Deep Tracks

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!

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....

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...

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!

Moral outrage and outright racism ignite the explosive reactions to Elvis' performance of "Hound Dog" on the Milton Berle Show.

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 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 &qu...

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...?

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!

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" abou...

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 w...

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 MST...

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!

"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,...

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 fat...

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 t...

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" o...

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!

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, t...

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...

At long last, we tackle Chuck Berry! In this episode we focus on his life story and on his lyrics. You also get to experience my new segue music. That alone is worth the listen...

In this episode we focus primarily on the life and career of Fats Domino, but of course meander through the stories of several other interesting musical figures such as B.B. King and Ike Turner, not to mention we look at what is considered by most to be the first rock 'n' roll song: "Rocket 88." We also talk about boogie-woogie, jump blues, and an ant crawling across a piano keyb...

The title says it all: this episode is about sex, record charts, and early rock music. More specifically, we're going to be talking about sexual innuendo within hokum blues and other forms of music, how this impacted people's perception of black music in general, how that would carry over into perceptions surrounding rock's birth, and finally about record charts, crossovers, and covers...

Rock was born alongside youth culture in the U.S. and the two of them informed and fueled each other. The invention of the American teenager and the national anxiety over juvenile delinquency would impact how the first generation of rockers would make their decisions, how they would be viewed and treated, and in some cases even define their legacies. This episode focuses in on that one factor surr...

We take a deep dive into the business side of music! I speak with the genius behind Green Room Strategy, John Lucchetti! We talk about things like talent management, promotion, branding, Alan Parsons and the Alan Parsons Project, plus tons of other stuff! There's lots of great info in here for aspiring musicians, up-and-coming bands, or even just folks who are curious about the "man behin...