Episode 118: “Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy” by Manfred Mann

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 118: "Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy" by Manfred Mann
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Manfred Mann

Episode 118 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy” by Manfred Mann, and how a jazz group with a blues singer had one of the biggest bubblegum pop hits 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 thirteen-minute bonus episode available, on “Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick.

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 118: “Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy” by Manfred Mann”

Episode 115: “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 115: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals
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The Animals

Episode one hundred and fifteen of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals, at the way the US and UK music scenes were influencing each other in 1964, and at the fraught question of attribution when reworking older songs. 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 “Memphis” by Johnny Rivers.

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 115: “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals”

Episode 108: “I Wanna Be Your Man” by the Rolling Stones

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 108: "I Wanna Be Your Man" by the Rolling Stones
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The Rolling Stones in 1963

Episode 108 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “I Wanna Be Your Man” by the Rolling Stones and how the British blues scene of the early sixties was started by a trombone player.

Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have an eight-minute bonus episode available, on “The Monkey Time” by Major Lance.

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 108: “I Wanna Be Your Man” by the Rolling Stones”

Episode 97: “Song to Woody” by Bob Dylan

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 97: "Song to Woody" by Bob Dylan
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Bob Dylan pulling his pants up

Episode ninety-seven of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Song To Woody” by Bob Dylan, and at the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 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 “Sherry” by the Four Seasons.

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 97: “Song to Woody” by Bob Dylan”

Episode 76: “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 76: "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price
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Lloyd Price

Episode seventy-six of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price, and how a barroom fight 125 years ago led to a song performed by everyone from Ma Rainey to Neil Diamond. 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 “That Crazy Feeling” by Kenny Rogers.

I have also beeped out some expletives in the song excerpts this week, so as not to be censored by some podcast aggregators, and so I’ve uploaded an unbeeped version for backers.

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 76: “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price”

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 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”

Episode 49: “Love is Strange” by Mickey and Sylvia

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 49: "Love is Strange" by Mickey and Sylvia
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Mickey and Sylvia

Welcome to episode forty-eight of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs. This one looks at “Love is Strange” by Mickey and Sylvia, and how a reluctant bluesman who wrote books on jazz guitar, and a failed child star who would later become the mother of hip-hop, made a classic. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a bonus episode available. This one’s on “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” by Jimmy Witherspoon, and is about blues shouting and the ambition to have a polyester suit.

Continue reading “Episode 49: “Love is Strange” by Mickey and Sylvia”

Episode 30: “Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 30: "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley
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Bo Diddley

Welcome to episode thirty of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs. This is the last of our three-part look at Chess Records, and focuses on “Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

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Episode 22: “The Wallflower” by Etta James

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Episode 22: "The Wallflower" by Etta James
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Etta James

Welcome to episode twenty-two of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs. Today we’re looking at “The Wallflower” by Etta James. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Also, remember I’m halfway through the Kickstarter for the first book based on this series.

Continue reading “Episode 22: “The Wallflower” by Etta James”