[78-L] World's First Rock & Roll Song Identified

[Cary Ginell]

Not only that, Crudup wasn't much of a guitar player. Most of his blues were performed in the key of E, varying little. He had a cookie-cutter approach to his own songs and when played one after another, they sound very similar. His musical motifs could easily be swapped from one song to another. His real claim to fame, as has been said, is the fact that Elvis happened upon one of his Bluebird records and recorded his version of "That's All Right." (Elvis also did a version of Crudup's "My Baby Left Me."). But if you're looking to the antecedents for Elvis' Sun recordings as a guide to the elusive "first" rock 'n' roll record, you could point to "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, which Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly also recorded, and is a better record, IMHO. 

Another error in the Burns claim - "That's All Right" was recorded October 7, 1947, not in 1946.

Cary Ginell

> From: stevenc at interlinks.net
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:16:49 -0500
> Subject: Re: [78-L] World's First Rock & Roll Song Identified
> 
> From: Matthew Duncan
> > Agreed - definitely.
> > The article also stupidly states that Crudup's song was an example of 
> > rockabilly
> with blues tinged melody lines issued in 1946 (??!!)
> > Yes, of course, Rockabilly, that well known 1940s form of African American 
> > music
> - NOT!
> > Total waste of an article that will only confuse people or misinform those 
> > who
> wish to learn about the roots of rock n roll.
> > Hopefully, the article will have some positive impact if readers were to 
> > later
> invest time in listening to Crudup and others named on that page as they are
> very fine artists.
> >
> Biggest problem is that Crudup's name only comes up because Elvis covered
> his "That's All Right Mama"...?!
> 
> Steven C. Barr 
> 
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