Emergence of Rock, and Elvis

Link to the Spotify playlist: Mus 115 - Emergence of Rock, Elvis

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The previous topic detailed some of the styles that lead to rock and roll. They were mostly segregated into their own separate markets (Pop, C&W, and R&B), but for a short time (1954-1956) the barriers between those categories dissolved completely.

Crossovers were songs that were from one specific market that started to chart in a different market. Most often this happened with R&B songs, moving into the Pop charts. Some examples:

• Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price
• Earth Angel - The Penguins
• Crying in the Chapel - The Orioles

As always, when there's money to be had, big business will rush in and take over. In this case, major record labels moved in and commissioned cover versions of popular R&B and C&W songs to be performed and recorded by Pop artists. While there were cases of Pop & C&W tunes being covered by R&B artists (Doris Day's "Secret Love" was a Pop tune that was covered by the Moonglows and "Crying in the Chapel" posted above was actually a cover of a C&W ballad), most of the time it went the other way. R&B hits were bought and covered by Pop artists. Often, the two versions would be on the charts at the same time, sometimes even the same chart ("Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino, and a cover by Pat Boone, were both in the top of the Pop charts at the same time).

In reality, the "safe and serene" mid-1950s were chaotic where the popular music scene was concerned. Crossovers, covers, and a new phenomenon of "sound a likes" made for confusion, and rapidly became the musical arena for the youth. Up until now, the popular culture music, movies, television, and radio programming had been controlled by the older generations. But "rebellious teenagers", who didn't really have any real cause to rebel against, started to develop their own movies, dress code, slang, hairstyles, and behaviors, and started exerting influence on musical styles and culture.

Two popular movies Rebel Without a Cause and Blackboard Jungle served to exemplify this new youth movement. Particularly the music that opened Blackboard Jungle - called "Rock around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. This is widely considered to be the first real popular "Rock" song. This was an R&B hit song that Bill Haley covered, and when first released it flopped:

• Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around the Clock

The original version was by Sonny Dae and the Knights, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was recorded and released in 1954, in the same year as his other really big hit, Shake, Rattle, & Roll.

• Bill Haley & His Comets - Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Shake, Rattle, & Roll was an R&B cover that did very well when released, while Rock Around the Clock floundered. But once the movie "Blackboard Jungle" became popular, Rock Around the Clock seemingly took over the airwaves, and Bill Haley's legend was cemented. Although he had follow on hits, and even a "Rock Around the Clock" film, he was too old (nearly 40), too innocent looking, almost too milquetoast to be the "front" of rock and roll.

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Elvis

Elvis Presley was a unique figure, and the right figure at the right time, to lead the rock and roll revolution. Some critics have argued that rock might have died out as a fad had Elvis not come along with his youth, style, and sense of showmanship. Growing up poor in Tupelo, Mississippi, he absorbed a wide variety of musical influences, including R&B, gospel, C&W, bluegrass, western swing, and pop. When he and his family moved to Memphis in 1948 (he would have been around 13 at the time), he lived in federally funded housing projects. He was fascinated with black American musical styles and sounds, and sought out that kind of music over white America's Pop and C&W.

He sang and performed a bit in high school, but his real break came in 1953, when he went to Memphis Recording Service to make a record as a gift to his mother. The owner? Sam Phillips, the man who owned Sun Records and of course a bunch of subsidiaries. This is a name that, if not familiar now, will become more familiar as we go on further in this course.

Phillips was a producer who knew the marketability of the R&B sound, but wanted a white artist who could perform with a true R&B sound and feel.  As soon as he heard Elvis, he knew he had his man, and signed him to Sun Records.

• That's Alright Mama - Elvis

The above was Elvis' first single (with it's B-side Blue Moon of Kentucky) and was a decent regional success. Some radio stations refused to play his music because they assumed he was mixed race.

Elvis' first chart success came on the Country & Western charts, and became the number 1 "Up and Coming" C&W artist for 1955. However, he didn't really fit the C&W mold: his appearance was a mix between black fashion and teenage rebel. He would swing his hips in a way that drove teenage girls (of the time) mad. As part of some package shows with other C&W artists, promoters would notice that more and more teenage girls would buy tickets, and would scream and cry for him if someone else was performing. Most of the other performers were annoyed with him.

At the beginning of 1956, Elvis switched managers to Tom Parker, who got him released from his Sun Records contract and signed him to the industry giant RCA Victor. He had a huge string of hits at the time, mostly covers from R&B, some from C&W, and even one or two Pop tunes.

Normally, when a record company wanted to release a single in the 1950s, they would release a small record, just big enough for one song on the record surface. However, that left a backside that was empty space, so the record company would include a "B-side". Most artists would release their single as the "A-side" and some other leftover recording as a "B-side", and often that was the first and last anyone heard of the song on the B-side.

But for Elvis, both sides charted, and were successful singles in their own rights.

His single "Love Me Tender" exceeded 1 million sold before it's release. By the end of 1956, his sales had exceeded over 10 million, which was unheard of at the time, and pretty rare today.

Another thing his manager, Tom Parker, did for Elvis was get him on TV shows. First The Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show, and then The Milton Berle Show, Elvis was working up to the Ed Sullivan show which was the biggest in the nation at the time. At first Ed Sullivan said that Elvis would never be on his show, but when The Steve Allen Show beat Ed Sullivan in the ratings when he had Elvis on, he changed his mind.

One of the evergreen myths about Elvis and his appearance on Ed Sullivan was that he was censored from the waist down. As this article explains, that only happened on the last show based upon viewer complaints. You can see his first appearance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYWl13IWhY

While he did earn the nickname "Elvis the Pelvis" for his gyrations on stage, the ones on Ed Sullivan seem very tame by current standards, and even seem tame for Elvis at the time. Still, the audience was all about it, as you can hear.

He was very busy in 1956 and 1957, producing a ton of number 1 hits, live tours, television appearances, and starring in films, beginning with "Love Me Tender".

In 1958, a mere two years after his ascendancy, this was all interrupted when he was inducted into the Army. Upon his return in 1960, he continued with movies and music production, but rock and roll music had started to move on to newer styles. Consequently, Elvis reduced his live shows until 1962, when he quit them entirely. He receded from the public life.

He did produce gospel albums, and continued to make movies (a total of 31 between 1956 - 1969). At the very end of 1968, Elvis returned to performances with a comeback special, and started touring again. However, he had put on a lot of weight in the intervening years, and in order to get down to "touring weight", he would go on a crash diet, fueled by pills, and lose about 30 pounds in a matter of weeks. As soon as he was off tour, he'd balloon up again.

This was extremely unhealthy, and in conjunction with his booze problem and pill problem and junk food problem, he became mentally unstable and physically destroyed. He died officially of heart-related problems in 1977, although "[w]hen the toxicology report came back several weeks later ... Elvis’ blood was found to contain very high levels of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine — as well as Quaaludes." (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death)

One of the first to popularize this new form of music, he was also one of the first to pioneer the rock star life, with a massive fan base, with drugs and irresponsible habits, and an untimely death.

Here's a condensed list of Elvis songs for listening:

• That's Alright Mama - Lots of vocal sliding in this one, like many of his hits. However, vocal tone is pure, no raspiness. (same as the link in the first section about Elvis)
• Blue Moon of Kentucky - slow dreamer, he's a lot more precise on his vocal pitch here. Still scoops into notes here and there, but completely different vocal style from That's Alright.(same as the link in the first section about Elvis)
• Love Me Tender (same as the link in the above section about Elvis)
• Hound Dog - do you notice the Blues structure here? Phrase 1 and phrase 2 are the same, while phrase 3 has a different?
• Jailhouse Rock - I included this one because it starts with an offbeat, syncopated drum and guitar rhythm that was very different from the normal style of straight ahead rock or R&B or C&W songs. It of course goes to a blues format in the chorus, although this one models the 16-bar blues format.
• Hard Headed Woman - I included this one in the listening because of the background singers and horn section - taken right from southern black R&B styles. Sounds reminiscent of New Orleans street jazz, especially with the trumpet break near the end. Again with the Blues chord structure.
• Don't Be Cruel - the harmonies in the background sound like they're hinting at what's to come with Beach Boys and the Beatles, while the main vocals also have some Buddy Holly influences (see next discussion).

Problems with Elvis

Elvis, even as the "King of Rock and Roll", with all of his hits and genre defining music, is problematic for a few reasons. He met his future wife when she was only 14, and although they didn't consummate the relationship until she was 21 and they were married (or so Elvis claims), it still is very creepy and predatory. And then there are the drug habits he formed. He also made his entire career by appropriating black musician's music and styles.

Many people absolutely adore and love Elvis. Sam Phillips knew he needed a white face to put on R&B style music to get it to the next level of popularity, and in the sense that "a rising tide lifts all boats", black artists also profited from Elvis' rise (we'll see more next week). Some textbooks credit Elvis with the survival and expansion of the whole rock and roll industry.

Another point to consider is that in the 1950s, this (unfortunately) wasn't entirely unusual behavior, nor was it viewed with the stigma it is viewed with today.

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