WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK & ROLL RECORD? (Part 1)

[NightTrain]

I excerpted the following from the 1992 book, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL RECORD, by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes. The authors chose 50 songs as contenders for that coveted title. Here are the first 25:

1. BLUES, PART 2 – Jazz at the Philharmonic

RELEASE DATE: Late 1944
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first “live” commercially released recordings; the musicians influenced the coming revolutions in music; and tenorist Illinois Jacquet’s solo performance launched a school of highly emotional, “honking ‘n’ squealing” saxophones.


2. THE HONEYDRIPPER – Joe Liggins

RELEASE DATE: April 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the earliest runaway hit in the formative R&B combo style.


3. BE-BABA-LEBA – Helen Humes

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first example of be-bop’s influence on R&B, which had evolved primarily from big-band swing and the blues.


4. HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHTS – Freddie Slack with Ella Mae Morse

RELEASE DATE: April 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: Morse and Slack were the first two white R&B stars, and their records helped establish Capitol as the first major West Coast record company.


5. THAT’S ALL RIGHT (MAMA) – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

RELEASE DATES: Late 1946 and March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first blues/R&B record released on 45 RPM, and a prototype of early rockabilly.


6. OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD! – Jack McVea & His All-Stars

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early R&B novelty record, a genre that evolved into a staple of ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll; the first commercial record to fade out instead of ending cold; and the first popular record to inspire a spate of highly successful covers and answer records.


7. TOMORROW NIGHT – Lonnie Johnson

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first country blues pop hit.


8. GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT – Wynonie Harris

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It started a trend of records concerned with “rockin’.”


9. WE’RE GONNA ROCK, WE’RE GONNA ROLL – Wild Bill Moore

RELEASE DATE: June 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first “honking” hit record.


10. IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW – The Orioles

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first R&B vocal group hits, and the inspiration for countless “bird” groups that defined the music of the “doo-wop” era.


11. BOOGIE CHILLEN – John Lee Hooker

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major electrified Delta blues hit.


12. GUITAR BOOGIE – Arthur Smith & His Crackerjacks

RELEASE DATES: 1945 and Nov. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It popularized boogie-woogie music on the guitar.


13. DRINKIN’ WINE SPO-DEE-O-DEE – Stick McGhee & His Buddies

RELEASE DATE: March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first party-time drinking songs to become a hit.


14. ROCK THE JOINT – Jimmy Preston

RELEASE DATE: May 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early all-out R&B rocker, and it led ultimately to Bill Haley’s changeover from country music to proto-rockabilly.


15. SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first unabashed, uninhibited pop hits about African-American highlife.


16. MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS – Professor Longhair

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: “Mardi Gras” was the first of many New Orleans R&B recordings to capitalize on the Crescent City’s peculiar rhythms.


17. THE FAT MAN – Fats Domino

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first of almost 70 Imperial records and 63 R&B charters for Domino; it was the first New Orleans hit that *sounded* New Orleans and convinced record companies elsewhere to record local musicians. Fats Domino became the biggest-selling R&B star of the 1950s.


18. ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ – Muddy Waters

RELEASE DATE: April 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest modern, amplified Chicago blues records.


19. BIRMINGHAM BOUNCE – Hardrock Gunter

RELEASE DATE: March 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest white popular records about “rockin’” on the dance floor.


20. I’M MOVIN’ ON – Hank Snow


RELEASE DATE: June 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major train-song hit set to a boogie rhythm.


21. TEARDROPS FROM MY EYES – Ruth Brown

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major jump hit for Atlantic’s earliest consistent hitmaker, and established her as the first lady of R&B.


22. HOT ROD RACE – Arkie Shibley & His Mountain Dew Boys

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It introduced automobile racing into popular music and underscored the car’s relevance to American culture, particularly youth culture.


23. HOW HIGH THE MOON – Les Paul & Mary Ford

RELEASE DATE: March 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major pop hit to use extensive overdubbing, speeded-up tapes and other gimmicks; it also featured the first distinct rock ‘n’ roll-like guitar solo.


24. ROCKET 88 – Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

RELEASE DATE: April 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It indirectly helped launch Sun Records; the performance itself, powered by a distorted electric guitar and a relentless boogie beat, influenced countless records in the 1950s.


25. SIXTY MINUTE MAN – The Dominoes

RELEASE DATE: May 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first R&B hit to cross over to the pop charts, the first double-entendre hit, and the first million-seller by a formative R&B vocal group.

Coming soon: records #26 - 50!

[Intelsucks]

1. Lightnin' Hopkins did a "Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee"... Man, I love it

I think it was in the 60's though. Now I'm disappointed because I thought it was his song. It makes me laugh every time I hear it.:D

[NightTrain]

2. 1, 2, 3, kick!

:kick:

[mitchum]

3. Son House "My Black Mama" 1930 (Paramount)

listen to it, and tell me that it's not

[dbt]

4. KICK!

Because this is one of the Most Important Questions of All Time.

:bounce:
dbt

PS: Johnny Cash is the King of Rock And Roll.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Wonderful post NightTrain...

Could you send me the details and ISBN of the book?

Having heard most of the 25, I'd go for "Rocket 88". It's the distorted guitar and the "looka-my-car" theme that makes it the harbinger for things to come.

The Skin