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Roots of rock & roll: “hillbilly & blues/R&B”
I came across this 1951 video of the great Western Swing Band, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys on Twitter recently (posted by Afropop Worldwide no less!), singing their 1930’s hit “Ida Red” — a song first recorded a decade earlier (by Fiddlin’ Powers and Family), and has roots back to an 1878 popular song, […]
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From the Twitter- & other -verses
A few odds and ends collected or sent on Twitter (and other sources) recently. See @tomusicpix A retweet from @RootsMusicCanada Fair enough. RT @alannealottawa: Kiran Ahluwalia wasn’t impressed that presenter didn’t attempt her last name #cbcjunos http://yfrog.com/ny3sgsaj Via @RealWorldRec: Creole Choir of Cuba recording ‘Tande’ in the Wooden Room at @RealWorldStudio http://youtu.be/fHBQ-jzgNBU (Creole Choir is better […]
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TV documentary (1969): “Gene Vincent – Rock & Roll Singer”
I recently discovered this BBC TV documentary about the late rock & roller’s British tour of that year. It’s a fascinating and sad picture of the man who a decade previously was a huge star, riding his classic hit “Be Bop a Lula” to the top of the charts. In the film, he plays tiny […]
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“Life could be a dream, sweetheart” : Toronto & the birth of rock & roll
The Torontoist on Jul. 30, carried an interesting article on one Toronto group’s role in the birth of rock & roll. In 1954, a vocal quartet, The Crew Cuts, were, as their name suggests, a classic example of the then-prevailing trend to have white musicians cover popular songs recorded by black musicians. This phenomenon of […]
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Bo Diddley documentary (1966)
An excellent 20 minute documentary on the late Bo Diddley, made in 1966: See also Part 2, Part 3 A number of scenes were shot in Toronto’s Le Coq d’Or (or “The Le Coq d’Or” as it was often called). The club was home to Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks for many years. A bit […]
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Toronto Rock & Roll Stories: Great documentary on Toronto’s rock & roll scene in the 50’s & 60’s
This March, Bravo screened a highly recommended three part documentary on the early Toronto rock & roll scene in the 1950’s and 60’s: Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories, directed by Bruce McDonald. From the early roots of r&b and soul, to the raunchy atmosphere of the Yonge Street bars, and the original Club […]