ROCK Sex: Rock Revolution = Busted Amp! - Ike Turner > Burnette Trio > The Kinks > The Beatles

ROCK Sex gets caught by the fuzzzzz.

Wanna change the world? Play through a busted amp! Here's a pervasive problem that became a brilliant revolution.

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In 1951 Ike Turner and his band made what is arguably the first Rock'n'Roll song, releasing it under singer JACKIE BRENSTON's name. It is a retooling of Jimmie Liggens' "Cadillac Boogie" (1947) but rowdier and revved up. The extra edge came from a fuzzed-out amp that had been broken in transit. Voila, Rock'n'Roll!

JACKIE BRENSTON AND HIS DELTA CATS -"Rocket '88" (1951)



Paul Burlison's amp was damaged before the recording of The JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO's studio session, and more sonic revolution ensued:

THE JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO -"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1956)



Dave Davies of The Kinks took a knife to his amp to get the distorted snarl he'd discovered. But he went too far and was thrown across the room by an electric shock!
(Legal Disclaimer: ROCK Sex says, "Don't try this, kids."):

THE KINKS -"You Really Got Me" (1964)



John Lennon used a busted amp to get the raw distortion for "Revolution", even singing on his back on the studio floor shouting at the mike to get the extra edge in the vocals:

THE BEATLES -"Revolution" (1968)



Have fuzz, will frazzle!



© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• "Rumble" - Link Wray > Adam Ant > TWIN PEAKS

• 1950s PUNK: Sex, Thugs, and Rock'n'Roll!

• DON'T TREAD ON ME: The Original Punk of 1960s Garage Rock, with Music Player!

• BEATLESQUE Songs: 1968-esque, with Music Player!


• The Kinks > Sex Pistols > The Kinks

• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives

• ROCK Sex: "THE TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN'", Tiny Bradshaw> Johnny Burnette Trio> The Yardbirds> Aerosmith


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN" - Tiny Bradshaw > Johnny Burnette Trio > The Yardbirds > T.Rex > Aerosmith

I'm going to throw in a new feature to the Blog today: ROCK Sex, about how everything intersects together in great and surprising ways.

Culture isn't a fixed tradition owned by a few. It's actually an intersection of ideas from everyone that is constantly fluid and opening up more possibilities. Someone tries something, someone else is inspired to add something, some third party adds both together into something else.

This relay race is actually how true creativity runs and always will.

Here's an example...

Rhythm'n'Blues band leader Tiny Bradshaw first did "The Train Kept A-Rollin" as a jump jive number in 1951:

TINY BRADSHAW -"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1951)



The Johnny Burnette Trio, fueled by the busted amp of guitarist Paul Burlison, redefined it entirely as a Rockabilly blaster in 1956...

THE JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO -"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1956)



With the benefit of the British Invasion's popularity, The Yardbirds (featuring Jeff Beck on guitar) crystallized it into the Garage Rock anthem covered by everyone else...

THE YARDBIRDS -'The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1966)


They then retooled as it as "Stroll On" performing in Antonioni's classic film BLOW UP (1966), with Jimmy Page and Jeff Page duelling on guitars.




Here's Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn rollin' on a similar track.

T.REX -"Jewel" (1971)




From there it "trucked on down that old fairlane" as a standard, covered by everyone from Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Motorhead, Guns'n'Roses, and Metallica, to the "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" video games.

AEROSMITH -"The Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1974)


© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• THE BRITISH INVASION!, with Music Player!

• DON'T TREAD ON ME: The Original Punk of 1960s Garage Rock, with Music Player!

• "Last Child" - The Meters > Aerosmith > Rufus Thomas > Wu-Tang

• "Evil Hearted You" - The Yardbirds > Pixies


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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