MUEL 2852 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Maybellene, Alan Freed, Chess Records
14 Apr 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Leiber and stoller"s songwriting/production put r&b on the road to r&r. Berry signed with chess records in 1955 and released maybellene . Alan freed heavily promoted the song (and negotiated a share of the songwriting credit and subsequent royalties!) In the songs from roll over beethoven (1956) to johnny b. goode (1958) Berry shifted the rhythmic structure ever closer to that of the rock of the 60"s. When the rest of the rhythm section catches on to berry"s rhythmic ideas rock and roll truly becomes rock. Guitar solos (though not virtuosic), 2-note chords (a berry trademark) In roll over beethoven berry adapts the boogie woogie left hand pattern to the guitar. Neither bass player nor drummer capture the rock rhythm, they"re still swinging. Berry started creating an image of rock musicians (continued by beatles etc. ) Berry never really progressed past the music that made him famous in the 50"s.
