I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Album: # 311
Album Title: The Sun Records Collection
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Various - Blues, Country, Gospel, Rockabilly, Early Rock & Roll
Recorded: Sun Studios - Memphis, Tennessee
Released: 1994
My age at release: 28
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Rocket 88
Sun Records was an independent record label established in February, 1952. It was housed within the Memphis Recording Service Studio, which was opened by producer Sam Phillips in January. 1950. Sun Records was the first studio to record Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. |
| Memphis Recording Service Studios (1950s) |
The second track on this anthology is Rocket 88, a song with an interesting history, having a reputation for being possibly the first Rock and Roll record produced. It was recorded in March, 1951 by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats -- who were actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. Yes, that Ike Turner, Tina's former, abusive husband.
 |
| Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm |
The song was written to celebrate the production of the Oldsmobile Rocket 88. Some automobile enthusiasts claim it was the first "muscle car", boasting a powerful V8 engine that could reach 60 miles per hour in 13 seconds. It had a top speed of nearly 100 mph – a remarkable feat for an automobile built at that time.
Rocket 88 (the song, not the car) was the first successful track recorded at the Memphis Recording Studio and was produced by the aforementioned Sam Phillips. Sales hit #1 on the Billboard charts that June and helped finance the creation of Sun Records.
Rocket 88 is also the track I am putting on "The 500" Spotify Playlist that I have been building since this marathon blog series started in January, 2019. My partiality reaches back to a period when I began learning to play the song in order to perform with my friend Vince Braca's band, The Black Holes. Vince's group has played an up-tempo mix of 50s era Rockabilly, Rock and Roll and 60s Surf Rock around the London, Ontario, area for more than 20 years.
 |
| Vince (forefront) and The Black Holes (2007) |
One Friday in 2007 the band was booked to play at The Brass Door, a popular pub in Downtown London. A few weeks earlier, Vince invited me to join him on stage for a set. I had been playing the saxophone since Grade 6, but I was rusty and needed to prepare for a performance and have sheet musician on hand. How I envy players who can spontaneously join in a jam session. A mutual friend, Cole Benjamin, who is also a talented guitarist, singer and saxophonist, helped me chart the songs and practice. To top it off, he joined the performance with his tenor sax.
 |
| Me, Marc Hodgkinson,clowning around with
Cole Benjamin (foreground) pre-show |
I was familiar with most of the songs on the setlist for the performance but one that stood out was Rocket 88. I told Cole and he popped with excitement. "It's a great song, it's just a 12-bar blues with this easy boogie-woogie shuffle we get to play -- it has a sax solo, too." Minutes later, we were practising and I was hooked. Cole was right, it is a delightful song and the shuffle is so much fun.
 |
| Sheet music for Rocket 88 - the shuffle circled in red |
As you might have guessed, the more talented Cole took the solo, although later in the set I had a short one of my own. Since that time, Rocket 88 has been one of my favourite songs – a reminder of that terrific night. |
| Cole and me, playing with The Black Holes |
Perhaps in retirement I will pull my sax out of its dusty case and recover my playing chops; maybe join an amateur band in town. Heck, I might even become a spontaneous jammer.
MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment