Was the First Rock 'n' Roll Song Recorded in 1946?

Self | March 27, 2011 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

Perhaps the official start of the Rock 'n' Roll era should be moved back from 1954's release of Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" to 1946 to this Tex Beneke (formerly with the Glenn Miller Band) song, HEY-BA-BA-RE-BOP.

Call me crazy but this sure sounds like Rock 'n' Roll except it was a full 8 years before what is generally acknowledged as the beginning of the Rock era.

HEY-BA-BA-RE-BOP

[metesky]

Sorry PJ, but that’s still “swing” music or “bop” if you prefer.

[Baynative]

"I still maintain that the first real "Rock 'n 'Roll" song was Rocket 88 (of which I have about seven or eight different recordings)."

Ping to our resident R 'n R expert and historian. Davidtalker, are you there?

[calex59]

Although Bill Haley made me aware of R&R, Rock didn’t start for me until I heard, in 1955, Elvis sing “Heartbreak Hotel”.

[dangus]

Heh heh! True.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

There are no orchestras in rock and roll.

If you speak of pure rock and roll, you may be correct. However, in the world of rock, there is a plethora of music to refute your statement. Not the least of which is the rock opera, "Tommy". And much by the Beatles.

[duckman]

According to collectors, the first RnR record, was Rocket 88 by Jackie Brensten back in 1953 on the Chess label. Ike Turner has the back up band.

[stylecouncilor]

While Eddie Cochran would not hit the scene for a few more years, I consider him one of true first rockers

Along with his good friend Gene Vincent.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

While I agree with your sentiment and ELO is one of my all time favorite bands, technically they don’t even qualify as a string quartet. A testament to Jeff Lynne’s genius and talent.

[Tread EZ]

even though they don’t meet your standard for what rock’n’roll has to be.

My "standard" is a abritrary. I wasn't writing a thesis, just stating my opinion. There isn't any "first" rock n' roll song in reality. R & R evolved.

Elvis copied others very well.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

I believe they called this kind of music “SWING”. My Mom (86) remembers it well. This is not quite “Rock” yet.

In reality, basic Rock & Roll began to set in during this era, except they required large brass orchestras. (Glenn Miller) But the basic need to dance and play to a rhythm began here I believe.

Rock was 3 or 4 guys, in their garage, banging on $10 guitars. It was crude, low budget and required very little formal schooling in music. Most rocksters could not even read music. They simply went with their impulses.

[Brass Lamp]

Thank you! I've been waiting for someone to explain how "Rock Around The Clock" could be the first rock song if it's lyrics and title refer to an obviously preexisting classification of music.

Just because some historians are enthusiasts doesn't require that enthusiasts be historians, unfortunately.

[dayglored]

Oh, my. :) That's some set of lyrics. Sample here:

http://www.hamiltonrugby.com/songs/ladies.php

(Not made into a clickable link because it's pretty much NSFW.)

[antisocial]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFef08YZ6qk

This was what inspired Chuck Berry to write Mabilene

[mylife]

Much Missed.

Had they not died so young they would have eclipsed Elvis easily.

[Mike Darancette]

The earlier (1945) version of HEY-BA-BA-RE-BOP by Lionel Hampton certainly was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2cC5xl310o

[bruin66]

Couldn’t agree more about Sh-Boom being the first R&R. Another post asked about the last R&R. IMHO, that would be “I’m a Girl Watcher”.

[InterceptPoint]

Glad to see that someone agrees with me.

UCLA ‘62 by the way.

[driftless2]

Very close. The song is a very similar, blues progression-type song that was used on virtually every major rock hit of the fifties. The one obvious exception is the use of horns instead of guitars or a guitar. I don’t know if the guitar over the trumpet made it rock and roll because saxes were used quite heavily in the early rock years too. Interesting question, because I’m listening to a lot of Glenn Miller, Mills Brothers, Andrews Sisters, as well as a lot of fifties greats like Link Wray and Eddie Cochrane.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

It wasn't easy, but I found it. This turns out to be the first image I posted after Professor CougarGA7 tutored me on that art. That didn't happen until August 1 of that year so I had to do it retroactively. The title of the article tells me swing and R&R are not mutually exclusive.

"Europe's Swing 'Not So Hot,' June 5, 1938

[wtc911]

A) It was Western Swing (aka West Coast Swing) not rock.

B) This is Big Band - no orchestras in rock until the Beatles.

C) Wyonie Harris recorded a much raunchier, less orchestrated and much more 'rock' version of the same song earlier in the year and an even more R&R cut, Good Rocking Tonight a year before that.