The Birth of Rock 'n Roll
This research essay is about how genres and sub-genres of different
types of music fused together to create a form of music called Rock 'n
Roll. The time period examined is from 1890 to 1956.
A thought to begin with--music can be organized in three different
broad categories, as listed below:
Classical Music
Popular Music
Church Music and Hymns
Rock 'n Roll is a genre of Popular Music. Almost all of the genres
and sub-genres that merged to form Rock 'n Roll were from the broad
Popular Music category.
By 1950, the Popular Music category in America. could pretty much be
divided into three genres of music, as described below:
Mainstream Popular
Rhythm & Blues
Country-Western
Billboard magazine had weekly and annual lists of the top songs in
these three genres. There were other genres of Popular Music category
than Mainstream Popular, Rhythm & Blues, and Country-Western. For
example, Folk music and Jazz. This examination will focus on the
three above of genres Popular Music {Mainstream Popular, Rhythm &
Blues, and Country-Western}. Many of the academic experts focus on
these three .genres, with the understanding that they are comprised of
key subgenres.
For instance, the Rhythm & Blues genre had the following subgenres
that had a role in forming Rock 'n Roll: Delta Blues, Ragtime, Boogie
Woogie, Big Band dance music (e.g., Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb,
Ellington, Basie), Jump Blues, and Electric Blues.
Likewise, the Country-Western genre of music was comprised over the
years by "Hillbilly" and Mountain Music, Western Swing, an
Appalachian form of folk music, and Rockabilly.
=================================
Conceptual Framework
American music styles leading to rock 'n roll
--by time period
1890
Delta and Rural Blues
"Hillbilly" and Mountain Music
1910
Ragtime
Boogie Woogie
1935
Big Band dance music (Swing)
Country-Western
1945
Jump Blues
Electric Blues
1950
Rhythm & Blues
Rockabilly
1955
Rock 'n Roll
==============================
One of the key originating points of Rock 'n Roll is Rhythm & Blues.
This latter form of music had its beginning in the 1890 to 1920 period
in the delta region of Mississippi River. To get some ideas what the
Delta blues and other rural blues sounded like, the seven examples
below are offered.
Key Musicians--Delta Blues
Charley Patton - Spoonful Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyIquE0izAg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Patton
Robert Johnson- Crossroad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson
Son House -- Preachin' Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmR7jjOoFOw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_House
Leadbelly - House of the rising sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tOpyipNJs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_Belly
Key Musicians--Rural Blues
Blind Lemon Jefferson Match Box Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3GEDqkJeVs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Lemon_Jefferson
Blind Willie McTell Statesboro Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnWxZtI3ONY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Willie_McTell
Sleepy John Estes Milk Cow Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU9kntOj22Q
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepy_John_Estes
========================
"Hillbilly" and Mountain Music
1890 to 1920
We are saying that Rockabilly music in the early 1950s had an enormous
influence on the development of Rock 'n Roll in 1955 and after.
Rockabilly and Country-Western can be traced back to the 1890-to-1920
period. Trouble--we have no recordings during these years.
If you want a pretty good idea what very early Country-Western music
sounded like, try these three recordings--by Fiddlin' John Carson, Gid
Tanner and his Skillet Lickers, and Uncle Dave Macon
Fiddlin' John Carson "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXOIBcnvOKY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlin.%27_John_Carson
Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers--"Back Up And Push"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXAscoBvg5w
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skillet_Lickers
Uncle Dave Macon - "Take Me Back To My Old Carolina Home"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gicjw5n92qQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Dave_Macon
======================================
Ragtime and Boogie Woogie
Period--1890 to 1930
In the late 19th and 20th centuries, the popular music that my Irish-American
grandparents were listening to were tin pan alley songs sung in the
parlor or in vaudeville. In the black community at this time, the
popular music that black-folk were listening to were ragtime and
boogie-woogie songs most often in drink & dance joints.
Ragtime
Maple Leaf Rag, written by Scott Joplin in 1899 and published
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCxLAr_bwpA&list=LL&index=4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime
Boogie Woogie
Boogie Woogie Blues, attributed to Jelly Roll Morton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLLlloYty7U&list=LL&index=3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie-woogie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Band dance music (Swing)
1935
Am thinking that my Dad's music made a contribution to Rock 'n Roll. I
think the swing portion of big band music led kids of that era into
flamboyant dancing. There are film clips of the kids of that
generation dancing in a wild but controlled manner. This was 30 years
before Rock 'n Roll.
What the big band dance music did was prepare the parents of kids of
Rock 'n Roll for dance styles that weren't that different from what
the parents were doing during the Depression and WWII.
Here are three Benny Goodman band pieces that the kids of the
generation before ours used to wildly dance to.
-------------------------------
Benny Goodman--three dance pieces by his big band
"Sing, Sing, Sing"--1938
Written by Louis Prima in 1935
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2S1I_ien6A
"Stompin' at the Savoy"--1934
Written by Chick Webb and others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ky8I_H2RVM
"King Porter Stomp"--1935
Written by Jelly Roll Morton in 1924
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpzOFpPum6w
======================================
Country-Western Music
1935- 1950s
Country-Western music continued to develop. Rockabilly developed with
the help of these artists: Jimmy Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Bob Wills & His
Texas Playboys, Hank Snow, Hank Williams
Jimmy Rodgers - "In the Jailhouse Now"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3L2qf3q-ok
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Rodgers_(country_singer)
Roy Acuff - "Great Speckled Bird"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeKecP20r3c
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Acuff
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - "Stay a Little Longer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvX8MijgeW8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Wills
Hank Snow "I'm Movin' On"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XY8h_h-uhA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Snow
Hank Williams & Roy Acuff - "I Saw The Light"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyiGHFGCf2U
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams
Hank Williams - "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" ft.
Anita Carter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slFnQfwGJZE
Hank Williams- "Jambalaya on the Bayou"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKOVPXhlnE
Hank Williams - "Move it on Over"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lza3NVH6Ig
Hank Williams - "Hey Good Lookin"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjCoKslQOEs
====================================
1945
Jump Blues
Electric Blues
I think the so-called Jump Blues was a major link between
ragtime/boogie woogie/swing dance music and rhythm and blues, then
rock 'n roll.
"Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small
groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and
was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Jump blues
evolved from the music of big bands." (Wikipedia) It was a morphing of boogie
woogie, swing dance music, and the blues.
Jump blues featured artists such as--
Louis Jordan,
Wynonie Harris,
Big Joe Turner, and
Louis Prima.
--------------
Louis Jordan--
"Caldonia"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR6pHtiNT_k
"Choo Choo Ch’Boogie"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1EG__jgefA
---------------
Wynonie Harris--
"Good Rockin' Tonight"--1948
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo9auUfitVA&t=95s
"All She Wants To Do Is Rock"--1949
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL5Z_4vYkWw
-------------------------------
Big Joe Turner--
"Shake, Rattle & Roll"--1954
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhELpSeeipg
"Hide And Seek"--1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ds-hhCPhoA
-----------------------
Louis Prima (an Italian-American)--
"Jump, Jive, An' Wail"--1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0N-c90piSQ&list=OLAK5uy_nedmOC7Td8QDqEkmGZcd0AvH_DLzuSeP4
==========================================
Then R/B morphing of electric guitar into the Jump Blues combo became
Rhythm and Blues.
Eventually the solid body electric guitar replaced the saxophone as
the lead instrument.
In the 1940s, talented black musicians made a key adjustment away from
the use of acoustic guitars in the Delta blues and country blues.
They began playing amplified electric guitars in blues performances.
(The electric guitar had been invented in the 1930s by Adolph
Rickenbacker and others. The solid body electric guitar was invented
separately by Leo Fender and Les Paul.)
The Electric Blues musicians developed a strong style and helped
create a place for the electric guitar in popular music. The two
Electric Blues musicians considered here are T-Bone Walker and Elmore
James
I reckon that the Electric Blues sub-genre, the Jump Blues sub-genre,
and the Boogie Woogie sub-genre morphed into the Rhythm & Blues genre
of popular music in the early 1950s. Then by 1955, the Rhythm & Blues
genre and the Rockabilly sub-genre morphed into Rock 'n Roll, taking
over the mainstream popular category of music.
-----------------------------
T-Bone Walker
"Stormy Monday Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5FGFHxSgfk&list=OLAK5uy_kspuN17tu2fAgrCX0s_jnQ362rvgQRk4Y
"Throw Your Love On Me So Strong"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSmqA_ISX9E
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Bone_Walker
-------------------------
Elmore James
"Dust My Broom"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jcGY7NbaQw
"One Way Out"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7qKYPysur8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmore_James
======================================
1950
Rhythm & Blues
Wikipedia: "Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated as R&B, is a genre of
popular music that originated in African-American communities in the
1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe
recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a
time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent
beat" was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues
music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually
consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more
saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes
often encapsulate the African-American experience of pain and the
quest for freedom and joy, as well as triumphs and failures in terms
of relationships, economics, and aspirations."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_and_blues
-----------------
Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston--"Rocket 88" released in 1951
First rock 'n roll record? Recorded by Sam Phillips, then licensed to
Chess Records. (Phillips had in 1951 a recording studio, but had not
created Sun Records yet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbfnh1oVTk0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_88
Muddy Waters --" Rolling Stone"
Born in Mississippi. Moved to Chicago, and he began recording blues
numbers in the 1940s. His band became the star act at Chess Records.
The English rock band Rolling Stones claimed that they got their name
from the Muddy Waters' song of that name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnsw4sySaxw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muddy_Waters
Howlin' Wolf-- "Smokestack Lightning"
Born in Mississippi, moved to Chicago, and became a major rhythm and
blues act at Chess Records. Began recording in the early 1950s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTDjD_UdJYs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howlin%27_Wolf
Little Walter-- "Walter's Blues Live"
Blues harmonica virtuoso Little Walter was born in Louisiana. Moved
to Chicago, and became part of the Muddy Waters band at Chess Records.
Later had sucess as a solo performer. Inducted in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 2008.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDxw5cn890
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Walter
Big Mama Thornton - "Hound Dog" (1952)
Rhythm & Blues. Reached #1 on Billboard's R&B charts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mama_Thornton
Rufus Thomas Jr. - "Bear Cat". (The Answer To Hound Dog) 1953
More Rhythm & Blues. Reached #3 on Billboard's R&B charts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXQ29v9Nheo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Thomas
Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" (1956)
From Rhythm & Blues into Rock 'n Roll. Reached #1 in Billboard's
Mainstream Popular charts. 1956--the Year of Elvis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYWl13IWhY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
-------------------------------------------------------
Rockabilly
Wikipedia: "Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll
music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States,
especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western
musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading
to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also
described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term
"rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" (from "rock 'n' roll")
and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music (often
called "hillbilly music" in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed
strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly
include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockabilly
Maddox Brothers and Rose - "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down" 1948
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGCt6D0lB_c
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maddox_Brothers_and_Rose
Delmore Brothers - "Hillbilly Boogie" 1946
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiIL_F9EuuM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Delmore_Brothers
Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West - "Boogie Man" c. 1950
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVCr3pZRJU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedy_West
Bill Haley & His Comets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Haley_%26_His_Comets
Bill Haley and the Saddlemen - "Rocket 88" 1951
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLS2i9dSy0
Bill Haley & His Saddlemen - "Rock The Joint" 1952
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-BztZfXzlo
Bill Haley With Haley's Comets - "Real Rock Drive" 1952
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77xXbch__o
Bill Haley and The Comets -"Crazy Man Crazy" 1953
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI2vUzUqeZY
Bill Haley and his Comets - "Shake, Rattle and Roll" 1954
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B7xr_EjbzE
=====================================
=====================================
Summary and Conclusion
So our discussion brings us to music in the early 1950s. The inquiry
ends in 1955-56. Something happened! We have followed patterns of
genres and sub-genres that eventually morphed into Rock 'n Roll. But
what was the spark that made things happen?
Part as summary, part as conclusion, I'm going to let my opinions be
set free and identify ten spark-points over the past more than a
century that led to the birth of Rock 'n Roll in 1955. This time
instead of focusing on genres and sub-genres of influential music,
I'll identify ten different spark-points created by ten different
people that were revolutionary enough to make things happen in popular
music. Five of the ten people are African-American, five white
Americans. Nine are musicians, one was a purveyor of popular music.
They are Scott Joplin--1899, W.C. Handy--1912, Jelly Roll
Morton--1915, Albert Ammons--1936, Wynonie Harris--1948, Woody
Guthrie--1940, Hank Williams--1947, Alan Freed--1954, Bill
Haley--1955, and Elvis--1956. Some we have already discussed, some are
new to the discussion.
------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point One
1899--Scott Joplin publishes the "Maple Leaf Rag"
Wikipedia: "Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917) was an African-American
composer and pianist. Joplin is also known as the "King of Ragtime"
because of the fame achieved for his ragtime compositions, music that
was born out of the African-American community. During his brief
career, he wrote over 100 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet,
and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple
Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has
been recognized as the archetypal rag."
Joplin performed in Chicago for the World's Fair of 1893, which played
a major part in making ragtime a national craze by 1897. "Maple Leaf
Rag" was the first song to sell a million copies--of sheet music. It
was considered the first crossover hit, where a white audience
appreciated the music from the African-American community. (The
crossover appeal became a key factor in the establishment of Rock 'n
Roll fifty years later.) The ragtime music was heavily syncopated,
with African rhythms. In this sense it was an important precursor of
Rock 'n Roll.
The "Maple Leaf Rag" 1899 by Scott Joplin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_dI6BZt06U
"The Entertainer" 1902 by Scott Joplin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKlcTG8GbB8
-----------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Two
1912--W.C. Handy publishes the "Memphis Blues".
Wikipedia: "W.C. Handy--William Christopher Handy (1873 – 1958) was an
African-American composer and musician who referred to himself as the
Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters
in the United States. One of many musicians who played the
distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues
genre but was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby
taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a
limited audience to a new level of popularity."
The 1912 publication of the sheet music of "The Memphis Blues"
introduced his style of 12-bar blues; it was credited as the
inspiration for the foxtrot by Vernon and Irene Castle, a New York
dance team.
"Memphis Blues" - W. C. Handy (1912)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWfMKFQjonY
W.C. Handy - "St. Louis Blues" (1914)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpp75gQ-T6Y&t=50s
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Three
1915--Jelly Roll Morton publishes "Jelly Roll Blues," the first
published jazz composition.
Wikipedia: "Jelly Roll Morton, was an African-American ragtime and
jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first
arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain
its essential characteristics when notated. His composition "Jelly
Roll Blues", published in 1915, was one of the first published jazz
compositions. He also claimed to have invented the genre."
The Jelly Roll Blues by "Jelly Roll Morton" (1915)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry0597jUNzk
Jelly Roll Morton - "King Porter Stomp"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8_2ISGOIjU
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Four
1938--Albert Ammons brings boogie-woogie piano playing to Carnegie Hall.
Wikipedia: "Albert Ammons (1907 – 1949) was an African-American
pianist and player of boogie-woogie, a bluesy jazz style popular from
the late 1930s to the mid-1940s."
Albert Ammons - "Boogie Woogie Stomp"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBmVtW5qxGs
Albert Ammons --"Swanee River Boogie"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Ay8L5dkZE
------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Five
1948--Wynonie Harris releases "Good Rocking Tonight"
Wikipedia: "Wynonie Harris (1915 – 1969) was an African-American
blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring
humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946
and 1952. Harris is attributed by many music scholars to be one of the
founding fathers of rock and roll. His Good Rocking Tonight is
especially mentioned at least as a precursor to rock and roll."
Wynonie Harris - "Good Rockin' Tonight" (1948)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo9auUfitVA
Wynonie Harris - "Loving' Machine" (1951)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWK0zBvIltc
-----------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Six
1940--Woody Guthrie writes "This Land is Your Land"
Wikipedia: "Woody Guthrie (1912 – 1967) was an American
singer-songwriter and one of the most significant figures in American
folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and
anti-fascism. His music includes songs such as "This Land Is Your
Land", written in response to the American exceptionalist song "God
Bless America", and has inspired several generations both politically
and musically."
Guthrie was key in the development of folk music, and made an
impression with the guitar as lead instrument. The guitar became the
lead instrument of Rock 'n Roll as well. What this meant was that
Rock 'n Roll musicians need not be classically trained. With a great
degree of practice, a prospective musician could perform with a guitar
in a Rock 'n Roll group.
Country singer Tim McGraw had this to say in a book called Songs of America:
Woody Guthrie was to rock and roll what Hank Williams, Sr., was to
country music. He was a singer-songwriter in the way we think of it
today, especially in country music, with a guitar in hand, scribbling
lyrics on a notepad. It sounds simple, but lyrically he's singing
with a cause and a message--a rebellion that would feul those who
came after, like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
Woody Guthrie- "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s
Woody Guthrie-- "Deportee (Plane Crash At Los Gatos)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu-duTWccyI
------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Seven
1947--Hank Williams releases hit song "Move It on Over"
Wikipedia--"Hank Williams (1923 – 1953) was an American Country &
Western singer, songwriter, and musician.
Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American
singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 35 singles
(five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard
Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that reached No. 1
(three posthumously)."
Again, Hank Williams made the guitar his lead instrument. Williams
played accoustic guitar, and his band members included an electric
lead guitar and a stand-up bass. As in Rhythm & Blues, the concept of
the instrumentation of the standard band was forming.
Hank Williams--"Move it on Over"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lza3NVH6Ig
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WXYjm74WFI
---------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Eight
1954--Alan Freed moves his radio "Rock and Roll Dance Party" to New
York, after success in Cleveland.
Wikipedia--"Alan Freed (1921 – 1965) was an American disc jockey. He
also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts,
helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout
North America...He became internationally known for promoting
African-American rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United
States and Europe under the name of rock and roll."
Alan Freed's Rock'N Roll Dance Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ1NnecTMyk
------------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Nine
1955--Bill Haley and His Comets release hit song "Rock Around the
Clock". Rock 'n Roll is born!
Wikipedia: "Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll
band, founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. From
late 1954 to late 1956, the group placed nine singles in the Top 20,
one of those a number one and three more in the Top Ten. The single
"Rock Around the Clock" became the biggest selling rock and roll
single in the history of the genre and retained that position for some
years." Haley was born in Highland Park, Michigan.
Bill Haley also made the guitar the lead instrument in his band.
Williams played rhythm guitar, and his band members included an
electric lead guitar, stand-up bass, and drums. That became close to
the standard instrument make-up of rock bands--rythym guitar, electric
lead guitar, electric bass, and drums.
Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw
Bill Haley & His Comets - "Rip It Up" - 1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdlfZ4213zM
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Spark-point Ten
1955--Elvis has his first #1 hit on the mainstream pop chart at
Billboard, Heartbreak Hotel.
Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) was an American singer and actor. Dubbed
the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most
significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized
interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style,
combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines
during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great
success and initial controversy.
1956 was the year of Elvis, consolidating the place Rock 'n Roll in
American culture. In 1956, Elvis had five #1 hits on Billboard
mainstream charts. Plus that year he had three other minor hits.
Elvis Presley -- Heartbreak Hotel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9BLw4W5KU8
Elvis Presley -- Don't Be Cruel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkdjEsOhmWU
=======================================
The idea that the year 1955 was the birth of "Rock 'n Roll" is
espoused by Prof. John Covach of the University of Rochester Music
Dept. He expresses this in the Coursera online course "History of
Rock". Prof. Covach argues that Rock 'n Roll gained its own identity
as crossover hits became the common thing.
1955 was the year of crossover hits. A crossover is when a
Country-Western song or a Rhythm & Blues song scores big in the
Mainstream Popular chart at Billboard. Bill Haley, with Rock Around
the Clock, became the obvious crossover hit.
In 1956 and later, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins had major
crossover hits. Likewise, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Chuck
Berry also had major crossover hits. Alan Freed gave Rock 'n Roll an
identity by naming it first on regional radio, then on national radio.
Musicians were delighted with the new identity. By 1960, Rock 'n Roll
was the dominant music category on mainstream popular radio stations.
-----------------------------------------------------
There are probably two ways of looking at things when trying to peg
what year Rock 'n Roll got started. One way would be to identify when
Rock 'n Roll songs started to be heard on the radio. The other way
would be to identify when Rock 'n Roll became the dominant music in
mainstream American youth culture.
Professor David Carlson of the University of Florida College of
Journalism and Communication, believes that Rock 'n Roll began in
1951. He has expressed this in an online course at Coursera,
entitled, "Music's Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock 'n Roll". Prof.
Carlson believes by 1951 there were genuine Rock 'n Roll songs on the
radio, for instance, Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston--"Rocket 88" released
in 1951. Carlson points out that in 1951, Alan Freed had a Rock 'n
Roll radio show in Cleveland. Also by 1951, Sam Phillips had a rock
recording studio in Memphis.
This is a pretty strong argument. However, each of the three points
have weaknesses. The idea of a song having a Rock 'n Roll identity
hadn't been fully established in 1951. In the early 1950s these
rock-sounding songs either had a Rhythm & Blues identity or a
Rockabilly identity.
Likewise, Alan Freed's radio show in Cleveland helped to form a Rock
'n Roll identity, but the music played was mostly Rhythm & Blues.
His show was important enough that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was
established in Cleveland. Yet, his radio show in Cleveland was mostly
a regional program. It was in the mid-1950s, when Alan Freed's radio
show moved to New York City, that he began to have a national
audience. In the mid-1950s, certain performances of Rhythm & Blues,
Rockabilly, and other genre songs were given a Rock 'n Roll identity
by Freed and other key music opinion leaders. It was this period that
the youth generation of the mid-1950s began to embrace Rock 'n Roll as
their own, especially those who liked to dance.
When Sam Phillips opened up his recording studio in Memphis, and then
established his Sun Records label in the same city a year later in
1952, his emphasis was makin R & B records for an African-American
audience. What Phillips yearned to find was a white person capable of
singing R & B., and thereby making crossover records that would reach
mainstream America. Then Elvis Presley walked in his building.
Phillips gave Elvis a recording audition on July 5, 1954. That night
Elvis recorded "That's All Right," a song that in 1946 had been a R &
B hit for black singer Arthur Crudup. Three days later, the song was
playing on a popular Memphis radio program. Elvis's first song was
becoming a local.
Phillips quickly had Elvis record a Bill Monroe song to become the
flip-side of "That's All Right," Elvis's first record reached #28 on
the Billboard Country charts. Sam Phillips' strategy had
worked--partially. A white singer sang an R & B song, and it was
accepted by white audience. Now Phillips wanted to reach a national
mainstream white audience. That would be done by getting records to
sell well enough to place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Elvis recorded 24 songs with Sam Phillips and Sun Records in 1954 and
1955. Out of these, five 2-sided 45 rpm's were released by Sun
Records. Elvis even recorded "Good Rocking Tonight," the influential
1948 R & B song by Wynonie Harris. Of these Sun Records releases, a
couple reached the Country charts, one reaching #1 on the Country
charts. Elvis was not able to place in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in
1955, the measure of reaching national mainstream acceptance.
Phillips realized that Sun Records was too small to have the big reach
he needed for his original idea to work. Toward the end of 1955,
Phillips sold Elvis's contract to RCA Victor Records. This was a
large company that could realize Sam Phillips' dream. Elvis began
recording RCA's equipment The records were released. In 1956, Elvis
had five #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. 1956 was the year
of Elvis. He set the path for other white performers to reach the top
by singing R & B songs. Sam Phillips did not need to feel that he was
left out. In 2004, the "That's All Right / Blue Moon of Kentucky"
single was re-released and reached number 1 on the Billboard Singles
Sales chart. Sun Records' Elvis finally reach #1 on the Billboard
mainstream chart.
The main point of bringing in a discussion of Sam Phillips and Elvis
is to demonstrate more fully that the beginning of Rock 'n Roll is
really the mid 1950s. I think most of the teenagers from the 1950s
associate the beginning of Rock 'n Roll with the emergence of Elvis.
The story of the arrival of Elvis is in the 1954 to 1956 period.
I would like to draw a parallel here. Historians say that the
Renaissance began in 1400. Yet there were Renaissance-quality
paintings before 1400. For example, the painting of St. Paul by
Italian painter Pietro Cavallini, dating to 1293. History needs
benchmarks, and setting the year 1400 as the beginning of the
Renaissance is convenient and helpful. This is true despite exceptions
that fall before the benchmark.
Likewise, when we say that Rock 'n Roll began in 1955, it is simply a
well-reasoned benchmark stated with the understanding that there were
Rock 'n Roll quality songs before 1955. Obvious examples were
"Good Rockin' Tonight" and "Rocket 88". Even Bill Haley and his
Comets released his version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" in 1954--and
that was clearly a Rock 'n Roll song.
==========================
==========================
Sources
Prof. John Covach of the University of Rochester Music Dept. Coursera
online course "History of Rock"
Professor David Carlson, University of Florida College of Journalism
and Communication. Coursera online course "Music's Big Bang: The
Genesis of Rock 'n Roll"
Rock & Roll (documentary TV series)--PBS, 1995
The History of Rock and Roll (documentary TV series)--Tme/Warner, 1995
Wikipedia articles--Popular music, Art song, Timeline of musical
events, Vaudeville, Parlour music, Rockabilly, Fletcher Henderson,
Chick Webb, Earl Palmer, Fender (company), Electric blues, Electric
guitar, Woody Guthrie, Scott Joplin, W. C. Handy, Hank Williams, Jelly
Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, Alan Freed, Sun Records, Elvis Presley
singles discography, List of songs recorded by Elvis Presley on the
Sun label, and other citations found in text
Youtube citations found in text
The Brill Building
http://www.mysonicisland.com/the-brill-building.html
THE HISTORY OF TIN PAN ALLEY
https://www.soundamerican.org/issues/big-band/history-tin-pan-alley
Woody Guthrie
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Woody_Guthrie
Hank Williams
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hank-Williams
