Elvis and Rockabilly
Bill Haley and the Comets
• Haley from Western swing tradition
• Some success with cover of Rocket 88
– Renamed band “the Comets”
– Starts performing R&B covers
• Hits with Rock Around the Clock
– For most of song, fast shuffle rhythm
– Occasionally beat evens out, esp. during
guitar solos
Bill Haley and the Comets
• Style combination of Western swing, boogiewoogie, and R&B
• Not a huge impact in this country, but in
England, bigger than Elvis
– Starts English teens singing rock and roll
• Strong crossover appeal
• Frequently involves mixture of styles
• Most defined by strong rhythmic
activity
Elvis Presley
• Is most of Elvis’ music rock and roll?
– Jailhouse Rock?
– Mystery Train?
– Hound Dog?
– All Shook Up?
Elvis Presley
• Regardless of beat structure, Elvis is rock and
roll --• Figure though which R&B/rock and roll
reaches large white audience
Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
• Born Tupelo, Mississippi into poor family
• Begins playing guitar age 11
• Influences: Muddy Waters, Jimmie
Rodgers
• Moves to Memphis 1948, absorbs blues, R&B
scene
• Early 1954 goes into Sun studios to record demo
Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
• Early 1954 goes into Sun studios to record
demo
• Second session records That’s All Right Mama
and Blue Moon of Kentucky
• By August featured on Grand Old Opry
• August 1956 TV appearances make a sensation
Elvis - Major Influences
• Brings huge number of vocal styles into rock and
roll
• Persona in which country and R&B, black and
white cultures mesh
• Style combination of honky-tonk, Western swing,
R&B, with unique vocal style
• Creates sub-genre of rock and roll = rockabilly
Rockabilly
• Combination of country and R&B, but with
more weight on the country elements
• Less blues influence on vocal style than Berry,
Little Richard
– Rather, hiccups, stutters
– vibrato (quavery) vocal effects
• Fast, nervous tempos of bluegrass
Rockabilly
• Combination of country and R&B, but with more
weight on the country elements
• Less blues influence on vocal style than Berry,
Little Richard
• Accented backbeat, but even beats of country
music
Rockabilly
• “rock” or “honky-tonk” instrumentation
– lead electric guitar
– acoustic rhythm guitar
– string bass
– drums
• songs from R&B repertoire, or in similar style
Carl Perkins (1932-1998)
• Born rural Tennessee
• Working as country singer when heard Elvis on
radio
• Decided to pattern style after Elvis
• Went to Sun records, auditioned for Sam
Phillips
• First record - Blues Suede Shoes - major hit
Blue Suede Shoes
• Country influences audible
• But heavy doses of blues as well
– Stop time
– guitar style
– riff-based
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
• Born Lubbock, TX
• Formed Western swing band in high school;
worked as back-up band for Bill Haley
• Models vocal style after Elvis after meeting at gigs
• First recording, in 1956, unsuccessful
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
• That’ll Be The Day a hit in 1957
• Rapid string of seven hit records with band The
Crickets
• Killed in plane crash in 1959 - “The Day The
Music Died”
Buddy Holly - style
• Equal parts of country, R&B, and rock and roll
– Guitar style: R&B influenced
– Vocal style: country + Elvis
– Musical forms, Chuck Berry-influenced
lyrics: rock and roll
• Compositions most sophisticated of early rock
artists
Not Fade Away
• Riff-based, but combines with stop time
• Stuttering vocal style
• Multiple rhythmic layers
– beat
– style beat
– Bo Diddley beat
– backbeat
Well…All Right
• Very different style - more pop oriented
• Verse/refrain, with weight on verses
• Forward-looking: Blind Faith records a decade
later
Jerry Lee Lewis (1935- )
• Born Ferriday, Louisiana
• Primary influences - boogie-woogie piano, New
Orleans R&B style of Professor Longhair
• Often categorized as rockabilly, but more in
common with Little Richard
Great Balls of Fire
• Percussive, boogie-woogie piano style
– With addition of glissandos, triplets of New
Orleans style
• Frantic performing style
• Honky-tonk/hillbilly vocals
• Blatantly sexual lyrics
Everly Brothers (Don 1937 - and
Phil 1938 - )
• Born into family of country musicians
• Parents ran radio station in Iowa, so heard and
performed everything
• Earliest recordings for Candice label in
Nashville
Everly Brothers - Style
• “Old-Timey” vocal harmony in thirds
• High tenor range - influence from blues and
gospel
• “rock” instrumentation + piano
• catchy melody lines
• gentle rock timekeeping