The Rockabilly Lifestyle » Rockabilly Lifestyle

Bill Haley and the Comets

Darkman — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:06:57 +0000

Bill Haley and the Comets

Bill Haley and the Comets

Bill Haley was destined to become a musician from day one. His mother was a pianist and his father played the banjo and mandolin. His parents gave him a guitar when he turned thirteen and he had the privilege of being taught to play by ear by his father. Neither Haley nor his father read music; they just relied on their knowledge and connection of the sounds. Haley forever dreamed of becoming a singing cowboy because he grew up watching numerous movies and TV shows which featured many famous country western singers prior to his time. Although born in Michigan, Haley spent most of his childhood in Detroit where he worked for a spring water and soda company. It wasn’t until age eighteen when he recorded his first record. This lead him into the life of a guitarist and singer for four solid years.

Bill Haley and the Comets

Like any starting out musician, Haley had his struggles and troubles along the way. At one point he struck very ill and felt like he wouldn’t ever make it. He moved home and almost gave up his dream but was given an opportunity to still be a part of the music industry. At age twenty one, Haley started working for WPWA, a well known music station. He would interview celebrities and get them to play their latest hits. This brought back his passion for music and inspired him to make it big himself. Soon after, he put together a band called Bill Haley and His Saddle men and was signed with a Philadelphia based independent label; Keystone. They made their first record of Western Swing tunes which quickly gained popularity. Since their incredible sound didn’t quite seem to match their cowboy image, the Program Director of WPWA suggested that they changed their name to something a bit cooler. From then on, they were known as Bill Haley and The Comets, as they set of to take over the music scene.

Bill Haley and The Comets took a leap into the unknown when they gave up their country western songs and started to record rock and roll. They recorded a song called “Rock the Joint” which sold over seventy five hundred copies. Another one of their songs, “Crazy Man Crazy”, was the first rock and roll hit to reach the Billboard Pop Charts. It made it all the way into the top twenty, but it didn’t stop there. The band got signed with New York’s record label Decca and recorded numerous top ten hits, with one even being the first rock and roll record to sell a million copies. Bill Haley and the Comets were sent to Britain to tour and share there talent with millions of screaming fans. But with time their popularity faded out and the fan’s attention were turning to the newer, more hip artists. Bill Haley returned home but still continued to tour around and perform his music. He passed away suddenly in his sleep in 1981 and became part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame six years later.

As usual we include a link to Amazon.com for buying and downloading music:

The Best Of Bill Haley & His Comets: 20th Century Masters-(Millennium Collection)

Swing Dancing to Bill Haley, Great Video!

This is a Great Video check out the tiny dancers!

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Tiger Army – Hootenanny 2008

Darkman — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:30:00 +0000

I know this gallery is a little late in coming but I am happy to be able to put it up now.

Please see the new article about The Rise of Tiger Army Here

Enjoy…

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Holiday parties? What’s your poison for your Rockabilly Holidays?

Darkman — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:26:40 +0000

Guest Post by Marla Verdugo – Makeup Artist

Holiday parties? Don’t know what your poison is yet?

Well darlin’ here is a guide whether you are servin’ or orderin’.

Beer.
Simple and refreshing.

Toss back a few bottles of brew. Budweiser and Miller High Life, if you want to keep it classic. (Those were just a couple of the most popular beers in the 50s.)

Whiskey. Bourbon. Scotch. (I love. love. love.)
Pick your poison. Straight up. Double it. On the rocks…Or with a splash of Coca-Cola.

For y’all swankier cats. Here are a few good drinks…with that kick.

Old-Fashioned.
(another one of my faves…kind of an old-man’s drink)

Here’s what you will need:
Drink Recipe Ingredients:
1 maraschino cherry
1 oz. Whiskey
0.25 oz. bitters
1 teaspoon(s) sugar
1 splash(es) water
lemon twist
1 slice(s) orange

What to do:
In an old-fashioned glass, muddle sugar, bitters and water
Add ice cubes
Add Whiskey
Garnish with lemon twist, orange slice and maraschino cherry

Moscow Mule.
Sooooooooo good, it will sneak up on your ass.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1¼ oz vodka
3 oz ginger beer
1 tsp sugar syrup
¼ oz lime juice
1 sprig mint
1 slice lime

What to do:
In a copper mug or cocktail glass, pour vodka over ice. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

Gin…
Probably the biggest hit of the 50s. From Gimlets to martinis to Tom Collins and many more.

Martini’s.
Gin of course.

Here’s what you will need:
1 oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin (25 oz. per bottle)
.25 oz. dry vermouth

What to do:
In a shaker with ice, add Tanqueray London Dry.
Shake and strain into chilled martini glass.
Spritz with hint of dry vermouth.
Garnish with olive.

Feeling dirty? (add more olives and olive juice.)

What’s the matter pussycat? Why such a sourpuss?
It must be the Gimlet…It has that sour-tangy-bite.

Gimlet.
Yet another big hit in the fifties.

Here’s what you will need:
1.25 oz Tanqueray® gin
1 oz Rose’s® lime juice
1 twist lime

What to do:
Pour the gin and lime juice into a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the lime wedge.

Whatever your poison is…be safe…know your limits…and if you are passed them, then call a cab or sleep it off.
You want to be able to tell your wild stories and not be a part of a tragic one.

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Link Wray Paved the Way

Darkman — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:59:54 +0000

Link Wray Paved the Way

A Great Guest Post by Elana Kluner!

Link Wray paved The Way

Rockabilly Hall of Fame’s leading legend, Link Wray, has been the reason why many following musicians ever made music in the first place. Although he’s never made it to the Rock and Roll hall of fame, Rolling Stone magazine considered him as one of the hundred greatest guitarists of all time. Link Wray’s music stood on the fine line between menace and soulful, as he became the father of punk and heavy rock. This left his fans feelings excited, uneasy, and/or inspired. Whether he was strumming strings, writing songs, or using his one lung he had left to sing, Link Wray always left a lasting impression. His fame grew in the USA and travelled all the way through Europe and Australia. Along with his band Lucky Wray and the Palomino Ranch Hands, Link Wray will always be remembered for his huge hit that had a life of its own; Rumble.

Rumble, formally known as Oddball, was re-named by Phil Everly in 1958. He felt that the empowering instrumental had a rough attitude and reflected a street gang. Link Wray wrote the song for a live performance on the TV show Milt Grant’s House Party. The lucky audience who got to listen to the song for the first time that night grew such a liking for it that they demanded a repeat. One encore turned into four, which quickly let to a flash flood of record sales. Shortly after, the more conservative citizens disagreed with the song’s title and it’s rebellious sound, leading it to be banned by numerous radio stations throughout the USA. But this did not stop Link Wray’s dedicated fans. The morphed electronic guitar sounds found its way to the hearts of Great Britain’s music lovers and climbed to the top of the charts.

Link Wray was best known for his invention of the Power Chord. This created a distorted sound which was enhanced by his advanced technique. Link Wray was so determined to pay tribute to this sound, that he actually punched holes in the amplifiers so he could replicate the sound of his live performance. Two examples of his stylistic additions to music were overdrive and fuzz. Many famous artists that came after Link Wray copied his unique structure and integrated it into their own musical developments. Principle Guitarist and songwriter of The Who, Pete Townshend, noted that “He is the king; if it hadn’t been for Link Wray and ‘Rumble’, I would have never picked up a guitar”. Link Wray’s skill, music and way of life were truly a Rockabilly Phenomenon and will never be forgotten.

Fred Lincoln “Link” Wray Jr (May 2, 1929–November 5, 2005) RIP

And as usual you can find Link Wray Music here or at Amazon.Com

Rumble! The Best of Link Wray

Great Interview:

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Duane Eddy, The Rock and Roll Twanger

Darkman — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:58:21 +0000

Duane Eddy, The Rock and Roll Twanger

Guest Post by Elana Kluner

Duane Eddy - Guitar Man

New York born Duane Eddy was the most successful instrumentalist to ever contribute to rock music. With fifteen singles to hit the charts, he really took over the music scene throughout the fifties and the sixties. He accumulated fans worldwide and sold over 100 million records. Before he made it big, he moved to Phoenix with his family and grew a love for single-note melodies which he played on the low strings of his guitar. Like all hopeful artists, Eddy sent in a demo tape to a local disc jockey. The DJ picked up the track and worked with Eddy to formulate a magical record. It involved all different musical elements such as gospel, country and jazz. Every so often, vocalists would come on his track to contribute back up vocals or imitate battle cries to give the song an edge.

Duane Eddy - Songs of our Heritage

He also brought on different musicians, such as pianists and saxophonists which helped lead him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and later win numerous Grammy’s.

Duane Eddy brought the trademark sound, twang, into rock and roll. We can see this stylistic skill in the works of world renowned musicians such as the Beatles. Twang is a heavy sound created by putting guitar strums through specialized recording studio equipment. Eddy first invented the remarkable vibrations by picking at the low strings of his hollow body guitar. He then would turn up the trembling effect and feed this through an echo chamber. With help from his producer, Lee Hazlewood, Eddy was able to establish the twang as the frontier of rock and roll. His compositions were featured in theme songs for TV shows and movies in the sixties. Unfortunately, all of Eddy’s success came to an ending around 1963 when popular British bands started to take over, leaving no more room for their competitors.

Besides the celebrated musical talent that Duane Eddy brought into the world, he was definitely a sight for sore eyes. The American ladies didn’t even need to have a liking for good music to watch Eddy perform. He had a typical rockabilly look with an innocence that made the ladies classify him under “boyfriend material”. His hair was chocolate brown and he wore it in a short style with his front bangs in a curl. His teeth were pearly white and his charming smile showed off his lovable dimples. Although it couldn’t be found anywhere but thrift stores nowadays, corduroy was big in the fifties and sixties and Duane Eddy wore it well. But he never left home without his trusty guitar strapped around his shoulder, ready for his music to echo through the world.

Duane eddy has also played with the avant-garde synthpop group know as “Art of Noise“.

As Always you can get Duane Eddy Music here or at Amazon.com

Twang Thang: Anthology

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Who Wear’s Short Shorts?

Darkman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:55:12 +0000

Who wears short shorts?

Guest post by Elana Kluner

Shorts of the 40's

The rockabilly shorts are a signature staple of the 1940’s pin up girls. We recognize these on the hottest celebrities and models posing for coke ads over harbor bridges, or something of that sort. The shorts spread from a wide variety of fabrics, but never failed to hold the same design and structure. These, most commonly jean, white, or plaid bottoms, were high wasted and quite short in length. They accentuated the ideal female figure of that time by forming tight to the body and showing off the women’s sexy curves and long legs. The men would go wild over these woman and the rockabilly shorts could definitely take the credit for that.

Nowadays, not only do rockabilly style followers adore these shorts but we can also see popular Fashion Designers grabbing inspiration from these 40’s pin ups girls and making them their own. Rockabilly shorts gain raves on the runway and constantly show themselves in modern reality TV shows. Sequined fabrics and extravagant colored patterns are now used for the shorts to update the style for a more appealing and funky effect. Fashion is a repetitive pattern, where we recreate styles from past decades, but we continue to add our own flare and let the designs evolve.

There were a few concerns with the 1940’s rockabilly shorts when they were brought back to life over the past few years. Women complained that the high waisted style with long pockets made their bottoms look flat and “mom-like”. With all the video girls and celebrities with curvy bottoms, this puts a lot of pressure on females to strut their stuff and

Model:Amalilla, Ink n Iron 2009

make sure that every outfit compliments their figure. Fashion Designers recognized this and solved the problem by making hip height pockets. This allowed for the shorts to keep that 1940’s look, but also giving the effect of a rounded, more voluptuous bottom.

Girls can wear these 21st century rockabilly shorts with heels or boots and add anything on top from a flowing blouse to a tight fitted tank top and a blazer. They can be dressed up or played down, regardless of the pattern, fabric, or style. The shorts celebrate the fabulous female figure and allow women of all shapes and sizes to feel and look sexy in them. Although some pairs of the more couture rockabilly shorts can be pretty expensive, there are still plenty of retail stores that sell them for a reasonable price. And if all else fails, you can always sneak into your mothers closet, take her old pair of high waisted pants, grab a pair of scissors and get to work. After all, rockabilly style is all about fun and creativity.

Ginger Rogers

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The Sonics at Ink-n-Iron 2009

Darkman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:28:59 +0000

The Sonics

Here’s a gallery from Ink and Iron 2009 of the band “The Sonics”. The history of The Sonics is colorful to say the least and is part of the fledgling music scene in the Seattle, Washington area back in the 1960’s. The Sonics, however, are from Tacoma. Among The Sonics’ peers were Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Wailers, The Drastics, The Kingsmen, The Dynamics, and The Regents. This era of music, at that time in that area, is credited with the founding of Seattle’s well-known music scene that is still present today.

The Sonics are said to be one of, if not, THE first punk styled band back then. Though the punk scene or music really didn’t start until the 1970’s, they played a harsher style and sound than their contemporaries. The promoters from Ink and Iron brought The Sonics to the event in 2009, which brought in a big crowd of followers both young and old. The following gallery is the show they played at Ink and Iron that night.

All photos by Darkman.

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Hootenanny 2009, what a day!!!

Darkman — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:20:19 +0000

Hootenanny '09, what a day it was...

WOW…

Thats all I can say. The bands on Saturday were freaking outstanding, and the music just didn’t stop. One band after another, and the action just didn’t stop. I was there to photo the event for myself and for Golden Voice, The promoter of the gig, and I wanted to run around and see some of the cars, but it was just to hard to get away from the music! I mean the bands were playing for 30 minutes each except for the last 2 bands, the Revernd Horton Heat, and Los Lobos. So while I am trying to photo the first 3 songs, then run around and get pictures of everyone and then the cars, I was on the go non-stop the whole day. I have to go to class soon but I will add a gallery of images later tonight or tomorrow of The Hootenanny 2009. Wow, what a great show the bands all put on!!!

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Hootenanny 2009

Darkman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:31:40 +0000

One of the Biggest Rockabilly Events in America

Sorry for the lack of articles and such, I have been super busy editing images from Ink and Iron and tomorrow is the Hootenanny. I will be there with camera in hand so come y and say hi to me and get your pictures taken ok?

For now heres the lineup for Saturday at theHoot:

Hootenanny 2009
Saturday July 4, 2009 in Orange CountyScheduled to Appear:
The Reverend Horton Heat, Los Lobos, Horrorpops
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Supersuckers, Lee Rocker
Blasters, Roger Alen Wade, 3 Bad Jacks
Dusty Rhodes, Powerflex 5, Michael Ubaldini & Mystery Train
Mephis Kings, Good Man Down, Wax Apples, 7 Year Sophmore

Set Times:
Main Stage A
1:00- 1:30 Michael Ubaldini & Mystery Train
2:00- 2:30 3 Bad Jacks
3:00- 3:30 The Blasters
4:00- 4:30 Nekromantix
5:00- 5:30 Horrorpops
6:30- 7:30 Los Lobos

Main Stage B
12:30- 1:00 No Dice
1:30-2:00 Roger Alen Wade
2:30-3:00 Lee Rocker
3:30-4:00 Supersuckers
4:30-5:00 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
5:30-6:30 The Rev Horton Heat

Second Stage
1:00- 1:30 Memphis Kings
2:00- 2:30 Good Man Down
3:00- 3:30 Wax Apples
4:00- 4:30 Rockers in the Round (feat: Jeremy Popoff, Brian Coakley, Steve Soto, Danny Walker)
5:00- 5:30 Powerflex 5
6:00- 6:30 Slide Bar Winner

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Ink -n- Iron 2009, will you be there?

Darkman — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:28:48 +0000

Ink -n- Iron 2009, will you be there?

So Ink -n- Iron 2009 is quickly approaching us, in fact it’s just days away, 2 1/2 to be exact, but who’s counting right? I’m one of the Official Photographers for the event this year. I have been assigned to photo the 12 finalists for the Pinup Pageant this year, and I am looking forward to spending a bit of time with each of the ladies. My Job is to photo each one for a calendar that Ink -n- Iron will be putting out, in their classy dress up regalia for the event. Now when I say classy, I mean tasteful, nice looking outfits, not some skimpy questionable outfit that you might find walking down the boulevard. Last year I was in attendance as usual, and the pageant seemed a bit uneventful. In so much as there was no tension in the crowd, there was no exciting competition between the contestants and when it was over, it was…well…over. That’s it, all done, like a bad ending to a movie that could have been done way better. You know, you’re watching a movie and it’s pretty good but then it’s done, theres no climactic ending, and your left sitting there asking yourself “That’s it?”. Yeah, that’s the way it was. Wow,That’s It? Yep. The year before, 2007, was very exciting and had a very climactic ending. One little lady that I really felt should have placed and didn’t, other than being a finalist, was Bombshell Frenchy. Frenchy had everything that I felt was classic pinup. Stance, posteur, attitude, outfit and SMILE. 2007 Ink -n- Iron Runner Up, Bombshell Frenchy. There was nothing trashy about this lady at all and she had the

Ink -n- Iron 2007 Pinup Pageant Runner Up, Bombshell Frenchy

classic pinup look down pat! I felt she should have at least placed but didn’t. Anyway to make a long story short, last year there were a couple ladies from the previous year that didn’t win and were trying again, not to mention a number of faces I had never seen or heard of. To me a pinup pageant is or should be won based on talent, look, poses attitude and outfit. 2008’s pageant didn’t have many of those aspects and seemed to be more of a battle of the booty. Outfits that barely covered or didn’t cover parts, outfits that were not classy or classic at all. It was as if they were trying to win on the merit of their bodies and not their talent or ability. Where were the poses, the posteurs, the smiles and attitudes that are classic pinup? I didn’t see much, if any at all. I am hoping this years contestants took some notes from last year, and polished up their poses, smiles and attitudes, because as I said before, last years pageant seemed to be anti-climactic. I want to be excited to see who wins, I want to see the contestants really working for their victory and showing us those classic poses, posteurs, smiles and attitudes, not tasteless outfits, fake smiles and catfight mentality. One thing that is THE hallmark of a good pinup, if you look at any good pinup art, picture or painting, she looks happy, is smiling and looks like she is having FUN. There is nothing phony or contrived about it, it is however over the top in many aspects but it is a believeable over the top. Know what I mean? Anyway, I am really looking forward to this years pageant and I wish all the ladies good luck and knock ‘em out!

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The Rockabilly Lifestyle » Rockabilly Lifestyle

Bill Haley and the Comets

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