That's Alright Mama....It's Only Rock N Roll

This past weekend we’ve all probably had the chance to see some great fireworks…so I thought it would be appropriate to end the holiday weekend by commemorating a sonic firework that exploded onto the radio airwaves in 1954. 

Today in 1954, Elvis Presley recorded “That’s Alright Mama,” which was his first commercial record. It is one of the groundbreaking moments in rock and roll that helped crossover the genre to white audiences. In the segregated south, music, like much of life, was segregated by race. White radio stations played music for white audiences (think Pat Boone) and black stations played music for black audiences. While segregation may have been the order of the day on the radio, many white kids growing up in the south were exposed to black music and were influenced by it. Elvis Presley, a big fan of gospel and rhythm and blues music, was certainly one of them.

Presley helped to cross over rhythm and blues style singing by recording “That’s Alright Mama,” which gained popularity among white audiences. The song was originally written and recorded by Arthur Crudup in 1946. When Elvis’ version of the song was first played on white radio stations in the south, listeners would call in because they couldn’t believe that Presley was a white singer. The song was one of many which would help grow the audience of rhythm and blues music into what was eventually known as rock and roll.  

Here is Presley performing “That’s Alright Mama” during his 1968 comeback special. Enjoy!

[Image via por-img]

RIP Michael Jackson

Turn on any TV today and you'll be reminded that today is the one year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. He left an indelible mark on American music and culture - for his music, dance moves... and increasingly erratic behavior. To mark the anniversary, here is Michael Jackson's "Thriller". 

Vanity Fair recently published an article on the making of this genre defining video, including behind the scenes antic-dotes detailing Jackson's eccentricities. His talent cannot be denied, and this video has left an incredible legacy in its own right, inspiring copy cat routines from everyone from five year old girls down to a group of prisoners. 

Enjoy the original from the King of Pop:

[Image via Stanford] 

In the Army Now – Elvis Presley Joins the Army

Today in 1958, Elvis Presley was conscripted into the U.S. Army as a private at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. He wished to be treated like any other soldier during his stint in the army saying: “The Army can do anything it wants with me.” He was adamant about taking on regular duties, and turned down offers to serve as mainly an entertainer to the troops (which would have also allowed him to keep in touch with the public). The army wasn’t prepared for the media attention Elvis’ conscription would create, and a small army of reporters descended on Fort Chaffee on the first day to see Elvis take his oath, try on his uniform and cut his hair.

            Elvis served mainly in Germany during his two- year stint in the service. Although he wanted to be treated like everyone else, he did have certain privileges. For a time, he lived apart from the base in his own apartment with family and friends. He also was able to provide his base with televisions and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his unit (and donated his army pay to charity).

            Two interesting developments occurred while Elvis was in the army: he learned about amphetamines and was introduced to karate. The interest in karate would continue and later become a part of his stage routine. The interest in and use of amphetamines would later have serious consequences for his health, and contributed to his death. Beyond these developments, he also met a girl named Priscilla during his time in Germany who he would later marry. Interestingly, in the video below he claims there was nothing serious between them.

            I think it was John Lennon who said that once Elvis entered the army, his career was never the same. Elvis had those same fears, and worried about his own ability to recover his career after leaving the service in 1960. From 1960-1967, Elvis made a series of mostly laughable films, and moved further away from making serious rock and roll. He would try to recapture his musical career with his 1968 comeback special, but it was never really the same. Here is a video showing footage of Elvis’ first few days in the army.

[Images via fairlycommonsense and forgotton-ny]

Rock and Roll!

Tonight marked the induction of the class of 2010 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This year’s class included The Stooges, The Hollies, Genesis, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff and record executive David Geffen. Read about highlights of the ceremony here. A theme throughout the night was not only the survival of the artists and bands over a few hard living decades, but the lingering questions over the survival of the music industry itself. 

The Times They Are A-Changin - Bob Dylan At The White House

Earlier this month, Bob Dylan performed “The Times They Are A-Changin” at the White House as part of a celebration of the music of the civil rights movement. Here is his performance at the White House:

Here is Dylan performing the same song in the early years of his career.

The British Invade…and No One Seems to Mind

After arriving in America on February 7 1964, the Beatles made their American television debut on February 9^th to an estimated audience of 74 million viewers (roughly 40% of the population).  In the weeks before their appearance, the Ed Sullivan show received over 50,000 requests for tickets to fill a studio that held 703. The Beatles invaded and American culture would never be the same again.

Whether they liked the Beatles or not, people recognized that their appearance on Ed Sullivan was an event not to be missed. Some historians have even cited a dip in crime numbers across the country during the time of the show to depict the hold of the Beatles over American culture. Whether those numbers are accurate or not, it’s hard to deny that the show marked a major shift in American pop culture history. After the Beatles broke through in American markets, they were quickly followed by other British acts including the Rolling Stones and countless sound alikes. The Beatles began to compete with the American icons of rock and roll they originally modeled themselves on including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and countless others.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Hey, she just did a post on the Beatles two days ago, maybe she needs to get off this topic.” To which I say, this is my blog. Truth be told, had I been alive in 1964 I would have been recreationally stalking the Beatles just like the girls in the audience at the Ed Sullivan Show.

Where were you when the Beatles debuted on American television? If you’re closer to my age, how about your parents? Who’s your favorite Beatle?

Here is the Beatles 1^st appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show where they performed “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Notice that during the performance, the television stations identified each band member by name. When the camera turned to John Lennon, the caption read “Sorry girls, he’s married.”

[Images via VirginMedia and MichaelManning]

  

The Beatles Are Coming!

Today in 1964, the Beatles arrived at JFK Airport in New York City to an enthusiastic welcome. The band had previously been offered chances to tour the United States, but refused to come until they had a #1 song on the American charts. They’d seen other British acts come to the states and fail because no one was familiar with their music. By 1964, the Beatles had a #1 hit with “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and felt primed to take America by storm. Check out this video of their arrival at JFK, where they had a rabid reception from fans.           

Before 1964, George Harrison visited the states on his own to see his sister. For the rest of the band, it was their first time in the country that spawned a majority of their musical influences. Here is a British newsreel showing their first press conference after they landed. Notice the numerous questions about their “long” hair.

[Image via monroegallery]

The Day The Music Died…

On February 3, 1959, Charles “Buddy” Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The three musicians were touring the mid-west together as part of “The Winter Dance Party” – a tour covering 24 midwestern cities in three weeks. The bus hired to take the musicians from city to city was faulty, and the heating system died out causing most of the musicians to develop frostbite. In an attempt to bypass another cold bus ride, Buddy Holly chartered a small plane to take his band from Iowa to their next tour stop in Moorhead, Minnesota. Each band member would be charged $36 for the plane ride.

            In what has become a subject of rock and roll legend, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson asked one of Holly’s band members, Waylon Jennings, for his seat on the plane as he was suffering from the flu. Ritchie Valens had never flown in a plane before, and asked Holly’s other band mate, Tommy Allsup, if he could have his seat. Allsup said he would let a coin toss decide, and Valens won the seat. When Buddy Holly heard that his band mate Waylon Jennings would not be accompanying him on the plane, he teased, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up,” to which Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” These words would haunt Jennings for the remainder of his life.

            The passengers boarded the plane around 12:40 AM and the plane took off around 12:55 AM. People observing the plane from the control tower in Clear Lake saw the taillight of the plane descend at 1:00 AM. That morning, search teams found the wreckage in a field near Clear Lake, Iowa; all three musicians and the pilot died instantly upon impact. An investigation blamed the crash on a combination of bad weather and pilot error. A large pair of horn rim glasses, like those worn by Buddy Holly, now marks the entrance to the crash site.

            Here is a newsreel showing crash site footage:

            The death of these musicians was a huge loss to rock music, and their legacies are apparent in the influence their music has had on other musicians. The Beatles cited Buddy Holly as a large influence, and they covered his music on Beatles for Sale. Don McLean wrote “American Pie” about “the day the music died.” In more recent years, Weezer named checked Buddy Holly in a song. To celebrate their memory, here is Buddy Holly performing “Peggy Sue” on the Arthur Murray Dance Party. I particularly enjoy the host’s defense of this new thing called rock and roll in her introduction.

[Images via ruhrtalcruising and wikimedia]

“…There is only one king.” - Elvis Presley Turns 75

Today would have been Elvis Presley’s 75^th birthday, and a slew of celebrations are taking place to mark the occasion. Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla and his daughter Lisa Marie will be on hand at Graceland to cut a birthday cake among a crowd of faithful fans willing to freeze in the chilly winter weather.

Here is a clip of Priscilla talking about Elvis on the Today Show:

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Elvis Presley plays a large role in the cultural imagination of American history and culture. That said, its easy to lose sight of his core talents and contributions among the sometimes cheesetastic commercialization of his legacy since his passing and the memory of the idiosyncrasies of his later years. To honor his birthday this year, I’d rather reflect on his legacy. As John Lennon once said, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” The ingredients for rock and roll existed before Elvis Presley came along, but Elvis was perhaps unwittingly able to capture the lightning of country, gospel and rhythm and blues in a bottle and break the new genre to a huge new audience. As Rolling Stone’s David Fricke wrote in 1986,

“...At Sun Studio in Memphis Elvis Presley called to life what would soon be known as rock and roll with a voice that bore strains of the Grand Ole Opry and Beale Street, of country and the blues. At that moment, he ensured - instinctively, unknowingly - that pop music would never again be as simple as black and white.”

To get a sense of what Elvis was like when he first burst onto the music scene, here he is performing “Baby, Let’s Play House” on television in 1955.

[Image via fiftiesweb]

Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Runnnnnn – “Born to Run” hits #23 on the charts.

Today in 1975, Bruce Springsteen’s anthem “Born to Run” hit #23 on the charts. Bruce and his infamous E Street Band released the album of the same name on September 6^th, and it quickly earned rave reviews. On October 27^th, Springsteen appeared simultaneously on the covers of both Time and Newsweek reflecting the commercial and critical success of his latest album, which rocketed to the #3 position on the album chart. Each song on the album was meticulously crafted to shape the narrative of the album as a whole. Born to Run was full of emotions that would come to define Springsteen’s career including desperation, elation, and disillusionment. Springsteen is considered one of the great American songwriters and he frequently explores the meaning of American life, including the idea of the American dream. No where is this more evident than in the lyrics of “Born to Run” when he seems to speak for a generation, “In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream.”

Read more about Bruce Springsteen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Enjoy this classic performance of “Born to Run” from 1975.

[Image via Rock107]

“I always wanted to be an artist, whatever that was, like other chicks want to be stewardesses. I read. I painted. I thought.” –Janis Joplin (1943-197

On October 4, 1970, Janis Joplin was found dead, the result of an accidental heroin overdose. Joplin was born in Texas and later moved to San Francisco where she joined Big Brother and the Holding Company. After their hit “Piece of My Heart,” the band toured until Janis announced that she would be leaving the band. As a solo artist, Janis was recording an album that was later called Pearl at the time of her death. When she failed to show up at a recording session, her manager found her in her apartment after she died of an apparent drug overdose. Like Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin’s career and contributions to rock and roll are considered as legendary as the excess of her personal life. Since her death, Janis Joplin’s voice and flamboyant fashion sense have inspired countless other artists. In honor of Janis Joplin, here is a video of Janis performing “Piece of My Heart.” I’ve also included a clip of an interview Janis recorded on the Dick Cavett Show shortly before her death. She talks about songwriting, being unpopular in high school and the thrill of performing.

[Image via RocknRollPimp]

It's a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll

Today the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced twelve nominees eligible to be inducted in the 2010 class. The potential inductees include: ABBA, Darlene Love, Donna Summer, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, KISS, Laura Nyro, LL Cool J, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Chantels, The Hollies, and The Stooges. Of all the inductees, The Stooges have long been passed over for induction, so it will be interesting to see if they are among the five acts that are actually inducted on March 15, 2010. Gene Simmons of KISS has said publicly that he doesn’t care if KISS is inducted or not, but something tells me he won’t have to be dragged to the ceremony if KISS are ultimately chosen as one of the five inducted groups/artists. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame plans to announce the five nominees voted worthy of induction in January 2010. Who do you think deserves to be inducted?

For more information on the nominees, visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announcement here.

http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/nominees-for-2010-induction/

In honor of this year’s nominees, here are some videos of their work:

[Image via destination360]

Bold as Love: The Death of Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)

September 18, 2009 marks the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s death at the young age of twenty-seven. Hendrix was a visionary guitarist who, although he never learned to read or write music, made an indelible mark on the history of rock and roll. Hendrix had a gift for composing original riffs and compositions, while also being able to cover the work of other artists in a way that left them forever changed in public perception. A few examples of this ability include Hendrix’s cover of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower and his interpretation of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock. Also, in an anecdote that speaks as much to his virtuosity at learning music just by listening as to his ability to create unique covers, Jimi Hendrix heard the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band the day it was released and performed a cover of the song just a few days later. Paul McCartney was in attendance at this show in London and was amazed at Jimi’s ability to learn the music so quickly, and to be able to make the song his own.

Although he died at the tender age of twenty-seven, Jimi Hendrix left a rich legacy behind. For some, he became an icon of his age; an example of both the art and excesses of the late 1960s. That said, after witnessing the drama of his music and performances, generations of teenagers everywhere have been inspired to take up the electric guitar in the hopes of maybe someday forming a band and lighting their guitars on fire (See Monterey Pop Festival). The rest of us just remain humbled and inspired by his unique combination of guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback.

As an icon of American cultural history, it is interesting to note that Hendrix did not attain widespread acclaim in the United States until after the Jimi Hendrix Experience had already debuted to commercial success in England. The Who had seen Jimi perform in England prior to the Monterey Pop Festival, and therefore refused to follow him on the bill. However, despite the recognition that came from performing in England, Jimi Hendrix walked onto the stage at the Monterey Pop Festival as a largely unknown quantity to American audiences. That would no longer be true by the end of his performance. In honor of Jimi Hendrix and his fans worldwide, here is a clip of his performance at Monterey Pop (including his guitar sacrifice).

[Image via NightswithAliceCooper]

Back to the Garden – the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock

Today marks the end of the 40^th anniversary of Woodstock. Billed as “ An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” the three days festival was held from August 15 – August 18, 1969 at Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York. (that’s right – Woodstock did not actually take place in Woodstock, but in a town roughly 43 miles southwest of Woodstock) Featuring some of the greatest acts in music, Jimi Hendrix closed down the festival on day three. Enjoy a video of his now legendary performance of the Star Spangled Banner.

The festival is remembered not only for its great music, but also because it featured a huge crowd with relatively little to no violence. The lack of violence is even more incredible in light of the rain, electrical issues and the food and water shortages. Some consider the concert an anomaly that marked the end of the “Summer of Love” era begun at Monterrey Pop in 1967. In the months following Woodstock, violence would erupt at a Rolling Stones concert staffed by the Hells Angels and John Lennon would tell his generation what they already knew….that the “dream” held dear by hippies from Haight Ashbury to Woodstock, NY was in effect over.

[Image via Sobrephotos]

The King is Dead…. Long Live the King – the 32nd Anniversary of Elvis’ Death

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley passed away at the young age of 42. Elvis is largely credited with bringing rock n roll to the masses and helping the genre crossover to white audiences. Because Elvis is sometimes remembered only for the drama and idiosyncrasies of his later years, it is easy to forget how unique he was in American music when he first broke on the scene. He wasn’t just a white boy trying to sing black music for the masses; he was a singer with originality and talent from his lip curl to his onstage swagger. As a point of comparison, I have posted two videos of white artists singing a song made famous by a black musician. Watch and listen as both Elvis and Pat Boone sing “Tutti Frutti,” a song by another legendary American musician, Little Richard. When both videos are viewed in concert, it is hard to imagine that anyone could prefer Pat Boone to the King. (I have also included a video of Little Richard’s performance of the song)

Elvis Presley's Version of "Tutti Frutti"

Pat Boone's Version:

Little Richard Video (Showing Original Lyrics):

It’s interesting to note that Pat Boone’s version was released around the same time that Little Richard originally released the song in 1955. Boone’s producers convinced him to record his own version of the song with sanitized lyrics to play on its popularity among white audiences. Boone’s version of the song reached #12 on the charts while Richard’s lagged behind at #17. Elvis Presley released his own version of the song on his debut album in 1956.

[Image via how stuff works]

Les Paul (1915-2009)

On August 12^th, guitar pioneer Les Paul passed away at the age of 94. Paul was known for pioneering the invention and evolution of electric body guitars, along with recording equipment. He developed electronic echo effects and multi-track recording devices in addition to his signature invention, the electric body guitar. Prior to Paul’s development of the electric body guitar, guitars were mostly hollow or semi-hollow. Paul’s genius was in stringing guitar strings on a piece of solid wood and amplifying the sound electronically, paving the way for further electric body guitar production and development. Not just an innovator of guitar structure, Paul was famous for his guitar playing as well.

Click here to watch Les Paul play one of my favorite songs “How High the Moon” with his former wife and musical partner Mary Ford. The video also shows Les Paul showing off his developments in multi-track recording as he incorporates 24 pre-recorded tracks into their performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ffdwBUL78&feature=related

Click here to read Rolling Stone’s obituary for Les Paul: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/08/13/les-paul-guitar-legend-dead-at-94/

[Image via fromthevault]