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Greatest Rock Vocalists #3, Elvis Presley, Heart Break Hotel, Hound Dog
Elvis was simply great, like a human tornado of cool, and one of the most original Americans in history. Was he musically original? Not exactly, but his instinct for sexing up rock and roll was brilliant. His originality was mainly found in his person, the archetype of the post World War II teenager; rebellious, greasy…
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RIP Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber
Two songwriting icons passed away yesterday, and ironically, both were halves of legendary songwriting teams. Nick Ashford, legendary Motown songwriter, who was paired with his wife Valerie Simpson, died at 70 in Manhattan. Jerry Leiber, partnered with Mike Stoller, co-wrote some of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits, died at 78 in Los Angeles. Among Ashford’s greatest…
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They Might Be Giants, The Four Lads, Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
I had no idea that They Might Be Giants didn’t write this song! It turns out that the Four Lads, in 1953, came up with this incredibly catchy and insane song. It was a top ten hit and a certified gold record. Imagine that! I learned all this from hearing a tape of Bob Dylan’s…
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The Everly Brothers and John Lennon, All I Have to Do Is Dream, Cathy's Clown
Dreams are mysterious and crazy things. Sometimes you’ll have a dream and have no idea of what to make of it. Songs simply about dreams, even sort of romantic cliched ones, are sometimes enough just to trigger those feelings of the novel, the unexplained, and the otherworldly. Such is the case with the 1958 Felice…
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Carl Perkins and Friends, Rockabilly School
It’s a star studded part 97 on my youtube countdown, and the stakes are getting higher, and the stars are getting hotter as we close in on 100! This time I have the undeniably fantastic performance of Carl Perkins and his super friends from the 1985 concert Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session. Get this. …
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Howlin' Wolf, Smokestack Lightning
Back to rock and roll with part 81 of my youtube countdown. Today I have the fierce Howlin’ Wolf with his immortal classic, Smokestack Lightning. Wolf, born Chester Arthur Burnett, was a massive imposing man with a growling blues roar. He didn’t get his name from his size, but rather his fear. His grandfather used…
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Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Mean Woman Blues/Blue Suede Shoes
In part 47 of my youtube countdown I present to you two titans of classic rock and roll. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Killer, and Carl Perkins, the king of rockabilly, united, as they often were, having a ball playing a medley of “Mean Woman Blues,” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” This video is a blast of…
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Jerry Lee Lewis, I'm On Fire
Woohoo! Welcome to the 40th entry in my now glorious youtube favorites countdown. In it, I bring you a breathtaking clip of pure rock and roll power, Jerry Lee Lewis singing “I’m On Fire.” “I’m On Fire” was a 1964 single Jerry released at the height of his anti-fame, meaning the time when the public…
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Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones
In part 35 of my youtube favorites countdown, we take a trip to rock school. In our lesson we’ll look at two thunderously classic clips. The first features the immortal Muddy Waters leading his band through his genre defining blues cut “Rollin’ Stone.” This song, as you probably know, was the original inspiration for the…
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Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode, and Maybellene
Part 21 of my youtube countdown continues with a special Two for Tuesday! A few weeks ago we saw Chuck Berry rip up “Roll Over Beethoven” on a French TV show in 1958. It was one of the most iconic moments of all time, and guess what, we’re going back to that very same show…