Episodes
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We continue with the story of Wanda Jackson in this episode and then finish off by tackling the tale of Brenda Lee. This episode features clips of an interview Brenda Lee did with Tanya Pearson on the podcast "Women in Rock Oral History Project," which I strongly recommend everyone checking out!
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In what was originally intended to be a single episode on the three Founding Mothers of Rockabilly--Janis Martin, Wanda Jackson, and Brenda Lee--this is being released as "Part 1" in which we'll visit the story of Janis Martin and half of Wanda Jackson's. These women were breaking boundaries long before Madonna or Courtney Love, and have continued to rock even up 'til today. You can't listen to this episode and not come away a fan of these women.
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Missing episodes?
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Wrapping up our coverage of Sam Phillips' cadre of rock pioneers, we will look at the last two artists to come out of that cohort: Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. However, other than recording with Sun Records, these two men had almost nothing else in common. One was a reluctant rocker pining for a career recording soulful ballads, while the other was an impulsive-yet-repressed sex addict who lived a life filled with equal parts pleasure and guilt.
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After selling Elvis' contract to RCA, Sam Phillips could turn his attention to other artists he'd signed, all who were just as hungry and talented as Elvis. This episode we'll cover two of those artists: Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. We'll be talking about overcoming trials and coping with tragedies--you won't just be informed: you'll be inspired!
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Moral outrage and outright racism ignite the explosive reactions to Elvis' performance of "Hound Dog" on the Milton Berle Show.
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Col. Parker had his sights set on country artists as his ticket to big money. After somewhat reluctantly allowing a young punk kid named Elvis Presley to tag along on his most recent Hank Snow tour, Parker soon came to realize that this kid was the "white whale" he'd been searching for all along. Everything would change in a concert in Jacksonville, Florida, after Elvis announced to the women in the audience, "Girls, I'll see you all backstage."
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The man known as "Colonel" Tom Parker would be arguably the most impactful thing to happen to Elvis Presley. Being accused of both creating and destroying the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Parker is a controversial figure in rock history. Add to that his own mysterious and murky personal past, and you've got a juicy topic for a rock history episode. So, buckle up as we take this "side quest" into Parker's origin story before diving back into where we left off with Elvis!
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Elvis achieves success in his collaboration with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black! The trio find their recordings of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" dominating the airwaves! But, what comes next...?
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Last episode we left off with Elvis' family leaving their familiar surroundings in Tupelo, Mississippi for the big city life in Memphis, Tennessee. This episode we'll pick up where we left off and see him make his first recordings with Sun Records!
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Kicking off Season 3 of Deep Tracks we explore the birth of the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, Alan Greenspan! Okay, just kidding, we're gonna be FINALLY diving into the life of Elvis Presley! But, in order to lay some groundwork for the launch of his career, we also have to talk about the people who helped make that happen. So, this episode will also feature "minisodes" about Dewey Phillips and Sam Phillips. Then we look at the birth of Elvis, his childhood in Tupelo, leaving off when his family is just about to make the move that would change their lives forever, to Memphis, Tennessee...
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Today we're going to talk about two of early rock's "nice guys": Pat Boone and Dick Clark. Seeking to balance the controversy with their own brand of "squeaky clean" rock 'n' roll, Boone and Clark became a huge cultural influence on teens, teen culture, and even the teen market, during the 1950s. This is the final episode of Season 2! Next season will kick off with the story of...The King: Elvis Presley. So don't miss this thrilling episode and, more importantly, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the launch of Season 3!
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In an effort to not only promote rock but also defend it, Alan Freed helped spearhead the production of three rock 'n' roll-themed films that came out in the mid-1950s: "Rock Around the Clock," "Don't Knock the Rock," and "Rock, Rock, Rock!" In this episode, we take a look at these movies, make some smart-sounding commentary, and even riff on them a la MST3K. It's a bit academic and a bit campy, but it's all deep... (see what I did there? "deep" as in "Deep Tracks"? Cool, right?)
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In this action-packed episode we tackle the life of early rock's most influential and notorious DJ, Alan Freed--the very man credited with giving the genre its name!
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"The road can be hard on a kid if he's not careful." Those words, uttered by Bill Haley, were perhaps more prescient than he probably realized. This is last half of my interview with his son, Bill Haley Jr. This is also the third part of a sort of 3-part "mini-series" I did on Bill Haley's early life, career, and rise to fame, so if you missed the last couple episodes, I recommend going back and listening to them. Down the road we'll revisit Bill Haley and the Comets to see where they end up after they've been "dethroned" as the kings of rock by Elvis and Buddy Holly, but until then, enjoy the story of their ascendency (because all good things must come to an end...)
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The saga of Bill Haley continues! In this episode, you'll get a better idea of why I used the Bill Haley quote--"The road can be hard on a kid if he's not careful"--as my title for my Bill Haley episodes. Last episode was a primer on Haley's life that prepped us for both this episode and the next one in which I interview his son, Bill Haley Jr., who wrote a book about his father entitled "Crazy, Man, Crazy," published by Backbeat in 2019.
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Before Little Richard, before Chuck Berry, there was... Bill Haley! Prepare to dive into the story of the man who was arguably the first who could claim the title of "rock star." This episode is a primer/overview of Bill Haley's early life and career in preparation for the next two episodes in which I interview his son, Bill Haley, Jr.! Don't miss it, and be sure to be back for that interview!
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In this second, thrilling music theory episode, I am once again joined by my clones to talk about song forms and how they were used in early rock music! In addition to discussing various song forms, we of course cover the related topics of phrases and, perhaps most important within early rock, 12-Bar Blues! Buckle up for some fun "shop talk" as we discuss the "nuts and bolts" of "music"! Wait, I don't know why I "music" in quotes. Whatever! Enjoy!
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The next segment in the wild journey of Little Richard's life: he finally comes into his own in the studio, "Tutti Frutti" becomes a smash hit, and Earl Palmer almost accidentally solidifies the backbeat as THE heartbeat of rock 'n' roll. It's gonna be fun!
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Little Richard often referred to himself as the "Architect of Rock 'n' Roll," but there's a great quote in which he said, "Elvis may be the King of Rock 'n' Roll, but I'm the Queen." That being said, I know the title of this episode may be confusing since Tina Turner was also often referred to as "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll." However, the quote from which this episode's title comes not only captures a lot of Little Richard's personality, but also an aspect of his life that he vacillated over as he sometimes embraced his sexual orientation and other times tried to reject it. And because this aspect of his life affected so much his decisions he made and the lyrics he wrote (or rather, tried to write before being edited by record producers) I felt it apropos to use the appellation here for him, rather than for Tina. But don't worry, all you Tina Turner fans out there, I'll give her her due when we encounter her again in our narrative of Rock's story! For now, enjoy the wild ride that was Little Richard's life...
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The clones are back! This is the first in a new series of episodes I'll be sprinkling throughout the show that are focused on different concepts in music theory. This one tackles chord progressions, and specifically touches on the "Doo-Wop progression" that is associated with Doo-Wop music (a genre that we will be covering at some point in our regular, historical narrative). I bring in Beta Doug and Gamma Doug to help me present the material in what I hope is an engaging and illuminating way, so, hopefully it's both enjoyable and informative!
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