Day 2 Background on life in the 1950s What is the music
industry today? Independent Labels regional Major Labels RCA, CBS,
Decca, & Capital Records Marketing Categories: Regional vs.
National Development of the lightweight unbreakable 45 rpm record
Top 40 Radio was created
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Day 3: Sounds of the Cities First stop New Orleans Cosimo
Matassa (J&M Studio) Antoine Fats Domino Little Richard
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Fats Domino Piano Charted 36 Top 40 pop hits Transcended racism
Had an elegant gentleman persona
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Little Richard Originally from Macon, GA Contract bought out
for $600 Went to New Orleans to record at J&M Studio Most
outrageous rocker First to use mascara
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Next stop Los Angeles Johnny Otis Bobby Day The Champs Ritchie
Valens
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Johnny Otis First to make successful transition from jazz to
rock n roll Big hit was Willie and the Hand Jive Catalyst for
African American culture and talent
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Bobby Day Rockin Robin
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The Champs Drew on Mexican rhythms Tequila
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Ritchie Valens First Chicano rock n roll star Died 3 months
before his 18 th birthday in plane crash with Buddy Holly & Big
Bopper (February 3, 1959) Known as the day the music died La
Bamba
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Day 4: Sounds of the Cities Moving on to Chicago Chess Records
Bo Diddley Chuck Berry Vee Jay Records AndCincinnati King
Records
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Bo Diddley First instrument was the violin Usually performed in
all black with a black Stetson hat Known for shave and a haircut
diddy Performed with oddly shaped guitars
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Chuck Berry King of Rock n Roll?? Was told he sounded too
country for a black man Songs were too socially relevant for many
people Could relate to a white teen culture R&Rs first guitar
hero
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Cincinnati King Records Crossroads for blues and country music
Encouraged c&w artists and r&b artists to record each
others songs
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Day 5: The Gospel Connection R & B artists did not perform
in church. Gospel singers were expected to steer clear of devils
music. The Dominoes
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Ray Charles The Genius Blinded by glaucoma as a child Did not
see a contradiction between gospel and r&b 58-year career, won
12 Grammy Awards He virtually created the gospel blues style
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Day 6: Doo Wop The Intersection of Gospel, Jazz & Pop Doo
Wop was the product of urban vocal harmony groups, mostly African
American and almost invariably male. Influenced by gospel, jazz,
pop, and blues styles. Group Names (bird groups and car groups) The
Ravens
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One Hit Wonders New York City was the center for doo wop. The
Clovers Love Potion No. 9
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The Coasters Major hit makers from 1950-1961 Yakety Yak Charlie
Brown Poison Ivy The Drifters
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Race in Doo Wop Groups Italian Americans Frankie Lymon and the
Teenagers Johnny Maestro and the Crests Dion and the Belmonts The
Dell Vikings
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Gender Balance Only a few groups had females All-female groups
were even fewertheir songs defined male-female relationships Doo
Wop ended in 1961 Those Oldies But Goodies Little Caesar and the
Romans
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Day 7: Rockabilly (The Country Strain) Sam Phillips Started the
Memphis Recording Service in 1950 Cost $2 per side Founded Sun
Records in Memphis, TN in 1953 Wanted to filter the African
American style through white performers, making it more accessible
to the mainstream audience Bill Haley & His Comets Balding and
looked somewhat middle-aged Rock Around the Clock sold 17 million
copies
Slide 23
Elvis Presley Born to poor, white Mississippi parents on
January 8, 1935 At Sun Records he recorded 10 sides (each of the 5
records had a r&b song backed with a c&w song) Contract
sold to RCA-Victor for $35,000 Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, &
Dont Be Cruel Was not a songwriter Elvis the Pelvis Joined the Army
from 1958-1960 Charted 149 Top 40 hits and 92 albums on the charts
Also starred in movies
Slide 24
Carl Perkins The son of poor, white southern parents Blue Suede
Shoes Said, Rockabilly is a country mans song with a black mans
rhythm. Career ended after he was nearly killed in a car crash. In
1964, the Beatles invited him to a recording session where they
recorded 3 of his songs. Day 8: Rockabilly continued
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Jerry Lee Lewis Known for his boogie- powered pumping piano Had
blonde, curly hair Turned out three Top 10 pop hits in a row for
Sun Records, Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On, Great Balls of Fire, and
Breathless
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Johnny Cash Started at Sun Records in 1955 After a few country
hits, I Walk the Line became a Top 20 pop hit in 1956 Switched to
Columbia Records in 1958 Career included gold and platinum records,
films, and his own TV show Died in 2003 from complications from
diabetes
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The Million Dollar Quartet Elvis Presley Jerry Lee Lewis Johnny
Cash Carl Perkins
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Buddy Holly Enjoyed greater success in Great Britain than in US
Was a Texas-born rockabilly who reached the pop audience Signed to
Decca Records in 1955, wore coke-bottle glasses The Crickets Thatll
Be the Day in 1957 Never had a country hit Died in plane crash Day
9: Rockabilly continued
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The Reaction to Rock n Roll The Eisenhower Era Dwight D.
Eisenhower was conservative, old- fashioned, bland, polite, and
conventional Only bland music was released Family Life in the 1950s
Teenagers rebelled Rock n Roll represented everything that white,
middle-class parents feared (the devils music, NAACP strategy for
recruiting young whites, or a communist plot to undermine the moral
fiber of the younger generation)
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Day 10: The Established Powers Fight Back Revenues from record
sales climbed from $213 million in 1954 to $603 million in 1959 The
pop market, and music industry, tripled during the 1950s Rock n
Roll was here to stay War on Rock Established powers of the music
industry joined forces with the US Government in an attempt to
suppress the music ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors,
& Publishers
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Covering the Bases Cover records not only altered the style of
the music but also the lyrics Were released during the expected
chart life of the original Often outsold the original How could
cover records be beneficial? Pat Boone Built his career sanitizing
the classics This kept him from being inducted into the Rock n Roll
Hall of Fame
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Pop Diversions U.S. Calypso RCA and Columbia records led the
push Harry Belafonte Banana Boat, established the tone and content
of the style Popular Folk Music Kingston Trio Clean-cut image,
brightly colored matching shirts, and upscale college humor
(white). Signed to Capital Records in 1957, released 18 albums that
made the Top 20
Slide 33
Schlock Rock Philadelphia was the major hub 3 Independent
Labels: Chancellor, Cameo/Parkway, and Swan Transformed local
teenagers into teen idols Focused on image, not talent
(boy-next-door)
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Day 11: Schlock Rock continued Italian American artists Fabian,
Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Freddy Cannon, Bobby Darin, Annette
Funicello Felt compelled to Anglicize their names Chubby Checker
African American superstar The Twist was the first dance craze
Original name was Ernest Evans
Slide 35
American Bandstand TV Show that began in 1952 as a local
Philadelphia broadcast on an ABC affiliate Dick Clark took over the
show in 1956 and was known as the perpetual teenager In the early
years, only white performers appeared on the show Promoted rock n
roll via TV
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Televisions Greatest Hits Mickey Mouse Club Launched Annette
Funicellos R&R career Started the mouseketeer craze The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Starred Ricky Nelson A Teenagers
Romance went to #2
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Songwriters Paul Anka Diana Neil Sedaka Calendar Girl Brill
Building (1619 Broadway, NYC)
Slide 38
Day 14: The Official Attack on Rock n Roll By the mid 1950s,
R&R had become the focal point for all of societys fears of
violence, juvenile delinquency, and general moral decline. R&R
brought styles of music that were considered class- and
race-specific into the mainstream. Religious organizations supplied
lists of inappropriate records. Towns set up review boards to
screen new releases. Police confiscated offensive records and
jukeboxes. Payola paying for play Payola Hearings
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Surfs Up! Surf music emerged in the early 1960s. Vocal and
Instrumental varieties Only lasted from 1962-1964 Made R&R
white and middle class. Surfing = easy going lifestyle British
Invasion wiped out the genre
Slide 40
Surf Groups Surfaris Wipe Out (only instruments) Guitar-Based
Groups Duane Eddy and the Rebels The Ventures Established the
instrumentation of the classic R&R quartet electric guitar,
rhythm, bass guitar, & drums
Slide 41
The Beach Boys Defined Surf Music A Family Affair Wrote songs
that elevated the sport to a metaphor for the American Dream Surfin
USA Signed with Capital Records in 1962 Brian Wilson was the groups
main song writer, arranger, and producer