Sounds hopeful. There are many people, I am sure, who like music much older than they. I love a lot of pre 40s recordings, for instance.
Well, you know what they say. Everything old is eventually new again. But in 1985/86, twenty years ago, before the 16 year olds you speak of were even born, the idea of 50's rock n roll came and went. Maybe now is the time. Maybe in the 80's, 50's rock n roll was still too closely associated with the parents of kids back then but now, as usual, the kids are rejecting their parents' music, which would be from 60's and 70's, and embracing the 50's stuff. Personally, I wouldn't want to see it make a comeback. Stray Cats were fine but can we really hope for another Jerry Lee Lewis, another Little Richard, another Fats? Anything less than as good as that would be a waste of time.
I don't listen to anything current. I too am stuck in the 50's, 60's and 70's. The last genre to intrigue me was New Jack Swing of the 80's. It's a shame.
I don't generally care for disco. I like the music from Saturday Night Fever.
edgarblythe- I have a number of disco tapes that I use when I am working out. The beat really gets you moving!
Gotta confess. I spent lots of time in the disco back in the day and bought alot of dance music after hearing it on those great sound systems.
I love the night life
I love to boogie...
I get excercise on the job, and, having feet of lead, don't dance. I guess that's why I like music for the singing.
eoe- I have noticed something over the years. When it comes to Disco, there are two types of people..........Those who love it, and those who hate it. I wonder why?
The Chords
Carl and Claude Feaster (lead and baritone), Jimmy Keyes (first tenor), Floyd "Buddy" McRae (second tenor), and Ricky Edwards (bass) --- formed in 1951 in the Bronx, but weren't discovered until three years later, when they were spotted singing in a subway station, a performance that ultimately landed them a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
Jerry Wexler, Atlantic's top talent A&R man, had the Chords cover a Patti Page hit, "Cross Over the Bridge" (it was also covered by the Flamingos for Chance), but it was the B-side, "Sh-Boom," a swinging R&B vocal tune with a catchy intro made up of seemingly nonsensical syllables ("shh-boom, shh-boom, yadda da da yadda da da da da da") that caused considerably more commotion.
"Sh-Boom" is supposed to have been titled after the threat of an atom bomb explosion -- Shhhh-BOOM! -- which, in the midst of Cold War posturing in 1954, was a very real topic on the public's collective consciousness. However, this song also included the surreally optimistic message that everything was ultimately fine and as the rest of the lyrics suggested, "life could be a dream." By the end of June 1954, "Sh-boom" had climbed up the charts nationwide, charting on both the R&B (number five) and pop (number two) lists, a nearly unprecedented feat for its time. For all practical purposes -- along with the Crows' 1953 hit "Gee" (another upbeat B-side hit that DJs flipped over) -- "Sh-Boom" introduced the white audience to black R&B music for the first time.
Not everyone thought the song was a precursor of good things to come. Peter Potter, host of TV's popular "Juke Box Jury," was seemingly aghast at the state of this then-new trend in pop music and attacked "Sh-Boom" asking if anyone would remember it in five, let alone 20 years time and whether any record label would even think to re-release it in the future. The answers to his rhetorical questions were, of course, yes and yes.
JOHNNY ACE
According to James M. Salem: "The first solo black male R&B star to attract a white audience with material outside the novelty song tradition was Johnny Ace." His first record, My Song, was on the R&B charts nearly 5 months. He followed up until he had six straight hits. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton became his opening act.
At the height of his career he began playing Russian roulette during intermission of a performance on Christmas night in 1954, in Houston Texas. The gun fired; he killed himself. At this point in history Johnny Ace was famous nationally, but, only to blacks.
On the day he died Pledging My Love was advertised in Billboard Magazine. This record jumped from the R&B charts to the pop charts. It peaked on the pop charts in the top twenty. There were pop artists who "covered" his song, but, for once, the R&B version outsold all others.
Salem says Pledging My Love may be the first Rock 'N' Roll record. I disagree with this last statement, but Johnny Ace belongs on any list of rock pioneers.
I mistakenly credited Jesse Belvin with having composed "Good Night My Love," one major hit. I have known for years that he and his wife died in a fiery car crash. What I did not know was the following: He took part in the first fully integrated concert in Little Rock, Arkansas, history. Prior to the concert he recieved more than one death threat. He and his wife left immediately after the concert. It was determined that the accident that killed them was caused by blowouts on two tires. It was further determined that the tires had been tampered with. I don't believe any suspects were ever named.
Frederick Lincoln Wray, Jr. was born on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina. Link's family was very poor. As Link has said, "Elvis came from welfare, I came from below welfare." Link's mom was Shawnee Indian and his interest in music began when Link was 8. He was sitting in the porch trying to play guitar when an old black guitar player named HAMBONE walked by and taught him the sound of the blues. Link has said when HAMBONE started playing bottleneck slide guitar, hw was hooked. He knew what he wanted to do. At age 13, Link's family moved to Portsmouth Virginia. Link's first band was in the late 40's with his brothers Doug and Vernon, playing Western Swing, or as Link puts it "rock and roll before it was rock and roll." Vernon ("Lucky") Wray was the lead singer. This band also included Wray's good friend (and later Wrayman) Brantley "Shorty" Horton, as well as Dixie Neal (some articles spell his name Neale). The band became popular in town, backing many Country and Western artists of the day who came through town playing the various fairs and daily AM radio shows. At first, the band was called Lucky Wray and the Lazy Pine Wranglers, later they were the catchier Lucky Wray and the Palomino Ranch Hands. In 1955, the Wray's moved to the Washington DC area. Longtime country and western artists, they fast became influenced with the Big Beat. Link, hampered a bit in singing by his one lung, became the anchor of the band through his heavy guitar work. With Doug's heavy drumming, they were on to something new. They were regulars among the DC club circuit, playing such clubs as Stick's, Ray's Bar and Grill, Benny's Rocket Room and the Ozark Club.
Like many DC artists of the day, Link and his brothers were taken under the wing of Milt Grant, DC's version of Dick Clark. Milt hosted the weekly "MILT GRANT SHOW", a record hop shown on WTTG, Channel 5 in DC. At some point around this time, Vernon began a recording studio in DC, and his involvement in performing took a back seat to production work and artist management. The band now consisted of Link, his brother Doug on drums, and Shorty Horton on bass. The "Wraymen" became the house band on the Milt Grant Show, backing many national rock and roll artists of the day. hits inlude:
Rumble
Rawhide
The Swag
Lillian
Run Chicken Run
Alone
The Black Widow
Pancho Villa
Dance Contest
The Outlaw
Jack The Ripper
Ace Of Spades
LINK WRAY is alive and well and living on an island off the coast of Denmark. He continues to record and play music all over the world. He is entering his 7th decade of making music
And all I knew of Link Wray was the sound of his hit: "RUMBLE."
A big to-do is made on here for the rythem and blues influence on R 'n' R, but we can't overlook Rockabilly. The list includes Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson, and dozens of artists. Rockabilly Hall of Fame artists are listed here:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/Certificates.html
