Whole Lotta Shakin'
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).
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
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
- Fri 10 Jul 2015 21:00
- Sat 11 Jul 2015 00:00
- Mon 13 Jul 2015 02:00
- Fri 5 Feb 2016 23:30
- Mon 8 Feb 2016 01:30
- Sun 17 Apr 2016 22:15
- Sun 19 Feb 2017 01:05
- Fri 24 Mar 2017 23:00
- Fri 15 Dec 2017 23:35
- Fri 12 Oct 2018 21:00
- Sat 13 Oct 2018 02:30
- Fri 18 Oct 2019 20:00
- Sun 31 May 2020 00:00
Featured in...
Born in the USA
Celebrating classic American rock.
My Generation
Charting the history of pop music across the decades starting with the mid-50s to mid-60s
Music Stories
Get the inside track on some of music's most influential songs, albums and personalities.
Chart the history of pop music across the decades
Visit the 91Èȱ¬ Music My Generation site.
Rock 'n' Roll America season
91Èȱ¬ Music celebrates the birth of rock ‘n’ roll on Radio 2, 6 Music and 91Èȱ¬ Four.