transition to rock & doo wop
DESCRIPTION
class notes from MUS 330TRANSCRIPT
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