Category: R&B

Rock don’t roll all at once. While we’ve been noticing some rhythm creeping into easy listening, by 1957 the doo wop and R&B and swing and jazz and honky tonk and blues has fused closer and closer into Alan Freed’s so-called “rock and roll.”

This is the year of “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms. In this iteration, it’s sooo country.

True street corner doo wop still sounds like La Fets & Kitty singing “Christmas Letter.” It’s da blooze with a harmony hard-beat chaser. Awww.

New Jersey white guys harmonizing lead us to the boy band early rock. The Cameos make a pretty merry-go-round of music with their “Merry Christmas.”

Detroit doo wop sounds like”Can This be Christmas?” asked by The Falcons. Killer sax. Familiar bass beat. Yeah, we’ve got this.

Also from Detroit The Enchanters wax exotic with doo wop in “Mambo Santa Mambo.” It’s slick as a candy stick. (I listen to the millennial salute of this every year by The Bobs a la a cappella.)

Melvin and Johnny take a page out of Fats Domino’s book with this tinkly, twinkly “It’s Christmas Time Again.”

If you were an R&B fan in N’Awlins in the ’50s you hadda be a Fats Domino man. But a few early rockers dug more the swirlin’ stylin’s of Jimmy Beasley who remains so unrecognized today he doesn’t have a Wikipedia page (except he does–in German). I suggest you check out his 1957 album Jimmy’s House Party. Until then, enjoy “Christmas is Here Again.”

Now most of 1950 U.S. culture is whiter than white. The Oscar winner is “All About Eve.” The big B’way hit is “Guys and Dolls.” We do flirt with ‘others’ in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Overall white might seems uncontested as urban sprawl spawns the suburbs. Did you know this year debuts ‘Silver Bells’ (Bing Crosby and Carol Richards)? ‘As the shoppers rush home with their treasures.’ Caucasian says what?

I mean check out the future Kookla Fran and Ollie puppeteer Fran Allison, with ‘Sweet Angie (The Christmas Tree Angel)‘ and flipside ‘Christmas in My Heart.‘ Bourgeoisie clean and butterfat friendly.

But 1950 is not a snowstorm of whitiness. Sugar Ray has boxing day sewn up. Althea Gibson becomes the first person of color to compete in U.S. tennis championships. The Supreme Court begins striking down segregation laws. And a U.N. mediator, Ralph Bunche, becomes the first black allowed to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

You know, the ’50s is the crucibicular birthing of rock ‘n’ roll, so let’s follow that forbidden beat from its wild ethnic backrooms through the honkey tonks and into the juke boxes of our young, rebellious delinquencies. Bend an ear towards Mickey Champion and the Nic Nacs: “Gonna Have a Merry Xmas.” What you kids listenin’ at?