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WE NEVER USED TO CALL IT
"DOO WOP"
Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, when we were all listening to our
favorite Rock 'N' Roll deejays on the radio nobody used to call
any of the music "doo wop." There were individual artists, black and
white and male and female; and vocal groups, black, white and integrated,
male and female.
As examples: Bill Haley's music was derived mainly from the "cowboy" and "western swing" traditions, with excursions into R&B. Fats Domino came out of the New Orleans jazz tradition. Elvis was the "hillbilly cat" because he blended "hillbilly" music with the music of negro (that was the politically correct term back then) "hep cats." Joe Turner was "the Boss of the Blues." Etta James was "rollin'" with Henry. Carl Perkins bought us some "Blue Suede Shoes." Jo-Ann Campbell was "Drivin' Me Maaad" - whatta looker she was!!
A plethora of vocal groups, black, white, and integrated, "oooh-waaah'd" and
"shoobie-doo'd" into our collective memories - Cadillacs, Chantels, Dale & Grace, Dell-Vikings (was it one or two L's???), Drifters, Harptones, Johnnie & Joe, Marcels, Mello-Kings, Mickey & Sylvia, Nino & April, Orioles, Passions, Paul & Paula, Penguins, Shangri-Las, Shirelles, Teenagers, Valentines and many many others.
We even, grudgingly, accepted some of the Philadelphia "wunderkinds" like Fabian, Frankie and Freddie "Boom-Boom" into the fold.
And, to quote the Coasters: "...baby that is Rock 'N' Roll..."
Back then, there was no need to separate out the vocal groups from the
other artists, and it didn't matter if the music was R&B or "rockabilly" - we listened to it ALL and liked it all.
It was only in the 1970s with the so-called "revivals" that some folks in the business, such as Gus Gossert in New York, felt a "need" to place a special "tag" on the work of vocal groups. It has always been my personal opinion that the term "doo-wop" is a bit disparaging, but then I guess I'm now in the minority.
Nonetheless, Rock 'N' Roll survives, despite various attempts to
bring it down.
"Grease for Peace!!"
� �
Gino
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