The Legends of the Rocking Dutchman - episode 1
Saucy lyrics
One of the major differences between Rhythm & Blues and Rock 'n Roll was the targeted audience. The latter was primarily aimed at white teenagers, while the R&B were meant for black adults. The blues had quite a bad name in the eyes of middle-class white Americans as they reflected the grittiness of everyday African-American working - or unemployed - class, where discrimination, segregation, exploitation, bad paid jobs, crime, social disintegration and poverty ruled everyday life. That everyday's burden served as ingredients in the blues.In this episode, I will show you how the lyrics of Shake, Rattle & Roll were whitened when the song was made famous by Bill Haley, and that, when it came to sexual content, the songwriters were often pushing the limit of what was acceptable to be cut on shellac or vinyl. And there were some blues that I still can't put in a decent show, as the lyrics would even make Eminem blush.
Demo show playlist
- Joe Turner & His Blues Kings - Shake Rattle and Roll
- Mabel Scott - Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em Rough, Tell 'Em Nothin'
- Wynonie Harris - Adam Come Get Your Rib
- The Buddy Johnson Orchestra feat. Ella Johnson - Any Day Now
- Amos Milburn - Bad Bad Whiskey
- Roy Brown - Queen Of Diamonds
- The Buddy Johnson Orchestra - Rock On!
- The Four Blazes - Perfect Woman
- Bull Moose Jackson - Big Fat Mamas Are Back In Style Again
- Peppermint Harris - Fat Girl Boogie
- Wynonie Harris - Keep On Churnin'
- Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Annie Had A Baby
- Billy Ward & The Dominoes - 60-Minute Man
- The Swallows - It Ain't The Meat (It's The Motion)
- Wynonie Harris - Wasn't That Good
- Bull Moose Jackson - Big 10 inch record
- Bull Moose Jackson - Nosey Joe
- Dinah Washington - Big Long Slidin' Thing
- Wild Bill Moore Sextette - Bongo Bounce
- Kirk Kirkland - The Saxaphone Rag
- Earl Bostic - Don't You Do It
- Eddie Chamblee - Lazy Mood
- Julian Dash - Creamin' Boogie