Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll

[mjzee]

The mangy, road-stained group of rockers tumbled out of the Rolls-Royce limo onto the lawn of a tidy brick house in rural Maryland. It was the fall of 1967. Flush with cash from a show nearby, the members of the group Canned Heat had taken a detour for their biggest score yet. The promised stash had the beardos drooling: thousands of rare 78-rpm records, one of the best collections of prewar blues on the planet. Here was the stuff they craved most, like "Canned Heat Blues" from 1928, a song about the perils of drinking Sterno—an alcohol-based cooking fuel that, for down-and-outers, served a double purpose. It was that song, heard a few years earlier after they first caught the collecting bug, that had given the band its name.

Their host, a crew-cut Goldwater Republican, hated hippies and didn't allow rock 'n' roll in his house. But he made an exception for these longhairs because they shared his infatuation with country blues. That, and he had a nose for a deal. A beat-to-hell copy of "Pigmeat Blues" by Smokehouse Charley went for $50, followed by stacks of other choice records. When the dust settled, the group had spent nearly $10,000, almost as much as the fee they earned at the Woodstock festival a couple of years later.

More here:

WSJ

[Big Beat Steve]

Might have been an interesting read but would you really want all of us others to take out a "flexible subscription" just to read this?

Even your quote shows more than one could read on the site.

In short, this link is of little use if you haven't signed up to that particular site.

So ... ?

FWIW, this review is much more "accessible "(in the strictest sense f the word):

http://www.fretboardjournal.com/blog/%E2%80%9C-blues-had-baby-and-they-named-it-rock-and-roll%E2%80%9D-review-john-milward%E2%80%99s-crossroads

Edited August 10, 2013 by Big Beat Steve

[danasgoodstuff]

Yes, the blues (of various sorts) are part of the 'roots of rock', but only part - so are lot of (usually) less romantic things...and listing ingrediants ain't cooking! So I ain't subscribing to this, in any sense.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Yes, the blues (of various sorts) are part of the 'roots of rock', but only part - so are lot of (usually) less romantic things...and listing ingrediants ain't cooking! So I ain't subscribing to this, in any sense.

Yes, I agree.

A very interesting book on this is 'What was the first Rock n Roll record?' by Jim Dawson & Steve Propes - 50 essays about records that came out up to 'Heartbreak hotel' which contributed something to the mixture. A personal selection, of course, but nonetheless interesting. Covers a wide range, from Illinois Jacquet, through John Lee Hooker, Hank Williams, Freddie Slack, The Orioles, Hank Snow, Les Paul/Mary Ford, Clyde McPhatter in various guises, Johnnie Ray, Johnny Ace & Ray Charles.

MG

[AllenLowe]

well, hate to plug myself (actually I don't mind); but my own history of rock and roll, 1950-1970 should be out later this year as an e book; I think I do a better job than most at indicating the complex origins and early development of rock and roll; not to give it away, but I would point you to Sonny Boy Williamson and Utah Smith, in terms of origins; and then early (Sun records) Junior Parker and Lawson and Scott; though that's still an oversimplification, because we need to look, also, at New Orleans post-Dave Bartholomew, and connect the clave of N.O. to Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and then It's All Right Mama (and here I am putting the country 2 beat together with the basic Latin subdivision). But there's a lot of white country music that also must be looked at. Beyond that you'll have to read my book, sorry.

Edited August 10, 2013 by AllenLowe

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Quite the point I was trying to make, Allen. Oversimplification teaches nothing.

MG

[AllenLowe]

yes; the mythology is so pervasive, as you know; even college texts I have read follow the same washed-out evolutionary theories (and not just with rock and roll). It's always the same 5 people who did this, which led to that.

[Big Beat Steve]

well, hate to plug myself (actually I don't mind); but my own history of rock and roll, 1950-1970 should be out later this year as an e book

Would be extremely interested in this, but an e-book? Too bad ... Not likely I am going to spring for an e-reader even for this ...

Well, we'll see ...

Edited August 11, 2013 by Big Beat Steve

[robertoart]

well, hate to plug myself (actually I don't mind); but my own history of rock and roll, 1950-1970 should be out later this year as an e book; I think I do a better job than most at indicating the complex origins and early development of rock and roll; not to give it away, but I would point you to Sonny Boy Williamson and Utah Smith, in terms of origins; and then early (Sun records) Junior Parker and Lawson and Scott; though that's still an oversimplification, because we need to look, also, at New Orleans post-Dave Bartholomew, and connect the clave of N.O. to Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and then It's All Right Mama (and here I am putting the country 2 beat together with the basic Latin subdivision). But there's a lot of white country music that also must be looked at. Beyond that you'll have to read my book, sorry.

Obviously White Country Music is the yin to yang of Black Music in early rock n roll.

Are you the first to recognise this?

BTW is there any Black Country Music?

[robertoart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbfnh1oVTk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLS2i9dSy0

[AllenLowe]

Freelance - yes, I am the first to recognize it in the way I recognize it, let us say. My chapter on country music in the rock and roll book was shown to Tony Russell, and passed the test. If Tony thought it was significant, I am satisfied.

as for black country music - tons. Though my definition is broader than most.

Good time to mention that I am just starting a new history of country music. Though it will take a while.

Edited August 11, 2013 by AllenLowe

[robertoart]

Freelance - yes, I am the first to recognize it in the way I recognize it, let us say. My chapter on country music in the rock and roll book was shown to Tony Russell, and passed the test. If Tony thought it was significant, I am satisfied.

as for black country music - tons. Though my definition is broader than most.

Good time to mention that I am just starting a new history of country music. Though it will take a while.

Black Country music in what way? Surely the cultural separation of Black and White meant there are differences. How was Country music a wholistic culture. Or are you talking about music with similar form being played in both communities?

[AllenLowe]

Yes, there are many clear differences; however, as a means of identifying country music I am referring to music which is originates in Southern urban and rural areas (turns out that a lot of the early country players were city dwellers) characterized by a certain simplicity of harmonic and instrumental format, built around the basic stringband instrumentation, with a repertoire whose origins are a mix (and not necessarily in this order) of 19th century professional songwriting and early and late minstrelsy, crossed with various Scotch-Irish aspects of repertoire and instrumentation, and combined with 19th and 20th century African American vernacular lyrics, rhythm, vocal inflection, and song/instrumental form and style.

just for a start.

Edited August 11, 2013 by AllenLowe

[danasgoodstuff]

Hey Allen:

Do you know this book? http://catalog.multcolib.org:2084/search~S1?/theartaches+by+the+number/theartaches+by+the+number/1%2C2%2C3%2CB/frameset&FF=theartaches+by+the+number+country+musics++500+greatest+singles&1%2C1%2C/indexsort=-

and if so, what do you think?

[AllenLowe]

sorry, can't get the link to work - what's the title?

[Big Beat Steve]

Can't get it to work either but judging by the text spread throughout the above link it looks like it is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Heartaches-Number-Country-Greatest-Singles/dp/0826514243

[Chuck Nessa]

I am really tired of the "road to rock" crap. The blues is much better and more important than that.

[7/4]

It sells.

[MomsMobley]

I am really tired of the "road to rock" crap. The blues is much better and more important than that.

x 1000!

And Chuck, I've been meaning to post this and now's the time. Three podcasts with Don Kent, you won't be disappointed; besides the great music and related historical lore, there are some excellent Chicago, JRM, Bob Koester stories too (I'd not known before Bob went to March on Washington). Also one about Big Joe Williams' dick (really) and talk of how there were plans for Little Walter ** guitar ** album before his passing (which I reckon you already knew). There's some other stuff about 1960s Chicago clubs I'm forgetting but Larry, John and yourself will know. Host is John Heneghan of East River String Band--

http://www.eastriverstringband.com/radioshow/?p=455

http://www.eastriverstringband.com/radioshow/?p=498

http://www.eastriverstringband.com/radioshow/?p=526

[Bluesnik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbfnh1oVTk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLS2i9dSy0

Love that tune. I got it on a compilation of Keith Richards favorite tracks.

[Jim R]

Love that tune. I got it on a compilation of Keith Richards favorite tracks.

You should check out more Ike Turner/Kings of Rhythm. I highly recommend this, if you can still find it:

[robertoart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaILH0U55lU

[John Litweiler]

I am really tired of the "road to rock" crap. The blues is much better and more important than that.

So true.

[AllenLowe]

well, the point I make in my book is that it the theory of blues to rock is overblown, and ideologically so. I compare it to misconceptions about Darwinism.

Darwinism posits NOT that we descend from apes, but that we have related ancestry,

So it is with the blues and rock and roll - they have related (musical) ancestry. I think that gives a much more accurate picture.

Edited August 15, 2013 by AllenLowe

[Dan Gould]

But Muddy said that the blues had a baby named rock 'n' roll.