Rockabilly music was born in the mid-fifties when rhythmnblues fused with country music. Traditional bands that once played country, embraced the new sound which appealed to younger audiences. One of rockabillys founders, Bill Haley, started his career in a hillbilly / country band and the late, great Johnny Cash also started in rockabilly just have a listen to 'Folsom Prison Blues' or 'RocknRoll Ruby'.
Traditionally, rockabilly was played in a three-piece setting with no drummer - the double bass player slapped the beat and the acoustic guitar added to the rhythm.
These days, rockabilly enjoys a large, cult-like following both in Australia and across the world. Many rockabilly devotees embrace the 1950s as a lifestyle, wearing fifties fashions, collecting vintage furniture and driving cars designed in the era.
In the period of 1970's, most of the bands that were playing 1950's rock'n'roll and rockabilly were using bass guitar. Ray Campi was one of rare players that kept the tradition of slap bass alive. Those who attended some of his shows remembers his charismatic performance and influential stage persona. Ray's appearance at the "Blue Suede Shoes", a three day rock'n'roll festival that happened in England in 1979, was the introduction of slap bass to many young Teddy Boys and rockers. This legendary concert was later released as a feature film that remained as the evidence of Ray's performance on this wild weekend.
Originally from New York (born in Yonkers, NY in 1934), Ray Campi was always drawn to southern culture and music. He moved to Austin, Texas when he was ten and soon started learning to play standard and steel guitar. He made many recordings in the 1950's, but it wasn't untill 1970's when his career took off when he switched to upright bass and was rediscovered by Ronny Weiser. He released thirteen of Ray's albums and dozen of singles for his record label Rollin' Rock. Ray Campi's music is now available on more than 55 vinyl records and CDs worldwide.
I'm proud to present to you here, on the Art of Slap Bass, member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the musician known as the King of Rockabilly:
Born Otha Ellas Bates (later known as Ellas McDaniel), 28 December 1928, McComb, Mississippi, USA. After beginning his career as a boxer, where he received the sobriquet "Bo Diddley", the singer worked the blues clubs of Chicago with a repertoire influenced by Louis Jordan, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. In late 1954, he teamed up with Billy Boy Arnold and recorded demos of "I'm A Man" and "Bo Diddley". Re-recorded at Chess Studios with a backing ensemble comprising Otis Spann (piano), Lester Davenport (harmonica), Frank Kirkland (drums) and Jerome Green (maracas), the a-side, "Bo Diddley", became an R&B hit in 1955. Before long, Diddley's distorted, amplified, custom-made guitar, with its rectangular shape and pumping rhythm style became a familiar, much-imitated trademark, as did his self-referential songs with such titles as "Bo Diddley's A Gunslinger", "Diddley Daddy" and "Bo's A Lumberjack". His jive-talking routine with "Say Man" (a US Top 20 hit in 1959) continued on "Pretty Thing" and "Hey Good Lookin'", which reached the lower regions of the UK charts in 1963. By then, Diddley was regarded as something of an R&B legend and found a new lease of life courtesy of the UK beat boom. The Pretty Things named themselves after one of his songs, while his work was covered by such artists as the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Manfred Mann, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Downliners Sect and the Zephyrs. Diddley subsequently jammed on albums by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters and appeared infrequently at rock festivals. His classic version of "Who Do You Love" became a staple cover for a new generation of US acts ranging from Quicksilver Messenger Service to the Doors, Tom Rush and Bob Seger, while the UK's Juicy Lucy took the song into the UK Top 20.
Born : October 20, 1937 // Maud, OK, United States Wanda Jackson was the first female rock and roll singer in the United States, releasing her debut record in 1956. She is often hailed as the "Queen Of Rockabilly."
She was born in Oklahoma and moved to California in 1941. Her father who was a musician bought her a guitar and gave her lesson. He would take her to see acts like Tex Williams, Spade Cooly and Bob Wills, which left a lasting impression. She moved back to Oklahoma in 1952 won a talent contest, was discovered by Hank Thompson in 1954. While still in High School Wanda was recording for Capitol Records.
Born: April 30, 1925 Died: November 5, 1960 Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Johnny grew up in Rusk, Texas. Although he was born in Los Angeles he always insisted that East Texas was his home. He first hit the headlines as a star basketball player for baylor University. After collegiate years, Johnny became a professional angler. From childhood, Horton spent every leisure moment working with fishing tackle and equipment. He fished every stream in that lake-covered south-east Texas inland area and the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. As a hobby, while relaxing after a day in hip-boots or in a rowboat with a fishing party, Johnny took up pickin' and singin'. On one of his expeditions into the mossfiligreed bayous, a staff member of radiostation KWKH (Shreveport) was fishing. Horton, as usual, played and sang for the group. The report of this staff member reached Horace Logan, programm director of the Louisiana Hayride. Only one audition covinced logan that Horton had it all. So, Johnny stayed in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was a star for eight years on the Louisiana Hayride Radio Show.
Fabor Robison (Fabor Records), a fellow Texan, heard Johnny perform on the Hayride. A personal talk and an audition convinced Robison he had a new star! And he was right! Johnny recorded his first ten singles on Abbott (a Fabor sub-label), with two sides being duets with Billy Barton. Horton had his first hit on the country music charts with "Gobbler, the hounddog" and some other big ones for the Fabor label. And the string of hits never really stopped. Of course, the New Orleans epic hit a new peak. Johnny recorded the Jimmy Driftwoord song "The battle of New Orleans" in 1959 and it became a number 1 hit, it even wound up being the number one song for the entire year.
Johnny was killed in an automobile crash on November 5, 1960, on U.S. Route 79 near the small town of Milano, Texas. He was returning from an engagement in Austin, Texas. His widow, Billy Jean, was the former wife of Hank Williams, who met his death in the backseat of a car, on his way to do a show, in 1953. Hank's hart just gave out from alcohol and drugs abuse.
More recently, in 1996, Bear Family dug up a Johnny Horton recording that had been mysteyously burried for 40 years. It is a very good cover of the Tennessee Ernie Ford original "Shotgun Boogie" which is now issued on the Bear Family CD "That'll flat git it! Volume 8". Most, if not all, of Johnny recordings, masters and demos, have been re-issued by Bear Family records are are very much worth while!
Johnny did a lot of country and western, for us Rockabilly freaks, the following tracks are the most interesting and they have all been compiled on a Bear Family LP named "Rockin' Rollin' Johnny Horton" which was first issued in 1981 (recording dates between brackets).
Ik ben Hans, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam pippop.
Ik ben een man en woon in Brisbane (australia) en mijn beroep is Gepensioneerd.
Ik ben geboren op 01/08/1947 en ben nu dus 77 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Music van 1940 tot 1970.
Ik ben geboren in 1947 in hoorn nh. Ik woon nu 30 jaar in australia .
Ik ben Hans, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam pippop.
