Rock Music Style
The Country Roots of Rock Music
Origins of Country Music
• From British immigrants settled in the
Southern and Appalachian rural regions
the tradition of old-time folk music was
born, mixing various music traditions from
the British Isles, religious music and
African-American music.
• Fiddlin’ John Carson from Georgia was
one of the first old-time music player
whose performance was recorded.
Origins of Country Music
• Dance music was
played with fiddles
(violins) and rhythm
instruments.
• Songs are
accompanied by a
fiddle, a piano,
harmonica, guitar or
unaccompanied.
• West Virginia Fiddler, Edden
Hammons accompanied by his son,
James, on banjo.
Origins of Country Music
• African-Americans
developed banjo and it
was adapted by white
Americans by the time
of the Civil War.
Origins of Country Music
• Dock Boggs (1898-
1971) - an influential
singer, song writer and
banjo player, mixing
old-time Appalachian
music and blues.
Origins of Country Music
• After the old-time music was broadcast
on the radio and recording technology
was developed, the folk-music from
the Southern regions became to be
called ‘hillbilly.’
Origins of Country Music
• Bluegrass - a form of
American folk music,
whose characteristics
is to have from four to
seven musicians, inc.
rhythm section of
guitar and string bass.
• Bill Monroe (1911-
1996) ‘Blue Moon in
Kentucky’
Origins of Country Music
• Honky-tonk - a bar with
entertainment music. As its
atmosphere is boisterous, it
needed louder, heavier, and
stronger music. Honky-tonk
emphasizes rhythm more than
melody and harmony, with a
strong beat and boogie-
woogie patterns.
• Hank Williams, “Honky-tonk
Blues”
From Country to Rock’n Roll
• White musicians began to cover blues and
R&B recordings, while blues and R&B
musicians started covering country music.
• The styles are combined in various ways
and rock’n roll was born.
From Country to Rock’n Roll
• Bill Haley (1925-81)
was one of the first
rock’n roll musician.
Coming from
Michigan, he was first
country singer and
guitarist. In 1951, his
group, the Saddlemen,
covered and recorded
‘Rocket 88’.
From Country to Rock’n Roll
• Bill Haley’s coverage was a bigger hit but
many listeners sought out Joe Turner’s
music. Turner’s songs are full of sexual
references and his lyrics were incompletely
cleaned up by white musicians who covered
them.
From Country to Rock’n Roll
• The record sale was not good.
• Discovery: his white audience’s enthusiastic
response during live performances.
• Next year, began playing rock’n roll changing
their name into Bill Haley and His Comets.
• Their cover of Big Joe Turner’s ‘Shake, Rattle
and Roll’ in 1954 - the worldwide hit.
• Their most famous was ‘Rock around the
Clock’ though it was unsccessful at its launch.
From Country to Rock’n Roll
• (Big) Joe Turner (1911-
85) - a jazz and blues
singer and also known as
‘shouter’.
• His hit songs include
‘Chains of Love’ and
‘Sweet Sixteen’ but when
Bill Haley and His
Comets’ coverage of his
‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’
enhanced his career.
Rockabilly
• Sam Phillips and Sun
Record
• Founded his record
company at the age of 21
and recorded blues as he
liked African-American
music.
• By 1951 he founded Sun
Record Company.
Rockabilly
• Sun Studio in Memphis where Elvis Presley
and Carl Perkins made their first recordings.
Rockabilly
• Sam Phillips’ recognition:
despite the rising interest in blues and R&B
among the white Americans, they tended to
buy more often the records of white
musicians;
sanitized versions.
• He let white American musicians record
African-American music.
• Discovery of Elvis Presley
• Formation of rockabilly (rock + hillbilly)
Rockabilly
• The earliest form of rock’n roll.
• Combination of blues/ R&B and hillbilly.
• General tendencies:
- Strong rhythm like blues and R&B
- Loose twelve-bar structure like blues
- Back beat
- Tempo is generally faster than blues and R&B
- Voice is softer, higher and smoother
Elvis Presley
• Elvis Presley (1935-
77) is singer and actor
- “King of Rock’n
Roll: or the King.
• Began his career as
rockabilly musician.
• His characteristic
rendition of existing
songs mixing white
and black sounds.
Elvis Presley
• Sun Records to RCA
• In RCA Presley’s
music refined with
better recording
technology and
arrangement: doo-
wop-style vocal
backings and fine
piano accompaniment.
• ‘Blue Suede Shoes’
Elvis Presley
• Television Age
• Presley appeared on TV
and excited the teenagers
with twisting dance and
seductive gaze and
voice; scandalized the
older generation with
them.
• ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
‘I Want You, I Need
You’
Hound Dog
Elvis Presley
• ‘Hound Dog’ by Willie Mae
‘Big Mama’ Thornton
- The lyrics were sung by a
woman to a man who has
cheated on her.
- Classic blues style
• ‘Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
– The lyrics were sung by a
man to a woman who has
less value than a hound dog.
– More smooth urban blues
Elvis Presley
• His Rock’n Roll career was cut short when
he was drafted for two years.
• His greatest strength was his silky voice,
sensual good look and musical versatility.
• Returning to civilian life, his music became
less provocative and Rock’n Roll type.
• Various types of music from rock to smooth,
pop like love songs.
Rock’n Rollers
• Carl Perkins (1932-
1998) a rockabilly
musician and rock’n
roller.
• Successor to Elvis
Presley though he
wrote his own music.
• The car accident
damaged his career.
• The composer of
‘Blue Suede Shoes’
Rock’n Rollers • Jerry Lee Lewis (1935
• Rock’n Roll singer, song
writer and pianist.
• Truly virtuoso piano
playing, for which he was
nicknamed ‘the killer’.
• He did not sanitize lyrics,
when he covered African
American music
• ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’
Goin’ on’
Critical Thinking Questions
• What sort of decade was the 1950s, particularly
in America.
• How was Rock’n Roll connected to this
decade?
- Culture, trends, economy, other media
- What were the music and images of Rock’n
Roll musicians?
Critical Thinking Questions
• Rebelliousness
• Can you find any equivalence to Rock’n
Rollers today?
• What gender, class and racial issues do you
find in Rock’n Roll music?