Rock And Roll, Part 3

What Was The Very First Rock And Roll Song?

Rock and Roll, by the Boswell Sisters - 1932.   

Dean Milano

I’m amazed by how many people have referenced this song!  (kk)

I think that most would agree that while the song does, in fact, describe a style of music in its lyrics, "Rock And Roll" by The Boswell Sisters is most definitely NOT a rock and roll song.  Still, it proves that the phrase existed as early as 1934 ... or about twenty full years before Bill Haley first recorded "Rock Around The Clock" (and disc jockey Alan Freed reportedly "coined the phrase.")  
But that, in and of itself, doesn't warrant the honor of being the first rock and roll song.  It was a Top Ten Hit ... so it was evidently a popular tune (in an Andrews Sisters sort of way) ... but it didn't inspire a new wave or trend in music taste or style.  It didn't start a rock and roll revolution or kick off The Rock Era.
That distinction (if only on mass appeal and impact alone) HAS to fall squarely on the shoulders of Bill Haley and his Comets.  (kk)

>>>Can somebody please explain to me again exactly how it was Alan Freed who came up with this term Rock and Roll?!?!?  When it had already been used as a song title by The Boswell Sisters back in 1934???)  kk

I believe that Alan Freed didn't claim to invent the phrase but he is the one that used that phrase to describe the music. 

Bill Scherer

kk …

I think Alan Freed was the first to use the phrase ROCK & ROLL -- to describe a genre of music.  It’s been used in songs and slang … but until Alan Freed came along, it was in music, but not used to describe music.

Frank B.

Continuing the earliest rock and roll discussion...this is genuine rock and roll from 1936 (though would usually be classified as jazz):

'Stuff' Smith and his Onyx Club Boys - Here comes the man with the jive (1936)

Frank Merrill

Hi Kent,

GREAT comments about Bill Haley and His Comets’ "Rock Around the Clock!!!"  I always thought it was THE song that opened the door to Rock and Roll Music.

Back in the late sixties when they started the 'oldies but goodies' shows, I went to see one that featured many of the favorites of the day ... headlined with Bill Haley!!

He was to go on last with His Comets, but  they got in a bad car accident and could not appear!  So Chuck Berry came back to close the show with a great finale!

The show was fantastic, but I missed out on seeing Bill Haley and His Comets and NEVER had the chance to see them perform again!!

Carolyn 

HI KENT,

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL RECORD BEING ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK.  BETTER LOOK AGAIN … BECAUSE HANK WILLIAMS’ RECORD, MOVE IT ON OVER IS ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK … A DIRECT STEAL.

MAYBE YOU CAN PLAY IT. 

YOUR FRIEND -

FREDDY “BOOM BOOM” CANNON

We sure can, Freddy.  (Here’s a guy who had more than a few genuine rock and roll records of his very own!!!)  Great to hear from you.  (kk)

You have left out the ballads … Earth Angel was probably the first RnR Ballad to make to both the R&B and pop charts by the same group (the Penguins) … I believe for a long period of time it was one of the biggest selling records of all time … right up there with White Christmas.
Ron Sunshine

Hi again Kent,

It was really fascinating to read the Saturday June 6th post, and hear other people's opinions on what they believe the first rock and roll record was. 

There's another school of thought out there that I don't agree with, but it does present an interesting twist.  There are some folks out there that feel the honor of the first rock and roll record should go to Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and their song Why Do Fools Fall In love.  Their thinking is that Chuck Berry and Bill Haley were nearly thirty, Fats Domino, Little Richard and Elvis were in their twenties.  But since rock and roll music was meant to be enjoyed by teenagers, the Teenagers were the first real teenage group to make it big. After Why Do Fools Fall In love, Frankie's brother Louis Lymon and his group the Teen Chords scored with I'm So Happy, Lydia and others, mainly in the northeastern U.S.  Then there were the Students, Pearl McKinnon and the Kodaks and the School Boys.  This, of course, led to white teenage artists breaking into rock and roll music like Paul Anka, the Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon and heaven forbid, Fabian.  I am not saying that I agree with this at all, but it is an interesting twist. 

But still, rock and roll was already underway when Why Do Fools Fall In Love hit, but it may have been the first big record recorded by a teenage group.

And here here to Frank Merrill for stating something that I have believed for decades … and that is that Chuck Berry SHOULD HAVE been the King of Rock and Roll but, unfortunately at the time, he was the wrong color.  Frank, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! 

Now I know there are a lot of Elvis fans out there, and I'm sorry if what I am about to write offends you, but this is just my opinion for what it's worth.  Elvis was the manufactured King of Rock and Roll.  I know that he did bring hillbilly music and rhythm and blues together in a unique way, and I can't minimize what he accomplished.  However, when you think of a King, you think of someone with a very powerful presence and personality, someone who has a very strong personality and knows what he wants in life.  I will admit that Elvis had that powerful presence on stage.  But as a person, he was extremely humble, and he let Colonel Tom Parker ruin his career, and not just once.  The Colonel did that several times to him.

There was absolutely NO REASON why Elvis had to go into the Army.  Like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope before him, since he was a superstar, he could have entertained the troops.  But Colonel Tom Parker wanted to improve Elvis's image by having him go into the Army right at the height of his career which was absolutely stupid on his part.  I don't think the religious leaders and parents who objected so strongly to Elvis had their opinions changed one bit, just because Elvis went into the Army.    

Elvis never wrote a song. He only played rhythm guitar.  He couldn't even play lead guitar and, despite all those terrible movie sound track songs that he had to sing, instead of challenging the Colonel and saying, "Look, this stuff is crap and it's ruining my career," he just said "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" and let Colonel Tom Parker totally ruin his career.  Now tell me, does that sound like a KING to you?

All the best,

Sam Ward

In summing up, I would like to once point out the fact that there is no real, one correct answer to the question "What was the very first rock and roll record."  SO many tunes qualify as helping to launch the genre ... and with the benefit of hindsight, we can make a good, solid case for many if not most of the suggestions that our readers have submitted thus far.

But in selecting "Rock Around The Clock" as the most definitive answer, I again have to point out that no other track of this ilk ignited the worldwide response that Bill Haley's #1 Hit did.  It has to be considered (if nothing else) as the launch point for the tidal wave of songs that came after it ... and made enough of a mark on music history to inspire many of us to dig deeper into rock and roll's true roots.

Thanks to everybody who weighed in on this one ... this question always inspires some lively conversation.

Kent,
I really enjoyed Saturday's entry, as the hunt for the elusive "what was the first Rock 'n Roll record" goes on, as it has been doing for decades.  So many responses, so many possibilities. To me, they're all good.
But I'll shift gears here just a tad; a question to make us stray from the rock question a bit.
What was the first popular RAP "hit" record?  I know what you're thinking ...  too new, doesn't belong here.  But I beg to differ. In fact, the tune I'm thinking of has a kind of rock 'n roll flavor to it … and was popular during the Haley / Presley era.
Mike

Hmm … popular during the Haley / Presley era???  It’s not “Old Rivers” by Walter Brennan, is it?!?!  (That’s what Larry Lujack always referred to as the first rap record.)

Never a fan of the rap genre (I can probably count on one hand how many rap songs I actually like … and typically I include these only because they took the concept to new heights by incorporating it into an actual melody) … the two most often singled out (in my experience anyway) seem to be “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang (1980) and “Rapture” by Blondie (1981) … although I think Blondie was inspired by other music they heard in their travels, much as “The Tide Is High” took on a Jamaican feel.  (They were actually much more diverse than most people give them credit for … and Debbie Harry was FAR more appealing to look at than say Walter Brennan.)  kk

OK, that’s a rap … I mean a wrap.

I think NOW would be a GREAT time to drop THIS topic! (lol)  kk