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Whole Lotta Shakin'

Episode 2 of 3

Rock 'n' roll took off in 1955, and the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis scandalised America with their gyrations, leading to Pat Boone's cleaned-up version.

As rock 'n' roll took off with teens in 1955 it quickly increased record sales by 300 per cent in America. Big business and the burgeoning world of TV moved in. Elvis made a big-money move to major label RCA instigated by Colonel Tom Parker, an illegal immigrant from Holland who had made his name at country fairs with a set of dancing chickens. Elvis made his national TV debut with Heartbreak Hotel and followed it with a gyrating version of Hound Dog that shocked America. PTAs, church groups and local councils were outraged. Rock 'n' roll was banned by the mayor of Jersey City and removed from jukeboxes in Alabama. Now Ed Sullivan would only shoot Elvis from the waist up.

The conservative media needed a cleaned-up version and the young, married-with-kids Christian singer Pat Boone shot up the chart, rivalling Elvis for sales. Not that this stopped rock 'n' roll. Jerry Lee Lewis again scandalised the nation with his gyrating finger in Whole Lotta Shakin' and the Everlys shocked with Wake Up Little Susie, both 45s being banned in parts of America.

It took bespectacled geek Buddy Holly to calm things down as a suburban down-home boy who, with his school friends The Crickets, turned plain looks into chart success. But by the end of 1958 the music was in real trouble. Elvis was conscripted into the army, Jerry Lee was thrown out of Britain and into obscurity for marrying his 13-year-old cousin and Little Richard went into the church.

Featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Don Everly, Tom Jones, Wanda Jackson, Pat Boone, DJ Fontana, Eric Burdon, James Burton, Jerry Allison (The Crickets' drummer), Mike Stoller, PF Sloan, Joe Boyd, Jerry Phillips, Marshall Chess and JM Van Eaton (Jerry Lee Lewis's drummer).

59 minutes

Last on

Sun 31 May 2020 00:00

Music Played

  • Chuck Berry

    Guitar Boogie

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Breathless

  • The Fireballs

    Torquay

  • Chuck Berry

    Deep Feeling

  • Bill Monroe & Doc Watson

    Turkey in the Straw

  • Elvis Presley

    Milk Cow Blues Boogie

  • Elvis Presley

    Mystery Train

  • Elvis Presley

    Heartbreak Hotel

  • Big Mama Thornton

    Hound Dog

  • Elvis Presley

    Hound Dog

  • Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Carl Davis

    Porgy & Bess Symphonic Picture

    Conductor: Carl Davis.
  • Sil Austin

    Shufflin' 91Èȱ¬

  • Link Wray

    Rumble

  • The Teenagers

    I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent

  • Pat Boone

    Hound Dog

  • Little Richard

    Tutti Frutti

  • Pat Boone

    Tutti Frutti

  • Fats Domino

    Ain't That A Shame

  • Pat Boone

    Ain't That A Shame

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Amazing Grace

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    My God Is Real

  • Bill Justis

    Raunchy

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Crazy Arms

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    The Marines Hymn

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Lewis Boogie

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Great Balls of Fire

  • North Texas Wind Symphony

    Gershwin's Prelude in C# Minor

    Director: Eugene Migliaro Corporon.
  • Gene Vincent

    Be Bop A Lula

  • Eddie Cochran

    20 Flight Rock

  • The Moonglows

    Sincerely

  • The Everly Brothers

    Wake Up Little Susie

  • Bill Monroe

    Precious Memories

  • Bo Diddley

    We're Gonna Get Married

  • The Everly Brothers

    Bye Bye Love

  • The Everly Brothers

    Bird Dog

  • Chet Atkins

    Bonita

  • The Everly Brothers

    Til I Kissed You

  • The Everly Brothers

    All I Have To Do Is Dream

  • Tiny Fuller

    Catwalk

  • Norman Petty Trio

    Mood Indigo

  • The Crickets

    That'll Be The Day

  • The Crickets

    Oh Boy

  • The Crickets

    Peggy Sue

  • The Crickets

    Peggy Sue Got Married

  • Barrett Strong

    Money That's What I Want

  • Elvis Presley

    Heartbreak Hotel

  • The Fireballs

    Torquay

  • Elvis Presley

    Mystery Train

  • Link Wray & His Raymen

    Rumble

  • Fats Domino

    Ain't That A Shame

  • Little Richard

    Tutti Frutti

  • Jerry Lee Lewis

    Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On

  • Eddie Cochran

    Twenty Flight Rock

  • Eddie Cochran

    Twenty Flight Rock

  • The Everly Brothers

    ('til) I Kissed You

  • Buddy Holly

    That'll Be The Day

Credits

Role Contributor
Producer Matt O'Casey
Director Matt O'Casey
Executive Producer Mark Cooper

Broadcasts

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Rock 'n' Roll America season

91Èȱ¬ Music celebrates the birth of rock ‘n’ roll on Radio 2, 6 Music and 91Èȱ¬ Four.