After pulling some Gene Pitney material out of the FH Archives the other day to commemorate his induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002, I was curious as to what else we may have covered THIS WEEK in '02, EXACTLY TWENTY YEARS AGO.
Thanks
to some nifty computer work (with very special thanks to Megan and Tom for their
assistance) we were once again able to preserve a portion of The Forgotten Hits
Archives …
So
I am able to take a look back twenty years (when FH was still just an emailed
newsletter) and share these memories with you here today!
And
guess what …
TWENTY
YEARS AGO THIS WEEK we were STILL debating what the First Rock And Roll Record
Was!!! (Boy, things sure haven’t changed
much, have they?!?!?)
All
comments shown are by the authors of this piece, Jim Dawson and Steve Propes …
But
my guess is that our old pal Ed Parker (JacoFan) probably had something to do
with sending this to us … as he has been tracing rock and roll’s roots back to
the late 1800’s!!!
In
any event, it’s published here again today for your review and enjoyment …
And
hey, what’s a good debate if you can’t keep it going for twenty-something
years?!?!?
'60's FLASHBACK:
I came across this while cleaning out some files and thought it would
be neat to share with you.
What follows is a list of 50 songs that have been identified by writers
Jim
Dawson and Steve Propes as candidates for the first rock-n-roll songs
listed in chronological order.
Naturally, me being crazy as I am, would have listed earlier recordings. Comments are by Dawson & Propes. Dates are recording dates.
1. BLUES PT. 2 by Jazz at the Philharmonic, 4/2/44 –
Why? First commercially released recording featuring honking and squealing saxophones.
2. THE HONEYDRIPPER by Joe Liggins,
4/20/45 -
Why? It was the first runaway hit in the formative
R&B combo style.
3. BE-BABA-LEBA by Helen Humes / Bill
Doggett Octet, 8/45 -
Why? First example of bebop influence on R&B
4. HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHTS by Ella Mae
Morse / Freddie Slack, 2/12/46
Why? Both Freddie and Ella were the first two
white R&B stars and helped to establish Capitol Records.
5. THAT’S ALL RIGHT by Arthur “Big
Boy” Crudup, 9/6/46
Why? It was the first blues / R&B
single to be released on 45rpm, and was an prototype of early rockabilly.
6. OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD by Jack
McVea, 9/46
Why? Early R&B novelty
record, first commercial record to fade out instead of end, inspired a spate of
successful covers (also done by Dusty Fletcher).
7. TOMORROW NIGHT by Lonnie
Johnson, 12/10/47
Why? It was the first country blues pop hit.
8. GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT by Wynonie
Harris, 12/28/47
Why? It started the trend of records concerned
with rockin’
9. WE’RE GONNA ROCK, WE’RE GONNA
ROLL by Wild Bill Moore 12/18/47
Why? It was the first honking hit record at # 14
on the R&B charts.
10. IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW by the Orioles, 8/21/48
Why? It was one of the first R&B vocal group
hits, and the inspiration for countless bird-named groups that defined the
doo-wop era.
11. BOOGIE CHILLEN by John Lee Hooker, 11/48
Why? It was the first major electrified delta
blues hit, reaching # 1 on the R&B charts.
12. GUITAR BOOGIE by Arthur Smith, 1945/48
Why? It popularized boogie woogie music on the
guitar and mixed a bluesy upbeat with country boogie.
13. DRINKIN’ WINE SPO-DEE-O-DEE by Stick McGhee, 2/14/49
Why? It was one of the first party-time songs to
become a major hit, and had an easy sing along meter. (It also reached #26 on
the pop chart).
14. ROCK THE JOINT by Jimmy Preston, 5/49
Why? It was an early all-out R&B rocker, and
it led ultimately to Bill Haley switching from country to proto-rockabilly.
15. SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY PT 1 by Louis Jordan, 8/9/49
Why? It was one of the first unabashed,
uninhibited pop hits about black highlife.
The story was told with humor.
16. MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS by Professor Longhair, 11/49
Why? It was one of the many, and best, New Orleans
R&B recordings to fully capture the full feeling of the city’s peculiar
rhythms based on an actual event.
17. THE FAT MAN by Fats Domino 12/10/49
Why? It was his first record for Imperial Records,
and started Fats Domino on his career that found him being the biggest-selling
R&B artist of the 1950s. It also
opened the eyes of other record companies to the wealth of material to be found in New
Orleans.
18. ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ by Muddy Waters, 3/50
Why? It was one of the earlier
modern, amplified Chicago blues records.
19. BIRMINGHAM BOUNCE by Hardrock Gunter, 3/50
Why? It
was one of the earliest white, popular records about rockin’ on the dance
floor.
20. I’M MOVIN’ ON by Hank Snow, 3/28/50
Why?
It was the first major train song to be set to a boogie rhythm.
21. TEARDROPS FROM MY EYES by Ruth Brown, 9/50
Why?
It was the initial jump hit for Atlantic’s most consistent hit-maker, and
established her as the first lady of R&B.
22. HOT ROD RACE by Arkie Shibley, late 1950
Why?
Introduced car racing into popular music and underscored the importance
of the car (hot rod) to American culture, particularly youth culture. It inspired a whole parking lot of similar
songs.
23. HOW HIGH THE MOON by Les Paul and Mary Ford, 1950
Why?
The first major hit to use overdubbing, speeded-up tapes and other
gimmicks to recording. The solo was
distinctly R&R in style, although it was not the first to reach this level.
24. ROCKET 88 by Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner, 3/5/51
Why?
It helped to establish Sun Records, introduced a distorted electric guitar
with a pounding boogie beat, and influenced countless recordings to come.
25. SIXTY MINUTE MAN by the Dominoes, 4/51
Why?
It was the first R&B hit to cross over to the pop charts, the first major
hit to use sexual double-entendre, and the first million seller by a formative
R&B vocal group.
26. CRY by Johnnie Ray, 11/16/51
Why?
It established Ray as the first teenage idol of the 1950s, and started
the crying bit for other R&B artists ... take your pick.
27. ONE MINT JULIP by the Clovers, 12/19/51
Why?
It was an early drinking, sexual, social impact hit that featured the
first vocal group record to spotlight a tenor sax solo.
28. ROCK THE JOINT by Bill Haley, 2/52
Why? It
established the formative rockabilly sound by use of the bass backbeat … and
pushed Haley into the true rock-n-roll direction.
29. HAVE MERCY BABY by the Dominoes, 1/28/52
Why?
It was the first popular R&B hit to feature a gospel influence.
30. LAWDY MISS CLAWDY by Lloyd Price, 3/13/52
Why?
It was the earliest evidence of the New Orleans sound to be an R&B hit.
31. KAW-LIGA by Hank Williams
9/23/52; released 1/30/53
Why?
It was a proto-rockabilly record that stretched the tenents of country
music. Influence on Sun Records and Carl
Perkins.
32. HOUND DOG by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, 8/13/52
Why?
One has only to listen to the song to answer that question; it is one funky
rendition. Also, it established Lieber
and Stoller as important YOUNG songwriters.
33. HONEY HUSH by Big Joe Turner, 5/12/53
Why?
It was an early linkage of KC jazz and New Orleans R&B, two key elements
for the birth of rock-n-roll.
34. MONEY HONEY by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, 8/9/53
Why? It was the Drifters’ first hit (#1) and
continued Clyde’s use of gospel phrasing and intensity in R&B. It did not hit the pop charts.
35. GEE by the Crows, 2/10/53
Why?
It was one of the first major cross-over R&B records on an independent
label and the first ‘50s-style doo-wop record to sell a million.
36. SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL by Big Joe Turner, 2/14/54
Why? It established Big Joe as a teen favorite,
not bad for a 43-year-old who had been around since the invention of dirt. It also gave Atlantic Records a springboard
to begin influencing the shape of the rock-n-roll genre yet to pop fully out of
the primal ocean.
37. WORK WITH ME ANNIE by the Royals / Midnighters, 1/14/54
Why?
It spawned a veritable industry of hit answer records and culminated in
a number one cross-over pop hit, demonstrating R&B’s growing importance in
the music business. Dance with me Henry,
indeed!
38. SH-BOOM by the Chords, 3/15/54
Why?
It was the first doo-wop with nonsense lyrics to be a hit, and the first
independent label single to go Top 10 pop in the ‘50s. It also turned some heads in the major labels
to the growing R&B, or “race” market.
39. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK by Bill Haley, 4/12/54
Why?
It was the first #1 pop record that could possibly be considered rock-n-roll. This didn’t happen until May, 1955, after it
was featured in the teen film, BLACKBOARD JUNGLE.
40. RIOT IN CELL BLOCK #9 by the Robins, 4/54
Why?
It established the Lieber and Stoller formula for many Coasters hits yet
to come. The lead vocal is by Richard “Cool
Louie” Berry.
41. THAT’S ALL RIGHT MAMA by Elvis,
7/19/54
Why?
It was acknowledged, by some, a rockabilly record, and the first record
by Elvis. Supposedly, this record turned
a whole generation of country pickers around.
It was copied, almost note-for-note, from the Big Boy Crudup original ...
which was #5 on this list.
42. EARTH ANGEL by the Penguins, 10/54
Why?
It was the first R&B record to herald a new era in which the music stood
alone instead of being “whitersized” on a national level. It gave rock-n-roll the push it needed to be accepted
and appreciated by both black and white teens.
43. TWEEDLEE DEE by Laverne Baker, 10/20/54
Why?
It was her first hit, and had a nice mambo feel that spawned other nonsense
lyrics such as “Sh-Boom” “Ko Ko Mo.”
44. PLEDGING MY LOVE by Johnny Ace, 1/27/54
Why?
It was one of the first R&B/pop hits to outsell the white cover versions. It was also one of the first to sell more 45
rpm copies than the fast-fading 78 rpm platter.
This signaled a major change in the record selling demographics.
45. I’VE GOT A WOMAN by Ray Charles, 11/18/54
Why?
It was a transition record between the older R&B and a move toward
the more soulful gospel sound that crystallized in the 1960s.
46. BO DIDDLEY by Bo Diddley, 3/2/55
Why?
It hung African rhythms on the rock-n-roll tree and began a tradition of
rock-n-roll using the syncopated and hambone beat.
47. MAYBELLENE by Chuck Berry, 5/21/55
Why?
It melded country boogie with good-time R&B for a unique sound that
was fresh and new ... it also MADE Chess Records.
48. TUTTI FRUTTI by Little Richard, 9/14/55
Why?
The wild man done run up and scrambled our brains.
49. BLUE SUEDE SHOES by Carl Perkins, 12/18/55
Why?
It was the first rockabilly hit ... PERIOD. It charted near the top of the R&B,
country and pop charts. It established
Sun Records as a force to be noticed by the majors. Look who came next.
50. HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Elvis, 1/10/56
Why?
It was his first hit for RCA and pulled him out of the southern country novelty
hay stack ... the rest is history.
What was the very first rock and roll record?
It just may be the greatest rhetorical music question of all time ...
Because the truth is, there simply ISN'T such a thing as "The First Rock And Roll Record."
The genre evolved over time, incorporating the best of Rhythm and Blues and Country and Western, throwing a new addictive beat behind it all ... took some blues and gospel roots, mixed in some street corner doo wop and some new southern rockabilly along with some good old fashioned New Orleans jazz, mixed it all together in a giant pot of rock and roll stew, stirred it up REAL good and, in the process, created perhaps the best example of "hybrid" imaginable ... the very definition of the term!
And the artists who really mattered just kept adding their own thing to the recipe. ... and then served it up all over the world.
Who invented Rock And Roll?
Nobody
Who enjoyed it?
Damn near Everybody ...
And so it goes.
Next week we’ll take a look back at what we were covering during the first week of February, 2002 … twenty years ago!!! (kk)
