Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Uninfished business, pre-1975

[NightTrain]

Just found this posted to the Usenet group, rec.music.rock-pop-r+b.1950s. While I don't agree with all this guy's choices, I thought he made a strong enough argument for them. I also thought this would make an interesting topic of discussion for us Lounge Lizards!

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Basically pre-punk, pre-disco, pre-New Wave, pre-heavy metal (White Snake et al), pre-Arena rock (Springsteen, Seger, Petty heydays), there is still some unfinished business for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Foundation), those responsible for selecting inductees (Ahmet Ertegun, Jann Wenner & fellow travelers). The following is such a group of deserving artists, basically in descending order, whom I feel have been overlooked, or overdue, at least. Some of you may vehemently allege (state as if fact) otherwise for my list, but why not list those you think belong in there (I'm speaking to everyone) rather than slash and burn at those I favor....name your Pre-'75s.

1) Carole King - as a SINGER-songwriter this time, not just as a member of the Goffin-King songwriting team. A wonderful string of hits, and some fine albums including a mandatory purchase to comprehensive collections, "Tapestry". "It's Too Late", "Jazzman", "I Feel The Earth Move", etc. etc.

2) Laura Nyro - just as important an influence as Joni Mitchell TO OTHER ARTISTS, particularly the female singer-songwriter generations. Some wonderful songs (Stony End, And When I Die, Stoned Soul Picnic, Eli's Coming (about a certain boyfriend) Wedding Bell Blues, etc. etc. and folk-soul-jazz fusion lps (pick up New York Tendaberry or Christmas & The Beads of Sweat). The Holy Grail for her fans is quickly becoming the long-deleted 1989 CD Live At The Bottom Line, recommended without reservation to her fans and newcomers alike.

3) The Crickets - Buddy Holly's buddies in music making

4) Wynonie Harris - One of the fathers of rock and roll. First crossover rock and roll hit (????) perhaps...1948's #12 "Good Rockin' Tonight", later REMADE by Elvis.

5) Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes FEATURING Teddy Pendergrass

Comment: What's problematical here, for me at least, is the period when this WAS the musical entity or unit, with Teddy leading the Bluenotes is the musical entity which I feel is unique and actually separate from either HM&TB without TP, or TP solo. The fusion of their efforts in the early 70's for Philadelphia International Records is the musical entity I feel is worthy of induction to and special recognition from,the R&RHOF, particularly for work creating some very good albums, which contained all of those well-received singles (If You Don't Know Me By Now, The Love I Lost, Wake Up Everybody, Bad Luck, etc.); as well as the knock-you-out nightclub act. Because of this musical aggregation, Teddy Pendergrass became briefly for a few years, before becoming suffering a crippling car accident, a Soul superstar in the Inner City. Soul music has never seen the ferocious, virile vocal attack with harmonies like this since, to this degree and effect. I would honor their period together (emphasis) and not separate, before or after.

6) The Spinners

7) The O'Jays (not as urgent as the others)

8) The Chantels (the 1st female supergroup, a great string of hit
songs)

9) The Hollies

10) Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

Comment: Is there any better or more representative record to represent '60s rock and roll, or the whole rock and roll phenomenon than that the rage-to-live supercharged medley "Devil With The Blue Dress On/Good Golly, Miss Molly" that one could put in a 2000-year time capsule to give a distant future generation a clue to what was going on in popular music in the '60s? Some of the other hits were not chopped liver either (See See Rider/Good Golly Miss Molly medley). Essential. Essential to the '60s sound, that is. Helped write rock and roll history.

11) Mary Wells

Comment: Is or was anyone's body of work, a medium-sized inventory of hits be that as it is, better received and appreciated, or always so welcome? Her Motown hits sold not only encouragingly, they sold well. She got top billing, she was THE Motown star before the Supremes. No comprehensive collection of 60's popular music omits a Best of or Greatest Hits of MW, somewhere in there.

12) Chicago (C.T.A.)

If the Grateful Dead are in there, with a long history of mediocrity with a brief period of brilliance (probably about 3 albums worth in a catalogue of dozens), or the Doors, who were several grades below and inferior to say, The Who or the Stones, or even Aerosmith, then Chicago, who certainly had an undeniable period of vital music ("25 or 6 to 4", "Does Anyone Know What Time It Is", "Only The Beginning", "Make Me Smile", "Color My World", "Wishing You Were Here", "I'm A Man" ESPECIALLY when Peter Cetera WAS not the main singer of choice for the hits) that we all loved and went out an bought, and still are vital rock and roll (and this band can STILL bring in concert to this day). This is becoming an embarrassing omission, and their early '70s catalogue is aging much better than The Doors; even if the post-'75 (post "Old Days") albums are probably all throwaways, trade-ins-worth, or good for the remainder bin for the most part.

13) The Harptones - not influential among white kids, but certainly among all followers (and DEEPLY admired by other doo-wop stars and period African-American popular music artists) of group vocal harmony; they were in that area and context, a supergroup.

14) John Prine (infinitely more important than Jackson Browne as a singer-songwriter, where you are looking at the micro/introverted view (the inner psychology of individuals) or the macro/extroverted view (razor sharp, witty, and impact social commentary)

15) The Dubs (almost as important in 50's style group vocal harmony as the Harptones)

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On the bubble:

16) Neil Diamond, on grounds that he be recognized only for his work at Bang Records, not for the dreck (and often feckless and maudlin dreck) afterwards.

I mean, if Del Shannon is in there, or Gene Pitney, it's hard to argue not for Diamond, although he became rock and roll's number one musical embarrassment in those Columbia years, in which someone who made attractive rock-informed pop sells out completely and utterly to mundane, dinner-circuit pop, and goes where no self-respecting star with a constituency in the vital rock and roll, or rock-oriented music listener goes to slum: Las Vegas, the elephant's graveyard of once-vital acts (see Don Everly: "I Don't Want To Sing My Song In Las Vegas"). All that said, if he is never inducted, I won't feel too bad if the rest of my list goes in eventually, because his is the rock and roll equivalent of high apostasy. So this recommendation is made, admittedly with mixed-feelings and extreme reservations.

17) The Moody Blues

Comment: I realize they are going in eventually. The had a few interesting singles. While I could admire efforts like B-side "For My Lady", I never thought much of (disco production values influenced) albums like Long Distance Voyager, in contrast.

Final wrap: This is all unfinished business. Until these are address, we should give Ahmet Ertegun and Company, a.k.a. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation, no rest. I fully expect others will not see what I see in these group of artists, while some may concur on part of the list. Bruce Grossberg, from whom I may (or may not) receive resounding and declamatory criticism on this offering, of course, in his words, is "never wrong". But I hope he'll take the high road and simply name his own list of pre-75'ers he would hypothetically nominate.

Tom Blumenthal

[Westegg]

1. I can see Carole King (maybe) and Mitch Ryder...

But when push comes to shove, I'll go with Mitch and the Wheels. There are plenty of great rockers not in the Hall who should probably be there before King, who is, as the post noted, already in as a songwriter.

Moody Blues? Shit, I've been listening to them since '75, and they were a vital part of the soundtrack of my teen years. Lotta memories there, but they get no respect in rock-crit circles and I kinda undersand why. They're an acquired taste, to say the least. But "Days of Future Past" did lay the groundwork for prog-rock.

I have more to say on this but it must wait... (I'm sure you's all is holding yer breaths!)

Good post, though!

[poppabear36]

2. Black Sabbath

To add to your list. I know this has been pointed out to death.
But the fact remains that they are the alchemists of heavy metal, along with Led Zeppelin, one of the most productive veins in R&R for the last 30 years. R&R Hall of Fame is embarassing itself by not inducting them.
And hell yeah on Neil Diamond and the Crickets.
If Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels make it on the strength of their classic R&R singles, Steppenwolf should be considered as well - "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride" are two quintessential tunes in rock.

[OneBlueSky]

3. great list, Train . . . and an eye-opener . . .

I had no idea that some of these folks had been overlooked . . . particularly Carole King and, for me anyhow, the Moody Blues . . . the one addition that I'd make to the list is the E Street Band, one of the tightest and best rock & roll bands in existance . . . they weren't inducted with Bruce, and that's an oversight that should be corrected . . . much as with the Crickets . . . cheers . . . :)

on edit: is Phil Ochs in the Hall? . . .