First Rock And Roll Record

n 1961, at age 9, I was introduced to Rock and Roll by my school-mate John Bernard, whose mother was an avid Elvis fan. The first song I remember is "Retun To Sender". I have to admit I didn't really "get it" ... I guess I wasn't quite ready.

Three years later, however, I was swept up by Beatlemania and the British Invasion. Even later, in my 20's, I re-discovered Elvis, and I came to fully appreciate his influence. That's also when I became curious about the origins of Rock and Roll.

My initial understandings were vague. I knew Bill Haley and Elvis Presley were among the earliest purveyors, and that both of them, depending on which camp you supported, were credited with recording the "first" Rock and Roll record ("Rock Around The Clock" and "That's Alright Mama", respectively).

But the more I looked into it, the more it became apparent that Haley and Presley weren't the only candidates. Nor were they the earliest!

What follows are examples of some of the most commonly sited candidates for "first Rock and Roll recording", listed chronologically from 1938 to 1954.

Regardless of who was "first", each of these artists, in his her her own way, was a musical pioneer, one of the true "architects" of Rock and Roll. Their early contributions helped lay the foundation for everything that followed, from Doo-Wop to Hip-Hop.

I've included my personal comments, and I've also rated each recording (out of 4 stars) based on the validity of the song's claim to being the "first Rock and Roll recording".

The ratings and opinions are mine. There will likely be much disagreement, and I look forward to any feedback.

Out of respect for copyright law, the audio samples are limited to about 60 seconds duration.

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1938	Tommy Dorsey Orchestra	Boogie Woogie

This is a bold and innovative recording for it's time, a cross-pollination of "Big Band" and "Boogie Woogie". The result, however, is more novelty than revolutionary, and I don't believe this record had a significant impact on the course of "pop music" history.

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1946	Ella Mae Morse	House Of Blue Lights

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1947	Roy Brown	Good Rockin' Tonight

While the word "Rockin'" in the title tends to lean in favour of this recording being a serious contender, in my opinion a number of essential "Rock and Roll" elements are absent. Most notably, there's no real "back-beat", just random synocpated bass drum "stabs", in typical Big Band style, which makes this track sound more "jazzy" than "rock". For comparison, listen to the prominent "2 and 4" snare drum and handclaps on Wynonie Harris's 1948 re-make of this same song (see below).

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1947	Hank Williams	Move It On Over

I've never seen this track on anyone's "first Rock and Roll record" list, and I don't know why! Have a listen to this snappy recording by 23-year-old Hank Williams, his very first release. It's not quite country, not quite blues, certainly not Boogie Woogie. Imagine a slightly stronger back-beat and "Move It On Over" becomes Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock", complete with near-identical melody (Hank's track pre-dates Haley by seven years!).

Roll ahead to the one-minute-mark and listen to the electric guitar solo. No country inflections here ... more a nod to the jazz stylings of Charlie Christian, and in many ways a precursor to the "guitar solos" that would surface a few years later.

In my opinion "Move It On Over" is a very strong candidate for "first Rock and Roll record" ... a claim that's somewhat diminished, if at all, by the "barn-dance-fiddle-intro" and Hank's twangy vocal performance. Get past that, and there's no denying the influence this record had on the music that followed!

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1948	Arthur Smith	Guitar Boogie

This is essentially a transposition to guitar of the traditional left hand Boogie-Woogie figure for piano, followed by a series of improvisations and guitar gymnastics, some of it in the style of Charlie Christian. While it is, in some ways, a novelty record, it's influence was far-reaching ... from Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" to The Beatles' "Day Tripper" and Led Zepplin's "Heartbreaker" and beyond.

This is an important recording, no doubt about it ... but in my opinion the absence of a vocal greatly reduces any argument in favour of "Guitar Boogie" being the "first Rock and Roll record".

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1948	Roy Brown	Rockin' At Midnight

Roy Brown ... again (see 1947/Good Rockin' Tonight). This is where many of the essential "Rock and Roll" elements come together, quite possibly for the first time.

While the arrangement is mostly derived from the Jazz and Jump recordings of the 1940's, there's an incessant backbeat on the two's and four's, a Rock and Roll hallmark ... and the "yakety sax" solo would not go unnoticed, figuring prominently on future recordings from the 1950s and 60s.

The vocal is primarily blues influenced, but there's a departure here, a street-smart nonchalance that would later help define Elvis Presley as an artist.

And who can ignore the title, "Rockin' At Midnight".

If this isn't Rock and Roll, then what is?

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1948	Wynonie Harris	Good Rockin' Tonight

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1949	Fats Domino	The Fat Man

Fats Domino's recording of "The Fat Man" reached #2 on the R&B charts in 1949, selling a million copies. He later crossed over to the Pop charts with "Ain't That A Shame" (1955) and "Blueberry Hill" (1956).

Stylistically, many of his later recordings resembled his first hit, "The Fat Man", and Fat's Domino never really evolved much beyond that. Regardless, he was a true pioneer and giant influence on the development of Rock and Roll.

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1951	The Dominoes	Sixty Minute Man

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1951	Jackie Brenston	Rocket '88

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1951	Elmore James	Dust My Broom

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1952	Lloyd Price	Lawdy Miss Clawdy

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1953	Big Mama Thornton	Hound Dog

A brilliant song and a brilliant performance. There's absolutely no doubt as to the influence and impact this song had on Elvis Presley's career, among others.

Unfortunately, I beleive it's too late in the game (1953) to be considered a "first".

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1954	Bill Haley and his Comets	Rock Around The Clock

Considered by many to be the first Rock and Roll song.

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1954	Elvis Presley	That's Alright Mama

Considered by many to be the first Rock and Roll song.

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1954	The Crows	Gee

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1954	The Penguins	Earth Angel

Year	Artist	Song Title	Audio
1954	Big Joe Turner	Shake Rattle And Roll