The Rock’n’Roll Unravelled Show
Rise and Fall of American Rock’n’Roll

Rock’n’Roll emerged in the mid-1950s but by the end of the decade the golden age of rock’n’roll was over. The story and some great music in – Rise and Fall of American Rock’n’Roll

First broadcast – 5 November 2018
…..on Access North West 

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RISE AND FALL OF AMERICAN ROCK’N’ROLL

The golden age of rock’n’roll was undoubtedly the second half of the 1950s. However, its roots go back much futher than that.

Rock’n’Roll has its roots in both black and white American music. Elements of gospel, blues, R&B, doo wop, and country, hillbilly and rock-a-billy can all be heard in rock’n’roll.

Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats’ 1951 release Rocket 88, is generally considered to be the first rock’n’roll record. In 1955 Bill Haley and his Comets kick-started rock’n’roll, when Rock Around the Clock played behind the opening credits of the movie Blackboard Jungle.

The golden age of rock’n’roll followed but the first cracks appeared just two-and-half years later. Little Richard was on tour in Australia in 1957, when he had an epiphany, found God and renounced rock’n’roll. After Little Richard left the rock’n’roll scene others followed and the rock’n’roll hits dried up.

By the end of the 1950s rock’n’roll was all-but over. It limped on into the early 1960s but the times were definitely a-changin’. Elvis famously reinvented himself as a movie star in the 1960s. Ironically the 1960s beat and R&B groups revitalised the careers of many of the blues, R&B and rock’n’roll stars.

But the golden age of rock’n’roll – will live – forever

PLAYLIST

1 Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats – Rocket 88
2 Bill Haley and His Comets – Thirteen Women
3 Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel
4 Jerry Lee Lewis – Whole Lotta Shaking Goin’ On
5 Buddy Holly and the Crickets – That’ll Be the Day
6 Little Richard – Tutti Frutti

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The Rock’n’Roll Unravelled Show is on Access North West monthly.
It’s on the first Monday of every month at 11.am to noon (UK).

ABOUT THE ROCK’N’ROLL UNRAVELLED SHOW
We’ll be looking at how rock’n’roll came about. It’s development into rock music in the mid-1960s the array of rock genres in the late 1960s and ‘70s. Blues, R&B, rock’n’roll, rock, prog, folk rock, country rock, psychedelia, glam, early metal, punk, new wave… they will all find their way into the shows. Plus artists and bands some well known, some more on the cult side. Stories behind classic singles and albums, record labels, venues, gigs… Not forgetting the people behind the scenes, managers, promoters, writers, Svengalis – the people who made it all happen.

If it’s relevant to the music of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s I’ll be talking about it.
There will be some great music, some you’ll recognise and some that you might well be hearing for the first time.

COMPETITION
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Rock’n’Roll Unravelled

Rock’n’Roll Unravelled

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Rock’nRoll Unravelled – THE BOOK

Derek Shelmerdine, author of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled.

In its unique three-part format
Timeline + What Happened Today? + Pocket Histories
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled tells the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to mid-1970s punk.

Not just the story of the music but also the social events which shaped it. The Vietnam War, Civil Rights struggle and so many other factors because they had such an influence on the music of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

Record Collector magazine review
“Shelmerdine has made a painstaking effort to document pretty much every event that would prove significant in shaping popular music … a comprehensive guide… invaluable.”

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RADIO APPEARANCES

Rise and Fall of American Rock’n’Roll
First broadcast on Access North West on 5 November 2018

For all of Derek Shelmerdine‘s
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