeoning pirate radio transmitters
John Fowles
The radio is playin’ a soft country song
frtom:-
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Gordon-Lightfoot/Second-Cup-of-Coffee.html

[The Rez]

Johnny,

I loved reading your post about those heady days of R&R in England.

Seems like a lot of those players found out about the music anyway though. Was it those legendary Pirate Radio Stations off shore?

Speaking of The Shadows, In '60, I had a buddy from The Netherlands. We played in a garage band together. He had all these cool records by The Shadows & them w/ Cliff Richard.

So guess what we called our garage band?

Bingo! No. The Shadows. I loved this one tune of theirs called "Blue Star" All these fine, fine, instrumentals.

The Rez

. . . occassional Batchelor Boy

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by The Rez:
Johnny,

I loved reading your post about those heady days of R&R in England.

Seems like a lot of those players found out about the music anyway though. Was it those legendary Pirate Radio Stations off shore?

Speaking of The Shadows, In '60, I had a buddy from The Netherlands. We played in a garage band together. He had all these cool records by The Shadows & them w/ Cliff Richard.

So guess what we called our garage band?

Bingo! No. The Shadows. I loved this one tune of theirs called "Blue Star" All these fine, fine, instrumentals.

The Rez

. . . occassional Batchelor Boy yes and no Rex there were two offshore Radio Carolines and land based pirates stations like Radio London where Al Stewart's old band leader Tony Blackburn started as a Disk Jockey.
Regarding "blue star". I do not remember that instrumental only "Stars Fell On Stockton" which was a great song
John Fowles
But until then I'll be a bachelor boy
And that's the way I'll stay
Happy to be a bachelor boy
Until my dying days
Looks like Cliff meant it
Olivia Johnton Newt and Sue Barker notwithstanding!!

[Borderstone]

I was amazed 20 years ago when I discovered that Cliff Richard had bee around since the 1950's! :eek:

When he had the duet hit with ONJ,"Suddenly" (from the "movie" XANADU),I thought he was a new singer. :)

Hey John,boarding school aye? :) I bet you are familiar with the 1971 Jack Wild film "Melody" then aren't you? ;)

[Jim Nasium]

John, some interesting names from the past. You forgot the wonderfull, organ pounding, Cherry Wainer. Seen here with a very young Cliff Richard.
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/5e54f140.jpg

And don't forget Lord Rockingham's XI. Seen here with, well, Cliff Richard.

http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/35a95500.jpg

You mention Marty Wilde. Last year Marty and Joe Brown toured together and were GREAT. They are at it again and my wife and I have tickets to see them again. If some of todays acts are still packing em in 40+ years down the line, I will be very surprised. I will be 105, but we live in hope.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Joe. He is an outstanding Guitarist and good singer. He was a close friend of George Harrison and did an outstanding version of "I'll See You in My Dreams" accompanying himself on ukulele, on the George Harrison memorial concert.

http://www.joebrown.co.uk/news/images/jb.jpg

I don't beleive it! When I previewed the post, up came all 3 pictures.

[ July 26, 2005, 12:08: Message edited by: Jim Nasium ]

[johnfowles]

quite honestly Jimbo I would not trust fortune city they may not allow hotlinking
Think Image Rage[/b] (http://www.imagerage.com (http://www.imageshack.us[b) man!!!!
But having said that I pasted the picture's URLsinto my browser address bar and both pix came up a treat so I'll try here
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/35a95500 http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/5e54f140.jpg
actually I have found before that once the picture has been displayed on your computer it will sometimes then appear in the original posting
Failed!!OK this is not one of those times!!!
John Fowles
Ah yes those wonderful Rockinghams
och aye
[b]Hoots Monthere's a moose loose aboot this hoose. Obviously Canadian eh??
wasn't Cherry an organist??

[ July 27, 2005, 08:16: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[The Rez]

An OOkalali moment:

To me, that was a beautiful high point in that concert. How wonderfully personal and inside.

My oldest son lives on Maui and has become quite an ookalali player himself (that's the way the Hawaiians' pronounce the name.)

Granny (his mom's mom) had this fine old Martin Uke from before WWII, when she lived many yrs on Oahu - there at Pearl Harbor. When she passed, my boy was given her Uke.

Now, when he and I talk by phone, he's always strumming away during our conversations. I love every strum.

Thanks for the reminder. We really are all in this together, arent' we.

The Rez

[Jim Nasium]

Some little time ago I thought I might go into publishing: I had the idea of using my interest in music as the foundation. I own a couple of guitars and thought a guitar magazine might be the way in. There are countless of them out there, so forget that.

Suddenly it came to me. The ukulele, I had a great idea for a title, Ukulele Daily. Sadly I could not find enough material to fill 366 issues. It was a leap year. Bye bye publishing.

Johnny boy, yes Cherry was, and probably still is, an organist. The clue is in my post, I refer to her as the organ pounding Cherry Wainerperhaps you thought I was refering to a different organ.

[The Rez]

Jim:

Leap Year . . . Love It! That's my kinda stuff.

There is one Treasure-Man, however, who is no longer Bluesing - Long John Baldry passed.

What a mentor that fellow was. Never met him, but sure have enjoyed his "graduates."

The Rez

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Jim Nasium:
Johnny boy, yes Cherry was, and probably still is, an organist. The clue is in my post, I refer to her as quote:the organ pounding Cherry Wainerperhaps you thought I was refering to a different organ. [/QUOTE]very droll Jim duh!!
Anyway I did a google image search for her and the majority of results were on that
fortunecity site
but this one isn't
http://home.wtal.de/h1/cherry1.jpg
the same thing goes for the Rockingham cricket team but I spotted this whilst searching and couldn't resist trying it here even though that link to another fortunecity picture will no doubt fail to appear
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/381b5ee0.jpg
Rex you must see that picture so would you and other curious folk please just copy and paste
this correct adress this into your browser (if you just click the URL the same fortunecity symbol appears... pretty dumb in my book!
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/381b5ee0.jpg
my earlier "Hoots Mon" and the moose quote refers to their big and superb hit record
http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/hoots.gif
John Fowles
"The arrangements are among the most creative and inspired of his long career -- the Farfisa organ on "Flyin` Blind" is
wonderfully exotic -- and while Lightfoot`s vocals are often choked and distant (these were demos), they still manage to
convey the emotion, wit, and steely reserve of the lyrics, allowing the listener the privilege of what feels like an
intimate performance on the front porch."
from the review of the Harmony album at:-
http://www.notlame.com/Browse_by_Artist/L/Gordon_Lightfoot/Page_12/CDLIGHT2.html

[Borderstone]

I love looking at and collecting rare 45's like the one pictured above. There's just something cool about them. :)

[The Rez]

Speaking of Old 45s:
Just for fun, if any of you are interested in hearing some Old 45s from the 60s CA Surf Music Scene, drop me a line.

I recently took in some of my own teenage stuff (only source availabe - Old 45s) and had them committed to CD. Haven't heard the music for 40yrs. Barry White's debut single is there, too. (his web site, of course, doesn't mention it) The Rumblers did stuff w/ Barry when we were all about 18, in Downey, CA.

The original 45s are promised to my oldest son. I'd post a foto of some of 'em here, but I don't know how yet.

The Slow to Learn Rez

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by johnfowles:
[QUOTE]Rex you must see that picture so would you and other curious folk please just copy and paste
this correct address this into your browser (if you just click the URL the same fortunecity symbol appears... pretty dumb in my book!
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/wolf/31/381b5ee0.jpg
There is something most peculiar about trying to display a picure stored on a fortunecity site.Sometimes it works here and
similarly pasting the picture's correct URL into your browser's address bar sometimes works but sometimes neither work.
As I am particularly desirous of letting Rex see his "logo" I have copied the picture from my google images search and uploaded
it to my own web site where I know it will be displayed till "the end of all time" or at least as long as I keep paying the hosting fee so here it is in all its glory
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/rexrocks.jpg
John Fowles
Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you’re down and shit out of luck
from:-
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Gordon-Lightfoot/Seven-Island-Suite.html

[The Rez]

Very Cool, Sir John.

A big smile headin' toward your Atlantic from my Pacific.

The Rez

. . . and that is one fine ladylike B-3 for the lady like her.

[Borderstone]

One day,a looong time from now,if i ever get the guts....I'l proboly sell my 45's & LPs and cassettes.

Why? :confused:

I have tooo many! :eek: .."but for now B,keep 'em seald!" :D

Anyon here know that 50's & 60s vinyl is pretty pricey now? Especially in A+ condition!

[mnmouse]

Originally posted by Borderstone:
Anyon here know that 50's & 60s vinyl is pretty pricey now? Especially in A+ condition! Well, well, Borderstone....if that's the case, my dad's sitting on a gold mine. He'd never sell them, though, and neither will I. I suspect no one could ever pay what they are worth to the both of us in memories.

Mouse

[The Rez]

A good friend, Doc Vinyl in Santa Barbara makes his living running a record store.

The original Downey Records vinyl LP of The Rumblers BOSS album went on eBay for almost $500.

It's the same music as the CD's I've been referrencing, but oh, that vinyl.

I'm not even sure where mine is from all those yrs ago.

Hang on to that Goldmine.

The Rez

[Borderstone]

Hey Rez,what's the phone # of that store? 'm trying to locate a 45 I had toi throw out last year because in every sense of the phrase,"It had HAD it!" :D It was one of my mother's:(they're mine now and yes she's still here.):
and I want to replace it if possible. Thank you in advance. :)

[johnfowles]

Originally posted/opined by Borderstone:
As incredible and almost unbelievable as it may sound,the upcoming week of Sunday July
3rd through Saturday July 9th marks the 50th anniversary of what Billboard magazine (and
anyone who was paying attention at the time)dubbed as the dawn of the Rock & Roll era.I note that nobody dared question the "B's" and Billboard's claim,
But I have to tell you now that having just watched a great PBS pledge begathon yesterday evening
on our local PBS station
http://www.thirteen.org/homepage/images/home/homepage_header_01.jpg (http://thirteen.org)
that this momentuous date is the subject of debate
I watched
American Masters: Good Rockin' Tonight
an excellent 3 hour documentary on Sam Phillip's Sun recording studios in Memphis TN
details at (click the picture)
http://www.thirteen.org/join3/images/items/8788.jpg (http://www.thirteen.org/cgi-bin/join3/8788001.html?id=3bdxd8hN)
this was produced by one Bruce Sinofsky back in 2001 (before Sam Phillips died in July 2003)
IMHO anybody even vaguely interested in Rock and Roll history should watch it if it is ever shown in your area
I particularly noted that New York area music pundit Pete Fornatal (who still broadcasts on the Fordham University radio station
http://www.wfuv.org/wfuv/img/button2.jpg (http://www.wfuv.org)
was asked to give his views on the birthplace and date of Rock and Roll and he started by saying there were several claimants such as:-
Cleveland for Alan Freed,
Chicago for Chuck Berry
New York for Atlantic Record's founder Ahmet Ertegun (also in the documentary)
Pete then confidently asserted that it had to be Memphis because July 5th 1954 was the date that Elvis recorded "That's Alright Mama".
OK admittedly an irascible Rufus Thomas strongly disagreed as he considered that R and R started with the Blues long before Sun started (in 1950)
For me I'd go along with Walter's Bill Haley connection as certainly in the UK I think it was Bill who got us involved before Elvis.
The program(me) featured notable performances by Paul McCartney, who sang Elvis' first song with Elvis' backing players (Scotty Moore, Bill Black and J.D. Fontana,)and Watchman Al's favo(u)rite Mark Knopfler who covered "Rock and Roll Baby" backed up by the flamboyant Jules Holland's
piano.Other fascinating performances included the original French rocker (an aging Johhny Halliday)
doing justice to Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes,
and a great 1956 archival film of a very young Johnny Cash performing "I Walk The Line"
Much was made of Sam's 1956 financlal problems that led him to sell Elvis's contract to RCA Victor for $35,000 a rueful Ahmet Eretegun said he offerred all that he could afford ($25,000) but RCA beat him. Still he said he had bought Ray
Charles' for only $3000.
Pete Fornatal later recounted the story behind the "Million Dollar Quartet".This name arose because Carl Perkins booked the Sun studio in December 1956 for a session and had Jerry Lee Lewis as his piano session man, plus he invited Johnny Cash who was "sitting in in the control room".It just so happenned that Elvis who had left Sun a year earlier was in Memphis for the holiday and decided to visit Sun for old times sake.After Carl's session these four spent 2 or 3 hours jamming "playing Gospel,Blues and Rock and Roll" and somebody left the tape recorder running resulting in some fine bootlegs.
Another thing I learned was that in my earlier posting I got Jerry Lee's first controversial UK aborted tour incorrectly positioned soon after Bill Haley's tour and wrote my piece thinking they both came in about 1956.
In fact it was 1957 and 1958
Bill in February 1957
http://thegardnerfamily.org/haley/gallery/london%201957.JPG
Picture taken in London
and "The Killer" in 1958 which was in fact after his hit "Great Balls Of Fire" in 1957 which should therefore be added to my list of seminal great records from that year.On a site I read:-
"Tom Jones has said that the recording of 'Great Balls Of Fire' was the real beginning of Rock And Roll"
Jerry played live in this programme as the backing pianist to Matchbox20.Another overlooked Sun artist was Billy Lee Riley who quite angrily accused Sam of ruining his potential career when Sam favo(u)red Jerry Lee over him. Another early Sun artist I discovered was Charlie Rich
I was lucky enough to see Bill and The Comets in a Montreal night club in 1969. My front row seat was a few feet from the legendary saxophonist
Rudy Pompilli.
"Bill Haley suffered and died from a heart attack at his home in Harlingen, Texas
on February 9, 1981. He was only 55 years old"
which inevitably prompts me to say
"I hope this has not bored everybody to death"!
John Fowles
Oh such memories!!
Heaven help the devil may he have a few unpleasant memories
from:-
http://gordon-lightfoot-lyrics.wonderlyrics.com/Heaven-Help-The-Devil.html
OR
Memories of Savannah summertime
Spanish moss
Wish you knew what I was sayin'
from:-
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Spanish-Moss-lyrics-Gordon-Lightfoot/0A489D4BC79C1F3A4825695800149C4A

[johnfowles]

Well All Very Alright
As I see no response to my earlier carefully crafted opus I'll try again:-
Our local PBS Station WNET (New York/Newark) is certainly on a roll this week alright, because after Wednesday evening's superb
Sam Phillips/Sun Records/Rock and Roll documentary last night they screened a great 1974 BBC documentary
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/5073/images/dvdsupertroupers.jpg (http://www.thirteen.org/cgi-bin/join3/8772001.html?id=gQSMankI)
Super Troupers 30 years of ABBA
http://www.thirteen.org/membership/featured_programs/images/abba.jpg
who does that naughty hand belong to!!??
This program(me) was made to mark thirty years (Now where did they go to) since I saw on television the Swedes win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest** in Brighton England with their fantastic performance of "Waterloo".They celebrated by three of them reuniting on the London stage of the show Mamma Mia (the Blond one Agnetha declined to attend pity the others obviously missed her)
The documentary was generally excellent tracing their individual beginnings and chronicling their 1976/1977 Australian visits in
particular.
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/5073/images/76boom.jpg
Bang-A-Boomerang!
But to be honest the intermixing of original footage with great footage from one or other of the total of 11 Mamma Mia productions now playing around the world (including Sweden!) was pretty confusing.
Against that were some delightful old archive footage of the 4 stars pre ABBA especially Agnetha's pure voice in rehearsals for the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar singing:-
"I Don't Know How to Love Him"
and Anna Frida's hilarious Swedish version of the Supreme's "Baby love"
I was also amused by the credits at the end included "dubbing editor: Max Bygraves (who as UK readers will know is better known as a well loved comedian)
John Fowles
** UK readers will also be well aware of the annual Eurovision bash that has often stretched the definition of Europe and is
much derided but ABBA was IMHO one of its shining moment narrowly beating the intermission spectacular in Dublin in 1974 when Riverdance amazed those lucky enough to be watching live
There was for years a running joke about the voting for any entry by poor old Norway
who generally received null points
(they got their own back in by breaking a string of wins by Ireland that was getting tedious by the simple expedient of importing an Irish violinist/singer to accompany their Norwegian Male in a duet called Secret Garden
"Irish violinist Fionnuala (fi-NOO-la) Sherry, and Norwegian pianist/keyboardist Rolf Lovland"
who promptly and predictably won; thus "Ireland (had) half the glory and none of the costs by winning the Eurovision Song
Contest for Norway in 1994, "
Not forgetting the contribution by Canada's other famous singer Celine Dion (sorry Cathy) who won in 1988 (albeit singing for Switzerland)
John Fowles
"There was also a solid vote for Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald," a real fun party song. Several freighters
singled out the line: "As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most.""
from:-
THE WORST SONGS EVER RECORDED
by a very rude Dave Barry at:-
http://www.lovedungeon.net/humor/dave/the_bad_song_contest_iii.html

[ August 05, 2005, 12:10: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[Borderstone]

Worst song John? "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro! Feelings by Morris Albert.
Heck John,check my old topic,"Small talk version of the Gong Show". I think we covered it extensivly! :D

Love the ABBA pic. :) I think they are permanently retired. I did see them on a re-run of SNL from 1975 a few weeks ago. They sang S.O.S. and Waterloo.