Episode 105: “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 105: "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MGs
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Booker T. and the MGs

Episode 105 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Green Onions”, and how a company started by a Western Swing fiddle player ended up making the most important soul records of the sixties. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons.

Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/

Continue reading “Episode 105: “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs”

PLEDGE WEEK BONUS: “Chantilly Lace” by the Big Bopper

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
PLEDGE WEEK BONUS: "Chantilly Lace" by the Big Bopper
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Welcome to Pledge Week! I’m doing a week of posting some of the Patreon bonuses I’ve done, to encourage those who can to sign up to my Patreon.

ERRATUM:

My understanding when I did this episode was that “White Lightning” was recorded right after the Big Bopper’s death. That is not actually the case — Jones just turned up drunk to the session because he was drunk, not because of his friend’s death, and they *released* the record a few days after Bopper’s death.

Every day of Pledge Week will start with the same section, which I’ll transcribe once, below, before the cut.

Pledge Week Intro

This is not a proper episode of the podcast. Rather, this is something else.

I’ve decided to hold a pledge week, to try to get a few more subscribers to my Patreon. So every day this week I’ll be putting one of the backer-only episodes I’ve done over the past year up on the main podcast feed, so people can hear what it is you get if you sign up for the Patreon, with this little introductory piece before them. If you’re already a backer, you will already have this episode, so you can skip this and everything else labelled “pledge week”.

I do one of these every week for my backers, and backers even at the lowest levels get them — if you sign up for a dollar a month you get each new one as it comes out, and access to all the old ones. There are fifty-nine of them up so far, as well as a few other things like the monthly Q&As I’ve been doing for backers. I’m only making seven of these available on the public feed, so there’s a lot still there for you to listen to. If this works well, I might do another one next year, when there’ll be another fifty-odd episodes to choose from.

None of this is meant to put any pressure on anyone who can’t afford it to back the podcast — the podcast will always remain free to listen to, and I hope it will remain ad-free as well. I know times are especially tough right now, and many of you literally can’t afford the money you’re already spending, let alone paying any more out. I only want backers who can spare the money.

But if you can afford it, and you like these bonus episodes enough, then go to patreon.com slash andrewhickey, that’s spelled h-i-c-k-e-y, or follow the link in the shownotes, and sign up, and you’ll get one of these the same day as every new episode. If you can’t, well… enjoy this extra free bonus, and don’t worry about it.

Transcript behind cut

Continue reading “PLEDGE WEEK BONUS: “Chantilly Lace” by the Big Bopper”

Episode 79: “Sweet Nothin’s” by Brenda Lee

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 79: "Sweet Nothin's" by Brenda Lee
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Brenda Lee

Episode seventy-nine of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Sweet Nothin’s” by Brenda Lee, and at the career of a performer who started in the 1940s and who was most recently in the top ten only four months ago. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “16 Candles” by the Crests.

Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/

Continue reading “Episode 79: “Sweet Nothin’s” by Brenda Lee”

Episode 69: “Fujiyama Mama” by Wanda Jackson

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 69: "Fujiyama Mama" by Wanda Jackson
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Wanda Jackson with an unidentified Japanese woman, both wearing kimonos

Episode sixty-nine of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Fujiyama Mama” by Wanda Jackson, and the first rock and roller to become “big in Japan” Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley.

Continue reading “Episode 69: “Fujiyama Mama” by Wanda Jackson”

Episode 66: “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 66: "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis
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Jerry Lee Lewis

Episode sixty-six of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. This one comes with a bit of a content warning, as while it has nothing explicit, it deals with his marriage to his thirteen-year-old cousin.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Rumble” by Link Wray. Continue reading “Episode 66: “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis”

Episode 63: “Susie Q” by Dale Hawkins

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 63: "Susie Q" by Dale Hawkins
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Dale Hawkins

Episode sixty-three of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Susie Q” by Dale Hawkins, and at the difference between rockabilly and electric blues. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Shake a Hand” by Faye Adams.

Continue reading “Episode 63: “Susie Q” by Dale Hawkins”

Episode 61: “That’ll Be the Day” by The Crickets

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 61: "That'll Be the Day" by The Crickets
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The Crickets

Episode sixty-one of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “That’ll Be the Day” by The Crickets. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry

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Episode 59: “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 59: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis
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Jerry Lee Lewis at the piano

Episode fifty-nine of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “So Long I’m Gone” by Warren Smith.

Continue reading “Episode 59: “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis”

Episode 57: “Flying Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 57: "Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll" by Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men
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Billy Lee Riley

Episode fifty-seven of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Flying Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men, and at the flying saucer craze of the fifties. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Silhouettes” by the Rays, and the power of subliminal messages.

Continue reading “Episode 57: “Flying Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men”

Episode 51: “Matchbox” by Carl Perkins

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 51: "Matchbox" by Carl Perkins
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Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash

Episode fifty-one of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Matchbox” by Carl Perkins, and at the session that turned into the historic Million Dollar Quartet jam session. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on “Blue Yodel #9” by Jimmie Rodgers.

Continue reading “Episode 51: “Matchbox” by Carl Perkins”