From a ballad like " Love letters In The Sand " to " Blue Suede Shoes "- take away the feel and there's nothing. And the Great Heart is made up of the dreams and aspirations in the Souls of People. Elvis was a reflection of his Generation and also of the Generation immediately preceding his own, and, as we shall see, many many generations before that. Let's go back BEFORE Elvis, and have a look at the musical situation before Rock And Roll Proper was born, or recognised or even given a name. Picture this : 1953 :There's a cafe. Inside there's a juke box blasting away, lots of kids around, 18-19 years old, drinking coke, ordering ice cream " floats," - The Chicks are all dressed like Natalie Wood in " Rebel" - the guys much heavier in drape suits, and the Music is KAY STARR or JOHNNY RAY or FRANKIE LAINE or BILLY ECKSTEIN. Outside the cafe there are a dozen cars parked, mostly big cars, Rovers, Wolsleys etc. and tonight there's going to be a "Chicken Run" - Where are we ? The US of A ? No, we are in Glasgow, Scotland. Two idiots are going to have a race on a mile long stretch of road after midnight when the traffic is virtually non existent. This scene is being repeated all over the World. Why on earth would anyone want to do that ? I mean to say, Wee Sammy McGregor died with a flattened head only last month when he turned his car over in a similar activity. So why ? Oh listen to that Juke Box...Hank Williams singing " Move it On Over" - Somehow it's different. That stinging steel guitar, the wail of the country fiddle, the " Back -beat " from the rhythm guitars, the slap of the bass. No drums yet. It's early Country blues, performed with a gentle intensity, but insistent, Hank just MADE YOU LISTEN. The first time I heard him it stopped me dead in my tracks. Ohhh -that terrible hurt in Hank's voice as he sings a song. What's this, a white man singing Blues ? Compare the melody of "Rock Around the Clock " which was written MUCH later, with that of " Move it On Over "- It's almost identical. I know that many melodies in the 12 bar blues form bear similarities, but this one's too close for comfort. Remember, Bill Haley's Comets were originally known as BIll Haley and The Saddlemen, - a C and W outfit. I'm not saying the melody was consciously plagiarised, but the tie up is clearly there. But where is Hank coming from ? One of his biggest influences was an old black gentleman who worked the Family farm. He was affectionately known as Tea Top.
So let's look at just two ingredients in the music of the period leading up to The BIrth Of Rock and Roll. Colour and social conditions. Rock and Roll is NOT someone in a Gold Lame Suit. Rock and Roll is watching your father shovel 10 tons of coal a day to feed his family of seven, too tired to eat when he gets home at night. Rock and Roll is wearing someone else's hand me downs, and handing your own to the next in line. Rock and Roll is quite simply a fight to Survive. It didn't come from some rich kid living in comfort and security. It came from the Ghettos, the plantation fields, the war torn cities of the world. Anywhere there is injustice and poverty and oppression, the Child called Rock and Roll is waiting to be Born. For Rock and roll is a Spirit, and the Spirit can never be vanquished. Let me tie together some of the threads that make up the Tapestry of Rock and Roll. The Beat. The Heartbeat. The Heartbeat first Manifested itself in the Black man. Oh, it was ticking in many countries, notably Ireland, Scotland, great Areas of Social deprivation. But it was not until the great Slaveships appeared, carrying their dreadful cargoes of Humanity, that the Child called Rock and Roll was conceived. Oh, all you Lovers of Blue Suede Shoes, come with me below deck and watch the Birth of the Child called Rock and Roll. What, no soda fountains, no guitars, No glamour ? No shiny suits ? No fame ? I'm afraid not. Only the chains, and the blood, and the first cry of a new born baby. And so The Great Heart starts to beat. This injustice, this unspeakable crime against Humanity MUST HAVE A VOICE. And it WILL be heard. And so the Mother puts the Child to Breast, and with great tenderness and overwhelming Love gives the Spirit the Strength to keep going. And the Great Spirit passed from Generation unto Generation . How to resist, how to stay sane,how to pass on the message to others in quiet gentle songs, twisting the words to hide it from the oppressor. Rebellion. All the time alive and well in the music. But others, similarly disposessed, have reached the strange shores of the "New World." Hey what's this ? French Settlers ? Oh Yes. But most of them are poor too. And what's that funny "Cry" in the voice. CAJUN ! As sure as my Blue Suede Shoes . That sound is a cry from the soul. It's not a word. It's a cry. It's the cry of People lost on a New Continent, who miss the security and love of those left behind in the Old Country. Anything else ? Oh Yes, I almost forgot,- more poverty. As the years passed the music of the two mixed along with all the influences from the European Settlers. Scottish Reels, Irish Jigs, and the sweet melodies and rhythms from Mexico. Every Nation in the world contributed to the Development of Music in America. But down in the Delta something stirred. And it Glowed like a Beacon for the poor people, especially the Black man. It was called a guitar. A Guitar. The music had almost lost it's name on the dreadful journey from Africa, and a guitar was an impossible thing to acquire. But there was born a certain child in that time who had a strange Dream. And the child spoke to the Lord in the Dream, and said " Lord, I cannot be Heard in the World, My voice is too small . And the Great Spirit replied : " Take unto thee an empty wooden gigar box, Bind to it a piece of wood so as to fashion a fingerboard, and also some fence - wire strings upon which to play. Let this be your Axe and Thy Steed and ride Ye forth to the four corners of the Earth carrying the Word of the Lord Thy God " FREEDOM IS COMING !! " And what shall be my name" asked the Innocent One. The Lord smiled fondly, put his hand on the Child's Head and said " Your name is Mr Blues, You will have many children." And Mr. Blues asked " Will I reach the Promised Land, Lord ? " And The Great Spirit Replied " You will see it, Mr Blues, but there is one coming after you who will set the troubled generations Free. His name is Rock and Roll. Born again." Blasphemy ? I think not. Look at the beggar you pass in the street. Society walks past and doesn't give a damn if he lives or dies. "Look among the poor, the hungry, the disposessed. There Ye will find me." I quote loosely but you get the message. And for those who think I'm a crazy sanctimonious Christian, well, I follow no formal relegion, but the words make sense in any language.
ROCK AND ROLL LIVES ! Oh Yes ! Long Live Rock and Roll. Shout it from the roof tops. In today's messed up Musical Environment of unrelenting Synths, Sequencers, Drum machines etc - there is one Instrument that still has the same appeal as it did way back down in The Delta. The Guitar. No one can resist the incredible desire to hold a guitar. To hear the sound of it, and to fall in Love with the beauty of it's shape. Joe Pass states quite openly that He fell in Love with the guitar after he saw a picture of Gene Autrey with a big jumbo guitar around his neck. For the unitiated Joe Pass is one of the Greatest Jazz Guitarists ever. And Gene Autrey was a Cowboy Hero circa 1940 in the Movies. And why not ? Guitars are Beautiful things to look at. And there's a very important point here. One could walk around with the thing. One could go from Town to town with it. And VERY important. You had six strings, You were a one man band. And during the great American depression you could ride the rails. That meant You could travel the whole country, provided you lasted that long or didn't get caught by the cops. Just as the big Southern Steamboats helped to push " Jazz" up the rivers to the Northern towns, so the trains carried The Guitar Players, Black and White, Blues and Country, Cajun, and all, throughout the length and breadth of The United States of America. And everyone was telling a story in their song, usually about hard times, leaving home, the girl they left behind etc. but the songs also contained important information about the Economic and Social conditions in various parts of the country.
ROCK AND ROLL AND VIOLENCE : THE GLASGOW CONNECTION.
The Four Seasons. This was a knockout group. One of the few vocal groups that managed to stay out in front as the "New wave" of rockers hit the scene in 1964 [The Beatles etc}. The original line up was as follows : Tom Devito, born June 19, 1935. Nick Massi, born September 19, 1935. Frankie Valli a.k.a Frank Castellucio, born May 3,1937. Bob Gaudio, born November 17, 1942. As a matter of fact the Four seasons didn't just survive the onslaught, 1964 was the best year of the all for the group. Frankie Valli had a three octave range and the harmonies and arrangements were immaculate. Bob Gaudio was responsible for much of the songwriting and the Four Seasons were never short on imagination when it came to production. They incorporated most of the great influences that were around at the time including Phil Spector's " Wall of sound "and Motown's great feel. They had two dozen hit singles from 1962-68 including the number one hits "Sherry" "Rag Doll" "Walk Like A Man" and "Big Girls Don't Cry". The most successful white doo- wop group in record history, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. As a teenager Frankie Valli lived in Newark, New Jersey, and originally sang with the " Varietones". The name was later changed to the "Four Lovers" and had a minor hit in 1956 with Otis Backwell's "You're The Apple Of My Eye". When Bob Gaudio joined them they changed the name to The Four Seasons and added the strength of Philadelphia Producer Bob Crewe to their recording work. In addition to the wonderful talents of Bob Gaudi and Frankie Valli, special mention must be made of Tommy DeVito { Singer/guitarist } and Nick Massi { Bass vocalist/Vocal Arranger }. Nick was later replaced by Joe Long. I had the good fortune to work on the same bill with them around 1965 on their UK tour and they were as musically brilliant and cohesive live as they were on their recordings, in fact even more so. The Four Seasons reformed in 1975 with the New group retaining original members Valli and Gaudio and hit the charts again with " Who Loves You" and "Oh What A Night". Frankie Valli has enjoyed great success as a solo artist with " My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease". The movie " Forest Gump " brought " Oh What A Night" to the musical fore once more and it re-entered the singles charts making it the longest chart single in history with fifty two weeks. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.
