History of Music

[Jersey Girl]

I'm going to go out on a limb here. with regard to to the term Rock n' Roll being a reference to sex and in the 50's a particular reference to car sex...here's the best I can do to replicate what I'm talking about. The lyrics in the following best express the reference...time stamped for your convenience.

Meat Loaf - Hot Patootie / Bless My Soul
https://youtu.be/icqmOwnv1oI?t=63

I shall not say more.

[Gadianton]

I can't give a better history of rock than others on this thread are already doing. I'm not sure what's driving your question about early rock being the same thing or a sub-genre. My answer, making my own assumptions about what you might be talking about, is to look for the most defining stylistic elements. If I were bothered by early rock being considered the same thing as classic rock, I'd look for what's most out of place in early rock. I don't have a broad exposure to early rock, and so with that qualification, I'd say the "boogie woogie" element is what makes early rock feel much different than the rock we're used to, and it was phased out of rock. Take the Beatles: "Hey Jude" could have been made in any decade from the time it was released until now and have been a hit that feels modern for the time. There are lots of remakes of older songs, that with updated instruments and recording could fool people as modern rock or pop. That wouldn't work for "rock around the clock" type of songs.

I'm curious though, you don't come across as that old of a guy, but you don't know anything about rock and never have listened to rock? Curious what you listen to, or how you grew up without being exposed to rock.

[Jersey Girl]

DT you wanted to know how early rock influenced American culture. That's a difficult question to answer. Elvis, for example, paved the way for many a Black artist's already conceived music. He took the music already penned by Little Richard and jettisoned it into mainstream music.

He also took male worn mascara, eye shadow, and hair dye into mainstream. Something Little Richard already used and likely was borrowed by Elvis whose first appearances were done with his original brown hair.

Little Richard:



Elvis natural hair and eye make up:



Elvis dyed black with eye make up only a few months later.



Because he achieved such a nationwide prominence, I think he reinforced and made more popular the DA hair style. DA= Duck's Ass. Polite people called it a Duck Tail. Trust me, I had a teenager living in my home at that time and the teens of the era referred to as a DA.





I think that Bill Haley wore a DA as well, Buddy Holly sort of had a DA. But come on, people. None of them wore it with sheer sex appeal dripping off them than this one right here:




The adults didn't know what to do with or about Elvis. Some of them burned his records. He could sing gospel like an angel that is for sure. And yet, he wore make up, dressed flamboyantly and perhaps his greatest sin was that he MOVED his body to the music.

The teens knew just what to do with him.

Rock n' Roll.

[Jersey Girl]

Early Elvis singing like an angel.

Elvis Presley "Peace In The Valley" on The Ed Sullivan Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKHVtJcG3Is


DT all the statements I made about Elvis and adults of that era...when the Beatles invaded, they said the same thing about them. Clothes, music, AND hair cuts.

[Jersey Girl]

I don't have a broad exposure to early rock, and so with that qualification, I'd say the "boogie woogie" element is what makes early rock feel much different than the rock we're used to, and it was phased out of rock.

That's exactly what I referred to when I mentioned syncopation. There's something called a back beat going on there and I don't know how to quite explain it but I'd bet that MeDot can explain it good and proper.

I'd give it an 85. It has a good beat and it's easy to dance to.

^^^^Cultural reference from what DT is calling early Rock.

[Jersey Girl]

DT!! Ask MeDot to explain the technological advancements in early Rock...electric guitars and amps...that sort of thing. How the bands were comprised. Example: Elvis started out with only a slap (?) base player and a second guitar player besides himself...then later (but still early in his career) added drums.

MeDot explain if you will!

[Jersey Girl]

Additional note of non-interest to everyone on the planet: I can recall these things about music and I swear that I can remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV which was high up, watching one of the early Elvis performances on Ed Sullivan (I do have a memory going back to age 2 so that's entirely possible that I could recall it), but I can't remember what I did an hour ago.

True story.

[Jersey Girl]

DT I'm going to hang back here until the others have commented. I know I tend to dominate a topic like this (because all sorts of things pop into my head one after another) and I don't mean to. See if you can come up with some narrower questions for us? Thanks!

[doubtingthomas]

Curious what you listen to, or how you grew up without being exposed to rock.

I do like the Beatles and some Elvis songs, I do know something, what I meant is that I don't know a lot about Rock.

DT you wanted to know how early rock influenced American culture. That's a difficult question to answer. Elvis, for example, paved the way for many a Black artist's already conceived music. He took the music already penned by Little Richard and jettisoned it into mainstream music.

He also took male worn mascara, eye shadow, and hair dye into mainstream. Something Little Richard already used and likely was borrowed by Elvis whose first appearances were done with his original brown hair.

Interesting. There is so much to go over.

I will do all my reading, I'll probably go to sleep at 2 in the morning .

I promise I won't ask a lot of questions, I know you are busy

[doubtingthomas]

Big Mama Thornton Hound Dog. Elvis Presley had to hear it here first. Ditto Janis Joplin for Ball and Chain.

Great. Are you familiar with the Drumming Styles?

From the intro of this song, would you know which drum style is being used (it was borrowed from Jazz)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNBRnkAbhys


Are you familiar with how to count the beats of a song? I would appreciate it if you help me to know how many beats are in this song. There is a repetition, we can count up. When we hear the section repeat, we can start over at 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpbbuaIA3Ds

As I told Jersey Girl, I promise not to ask a lot of questions.