They...asked me how I knew...

The Platters took their mellow doo wop version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" to the top of the Billboard chart in 1958. The song was originally written in the 1930s and recorded by several artists before the Platters' hit #1.

While modern ears may not hear it as a rock and roll song, it has several hallmarks that qualify it as such. As a side note, the widow of one of its writers was dismayed that one of her late husband's songs would be turned into a rock song. Ooh! The horror!

Anyway, you can hear the lump in the throat as the song is sung. Our singer isn't crying, his eyes are reacting to the smoke in the air. Yet, the lyric also tells us where that smoke comes from.

Kick back and enjoy this 1950s' song for the lovelorn.

Rock And Roll Remakes Wednesday #4

Aaahrrroooo! Man alive cats and chicks, do we got a classic rock and roll remake going out to all corners of the globe tonight!

It's Wednesday here at Rock and Roll Decades and that means a cover song. But today we are going to do it in reverse. We will play the original first, then the remake.

What blast from the past are talking about? None other than Big Mama Thornton's 1952 version of "Hound Dog" which was covered by some guy named Elvis Presley in 1956. The song was written by Leiber and Stoller and the original lyrics are a bit more racy than the watered down remake.

You made me feel so blue

Well you made me weep and moan

'Cause you ain't lookin' for a woman

All you're lookin' is for a home

The original...



And the remake...

An Early Rock And Roll Hit with the B-Side

"Sha na na na, sha na na na na", kicks off "Get A Job" by The Silhouettes.

The song is about a woman who nags the singer to keep looking for work. Even though the lyrics aren't completely clear, the way the lyric is delivered makes the listener wonder if our antihero really wants a job.

And when I go back to the house

Hear that woman's mouth

Preaching and a-cryin'

Tell me that I'm lyin' about a job....

That I never could find

According to Richard Lewis, the lyrics were inspired by his mother telling him to get a job after he returned from a stint in the armed forces.

As upbeat, fun and rock and roll as the hit A-Side is, the B-Side shows the slower, more introspective side of doo-wop. You can almost picture the young couples dancing in the school gym with this song playing in the background.

Click here to listen to "I Am Lonely" now.

Way to go New Orleans Saints!

The Saints just won Super Bowl XLIV. It was an awesome game!

If there's one song that's associated with New Orleans, it has to be When The Saints Go Marching In. Here is an early rock and roll song by Bill Haley that is based on it.

Two Rock and Roll Songs With a Twist

Rock and roll has its fair share of songs that are funny, it also has plenty of songs about heartbreak. However, there are two very similar songs that combine the two.

"Silhouettes" - The Rays (1957): The narrator walks past his sweetheart's house only to see the shadow of her and another man in a loving embrace. He's distraught and finally admits that he...

Lost control and rang your bell (I was sore)

Let me in or else I'll beat (down your door)

When two strangers who had been two silhouettes on the shade

Said to my shock "you're on the wrong blo-ock

"Fool In The Rain" - Led Zeppelin (1979): Skipping ahead 22 years, we find the hapless narrator waiting patiently for his loved one to meet him. He stands in the rain, lamenting the fact that she has stood him up, until he realizes...

I'm just a fool waiting on the wrong block.

It's interesting that both rock and roll songs have the singer getting upset about his girlfriend not doing what he thinks she should, only to find out by the end of the song that he was wrong. The pay off for the listener is that the guy may be an idiot, but at least his girl still loves him.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I have been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times, and each time it's a thrill! What I like most about it is that it covers the entire history of rock and roll.

As you walk in through the front you are in a wide open glass pyramid designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. The large area has had cars from U2's Zoo TV concert tour suspended from the ceiling and inflatable props from The Wall. And, as one would expect, there is rock music from all eras constantly playing in the background.

There are interactive displays, movies, and special exhibits. The Jon Lennon exhibit was incredible, and heart-wrenching. Seeing the cracked, blood-stained glasses he wore when he was murdered caused me to break down right in the middle of it all.

Downstairs, in the museum, is where you will see most of the items related to different artists. Instruments, automobiles, personal effects, stage props and outfits from the legends of rock and roll are all there to be seen. On a personal note, I found it humbling to see just how skinny some of these rock stars were in their prime.

The actual Hall of Fame has small video screens embedded in the wall in a quiet room. Each rotates a few different inductees. It is done tastefully and lends some weight to the importance of being inducted.

Now, for my least favorite part. The nominating committee is now out of touch with what rock and roll is all about. They have made it more about bringing in revenue, instead of keeping the flame of rock and roll alive. I like all kinds of music, but why hasn't Alice Cooper (just one example) been inducted. He's been recording since the mid-1960s and is still going strong today. He was also a trendsetter and an influence on many artists that followed.

In the words of Ian Hunter, "Cleveland Rocks!", but if they keep going down their current path they will continue to lose out to those who understand the true spirit of rock and roll.

The Day The Music Died?

Buddy Holly's influence has been well-documented. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and Bob Dylan are only a few of the big names in the rock and roll pantheon that owe him a debt of gratitude, and there are scores of others.

For example, note the background singing at about 1:06 into Oh Boy! and how the Beach Boys incorporated it into their sound.

The Beatles covered Holly's Words Of Love on their late 1964 release Beatles For Sale. Here, the influence isn't just the song itself, but the double tracking used on the lead vocal. John Lennon employed this technique numerous times throughout his career.

Plus, pay attention to the depth of the rhythm track. It's buried a bit in the mix, but there's more going on than initially meets the ear. Again, another recording trick that has been utilized on countless rock and roll songs.

Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper (JP Richardson) and Richie Valens died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. That tragic date in the history of rock and roll is often referred to as "the day the music died". In reality, their music, especially Holly's, lives on in the artists who put on their shoes and followed in their footsteps.