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Chapter
2
The Birth and First Flourishing of Rack and Roll (1955-1960)
Outline
  1. The Rise of Youth Culture in the 1950s
    1. Pop culture devoted exclusively to teenagers
      1. Political stability and affluence
      2. Normalcy
      3. Rebellion against conservatism
      4. Worries about juvenile delinquency
      5. "Rock Around the Clock"
  2. Radio and Records
    1. Rise of the Disc Jockey
      1. Radios become inexpensive
      2. Rock-oriented radio shows
        1. The Moondog Show
        2. Cleveland
        3. Alan Freed
      3. Red, Hot, and Blue
        1. Memphis
        2. Dewey Phillips
      4. Black DJs became more numerous during the 1950s
      5. The Rock and Roll Party
        1. New York, syndicated
        2. Alan Freed
    2. Aggressive Marketing
      1. Record companies use radio to market records
        1. Participation of DJs is crucial
      2. Jukeboxes
      3. Payola used to overcome dominance by majors
  3. Crossover and Covers
    1. Charts developed to show trends to businesspeople
      1. Cashbox
      2. Billboard
      3. Three parallel charts according to marketing
        1. Crossover, records appearing on more than one chart
  4. The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
    1. Fats Domino
      1. Imperial Records
      2. Among the first rockers to consistently cross over
      3. Thirty-seven Top 40 singles, 1955-1963
      4. Warm, friendly image
    2. Chuck Berry
      1. Chess Records
      2. Vocal delivery influenced by country music
      3. Writer and performer
      4. Story songs
      5. Musical influence
        1. Simple verse, simple verse-chorus
        2. 12-bar blues
        3. Two-string boogie-woogie
        4. Double stops
    3. Little Richard
      1. Specialty Records
      2. First "wild man" of rock and roll
      3. Target for cover artists
    4. Whitening rhythm and blues
      1. Replacing references to sexuality with references to dancing
        1. Bill Haley
          1. "Rock Around the Clock"
          2. "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"
        2. Pat Boone
          1. "Ain't That a Shame"
          2. "Tutti Frutti"
    5. Cover versions
      1. Some black performers resented covers
        1. Copied arrangements
        2. Replaced original version on the charts
        3. Reduced crossover potential
      2. Historical precedent
        1. Song is unit of trade
        2. Norms of 1955 recording industry
        3. Stylistic differences
  5. The Rise of Elvis Presley
    1. Sun Records
      1. First demo, 1953
      2. First proper session, July 1954
        1. "That's All Right (Mama)"
          1. Rhythm and blues lineage
        2. "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
          1. Bluegrass lineage
      3. Early radio
        1. Red, Hot, and Blue
        2. Grand Ole Opry
        3. Louisiana Hayride
    2. RCA Records
      1. Phillips takes $35K buyout
      2. First single, early 1956
        1. "Heartbreak Hotel"
        2. three-way crossover hit
      3. Television
        1. Ed Sullivan, Toast of the Town
      4. Importance of major label involvement with rock
    3. Elvis's material
      1. Song selector, not writer
      2. Rockabilly
        1. Most without drums
        2. Acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
        3. "Slapback echo"
    4. U. S. Army, 1958-1960
      1. Stationed in Germany
      2. Return performance hosted by Sinatra
      3. Change to song stylist
  6. Rockabilly
    1. Sun Records
      1. Carl Perkins
      2. Johnny Cash
      3. Jerry Lee Lewis
    2. Gene Vincent
    3. Eddie Cochran
    4. Brenda Lee
    5. Buddy Holly
      1. One of the first major figured in rock to have rhythm and blues and country and western influences
      2. Decca sessions go badly, 1956
      3. Brunswick and Coral Records
      4. "That'll Be the Day," 1957
      5. Vocal hiccups
      6. Influence as a songwriter
        1. Direct, happy, positive lyrics
        2. Adventurous formal design
        3. Wide stylistic range
  7. The Day the Music Died
    1. Little Richard called to ministry, 1957
    2. Elvis drafted, 1957
    3. Jerry Lee Lewis marries thirteen-year-old cousin, 1958
    4. Plane crash, 1959
      1. Buddy Holly
      2. Big Bopper
      3. Ritchie Valens
    5. Chuck Berry charged with violation of the Mann Act, 1959
    6. Payola investigations, 1959
      1. Attack on DJs as "gatekeepers"
      2. Struggle between BMI and ASCAP
      3. Opponents of rock felt that it was forced on listeners
      4. FCC and FTC
        1. DJs didn't acknowledge and declare gifts
      5. High-profile subjects
        1. Alan Freed
          1. Resisted hearings
          2. Driven out of music business
        2. Dick Clark
          1. Cooperated with hearings
          2. Forced to divest conflicts of interest
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