Ok we done what is rockabilly, even though I dont think we were finished??? This time can we please stick to the topic!!!!
What we do need to understand is that some performers did do other styles, and not everyone that came out of the Sun studio was rockabilly!
Sam Philips took a big gamble against all the others when he started releasing rockabilly stuff and for me when you hear those 1st few dynamic chords and you get that sudden tingle of wow, that makes the difference!
It has to be said that hillbilly, or country as its now called, mostly started with those same few boring opening fiddle bars, but some hillbilly artists took the chance and made a few red hot rockabilly tracks, SO who where they in your opinion???
For me the best was Carl Perkins, although he didn't really start in hillbilly, I think he was the most consistent rockabilly performer, even though some of his stuff he also slowed to fit other genres in his later career.
SO lets get to it, who do YOU think was Rockabilly, even if it was only one track in the style???
There are so many to choose.
But Im gonna agree with Carl Perkins he was great and females I lurve janis Martin and Wanda Jackson. So to me it would be these three. But when describing what rockabilly is to people I work with or are friends with outside the scene I always ask if they have heard of the Stray Cats and tell them "Thats Rockabilly"
Is this kinda what you are askin???
never worry about what someone has to say about you because while they are busy trying to destroy you, you are being exactly what they only wish they could be!
Now this is risky as its at the risk of being called a smart arse by someone
But i think the Stray Cats are a generational thing, yep they did some good stuff, and were dynamic and exciting, but was it Rockabilly in the true sense of the Music?
If you look at their roots it was PUNK CRAP, sorry don't like punk or psychobilly at all, don't think its at all musical, just a cockofanie of noises, but that's MY OPINION, for those who are welcome to disagree!!!
(note to meself - why the f*** do I feel I have to be defensive of my opinion in this place, its ridiculous )
Anyway, to me they were verging on psychobilly but more, but not quite neobilly, so really they could be put in a category of there own, but I liked a lot of what they did!!
There was of course something of a block on a lot of original rockabilly from the states for various reasons, so we didnt get to hear much of the original stuff until its was discovered in the seventies(by who here in the UK is in one of me other posts)
Then I think we really got to hear the true rockabilly sound a bit more, like Charlie Feathers, Mac Curtis, Skeets McDonald etc etc
Would be interesting to hear from people about their favourite artists and their fav tracks!
That could be educational for some, so they can find it and learn a bit more about what I'm slated for here, knowing a bit about what I'm into that is
Would be also interesting to hear about modern bands that could be considered rockabilly, in the true sense???
just a small point but hillbilly is not country. Never was never will be. The great Hank Williams hated to be called Hillbilly and always said he was country. For Hillbilly see The Stanley Brothers and "Blue Moon of Kentuckey". For me the musician i like best from rockabilly is Billy Lee Riley. Never had a major hit yet his Flying Saucer Rock and Roll and My Babies Red Hot are standout rockabilly songs. I think that Carl Perkins rates as the most consistent rockabilly artist. He never changed where as Elvis and most of the others moved into pop. I think Jerry Lee Lewis is the best and yet hardest to rate in the whole "scene". Be interested in your thoughts on Jerry.
G’Day Tede, CR & JR. Carl Perkins and Charlie Feathers are amongst my faves from the old school. They sang a combination of hillbilly and country that was labelled as rockabilly.
As sweet as those early artists sounded, the rockabilly bands of today have a far superior sound and in my opinion, the best sounding bands are from Europe. Call it euro-billy if a label is absolutely necessary.
It’s like the rockabilly musos of today have pulled an old rusted 1932 Ford coupe out of a shed, modified the chassis, chopped and mildly customised the body then stuffed it full of big block Chev power. The old songs played with a heap of grunt. That’s the rockabilly sound that does it for me and I’m not talkin’ that thrashabilly or what ever it’s called.
By the way Tede, I wouldn’t be too concerned if someone called you a smart arse. And even if they did … they would only be 50% correct, or 50% incorrect … depends on how you look at it mate (slight laughter).
Live & let Live, Love & let Love, Rock & let Roll, plus related clichés.
But i think the Stray Cats are a generational thing, yep they did some good stuff, and were dynamic and exciting, but was it Rockabilly in the true sense of the Music?
If you look at their roots it was PUNK CRAP, sorry don't like punk or psychobilly at all, don't think its at all musical, just a cockofanie of noises, but that's MY OPINION, for those who are welcome to disagree!!!
(note to meself - why the f*** do I feel I have to be defensive of my opinion in this place, its ridiculous )
Anyway, to me they were verging on psychobilly but more, but not quite neobilly, so really they could be put in a category of there own, but I liked a lot of what they did!!
I dont think I would have ever called them psychobilly and while not your authentic rockabilly either it is easy to use them to describe rockabilly as most people ( at least my age group) have heard of them even if they have never known it to be rockabilly.
So when someone outside the scene asks me to describe rockabilly thats generally how I do as the easiest way to describe it to someone who has no idea :P
Thats more what I meant.
never worry about what someone has to say about you because while they are busy trying to destroy you, you are being exactly what they only wish they could be!
Woof woof jac lol
Hank certainly was a huge influence on rockabilly, so much of his stuff was reproduced!
The hillbilly country bit, mmmmmmmmm, not so sure on, certainly a lot of his stuff sounds hillbilly but could his comments be of part of a denial of being categorised as something that was look down on by a large part of the states as, shall we say lower class?
It could also be that it was part of his personality disorders shall we call em, drink drugs, or maybe even EGO, he certainly had a few problems and had a fairly high opinion of himself, who will ever really know!!!
Billy Lee yep, one of those forgotten artist until the seventies, not given a chance, as weren't we to lift his music to any acclaim like so many at the time?
Deliberately left out Elvis, yep he brought stuff to the attention of the world but was he ever his own man???
Jerry Lee, now theirs an enigma lol, can any piano playing be classed in rockabilly, he certainly did some raunchy stuff but to me it sure sounded like a style that would be by previous releases and styles of others be boogie woogie with a lil summat else that made it really rock, gospel maybe????
Hey Jaz
LMFAO now i got a complex lol which half is which lol gonna have to go see the shrink again lol if I can find one that has enuf experience of me & me lol
Technology is the difference for sure Jaz on the sound?
Did hear a story about Jeff Beck who wanted to reproduce that exclusive Vincent sound, tried everything and all the technology but in the end he found that the way to get it with modern equipment was to turn the speaker on there backs towards the ceilings so the sound bounced around, and he pretty much got it if you hear any of his tribute stuff??
Here's a couple of bands for ya to research, I think they're top rockabilly???
The Garnet Hearts
The Wiseguyz
Whitelines
think you'll enjoy them if you can find anything!!!!!!!!!!
Totally agree on the thrash chit, why they do it i dont know, I have actually played around with some of that stuff, slowed it down, and the ridiculous thing is that if it were played decently and at a more respectable sounding pace, some of it actually ain't to bad, bit sad they do it that way in the 1st place???
CR
Its that thrashing style that made me mention the Stray Cats as i did, because of their roots and the way they, and their fans, performed at live gigs, it was different to what you heard on recordings and not to different to punk n psycho chit, caused a lot of problems with the older crowd the way the youngsters acted, but they were educated, eventually lol
Know what you mean tho about greeners, pity the media don't help on that score, then and now, so that more bands would be known, coz there were a few really good bands about, and are now, but no one gives em a chance, cept us lot at our respective radio sites???
Re Hillbilly like most definitions it is hard to be definite and there were always exceptions but re county and hillbilly. Hillbilly had no drums always a fiddle and a guitar was not the primary instrument it is in county. Often fiddle and base were the main instruments. Harmonies within the group were very important which came from their gospel background. Remember that there was a major pentecostal sect that banned all instruments from the church and the human voice was the important thing.
Re Hank it was mainly his style of music that he felt defined him from Hillbilly. There never was a sader lyricist and he was taught guitar by a local black blues guitarist. But in his social life he WAS a Hillbilly. Born in the Hills and lived that lifestyle.
Re Jerry it is his piano that makes him the exception to the rule. But if attitude is what defines rockabilly he had that in spades. It was the English Teddy Boys that helped get him back on top in the mid sixties. I know a drummer that toured with Jerry in England and he said at the concerts what stood out was the number of Teddy BOYS who would push to the front. He was not as popular with the women.
I remember part of an old movie from the early '50s (can't remember the name)where there was some band playing in a club sounding very swingy and rock and rollish, and a couple of oldies were watching dancers, and commenting .."look at those young people jumping around to that hillbilly music.
Your right about definitions, there's always gonna be a swing either way on anything as diverse!
Re JLL, attitude for sure in his music and his lifestyle lol
The teds have always had a love hate relationship with him, love of his music and a love and hate for his arrogance and lifestyle decisions, they were also there to see him kicked of stage and out of the country when the news of his marriage became known!
Steveo, it would be nice if you could remember the name of that film, must have been some sort of biopic that reflected the general curiosity and a certain amount of derision of the scene in the states at the time?
There aren't many of those films about or available so it would be nice to be able to do a search and see what can be found so it can be shared???
Its controversial so lets get to a couple that are just that?
What about Elvis and maybe more controversial Johnny Cash
My opinion is Elvis was, but only for a very short period, and JC wasn't ever even though he was tagged for being, but I cant think of anything that really fits the bill???
And maybe what about some one hit cross over wonders???
Who and what do you think???????????
We gotta think about the manner the music was played, as was stated in the other prematurely closed post, particularly "a sure-fire distinctive mix of rhythmic patterns with musical tones put forth by a small combo where bass slaps, guitar licks and the drummer pounding out the back-beat on two and four with the down beats on one and three, with spurts of drum breaks , make it literally impossible to keep still."
1) I've been there for Stray Cats gigs, and I've been there for many, many psycho gigs. There is a HUGE void between the two, especially when one is standing in front of the stage. Sure Setzer and the boys rock it up a little in a live setting, but thats live music for you. In my humble opinion, even at their most rockin', Stray Cats aint anywhere near psycho. Go stand in a psycho audience and you'll soon see the difference.
2) Quote - "and the drummer pounding out the back-beat on two and four with the down beats on one and three, with spurts of drum breaks".
Isn't this a contradiction in terms, seeing as original rockabilly recordings didn't include drums?
Nah ace lol your welcome to an opinion like anyone else lol
Your right about drums, pretty much, but that quote was from an original artist Joe Bennett of the Sparkletones, ok not a big producer of recordings, but there with the best of em!
When the Stray Cats were new on the circuit they were pretty outrageous, from what I saw of them anyway and the way the youngsters acted was pretty manic!
But you'll never see me at a psycho do, not even if I was deaf lmao
Post again m8, you obviously have an opinion and thats all that matters
I agree with you Ace I dont think Stray Cats are psychobilly either and have been at loads on both sides.
I wonder if alot of this rockabilly/ psychobilly haze stems from the scene's being worlds apart.
Belfast I would consider early elvis rockabilly when he was a 3 piece but not his later stuff. Johnny Cash hmmmm............
never worry about what someone has to say about you because while they are busy trying to destroy you, you are being exactly what they only wish they could be!
Interesting topic! I would have called the Stray Cats Neo-Rockabilly, and while I consider Johnny Cash Country, some of his stuff can be turned 'Rockabilly' Customrod, you've heard my daughters band do their version of Folsom Prison!
I love early Bob Luman, Wanda Jackson, Janis Martin, Barbara Pittman, Mac Curtis, Sonny Burgess, Warren Smith & Ray Smith.
Love 80's Ray Campi, Crazy Cavan, Batmobile, Robert Gordon
I've probably forgotten some!
I consider all either Rockabilly or Neo Rockabilly, even Batmobile, who Altho they do some Psychobilly stuff, it's more melodic than the new style of Psycho that is around these days.
But that is just my opinion!
I think opinions differ greatly on what is or isn't rockabilly, at the end of the days there are no 'rules' and if you love it, call it whatever you like, just go out to pubs & clubs & support it, so it's here for years to come!
To answer the original question first - early Johnny Burnette sums it up for me.
I think Johhny Cash does sit out on his own, I don't think the country scene (and by that I mean the powers that be, not the fans) at the time thought he was country although from his autobiography he clearly classed himself as that but he was also immensely proud to have been part of those early Sun days and really rated Carl Perkins. I think Johnny Cash sums up the diversity rockabilly covers.
I think a lot of things dictate the sound - where you are, when you are, the music that came before, your contemporaries, your record company to name a few. 50s rockabilly didn't all sound the same. Sonny Burgess, Curtis Gordon, Johnny Jano - all great rockabilly performers in my opinion but all with a different sound.
That sound has evolved through the years. The 70s bands like Crazy Cavan are cleary influenced more by the likes of Sonny Burgess but there is a definite 70s edge to it, it isn't a pure 50s sound. Looking at the modern day Ted bands, Furious are the closest to the likes of Cavan but it isn't quite the same - there's another 20 years worth of musical influence in there.
I agree with everyone who says the strays aren't psychobilly. They had a go with one track on their second album but frankly they didn't pull it off. Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran are a far stronger influence on them than punk ever was. For me the strays were part of that late seventies period where the youngsters started to take their own identity on the scene - Levi dexter, Buzz and the Flyers, Shakin' Pyramids etc.
There's a great documentry on YouTube about the London rockabilly scene and how it evolved in the early eighties. The London scene has always been very protective of itself and this comes across, we are a bit more easy going in the provinces! I'd recommend tracking it down and giving it a watch.
Youngsters going wild, doing their own thing and the older generation being disapproving - isn't that the very essence of rock n roll? Yes punk was an influence - so what. Rockabilly was the original punk so it is all circular. What the 'older generation' never seemed to understand is that we didn't want to live someones elses youth, it was about taking the best of what had gone before and making something of our own.
My experience of a Teddy Boy education is that there was way to many rules - how you should look, what you should listen to, societys with commitees, the few dictating what the majority could listen to or get into a venue. About as far away from the spirit of rock n roll as you can get. Teds were no angels either - my educational experience varied from well meaning nagging to a well aimed fist. We educated ourselves in spite of and not because of education attempts by others.
That is not to tar everyone with the same brush. My group of mates were Teds, Katz and Psychos - we are co existed fine and kept the rockin' scene alive in our town. the exception rather than the rule though.
Thankfully those days are mostly behind us. Teds still argue over the right colour drape to wear, psychos argue over old school and new school sounds but there is a unity there that wasn't there before for those of us that follow the full range. You see a youngster these days being wild and having a laugh with the M3T3ORS on his jacket and Crazy Cavan on his T-Shirt and that's their way of doing it so good luck to them!
I think Batmobile tend to get classed as neo these days as the newer stuff is alot harder. To me they are still psychobilly but mild enough for the rockabilly type to enjoy.
Meteors def psychobilly no swaying from that.
And yes Johnny Cash to me is country although Sonyta's version is really rockabillied up.
And Shakin Pyramids Ahhhhhhhhh Rockin Bones Im your friend for life you speak my language :P
never worry about what someone has to say about you because while they are busy trying to destroy you, you are being exactly what they only wish they could be!
Agree with you on all counts Rockin bones! And, I can't believe I left out the Shakin'Pyramids!! Hell bent on Rockin is one of my all time favorites!
And I agree, the young ones love it all! My daughter was brought up on rockabilly, but never pushed into it, we waited patiently for her to discover the sounds on her own! Couldn't be prouder that she now sings rockabilly in her own band at 16!
I just thought of another band that was really awesome and rockabilly The collins kids. They always make me think rockabilly
never worry about what someone has to say about you because while they are busy trying to destroy you, you are being exactly what they only wish they could be!
)
Originally Posted by Belfast Tede
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