Rock and Roll: The Early Days

This film is a must-see for the early history of rock and roll. It has footage you will never see elsewhere. If you are interested in early rock and roll, don't miss it. It is on YouTube under "Mix-Top 10 Greatest Rock Songs 1950." The film of Chuck Berry, Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and many others is priceless. The commentary is very accurate, and it includes many scenes (such as teenagers rioting in Europe at a Bill Haley concert, and Jerry Lee Lewis being interviewed with his 13 year-old bride) that is incredibly rare. This film will also make you realize that rock and roll was an important catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement. I grew up in the Fifties, and I can tell you that this is the genuine article.

This so called history of the demise of R&R was so out of touch with the real cause of the early demise its early years. The payola scandal was promoted by the then major record labels who had missed the R&R revolution boat. They were losing control of the industry to smaller labels. Radio were ignoring the major label's artists. Not one major label was subjected to any form of investigation even though they were just as guilty of using bribery to have their music played on radio. They just did it not so obviously. The campaign succeeded in scaring radio station into avoiding smaller labels which one by one were taken over by the majors. We jump to 2015 and the same major labels are at it again only this time they are blaming the Internet for their failure to adapt to new technology and especially the one thing they always controlled, distribution. Musician n longer have to depend on the major labels to record and distribute their music