BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
MONTHLY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10th, 2019 – 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD LIBRARY – 1721 OXMOOR ROAD 35209
NEXT MEETING SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 2019 THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
After last month’s meeting I jokingly said to one of our members that he would be doing the program in November – it worked. Joe agreed to take this month’s and do a presentation on LP’s he has collected that were recorded in Muscle Shoals, AL. Joe has mentioned to me before about starting a collection of such LP’s so now we get to see what surprises he has. From what I understand it is not just LP’s recorded at FAME but at other studios in the Muscle Shoals area. I think this will be very interesting and as I said, will have some surprises. I am sure some of the names of our clubs’ Hall of Fame inductees will no less be mentioned as session players and composers on many of them. Drop by and be surprised with the rest of us. See ya there.
At this month’s meeting I promise not to tell anyone in attendance they have next months’ program as I did Joe – because the December meeting is already planned. In December we will continue our tradition of playing ‘Dirty Santa’ and once again do ‘Free For All’. Bring a gift, it can be anything from a gag gift to a new car, it doesn’t matter. There will be all kinds of things there. You may go home with something you will treasure forever or you may drop it in the dumpster on the way out. But we have lots of fun. If you want to attend but not play the game, no problem. Just come and watch the fun. ‘Free For All’ is a chance to see if you have some vinyl or CD’s or even videos that you want to get give away. Members can look through what you bring and take home whatever they want – for free. Hope to see you there whether you plan on participating or just watching.
BIRTH OF ROCK & ROLL PROJECT
By Mike Maddox
BRC Member Mike Maddox has done some amazing research into the birth of R&R. I think you will enjoy what he has to say and also learn some interesting. As with anything on early R&R, it’s all one man’s opinion but it’s always fun to read another persons thoughts about the subject.
I started to roll this project around in my feeble mind after watching the recent broadcast of the Ken Burns history of Country Music documentary. I thought that they got some things wrong, but many things I believe they got right. One of those things I thought they got right was that the two most important and indispensable instruments in the development of Country Music were: the Fiddle and the Banjo. Not the Guitar, but the Banjo. In fact, the Mandolin is probably more important to Country Music than the Guitar. From the beginning, both the vocal phrasing and instrumental licks heard in Country music were taken from Jazz, Blues, Pop and Folk Music. I believe that the vocal styles and phrasing heard in country has not been influenced very much by either Southern Gospel Music or Black Gospel.
It seems to me that the story is very different when we look at the pre-1954 musical influences on Rock & Roll Music. There, the two most important and indispensable instruments are: the piano, and the amplified, Electric Guitar. The instrumental and vocal influences heard in Rock & Roll, as it developed from 1954 through 1959, come from Boogie, Blues, Jazz, Country, Pop, and, prominently, from Gospel, both Southern Gospel and Black Gospel.
I believe that after 1959, Rock & Roll all but disappeared in its pure, wild, untamed, politically incorrect, take no prisoners state. Corporate America and the American cultural hall monitors tried to ignore it for the first two or three years, hoping it would pass away. It didn’t. After 1959, the economic and cultural powers intimidated the musical establishment into taming it and domesticating it (in other words, killing it). Now we are left with the pure form in a six year time capsule. Since that time, a gleam or a glimmer of real Rock & Roll has been captured on record occasionally, but it does not ever happen unless the singers and players reach back and tap the 1954 to 1959 root. That is what the best young British musicians did in the early ‘60s, and that it is still what the best so-called Rock acts have to do today if they want to produce Real Rock & Roll.
In its pure 1950s form, Rock & Roll Music was made, mostly, by talented, poor, rural, white redneck American guys and gals who soaked up and appropriated the musical licks and riffs that they heard on the radio, in the juke boxes, and in the churches and the honky tonks. There were a few very important Black Rock & Rollers who were also talented, mostly poor, and who listened to and soaked up the same influences from the same places. Thank God that the radio dial could not be segregated.
Mike’s articles on the Birth of R&R continue for many more parts. For a chance to read more and hear some of the music he references go to our website – birminghamrecord.com
Two selections Mike uses in his further discussion
‘Handful Of Riffs’ (1929)
Lonnie Johnson & Blind Willie Dunn
‘Boogie Woogie Stomp’ (1939)
Albert Ammons & Meade Lux Lewis
NOVEMBER MEANS THANKSGIVING
Believe it or not the year 2019 is about gone. November is here and we are now in the holiday celebration time. With November comes Thanksgiving. While talking to a BRC member who is also a member of another record collecting group in the area, ARCA, he mentioned that at their meeting they will be playing records with ‘THANKS’ in the title. Well that got me to thinking and before long I had a good list of such songs. So thanks to an idea from members of ARCA I thought I’d list some that I came up with. I’ll for sure leave some out but here goes.
Thank The Lord For The Night Time – Neil Diamond
I Thank You – Sam & Dave
Thanks A Lot – Ernest Tubb (and many more)
Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver
Thanks For The Memory – Bob Hope
Thank You Girl – The Beatles
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & The Family Stone
Thank God And Greyhound – Roy Clark
I Thank The Moon – The Crests
Thank You And Goodnight – The Angels
Thank You John – Willie Tee
Thank You – Led Zeppelin
Thank You For Being A Friend – Andrew Gold
Thank You For The Music – ABBA
Thank You For Loving Me – Bon Jovi
Thank You For Loving Me – The Sapphires
Thank You Mama – Mitch Ryder
Thanks Mr. Postman – Bobby King
Thanks Mr D.J. – The Baby Dolls
Thanks To You – Jerry Butler
I Wanna Thank Your Folks – Johnny Burnette
Thank You Darlin’ – Ricky Nelson
Thank You – The Encores
I Wanna To Thank You – Bobby Rydell
Danke Shoen – Wayne Newton (this counts!)
And there are plenty others that are LP cuts or B-sides that I don’t have room for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
See ya,
Charlie