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The Beginnings of Rock & Roll

The Beginnings of Rock & Roll. Beginnings. Bill Haley & the Comets – “Crazy Man Crazy” first rock and roll song (1953) Combination of Country & Western singers with instruments and rhythm from rhythm and blues. Parents of teenagers were used to the sophistication of big band swing

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The Beginnings of Rock & Roll

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  1. The Beginnings of Rock & Roll

  2. Beginnings • Bill Haley & the Comets – “Crazy Man Crazy” • first rock and roll song (1953) • Combination of Country & Western singers with instruments and rhythm from rhythm and blues

  3. Parents of teenagers were used to the sophistication of big band swing • Rock and roll of teenagers sounded vulgar and primitive • Rock and roll rejected everything about swing - sound, rhythm, instruments, style • Created 2 sides – there was no middle ground

  4. Comparrisons Subtle Large Bands (15-20) Sophisticated Harmony Soft Beats Poetic Texts Obvious Small Bands (3-5) Folk-tune Harmony Thunderous Beat Crude, Mindless Texts Swing Rock and Roll

  5. Reasons for popularity • Swing had blown itself out • After WWII, swing was searching for a new sound. • Rock and roll was fresh and innovative • Bands were smaller – more economical to tour and get music to a larger audience

  6. Rock and roll offered diversion from the world • WWII had ended • Reality of extermination camps • Rationing • Worry about family members overseas • USSR now a foe • Korean War started • Youth and good times celebrated with rhythmic beat, simple harmonies, basic texts.

  7. Characteristics of Rock & Roll • From bluegrass music: • Guitar based ensemble • Story line from some songs • From rhythm & blues: • 12 bar blues form • Certain instruments (drums and saxophone) • Playing style (growling sound) • Driving rhythm

  8. Beat dominates everything else • Even duple eighths with accents on 2 and 4 • Quarter-eighth pattern produces a boogie rhythm • Text deals with love (most popular) or trials of teens relating to their parents • Topic of sex is discomforting for adults. Used in veiled references and double entendres

  9. Focus of early rock and roll never shifted from the rhythmic drive • Texts were simple, sometimes inane • Harmony reduced to 3 or 4 chords

  10. Musicians • Swing was mainly white musicians, rhythm and blues was mostly black musicians • Both white and black musicians performed rock and roll

  11. Singers • Freddie Cannon • Buddy Holly • Eddie Cochran • Chuck Berry • Fats Domino • Little Richard • Elvis Presley • With his talent and good looks, Elvis was hyped into a commercial phenomenon

  12. Elvis Presley – Live on the Milton Berle Show Hound Dog (1956) • Bill Haley & the Comets Rock Around the Clock (1955) • Chuck Berry Johnny B. Goode (1958)

  13. Groups • Common group names came from either animals or feelings/moods • The Flamingos • The Drifters • The Coasters Yakety Yak - 1958

  14. Summary • By 1962, rock and roll was the American pop-music style • It took over by being everything that swing was not • By 1963, rock had said all it had to say, and changes were on the way

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