ÿWPCO  rŸŠ–,áÙ¡Ûj¹¡ëjÊÙ:”Ö4}kýú’h 8årÍò}Ÿ®’½QxÌ”s›”$ˆÓ ³7ä‹–žÌxççJ¶á笧¦<üZ¥Ë‹¶©B°N] hš/½¤Q)ÃŽ\„Òv“áî+þ¨þ¹‘âBæì3+h`}<*^¤’Ö±Î+÷£jlHr⸰,U·±®‘-´ Áý½Øq%‘= €qîdˆ®Â&¸F+átÚ²f½´úHñMÜX1kЀ_A âôEu uûE’;êź 93)øªkŸ6F31ÙÔ ž^IïV.ý^T•ûëÁøéÇ@¤nîh§FܵŠƒ9¹)ñØkA!\ržxCëq%ðÙ$ã–à ®Ù¦ö¦SNÎÛ=±=ém&O.{p_²©Â*ÛsÁ—mýµ–AMŽÑûÎè-’tÔyÞ"ArÍu!Fcÿƒ~oÈ}ôÙ:OahÕ÷>³Þ§þ9$F>ÍŽ÷S{m2¬¿¯¨ÚÚh™…ø²y*ËÁ>þßüfºÓï'ÂŒæëœÍ èÑÎ3Åœ‚^³½‰3õ£öxL'õ%h@‰ÜYZ/9ä ´u N­ñœ,Ô>µ¼ÿa+†Už•…=c‚áÿGù( %0Ñ6  0_rn«‚ 0D- q U:q w@« 4ë ÿ m 0ˆ U N  0Dî î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î î B2 X ÇÝ ƒ¤‚$ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°Òà 4 àòòÚ  Ú1Ú  ÚóóÝ  ݛԀô‘ØõXXÔDisclaimer:€This€is€an€unpublished€manuscript,€made€available€to€the€public€for€your€interestÐ ° Ðand€reaction.€€It€may€not€be€reprinted,€copied,€or€distributed€in€any€manner,€without€express€permission€ofÏthe€author.€€I€neither€ask€nor€receive€any€financial€compensation€for€this€document.€€Hence,€although€I€useÏquotes€from€several€published€song€lyrics€without€having€obtained€formal€permission€from€the€copyrightÏowner,€there€is€no€violation€of€copyright,€since€this€document€is€not€ð ðpublishedðð€or€sold€in€any€meaningfulÏsense.Ô€X®JXõô‘ØÔ Ý ƒúÎ'ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÝ  Ý›David€N.€Townsendà@ˆˆˆìàòòRock€'n'€Roll€Culture€and€Ideologyóóˆà€àààü!àPage€Ú  Ú1Ú  ڈР° ÐÌChapter€1à@¨¨+ìàDRAFTˆÐ ˆØ ÐÌÌ(72úÎ$§§Ý ƒô5!ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÝ  Ý#|pŽ«' [  `BDutch Roman 12ptWP DeskTop FWXÌp [  PŽwOXP(ô5$¡¡ÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°Ò„†r‰AZ‹"Arial Regular …¿†[‡ÀˆU‰UŠ¿‹ÀŒ[DŽ­nB#ä”å‚X’‚ ÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ(8(3¤‚$¤¤Ý ƒô5!ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÝ  Ýà 4 àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóxÖÃ9 Z‹6Times New Roman Regular(%Ã$òòÚ  Ú1Ú  Úóó dÝ ƒô5!ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÝ  Ý›ÑÜ°ÑÖ€ÿÿÖÑ  ÑÑ  ÑDavid€N.€Townsendà€LLCü!à5800€wordsˆÐ ° Ð17€Lawrence€Roadà€ìì4ü!àðð€1997€David€N.€Townsend׃×Ý ƒ%ÃÝòòÚ  Ú1Ú  ÚóóÝ  Ý×  ׈Ð œì ÐSwampscott,€MA€01907Ì(781)€477„9356Ì¢DNTownsend£@¢Prodigy.com£ÌÌÌà@~~$ìàñ‡ñÔ‡¼Ån»XXÔñ‡ññ†ñò òñ†ññ…ñÔ‡ ¼¾ »»¼ÅnÔñ…ñChanging€the€World:ˆÐ $ t Ðà@¦ ¦ ìàRock€'n'€Roll€Culture€and€Ideologyñ…ñÔ#†¼Ån» » ¼¾ë#Ôñ…ññ†ñó óñ†ññ‡ñÔ#†X®JX»¼Ånµ#Ôñ‡ñˆÐ 8 ˆ ÐñˆñÌñˆññ‰ñÌñ‰ñà@ŽŽ,ìàbyˆÌà@ÊÊ%ìàDavid€N.€TownsendˆÌÌñŒñò òñŒññ‹ñÔ‡¼Ån»XX®JÔñ‹ññŠñÔ‡ ¼¾ »»¼ÅnÔñŠñà@ØØ)ìàChapter€1ˆÐ è8  Ðà@XX*ìàOriginsñŠñÔ#†¼Ån» » ¼¾v#ÔñŠññ‹ñÔ#†X®JX»¼ÅnM#Ôñ‹ññŒñó óñŒñˆÐ üL ÐÌà 4 àAll€you€really€need€to€know€about€the€origins€of€rock€'n'€roll€is€that€it€started€withÏslavery.€€The€history€books€can€give€you€the€details;€what's€important€is€that€rock€'n'€rollÏcan€be€traced€in€a€direct€line€to€an€utterly€unnatural€phenom‚enon:€the€forced€uprooting€ofÏtens€of€thousands€of€Africans€from€their€native€lands€and€cultures,€and€their€transplantationÏto€a€new€world€as€different€from€what€they€had€known€as€black€is€different€from€white.€ÏAdd€in€the€fact€that€families€were€split€apart,€slaves€from€different€tribes€were€thrownÏtogether€on€the€same€plantations,€and,€of€course,€these€reluctant€visitors€were€chained,Ïwhipped,€imprisoned,€and€compelled€to€perform€excruciating€hard€labor€for€barely€subsisƒ¼tence€nourishment.€€Keep€in€mind€that€these€conditions€continued,€on€this€continent,€forÏwell€over€a€century,€until€less€than€1ññ3ñññŽñ5ñŽñ0€years€ago.ÌÌà 4 àI€realize€that€this€is€hardly€news,€but€sometimes€it€seems€that€white€Americans€haveÏforgotten,€or€want€to€forget,€that€slavery€ever€existed,€let€alone€so€recently€as€the€¢1860s£.€ÏThere€are€any€number€of€ways€to€put€it€in€revealing€per‚spec‚tive.€€Think€of€the€conditionÏthat€European€culture€had€achieved€by€the€mid¢„1800s£:€the€emergence€of€Impressionist€art;Ïthe€great€novels€of€Hugo,€¢Flaubert£,€Tolstoy,€and€Dickens;€the€intellectual€enlightenment€ofÏde€Tocqueville€and€Descartes;€the€revolutionary€ferment€of€Marx.€€Any€average€liberal€artsÏstudent€encounters€most€of€these€great€cultural€developments€to€some€degree:€the€òòcoreóó€ofÐ ¨$ø" Ðmodern€Western€civilization€was€formulating€overseas.€€Meanwhile,€Americans€stillÏthrashed€fellow€humans€into€pitiful€servitude,€and€treated€them€legally€as€no€more€thanÐ €&Ð!$y Ðpersonal€property.€€This€unavoidable€element€of€our€nation's€history€is€ignored€over€andÏover€by€ideological€chauvinists€who€oppose€Affirmative€Action€and€civil€rights€legislation,Ïwho€decry€"reverse€discrimination"€and€claim€it€is€"unfair"€to€try€to€force€integration€or€toÏameliorate€African€Americans'€disad‚vantages€at€the€expense€of€innocent€European€(orÏAsian)€Americans.€€("Hey,€my€ancestors€immigrated€in€1912.€€òòI'móó€not€responsible€forÐ °° Ðslavery!")€€That€anyone€could€find€in€the€predominance€of€poverty€within€blackÏcommunities€in€America€anything€but€the€continuing€legacy€of€human€bondage€isÏunfathomable,€and€truly€frightening.€€The€only€conceivable€explanation€is€that€some€peopleÏkeep€forgetting€about€slavery:ÌÌà 4 à"Why€the€hell€are€you€so€bent€over€and€weak?"ÌÌà 4 à"Well,€I€was€a€slave€for€forty€years.€€They€beat€me€twice€a€week."ÌÌà 4 à"Oh,€that's€right.€€I€forgot."ÌÌà 4 àWhy€the€hell€are€so€many€blacks€stuck€in€hopeless€ghetto€lives,€resorting€to€drugs,Ïcrime,€and€violence€to€fill€the€void€of€their€existence?€€Because€their€great€¢great£€greatÏgrandfathers€were€slaves;€their€great€¢great£€grandfathers€were€illiterate,€disenfranchisedÏsharecroppers;€their€great€grandfathers€were€dirt€poor€farmers€or€laborers€who€moved€toÏNorthern€cities€when€the€Depression€wiped€out€what€meager€opportunities€remained€in€theÏSouth;€their€grandfathers€were€equally€poor€children€of€the€first€ghettos,€jobless€andÏuneducated,€with€no€hope€for€escape;€and€their€fathers€found€scarcely€better€chancesÏdespite€the€prosperity€of€the€post„War€years,€the€hope€of€the€civil€rights€movement,€andÏthe€slowly€emerging€sense€of€unity€among€African€Americans€as€a€race.€€Many€of€today'sÏyoung€blacks,€of€course,€cannot€look€back€through€a€lineage€of€fathers,€grandfathers,€andÏso€on,€because€so€many€"fathers,"€themselves€often€little€more€than€children,€disappearedÏbefore€or€soon€after€their€progeny€were€born.€€Such€is€the€cycle€of€deprivation€where€hopeÏis€unknown.ÌÌà 4 àPublic€policy€and€individual€determination€have€only€dented€this€tragic€legacy;€forÏthe€majority€of€African€Americans€today,€slavery's€evil€scars€remain€open.€€Yet€the€whiteÏestablishment€forgets€about€slavery,€forgets€about€blacks,€really.€€A€"Roots"€comes€alongÏand€poignantly€revives€the€suppressed€collective€memory€for€a€while,€but€amnesia€soonÏreturns.€€When€a€Jesse€Jackson€persists€in€underlining€the€injustice€between€the€races,Ïwhite€America€is€concerned,€or€bemused,€or€insulted,€but€only€occasionally€inspired,€theÏway€they€should€be,€the€way€otherwise€despairing€blacks€are€inspired.€€Other€countriesÐ 0,0!$ Ðhave€endured€slavery€and€pay€the€price€in€their€own€way.€€In€America,€slavery€was€moreÏdom‚inant,€more€integral€to€the€nation's€economic€and€social€fabric€than€anywhere€else,€andÏin€the€most€wealthy€and€advanced€country€on€earth,€slavery's€price€is€the€highest€of€all€ð"ðÏand€the€bill€has€not€been€paid€in€full.ÌÌà 4 àTo€understand€rock€'n'€roll,€therefore,€we€must€understand€what€slavery€was,€andÏwhere€it€left€the€sons€and€daughters€of€Africans€who€knew€nothing€of€the€European€rootsÐ 0,0!$ Ðof€American€culture.€€For€slavery€provides€the€perfect€rationale,€the€perfect€explanation€forÏwhy€rock€'n'€roll€should€stand€apart€from€other€musical€forms,€as€a€cultural€revolution€untoÏitself.€€Every€society,€after€all,€has€its€indigenous€music,€which€serves€as€entertainment,Ð 0,0!$ Ðaccompaniment€to€ritual€and€ceremony,€bonding€force,€story€teller,€preserver€of€history.€ÏRock€'n'€roll,€certainly,€is€modern€American€folk€music€in€these€respects,€successor€toÏStephen€Foster€and€Cole€Porter.€€But€that€is€only€a€minor€facet€of€rock€'n'€roll's€place€inÏAmerican,€indeed€in€world€society€since€1955,€and€the€larger€elements€of€rock's€influenceÏreach€far€beyond€the€traditional€cultural€adhesive€status€of€other€folk€¢musics£.€€To€solidifyÏthis€claim,€and€to€explain€it,€we€can€point€directly€to€slavery,€which€forcibly€mixed€theÏradically€different€elements€of€two€cultures€in€a€boiling€cauldron€(rather€than€a€meltingÏpot),€bringing€to€white,€rural,€agrarian€America€a€series€of€rhythmic€and€vocal€traditionsÏthat€originated€on€the€other€side€of€the€planet€in€Africa,€and€adding€an€important€spiritual,Ïmelancholy,€almost€fatalistic€sensibility€that€grew€up€by€itself€in€the€slaves'€imprisonedÏsouls.ÌÌà 4 àThis€last€ingredient€is€crucial:€they€didn't€sing€the€Blues€back€in€Africa.€€Rock€'n'Ïroll€is€an€African„American€hybrid,€but€its€strongest€root€is€the€very€suffering,€and€survival,Ïof€generations€of€slaves,€who€learned€how€music€could€help€a€man€to€transcend€earthlyÏpain€for€awhile.€€The€Blues€sings€of€sadness,€toil,€and€loss,€but€the€òòreasonóó€for€singing€theÐ ÔÔ  ÐBlues€is€to€relieve€the€hurt€these€things€cause.€€The€Blues,€with€its€simple,€repetitiveÏrhythms€and€chords€and€lyrical€phrases,€provides€a€comforting€communal€message€thatÏmusician€and€audience€can€share,€as€long€as€they€know€where€the€singer€is€coming€from.€ÏIt's€no€wonder€that€Blues€singers€were€so€popular€during€the€Depression,€especially€in€theÏSouth,€among€both€black€and€white€audiences.€€It's€also€easy€to€understand€the€strongÏbonds€between€the€Blues€(and€later€R&B€and€rock€'n'€roll)€and€Gospel€music:€from€aÏsecular€point€of€view,€singing€about€the€Lord€lifting€you€up€and€singing€about€the€BluesÏ¢fallin£'€down€like€rain€are€spiritually€equivalent€acts.ÌÌà 4 àSo€while€the€musical€innovations€brought€to€America€by€the€Africans€involvedÏrhythm€primarily,€along€with€new€variations€on€the€use€of€the€human€voice€for€bothÏmelody€and€rhythm,€their€more€fundamental€contribution€to€the€legacy€that€was€to€spawnÏrock€'n'€roll€was€the€use€of€the€music€itself€for€emotional,€spiritual€purposes.€€The€rhythmsÏespecially,€of€course,€figured€prominently€in€this€application,€because€the€drudgery€ofÏrepetitious€work€ð"ð€picking€endless€bales€of€cotton,€chopping€wood,€etc.€ð"ð€could€beÏrelieved€somewhat€by€a€superimposed€musical€rhythm.€€In€this€way€the€function€and€formÏof€the€music€reinforced€them‚selves.€€When€the€Blues€evolved€into€a€more€general€style€inÏthe€decades€following€emancipation,€the€repetitious€element€remained€intact,€partlyÏbecause€it€made€the€music€easy€to€learn€for€folks€who€had€no€access€to€refined€teaching€orÏâ âexpensive€instruments.€€The€spiritual€function€also€remained,€but€evolved,€as€theÐ D+D # Ðoppression€of€the€slaves€transformed€into€mere€deprivation,€hopelessness€grew€into€mereÏpurpose‚lessness.Ìâ âÌà 4 àBut€it€is€not€nearly€sufficient€to€identify€black€musical€heritage€from€slave€workÏsongs€through€Ragtime,€Blues,€Jazz,€Gospel,€R&B,€and€the€like,€and€simply€extrapolateÏthe€line€further€to€encompass€Rock€'n'€Roll.€€Rock€'n'€roll€òòstartsóó€from€these€foundations,Ð œœ Ðbut€it€adds€more,€and€what€it€principally€adds€is€òòwhiteóó€America,€both€in€the€music€and€inÐ ˆˆ Ðthe€audience.€€White€America€slowly€discovered€the€endearing,€inspiring€musical€heritageÏthat€had€become€central€to€African€Americans'€lives,€and,€establishing€a€tradition€that€isÏpracticed€to€this€day,€began€to€imitate€and€adapt€black€music.€€Thus€the€hybrid€formsÏarrived;€at€one€time€or€another,€rock€'n'€roll€has€incorporated€Country€and€Western,ÏSwing,€Classical,€Big€Band,€Folk,€and€even€Tin€Pan€Alley€musical€elements,€just€as€it€hasÏincorporated€Blues,€R&B,€and€the€other€indigenous€black€styles.€€It€would€be€wrong,Ïtherefore,€to€claim€that€rock€'n'€roll€is€an€inherently€"black"€music,€although€clearly€withoutÏthe€presence€of€African€slaves€and€their€descendants€there€would€have€been€no€rock€'n'€rollÏto€speak€of.€€It's€harder€to€say€that€without€òòwhitesóó€there€wouldn't€have€been€rock€'n'€roll,Ð ÔÔ  Ðpartly€because€it's€hard€to€imagine€what€that€would€mean€in€practiceð"ðAmericanÏApartheid,€perhaps:€no€opportunity€for€or€attempts€at€cultural€integration.€€But€since€whiteÏAmerica€was€where€all€the€wealth€and€power€lay,€there€was€never€any€question€that€theÏnatural€economic€evolution€of€black€musicð"ðor€other€arts,€or€business,€or€politicsð"ðwouldÏbe€toward€gaining€white€favor,€if€only€to€share€in€the€pie.€€White€America,€on€the€otherÏhand,€must€have€taken€to€black€music€solely€because€it€was€enjoyable,€since€there€was€noÏpecuniary€incentive€in€the€pre„civil€rights€era€to€embrace€the€relatively€isolated,€unknownÏAfrican€American€culture.€€In€any€event,€the€two€groups€met€and€formed€the€first€andÏstrongest€cross„cultural€art€form€in€America.€€Rock€'n'€roll€belongs€to€that€heritage€only:Ïthe€meeting€of€peoples.ÌÌà 4 àIn€America,€such€a€meeting€on€practical€physical€terms€was€unique€after€the€CivilÏWar,€although€the€history€of€international€immigration€and€assimilation€in€the€New€WorldÏforms€something€of€a€precedent€for€the€learning€of€alien€traditions€in€this€country€that€isÏprobably€unheard€of€anywhere€else.€€To€my€knowledge,€no€other€country€publiclyÏacknowledges€St.€Patrick's€Day,€the€Chinese€New€Year,€Mardi€Gras,€Halloween,€St.ÏValentine's€Day,€all€the€Jewish€religious€holidays,€and€the€full€spectrum€of€ChristianÏholidays€to€anything€approaching€the€degree€that€the€United€States€does.€€More€than€aÏtoken€recognition€of€international€coexistence,€however,€rock€'n'€roll€has€become€a€cultureÏunto€itself.€€It€is€in€fact€one€of€the€few€uniquely€identifiable€elements€of€what€can€beÏdescribed€as€"American"€culture:€some‚thing€that€does€not€exist€anywhere€else€in€the€worldÐ 0,0!$ Ðexcept€as€òòderived€from€óóits€American€roots.€€Some€other€such€elements€might€include€ourÐ   Ðpreoccupation€with€television,€professional€team€sports,€and€automobiles,€and€perhaps€ourÏcapitalist€industrial€imperative€(not€that€capitalism€originated€here,€but€we€may€haveÏelevated€it€to€an€industrial€economy€sooner€and€more€extensively€than€other€nations).€ÏHigh€Techð"ðwhatever€that€means,€presumably€industrial€applications€of€post„World€WarÏII€scientific€research,€especially€in€semiconductors€and€in€the€physical€and€biologicalÏsciencesð"ðmay€also€be€a€part€of€American€culture,€but€it€is€moving€and€changing€so€fastÏacross€the€globe€that€it€is€perhaps€one€of€the€first€features€of€World€culture.€€If€so,€it€mightÏcompete€with€post¢„1950s£€rock€'n'€roll€(or€"rock€music"€generally)€for€that€honor,€sinceÏrock€has€long€since€moved€well€across€almost€all€national€boundaries.ÌÌà 4 àLest€we€forget,€it€is€worth€contemplating€briefly€the€other€significant€his‚toricalÏevents€between€the€emancipation€of€the€slaves€and€the€birth€of€this€¢inter‚cultural£€infant€inÏthe€mid¢„1950s£.€€A€couple€stand€out:€€World€Wars€I€and€II.€€The€first€was€important,€in€thisÏcontext,€mostly€for€indirect€reasons,€i.e.,€it€set€the€stage€for€the€second.€€The€time€periodÏand€circumstances€of€World€War€I€also€brought€about€rapid€developments€in€theÏtechnology€of€radio€communication,€whose€com‚mercial€application€starting€in€the€¢1920s£Ïlay€the€single€most€vital€industrial€foundation€for€rock€'n'€roll's€eventual€emergence.ÌÌà 4 àQuite€simply,€prior€to€radio,€there€was€almost€no€means€of€òòhearingóó€music€withoutÐ „„ Ðbeing€present€at€its€live€performance.€€The€occasional€exception€was€for€the€fortunate€fewÏowners€of€phonographs,€and€the€fortunate€fewer€among€musi‚cians€who€had€their€musicÏrecorded.€€Of€course,€radio€and€recording€technology€have€been€¢cohabitating£€since€theÏearliest€amateur€broadcasters€spun€classical€discs€into€makeshift€transmitters€from€theirÏgarages€for€neighborhood€listeners.€€Record‚ing€is€the€older€of€the€pair,€and€recorded€musicÏpredates€the€twentieth€century,€but€only€with€the€advent€of€radio€did€records€obtain€theÏvehicle€to€become€a€truly€mass€medium.€€Perhaps€the€oldest€truism€in€what€has€come€to€beÏcalled€the€"Recording€Industry"€is€that€people€won't€buy€a€record€unless€they've€heard€itÏfirst€(especially€one€by€a€òònewóó€group€or€musician).€€Radio€created€a€means€for€people€toÐ Ð$Ð Ðsample€records,€and€thus€the€opportunity€for€record€sales€to€produce€significantÏprofitsð"ðsignificant€enough€by€the€middle€of€the€century€to€make€millionaires€out€of€a€fewÏ"recording€artists,"€and€to€create€an€incentive€for€countless€small€time€entrepreneurs€to€getÏinto€the€business€of€finding,€developing,€and€marketing€such€artists€on€their€ownÏindependent€record€labels.ÌÌà 4 àThat€radio€is€the€spinal€chord€in€this€industry's€nervous€system€is€fairly€obviousÏtoday;€what€is€worth€remembering€is€how€relatively€new€radio€is€to€the€history€of€music.€Ð 0,0!$ ÐIts€dramatic€rise€as€an€entertainment€medium€in€the€late€¢1920s£,€and€dominance€ofÏAmerican€culture€in€the€subsequent€two€decades€before€tele‚vision's€ascension,€directly€andÏcrucially€paralleled€the€transformations€and€cross„¢pollinations£€of€musical€styles€that€finallyÏbecame€rock€'n'€roll.€€In€a€way,€although€most€nostalgic€memories€of€the€Golden€Days€ofÏradio€focus€on€proto„television„type€dramas,€comedies,€news€flashes,€and€advertisements,Ïradio's€most€enduring€legacy€may€be€this€musical€metamorphosis€that€began€with€theÏinception€of€radio€technology€and€reached€maturity€just€as€radio€was€giving€way€toÏtelevision€in€America's€living€rooms.€€Indeed,€even€radio's€relative€fall€from€prominence€asÏa€multi„faceted,€universal€entertainment€source€may€have€spurred€rock€'n'€roll's€success,Ïbecause€with€television€taking€over€all€the€serial€and€variety€programs,€there€was€a€lot€ofÏspare€air€time€needing€to€be€filled,€and€recorded€music€was€the€ideal,€inexpensive€choice.€ÏDuring€radio's€heyday,€however,€music€was€only€one€of€a€potpourri€of€selections€availableÏalong€the€dialð"ðbut€it€was€this€very€diversity€of€programming€that€allowed€music€itself€toÏevolve.€€Never€before€had€it€been€possible€for€different€racial€and€regional€populations€toÏencounter€each€other's€native€musical€styles€without€actually€venturing€out€to€a€liveÏperformance,€which€in€the€case€of€the€Blues€might€have€meant€an€impromptu€backyardÏboogie€session,€or€just€as€likely€a€spirited€gathering€behind€state€prison€walls;€or€in€the€caseÏof€white€country€music,€a€¢hoedown£€on€the€farm.€€In€either€event,€white€and€black€musicÏlovers€would€not€have€felt€particularly€comfortable€in€the€others'€environment.ÌÌà 4 àWith€radio's€non„discriminatory€access€to€transmissions€from€anywhere€with‚in€theÏvicinityð"ðwhich€on€a€clear€night€can€amount€to€hundreds€of€miles€in€any€directionð"ðwidelyÏdiverse€groups€could€meet€and€learn€about€each€other€without€having€to€travel,€or€to€hangÏout€where€they€were€drastically€out€of€place.€€It€was€even€possible€to€encounter€appealing,Ïunfamiliar€music€somewhere€along€the€dial€and€not€realize€how€relatively€alien€was€itsÏsource.€€That€is,€it€was€no€secret€that€certain€stations€or€programs€played€primarily€blackÏor€"race"€music,€and€more€often€than€not€vocal€distinctions€alone€would€reveal€a€singer'sÏethnicity,€but€to€notice€those€distinctions€one€had€to€be€reasonably€aware€of€the€otherÏgroup€in€the€first€place,€and€furthermore€one€had€to€be€thinking€in€terms€of€racialÏdifferences,€rather€than€music€for€its€own€sake.€€For€many€listeners,€it€was€enough€toÏdiscover€something€different€and€exciting€on€the€radio;€they€could€enjoy€it€withoutÏworrying€about€its€larger€social€significance.€€And€when€the€"audience"€consisted€ofÏmusicians€themselvesð"ðpeople€who€were€interested€in€developing€their€own€stylisticÏvariationsð"ðracial€or€cultural€differences€were€truly€irrelevant€compared€with€theÏinspiration€afforded€by€a€new€sound.€€Imagine€how€that€odd€beat,€or€use€of€guitar€orÏhorns,€or€that€funny€lyrical€twist€or€uplifting€voice,€crackling€across€the€evening€airwaves,Ïmust€have€sounded€to€the€musical€entrepreneurs€of€the€¢1920s£€and€¢1930s£.€€Imagine€howÐ 0,0!$ Ðhearing€Blues€greats€like€Bessie€Smith€and€Robert€Johnson€for€the€first€time€affectedÏfledgling€composers€struggling€to€adapt€their€songs€to€contemporary€tastes.€€Even€the€JazzÏgiants€of€the€erað"ðLouis€Armstrong,€Count€Basie,€Duke€¢Ellington£,€and€the€restð"ðextendedÏtheir€influence€through€radio€play€and€record€sales,€as€well€as€through€movies€and€sheetÏmusic€distribution,€to€reach€distant€audiences€that€would€have€been€inaccessible€otherwise,Ïand€their€consequent€effect€upon€the€growth€of€such€hybrid€forms€as€Western€Swing€andÏurban€"Jump"€Blues€was€considerable.ÌÌà 4 àStill,€the€bulk€of€this€musical€experimentation€was€taking€place€far€from€theÏawareness€of€the€general€public,€at€what€might€be€thought€of€as€the€"cutting€edge"€of€U.S.Ïcultural€development.€€Most€Americans€were€little€concerned€with€music€at€all,€as€theÏcountry€struggled€to€withstand€the€ravages€of€the€Depression,€and€hurtled€once€againÏtoward€War€overseas.€€What€music€they€did€attend€to€consisted€mostly€of€Hollywood€andÏBroadway€show€tunes,€big€band€numbers,€and€the€crooning€of€such€emerging€stars€as€BingÏCrosby,€Frank€Sinatra,€and€the€Andrews€Sisters.€€Music€itself,€although€always€important,Ïwas€simply€not€as€central€an€element€of€average€Americans'€daily€lives€as€it€has€been€forÏthose€of€us€who€grew€up€in€the€Rock€Era.€€There€were,€of€course,€no€"stereos"€nor€anyÏequipment€capable€of€reproducing€music€at€a€quality€level€remotely€approaching€live€or€in„¼studio€sound.€€Most€rock€fans,€I€would€guess,€would€soon€tire€of€the€music€if€the€bestÏsound€systems€they€had€available€were€equivalent€to€¢1940s£€vintage€monauralÏphonographs,€or€even€the€best€radios€of€the€time.€€In€such€an€environment,€a€catchy€tuneÏand€sing„along€lyrics€were€about€the€best€one€could€expect€to€hold€a€wide€audience'sÏinterest;€it's€doubtful€that€a€fuzz„box€and€Hendrix„style€feedback€would€have€made€muchÏof€an€impression.€€Owning€a€large€record€collection,€which€today€is€as€common€as€filling€aÏfew€bookshelves€with€paperbacks,€was€for€seriously€devoted€fans€only,€usually€Classical€orÏJazz€aficionados.€€Life€in€the€¢1930s£€and€¢1940s£€just€involved€other€sets€of€tastes,€interests,Ïand€priorities€for€the€majority€of€the€population.ÌÌà 4 àAnd€as€of€December€7,€1941,€the€principal€preoccupation€of€virtually€the€entireÏpopulation€became€the€War.€€Now€here's€another€topic€that€a€lot€of€us€don't€keep€inÏperspective,€I€think.€€The€War.€€The€entire€rock€'n'€roll€era,€the€entire€rock€generation,€hasÏbeen€a€"post„War"€phenomenon,€which€means€that€nearly€all€of€us,€almost€everyoneÏinvolved€with€and€interested€in€rock,€did€not€experience€and€does€not€remember€the€War.€ÏAs€the€years€go€by,€the€percentage€of€the€U.S.€population€answering€to€that€descriptionÏgrows€larger€and€larger;€we've€long€since€been€a€majority.€€As€a€post„War€child€myself,€byÏabout€14€years,€I€can€no€better€speak€from€personal€knowledge€of€that€period€than€I€can€ofÏslavery€or€the€Depression,€but€I€senseð"ðin€my€parents€and€grandparents,€in€the€older€genƒÐ 0,0!$ Тeration£€of€politicians,€¢businesspersons£,€retirees,€and€veterans,€in€the€recollections€of€books,Ïfilms€photographs,€headlinesð"ðsomething€of€the€meaning€of€the€War€for€those€who€livedÏthrough€it.€€Or€perhaps€more€accurately,€I€sense€the€òòabsenceóó€of€that€meaning€for€those€ofÐ Ø Ø Ðus€who€did€not€know€the€War.ÌÌà 4 àFor€America,€World€War€II€lasted€only€3€years€and€8€months:€not€long€from€theÏpoint€of€view€of€one's€entire€lifetime.€€To€most€of€us,€the€memories€of€any€specific€fourÏyear€period€of€adulthood€soon€become€blurred€as€we€grow€and€change€and€encounterÏperpetual€newness€through€life.€€Change,€in€fact,€is€so€constant€for€us€these€days€that€theÏmid¢„1970s£,€say,€1974€through€1978,€seem€ancient€and€largely€irrelevant€to€today's€world.€ÏFor€those€who€lived€through€the€War,€however,€I€believe€it€was€different.€€For€two€orÏthree€entire€generations€of€Americansð"ðschool€children,€young€adults,€older€citizens,€all€ofÏthe€100€million€or€so€people€living€and€aware€in€this€country€during€the€years€1941Ïthrough€1945ð"ðthe€War€became€the€most€significant,€indelible€memory€of€their€lives,Ïcoloring€and€shaping€and€controlling€their€every€thought€and€perception€of€the€world€forÏall€the€decades€that€followed.ÌÌà 4 àThis€is€to€say€nothing€in€particular€of€those€who€actually€òòfoughtóó€in€the€War,€andÐ ¬¬ Ðcame€home€injured€or€heroic€or€not€at€all;€nor€do€I€refer€at€the€moment€to€òòEuropeansóó€andÐ ˜˜ Ðtheir€front€yard€view€of€the€War,€nor€even€to€the€refugees€who€fled€here€from€destructionÏand€genocideð"ðall€these€were€naturally€changed€forever€by€World€War€II:€they€wereÏamong€its€victims.€€I'm€pointing€rather€to€the€vast€group€of€Americans€who€had€no€directÏpersonal€involvement€with€the€Hell„on„Earth€occurring€overseas,€who€simply€stayed€homeÏand€did€their€part,€sending€off€sons€and€husbands€and€brothers€to€fight,€buying€war€bonds,Ïwriting€letters,€running€air€raid€drills,€watching€newsreels,€and€hoping€that€the€boys€wouldÏcome€home€safely.€€This€was€by€far€the€majority€of€Americans:€the€spectators€to€the€War,Ïthe€òòaudienceóó.€€They€had€no€idea,€just€as€those€of€us€who€never€went€near€Vietnam€have€noÐ ø"ø Ðidea,€what€the€war€was€really€like,€in€the€trenches,€the€camps,€the€airplanes€and€ships.€€ButÏbecause€they€were€the€audience,€and€because€the€show€was€so€absolutely€allÏencompassing,€they€too€were€profoundly€affected€by€it,€forever.ÌÌà 4 àFour€years€may€be€short€to€present€memories,€but€imagine€watching€a€movie€thatÏlasts€for€four€years.€€A€movie€that€is€excruciatingly€tense,€with€thousands€of€subplots,Ïspectacular€heroes€and€heroines,€hideous€villains,€constant€gut„wrenching€plot€twists,Ïtremendous€poignancy,€anguish,€excitement,€fear,€and€whose€endingð"ðcataclysmic€andÏjoyous,€horrifying€and€exultantð"ðis€uncertain€until€the€very€last€hours.€€You€go€to€bed€withÏthe€latest€developments€on€your€mind,€you€wake€up€to€learn€what€has€happened€while€youÐ 0,0!$ Ðslept,€while€the€four„year€movie€played€continuously.€€And€you€have€no€choice€but€toÏwatch€it,€to€follow€the€story,€because€it€is€on€every€screen,€covered€on€the€front€pages€ofÏevery€news‚paper,€every€day,€bulletins€flashing€from€every€radio,€and€everyone€around€youÏis€watching€at€the€same€time.€€For€four€years.ÌÌà 4 àNow€try€to€imagine,€more€than€all€of€this,€that€it's€no€movie,€it's€òòreal€lifeóó,€out€there,Ð œœ Ðsomewhere:€it's€colossal€evil€and€immeasurable€fear,€untold€sacrifice€and€suffering,Ïsuperhuman€heroism,€pain€and€death,€glory€and€triumph,€òòevery€dayóó,€unre‚lenting,Ð tt Ðoverwhelming.€€You€may€not€experience€any€of€it€yourself€(perhaps€if€you€did,€it€would€beÏeasier€to€cope€with,€to€understand),€but€you€are€acutely€aware€at€every€breathing€momentÏthat€it€is€happening,€that€its€outcome€is€supremely€important€to€your€future,€the€world'sÏfuture,€there's€little€you€can€do€to€help€but€you€are€compelled€to€join€in€with€everyone€elseÏand€try,€and€even€when€those€occasional€moments€arrive€when€some€nearby€distraction€(aÏparty?€your€wedding?€your€child's€birth?)€takes€your€attention€away,€you€only€feel€all€theÏmore€inside€how€insignificant€is€everything€in€your€life€in€comparison€with€what'sÏhappening€over€there,€in€the€War.€€Try€to€imagine€it,€and€realize€that€you€cannot€possiblyÏbegin€to€imagine€it,€but€know€that€for€tens€of€millions€of€Americans,€your€parents€andÏgrandparents,€it€happened.€€Don't€think€for€a€nanosecond€that€you've€been€throughÏanything€remotely€similar€because€you€haven't,€because€there€hasn't€been€a€World€War€III:Ïthe€¢Koreas£€and€¢Vietnams£€and€¢Iraqs£€are€but€a€blip€on€the€screen€by€any€standard€ofÏcomparison.ÌÌà 4 àThe€bottom€line€on€World€War€II€is€that€modern€American€(and€world)€historyÏbegan€when€it€ended;€World€War€II€was€the€Genesis,€the€Big€Bang,€that€set€in€motion€allÏthat€has€occurred€in€the€subsequent€decades;€nothing€since€that€time€is€unrelated€to€theÏWar.€€So€it's€all€very€good€to€talk€about€historical€trends€in€American€music€from€aÏdetached€perspective:€Blues,€Jazz,€Swing,€Tin€Pan€Alley,€Rhythm€and€Blues,€Country,ÏRock€'n'€Roll...€and,€oh€yeah,€those€"patriotic"€songs€during€the€War€era.€€But€the€truth€isÏthat€life€stopped,€evolution€ceased,€and€music€was€swallowed€along€with€the€rest€ofÏAmerica€by€the€War,€and€what€it€spit€out€afterward€was€not€simply€a€òòcontinuationóó€of€whatÐ ¼%¼ Ðhad€already€been€going€on€before,€but€a€new,€different,€clean€slate:€post„War€music,€or€aÏpost„War€stage€on€which€to€strike€up€a€brand€new€band.ÌÌà 4 àBecause€the€War€generations,€you€see,€were€destined€to€live€with€the€War,€and€allÏof€its€trappings,€permanently€thereafter.€€The€image€of€the€War€would€remain€vivid€inÏinfinite€glorifying€films,€shows,€stories,€fiction€and€truth.€€The€music€of€the€era€wouldÏcontinue€too,€in€Sinatra€and€Glen€Miller€tunes,€in€Duke€¢Ellington£€and€Ella€Fitzgerald,€in€allÐ 0,0!$ Ðthe€stars€and€sounds€that€rose€to€prominence€in€that€time,€and€whose€entertaining€providedÏbittersweet€respite€from€the€anxiety€and€intensity.€€For€the€War€generation,€new€music,Ïinvented€afterward,€could€serve€no€purpose,€perhaps€because€there€was€no€purpose€left€toÏserve.€€With€War€over,€there€was€less€reason€for€these€veterans€to€become€passionate,€toÏlook€for€escapes€or€inspirations;€placid,€repetitive€entertainment,€basking€in€the€mellowÏglow€of€victory€over€despair,€might€be€enough.€€Rock€'n'€roll€fans€and€critics€tend€to€derideÏTin€Pan€Alley€"crooners"€for€their€slow,€syrupy€love€songs,€with€no€beat€and€sleepy€stringÏarrangements€(Joe€¢Piscopo£'s€Sinatra€goof€is€the€quintessential€rock€satire€of€this€style),€butÏI'm€not€sure€we€always€understand€where€that€audience€of€"Music€of€Your€Life"€listenersÏis€coming€from.€€Why€would€they€need€upbeat,€loud,€exciting,€fast€music€like€rock€'n'€roll?€ÏThey€had€World€War€II,€enough€excitement€to€last€a€lifetime,€thank€you.ÌÌà 4 àIf€we€begin€to€understand€that€perspective,€then€we€can€find€some€insight€into€howÏrock€'n'€roll€òòdidóó€appeal€to€the€post„War€generation.€€By€1954,€anyone€who€was€a€teenagerÐ üü  Ðwas€personally€unacquainted€with€World€War€II;€even€a€19€year„old€had€only€been€tenÏwhen€it€ended,€and€the€younger€teens€had€been€infants€while€the€War€raged.€€By€the€mid¢„¼1950s£,€the€Baby€Boomð"ðkids€born€in€droves€to€returning€soldiers€and€their€wives,€and€toÏthe€generally€jubilant€and€prosperous€population€of€post„War€Americað"ðwas€starting€toÏgrow€up,€and€to€listen€to€rock€'n'€roll.€€This€vast€new€chunk€of€humanity€between€ourÏshores€could€not€possibly€share€the€feelings€and€memories€of€their€parents,€could€not€knowÏwhat€the€War€had€meant,€and€how€profoundly€it€had€influenced€the€older€generations.€ÏThey€could€not,€in€truth,€share€their€parents'€complacency€with€the€post„War€world,Ïpeaceful€and€prosperous€and€unthreatening€as€it€was€in€contrast€to€what€came€before.€€IfÏanything,€it€was€the€absence€of€any€great€challenge,€whether€war,€depression,Ïindustrialization,€or€political€change,€that€spawned€the€celebrated€restlessness€of€youngÏAmericans€in€the€¢1950s£.€€The€symbol€of€the€generation,€James€Dean's€Rebel€Without€aÏCause,€testified€to€the€itching€need€of€teenagers€to€discover€some€purpose€in€their€lives.€ÏWhereas€a€decade€before,€every€moment€of€every€day€had€brought€vitally€importantÏdevelopments€and€concerns€that€affected€the€entire€country,€mid¢„1950s£€daily€life€was,€onÏthe€surface,€drab€and€unchanging.€€Ike€was€President€for€eight€years.€€The€Korean€conflictÏand€the€Cold€War€were€disturbing,€but€remote€and€ultimately€meaningless€to€kids.ñ)ñÌñ)ñÌà 4 àThe€situation€was€a€little€different€for€young€African€Americans,€however.€€TheirÏrestlessness€did€find€an€outlet,€a€purpose,€in€their€own€home€towns:€the€cause€of€justiceÏand€dignity.€€Perhapsð"ðand€this€is€only€a€guessð"ðthe€presence€of€an€underlying€sense€ofÏpurpose€embodied€in€the€emerging€black€music€of€the€time€is€what€appealed€so€much€toÏwhite€youth.€€It€wasn't€the€lyrics,€really.€€The€Blues€talked€of€pain,€but€usually€man/womanÐ 0,0!$ Ðpain,€not€social€injustice.€€The€newer,€upbeat€style€known€as€Rhythm€and€Blues€as€oftenÏspoke€of€dance€("Good€¢Rockin£'€Tonight,"€"Shake,€Rattle,€&€Roll"),€or€cars€("Rocket€88"),Ïor€sex€("Work€with€Me,€Annie,"€"Sixty€Minute€Man"),€or€dreamy€love€("Sh„Boom,"Ï"Earth€Angel,"€"Sincerely"),€as€it€did€of€hurt€("Hound€Dog,"€"(Mama)€He€Treats€YourÏDaughter€Mean,"€"¢Ain't£€It€a€Shame").€€It€may€have€been€that€specific€words€weren'tÏnecessary,€that€the€feeling€of€the€music€was€enough.€€Black€music€in€the€late€'¢40s£€and€earlyÏ'¢50s£€was€finding€newer€and€stronger€means€to€express€the€solidarity€felt€within€the€blackÏcommunity,€how€that€community€differed€from€the€white€con‚trolled€world,€and€how,€inÏtruth,€African€Americans€were€becoming€proud€of€the€difference.€€Music€itself,€with€aÏsteady,€upbeat€rhythm,€was€central€to€the€com‚munity€identity,€and€the€pleasures€andÏpassions€of€life€that€blacks€expressed€through€their€music€may€have€seemed€moreÏimmediate€and€authentic€because€of€the€composers'€and€performers'€real€sense€ofÏalienation.€€The€political€purpose€of€civil€rights€was€only€just€beginning€to€surface€as€aÏunifying€cause€among€blacks,€and€it€was€arguably€the€tightening€of€the€community€throughÏcultural€communi‚cation€that€gave€rise€to€civil€rights€awareness€in€the€first€place,€not€theÏother€way€around.€€Thus,€the€purposefulness€to€be€found€in€black€music€was€perhaps€noÏmore€complicated€than€the€joy€with€which€the€made€it,€the€joy€of€a€close„knit€peopleÏdiscovering€themselves.€€Most€white€Americans€lacked€any€sense€of€groupÏalienationð"ðafter€all,€their€"kind"€had€ruled€the€land€for€centuriesð"ðbut€white€òòteenagersóó,Ð ˜˜ Ðwho€felt€cut€off€from€their€parents'€past,€might€have€been€attracted€to€black€communalÏexpressions€because€of€their€own€emerging€sense€of€loneliness.€€Liking€black€music€wasÏtantamount€to€wanting€to€join€the€group.ñ*ñÌñ*ñÌà 4 àIn€any€event,€the€rock€'n'€roll€legends€tell€of€how€it€slowly€became€apparent€to€aÏfew€foresighted€record€store€owners,€and€then€disc€jockeys,€and€then€pro‚ducers,€that€blackÏmusic€was€appealing€to€more€and€more€young€whites,€that€a€new€social€trend€wasÏunderway,€far€from€the€mainstream€of€popular€enter‚tainment,€but€not€so€far€that€thereÏwasn't€any€money€to€be€made€from€it.€€Some‚time€in€the€early€¢1950s£,€the€term€Rhythm€andÏBlues€entered€the€popular€lexicon,€and€a€handful€of€entrepreneurs€began€trying€to€exploitÏthe€commercial€possibilities€of€this€newly€defined€genre.€€Hindsight€relates€that€the€likes€ofÏAlan€Freed,€Sam€and€Dewey€Phillips,€the€Bihari€and€Chess€Brothers,€and€Ahmet€¢Ertegun£Ïwere€vision‚aries€who€single„mindedly€forged€ahead€through€the€doubts€and€rejection€of€theÏtraditional€radio€and€recording€industry€establishment€and€arrived€at€the€glorious€newÏhorizon€that€they€had€always€perceived€before€them.€€Hindsight,€however,€is€usually€evenÏless€clear€than€foresight;€what€is€more€likely€is€that€these€and€other€pioneers€took€chancesÏon€new€music€because€they€had€no€opportunity€to€succeed€by€pushing€traditional€music.€ÏThey€were€outsiders,€innovators,€small€time€gamblers€without€connections€into€the€bigÐ 0,0!$ Ðtime€corporations€that€dominated€fields,€and€they€had€nothing€to€lose€by€exploring€newÏpaths.€€If€Sam€Phillips€could€have€recorded€Perry€Como€and€Nat€"King"€Cole€at€the€peakÏof€their€careers,€don't€doubt€that€he€would€have.€€In€that€event,€however,€it€is€just€as€likelyÏthat€Elvis€Presley€would€have€happened€upon€some€other,€equally€hungry€upstart,€andÏhistory€might€not€have€changed€too€much.ñ+ñÌñ+ñÌà 4 àIn€this€sense,€the€emergence€of€numerous€alternative€radio€programs€and€inde‚penƒ¼dent€labels,€and€the€parallel€growth€of€R&B,€is€perhaps€creditable€less€to€specificÏindividuals€than€to€the€general€economic€health€of€the€nation€during€the€early€¢1950s£.€€AnÏimproved€economy€created€the€excess€leisure€time€and€spending€money€that€teenagersÏinvested€in€musical€entertainment,€and€it€established€the€relatively€favorable€conditions€thatÏpermitted€small€start„up€companies€to€enter€the€marketplace,€with€low€initial€costs,€andÏexpanding€demand€that€was€not€being€served€by€the€existing,€risk„averse€and€prejudicedÏgiants€of€the€industry.€€From€an€economic€perspective,€in€fact,€one€can€make€a€good€caseÏthat€the€popular€music€revolution€of€the€¢1950s£€is€extremely€comparable€to€the€personalÏcomputer€revo‚lution€of€the€¢1980s£ð"ðbut€that€would€be€a€rather€dull€digression,€so€I€won'tÏpursue€it.ñ,ñÌñ,ñÌà 4 àCertainly€Sam€Phillips€and€company€had€some€vision,€however,€and€more€imƒ¼portant,€they€had€taste.€€The€founding€producers€of€rock€'n'€roll€òòlikedóó€the€music€theyÐ „„ Ðcreated,€and€were€undoubtedly€driven€in€their€quest€to€make€it€popular€by€their€ownÏenjoyment€of€what€they€were€doing€as€well€as€by€the€profit€motive.€€It€bothers€me€thatÏPhillips's€most€well€known€pre„Elvis€observation€was€something€to€the€effect€that€"If€IÏcould€find€a€white€man€who€sings€like€a€black€man,€I€could€make€a€fortune".€€DwellingÏupon€this€quote€creates€the€impression€of€a€cynical,€racist,€dispassionate€greed€in€the€man,Ïas€if€he€almost€resented€having€to€record€black€singers.€€I€don't€know€what€Phillips'sÏprejudices€might€have€been,€but€it's€unlikely€he€was€a€racist€given€the€business€he€was€inÏand€his€role€in€developing€R&B€as€well€as€¢rockabilly£€performers.€€His€statement€wasÏobviously€an€accurate€characterization€of€the€entrenched€segregation€in€the€music€industry,Ïand€an€astute€analysis€of€how€it€was€evolving.€€If€it€would€take€a€white€performer€to€openÏthe€ears€of€the€parochial€masses,€then€that€would€be€(and€was)€a€good€thing,€since€theÏwhite€audience's€new€found€awareness€of€this€captivating€musical€form€would€bene‚fit€itsÏoriginal€(black)€practitioners€as€much€as€the€white€imitators€who€first€spread€the€word.ñ-ñÌñ-ñÌà 4 àIndeed,€the€endless€white€covers€of€R&B€numbers€like€"Sh„Boom,"€"Hearts€ofÏStone,"€and€"Sincerely"€that€topped€the€pop€charts€in€1953„54€directly€helped€toÏ"legitimize"€R&B€as€a€style€(albeit€watered€down)€with€a€wider€audience,€and€rather€thanÐ 0,0!$ Ðstealing€revenues€from€the€original€artists,€provided€a€further€oppor‚tunity€for€them€toÏprosper€as€a€group.€€To€rock€'n'€roll€purists,€these€cover€recordings€are€nauseating,€lackingÏthe€very€soul€that€makes€the€originals€so€enticing,€but€to€the€uninitiated€older€whiteÏmainstream,€the€schmaltzy€dilution€of€rhythms€and€instrumentation€and€lily€white€vocalÏstyles€were€just€close€enough€to€the€more€familiar€Tin€Pan€Alley€sound€to€be€bothÏappealing€and€unthreatening.€€As€far€as€a€large€portion€of€the€white€audience€wasÏconcerned,€rock€'n'€roll€was€more€plausible€as€an€evolutionary€than€as€a€revolutionaryÏconcept.€€The€Crew€Cuts€were€no€menace€to€God€and€Country.ñ.ñÌñ.ñÌà 4 àFor€teenagers,€however,€restlessness€and€alienation€must€have€been€approach‚ingÏhistoric€proportions€by€1955,€for€all€at€once€the€levee€broke,€and€a€tidal€wave€sweptÏthrough.ÌÌà@**&ìàð"ðEND€CHAPTER€1ð"ð