So what to do on a snowy Sunday before Christmas in NY? Well an expedition to faraway Brooklyn, to see the Who Shot Rock & Roll Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum seemed like a plan. And if you are in NY, living or visiting and photography or Rock and Roll is your bag, then I recommend the trip.

I’m not going to go into the whole show, just to note two photos that I had not seen before- or at least I don’t recall seeing them. The first is a wonderful warm photo taken in 1966 by William “Popsie” Randolph at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, of Wilson Pickett and his band featuring a then young unknown Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix looks for all the world like he has the greatest job ever, dressed in soul uniform du jour, playing guitar for the Wicked. Which it may well have been. He is a year away from the Marquee Club, Monterey and immortality, yet who’s to say he wouldn’t have counted a stint in Wilson Pickett’s band playing the Apollo in Harlem as a highpoint. Sure looks that way. Judge for yourself.

But it’s the second photo that really stopped me dead in my tracks.

Jean-Marie Perier, described as the “French David Bailey”, spent two weeks touring with Chuck Berry in 1964 (for that alone he probably deserves a Legion of Honor award). When I walked up to the photo my first thought was “That’s a great shot of Ike Turner” then I thought “no…wait…. is that Wilson Pickett?”  As the title board notes, the image throws one off because we are so used to photos and film of Chuck Berry in motion, leering, grinning, shaking, dancing, duckwalking, the whole panorama of an r’n'b revue. This is something else.

This is Stagolee.

Berry was a year out of jail- his second jail term- having served time on a ridiculous Mann act conviction after a trial that at the very least could be termed suspect and at worst racially charged and biased in the extreme. In the interim the rock’n'roll world had changed with the advent of the Beatles and the Stones and in their wake, a plethora of bands who owned a huge sonic & songwriting debt to Berry and who frequently covered his songs. Berry, riding that wave of popularity was touring Europe to enthusiastic audiences. He had a whole slew of new hits – Nadine, You Never Can Tell, No Particular Place To Go- and the admiration of the young hitmakers coming out of England.

I think there is something of that in this picture- a wariness, a hardness, but also a man confident in himself, surefooted, alive. This man knows things we don’t; what it is to be black and railroaded, to stay tough and strong and to survive, to have looked racism in the eye and taken the fall and come back stronger. This man keeps a very private kernel of himself hidden away far from his very public self and from prying eyes. He tours alone, without a band or close companions, hiring as needs be from the local musicians in the towns he plays. Then he moves on. No one gets close. And Perier captured it, not that core itself but the diamond hard crust he used to keep his essential essence safe. The picture says “see what you see, you don’t know me and you never will”. This is one hard brother. The hip-hop minstrels don’t even come close.

Truly a terrific scene from Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, Taylor Hackford’s amazing 1987 documentary. The master shows the  student, better compensated by several orders of magnitude, who’s the boss. Priceless interaction. What can I say? I’m a fan of both of ‘em.

American Idol, Sony Playstation’s Rock Band, and Nintendo’s Wii have invited us to step out of our car stadiums and shower sound booths and enter the brass ring of karaoke.  The Native New Yorker Restaurants host karaoke every Saturday night.  Our particular haunt, the Alano club, frequent the one on Gilbert Road and the US 60 in Mesa, Arizona.  The fun starts at nine pm!

  What Sony, Nintendo and American Idol labels  may choose to say about their products via advertising has mainly to do with driving sales, creating Facebook fan clubs, and involving us in choosing the next great rock star. Dreams of fame, money and fans drive many people to try out for the dream.  What I have witnessed personally at the Native New Yorker has little to do with any of those pie in the sky dreams.  There is a deeper meaning, a more sincere message and it comes straight from the soul of ordinary people like you and me.  In two to three minutes the whole bar experiences a cathartic reaction to soulful voice of Lolly. 

  Standing near her table, surrounded by her friends and sister-in-law Mindy, Lolly waits patiently for Hollywood to start her song.  She is one of the regulars at this particular Native New Yorker.  The music starts, easy rhythm combined with a harmony of synthesized keyboards.  The new comers to tonight’s performer are still arguing over the Dallas and Saints football game, the normal crowd discussing  their weeks of economic strain.  The chatter stops, the drinks set back down from the half way rise to thirsty lips, Lolly has begun to sing.

  Such a voice cuts through even the most jaded of hearts as she belts out a sound that relieves your worst heartbreak at the same time validating all of those pent up feelings of anger and hurt. No one makes them cry like Lolly.

  The song ends and she is standing amid applause, whistles and lighters waving through the non-smoky atmosphere.  Women are shouting, “Yeah girl! You tell him!”  Men are captured by her silky voice and inner strength.  I talked with Lolly and her sister Mindy during one of our smoke breaks.  I was curious as to what her motivation was. Her eye’s smiled as she explained that music was a passion, not some dream of making it big, but an inner resounding knowing of this stuff really happens.   “I sing about real life because I don’t have time for the bulls%^&.”

  Warren is a clean-cut man in his early thirties. Always well dressed with an easy-going smile but when he picks up the mike you feel the spirit of  Chuck Berry, The Pretenders and the Temptations.  Instantly the bar is transported to another time when music moved a generation into expression of freedom.  Whether it’s Johnny B. Goode or The Dance, Warren always has a couple or two dancing beneath the television as he sings. 

The night unfolds to include hip hop singers rapping the Gansters Paradise and the Humpty Hump Song transporting us all to the late eighties and early nineties.  High School dances that brought out our inner rapper.  We listened to renditions of Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin and La Bamba all performed with equal talent. 

 The night rounded out by bringing the bar to its feet, shouting and whistling to a classic; Proud Mary.  The beautiful spirit of Tina Turner’s first hit after accepting buddhism as a way of life.  She brought many women to their feet with her movie, What’s Love Got to do With It, as she triumphed over an abusive and degrading relationship.  People around the world saw first hand the strength of a women’s heart, her inner drive to attain her own truth and the courage to live it.   Maria along with her mom Angie, gave us all a piece of that freedom with her strong voice.

  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was standing in the bar feeling the electricity, she started us slow and finished us hard.  At the end we all knew the meaning of  “Left a good job in the city, working for a man in New Orleans…”   The greatest people you never met found the courage to share their passion and heartache, inviting us all to find the freedom within.

with love, Rochelle Author The Stone People

www.rochellefoulk.wordpress.com

My daughter accused me of stepping on her feet during the traditional father-of-the-bride dance at her wedding. I don’t remember doing that but I may not have noticed, so busy was I praying that the song would end soon, allowing me to retreat into the shadows so people would stop staring at me. And snickering.

But if I did flatten a few of my darling daughter’s tootsies, it’s not my fault. According to a story by the Telegraph Group Ltd (published in the Dec. 17 issue of the New Zealand Herald), “dad dancing” is a direct result of evolution.

Nature’s grand design, according to the story, is that the older we get, the worse our dancing becomes, thus sending a message to younger members of the opposite sex that basically says, “Stay away, I’m not fertile.”

Women, the story says, “gauge the testosterone levels of their dance partners by the style and energy of their moves.”

In other words, bad dancing = withered, decrepit sperm = “Back away from the ovaries, old-timer.”

Thank goodness for vital scientific research. For a minute there, I thought it was simply the ravages of gravity and the passing decades and too many lemon cranberry scones from Starbucks that were responsible for the fact that the only females paying attention to me these days are the ladies living in the residential care facility where I work. And they only like me because I know in which drawer they like to store their clean knickers.

Let me get this straight — I’m not old, I’m just past my Boogaloo’s best-by date? Whew!

Actually, I’ve never been much of a dancer. Oh, I can waltz — one-two, one-two — but my repertoire is pretty much limited to what I like to call the White Man’s Funky Chicken. It ain’t pretty, but no one gets hurt. And you can use the same moves for every single song ever invented. I know, I’ve done it.

If the mood strikes me, and I’ve chugged back a few too many Diet Cokes, I’ve also been known to demonstrate my version of the duck walk. Chuck Berry does it while playing the guitar. I don’t have an ax to grind, but I can do it backwards. Take that, Mr. Berry!

Oh, and I do have one move from Thriller, although Viking Woman has asked me never to do it again, lest Michael Jackson roll over in his grave and break something. I think I look like a dancing zombie. She says I look like a bear trying to crawl out of an open latrine.

Brother #2 has a move I’ve always envied. It ends with him sliding across the floor on his knees. Which looks absolutely stunning. Unless, of course, someone gets in the way, and then it just looks like human bowling.

I did try line dancing once, back in the days when Viking Woman and I were in the dating stage of our relationship. You know those times — when the guy will do practically anything to get some lovin‘, including cuddling and watching Meg Ryan movies.

Anyway, a group of us from work met at a country and western club and joined the line. I stood deep in the back so as not to get in anyone’s way. It didn’t work. I turned left when I should have gone right and ended up with the toe of someone’s cowboy boot jammed into my prostate. Which pretty much ended my line-dancing days. And ruined a perfectly good pair of boots.

The good news is, I won’t need an exam now for another 10 years.

It’s really too bad about my lack of rhythm and coordination. Because I was there when all those wild dances were invented: The Twist. The Frug. The Mashed Potato. The Watusi. The Swim. The Freddie.

They’re all gone now. Dead and buried. Distant memories. Something like my chances of ever  hooking up with a younger member of the opposite sex.

And that’s a real shame because I’ve still got a few moves left.

Here, check this ou . . .  owww!

Listen, could I bother you to put the wheat bag in the microwave for me? Two minutes on high and I should be good.

Tonight I am in the mood for Chuck Berry. I love his lyrics, guitar playing.

We’re going with two versions of “Run Rudolph Run” at the #15 spot. Brian Setzer’s take on the tune (a song that has been covered by many others, notably Dave Edmunds and a bit more sloppily by Keith Richards) is pretty true to the orginal, adding Setzers growl – both with guitar and vocals – to modernize the classic.

And Chuck Berry is the father of the sound. So we have both here. Just a freakin’ great blast of rock and roll everytime I hear it. Ain’t nothing polished about it – or at least there needn’t be. Just turn it up.

Ok, ok, originally I was going to call this the ‘12 days of Christmas’, but Knockturnal has just text me saying “the 12 days are the days after Christmas“, so factually this isn’t the ‘12 days of Christmas’.  It seems my Primary School and their use of the song,  and items in the song, were incorrect. I cannot believe it has taken over 20 years for someone to point this out to me. It’s rather tragic, and has ruined some of my Christmas spirit, but not to worry, I’ve got tons of Christmas cheer left, and as such, I thought we at WANARB could give you our very own, AK47 style, 12 days of Christmas, with the 12 days leading up to Christmas….

On the first day of Christmas WANARB gave to you….well, nothing festive, but we haven’t missed out on the second day! Like Bon Jovi said, keep the faith, because now I’m back in the game and in a giving mood, bringing you an eclectic mix of Christmas Classics every day until the big day itself. I’ve been speaking with the other writers and I think its safe to say we’ve got a most excellent musical spread, which will fill up your ears with goodness much like the turkey, stuffing and roasties which will fill your belly on the big day itself.

So today, I’ll be bringing you three musical gifts (two for the days and one because I’m in a giving mood!), and as I’ve had to package them together (I think the best presents are always the ones that compliment each other) I’ve chosen R&B. Yes, R&B, but not the Chris Brown/Neyo trash, oh no! I give you good ol’ Rhythm and Blues. Tremendous.

Charles Brown and his Christmas Blues, from the brilliant Texas born blues pianist, here’s a slow paced piano led Christmas song to warm your cockles on a cold winters day.

Charles Brown – Christmas Blues

James Brown, good god! A more upbeat, toe tapping funky Christmas number, not to warm you, but you’ll be warm getting up to get down to this one. Ow!

James Brown – Soulful Christmas

Chuck Berry, whilst not specifically Rhythm and Blues, can be included because Rock and Roll was an evolution of blues music, and as a pioneer of Rock & Roll music, and the writer of Run Run Rudolph, I couldn’t not include him here!

Chuck Berry – Run Run Rudolph

AK47

Christmas lurks out there, scarcely 10 days away now.

Everyone’s busy, no time to read, no time to write.

This is going to be it for Three Under the Tree. I get the feeling this series has run its course, anyway. I have something in mind for next year, something a little different.

So as we go out, three more good ones:

“All I Want for Christmas,” Timbuk 3, 1987, from “A Different Kind of Christmas,” 1994. It’s out of print.

Gotta support your local musicians. Pat MacDonald, born right here in Green Bay and kicked out of West High School in the late ’60s over his long hair (and that’s only part of a great story), was half of Timbuk 3 with his ex-wife Barbara K. He’s living in our corner of Wisconsin these days, doing a variety of gigs and billing himself as pat mAcdonald.

“Winter Wonderland,” Steve Goodman, from “Artistic Hair,” 1983.

Recorded live, but not otherwise a Christmas record. On which Steve struggles to remember the lyrics but comes close enough, and in so doing comes up with a delightful acoustic version. I bought this record at a Steve Goodman show in 1983. He autographed it for me: “Joe, Hello”

“Merry Christmas Baby,” Chuck Berry, 1958, from “Chuck Berry’s Golden Decade, Vol. 2,” 1973. The LP is out of print, but this tune — and a shorter alternate take — are available on “Johnny B. Goode: His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings,” a 2008 compilation, and digitally.

On which Chuck demonstrates how well he does those quiet, slow blues. Listen for a snippet of “White Christmas” at about 1:40. Mostly, though, it’s just Chuck’s voice backed by Johnnie Johnson’s piano. The rest of the group is Willie Dixon on bass and Fred Below on drums.

And to think I got to see Chuck Berry this year. Christmas came early.

Defenders of the Faith (1984)

For six years, Judas Priest release a new album annually, managing to change things just enough to mostly be interesting and successful enough.  After the overall excellence of Screaming For Vengeance, the band had a good bit to live up to with Defenders of the Faith, an album that landed the band in hot water with “Eat Me Alive” appearing on the infamous Filthy Fifteen list.  Regardless, the album was out to be listened to and now evaluated.  On a positive note, this release proved to be a very competent one, showcasing a sound familiar and fresh to the band.  Other than the relatively worthless closing tracks, there really aren’t any “weak” songs to be found here.  However, after a few listens the tracks begin to feel less remarkable and this becomes a seeming superb album that shows its cracks after a couple revisits.  Overall, this is a solid effort that has some very memorable moments such as “Freewheel Burning,” “The Sentinel” and “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll.”

Turbo (1986)

With the then-recent craze over hair/glam metal, established and renowned bands were often pressured into giving their own take of such a style.  It was at this time that Judas Priest got the concept for the Twin Turbo records, which would become scratched after the bittersweet response to the first part, Turbo.  While the band once again managed to open themselves up to a broader audience, the overall response to Turbo was a resounding “eh.”  Although I absolutely despise hair/glam metal, I wouldn’t say this release as all bad since tracks like “Turbo Lover” and “Reckless” are worthy of returning to.  However, this album is a complete and utter synthesizer overload whose messages are quite cliché and absurd.  What’s odd is that this album, one of the band’s weakest, came out the same year as Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Megadeth’s Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? and Metallica’s deemed magnum opus, Master of Puppets.  Look at the album on its own, and it’s at least tolerable.  Compare it to other releases that year, and it belongs in the trash.

Ram It Down (1988)

The second part of the original Twin Turbo double-record release, Ram It Down sought to balance rectifying the mistakes of Turbo while still keeping a bit of the core sound.  What we got is an album that’s overall a better package than its predecessor, but just barely.  Indications of a speed metal sound are definitely present, which would become a key reason for long-time drummer Dave Holland’s departure from the band.  At points, the style works wonders, with the title track and “Blood Red Skies” being the immediate standouts.  However, these points are matched by dull moments such as closing track “Monsters of Rock” and embarrassing, joyless cover of “Johnny Be Goode.”  As a result, Ram It Down proved to be little more than a fair improvement over Turbo.  But of course, Priest fans know that this wouldn’t be a proper sign of what would follow two years later.

Painkiller (1990)

Right from the drum intro the title track leading to the frantic guitar riffs, it’s clear that this isn’t the same Judas Priest fans had known for the past 20 years.  Painkiller is universally considered the Priest’s best effort to date, myself included.  One of the most immediate differences here is the welcome addition of drummer Scott Travis, filling in Dave Holland’s position.  His frantic drum work really helped to sell the speed and intensity that fueled the album with Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing providing arguably their best guitar playing ever.  For the entire first half of the album, nothing lets up.  As for the second half, Judas Priest slow things down just enough to let the listener gradually catch their breath before closing with “One Shot at Glory.”  Unfortunately, after the Painkiller tour, the band would find themselves taken to court over their cover of “Better By You, Better Than Me” on Stained Class and then see vocalist Rob Halford leave the band.

#16 – The Eagles – “Please Come Home For Christmas” – (1994)

You’re gonna have to find the full version of the song online by yourself because, and I’m just guessing here, Don Henley & the boys are complete Nazis when it comes to their music, so this song is not on YouTube. Or you could just watch Home Alone because I’m pretty sure this song was in it (although it may have been sung by someone else). Another good Christmas song from Home Alone: Chuck Berry’s 1958 Christmas-rock classic “Run Rudolph Run” (or the Lynyrd Skynyrd version “Run Run Rudolph“).

Chistmas rock songs.

I’m talking about rock songs that mention Christmas throughout the song, not just once or twice. And not just songs with “Christmas” in the title (like “Christmas at the zoo” from the flaming lips).

Some of my favourites here :

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones Download mp3

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Step into Christmas by Elton John Download mp3

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Father Christmas by The Kinks Download mp3

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Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry Download mp3

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Silent Night by The Dickies Download .mp3

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I’m talking about rock songs that mention Christmas throughout the song, not just once or twice. And not just songs with “Christmas” in the title (like “Christmas at the zoo” from the flaming lips).

Some of my favourites here :

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones

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Step into Christmas by Elton John

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Father Christmas by The Kinks

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Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry

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Silent Night by The Dickies

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When it comes to Christmas songs there’s a steady stream of old reliables. “Deck the Halls,”
“Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Joy to the World,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” are a few of the many heartwarming Carols played during this festive season. Those are the songs we usually play on a snowy Christmas Eve, family gathered by the fireplace, hot chocolate and marshmallows being handed to all. While many are content hearing those wonderful traditionals, some of us look to break tradition and rock a bit more. Who says you can’t play air guitar or air drums to an original Christmas song and maintain the spirit of the season? Not the tunes below, the top five best rock Christmas songs.

5. Father Christmas – The Kinks: Released in 1977, The Kinks managed to completely break from traditional Christmas fare and come up with a mold breaker: a post punk song with the protagnoist, playing the role of Father Christmas, being mugged by a gang of impoverished miscreants. These kids don’t care about Santa’s toys. All they want is his money, a job for one’s father, and a toy machine gun to scare the rich kids in town. Musically, “Father Christmas” barely resembles anything close to a Christmas song. Lyrically, it presents a seedier side of life. Overall, it’s pure Kinks with Ray Davies barely able to hit his high notes, accompanied by Dave Davies’ screaming guitar. It might not be true Christmas spirit but it rocks. That’s all that counts.

4. It’s Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty: Reindeer and a  Rickenbacker guitar. Tom Petty brought the big jangle (and no shortage of cheesy lyrics) to Christmas with 1992’s “A Very Special Christmas Volume 2″ compilation. With his signature laidback vocal, a nod to visiting relatives and decorations, Petty is more concerned with the warmer aspects of Christmas, namely any activity underneath the mistletoe. Along with any holiday extracurricular activity, Petty still leaves time for his wish list, ending the song rattling off all that he’s asking Santa for this year. “Two Fender Bass-mans, a Chuck Berry songbook, a Rickenbacker guitar . . . ” Tom Petty wasn’t good just that year, but every year. I think he deserves everything on his list. Especially the guitar.

3. Step Into Christmas – Elton John: Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s musical Christmas card, “Step Into Christmas” is a holiday thank you for the year set to end, along with a wish for the one about to begin. Released as a single around the time of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” it is quintessential, high energy Elton John, inviting his listeners to hop onto a record player and step into the spirit of the season.  Lyrically, this was Bernie Taupin’s rock-and-Christmas equivalent of the tornado that took Dorothy from Kansas, with Elton John being the wizard on piano. It was eventually placed as a bonus on 1995’s remastered version of “Caribou.”

2. Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode meets Santa Claus. Reaching number 69 on the Billboard charts in 1958, this is good, old fashioned rock and roll at its best. Featuring Johnnie Johnson’s boogie woogie piano and that all too familiar 12 bar Chuck Berry riff, Rudolph’s racing to help Santa get his presents delivered. The girl asks for a doll that can “cry, sleep, and wet,” the boy wants, of course . . . “a rock and roll electric guitar.” If Santa plays this song on Christmas Eve, he’ll get every gift delivered with time to spare. This song screams duck walk. Or Reindeer walk. Either way, it’s one for those who pound their hands on a steering wheel. Rock on, Santa . . . I mean, Chuck.

1. I Want An Alien For Christmas – Fountains of Wayne: Leave it to a group of Jersey boys to come up with a song looking for the most unique Christmas gift. Sweaters? Not interested. A bike? Nope. Basketball? Don’t need one. What the person in this song wants most of all is a little more extraterrestrial. Being more precise, an alien: “a little green guy about three feet high, with seventeen eyes, who knows how to fly.” Half of the song is spent detailing how he’ll take care of his brand new interplanetary pet. He’ll keep him in the bathtub and take him out for walks when the weather is warmer. No clue as to how he would feed his new E.T., or  keep him away from the government, but he seems to have everything else taken care of. For anyone else who asks for a puppy or even a chimpanzee for Christmas, Fountains of Wayne has you beat, not by miles but by light years.

One song three versions. Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis; between the three of them, pretty much all the best 50’s music is covered. All the versions are similar (Presley’s is just a jam), but I’m going to say Chuck Berry’s original is the best.

Final del s. XVIII. Origen del Gospel. Nace por parte de la población en las iglesias afroamericanas. La palabra original es GodSpell, que en castellano se traduce como «llamada de Dios». Se le denominó de esta manera ya que era un canto evangélico que invitaba a las personas al rezo. Además, las letras, en el gospel original suelen reflejar los valores de la vida cristiana.

1895. Primera publicación musical afroamericana. Se publica una pieza de lo que más tarde se llamaría Jazz. Tras la guerra de sucesión americana se aboliría la esclavitud y la población afroamericana comenzaría a desarrollar su música.

1910-1917: Surge del jazz de Nueva Orleans. Intérpretes como Louis Armstrong y Jelly Roll Morton saltan a la fama.

1930. Se comienza a popularizar la música gospel. La América negra comienza a cogerle gusto a ritmos más optimistas.

1941. Inicios del Rythm and blues. Louis Jordan & Tympany Five editan I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town. Venden un millón de copias. El saxofonista servirá de inspiración a los nuevos talentos del sonido popular negro, como Ray Charles.

Ahmet Ertegun delante de algunos de los discos más importantes de Atlantic Records

1947. Nace el término Rythm and blues. Creado por Jerry Wexler de la revista Billboard. Sustituyó al término conocido como “race records” (grabaciones de raza, también conocido como música racial), considerado ofensivo y molesto para una parte de la pobñación que vivía  segregada en la sociedad norteamericana. Herb Abramson y Ahmet Ertegün fundan la compañía Atlantic Records para rellenar el vacío en la industria musical dedicado a la música negra.

1949. Se comienza a definir una nueva identidad negra. La Iglesia tiene un papel fundamental en el incipiente movimiento por la lucha de los derechos civiles. Los predicadores instaban a sus fieles a tomar conciencia de su raza y su historia y enorgullecerse de ellas.  Tras la II Guerra Mundial surge el Be-Bop, como una “separación” del Swing. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker. Surge el Cool, como contraposición al Be-Bop. Miles Davis y John Coltrane.

1950. Nace Chess Records. Los polacos Leonard y Phill Chess fundaron la mejor compañía de blues y rock and roll de la década de los 50. Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James o Chuck Berry formaban parte del sello.

Recopilatorio de Chess Records

1954. Nace el soul. “I Got A Woman”(Atlantic Records) de Ray Charles se considera el primer tema soul de la historia. Es la primera vez que Ray Charles combina los ritmos gospel con las letras populares del blues. No gustó mucho al principio ya que se creía que convertir una melodía gospel en tema de blues era casi un sacrilegio.

1955. Consolidación del soul. “Please, please, please” de James Brown le dio un nuevo giro al término y la influencia del soul saltaba a la vista. El nuevo género caló hondo en la población.

1959. Nace Motown Records. Con base en Detroit, Berry Gordy crea  la casa discográfica de artistas tan importantes como The Jackson Five, The Supremes, Steve Wonder… y consolida el sonido de la joven América.

1960. Crisis del Jazz. El jazz atravesó una crisis de público y ventas a finales de la década de los 60. Las audiencias juveniles estaban a favor de la música soul, pop y rock, mientras que los aficionados adultos se sentían ajenos a las abstracciones y falta de emoción de gran parte del jazz moderno, por lo que los músicos de jazz volvieron a extraer ideas de la música popular.

1961. Stax Records. Fundada por Estelle Axton y su hermano Jim Stewart, originalmente con el nombre Satellite Records, Stax es la casa discográfica de genios de la música negra como Otis Redding e Isaac Hayes. Junto a Motown, comparte el honor de estar considerado el sello más importante de la historia del soul.

1965. Primer compromiso directo del soul con la política negra. Sam Cooke, como respuesta al tema de Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the Wind”, or el hecho de que una canción tan punzante con el tema del racismo en América viniera de un compositor blanco, publica su canción más popular “A change is gonna come”. El tema ejemplificó la lucha por el Movimiento por los derechos civiles en Estados Unidos en los sesenta.

1967. Revolución del soul. Acrecentada por la reivindicación de los derechos raciales y la aparición del single de Aretha Franklin “Respect”, que causó gran impacto el la población afroamericana.

1968. El nuevo sonido: Funk. James Brown empieza a dar un nuevo sentido al soul, contribuyendo en añadirle dureza y mayor agresividad rítmica y sonora acorde a los tiempos que se vivían entonces, dando paso al funk.

1969. Integración racial. El grupo Sly & The Family Stone sin haberlo planeado se convirtió en un ejemplo de igualdad. Integraba miembros blancos y negros por igual, y mujeres del mismo modo que hombres, por lo que se trata de la primera banda multirracial. Con el sencillo “Everyday People”, con más de tres millones de copias vendidas, lanzó al grupo a la fama mundial, propagando mensajes de paz, amor, tolerancia; todo ello aderezado con una irresistible música de raíz soul y funk

1970. Cuando el soul conoció al funk. Stevie Wonder comienza a explorar el sonido funk utilizando un nuevo invento: el sintetizador. En 1973 publica “Superstition” dando un sentido más urbano a la música funk.

Talking Book disco al que pertenece el single "Superstition"

70’s. Encuentro del funk con la psicodelia. El grupo Funkadelic (conocidos también como P-Funk), fundado por George Clinton, estableció una innovadora mezcla de lo viejo y lo nuevo, fusionando los ritmos sincopados de James Brown, el rock ácido del guitarrista estadounidense Jimi Hendrix y la mezcla de sonidos del grupo Sly and the Family Stone.

Finales de los 70. Nace el hermano pequeño del funk, el hip hop.

80’s. El nuevo soul. Representa la “igualdad”, a la América negra de clase media. E

l soul de los 80 era más tranquilo y sosegado que el de los años 60 y 70. Anita Baker es un exponente importante de esta generación.

La intérprete Anita Baker

Finales de los 80. Se consolida el rap en la industria y nace el New jack swing. Up & Town nació como discográfica de hip hop. Andre Harrel decidió no centrarse solo en el rap, entendió el rythm and blues de diferente manera. Unió el soul con el hip hop, nació el new jack swing. Fue un género de transición, que abrió la puerta al público a los sonidos R&B y hip-hop actuales. Bobby Brown sintetizó este nuevo concepto.

1991. Origen del R&B. “You remind me” de Mary J. Blige se convierte en un éxito a nivel nacional. Marcó la llegada de un estilo agridulce, con la calidez del soul y la dureza del rap.

1992. Nacimiento del Hip hop soul. El disco de Mary J. Blige “What’s the 411?” se convierte en un nuevo híbrido musical reciclando el soul clásico y del rap de los 80.

We all know Chuck Berry as that duck-walking, guitar-slinging rocker from the late 1950s-early 1960s, the guy who wrote and recorded classics like “Maybelline,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and many, many more.  Berry did all of these for Chess Records, the seminal Chicago blues and rock label that was also home to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

But many people know little about Berry’s excursion away from Chess in the late 1960s: by 1966 Chuck wasn’t cranking out top-selling records any more.  Berry thought if he left the small Chess label and signed with a bigger label, more money would be spent on getting his records onto the radio and back atop the charts.  So in ‘66 he signed with Mercury Records, much to Berry’s disappointment.

The more corporate label had ideas about making Chuck Berry more “relevant” to audiences starting to dig the crazy sounds coming out of San Francisco.  Berry, on the other hand, wanted to make records like he did in the early 1960s.  So it was a constant battle for Chuck Berry – with producers, with label bigwigs – and the four years he spent at Mercury were mostly aimless.

In 1967, Berry released a couple of live albums for Mercury, the second of which was Live at the Fillmore Auditorium.  He was backed by the Steve Miller Blues Band, which would later become the Steve Miller Band and earn a number of its own hits in the 1970s.  Looking back, this album isn’t bad – it focuses on the slow blues that was popular at the time and which Chuck Berry played in the first place.

It’s a pretty good showcase for Berry’s guitar prowess, which takes on a new dimension on  “Driftin’ Blues” and “Feelin’ It.”  Songs like “Flying Home,” an instrumental, may have sounded a little retro at the time but remember – this was also an era of newfound appreciation for rock’s masters, as Elvis Presley made his big comeback on TV (in 1968), Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were killin’ in concert and people like Sha-Na-Na capitalized on the old sound.  Still this is a pretty decent set, especially when Berry and Band hit the homestretch with the rockers “Reelin’ and Rockin’ ” and, of course, “Johnny B. Goode,” played with a sloppy looseness that characterized a lot of the music of the time.

We now jump to 1969, and Chuck gamely (desperately) tries to appeal to the psychedelic crowd with Concerto in B. Goode, probably Berry’s most “experimental” album.  Cut in the studio with some cool cats, Concerto’s first side has only four songs, kicking off with the very Berry-sounding “Good Looking Woman,” which rocks along until the weird echo-ey guitar solos.  “My Woman” and “Put Her Down” are both slow blues grinders that pretty much sound interchangeable.

Side Two of Concerto consists solely of the title song, an 18-minute instrumental “exploration” of the Chuck Berry sound.  It has its moments, but it’s 18 minutes long and starts to get a bit old about two-thirds of the way through.

Although Berry was still a big draw on the concert circuit, these albums yielded no hits for him.  By 1970 he was ready to re-sign with Chess, but he discovered even that label was no longer the little down-home label he was used to from before.  Now owned by GRT, the big 8-track tape manufacturer, the label (now run by Marshall Chess) had an eye on the bottom line.  Chuck Berry would struggle until 1972 when the label tightened up his potty-mouthed ditty “My Ding-A-Ling” (a version appears on the reissued Fillmore album) and sent that straight up the charts.  “Ding-A-Ling” would be Chuck Berry’s first and only No. 1 hit record.

MP3: “Driftin’ Blues” (live)

MP3: “Reelin’ and Rockin’ ” (live)

MP3: “It Hurts Me Too” (live, with Steve Miller on backing vocals)

MP3: “Good Looking Woman”

MP3: “Put Her Down”

MP3: “Concerto In B. Goode”

Chuck Berry official website

Saya kecewa tidak bisa menyaksikan perhelatan musik akbar cukup unik tahun ini, Jakarta Internasional Blues Festival 2009 tanggal 7 November lalu. Saya sudah membeli tiketnya, nitip Nyanya tapi apa mau dikata… Bedrest aja cyiiiiiin karena bengek. Komplit!

Padahal, bisa dibilang genre musik ini jarang banget diadakan besar – besaran. Sepertinya musik ini sudah mulai dilupakan dan mulai banyak bergeser pola permainannya atau mungkin bisa dibilang sudah terakulturasi dengan berbagai jenis musik lainnya. Tidak ada yang terlalu spesial dalam event ini sebetulnya karena sebagian nama mereka, kecuali musisi lokal, masih kurang akrab ditelinga saya. Hanya saja, saya memang tertarik untuk mengetahui musik ini lebih lanjut.

Dari yang pernah saya baca, musik ini adalah musik yang terlahir berbarengan seiring tumbuhnya musik Jazz oleh para Afro – Amerika pada dekade tahun 30an yang biasa dinikmati sebagai musik nongkrong – nongkrong selesai para buruh bekerja. Musik ini dianggap sebagai counter – attack bagi musik klasik eropa yang khas dengan instrumen piano, harpa dan biola. Blues cukup identik dengan permainan detail dari instrumen gitar dan lirik “penuh makna” yang dinyanyikan dengan gaya khas tersendiri. Jagoan di era awal lahirnya musik blues adalah Robert Johnson yang meninggal di usia 27 tahun namun tetap menjadi idola bagi para musisi blues hingga sekarang.

Robert Johnson

Sebut saja Chicago Blues, tempat kelahiran awal bagi generasi blues selanjutnya : electrified blues, yang dimulai dari daerah Chicago, Memphis, hingga St. Louis. Era ini tidak terlalu terdengar “gigitan” nada – nadanya. Mungkin dikarenakan di era ini sedang terjadi urbanisasi pasca perang dunia ke-2. Idola di era ini yang bisa diacungin jempol karena kesetiaannya pada genre ini adalah Willie Dixon.

Dekade 50-60an bisa dibilang sebagai generasi selanjutnya yang pengaruhnya cukup besar bagi perkembangan musik blues. Kebanyakan dari musisi lebih menyebutnya sebagai Rock and Roll Blues. Yang paling menjulang dimasa ini adalah Chuck Berry dan Elvis Presley. Peraturan musik Blues sudah tidak terlalu mengakar kuat seperti sebelumnya dan kaum Afro sudah tidak terlalu mendominasi.

Chuck Berry

You still got the blues di dekade 70an. Sebut saja Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall dan Eric Clapton. Bahkan musik mereka sudah banyak mengalami distorsi penekanan pada kata “rock” dan akhirnya di era ini menjadi perkembangan awal bagi lahirnya musik rock. Perkembangannya pun sudah bisa dirasa di eropa.

Terinspirasi dari era 70an, Aerosmith dan Led Zepellin memulai kecintaan mereka pada musik ini dan mulai menghipnotis era rock selanjutnya kepada para musisi di generasi berikutnya. Sehingga esensi blues mulai banyak bergeser ke arah rock.

Led Zeppelin

Setelah millenium? Masih belum banyak yang kembali ke “pure-blues”. Rata – rata masih meng-akulturasi blues dengan berbagai genre lain. Musisi yang masih bermain dengan musik blues di era ini seperti John Mayer, Norah Jones, India Arie, Corrine Bailey Rae dan salah satu penyanyi favorit saya, Regina Spektor. Blues pun sudah tidak sekedar dimainkan dengan gitar namun piano.

Regina Spektor

Jadi tertarik dengan blues setelah membaca ini? Saya sendiri… sangaaat!

Besok mulai mencari – cari tahu lebih banyak lagi dan sedikit – sedikit mempelajarinya.

Kemang, 19 November 2009

* Posting setelah bbq-an sama anak – anak kantor…

Asevera la leyenda que sólo ha existido alguien capaz de contar hasta el infinito… y lo hizo dos veces.  Un tipo tan duro que a base de nombrarlo convirtió el último programa en el más fuerte, con las canciones más enérgicas y con las nominaciones más largas y tensas que os podáis imaginar. Lo que tampoco podréis adivinar es qué demonios tiene que ver el del sombrero vaquero con el Rock ‘n’ Roll, pero para eso tenéis ahí abajo cierto enlace, para que lo descubráis cuando os apetezca, sin prisas.

Y entre tanta patada voladora, los peores chistes y la mejor música, cómo no: Chuck Berry, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Kim Carnes, Ryan Adams y más.  No te lo pierdas y si lo haces ten mucho cuidado. Chuck Norris no perdona y en estos momentos podría estar detrás de ti.

ESCUCHA Y/O DESCARGA GRATIS RADIO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Comentarios, peticiones,

dedicatorias, quejas,

chistes buenos:

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Radio Rock ‘n’ Roll 29

1. Good Golly Miss Molly Little Richard

2. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo Rick Derringer

3. Breaking All The Rules Peter Frampton

4. Human Touch Bruce Springsteen

5. Chicago Vetusta Morla & Christina Rosenvinge

6. No puedo vivir sin ti Los Ronaldos

7. Cacho a Cacho Estopa & Rosendo

8. Smoke on the Water Deep Purple

Music Playlist at MixPod.com