R & R
I’ve been thinking about popular culture and the role of paradigm shifts in popular music. My son, for example, didn’t grow up with any rock and roll in his listening zone. I was thinking about the unarguably blues-based nature of rock and roll, and sure, throw in country, swing, bebop, hillbilly music, whatever, but the blues had a baby and they named it rock and roll, as they say. So I thought, who were the primal influences on presenting electric blues in a way that led to rock and roll? And I decided that there were three: Muddy Waters (“Rollin’ and Tumblin” 1950), Chuck Berry (“Maybelline”1955), and Howlin’ Wolf (“Little Red Rooster” 1961).
With “Rollin’ and Tumbling,” everybody from Robert Johnson to Cream, The Yardbirds, Canned Heat and Johnny Winter have covered it. For “Maybellene,” there are covers by Marty Robbins, Elvis, George Jones, the Everly Brothers, Chubby Checker, and Foghat. Finally, “Little Red Rooster,” covered by everyone, from the Rolling Stones to the Jesus and Mary Chain.
Now, you might say, it’s a long way from Muddy, Howlin’ Wolf and Chuck Berry to Pink Floyd or David Bowie. But that is a discussion for another today.