Upon further analysis of both videos, I agree with Riley’s observation. The Beatles were more influenced by Buddy Holly rather than Elvis, based on a comparison of the Beatles overall product (i.e. song, video, and dance motions) and the videos presented of each in the prompt. The two singers differ in appearance, physicality, musicality, source of music, and in how each served as inspiration to the Beatles.
When a person thinks of rock music in the 50s, they usually think of Elvis Presley, “the King of rock and roll”. However, he seems to exhibit a more stereotypical American approach to music. As Americans, we like everything that entertains us to be bigger and better than before. Presley certainly delivers this idea through his outfit,
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His outfit, as well as his mannerisms, does not follow what was acceptable in society’s point of view at that time. His open jacket and partially opened shirt underneath shows some skin. Presley also has a chiseled appearance, and was known by host Ed Sullivan as “Elvis the Pelvis.” These examples indicate that while people came for his music, many people were also drawn to his sex appeal. Elvis moved around on stage which accentuated the beat of the music, as well as showcased the high energy and fast rhythm of the song. However, as he moved around on stage, the camera would focus on his actions, and not on his group, showing that Elvis had the primary importance and priority in the group. His musicality is apparent in this video, but not obvious due to the distracting dance moves that he does. He sings the song with the proper rhythm, but his tone and professionalism on stage is affected by the sensual dance moves he performs. Presley’s source of inspiration is a song first made popular by Little Richard in 1956, but was written by two other songwriters: Robert Blackwell and John Marascalco. Elvis is famous for mainly singing covers of singles, rather than writing his own songs. I believe that the influence of Elvis on the Beatles is that Elvis tied …show more content…
Though he was an American, his performance provided a sort of subtle style of rock and roll. At this point in time, the subtle style of rock and roll was more associated with the British who tried to not go over the top in their performances. Buddy appeared to be more of a “British rock and roller” by his appearance, performance, non-distracting dance moves, and the instruments, music, and tone used in his performance. Appearance wise, he and his band were dressed in matching black tie suits, providing an uniform appearance of his group and showing that they are all equals. This is especially shown in parts where there is an instrumental break and the camera pans to the band members who are enjoying their time on stage performing. The black tuxedos help Holly to exhibit a professionalism on stage that was usually associated with British stars. British performers at that time, at least for me, appeared to be more subdued and not as exaggerated when they perform. Buddy Holly captures this characteristic by just focusing on the music he is performing and not on his stage presence. He sways in time with the music, and has small dance moves such as a tapping leg which kept the beat, and some head bops in time with the music. This was very different from Elvis’s dancing and hopping around the stage as he sang. Holly was more calm and just enjoyed performing his song. Additionally,
He also was known to influences experimental new music and electronic music. Although he spent a good part of his life in the recording studio, he also performed live. In addition to being one of the greatest vocalists in the 1950s, Holly played guitar, a variety of percussion instruments, and electric bass. Although Holly’s music career was short lived, the amount of music he produced is very impressive. As a songwriter, he is famous for developing his own material. It is in his songs and his band, The Crickets, that we truly see Buddy Holly’s unique musical personality. Holly also appeared to be a vocalist and instrumentalist, playing bass and guitar on almost all his songs. “Buddy Holly played rock and roll for only a few short years, but the wea...
Presley grew up in an era where racism was strong; his music brought all races together. His music had Caucasians singing black R&B despite the racism. Teenage girls all over the world would go hysterical over Elvis and his crude moves. Elvis received one of his nicknames “Elvis the Pelvis” with his sexual moves that could not be recorded on television. 1955 and 1956 was when Presley exploded in his musical careers with his single “Heartbreak Hotel” which sold over one million copies. As I listened to this single that sold so many copies I can hear the different genres and the way his voice was so different compared to other artist in this era. The main instrument being played in this single is a guitar. There is actually a hotel named after Elvis’s first hit single. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the hit song was inspired behind a suicide note that one of Pre...
Rock and roll never officially started without a true performer named Buddy Holly. Holly pioneered in the new wave of rock and roll along with Elvis Presley. No matter what Holly did, his fans seemed to never leave his side and fell in love with a style of music all his own. Forever young, buddy Holly still has a musical impact on his fans.
More important from a music lover's perspective, however, are his remarkable artistic achievements. Presley was not the very first white man to sing rhythm & blues; Bill Haley predated him in that regard, and there may have been others as well. Elvis was certainly the first, however, to assertively fuse country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly. While rockabilly arrangements were the foundations of his first (and possibly best) recordings, Presley could not have become a mainstream superstar without a much more varied palette that also incorporated pop, gospel, and even some bits of bluegrass and operatic schmaltz here and there. His 1950s recordings established the basic language of rock & roll; his explosive and sexual stage presence set standards for the music's visual image; his vocals were incredibly powerful and versatile.
By far though, Mr. Presley will be best remembered for his musical talents which revolutionized the genre of rock music. Mr. Presley helped to popularize an early form of rock music known as "rockability".
Through his music lyrically he explained two things between dance and music he said: “Rock ‘n’ Roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it.” (needs citation) Therefore, when he performed songs like “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)” he changed the rhythm and melody to an up tempo, the lyrics talk about him losing a woman and he then starts crying over her. Unlike “Tutti Frutti” which was originated by “Little Richard,” he is singing about two different women he is having a hard time figuring out why they drive him crazy the song can be taken as sexual or depending on the thoughts of the listener. So, when he performed this new sounds Country combined with the Rhythm and Blues that was exhilarating to his mixed audience. He was not only telling a story through his new founded discoveries of music he had a distinct voice, style, and deliverance like the African American artists in the 1940’s and 50’s Elvis helped the music in 1954 give rise to this new genre Rock and
Elvis Aaron Presley was raised by his mother Gladys, to have a strong faith in God. And while he was still very young, Presley, attended the Assembly of God Church with his parents, where gospel music became an enormous influence on him. His musical talents and instrumental prowess soon began to impress his parents, peers and even his teachers at Humes High School in Memphis, that he earned his first guitar at the early age of ten. After graduating in 1953, Presley decided to get his hands on some paying jobs. He worked a number of jobs while pursuing his musical dream. He recorded his first demo record at what later became known as Sun Studio that same year, his persistence paid off when, Sam Phillips, the record label owner, decided to take him under his wing. Presley soon began touring and recording, trying to catch his first big break. Then, his First Single called "That's All Right" was recorded in 1954.
It wasn’t easy to get to where he was. Mississippi born and raised, Presley didn’t live in luxury. His wealth and fame was a massive step from his struggling Mississippi life (Stones). This influenced others to pursue their dreams as well. Since he was raised this way, and grew up as a generous and kind person, he would always donate to the needy, which sparked the role model in him (Bergmooser). Only ten years old, Presley finally made his first public performance. He sang “Old Shep” for a contest and received fifth place (Stones). Later in his life, he made his first record working with Sun Records in 1953 (Stones). This eventually led to exposure in the music industry. More and more people listened and bought his albums as the years flew by. Added up, Elvis Presley sold more than a billion records worldwide (RIAA). Throughout his career, he performed many times and at countless different locations. In 1972, he sold out four Madison Square Garden shows (McShane). This is the place many artists only dream of achieving. Step by step, Presley grew his fame and aspired others to strive the same way. Without har...
The Presley family was closely knit, and a working family. They moved from house to house, but Elvis was the center of their attention. He was the reason they worked so hard. There wasn’t much money, but his parents did their best to provide for him. Elvis began singing in 1945 at talent shows. It was then in 1946, that Elvis received a guitar for his birthday instead of a bicycle that he wanted. Then there was the big move to Memphis, in search of a better life for the family. Elvis along with his parents lived in low income rent homes as well as public housing homes. His parents then moved from job to job while Elvis went to school. Presley participated in a talent show for students at his school, and to his surprise, he received more applause than anyone else, which led to him winning the show. Elvis graduated high school in June 1953, and there right after, he began working at Parker Machinists Shop. During the summer, Elvis recorded demo of “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartache Begin”, giving it to his mother as a birthday gift. Later that year, Presley began working for Precision Tool Company. Elvis decided to record another demo, however this time there was a different studio owner, Sam Phillips. In April 1954, Elvis began workin...
The development of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young African Americans coincided with a sensitive time in America. Civil rights movements were under way around the country as African Americans struggles to gain equal treatment and the same access to resources as their white neighbors. As courts began to vote in favor of integration, tensions between whites and blacks escalated. As the catchy rhythm of Rock ‘n’ Roll began to cross racial boundaries many whites began to feel threatened by the music, claiming its role in promoting integration. This became especially problematic as their youth became especially drawn to ...
McPherson, Ian. “The Salt of the Earth: 1955-1960 R&B-Derived Rock & Roll.” Time Is On Our
Rock and Roll was the start of a new revolution in America. It introduced the world to many of the famous artists that continue to be a part of our lives today. "Artists who became popular in the 1950s such as Elvis, began to pave the way for others such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly" (The History of Rock 'n' Roll until 1960). With the introduction of rock 'n' roll, there came many new changes to the lives of many Americans. Rock and Roll was a major contributor for the change in teens' behavior in the 1950s because it encouraged new freedoms for teenagers, encouraged new fads among teenagers, and caused a generation gap.
The Fifties were a good time to be a white middle class American These years brought an UN-thought of prosperity and confidence to Americans who barely remembered the Great Depression. Popular music of the early fifties mirrored the life of mainstream America: bland predictable and reassuring. Which didn't seem bad after the depre...
His impact on music is one of the greatest of all time; influencing artists like Buddy Holly and The Beatles, he paved the way for current Rock and Roll. Spotify has created an entire web page, called Elvisualization, tracing current music artists to Elvis Presley, it is found at: http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisualization.html. I was able to find many different singers including Blake Shelton, who was inspired by Vince Gill, and he was inspired by Merle Haggard who was inspired by Elvis. Many different artists attribute different characteristics which can be traced back to Elvis. That is what a true king does, encourage long after he is
Elvis Presley was a very successful person in the music business back in the 1950’s, he hit number one with his song “Heartbreak Hotel,” and hit number one with his album “Elvis Presley,” he then acted in his first movie “Love me tender” in 1956 which made him even more popular and famous than he already was. After that, Elvis became a very known person; he was on a lot of TV shows and radio stations.