Elvis & Rock ‘n’ Roll – The History Of Punk
Rock has always been about social and cultural conflict ever since its birth in the boogie blues of artists such as John Lee Hooker and beyond. The social alienation and angst of the black experience permeated the predominantly white middle class rock ‘n’ roll. That was until whitey in the shape of Elvis took control and introduced new brands of alienation like parents, society and girls along with clothes and attitude to symbolise that alienation.
I had never seen anyone put on a show like that …it was just shocking…he looked like a real street kid…that show really changed my life…I was overwhelmed by Elvis, I was overwhelmed by the musicians. I could feel the playing.Jerry Nolan (Heartbreakers, New York Dolls) from the book ‘Please Kill Me’
Yep welcome to Elvis Presley and a thousand other rockabilly cats riding the crest of a teen culture and rebellion. Money and leisure and advances in technology were opening up an untapped market of the teenager. The parents hated it but the kids loved it. The first barbarians were at the gate. 24 years separate us from Punk76. 24 years to that previous was Elvis. We tend to see Elvis as a bloated drug addict dying on the toilet and dismiss his songs through over exposure, but its weird how he can catch you off guard.
Elvis was young, sexy and mixed up blues and bluegrass and everything else. Hearing Heartbreak Hotel at high volume it can suddenly hit you just how good he was and how radical he was. But check out his Sun Sessions album (Mystery Train, Good Rockin’ Tonight, That’s All Right) and tell me the boy don’t rock. Music and clothes that were different could give teenagers identity and annoy. At the same time as Elvis came Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard; hard rockers like Gene Vincent and the Bluecaps and of course Eddie Cochran. Mix in black singers like James Brown and you start to get the over the top singing and the wild frontman. Rock’n’roll was dangerous and it was rebellious. Years later Malcolm McLaren would resurrect these times and clothes in his shop starting with Let It Rock and use it as a basis for his own teen revolution.
Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll was the start of the US relationship with the UK music scene which would see us trade sounds and ideas… well basically for ever. Rock’n’roll brought the birth of the teenager and as such brought the idea of teenage rebellion and a desire to forge your own identity through clothes and music.
Music was a rush, it was about cars, clothes, love, shagging and dancing… three minutes of a slice of youth without responsibility. Rock’n roll had a profound influence on England where to celebrate we slashed cinema seats. It also gave us shite like Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, The Dakotas and worst of all The Beatles.
Because The Beatles, once they dropped their early leather gear and rock ‘n’ roll, became loveable mop tops making music more pop and accessible and then slowly more pretentious. Put that with advances in technology and you had greater exposure for bands in the teenybop market.
Music began to exert an influence and generate publicity. Rock ‘n’ roll was dangerous; it was rebellious and it sold. As the shock of the new began to wear off capitalism, like the all consuming beast it is, absorbed the rebels and their clothes and styles, made them popular and made money while awaiting the next attack which wasn’t long coming.
