April 3, 1961: A Pittsburgh quintet named The Marcels took "Blue Moon", a tune written in 1934 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, to the top of the Billboard chart. It was also a #1 in the UK.

April 3, 1961:

A Pittsburgh quintet named The Marcels

took "Blue Moon", a tune written in 1934 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, to the top of the Billboard chart. It was also a #1 in the UK.

Rodgers hated the doo-wop arrangement so much that he took out advertisements in UK trade papers, urging people not to buy it—Chill Out Rodgers, It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll!!!

   

(The group was named by Fred Johnson's younger sister Priscilla, after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave)

The Marcels, as a group, was best known for turning the classical pop  “Blue Moon” into rock and roll. They  formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—This writer’s ORIGINAL hometown which just happens to be The Capitol of Doo-Wop Music!

They signed to Colpix Records, with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss.

In 1961 many were surprised to hear a new version of the ballad "Blue Moon" that began with the bass singer saying, "bomp-baba-bomp" and "dip-da-dip." The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It is featured in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll…

The Marcels are as advertised, the guys who put the "Bomp" in the "Bomp-A-Bomp" back in 1961 when their first recording, "Blue Moon" sold over two and a half million copies. The Marcels can boast of three record albums, numerous hit singles, with sales in the millions. They also recorded the theme song, "The Greatest Love" for the motion picture, "The Interns" and appeared with Chubby Checker in the film "Twist Around The Clock." Their signature song, "Blue Moon" has been used in at least four major motion pictures and various TV shows, such as Sha Na Na, Cheers,

Moonlighting,

Laverne & Shirley,

Happy Days, etc.

 In August 1961, due to problems encountered in the Deep South while touring because of the group being bi-racial, the white members, Knauss and Bricker left and were replaced by Allen Johnson (brother of Fred) and Walt Maddox. Mundy left soon after, leaving the group a quartet…

Some people aren’t aware that The Marcels’ "Heartaches"

peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually sold over one million copies worldwide…

And it’s b-side wasn’t too shabby…

The Marcels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002…

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EARLY TAMLA/MOTOWN WAS SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES AND ALSO THE MARVELLETES--CHECK THIS OUT!!!

According to The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame: 

 February 20^th must have had some magic for TAMLA/MOTOWN RECORDS IN 1960, 1961 AND 1962:

FEBRUARY 20, 1960: The Miracles hit #1 on the R&B chart with "Shop Around”

THEN,

FEBRUARY 20, 1961: The Miracles hit #2 on the pop chart with "Shop Around”

FEBRUARY 20, 1962: The Marvelettes hits #4 on the R&B chart with "Playboy"  (On 6-23 the tune hits #7 on the Pop Charts)

FEBRUARY 20, 1962:  The Marvelettes hits #7 on the R&B chart with Beechwood 4-5789 ( On 9/22 the tune hits #17 on the pop chart)

FEBRUARY 20, 1962:  The Marvelettes hits #8 on the R&B chart with "Someday Someway"

FEBRUARY 20, 1962: The Marvelettes hits #10 on the R&B chart with "Strange I Know”

MOTOWN SURE DID ROCK

IN THE EARLY 60s!!!

TARENA TIME!!!

How’s a guy originally from Pittsburgh (me, for instance) know so much about Blues and  Jazz and Rhythm & Blues and Soul and all that became just good old  ROCK ‘N Roll?

How couldn’t I know ALL about this thing called Rock ‘n Roll—I’ve been in it all my life!!!

 AND, with venues like Tarentum, PA’s TARENA Roller Rink, cum Tarena Dance Club;  and with mentors such as Porky Chedwick, Bob Livorio, Bob Mack, Mad Mike Metrovich and Terry Lee, I couldn’t miss!!!

That’s why I’m gonna TRY to post a set or two—TARENA STYLE (circa 1963 ~ 1966) every so often to hip  y’all (Sorry, I live in Texas now) to where I came from and to what a lotta  y’all missed—AND, to remind a lotta  y’all what ya didn’t!!! Damn, that’s a lotta  y’alls, whatta ya think you guys???

 First up. Bill Robinson (NOT SMOKEY) and The Quails with QUIT PUSHIN'...





Back it up with BO...




Close the set with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and ya got a classic first set at the TARENA--The joint that taught me about Rock 'n Roll...

HARLEM NOCTURNE IN THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'N ROLL...

“Harlem Nocturne” has its roots in late 1930s’ jazz and the big band era. While on the road with the Ray Noble Orchestra, trombonist/composer Earle Hagen composed “Harlem Nocturne,” and the song became a jazz standard.

Initially, Hagen

Earle Hagan recieving one of his several Emmys

wrote the song as a tribute to saxophonist Johnny Hodges, known for his solo work with Duke Ellington’s band. 

In 1945, Johnny Otis recorded Harlem Nocturne as an early single on the Savoy label; and not long after that came a raft of cover versions by virtually every sax player in the R & B business.

There may be as many as 500 versions, making it one of the most covered songs in history. Among the many artists who have covered the song are: Duke Ellington, Harry James, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Lounge Lizards, Earl Bostic, Quncy Jones, King Curtis,

Boots Randolph, guitarist Danny Gatton, the Ventures, and others. It’s been estimated that there are at least 500 covers of this tune in circulation!

But it was the Viscounts, a New Jersey band, that put the song on the musical map in a new way in the late 1950s and early 1960s, adding a new twist – an eerie guitar echo effect

The Viscounts’ “Harlem Nocturne” was recorded in 1958. By January 1959, “Harlem Nocturne” was climbing the pop charts and had risen to No.52--Not  a "smash hit" for sure, but it became a classic anyway!!!

Music critic Dave Marsh includes the Viscounts’ version of “Harlem Nocturne” in his 1999 book, The Heart of Rock & Soul: the 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.

This classic certainly holds a major place in

THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK ‘N ROLL!!!

The Cadillacs, Bo Diddley, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Debutants, The Dells, The Chips, The Schoolboys, Robert And Johnny and The Heartbeats play the fourth of seven nights as part of Dr Jive's Rhythm'n'Blues Revue at The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City

Dr. Jive's Rhythm Revue played seven nights at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and this date, November 24, 1956, was just one of those nights. The headliners included the Cadillacs...

Bo Diddley doing his recent hit tune.."Pretty Thing"

Screamin' Jay Hawkins doing what would become a classic!!!

A group called The Debutants--Sorry, they just didn't make it...But The Dells were there (The "Stay In My Corner" cats)...Most likely doing what should have become a Doo-Wop classic with this one...

The FABULOUS Schoolboys were on the bill doing what did become a Doo-Wop classic (at least for those "in the know"--like in The Burgh. NYC, LA etc...)



Next up, the incredible duo, Roberrt & Johnny, with what would become ANOTHER classic, "We Belong Together"



Also on the bill, The Heartbeats--the group which would become "Shep & The Limelites"--They most likely did their cover of 1000 Miles Away which charted for them (at #57) a year later...



That was all in 1956!!! Great Rock 'n Roll shows happened throughout the 50s and 60s and were all major factors in THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'N ROLL!!!

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED… 

WHO DID IT FIRST IN THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK AND ROLL?

It's a fairly well known fact that "Hound Dog," Elvis Presley's major hit was written by Leiber & Stroller and initially recorded by Big Mama Thornton well before Elvis even thought about entering a recording studio.





But what other houndogs got their break after snoopin' round the R&B door?

It was the late 1950's when Richard Berry put out Louie Louie on Flip Records. It did ok on the "Black" radio stations such as WAMO in Pittsburgh and WDIA in Memphis, but wasn't a mainstream hit...

Then came the Kingsmen who took the tune, speeded it up and turned it into a smash hit...




For a lot of folks this is "old news"--With Louie Louie being just about the most covered, and most played tune by garage and bar bands in history, most people know, by now, that Richard Berry (Not The Kingsmen!) penned and recorded the tune in the first place..,But dig this:

 In the mid-1960s The Gentrys had a major hit with "Keep On Dancing"--A darn good tune

BUT, was it really their tune? Not by a long shot! The Avantis should have had a hit when they released the tune well before the Gentrys cover:




Then along came The Young Rascals, a 'Blue-Eye Soul/Rock & Roll" outfit out of New Jersey who actually became the first white act to grace the Atlantic Label who did  a cover of this Olympics' tune:






Remember the Aerosmith tune "Big Ten Inch"




A straight up cover of Bull Moose Jackson's monster from the late 1940s:




So there ya go, and these are just  a few of the many--IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL, or is it actually R&B turned into ROCK 'N ROLL?

How about I close this out with Vanilla Fudge, a group who actually took a Soul jam and turned it into some Psychedelic Rock...

   

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED...

FROM THE FIVE ROYALES TO STEVE CROPPER IN THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK AND ROLL

The FIVE ROYALES was an R&B group from Winston-Salem, NC. The group combined gospel, jump blues and doo-wop. In the process, from their beginning, they were very influential in the EVOLUTION OF ROCK AND ROLL AND SOUL MUSIC.

In the early 1950s it wasn't uncommon for the group to hold as many as the top five spots on the R&B charts:

October 30, 1953 FIVE ROYALES R&B charted hits:

#1

 "Baby Don't Do It"

B/W with  "Help Me Somebody" also at #1

#4

"Too Much Lovin" 

 


And with "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy" at #5

CHECK OUT THIS NPR INTERVIEW WHERE STEVE CROPPER DISCUSSES THE GROUP AS WELL AS HIS OWN

NEW 5 ROYALES TRIBUTE ALBUM