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re:MG/Who vs Zep/Page



>>Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 19:39:05 -0400
>>From: mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)
>>Subject: re:MG/Who vs Zep/Pagey

>>Sorry Charlie. Blues came directly from Gospel (Spirituals, that's what I
>>meant) and C&W. In fact, when Robert Johnson started it was called Country
>>Blues. And Robert Johnson started it, you know. The holy man of Blues.
>>Remember, they thought Elvis was black when he started out, not because of
>>his voice (obviously) but because of the kind of music he was
>>singing...which came to be called Rockabilly. Later.

Mark-I don't think we disagree that MG has blues roots.  Having said that, I
think some of your points listed above are incorrect.  It's true, Blues and
Gospel both descended from spirituals (one being secular and the other
non-secular), but the blues far predates the advent of C&W.  Robert Johnson
certainly did not start it, but his influence was heavy on other bluesmen of
his age and locale, and on British groups of the 60's.  The term "Country
Blues" did not refer to the fact that the blues sounded like Country music.
 It was a term coined commercially in the 50's and 60's to designate the
difference between electric (Chicago or Urban) blues and acoustic (Country or
Folk) blues.  Now, Elvis certainly did blend country (Blue Moon of Kentucky)
with blues (That's All Right Mama).  But as I recall, Sam Phillips of Sun
Records was specifically looking for a good-looking white man who sang like a
black man.

Again, I am not agreeing/disagreeing with your contention that MG was the
first rock song, but it seems to me that many of your criteria could also
apply to the Beatles' "Hold Me Tight" or "I Wanna Be Your Man", i.e.
blues-based riffs, non-standard blues chord progressions, vocal harmonies,
etc.

If you have any printed materials that suggests my information is incorrect,
I honestly would very much like to know.  I am an avid blues fan, and have
studied blues history.  But I certainly may have some facts wrong, and would
like know more.  I would recommend to you, "Deep Blues" by Robert Palmer.

>And by the way, you do know who played guitar on Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy
Man",
>right?

>>You mean the sitar?

I don't have it with me on the road, but I don't recall hearing sitar. In any
case the answer is Page.  It was only intended as minor trivia.

Only good-tasting tuna gets to be Star Kist,

Scott