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Early R&B and The Birth of Rock & RollImportant dates-1947 Brooklyn Dodgers sign Jackie Robison-1948 Columbia Records introduces the LP-1949 RCA Records releases the first 45rpm record-1951 “Rocket 88” considered to be 1st R&R single released-1951 Billy Ward and the Dominos “60 Minute Man” crosses to Pop Charts-the song is soon banned on many radio stations for racy lyrics-1952 Cleveland DJ Alan Freed popularizes the term “Rock&Roll”
The Blues • Early blues • Began in the rural south pre-civil war • Began to flourish after the civil war (Mississippi Delta & Rural Louisiana especially) • Mixes with ragtime & dixieland • Moves north beginning with WWI & WWII • Moves along Mississippi eventually Chicago • LISTENING JOURNAL • Youtube: LEADBELLY: WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT
Chicago (the roaring 1920s) • Chicago was prosperous • Many job opportunities • Close to Detroit, model T’s and model A Fords • Prohibition (1920-1933) • Gangsters ruled Chicago • Like the Storyville, Chicago provided musicians with many night clubs to play • Recording studios mostly in Chicago and New York • Independent record labels
Boogie-Woogie Piano • Great depression of the 1930s • Solo Piano often replaced bands to save money • Rent parties • Ostinato Bass • Eight beats to a measure • Bass pattern repeated in left hand • Right hand improvises using “rifts”
BOOGIE-WOOGIE • Reached its peak in the early 1930’s • Word boogie first appears on a record in1928 by Chicago’s Pine Top Smith • LISTENING JOURNAL • *Youtube - Pine Tops Boogie • *Youtube - Meade Lux Lewis
MUDDY WATERS (Chicago electric blues) • Grew up in the Mississippi Delta • Moved to Chicago in 1943 • Bought his 1st electric guitar in 1944 • (Sidenote……….Electric guitar inventor – LES PAUL) • 1st Electric Band(1946) Chicago archetype • Country/City blend reflected post WWII sound • Signed with Chicago’s Aristocrat Records (Owned partly by the Chess Brothers-later Chess Records) • LISTENING JOURNAL • I CAN’T BE SATISIFIED (1st release on Aristocrat 1948)
HOWLIN’ WOLF • Chester (“HOWLIN WOLF”) Burnett • Also on Chess Records w/ raw electric Delta sound • Grew up and had early career in Mississippi • 1948 at age 38 moved to Memphis & “plugs in” • Moves to Chicago in 1952 & quickly gains attention • Rivalry between him and Muddy Waters • Records a series of hits later recorded by Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, and The Yardbirds • Known for onstage antics • LISTENING JOURNAL • “HOW MANY MORE YEARS”
BO DIDDLEY • Born “Otha Ellas Bates McDaniel” in Mississippi 1928 • Moved to Chicago in 1936 • Was a street musician for many years • Landed a steady gig at the 708 Club • 1955 signed with Chess & Leonard Chess renamed him Bo Diddley after a local comedian • Another hit cementing Chicago’s new electric delta blues sound w/guitar as the main instrument • LISTENING JOURNAL • “BO DIDDLEY- BO DIDDLEY”
BB KING / Modern Records • One of the most respected and successful blues musicians • Born 1925 in Mississippi • Went to Memphis 1946 • Many of King's early recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, who later founded Sun Records. (Elvis,Johnny Cash,ect..) • Signed with Modern Records out of LA which gave Chess Records stiff competition • Also working for Modern Records = Ike Turner as a talent scout • Ike Turner and the Rhythm Kings / Tina Turner
BB KING / Modern Records • In the 1950’s had many hit songs on the R&B charts • Play countless concerts & sold millions of records • First Blues Musician to have huge crossover hit with “The Thrill is Gone” on both R&B and Pop charts • Continues to maintain a solid career performing & recording with modern Blues & Pop artist such as U2, Phish, & Eric Clapton
LISTENING JOURNAL • Every Day I Have The Blues = BB KING • Rocket 88 (Original Version 1st Rock and Roll song) - Ike Turner and his Rhythm Kings credited to vocalist = Jackie Brenston
FATS DOMINO & IMPERIAL RECORDS • Born in New Orleans & started to play piano at age 9. • As a teenager work in a bed spring factory by day and local bars playing piano at night. • Signs with Imperial (out of LA) in 1949 • 1st single “FAT MAN” sells 1 million copies. • Had 43 records make the Billboard charts • LISTENING JOURNAL • BLUEBERRY HILL
RAY CHARLES & ATLANTIC RECORDS • Atlantic Records owned by Turkish immigrants • Named for the Atlantic Ocean they crossed • Ray Charles & Ruth Brown 2 key artist • Both had a gospel influenced sound • Ray Charles was born 1930 in Georgia & grew up in Florida • Moved to Seattle signed with Atlantic and became good friends with a young Quincy Jones. • Had a group that backed Ruth Brown on tour. • Released “I Got A Woman” in 1952 & began to be recognized as a songwriter and artist.
RAY CHARLES & ATLANTIC RECORDS • First big hit “What’d I Say” in 1959 song built off a simple piano riff with suggestive moaning from the Raeletts. • Some U.S. radio stations banned the song. • LISTENING JOURNAL • WHAT’D I SAY
LITTLE RICHARD • By 1955 early R&B artist were getting “older” and a new generation of high energy artist appeared that would become known as “Rock & Roll” artist. • Little Richard & Chuck Berry, significantly younger & wilder than most R&B artist became very popular among white teens. • Richard & Berry considered “Fathers of Rock & Roll” • Little Richard born 1932 in Macon ,GA • Sang in a Baptist Choir as a yout, joined traveling circuses & broadway shows as a teen and at 18 signed with Camden Records as Boogie Woogie Blues artist.
LITTLE RICHARD • At 19 his father was killed and he supported his family by washing dishes in the Macon Bus Station & singing at night. • He eventually signed to Specialty Records out of LA in 1955 as a blues singer. • At first recording session he played “Tutti Frutti” on a break. • Producer liked the sound and they recorded it, eventually selling 200,000 copies in a week. • LISTENING JOURNAL • “TUTTI FRUTTI
CHUCK BERRY • Grew up in a middle class nice neighborhood in St. Louis, MO • Family sang in church • Listened to a lot of country music as a boy but also Muddy Waters • In the early 1950s bought his first guitar and began playing bars in St. Louis with an R&B trio that included Johnnie Johnson on piano • 1955 travels to Chicago and meets Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters after a show.
CHUCK BERRY • Asks Muddy Waters what his chances are of “making a record” and Muddy sends him to Leonard Chess. • Gives Leonard Chess a demo of an original country song and he is blown away. • Signs with Chess and releases “Maybelline” a country song with a R&B boogie-woogie beat. • Within a couple months the song was TOP 5 on Billboard. • Many other hits including “Johnny B Goode” “Sweet Little Sixteen” “Reelin & Rockin” etc… • LISTENING JOURNAL • ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
ALAN FREED & ROCK AND ROLL DJS • During the 1950s TV freed radio space for more diverse music as networks NBC,ABC,CBS moved programming. • Many R&B DJs became advocates for new music & even convinced some stations to switch formats. • Teens (always interested in new tech) listened to DJs on a new device….The Portable Transistor Radio which was installed in many new cars. • Alan Freed was a popular super-promoter of R&B in OHIO on the classical station WKST. • He played R&B records at night when the classical broadcast were finished.
ALAN FREED & ROCK AND ROLL DJS • He called his show “The MoonDog Show” • When he moved show to NYC an old panhandle named “The MoonDog” threatened to sue him over the name. • He renamed it the “Rock n’ Roll House Party” • He made the name “Rock n’ Roll” a house hold word & the first to exclusively use the term to describe the music he played. • YOUTUBE – ALAN FREED part1
PAT BOONE & RADIO SEGREGATION • In the early 1950s Radio was just as segregated a American society. • Most White Top 40 stations refused to play music by Black artist of any kind. • Most White parents refused to let allow their teens to listen to Black artist of any kind. • However R&B and Rock & Roll were becoming VERY VERY Popular and the White Top 40 stations wanted to cash in. • The answer= White artist covering popular Black artist songs
PAT BOONE & RADIO SEGREGATION • Eventually the term “Rock n’ Roll” became associated with the White Stations and “R&B” with Black stations. • Of all the White artist covering Black R&B artist the most popular was PAT BOONE. • One of Pat Boone’s biggest hits was the R&B hit by Little Richard “Tutti Frutti”. • Many thought artist like Pat Boone were not true R&B or Rock n’ Roll artist and they watered down the music. • Record labels began looking for White Artist that would excepted by all fans of Rock n’ Roll. • LISTENING JOURNAL • TUTTI FRUTTI – PAT BOONE