Let It Roll

Ed Ward and host Nate Wilcox fill in a gap in our discussion of his epic History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963 with a look at how African-American pop music transformed itself thru the swing era, the rise & fall of the blues queens, the thin line between jazz and blues, the first guitar heroes and the greatest American musical superstar you’ve probably barely heard of, Louis Jordan. ⁠GO TO THE...

Ed Ward and host Nate Wilcox fill in a gap in our discussion of his epic History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963 by discussing the foundation of commercial country music and its first superstars, Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. ⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minut...

Today features the conclusion of our discussion of Ed Ward’s book Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero. Bob Dylan listed the book as one of his favorites in a recent web post. This week, Ed and I talk about the fall of Michael Bloomfield, his dream band Electric Flag and why it became a nightmare for him, the difficulties Al Kooper had in birthing their massively succes...

Today features the return of Ed Ward to discuss his book Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero which is coming out in paperback this summer. This week, Ed and I talk about the rise of Michael Bloomfield, his legend, his unique role as a Jewish bluesman who learned at the feet of Muddy Waters and other African-American players in Chicago, his role in helping Bob Dylan bir...

Today we’re bringing back biographer Paul Trynka to talk about Starman, his biography of the late, great David Bowie. This week, Paul and I talk about Bowie's amazing career and surprisingly sympathetic personal life of Davy Jones aka David Bowie aka Major Tom, aka Ziggy Stardust, aka the Thin White Duke etc etc. We discuss the many transformations and amazing accomplishments of the last great Eng...

This week host Nate Wilcox is joined by Paul Trynka, author of Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed. Paul and Nate discuss the dichotomy between the erudite and charming Jim Osterberg and his wild man stage persona Iggy Pop, Iggy’s troubled relationships with his various sidemen and writing partners and the multiple times David Bowie stepped in and saved Jim’s life and Iggy’s career. Buy the book and suppo...

This week Nate Wilcox interviews Paul Trynka about his book Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones. Paul and Nate discuss the achievements and tragedy of Brian Jones, his vision for the Rolling Stones, his partnership and rivalry with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, his relationship with Anita Pallenberg and much more. Buy the book and support the podcast. Download this episode. Have a ques...

This week is a prequel to last season that covers the period from 1920 to 1945. It’s a fun one as Ed Ward and Nate Wilcox talk rock and roll’s prehistory in the era of Victrolas, live radio, and swing bands. We talk about the first hit blues record, the first superstars of country music, and much more. Buy the book and support the podcast. ⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward conclude their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with part two of 1963. We'll hear about about the Lebanese Restaurant that birthed surf music and saved Fender guitars, how Murray Wilson’s failed musical career laid the groundwork for his sons’ amazing success, how Columbia buried Bob Dylan’s first attempt to go rock, and the split betw...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠⁠⁠ with the first of two shows discussing 1963. This week we’ll be talking about how Berry Gordy perfected his Motown assembly line, Phil Spector and the wrecking crew, Roy Orbison’s operatic dramas, Patsy Cline’s final year, and how James Brown finally seized control of his career and became...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠⁠ with a look at 1961 and 1962, years that are often written off as “the dark ages” of the first rock and roll era. As Ed Ward points out, “any time you’re a teenager is the best time for rock and roll!”  GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠ with a look at 1960, a year when the American corporate brass thought they had tamed the rock and roll rebels of the 1950s.  GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of t...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠ with a look at 1959, a year that started with tragedy for rock n’ roll and went on to see the first flowerings of soul music and the Brill Building pop that would dominate the early 60s.  It was also the year that the music business figured out how to package pretty faces with rocking beats and...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠ with a look at 1958, the backlash year. This was the year that Elvis got drafted and Jerry Lee Lewis ruined his career with a bigamous marriage to his 13-year-old cousin. It was also the year that the music business figured out how to package pretty faces with rocking beats and foisted Fabian a...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ "⁠ with a look at what Ed calls the “Miracle Year” of rock and roll. The year when Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and others were at the peak of their powers and dominated the charts.  GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠⁠"History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ " with a look at rock and roll in 1956, focusing on the rocky yet productive relationships between African-American recording artists and the Jewish entrepreneurs who brought their work to market. We discuss the relationship between James Brown and Syd Nathan of King Records, the tragic relationship...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠⁠History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠ with a look at 1955 and 1956. These are the years when the “American Prometheus” brought forth Elvis Presley, when Chuck Berry culturally appropriated Western Swing for his first hit and Hollywood shocked the masses with the first rock and roll movies. As always we’ll touch on the non-musical factors tha...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's ⁠History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠ with a look at the period when Rock and Roll really got started. We’ll hear about the woman who discovered Elvis Presley, a pair of Jewish music fans who become legit R&B legends, how a Turkish record mogul wrote Ray Charles’ first hit, when country music discovered cheating songs and a whole lot about dir...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed's History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963 with a look at the legendary song “Good Rockin’ Tonight” and the two simultaneous hit versions that came out in 1949 plus the early work of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Ruth Brown, and the late, great Johnny Ace. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward kick off their discussion of Ed's History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963 with a look at some of the factors that made the first five years after World War II so critical to the evolution of Rock and Roll. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The fi...