Elvis Presley T he King of Rock’n’Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley, began his career entirely by chance. In 1953 he
䘀椀氀洀猀 愀渀搀 匀栀漀眀猀
Elvis Presley acted in 32 films. His character was only killed off in his first film, Love Me Tender (1956). Elvis On Tour was awarded a Golden Globe for best documentary film in 1973. Also worth watching are Jailhouse Rock, Girls! Girls! Girls! and Viva Las Vegas.
went to Sun Records studio to record some songs for his mother and his name was put on file for “potential ballad singers”. He began working as a lorry driver and in his spare time would visit the studio. After a long session with the guitarist Winfield ‘Scotty’ Moore and the bassist Bill Black, the recording of ‘That’s All Right’ ‘happened’. Two days later, the studio’s owner, Sam Phillips, gave the track to a DJ at a local radio station. After playing the song, the lines lit up in the studio. Everybody wanted to know who that singer was. ‘That’ singer quickly became a synonym for rock and roll and rockabilly. He brought elements of gospel, pop and blues into his songs. Elvis Presley was the name of his first album which was released in 1965. He established a new standard, reversing rhythm and blues compositions and introducing the guitar as the leading instrument over the so far untouchable piano. Nevertheless, Elvis Presley’s two and a half octave voice, which he handled without any issues, was his most important instrument. It was thanks to this voice, his looks and his at the time shocking hip movements that Elvis came to the fore. His first TV appearance on the famous Ed Sullivan Show on 9th September 1956 was watched by as many as 60 million viewers. It was this event which turned him into a national star. He constantly released albums and began to act in films. There was a short interruption in his career whilst he attended military service. After his return from the army, Elvis mostly acted in films and recorded music for them. He resumed his concerts in 1968 with the TV broadcast of Elvis, following which he began a series of concerts in Las Vegas which were occasionally put on hold for smaller tours. He lived a rather unhealthy lifestyle and many prescription drugs seriously harmed his health. He died at the age of 42, by which point he had already become one of the 20th century’s cultural icons.
The first concert transmitted via satellite was his performance Aloha from Hawaii in 1973.
He received a Grammy for lifetime achievement aged just 36.
He has been inducted into all possible Halls of Fame.
Millions of people visit the museum at his Graceland home in Tennessee every year.
In excess of one billion copies of all of Elvis Presley’s albums have been released.
Officially, Elvis recorded 33 albums. Compulsory listening: Elvis Presley (1956), Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957), For LP Fans Only (1959), along with numerous compilations, for which I would recommend ELV1S: 30 No.1 Hits (2002).
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The Rolling Stones
Keith Richards has released two solo albums.
F ormed in 1962 in the English town of Dartford, they
Plenty of documentary films have been made about the Rolling Stones, with the most famous being Shine A Light by the notable director Martin Scorsese. Mick Jagger has had roles in 25 films. Keith Richards has acted in four films. Many recognise him as Captain Teague in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. 䘀椀氀洀猀 愀渀搀 匀栀漀眀猀
are without doubt one of the most significant bands in rock and roll history. Their first lineup was: the unofficial band leader and guitarist Brian Jones, pianist Ian Stewart, bassist Bill Wyman, drummer Charlie Watts and a tandem which would soon take over the group’s leadership roles, namely guitarist Keith Richards and singer Mick Jagger. In the beginning they played existing rock and roll pieces, until they would, timidly but successfully, start to compose their own songs. The hits began to arrive and the Rolling Stones took great strides towards entering rock and roll history. Along with their well known songs, the Rolling Stones cultivated an image as eternal rebels, causing trouble with the law and journalists but, importantly, generating popularity amongst their fans. I the middle of 1969, Brian Jones was ‘requested’ to leave the band. Shortly after this departure, Jones drowned in his swimming pool. He was replaced by the guitarist Mick Taylor who came over from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. The band’s most creative period lasted between 1968 and 1972. Many of today’s most popular rock anthems were made during this period: ‘Sympathy For The Devil’, ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, ‘Honky Tonk’, ‘Woman’ and ‘Brown Sugar’. With the
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departure of guitarist Mick Taylor, Ronnie Wood joined the band and was given the initial task of “playing three chords reliably”. Overt the course of their career, the Rolling Stones have adapted their music to fit the present time and current trends. They achieved the type of commercial success which all musicians dream of between 1978 and 1982. After a few albums, due to a quality which was beneath their reputation, and following a falling out between Jagger and Richards, questions were raised as to whether the band would continue. These arguments, however, were put to bed and in 1989 the band released the wonderful album Steel Wheels and set off on another of their mammoth, successful tours. The last change to the band’s lineup came in 1993 when Bill Wyman left. In his place, Darryl Jones came on board. With four new albums in the last fifteen years, the Rolling Stones still maintain a successful career, primarily thanks to the history which they have behind them but also on account of their spectacular concerts right now.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
Mick Jagger has released four solo albums and in 2009 joined the group Superheavy.
The Rolling Stones have released 24 studio albums, with over 250 million copies sold. Their last album, A Bigger Bang, came out in 2005. The album Sticky Fingers (1971) was their eighth record in a row to reach the number one spot on the American charts.
Compulsory listening: The Rolling Stones (1964), Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile On Main St. (1972), Tattoo You (1981), Steel Wheels (1989), Voodoo Lounge (1994), A Bigger Bang (2005) and the all inclusive compilation GRRR (2012).
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On account of his contribution to music, Mick Jagger received a knighthood in 2003.
Janis Joplin D espite having a career which lasted only four years, Janis Lyn Joplin managed to achieve much
more than many other musicians who were present on the scene for far longer. As a teenager she sang folk-blues songs under the influence of performers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey and later acquired aspects of Billie Holiday. She began singing professionally at the end of the 1960s in a group called Big Brother And The Holding Company which played psychedelic rock. Not long after, she set off down a solo path, accompanied by two backing bands, namely The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. She had a specific voice and radiated an incredible energy when on stage. Her singing style was much closer to soul but it was precisely the electric energy with which she performed and the way in which she entered into the lyrics of songs and conveyed emotions to her audiences that placed her within the rock and roll sphere. Her performance at the prestigious Monterey Pop festival afforded her entry amongst the stars of rock and roll and, thanks to this and the songs she sang, she appeared as one of the main stars of the first real Woodstock festival and the Festival Express Tour. Because of the way she lived, unfortunately Joplin never got the chance to enjoy the fame which she had acquired. Her songs such as ‘Piece Of My Heart’, ‘Ball ’n’ Chain’, ‘To Love Somebody’, ‘Me And Bobby McGee’ and ‘Mercedes Benz’ are an inevitable starting point for all future singers.
She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
One of her nicknames was Pearl. “Janis didn’t dress like anyone else, and she definitely didn’t sing like anyone else” - Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac).
Almost all of her concerts with Big Brother And The Holding Company were professionally recorded, as befits such a popular singer. Whilst some of these recordings were officially released after her death, the majority have become available through pirated copies.
Janis Joplin only released three studio albums during her lifetime. Her fourth studio album, Pearl, was released after she died. Compulsory listening: Big Brother And The Holding Company (1967), Cheap Thrills (1968) and Pearl (1971).
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䘀椀氀洀猀 愀渀搀 匀栀漀眀猀
Janis Joplin’s concerts can be seen in fifteen films.