MMC3702 Exam 2
The Stray Cats
A 1970-1980 rockabilly band that included Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker, and Slim Jim Phantom -Sang with Carl Perkins in the 1980s, which began the revival of Perkins' career
La Bamba
A biopic about Ritchie Valens in 1987 -Los Lobos did a cover of the feature song, which became a #1 hit
Pat Boone
A derivative artist that found success by covering other artists' songs (especially black artists) and making a bigger profit than the original musicians -However, he did help the original artists gain exposure in the long run and helped gain interest in the rock 'n' roll genre -Seen as a part of the New Orleans Dance Blues genre
Norman Petty
Buddy Holly's manager and producer -Had a studio in New Mexico that Holly recorded at so he could get signed at a label -His wife played instruments and helped with the recordings
Northern Band Rock 'n' Roll
Rock genre concerned with high-spirited feelings of togetherness -Biggest example: Bill Haley and His Comets who combined country and western, Dixieland, and the old style rhythm and blues
New Orleans Dance Blues
Rock genre known for loose rhythms and was less mechanical than northern band rock 'n' roll records -The singers were more prominent -Biggest examples: Little Richard and Fats Domino (and Pat Boone for popularizing their music although he is derivative) -Big on piano
Memphis Rockabilly
Rock genre that is seen as "most complete" of the early rock styles because it was a marriage between rhythm and blues and country and western -As a result, this is rock in its "truest and most authentic form"
"Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel"
1. Hit single in 1957 that was originally sung by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton and Elvis' cover spent eleven weeks at the top of the charts -Elvis' version is the first record in history to hit #1 in pop, country and western, and rhythm and blues charts 2. Single from Elvis that was another #1 hit in 1956
Blackboard Jungle
1955 movie that featured Bill Haley and the Comets' song "Rock Around the Clock" (1954) -Marked a cultural shift in America that cemented the connection between teen rebellion and rock 'n' roll music -Cross-media hit -Influenced the many films to follow that may not have included rock music but had the 'rock attitude' that was targeted at the youth market and consequently became role models and social influences for teens ("Wild One" (1953), "Rebel Without a Cause" (1954), and "Rock Around the Clock" (1956))
"If I Can Dream"
A new song introduced during the special that Elvis recorded in Memphis -Famous for its direct quotation from MLK Jr. (recorded soon after MLK Jr. died) -Famous story: Col. Parker told Elvis to close the show with a Christmas or well-known song and Elvis decided to sing this instead - possibly the only time he went against Parker's wishes -After recording this song, he said he'd never again sing a song he didn't believe in
The Travelling Wilbury's
A supergroup that included Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and George Harrison -Some of their songs: "Handle with Care" (1988) and "End of the Line" (1988)
The Highwaymen
A supergroup that was created in the 1980s that included Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson
The Winter Dance Party
A tour featuring Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper that led to the tragic plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 -The tour was poorly planned with over 20 cities to perform at that led to a zig zag travel during a winter storm on a bus with a broken heater -Buddy Holly decided to schedule a private plane to the next destination after their last show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa with his bandmates -His bandmates switched seats for the bus with The Big Bopper who had the flu and Ritchie Valens who won a coin toss -Plan crash cause: poor weather and pilot error
Ritchie Valens
Arguably the first Mexican-American rock star -One of the artists that died in the plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 -Only had an 8-month career -Big hits: "Donna" (1958) and "La Bamba" (1958) -"La Bamba" - a biopic about him in 1987, and the Los Lobos cover became a #1 hit
Ike Turner
Arranged a song with Sam Phillips - "Rocket 88" (1951), but Jackie Brenston got the song credit because he was the vocals -His meeting with Phillips is seen as the most important moment in rock history -Song has distorted sound because the record was damaged on the way to Memphis
Marion Keisker
Assistant to Sam Phillips at Sun Records -Mostly responsible for discovering Elvis; first person to record him -Talked Phillips into giving him an audition after Elvis paid to record a song for his mother ("My Happiness")
"Rock Around the Clock"
Bill Haley and His Comets' hit single that took a year to catch on and then became a #1 hit in 1955 -Was the first rock record to top the Billboard -Found success due to its feature in the 1955 movie "Blackboard Jungle"
"Maybellene"
Chuck Berry's first #1 hit -"Goosed up" country song, inspired by Bob Wills' song "Ida Red" -Song name found from empty makeup container on studio floor -Berry recorded it with Chess before signing a contract per Leonard Chess' request
"Summertime Blues"
Eddie Cochran's biggest hit (#8) and most well-known song -A rock classic about teen alienation in the 1950s, but the lyrics are somewhat timeless -Has become a hit for many decades after him from covers (The Who, Blue Cheer, etc.)
Million Dollar Quartet
Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins had an impromptu jazz recording session -40 titles recorded -Significant because it brought four future legends of rock together
Sam Phillips after Elvis
Elvis leaves this individual's label and makes him $35k from RCA to receive Elvis' contract and Elvis got an additional $5k -This allowed this label owner to branch out and find more big artists with the money made from RCA such as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison
The Comeback Special
Elvis' Christmas TV special titled "Elvis" that was on NBC on Dec. 3, 1968 after it seemed like his career was over -Huge made-for-TV live concert of his hit singles and his new recordings from Memphis -NBC's #1 rated show of the year capturing 42% of total viewers -First live performance in 7 years - sang his heart out, perhaps because he felt like it was his last shot
Graceland
Elvis' home in Memphis that is the second most visited house in America behind only the White House -Memphis renamed the street in front: "Elvis Presley Boulevard"
Col. Tom Parker
Elvis' manager -Seen as the 'villain of the story' -Elvis met him in 1955 after he was just starting his talent management business and persuaded Elvis to let him be his manager -Got Elvis to agree to leave Sun Records and move to a bigger label (RCA) -Exploited Elvis (took half of all of Elvis' earnings even after his death) -Some say he's the reason Elvis became a superstar
Carl Perkins
First superstar at Sun Records (Elvis didn't become a star until RCA) -Great guitar player -Pure rockabilly sound -Major hit: "Blue Suede Shoes" (1956) - #1 country chart, #2 pop chart, and #3 R&B chart -Lost his popularity for a while but had a revival in the 1980s with the band Stray Cats -1985: Showtime special that was a tribute to him where new generation rockers sang with him
Aloha From Hawaii
Groundbreaking mass media extravaganza from Elvis on Jan. 14, 1973 -First global satellite broadcast -Reached about 1.5 billion viewers around the world -Most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in TV history -His elaborate costume became the most recognized example of Elvis' latter day persona (jumpsuits) -Some call it his second big comeback
Scotty Moore and Billy Black
Guitarist and bassist that both teamed up with Elvis during his career-making sessions with Sam Phillips at Sun Records -Had an impromptu recording session/audition with Elvis before they recorded together in the studio
Memphis Recording Service
Known as the delivery room of rock 'n' roll -Opened by Sam Phillips at 706 Union Ave. in Memphis, TN -Recorded music and sold them to other labels -Recorded "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats - some argue this is the first rock song -Specialized in recording black blues singers -Later made his own label
Elvis Presley
Most important figure in rock 'n' roll; first guy to find the 'magic mixture' (the catalyst) -Hit the holy grail of the record business with the crossover (black music in a white style and vice versa) -Catalyst for the cultural revolution of rock 'n' roll: he made it a touchstone of youth culture, which led to new acceptance and appreciation of black culture through a white person -First record: "That's All Right Mama" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (1954)
At Folsom Prison
One of Johnny Cash's live comeback albums (1968) that was recorded at a prison -One of his songs with the prison's name in the title became a Top 40 hit again upon the album's release -The album was a milestone for him and for the genre for its sheer uniqueness -Ended up doing a second live album afterwards
Chicago Rhythm and Blues
One of the five rock genres known for its loud, heavily amplified sound, shouted to a socking beat -Big players: Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley -Many of the artists who had recorded around Memphis before Presley (Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, and James Cotton) moved to Chicago in the early 1950s where they helped Muddy Waters and others develop the Chicago styles -Chess Records recorded many of these artists
Little Richard
One of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll -Known as the architect of rock 'n' roll and one of the first to put funk into the music -Set the standard for rock wild men -Would stand up and jump on the piano while he played it -Tested boundary between masculinity and femininity -Wop-Bop-a-Loop-Bop -Collaborator: Robert "Bumps" Blackwell (songwriter and producer) -Some of his hits: "Tutti Frutti" (1955), "Lucille" (1957), "Good Golly, Miss Molly" (1958) -Featured in film "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956), which helped popularize and celebrate rock -"Elvis may be the king of rock and roll, but I am the Queen" -Quit rock to become a minister and now goes back and forth between ministry and rock (still alive)
Bo Diddley
One of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll -Recorded in Chicago for Chess Records -Broke through with his first hit in 1955 -Known for technical innovations such as his use of a rectangular guitar (his trademark) -Known as "The Originator" - he created one of the most recognizable beats that is named after him (it's just one chord repeated over again) -Two of his R&B hits: "[his name]" (1955) and "I'm a Man" ( 1955) -Only Top 40 pop hit was a joke song: "Say Man" (1959) -Had multiple female guitar players in his band
The Big Bopper
Originally a radio DJ and had just become a full-time musician soon before he died in the plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 -Had tongue-in-cheek lyrics and an exuberant personality -Coined the term "music video" in 1954 (long before MTV) -"Chantilly Lace" (1958) - #6 hit -Wrote songs for #1 pop hits for Johnny Preston and George Jones
Johnny Cash
Part of the Class of '55 at Sun Records -Sam Phillips told him to "go home and sin" before he would sign him because he sounded too gospel at first -His approach to rockabilly centered around 2 folk music genres: travel and prison songs ("plight of the downtrodden") -Best described as the embodiment of a flawed and contradictory America ('the man in black') -Some songs: "Cry! Cry! Cry!" (1955), "I Walk the Line" (1956), and a Columbia recording that is his most well-known song, "Ring of Fire" (1963) -Made a comeback with live albums in prisons -Another comeback in the 1980s when he joined the band The Highway Men -Made some of his best albums in the 1990s-2000s with American Recordings produced by Rick Rubin
Roy Orbison
Part of the Class of '55 at Sun Records -Tragic figure: Wife died in motorcycle accident and his two children died in separate fires -Sam Phillips pushed him into the rockabilly mold but came into his own when he left the label ("Ooby Dooby" was the only hit that charted at Sun at #56) -Had 22 hits in the Top 40 in 5 years at Monument Records with his desperate vulnerability heard in his lyrics and voice ('poet laureate of the lonely') -Some of his hits: "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Crying" (1961), "Running Scared" (1961), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964) -Made a movie that was a flop and his next albums were a flop until his resurgence in the 1980s -Was a part of a film concert: "A Black and White Night" (1988),which was a hit -Joined a supergroup band: The Travelling Wilburys -Died at 52 at the peak of his resurgence
Jerry Lee Lewis
Part of the Class of '55 at Sun Records (only one who is still alive) -Known for his singing and wild performance style -Played piano (changing the tune of rockers with a guitar in hand) -Had R&B, boogie woogie, country, and rockabilly sounds -Some of his hits: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957), "Great Balls of Fire" (1957), and "High School Confidential" (1958), which was featured in the film by the same name -Called best raw performer in the history of rock -Married his 13-year-old cousin and his career was derailed -2 decades later he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and has made two albums since: Last Man Standing (2006) and Mean Old Man (2010) -"Great Balls of Fire" - biopic about his life
Dewey Phillips
Popular DJ at WHBQ station that played Elvis' first single "That's All Right Mama" (a cover), which made him a local celebrity (helped Elvis gain exposure) -Elvis was the first white performer that he regularly played on the radio -Had Elvis come to the station for an on-air interview and asked what high school he went to so the audience would know he's white (segregated schools)
Sam Phillips
Producer, label owner, and talent scout throughout the 1950s -Owner of Sun Records and before that, Memphis Recording Service -Most notably credited with discovering Elvis and many others -Some see him as the person who made the first true rock record ("Rocket 88") -Part of the first group inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame
Wanda Jackson
Queen of Rockabilly and/or the First Lady of Rockabilly -Was an aspiring country singer until her boyfriend at the time (Elvis Presley) talked her into rock 'n' roll -Some songs: "Let's Have a Party" (1960), "Mean Mean Man" (1961), and "Funnel of Love" (1961) -Had a career resurgence after being inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2009 (two albums)
Eddie Cochran
Rockabilly artist -Started with country and western -"Twenty Flight Rock" (1957) - featured in the 1956 film "The Girl Can't Help It" and played a legendary role in forming The Beatles (John Lennon was impressed that Paul McCartney knew all the words to this song) -"Summertime Blues" (1958) - his biggest hit -Died from a car accident while touring in London in 1960
Gene Vincent
Rockabilly musician that got into the genre after serving in the navy -Was a big influence on The Beatles (the artists covered many of his songs like "Blue Jean Bop") -"Be-Bop-A-Lula" (1956) - his best known song that was featured in the 1956 film "The Girl Can't Help It" and was a big chart hit -Crippled in a crash while on tour with Cochran in London in 1960 - his career never recovered
Charlie Rich
Sam Phillips' great what-might-have-been artist -He started at Sun Records as a rockabilly artist but left for Nashville to become a country star
Sun Records
Sam Phillips' label that he opened in 1952 -Called this because it meant a new day, a new opportunity -The little indie label that changed history -First signings: Rufus Thomas and The Prisonaires -Would later sign: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, and Charlie Rich
Bill Haley and His Comets
Singer and band known for fast tempos and used big band swing approach musically -A prominent group for the northern band rock 'n' roll genre -Started with covers of R&B songs that the band 'countrified' -Their big hit: "Rock Around the Clock" (1954) -The song found success due to its feature in the 1955 movie "Blackboard Jungle"
Dorothy LoBostrie
Songwriter that was hired to revise/clean up the original lyrics of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" that would be appropriate to release that Blackwell found, and released her edited version
Buddy Holly
Songwriter, guitar player, and innovator that influenced many despite his 2 year career due to his untimely death (plane crash) -Inspired by Elvis and went to the rockabilly genre -Joined The Crickets after leaving Decca Records -1955-1956: his learning period where he did covers (imitation) -He hired Norman Petty to become his manager/producer and recorded songs at his studio -Signed at two record labels: Coral (as a solo artist) and Brunswick (in The Crickets) -"That'll Be the Day" (1957) - his first and biggest hit -Moved to NY, married, and left his band and Petty until he needed money and had trouble getting royalties so went on the Winter Dance Party Tour where he ended up dying in a plane crash (Feb. 3, 1959)
Chuck Berry
The Father of Rock 'n' Roll -He wrote, sang, and played his own music (a rock pioneer) -Known for his duckwalk and guitar playing -Had several stints in prison (one for violating the Mann Act) -Johnnie Johnson was his piano player for 28 years and it is said that this rocker 'borrowed' Johnson's piano arrangements for his guitar -Helped break down rock's color barrier -Some songs: his first hit, "Maybellene" (1955), "School Day" (1957), "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), "Rock 'n' Roll Music" (1957) -Was rediscovered by the next generation rockers (especially The Beatles and The Rolling Stones), which got him the father of rock status - both bands covered more of his songs than any other rock 'n' roll artist -"My Ding-a-Ling" was his only #1 hit single, which was recorded and released without his knowledge and one of the few songs he didn't write -"Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll" - a documentary about him that shows his 60th birthday concert/a tribute to him
The Crickets
The band Buddy Holly was a part of -The model of a rock band because it had a singer, bass guitar, lead guitar, and drums -Became a trio after the rhythm guitarist left for school -Buddy Holly left this band and created a new version when he went on the Winter Dance Party Tour
Don McLean; "American Pie"
Writer and singer of the hit song that was influenced by the plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959