1. Early Rock and Roll

2. Rise of Youth Culture in the 1950s

3. James Dean also played a troubled youngster in Rebel Without a Cause (1955, middle), becoming a legend after his untimely death in an automobile accident.
What’s That Sound?:An Introduction to Rock and its History, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

4. Radio and Records The Rock and Roll Party Rise of the disc jockey
The Moondog Show
Cleveland
Alan Freed
Red, Hot and Blue
Memphis
Dewey Phillips
The Rock and Roll Party

5. Crossover and Covers Crossover
Record or song appearing on more than one chart
Rhythm and blues crossovers from 1954
Cover versions by white artists
Crossover and Covers

6. The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
Fats Domino
Imperial Records (LA)
Established career in rhythm and blues
Among the first rockers to consistently cross over
Thirty-seven Top 40 singles, 1955–1963
Listening example: “Blueberry Hill”
The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over

7. The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
Chuck Berry
Chess Records (Chicago)
Vocal delivery influenced by country music
Songwriting style
Often targeted teens
Story songs
Lead guitar bursts were influential
Example: “Johnny B. Goode”
The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over

8. The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
Little Richard
Specialty Records (LA)
First to adopt "wild man" persona in rock and roll
Target for cover artists
Example: “Tutti Frutti”
The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over

9. The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
Whitening rhythm and blues
Replacing references to sexuality with references to dancing
Bill Haley and the Comets
Originally a country band
“Rock Around the Clock”
“Shake, Rattle and Roll”
Pat Boone
“Ain’t That a Shame”
“Tutti Frutti”
The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over

10. Elvis Presley Sun Records (founded by Sam Philips in 1952)
First demo, 1953
First proper session, July 1954
"That's All Right (Mama)"
Rhythm and blues lineage
“Blue Moon of Kentucky”
Bluegrass lineage
Elvis Presley

11. Elvis Presley RCA Records Phillips takes $35K buyout
First single, early 1956
“Heartbreak Hotel”
Three-way crossover hit
Television
Ed Sullivan, Toast of the Town
Importance of major label involvement with rock
Elvis Presley

12. Elvis Presley Elvis’s material Song selector, not writer Rockabilly
Most without drums
Acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Slapback echo
Elvis Presley

13. The Rise of Elvis Presley
Broader appeal through RCA
U.S. Army, 1958–1960
Image makeover from 1960
Change to pop song-stylist
The Rise of Elvis Presley

14. Rockabilly Carl Perkins Johnny Cash Jerry Lee Lewis Wanda Jackson
Brenda Lee
Buddy Holly
Rockabilly

15. Rockabilly Buddy Holly "That'll Be the Day," 1957 Musical style
Rockabilly

16. Motown Pop and Southern Soul

17. Sweet Soul Pop hits by black artists in the late 1950s
Nat King Cole
Johnny Mathis
Gospel-influenced pop hits
Sam Cooke
“ A Change is Gonna Come”
Ray Charles
“Hit the Road Jack”
“A Change is Gonna Come”
“Hit the Road Jack”
Sweet Soul

18. Sweet Soul Artists Drifters Ben E. King’s solo career Dionne Warwick
“Sweet soul” style
Clyde McPhatter, featured singer
Ben E. King, featured singer
“There Goes My Baby”
Rhythm and blues
Orchestral strings
Ben E. King’s solo career
Dionne Warwick
“There Goes My Baby”
Sweet Soul Artists

19. Greater opportunities for black artists to have mainstream hits
Several regional centers
Detroit
Memphis
Muscle Shoals, AL
Atlanta
Black Pop between 1964 and 1970

20. Started by Berry Gordy
Motown, or "Hitsville U.S.A
Motown

21. Motown Artists and Sound
Supremes
No hits until teamed with Holland, Dozier, Holland
Long series of hit singles from 1964 to 1967
“Baby Love”
Martha and the Vandellas
Hits with Holland, Dozier, Holland
Clear gospel and rhythm-and-blues roots
Motown Artists and Sound

22. Motown’s founder Berry Gordy, seated left, maintained strong influence and control over the artists on his record label. Here, he sits with the Supremes—Mary Wilson and Diana Ross to his left and Florence Ballard seated behind—discussing an upcoming performance. Gordy employed a large staff to help manage and perfect the Motown sound and image.

23. Motown Artists Temptations Four Tops Marvin Gaye Stevie Wonder
Initial hits written by Smokey Robinson
Listening Example: “The Way You Do the Things You Do”
Then teamed with Norman Whitfield
Their “walk” choreography
Four Tops
Marvin Gaye
Stevie Wonder
Viewing (25 mins)
Dancing in the Street, part 1 (Motown/ play all)
Dancing in the Street, part 2 (Motown/ beginning to 10:33)
Motown Artists

24. Southern Soul Southern take on black music Very different than Motown
Much more heavily influenced by the blues and gospel
Southern Soul

25. Stax Records center of soul - Stax Records in Memphis
Named for founders - Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton (founded 1958)
House band: Booker T. and the MGs
Integrated: Booker T. Jones (keyboard) and Al Jackson (drums) black, Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass) and Steve Cropper (guitar) white
Stax Records

26. Stax artists Otis Redding Wilson Pickett Aretha Franklin
Gospel-influenced vocals
Driving accompaniment
Wilson Pickett
Signed to Atlantic
Recorded at Stax, 1965
Delayed backbeat
“In the Midnight Hour”
Recorded at Fame Studios (Muscle Shoals, AL)
Aretha Franklin
Listening Ex. “Respect”
Written by Otis Redding, who recorded it first
Isaac Hayes
“Shaft”
Stax artists

27. James Brown Doo-wop style records for King (Cinncinati) Soul style
Tight, driving rhythm section
Aggressive singing
Famous for energetic, dance-filled stage show
James Brown

28. James Brown Recorded album Live at the Apollo
Asserted extensive control over his music
“Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1”
Led the move toward funk
James Brown