Some of you are a bit older than me, that helps.

When you're talking early rock and roll.

So, what was it like? I was a small child, not even into music yet. In the early 50s, share some thoughts, reflect a bit about what you remember. What has stuck in your mind all of these years? What artists got your attention? Do you recall it building slowly or exploding onto the scene rapidly?

I guess they didn't have keyboards. Little Richard had to have a real piano there!

Growing up in the Philly, South Jersey area where the "Original Bandstand" was broadcast(I'm talking pre-Dick Clark - anybody remember Bob Horn?)the R&R movement was definately an explosion.

Back then drive-in movies were the rage and some would feature R&R shows which were performed on the roof of the concession stand. Jerry Blavitt (the Geeter with the Heater) hosted many of these in the S. Jersey area.

A lot of the early R&R groups performed this way. Among the many performers I remember seeing were the Shirelles. Strange, but one of the things I remember most was their sparkly dresses which looked very cool from a distance. But as you moved closer you could see that they were fairly rag-tag from being worn night after night.

A few years ago I met Martha of Martha and the Vandellas on a cruise ship. We talked about those days and how so many of those early groups paid their dues flying around the country performing on rooftops, in parking lots, in movie houses and on tv.

Despite their busy schedules, most did not make a great deal of money. Unfortunately many were cheated by managers and record companies. Others went on to lasting fame and fortune.

Eddie

Hey Eddie...Do you remember the name of the drive inn in Cherry Hill on Rt 70 at the Rt 38 junction circle???? and wasn't Bob Horn
the host on Phila. Bandstand before Dick Clark...isn't he the one that had the scandal with the 16 yr old girl??? Gerry Blavitt was just starting out...do you remember "Georgie Woods, the Man With the Goods"??? it all started the Doo Wop movement
back then...when all of the movie houses had
intermission between features and had stage
shows featuring live bands....gotta go now...
will think of more later....

Tony...
I know the drive-in you are talking about and I think it was just called "The Cherry Hill Drive-In". At least, that is what we called it. The one I frequented most was on Rt 78 in Palmyra, NJ across from the Roger Wilco Liquor store.

Some of the best stage shows I saw were at the Uptown Theater in Philly. They featured a lot of the old R&R groups, plus the likes of Count Basie and comedians such as Red Foxx.

Yes, I remember Georgie Woods. And yes again on Bob Horn. He left WFIL Channel 6 in disgrace. Dick Clark picked up the show and took it national renaming it "American Bandstand".

Thanks for the post. I enjoy your posts about Cozumel and hope to get down to see you someday.

Eddie

Ahhhh....A blast from the past.....thanks...
Come on Down.....bring uncle Dave with you...

If you could make an authentic Philly Cheese Steak, that would be a real incentive.
Eddie

I was 11 years old when I got my first playing job in 1956 playing two nights a week at a officers club at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska. Popular music was Les Paul and Mary Ford, Rosemary Clooney, etc.
Many of the early rock-n-rollers were from a country background (Marty Robbins, Bill Haley, etc.).

I couldn't figure out how some early rock-n-roll was recorded with such a uniques bass sound. Later, I discovered that a popular recording technique was to double the bass line played on an upright with a 6 string bass guitar. Fender made one, but the most popular one was a Dan Electro. I bought a reproduction "DanO" when they were re-introduced 5 or six years ago. Instrumentals like Rawhide and some early Duane Eddy tunes were also recorded on a six string bass guitar.

In 1960, I was playing in a club called Brocks in Lexington with Little Enis and the Fabulous Tabletoppers. Enis played an L-5 left-handed without reversing the strings. On Wednesdays, traveling acts were booked on their way from Chicago to Atlanta (about half-way). The club owner put them up in a six room motel behind the club, fed them and had them play with the band for an hour or so.
Most of these acts (Jerry Lee Lewis, B.J. Thomas, the McCoys (Hang on Sloopy)) traveled in a car with a box truck for equipment.
They were either rising acts who didn't play the biggest venues or older ones still on the circuit. They usually used the house system, but most had a Shure vocalmaster, and echoplex and Shure 585 high impedance mikes...no sound man and no monitors.

The switch to Fender P basses really changed the rock-n-roll business (Carol Kay-Jamison). We were part of a Dick Clark caravan of stars tour one year...man, I learned what being road weary really was. We had a Greyhound looking bus, but most had old school busses...lots of breakdowns...no airconditioning. It was a miserable summer.

During the early English invasion years, a massive stack of Marshalls was the thing. I used two Marchall heads and two marhall stacks (16 12's) for a house job in a nearby college town (Think Vanella Fudge). When strobe lights became affordable (1964?)
we OD'd on them. The use of B-3's was another huge influence, but because of the size, many bands used smaller M-3's.

I was privilaged to begin playing close to the birth of Rock-n-roll, then into surf music, then through the Brittish invasion.
Then, I got hooked on jazz and it was all downhill from there (Ha!).

Now, I work with an arranger and a nylon string playing dinner music. But, every night, I pull out some of the "oldies".

Man, the memories...!

Russ

Wow, 11! You must be good. That's really young! What instrument at age 11? How old were the bandmates?

Wow! I must be a lot older than you folks. I can vividly recall listening to Bo Didly songs played on Radio CKLW Cincinati, Ohio, and just prior to him, I was listening to Bill Haley doing country songs live from a Buffalo, NY station, but I can't remeber the call letters. We could only get the stations after midnight, when the local stations went off the air. Picked up my first guitar when I was 12 (1952), the first song I learned to play was Mountain Dew, and at 14 I played back-up guitar with a local country band. Man were making big bucks then--I think we got $10 per person and played two jobs a month. Keep in mind, though, back then you could fill the gas tank of my father's 1949 Oldsmobile for $5.

Sweet memories,

Gary

I remember roller-skating at our outdoor rink. The two biggest hits were "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel", on opposite sides of the same record. Had to be around 1956 when I was around 13.
I remember in High School Band, we played "Topsy, Part 2" and "Rock Around The Clock".
In college I was singing all the early Elvis, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis songs.
We also had one of the first "Beatles" bands in college. We all wore wigs. I played bass, drums or guitar, depending on who showed up.
My senior year in high school, I had a yellow 57 Chevy two-door hardtop. Wish I had it now.
DonM