Jerry Leiber RIP

From Bob Corritore

• RIP Jerry Leiber - April 25, 1933 to August 22, 2011. Andy Greene of Rolling Stone Magazine is quoted: "Jerry Leiber, one of the most important songwriters in the history of rock & roll, whose 60-year partnership with Mike Stoller produced "Stand By Me," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Young Blood," "On Broadway,"  "Yakety-Yak" and countless other classics, has died of cardiopulmonary failure. He was 78." It really is impossible to overstate Jerry Leiber's contributions specifically to blues, 1950's R&B, and early rock and roll. Here is a link to Leiber & Stoller's massive discography:http://www.leiberstoller.com/Discography.html.
  Jerry Leiber's songs are part of the essence of American Music. Here are a few links to hear a small sampling of his songwriting:
  The Robins, "Riot In Cell Block #9," click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP8tBT_Tf3I
  Big Joe Turner, "The Chicken And The Hawk," click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCWqR9dmYwg
  Little Willie Littlefield, "K.C. Loving," click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZvGfcaoksQ
  The Clovers, "Love Potion #9," click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA6wySeeb6I
  Ben E. King, "Stand By Me," click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWBbEJXnOFk
  Big Mama Thornton, "Nightmare," click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlvX8lY0LI4
  Big Mama Thornton, "Hound Dog," click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg 

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The Big Bopper: Chantilly Lace

Oh! Baby You know what I like!!!!!!

Si Cranstoun: Little By Little

Here is another great video by England's Si Cranstoun.  This is some great 50s style Rock and Roll!  Enjoy

Frank Sinatra And Elvis: Love Me Tender/Witchcraft

A very young Elvis with the first real King of Pop. Doing an interesting medley of their pop songs. Frank really swings out Love Me Tender I must admit that I really would liked to have heard Frank do that song that way, I actually like that a lot more!

The reason Frank was the First King of Pop, is that Popular music has been around as long as people have sang songs. Music can be divided by popular music, or folk music, secular music, religious music, etc, etc, When you consider just how popular Frank Sinatra was well before Elvis, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson, then you really have the first royalty of popular music. It is not that before Frank there were not popular performers, but Frank lived in an age where recorded music was reaching its golden age, where TV was just starting to make an impact, and where movies truly made people celebrities worldwide. Frank's loving army of girl fans known as Bobby Soxers, chased after him like girls chased Elvis, and all the rock and rollers who came later.

Little Richard: Ready Teddy

The amazing Little Richard in the movie, The Girl Can't Help It, staring the incredible Jayne Mansfield. An interesting bit a trivia about Jayne Mansfield, is that her daughter Mariska Hargitay stars in Law and Order SVU.

Gene Vincent: Rocky Road Blues

Interesting clip of Gene Vincent performing in France. I have no idea what the announcer is saying at the beginning, any of our French visitors perhaps they can tell us what is going on. This is post accident Gene Vincent(the second accident which killed Eddie Cochrane). His leg was pretty busted up, and in another clip they show him coming on stage on crutches. I was listening to an interview with Gene in 1971, and said eventually he had to have it amputated. considering how painful it must have been for him to perform, that is an amazing film clip.

Bobby Darin: You Are My Sunshine, Mojo, Splish Splash

I had this posted somewhere in the archive. This is a great clip so I figure if I have it posted twice why not! This has Bobby Darin getting down on piano, and is one of his last performances. Bobby Darin had contacted Rheumatic fever when he was a kid and wasn't expected to live past his teens, but he surprised everyone and thrived. Modern medicine did catch up to him and he did have heart value surgery that did help him. However, he contacted blood poisoning after visiting a dentist. (Today people in his condition take antibiotics when they get dental work) Darin was a performer who believed the show must go on, and instead of getting help for his blood poisoning he played out a string of performances that he had already booked. By the time he finally made it to the doctor it was too late and his heart finally gave out on him at the age of 37. The main reason I am writing this is that unfortunately there some recent misinformation about the death of Bobby Darin. An author (no name no links, he doesn't deserve it) wrote that Darin died of Cocaine Abuse. It just isn't true. Given the poor shape his heart was in Cocaine would have killed him. It is too bad that people don't do the simple research, and just write dumb rumors.

On a positive note, Bobby Darin got a big vote of approval from my elementary art students today!:-) I played a cd of Bobby Darin's music and they loved it! Even the high school kids tolerated it:-)

Amos Milburn: Chicken Shack

Here is a rare clip of the great Amos Milburn. Amos was a great boogie piano player that has never gotten the attention of a lot of the pioneers of 50s Rhythm and Blues. Thanks to the internet we can enjoy him again!

Bobby Darin: Multiplication

Kinda of a typical 50s movie song. Most of the time they were pretty forgetful.

Bobby Darin
Uploaded by Gladewater55

Jeannie Mack: Dirty Dishes

Hmmmmmm, Okay, never heard of her, or seen this before, I could be snarky, but oh well, I think I will be nice:-)

Jeannie Mack - Dirty Dishes
Uploaded by anabelasugarlee

Carl Perkins: Blue Suede Shoes

Before Elvis there was Carl Perkins. In fact, it was Perkins who was suppose to perform on The Ed Sullivan show before Elvis, but he got in a car accident and was unable to perform.

Blue Suede Shoes 1956
Uploaded by rocknroll50

Johnny Otis: Willie And The Hand Jive

Johnny Otis from 1958! Very cool daddy-O!

Johnny Otis - Willie And The Hand Jive
Uploaded by anabelasugarlee

Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley

Bo from the 60s

Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley
Uploaded by ZZUPLOADER

Chordettes: Lollipop

I have been deleting old videos that Youtube no longer has on site. This was one of them. I love the song it was one of those great tunes from the 50s. It also features Andy Williams from Wall Lake Iowa providing the POP! Very Cool!

The Chordettes - Lollipop
Uploaded by soulpatrol

Platters: Only You

The Platters huge hit in the 50s, which is one of the classic recordings of the Rock and Roll era.

The Platters - Only You
Uploaded by hakim93200

Fats Domino: Blue Berry Hill

The great Fats Domino doing his big hit from the 50s! It also was one of Jimmy Pryor's favorite songs. This one's for you Jimmy.

Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill
Uploaded by LeBalayeur

Jason Williams: It Ill Be Me

Jason D Williams, the alleged illigitmate son of Jerry Lee Lewis. You must admit they piano a lot alike, and they sing and talk a lot a like. I met him over 10 years ago. during about a 2 year period I opened up for him at least 5 times. Needless to say I never let him touch my keyboard, because dude could really destroy a piano:-)

Jason D. Williams - It Ill Be Me
Uploaded by rockinbart

Elvis Presley: Little Sister

Elvis rocking out, probably sometime in the early 70s.

Richie Valens: Ooh My Head

A short and rare clip of Richie Valens.

Gene Vincent: Be Bop A Lulu

Gene Vincent sings his big hit!