History of Rock Exam 1
Vanderbilt(Exam 100% Correct)
Jackie Brenston - ANSWERLead singer of Ike Turner's band
Rocket 88 artist - ANSWERJackie Brenston
Rocket 88 qualities - ANSWERFirst recorded rock song, distorted guitar from broken amp, subject was
fast car, recorded with Sam Phillips
Form of Rocket 88 - ANSWER12-bar blues
Big Joe Turner - ANSWERknown for "shouting" style and risque lyrics and performances, career
bridged boogie woogie, jump blues, R&B, rock
Shake, Rattle, & Roll original artist - ANSWERBig Joe Turner
Shake, Rattle, & Roll vanilla version artist - ANSWERBill Haley & His Comets
Shake, Rattle, & Roll vanilla version qualities - ANSWER-More acceptable and became very popular
on white radio stations
-Gets rid of the reference of bed (sex)
-Replaces sun shining through her dress w/ Nice hair due
Shake Rattle & Roll qualities - ANSWER12-bar blues form, typical early rock instrumentation, played
primarily on R&B stations but some hip white DJs started playing it
Typical early rock instrumentation - ANSWERdrums, bass, electric guitar, horns, piano
Drum kit - ANSWERride cymbal, floor tom, kick drum, snare drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, rack tom
First major electric guitar manufacturers - ANSWERFender & Gibson
Fender - ANSWERfirst mass-produced solid-body electric guitar, founded by Leo Fender
Gibson - ANSWERfirst made solid body electric guitar, made by Les Paul in 1946
Ruth Brown - ANSWERvocal style (high pitch emphasis/scream at end of notes) influenced Little
Richard
-one of the first R&B stars to get radio airplay from white DJs along with Fats Domino
Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean artist - ANSWERRuth Brown
Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean qualities - ANSWERverse/chorus form, teens like Elvis heard
this on the radio in the South, tambourine and vocal style reflect gospel influence
New media technology in the 1950s - ANSWERTV, radio, film
TV in the 50s - ANSWERfreed up airwave space for R&B/rock programming, variety show style
programming, Ed Sullivan show brought in different acts
, Radio in the 50s - ANSWERTeens used portable transistor radios and car radios & became exposed to
new music - had more money to spend on these things, teens could listen to music away from their
parents - generation gap
Film in the 50s - ANSWERteen-oriented movies e.g. Blackboard Jungle featuring Rock Around the
Clock
Little Richard - ANSWERRichard Penniman, influential piano and vocal style, wild & flamboyant stage
shows, open secret he was gay, left rock to become a preacher (twice),
The Architect - ANSWERLittle Richard
Tutti Frutti original artist - ANSWERLittle Richard
Tutti Frutti form - ANSWERverse/chorus, each chorus in 12-bar blues form
Chuck Berry - ANSWERcrossed bridge from R&B to rock and roll,
-gifted songwriter, style influenced by country music,
-hugely important guitar style (double stops- 2 notes off and on
),
-"duck walk" stage move
- Listen for rhythm and lead guitar --> Different instruments played different beats→ swing vs.
straight 8th notes
Johnny B. Goode artist - ANSWERChuck Berry
Johnny B. Goode form - ANSWERverse/chorus, each verse/chorus in 12-bar blues form
Alan Freed - ANSWERinfluential radio DJ
Alan Freed qualities - ANSWERbegan programming R&B in the early 50s, Moondog Rock n' Roll
House Party radio show helped popularize term, landed spot on NYC show 1954, white teen
audience, eventually caught up in payola scandal
Payola - ANSWERpay for play, cash or other compensation given in exchange for radio airplay,
commercial bribery
When and how did payola become illegal? - ANSWER-Not illegal until 1960 when congress passed
commercial bribery laws in wake of TV quiz show scandals (1960 was also election year)
-New law saying that radio airways are property of American public and there should be equal access
to these frequencies
-White racist backlash about the African American artists' music on white teens pushed for these
laws→ wanted fewer black artists on radio
Backlash against rock music - ANSWERDirect: banning records, lawsuits against DJs
