The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 481-490

Marion Williams 

The Who, My Generation

I really should have said in my last post that one of the most memorable performances to The Who was done by my friend Becky at Adult Nationals in 2009, when she skated to Baba O'Reilly in a black and gold dress. I threw a pair of glitter shoes on the ice. 

Big Joe Williams, Baby Please Don't Go
Holy crap, 1935! Mississippi Delta blues man, famous for his 9 string guitar. Here's how one historian described his playing, from wiki: 

The blues historian Barry Lee Pearson (Sounds Good to Me: The Bluesman's Story, Virginia Piedmont Blues) described Williams's performance: "When I saw him playing at Mike Bloomfield's "blues night" at the Fickle Pickle, Williams was playing an electric nine-string guitar through a small ramshackle amp with a pie plate nailed to it and a beer can dangling against that. When he played, everything rattled but Big Joe himself. The total effect of this incredible apparatus produced the most buzzing, sizzling, African-sounding music I have ever heard."

Larry Williams, Bony Maronie

First time listening to the original, from 1957. This is more raw, hot sax sound compared to more popular songs from the era. I like this, alot. Someone put together a montage of his 45 sleeves in this youtube video, and looks like lots of his songs were redone by the Beatles. Things are making sense. 

Marion Williams, Packing Up
She was a member of The Ward Singers and The Stars of Faith, going solo in 1957. At the age of 60, she graduate from Pacific Union College. Little Richard cites her as a musical influence. She was a Kennedy Center honoree and made a cameo in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. An assessment of her voice is that "A powerful singer with a preternaturally broad range, able to reach the highest registers of the soprano range without losing either purity or volume, she could also swoop down to growling low notes in the style of a country preacher."

Sonny Boy Williamson, Good Morning Schoolgirl
Apparently there were two Sonny Boy Williamsons back in the day, both blues musicians. The internet appears to be confusing I and II in the legends and lexicons. I cannot separate them. This one appears to have been recorded by I in 1937. 

Legend behind number II is equally confusing, as his birthdate could be anywhere between 1897 and 1912. His birthday is either in March or December, nobody knows.  

Chuck Willis, CC Rider
This one from 1957. I thought I knew it, but the xylophone threw me off. Nope, I know the lyrics, but this is a completely different delivery. It's soul and gospel, but not what I'd call R&B. The vocal are... perfect. Not sure about the arrangement. Mentally, this is taking me somewhere in my head I don't belong and have never been before. Is that odd? I know it's been remade by countless other artists, but for the life of me, I can't name one. 

Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Take Me Back to Tulsa
First time listening: 1941! That's some fiddlin'! I think I heard this watching the Country Music documentary on PBS last year. It's a little country, a little bluegrass, and a little bit fun. A little search, this is called Western Swing, so maybe I heard it on Cocaine and Rhinestones? The band was inducted into the R&RHOF in 1999. 

Jackie Wilson, Higher and Higher

I very familiar with the song, but meh? It's part of the sound of the 60s. 

Stevie Wonder, Living for the City, Master Blaster

I love Stevie Wonder. I need Sir Duke! I need Superstition! As a second generation listener, we got That's What Friends Are For and I Just Called To Say I Love You.