Untamed
Youth: Live Fast, Die Young
For
a short time rockabilly was king, but by 1958 it had lost all its
momentum. The last true hope for the genre was Eddie Cochran, a
guitarist and vocalist who also wrote his own songs. Eddie
resurrected the tales of teenage angst first popularized by Chuck
Berry, injected them with the speed freak energy of the early
rockabilly cats to evolve into what can best be described as
Post-Rockabilly. Cochran was a good looking though diminutive man,
features that he purposely accentuated with jittery mannerisms and an
exaggerated slouch. (best exemplified in the motion picture, Untamed
Youth in which he starred alongside Mamie Van Doren ) That perception
would change as soon as he strapped on his trademark orange Gretsch
6120 and took the stage.
The
curtain would rise, Eddie standing center stage, with his back to the
audience would let the shrieks grow to a full crescendo before
whipping around and jumping straight in to his first number. He held
Elvis like command of his audience. Cochran was poised to carry the
flame on into the 1960's when sadly he was killed in a car accident
while touring in England. Gene Vincent and Eddie's girlfriend,
songwriter Sharon Seeley were traveling in the same vehicle, both
were seriously injured but survived. Eddie however struck his head on
the roof of the car and was flung out of the vehicle as it slammed
sideways into a lamp pole at a rate of 60 mph.
While
serving in the US Navy in 1955, Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene
Craddock) had been involved in a motorcycle accident that nearly cost
him his leg. He was left with a permanent limp and in constant pain.
As a result, Vincent always appeared tortured, but when he sang, an
eerie, almost angelic transformation took place. Gene would stare off
into the heavens, much like Judy Garland did while singing Over the
Rainbow (a minor hit for Vincent as well) His peculiar stage
presence and bum leg made him the anti-Elvis or as some put it, the
rocker that your parents warned you about.
Following
the Cochran accident, Vincent returned to England and would
eventually make his home there while touring extensively throughout
Europe and the UK. It was during this period that he adopted his
iconic black leather gear (the result of an appearance on Jack Good's
British television show Boy Meets Girl) Good took it up himself to
update Gene's appearance. A move that left poor Gene looking like a
refugee from a rough trade shop.... though it endeared him to a new
generation of rockers around the world. (A quick note: Jack Good
lived in New Mexico for many years, devoting himself to painting. His
work was exhibited at Rancho de Chimayo alongside that of Antonio
Roybal)
By
the late 1960s, the pain killers and alcohol made Sweet Gene Vincent,
especially unbearable to the multitude of musicians that he toured
with. To quote Goldmine Magazine “He was drunk, profane and reeked
of sex and violence to the point of utter chaos and his shows always
were filled with sexual innuendo and utter longing”... The high
point at this stage of Gene's career was when he attempted to murder
vile pedophile Gary Glitter while both were touring in Germany.
Vincent emptied his handgun at Glitter, though due to his drunken
condition he missed on all counts. Glitter immediately fled Germany,
though he later spoke of the incident with sentimental pride.
Elvis
Presley, “The King” rose from the public housing slums of Memphis
to become the most recognizable male vocalist of all time. However,
it didn't happen by accident. Elvis had talent, he transcended music,
he electrified his audience, he re-invented entertainment. Elvis
Presley, was rock and roll's alpha male.... a role he wasn't always
keen on playing. His tour of West Texas in 1955 would influence two
of rock and roll's biggest stars, Buddy Holly (who would open for
Presley in Lubbock) Roy Orbison (who caught the show in Odessa) and
launch hundreds of imitators.
Elvis
had a nervous energy that he used to stoke up the crowd, but the hip
thrusts and leg shaking were just part of it. He had the ability to
convey his emotions to the audience, his appeal and charisma were
both very natural and his fans (especially the gals) would just eat
it up. Nik Cohn got to the root of his appeal: “He's just like a
paperback book. Real sexy pictures on the cover, only when you get
inside, it's just a good story. He looked dangerous, but ultimately
was safe and clean” This love 'em, tease 'em, mistreat 'em strategy
worked beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
Within
a period of one year Elvis went from making $35 a week, to becoming a
$20 million dollar industry (in 1950s dollars at that) In the long
run, it would prove to be his undoing as well. The day Elvis signed
with RCA records he started down the path to self destruction. The
money, movies and fame would turn him into a bloated and self
indulgent caricature of the rocker he once was. All that was promised
and all that was delivered still pale in comparison to the brilliant
flash of talent first witnessed in those early years.
Hillbilly
Babylon
Misogyny
was also given the light touch early on. "Honey Hush" has
Johnny Burnette telling his girl to "Come on in this house, stop
all that yakety yak" reminding her "Don't make me nervous,
cause I'm holding a baseball bat.” For some odd reason Big Joe
Turner's original didn't sound as menacing "I Had Enough",
has Jerry Reed delivering threats of violence to any fellers sniffing
around his gal “You're my private property and you ain't for rent”
keep in mind, he's singing about his gal not a mule “I think it
wise you lay the fellows a hint, to either leave you alone or get
their backbone bent” he leaves just enough doubt as to his
intentions, to make you fear for her safety as well.
Memphis,
Tn. November 23rd. 1976 2:50 a.m.
(Compiled from online sources, no
claim of authorship implied)
Jerry
Lee Lewis pulled up to Graceland smashing into its fabled front
gates. He was driving a brand new Lincoln Continental, having flipped
his brand new Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow the previous morning. The
guard on duty, reported that Lewis was armed, angry and obviously
inebriated. “He was outta his mind, man... he was screamin',
hollerin' and cussin” Lewis held a derringer that had been given
to him at Vapors, a Memphis nightclub just hours earlier. “Get on
the goddamn phone. I know you got an intercom system. Call up there
and tell Elvis I wanna visit with him. Who the hell does he think he
is? Tell him the Killer's here to see him” Lewis commanded...
The
guard, Harold Lloyd (Elvis' cousin) panicked, “I just put my hands
up in the air and said, 'Okay, okay, Jerry, just take it easy” he
retreated to the guard booth and picked up the house phone. “One of
'the boys' answered and Lloyd appraised him of the situation” Lloyd
was advised to call the cops, and wasted no time in doing so.
Moments
later Elvis himself rang down to the guard booth. Lloyd recalls their
conversation precisely. 'Elvis was on the line and he said,
'Wh-wh-what' -- see, he used to stutter a lot when he got upset --
'Wh-wh-what the hell's goin' on down there, Harold?' 'I said, 'Well,
Jerry Lee Lewis is sittin' in his car down here outside the gate,
wavin' a derringer pistol and raisin' hell', 'Elvis said,
'Wh-wh-what's that goddamn guy want?' [I said] 'He's demanding to
come up and see Elvis'. 'He said, 'Oh, I-I-I don't wanna talk to that
crazy sonofabitch. Hell no, I don't wanna talk to him. I'll come
down there and kill him! You call the cops, Harold', 'I told him I
already did and he said, 'Good. When they get there tell 'em to lock
his ass up and throw the goddamn key away. Okay? Thank you, Harold',
(Elvis is said to have watched the 'whole drama on his closed-circuit
monitors').
The
Memphis police arrived, found the gun in the car and put Jerry Lee in
handcuffs. Before taking him away they called up to the main house
and asked Elvis what they should do with him “Lock him up” was
the King's response. “That hurt my feelings. To be scared of me –
knowin' me the way he did – was ridiculous." Lewis would later
reflect in an interview. He was arrested and charged with carrying a
pistol and public drunkenness.
Roll
over Beethoven- Chuck Berry
When
I Found You- Jerry Reed
Oh!
Boy- Buddy Holly
Fast
Freight- Arvee Allens aka Ritchie Valens
Big
Town- Ronnie Self
Sag
Drag Fall- Sid King & the Five Strings
Mystery
Train- Jackie Lee Cochran “Jack the Cat”
Money
Honey- Elvis Presley
My
Baby's Gone- Jimmy Bowen
Whisper
Your Love- The Phantom
Blue
Moon- Elvis Presley
Blue
Days Black Nights- Bob Luman
Blue
Days Black Nights- Buddy Holly
When
My Baby Left- Sid King & The Five Strings
Johnny
B. Goode- Chuck Berry
Bye
Bye Johnny- Chuck Berry
Lucille-
Little Richard
Red
Headed Woman- Sonny Burgess
Uh
Huh Honey- Charlie Feathers
Honey
Bop- Wanda Jackson
Tongue
Tied- Betty McQuade
Baby
Please Don't Go- Billy Lee Riley
Caterpillar-
Ray Campi
Rockin'
Bandit- Ray Smith
Rock
It- Thumper Jones
Flying
Saucer Rock & Roll- Billy Lee Riley
That
Certain Female- Charlie Feathers
Tore
Up- Ray Campi
All
I Can Do is Cry- Wayne Walker
Teenage
Boogie- Webb Pierce
Pink
and Black- Sonny Fisher
Rockabilly
Boogie- Johnny Burnette Trio
Gonna
Shake This Shack Tonight- Sid King & The Five Strings
