Transition To Rock 1946-1954

1951 was the Turning Point, More European-Americans listening to African-American Music

Why? Just Listen.

Transition

Pop Music- Saccharine Ballads, Novelty Songs

R&B - Jump Blues, Doo Wop, Gospel Influenced Singers

1951 Bill Haley’s Country Band Covered Rocket 88

1. Too Young - Nat King Cole

2. Because of You - Tony Bennett

3. How High The Moon - Les Paul

4. Come On-A My House - Clooney

5. Be My Love - Mario Lanza

6. On Top of Old Smokey - Weavers

7. Cold Cold Heart - Bennett

8. If - Perry Como

9. Loveliest Night of the Year - Lanza

10. Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page Doggie

Top 10 of 1951

Top 10 R&B 19511. Sixty Minute Man - Dominoes

2. Black Night - Charles Brown

3. Teardrops From My Eyes - Ruth Brown

4. Chains of Love - Joe Turner

5. Don’t You Know I Love You - Clovers

6. Please Send Me Someone to Love - Sledge

7. I’m Waiting Just For You - Millinder

8. Glory of Love - 5 Keys

9. Rocket 88 - Brenston (Ike Turner)

10. Rockin’ Blues - Johnny Otis

R&B and C&W

Billboard Magazine Changed Chart Names in June 1949“Harlem Hit Parade” Became “Rhythm and Blues” (R&B)“Hillbilly”Became “Country & Western” (C&W)Yes, C&W and R&B are Four Kinds of Music

Influence of Radio

AM Radio Waves Bounce off the Ionosphere, travel 1,000s of miles

Listeners Across the Country Could Receive R&B Radio Broadcasts

White Teens Could Hear R&B, and Could Order By Mail

Radio

WDIA Memphis Hired all African-American DJs 10/25/48

WLAC Nashville Played some R&B beginning in 1943, (Randy’s Records)

WATL Atlanta

WJMR New Orleans “Poppa Stoppa”

Most Were White Imitators

Alan Freed

1st Important Rock N Roll DJ

1st Applied the Term “Rock ‘n’ Roll” to the Music Known as “Rhythm & Blues”

The Term Rock’n’Roll“Here was thy father's bed, here in my breast; Thou art the next of blood, and 'tis thy right: Lo! in this hollow cradle take thy rest, My Throbbing heart shall rock thee day and

night: There shall not be one minute in a hour wherein I will not kiss my sweet love's flower

Venus and Adonis, by William Shakespeare

The Term Rock’n’RollDo, my Johnny Boker, Come rock and roll me

over;Do, my Johnny Boker do! Do, my Johnny Boker, the skipper is a rover; Do, my

Johnny Boker do! Do, my Johnny Boker, the mate he's never sober; Do,

my Johnny Boker do! Do, my Johnny Boker, the bo'sun is a tailor; Do, my

Johnny Boker do! Do, my Johnny Boker, come roll me in the clover;

Do, my Johnny Boker do!

The Term Rock’n’Roll

My Daddy Rocks Me With One Steady Roll (1922) Trixie Smith

Rock That Thing (1929) Lil Johnson

Rock Me Mama (1929) Ikey Robinson

Rocking and Rolling (1930) Bob Robinson

I'm A Steady Rollin' Man (1937) Robert Johnson

Rock Me Daddy (1937) Georgia White

Rock It For Me (1938) Mildred Bailey

More Songs

Rock Awhile - (1949) Goree CarterGood Rockin’ Tonight - (1947) Wynonie

HarrisRockin’ The House - (1947) Memphis SlimRock The Joint (1949) Jimmy PrestonAround the Clock Blues - (1947) Joe TurnerWe’re Gonna Rock, We’re Gonna Roll -

(1947) Wild Bill Moore

Alan Freed

Cleveland Record Store Owner Alerted Him in 1951

Moon Dog Show (WJW 7/4/51)

1952 Moondog Coronation Ball, Interracial Rock Concert

Moved to New York (WINS) 1954

Teens Buying R&B

Alan Freed

Sued by Street Musician Moondog Hardin, Forced Him to Find A New Name

“Alan Freed’s Rock and Roll Party”

Becomes #1 in 1954

Rock Concerts & Riots

1st Rock Movies

Rock Concerts

Riot in Boston

Rock Movies

Alan Freed

Radio Fires Him

TV Show Causes Racial Tension

Payola Scandal Ends Career

Covers: Transition or Segregation

What is it?

Is It Racial?

Is It Capitalism?

The Publishing Business?

Was It A Transition Period?

1954-55 Kept R&B Off Mainstream Radio

Covers

1954

“Sh-Boom” - Chords/Crew Cuts

Earth Angel - Penguins/Crew Cuts

Goodnight Sweetheart - Spaniels/McGuire S.

Shake Rattle & Roll- Joe Turner/Bill Haley

Sincerely - Moonglows/McGuire S.

Covers

Served as Transition, Helped Develop A Desire For More, Real R&B

Pat Boone’s Covers of Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” Didn’t Work

Independent Record Labels

Called “Indies”

Specialized in Fringe Musics: R&B, C&W, Ethnic

Atlantic, King, Chess, Modern, Imperial, Specialty, Sun

Operated by Individual, or Brothers

Indies

Successful Because:

1. Small size = Easier to Respond to Trends

2. Low Overhead, Profit from Moderate Sales

3. Avoided Paying Royalties

4. One-Man Decision Process

Transition Artists

Ruth Brown

• “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean”

• Early Use of Tambourine (from Gospel)

The Clovers

• Good Lovin’ (early Doo Wop)

Transition Artists

Joe Turner

• Kansas City Blues Shouter

• “Honey Hush” also “Shake Rattle & Roll”

Ray Charles

• Before Gospel

• “Mess Around”

Doo Wop

Based on Earlier Styles of Mills Brothers, Ink Spots, Golden Gate Gospel Quartet

Gospel Groups began to Cross Over in the Late 1940s

“Sh-Boom” Top 10 in 1954

Doo Wop Characteristics

1. Falsetto Lead Singer

2. Prominent Bass Voice

3. Riff Style Accompaniment Using Scat Syllables

4. Early Doo Wop used 12-Bar Blues

5. Later used I-vi-IV-V progression

6. Acapella (no instruments)

7. Triple Subdivision of the Beat

Doo Wop

Group Names: Birds, Jewels, Flowers, Cars, Numbers, Musical Names

Doo Wop Indies: Atlantic, King, Rama, Gee, Gone

Often Groups were Engineered by Record Men: The Drifters Story

Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller

Most Prolific Writers of the Period

Many Hits for Elvis & Drifters (p81)

Their Story: “Smokey Joes Café” Robins/Coasters

The Platters

Modeled on the Ink Spots

Had #1 Hits 1955-1956

Borderline Doo Wop, Lack of Syllables

“Only You”

“The Great Pretender”

Classic Doo Wop 1955-58

George Goldner recorded 93 Doo Wop Groups

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers

“Why Do Fools Fall in Love” 1956

Other Classic Doo Wop

• Heartbeats “A Thousand Miles Away” 1956

• “In the Still of the Night” Five Satins

• “Book of Love” Monotones 1958

• Classic Doo Wop Fades from Popularity

Neo Doo Wop

1960 a Doo Wop Revival

Became “Mannered” Characteristics were “larger than life”

“Blue Moon” Marcels 1961

“Barbara Ann” The Regents

“Daddy’s Home” Shep & the Limelites

Doo Wop Ends

Replaced by Motown Vocal Groups

Today, Boy Bands Continue