Rock and Roll (also known as Rock 'n' Roll), is a genre of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and became popular in the early 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. It later spawned the various sub-genres of what is now called simply 'rock', usually accompanied by lyrics. The beat is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. Classic rock and roll is played with one electric guitar or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. Keyboards are a common addition to the mix. In the rock and roll style of the early 1950s, the saxophone was often the lead instrument, replaced by guitar in the mid 1950s. In the earliest form of rock and roll, during the late 1940s, the piano was the lead instrument, and indeed, among the roots of rock and roll is the boogie woogie piano of the big-band era that dominated American music in the 1940s.
The massive popularity and eventual worldwide scope of rock and roll gave it an unprecedented social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. Many of its early stars, notably Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Bill Haley of the group Bill Haley & His Comets , built movie and/or television careers around their music.
The term "rock and roll", which was black slang for dancing or sex, appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith's "My Baby Rocks Me With One Steady Roll". Even earlier, in 1916, the term "rocking and rolling" was used with a religious connotation, in the phonograph record "The Camp Meeting Jubilee" by "Male Quartette."[1] The word "rock" had a long history in the English language as a metaphor for "to shake up, to disturb or to incite". The verb "Roll" was a medieval metaphor which meant "having sex". Writers for hundreds of years have used the phrases "They had a roll in the hay" or "I rolled her in the clover". In 1934 the Boswell Sisters were referring to the rock and roll of waves in their song "Rock and Roll" Country singer Tommy Scott was referring to the motion of a railroad train in the 1951 "Rockin and Rollin".(Wilkipedia) Link
Sunday, July 15, 2007
American Invasion: Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), was an American singer, musician and actor. He is often known simply as Elvis; also "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", or simply "The King".
Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying the style. He developed a versatile voice and had success with other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music 'Halls of Fame'. Presley made thirty-three movies, the majority during the 1960s, but he made a critically-acclaimed return to live music in 1968, followed by performances in Las Vegas and across the U.S. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and records sales. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.
His premature death, at age 42, shocked his fans worldwide. (Wilkipedia) Link
Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying the style. He developed a versatile voice and had success with other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music 'Halls of Fame'. Presley made thirty-three movies, the majority during the 1960s, but he made a critically-acclaimed return to live music in 1968, followed by performances in Las Vegas and across the U.S. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and records sales. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.
His premature death, at age 42, shocked his fans worldwide. (Wilkipedia) Link
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets (and variations thereof), was one of the earliest groups of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of white America and the rest of the world. Bandleader Bill Haley had previously been a country performer; after recording a country and western-styled version of "Rocket 88", a rhythm and blues song, he changed musical direction to a new sound which came to be called rock and roll.
Although several members of the Comets became famous, Bill Haley remained the star. With his spit curl and the band's matching plaid dinner jackets and energetic stage behaviour, many fans consider them to be as revolutionary in their time as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones were in theirs.
Following Haley's death, no fewer than six different groups have existed under the Comets name, all claiming (with varying degrees of authority) to be the official continuation of the group led by Haley. (Source: Wilkipedia) Link
Although several members of the Comets became famous, Bill Haley remained the star. With his spit curl and the band's matching plaid dinner jackets and energetic stage behaviour, many fans consider them to be as revolutionary in their time as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones were in theirs.
Following Haley's death, no fewer than six different groups have existed under the Comets name, all claiming (with varying degrees of authority) to be the official continuation of the group led by Haley. (Source: Wilkipedia) Link
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of rock and roll. The change of spelling of "Holley" to "Holly" came about because of an error in a contract he was asked to sign, listing him as Buddy Holly. That spelling was then adopted for his professional career. The original spelling of "Holley" was engraved on his headstone (see photo).
Buddy Holly is considered one of the most influential founding fathers of rock 'n roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #13 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1] Although his career was cut short, his body of work is considered among the best in rock. His huge contribution of work and innovations would be copied by his recording contemporaries, but also the future direction of popular music, including The Beatles. (From Wilkipedia) Link
Buddy Holly is considered one of the most influential founding fathers of rock 'n roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #13 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1] Although his career was cut short, his body of work is considered among the best in rock. His huge contribution of work and innovations would be copied by his recording contemporaries, but also the future direction of popular music, including The Beatles. (From Wilkipedia) Link
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed "The Big O," was an influential American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. By the mid-1960s Orbison was internationally recognized for his ballads of lost love, rhythmically advanced melodies, characteristic dark sunglasses, and his taut, powerful alto voice coupled with his occasional distinctive usage of falsetto, typified in songs such as "Ooby Dooby," "Only The Lonely," "In Dreams," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "Crying," "Running Scared," and "You Got It." Elvis Presley once said Orbison had the best singing voice he'd ever heard. In 1987 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and posthumously in 1989 into the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Two misconceptions about Orbison's appearance continue to surface: that he was an albino, and that he wore his trademark dark glasses because he was blind or nearly so. Neither is correct, though his poor vision required him to wear thick corrective lenses. From childhood he suffered from a combination of hyperopia, severe astigmatism, anisometropia, and strabismus.[citation needed] Orbison's trademark sunglasses were a fashion statement arising from an incident early in his career. Orbison had left his regular glasses in an airplane. Due to go on stage in a few minutes and unable to see without corrective lenses, his only other pair of glasses were dark prescription sunglasses and he "had to see to get on stage." He wore the sunglasses throughout his tour of England with the Beatles in 1963 and continued the practice for the remainder of his professional career. "I'll just do this and look cool." However, Orbison once said in an interview that he wore sunglasses on the plane because the sun was bright and forgot he was wearing them on stage. Shortly after he finished performing, he looked in the mirror and noticed he had not taken them off, so he laughed about it and continued to wear them for the rest of his career, without taking them off once.(Source: Wilkipedia) Link
Two misconceptions about Orbison's appearance continue to surface: that he was an albino, and that he wore his trademark dark glasses because he was blind or nearly so. Neither is correct, though his poor vision required him to wear thick corrective lenses. From childhood he suffered from a combination of hyperopia, severe astigmatism, anisometropia, and strabismus.[citation needed] Orbison's trademark sunglasses were a fashion statement arising from an incident early in his career. Orbison had left his regular glasses in an airplane. Due to go on stage in a few minutes and unable to see without corrective lenses, his only other pair of glasses were dark prescription sunglasses and he "had to see to get on stage." He wore the sunglasses throughout his tour of England with the Beatles in 1963 and continued the practice for the remainder of his professional career. "I'll just do this and look cool." However, Orbison once said in an interview that he wore sunglasses on the plane because the sun was bright and forgot he was wearing them on stage. Shortly after he finished performing, he looked in the mirror and noticed he had not taken them off, so he laughed about it and continued to wear them for the rest of his career, without taking them off once.(Source: Wilkipedia) Link
British Invasion: The Beatles
The Beatles were an English musical group from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are the most commercially successful and one of the most critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music. The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States of America, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, which certified them as the highest selling band of all time based on American sales of singles and albums. In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries: their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion discs and tapes worldwide. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s,[2] and their influence on pop culture can still be felt today.
The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. (Source: Wilkipedia) Link
The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. (Source: Wilkipedia) Link
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb on 14 October 1940) is an English singer, actor and businessman.
With his backing band The Shadows, Richard dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before and during the The Beatles' first year in the charts. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve the same impact in the United States as in Britain (in spite of several chart singles there), Richard has remained a popular music, film, and television personality in the UK; he also retains a following in several other countries.
During the six decades in which he has been active, Cliff Richard has charted many hit singles, and holds the record (along with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its active decades (1950s–2000s). According to his website, he has sold over 250 million records. On the British charts, Richard has had over 90 singles, albums and EPs make the top 20, more than any other artist. (Source : Wilkipedia) Link
With his backing band The Shadows, Richard dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before and during the The Beatles' first year in the charts. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve the same impact in the United States as in Britain (in spite of several chart singles there), Richard has remained a popular music, film, and television personality in the UK; he also retains a following in several other countries.
During the six decades in which he has been active, Cliff Richard has charted many hit singles, and holds the record (along with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its active decades (1950s–2000s). According to his website, he has sold over 250 million records. On the British charts, Richard has had over 90 singles, albums and EPs make the top 20, more than any other artist. (Source : Wilkipedia) Link
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