[78-L] Majors rock

[Bill McClung]

A change in a security setting kept me out of 78L for the last several weeks
but now I'm permitted in again.

I just had to respond to Steven's comment on RCA Victor and rocknroll.   I'm
more interested in postwar 78s than prewar.  My collection is about 75%
postwar 78s.

The indie labels clearly kicked Columbia/Decca/Victor's butt in terms of
1950s rock roots.  But I think Decca and Columbia had much more to offer in
the early mix than RCA did.

Columbia had some good rockabilly artists in the fifties.  Sid King and
selected Johnny Horton and some Marty Robbins sides but they were clearly in
step with their Okeh imprint with the Treniers and Chris Powell and Big
Maybelle and Chuck Willis.

Decca had early Billy Ward and the Dominoes, Joe Turner, the uneven Bill
Haley, little Brenda Lee, Stick McGhee, and Roy Hall.  Check out Roy Hall on
Decca 29697 with his versions of All By Myself and Whole Lot of Shakin'
Goin' On.  And with their Brunswick label the aforementioned Buddy Holly
and Jackie Wilson.   On Coral it was the Crickets and more Joe Turner.

Victor really let Elvis carry the teenage market in the 78s era.  My
favorite rocknroll group on Victor is the Du-Droppers which many of you will
classify as r&b but my catagories are much more fluid for fifties music.
Victor's Epic label was pretty tame but their Vic label did have Mickey &
Sylvia's Love is Strange.

Again, it was the indies that carried this musical revolution.  The majors
were a step behind and an good idea short with Victor bringing up the rear.