Heart Full of Soul

 

 

 

 

Moving backwards again... to the latter half of the 60s. I seem to be mysteriously drawn to that decade these days. There was so much great music; a Big Bang of musical styles and interpretations which immediately branched out into a multitude of directions until the atmosphere was so saturated with new sounds, one got the impression something majorly transformative was about to occur across the field of human endeavor.

That delusion.

 

The music featured in this post emerged in the middle of the decade in the States, having first traveled from the UK; a period known as the British Invasion.

Directly above: The Yardbirds (featuring legendary Jeff Beck).

I've just learned Count Five (above) were actually from California... but they were obviously influenced by the Brits. Incidentally, this song has been covered by numerous bands. Tom Petty's harp in this live Heartbreaker's cover is excellent, but for a spot-on portrayal of psychosis, I recommend The Cramps.

 

More below the jump.

 

I've also just learned that Charlie Watts, the Stone's amazing drummer, has died. Vale, Mr. Watts!

(Also see: The Unflappable Greatness of Charlie Watts.)

Above is a nice, long clip of the early Rolling Stones in action. At the time, the Stones were considered the darker, "ugly" counterparts to the Beatles, and to this day, the Beatles seem to be the unassailable victors in a Rock & Roll battle that - apart from the media hype - never was. Don't get me wrong, I love the Beatles; but, in terms of authentic Rock & Roll which evolved from Black American blues - and the band's sheer longevity - the Rolling Stones win hands down. And they never down-played their Black American roots - they celebrated them and revived them.

And, as for "ugly", well obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Those screaming kids in the audience - both male and female you will note - weren't merely in love with the Stones, they were in ecstasy.

Below is this post's wild card. Remember Elvis Presley and his rendition of Hound Dog? Well, three years earlier it was recorded by the woman in the video below, and went to #1 on the R&B charts...

 

Truth will out, boys and girls: if Elvis was the King of Rock & Roll, Big Mama Thornton was the Great Mother Goddess. Am I right or am I right?