Cars and Guitars in Southern California including Glendale.

Long has the link between music and cars been known. Rocket 88 by Ike Turner and sung by Jackie Brenston in 1952 is about cars. Bill Haley covered it with his clankety-clank style of rock-a-billy. Buick 59 by the Medallions and many others. Artist Robert Williams http://robtwilliamsstudio.com/ put out a double elpee set of music covering the late 1940s to early 1960s. Von Dutch http://www.vondutch.com/, a patron saint of pin-striping, is even mentioned in on of the songs from about 1959. Not what one hears, although he should, on KRTH or some 'oldies' collection hawked by a baby-boomer on television celebrating his or her graying hairs.

Of course no collection of cars, not matter what fancy gagets is has, is complete without a Ford Thunderbird; simply is not possible. In the 1950s and '60s a golden age of hotrod and kustom kulture thrived in Southern California. While I had posters of Sandy Koufax and Don Drisedale on my bedroom wall. I also had pictures of Mickie Thompson, A.J. Foyt, and Parnelli Jones. Robert Williams and Ed Roth were favorite artists and still are. Black, White, and Brown were enamored with kustom kulture.

In the musical tradition of cool and cars Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys http://www.bigsandy.net/ and Los Strait Jackets http://www.straitjackets.com/ loom large. I have seen both several times and felt as though I had not paid enough to attend their excellent shows.

  http://www.bigsandy.net/

Just Like Eddie Cochran

Big Sandy at the Bordello in Los Angeles

One of the best and clearest singers live, that I have ever heard!

Levi Dexter at the Cochran Club

Little Mo!

Just Like Eddie was also the title of a 1963 song by Heinz Burt, former member of the UK rock instrumental act The Tornadoes masterminded by Joe Meek. Eddie Cochran was, in some ways, a visionary musician. When asked about rock and roll in February of 1959, just after the death of good friend Buddy Holly http://www.buddyhollyandthecrickets.com/, his comments were in affect, "I think it's going to be around for a long time, just not in the form we have it today. I've been hearing that it's gonna go for the last five years or so, and it's still here..."
He came into the studio ready. Well versed in the current technology of the times as well and was a guitarist of extraordinary skill and talent: he could play anything. After maybe three listenings any style he heard, he could play. He was poised to be the first guitar hero and even Jimi Hendrix requested that his music be played at his funeral; request granted.

Regarding his terrible death he was one of the last real rockers standing during the teen-idol era who refused to do that. He had the looks. He had it all but the orientation to do that and even ducked out on Ed Sullivan to preserve his rocker image! Hollywood might have used him more and being at the epicenter of the rock instrumental culture coming, no doubt he would have flourished even more. In fact a number of the surf bands were very influenced by Eddie Cochran in at least two ways 1. his sense of humor, and 2. Ray Charles music. And he could play! Very affable chap.

A committed Gretch player, his friend and fellow guitarist Dick Dale, would discuss where they believed guitar was going. Dick was a solid body player and reasoned that speed, playing technique, and the studio were going to be instrumental; and he was correct. Remember Dick Dale has country and western roots as well.

Recently in Bell Gardens, the Cochran Club was opened. I was there for the christening and took the following pictures.

Raphael the artist

Blue Denim

Bobby Cochran

Some of the entertainers included Blue Denim, Levi Dexter http://www.punkglobe.com/levidexterinterview0610.html, Little Mo...

Blue Demin from Sydney Australia.http://www.reverbnation.com/bluedenim

Rock-a-billy music http://www.mp3rockabilly.com/, orignally just called rock and roll even in the south, his a strong hear in the Los Angeles area. Ask John Fogerty. Overseas and up in Canada, when the American in American music was finally strangled within the corporate-intelligence culture comprising Top 40 and so on and Alex Constantine's book: The Covert War Against Rock and Rebels of the Air by Jessie Walker http://reason.com/people/jesse-walker/articles and Fighting for Air by: Eric Klinenberg https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/72/Fighting_For_Air_An_interview_with_Eric_Klinenberg.html are indispensable to an understanding of this.

American music flourished! What was the end stateside, were the beginnings elsewhere. Cliff Richard and The Shadows ruled in England http://www.cliffrichard.org/, Johnny Halliday in France where he is still much beloved today and has had the great talents of Brian Setzer http://www.briansetzer.com/ playing with him recently as well https://www.facebook.com/Fan.Club.Johnny.Hallyday. These and a number of others remain not well known in the USA but should be! I find European rock-a-billy, not the chart music ones hears on some Top 40 Oldies station, much more interesting. I call it solid-state rock and roll because it sound as though no tube speakers were used, or seldom use. They are hard on themselves! Very critical at times with the music because it is not exactly like Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry http://chuckberry.com/, tell me who is?

In Canada rock-a-billy continued well into the 1960s. There is an annoying pattern. It is when elements within America starves its people at home but enriches what often turns out to be competitors or future enemies abroad.