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The Blues Had a Baby and
They Named It Rock and Roll
"The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll" is a Muddy Waters song similar to Brownie McGhee's "Blues Had a Baby (They Call It Rock & Roll)." Both were recorded in 1976. And both are a testament to what was occurring at that time: Rock n Roll was filling the airwaves and concert halls with lyrics and music that originated from the Blues.
Willie Dixon put it this way, "You can't have the fruits without the roots."
Since 1989 I have connected the dots between the Blues and Rock by offering a special feature named after the Muddy Waters' song. And playing a Blues original followed by a Rock n Roll cover version of the same song. Some are obvious pairings, like John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood doing One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. And others are more obscure, like Little Milton and Jerry Garcia doing "That's What Love Will Make You Do." Whether well-known or more hidden this feature is a listener favorite and one I always relish putting together. And it's included in every show.
First Album First Song
First Album First Song is when Rock n Roll Soul plays the opening track of a band's debut album. Going back in time to see how they introduced themselves to the world. And giving us a chance to remember what song they decided would capture that defining moment when they moved from stage to studio. Often you'll hear more than one song from the album along with stories behind the music. Bands featured so far include Aerosmith, The Pretenders, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Joe Walsh, and more.
Play The Poster
When I was hosting both a Psychedelic show and a Blues show on college radio, I began collecting concert posters that featured both genres of music. Concentrating on concerts from San Francisco in the 1960s. Many had that cryptic lettering that you can't read at first and then comes into view, like one of those magic pictures. And all of course are works of art. So over the years I had many framed and they lined the walls of my home. Leading me to often wonder what it must've been like at those shows.
So on Play the Poster we take a trip back in time, listening to a song from each artist on a concert bill and making our own mini set list of the show. Usually at the Avalon Ballroom or Fillmore Auditoriu in San Francisco at a time when music promoters like Chet Helms and Bill Graham were putting together concert line-ups.
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