What are you listening to now? Page 1,515

Quote: lofthouse @ 2nd May 2023, 3:32 PM

It makes me laugh when Elvis came on the scene - on records and radio

And all these black people were like "what?? Elvis Presley...? Is WHITE???"

They couldn't believe it!

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He was raised to the sound of black music, so he took bits from here and there and made it his own.

And the story I like about Elvis, was when he toured the southern states and the promoters said his backing group The Sweet Inspirations, which included Whitney Houston's mother Cissy, could not appear on stage, Elvis simply said "If they don't appear, then neither do I"

Quote: lofthouse @ 2nd May 2023, 3:32 PM

It makes me laugh when Elvis came on the scene - on records and radio

And all these black people were like "what?? Elvis Presley...? Is WHITE???"

They couldn't believe it!

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But wasn't he part Cherokee or something similar?

Yep

And his grandparents on his mums side - were cousins 👀😳

Oh and he was actually blonde too

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd May 2023, 3:27 PM

But they weren't Rock 'n Roll singers!

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But they inspired ALL the early rock and roll bands and singers: Elvis, Rolling Stones, Beatles. There would be no rock and roll without them.

Fun fact: the guy who lives in the house behind mine is Elvis' nephew. His father is (was?) Priscilla's brother.

Quote: DaButt @ 2nd May 2023, 4:24 PM

But they inspired ALL the early rock and roll bands and singers: Elvis, Rolling Stones, Beatles. There would be no rock and roll without them.

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Nobody's denying that, and it's not what Lennon was talking about - how far do you want to go back to see who/what inspired the blues singers?

There is no denying that Elvis was a founder member of Rock 'n Roll

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd May 2023, 4:38 PM

There is no denying that Elvis was a founder member of Rock 'n Roll

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As were many African American artists who preceded him but were effectively erased from rock and roll history due to racism. Only Chuck Berry and Little Richard managed to get their due.

Quote: DaButt @ 2nd May 2023, 5:31 PM

As were many African American artists who preceded him but were effectively erased from rock and roll history due to racism. Only Chuck Berry and Little Richard managed to get their due.

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"As were many African American artists"

Really? And who were these "many"? Because I have no idea of who you could be talking about. And if they were erased from the R&R history, how come Chuck Berry and Little Richard made it - both of whom suffered racism on their way to the top.

As it happens, only just in the last week, the BBC and Sky have been running documentaries on the history of Rock 'n Roll and specifically Elvis, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, and there was no mention of any other African American artists who contributed to, or made any headway in the birth of Rock 'n Roll, whereas Elvis made it what it was by putting his stamp on it, and that is what John Lennon was talking about.

There was also a recent documentary about Leadbelly which was pretty interesting. Some cite him as a big influence on early rock n roll. (Probably like a lot of people, I only knew the name Leadbelly because Nirvana covered Where did You Sleep Last Night (aka In The Pines) for their live acoustic album Unplugged in New York).

Quote: a plate @ 3rd May 2023, 1:41 AM

There was also a recent documentary about Leadbelly which was pretty interesting. Some cite him as a big influence on early rock n roll. (Probably like a lot of people, I only knew the name Leadbelly because Nirvana covered Where did You Sleep Last Night (aka In The Pines) for their live acoustic album Unplugged in New York).

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Yes, and a lot of blues singers were credited in the docs. I watched, pre the birth of Rock and Roll, but only for things like certain riffs, styles, beats etc., so it was for the likes of L Richard, Berry, Elvis and to a certain extent Jerry Lee Lewis to put that all together.

I don't usually bother with Chain Reaction as it's usually pretty tedious

But just listened to John Cooper Clarke interview Kevin Eldon

Great stuff

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd May 2023, 2:35 PM

As John Lennon said "Before Elvis there was nothing"

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John Lennon was wrong, and I'm sure he would admit so.

We could go on about this for an eternity, but I assure you that there's plenty of written and recorded material about the birth of rock and roll, its African American roots, and the racism which shaped the genre in its early years. Feel free to explore for yourself.

I'll end my discussion with Elvis' own words, as spoken in a 1957 interview:

"A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let's face it; I can't sing it like Fats Domino can. I know that. But I always liked that kind of music."

Hmm, a complicated one to answer with claims form both sides to who started it. I'd say Lennon was right in one major way, the way most would have witnessed it ie. Elvis popularised it, he brought it to public attention because he was white. I think it was Chuck Berry who said, 'we've been playing this music for years but it's takes a white man to get it on the radio' or similar. Elvis' first recordings were exquisite, his voice in Blue Moon of Kentucky still sends shivers down me it's that good.

Quote: DaButt @ 3rd May 2023, 2:24 PM

John Lennon was wrong, and I'm sure he would admit so.

We could go on about this for an eternity, but I assure you that there's plenty of written and recorded material about the birth of rock and roll, its African American roots, and the racism which shaped the genre in its early years. Feel free to explore for yourself.

I'll end my discussion with Elvis' own words, as spoken in a 1957 interview:

"A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let's face it; I can't sing it like Fats Domino can. I know that. But I always liked that kind of music."

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Long Live the King!..........Elvis, of course.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 3rd May 2023, 3:39 PM

Hmm, a complicated one to answer with claims form both sides to who started it. I'd say Lennon was right in one major way, the way most would have witnessed it ie. Elvis popularised it, he brought it to public attention because he was white. I think it was Chuck Berry who said, 'we've been playing this music for years but it's takes a white man to get it on the radio' or similar. Elvis' first recordings were exquisite, his voice in Blue Moon of Kentucky **still sends shivers down me it's that good.

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**I'm playing that right now, which proves to me why he was THE ONE as far as Rock 'n Roll is concerned, but my favourite on that CD is the haunting track "Blue Moon", which I actually have on 78 somewhere.

Quote: DaButt @ 3rd May 2023, 2:24 PM

[/b] Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people.

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He was being selfefacing and very modest, because he definitely could, better than any other. It was more a soulful copy of a black gospel voice but was better than anything heard before, it's got so much tonal warmth, I still rate it as the best singing voice of all time. Long live Elvis.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 3rd May 2023, 3:54 PM

He was being selfefacing and very modest, because he definitely could, better than any other. It was more a soulful copy of a black gospel voice but was better than anything heard before, it's got so much tonal warmth, I still rate it as the best singing voice of all time. Long live Elvis.

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Absolutely. Well said Alf, and that is why he was not only the King of Rock 'n Roll, but also the originator of the genre, despite any "proof" DaButt has come up with.

No DB, John Lennon was right!