WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK & ROLL RECORD? (Part 1)

[NightTrain]

I excerpted the following from the 1992 book, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL RECORD, by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes. The authors chose 50 songs as contenders for that coveted title. Here are the first 25:

1. BLUES, PART 2 – Jazz at the Philharmonic

RELEASE DATE: Late 1944
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first “live” commercially released recordings; the musicians influenced the coming revolutions in music; and tenorist Illinois Jacquet’s solo performance launched a school of highly emotional, “honking ‘n’ squealing” saxophones.


2. THE HONEYDRIPPER – Joe Liggins

RELEASE DATE: April 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the earliest runaway hit in the formative R&B combo style.


3. BE-BABA-LEBA – Helen Humes

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first example of be-bop’s influence on R&B, which had evolved primarily from big-band swing and the blues.


4. HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHTS – Freddie Slack with Ella Mae Morse

RELEASE DATE: April 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: Morse and Slack were the first two white R&B stars, and their records helped establish Capitol as the first major West Coast record company.


5. THAT’S ALL RIGHT (MAMA) – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

RELEASE DATES: Late 1946 and March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first blues/R&B record released on 45 RPM, and a prototype of early rockabilly.


6. OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD! – Jack McVea & His All-Stars

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early R&B novelty record, a genre that evolved into a staple of ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll; the first commercial record to fade out instead of ending cold; and the first popular record to inspire a spate of highly successful covers and answer records.


7. TOMORROW NIGHT – Lonnie Johnson

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first country blues pop hit.


8. GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT – Wynonie Harris

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It started a trend of records concerned with “rockin’.”


9. WE’RE GONNA ROCK, WE’RE GONNA ROLL – Wild Bill Moore

RELEASE DATE: June 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first “honking” hit record.


10. IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW – The Orioles

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first R&B vocal group hits, and the inspiration for countless “bird” groups that defined the music of the “doo-wop” era.


11. BOOGIE CHILLEN – John Lee Hooker

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major electrified Delta blues hit.


12. GUITAR BOOGIE – Arthur Smith & His Crackerjacks

RELEASE DATES: 1945 and Nov. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It popularized boogie-woogie music on the guitar.


13. DRINKIN’ WINE SPO-DEE-O-DEE – Stick McGhee & His Buddies

RELEASE DATE: March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first party-time drinking songs to become a hit.


14. ROCK THE JOINT – Jimmy Preston

RELEASE DATE: May 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early all-out R&B rocker, and it led ultimately to Bill Haley’s changeover from country music to proto-rockabilly.


15. SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first unabashed, uninhibited pop hits about African-American highlife.


16. MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS – Professor Longhair

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: “Mardi Gras” was the first of many New Orleans R&B recordings to capitalize on the Crescent City’s peculiar rhythms.


17. THE FAT MAN – Fats Domino

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first of almost 70 Imperial records and 63 R&B charters for Domino; it was the first New Orleans hit that *sounded* New Orleans and convinced record companies elsewhere to record local musicians. Fats Domino became the biggest-selling R&B star of the 1950s.


18. ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ – Muddy Waters

RELEASE DATE: April 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest modern, amplified Chicago blues records.


19. BIRMINGHAM BOUNCE – Hardrock Gunter

RELEASE DATE: March 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest white popular records about “rockin’” on the dance floor.


20. I’M MOVIN’ ON – Hank Snow


RELEASE DATE: June 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major train-song hit set to a boogie rhythm.


21. TEARDROPS FROM MY EYES – Ruth Brown

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major jump hit for Atlantic’s earliest consistent hitmaker, and established her as the first lady of R&B.


22. HOT ROD RACE – Arkie Shibley & His Mountain Dew Boys

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It introduced automobile racing into popular music and underscored the car’s relevance to American culture, particularly youth culture.


23. HOW HIGH THE MOON – Les Paul & Mary Ford

RELEASE DATE: March 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major pop hit to use extensive overdubbing, speeded-up tapes and other gimmicks; it also featured the first distinct rock ‘n’ roll-like guitar solo.


24. ROCKET 88 – Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

RELEASE DATE: April 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It indirectly helped launch Sun Records; the performance itself, powered by a distorted electric guitar and a relentless boogie beat, influenced countless records in the 1950s.


25. SIXTY MINUTE MAN – The Dominoes

RELEASE DATE: May 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first R&B hit to cross over to the pop charts, the first double-entendre hit, and the first million-seller by a formative R&B vocal group.

Coming soon to DU: records #26 - 50!

[shockingelk]

1. I head a good argument for Rocket 88

I think it was on Terri Gross ... forget how it went.

[yorgatron]

2. i vote for Rocket 88

and it's not just cuz i got a '54 oldsmobile,so stop saying that!

[bobthedrummer]

6. I concur, Rocket 88 was rock and roll in all respects

[RebelOne]

3. Bill Haley "Rock Around The Clock."

[NightTrain]

4. No way!

Not only was "Rock Around The Clock" *not* the first rock 'n' roll record, it wasn't even Bill Haley's first hit. He had previously made the charts with such rockers as "Crazy Man Crazy," "Dim, Dim The Lights," "Birth of the Boogie," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and "Mambo Rock."

[TheMightyFavog]

5. In fact...

Rock Around the Clock did quite poorly until it became the theme song for the movie Blackboard Jungle.

[ladjf]

7. Rock Around the Clock

Sometime circa 1953-54, the rhythm and blues bands began to use the newly invented electric bass guitar. The volume strength of the electric bass was the key component in transforming rhythm and blues, as well as "Rock a billy", into the genre called "Rock and Roll". Rarely does any new art form begin with as single event. Usually it evolves from earlier developments.

Most of the titles mentioned in this thread contributed directly to the creation of "Rock and Roll". From a personal view, when I attended the movie "Black Board Jungle" in the fall of 1953 and heard the sound track "Rock Around the Clock", I was blown away by how different it sounded compared to what I had previously heard. But, it was only later that I realized the significance of the bass guitar. With it, the ensemble finally had the necessary balance of power from top to bottom. This was also the case in the development of the symphony orchestra. Until the advent of the double bass violin, string ensembles lacked the full range of pitches.

[beanball]

13. Hello Night Train

got one for you.Who was Dick Lane and who was the blues singer he married.?

[Gildor Inglorion]

8. OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD! Wow...

I'd forgotten that song until now. It's one of the earliest things I remember: "Open the door, Richard! Open the door, and let me come in." Good song. Definitely a precursor, if not actual rock 'n' roll.

[Redleg]

9. THAT’S ALL RIGHT (MAMA) – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

That's my pick. I was just listening to it the other day.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

10. NightTrain, why don't YOU write a book

You really got it going on.

[NightTrain]

11. I've written a number of books!

I just can't find an agent or a publisher for any of 'em. :eyes:

[BlackVelvetElvis]

12. You have an amazing encyclopediac brain.

Yes, you should be published!