RnB 50s

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RnB 50s

JOURNEY THROUGH 800 RnB SOUL SONGS

RnB SOUL  ∙  1920-40s  ∙  50s  ∙  60s  ∙  70s  ∙  80s  ∙  90s  ∙  Neo Soul 2000s-2010s  ∙

RnB 50s

 

RnB 50s :  Dinah Washington (1924-1963)  ∙  Ray Charles (1930-2004)  ∙  Sam Cooke (1931-1964)

In the late 1940s, the term Rythm 'n' Blues (RnB) became the trade designation for the music of Afro-American communities. As such, RnB was the music scene where the most modern, popular and high-profile musical styles developed as a result of the aforementioned evolution. Throughout the 50s, its most successful subgenres were jazz, blues, vocals, gospel and RnB rock.

The advent of rock’n’roll in 1948-49 did not only revolutionize American folk and country music but also blues and popular vocals and gospel, while marking the end of the era for swing-jazz, big band jazz and boogie-woogie. In the following years, each of these musical genres integrated in its own way the moods, rhythms and instruments of rock music.


 
 
 
 
 
 
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RnB VOCALS

In the 1950s, RnB vocals followed the musical style pioneered in the 1930s by The Mills Brothers and supported by the advances made in the 40s on the crooner scene by jazz singer Nat King Cole. It spawned the doo-wop frenzy in the mid-50s with serial hits by new bands like The Platters, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, The Moonglows, The Five Satins, The Coasters, or The Drifters with Ben. E. King.

∙  1950  ∙  Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)  ∙  1951  ∙  Too young  (Nat King Cole, ver. 1961)  ∙  Fool fool fool (The Clovers)  ∙  1952  ∙  The glow-worm (The Mills Brothers)  ∙  1953  ∙  Crying in the Chapel (The Orioles)  ∙  1955  ∙  Only you (The Platters)  ∙  That's all I want from you (Dinah Washington)  ∙  Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets (Sarah Vaughan)  ∙  1956  ∙  In the still of the night (The Five Satins ft Fred Parris)  ∙  Why do fools fall in love (Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers)  ∙   Over and over again (The Moonglows)  ∙  Love is strange (Mickey & Sylvia)  ∙

∙  1957  ∙  Over the mountain, accross the sea (Johnnie and Joe)  ∙  1958  ∙  Little bitty pretty one (Frankie Lymon)  ∙  Book of love (The Monotones)  ∙  Get a job (The Silhouettes)  ∙  Three cool cats (The Coasters)  ∙  1959  ∙  What a difference a day made (Dinah Washington)  ∙  A hole in the bucket (Harry Belafonte & Odetta)  ∙  Charlie Brown (The Coasters)  ∙  Shout  (The Isley Brothers)  ∙  There goes my baby (The Drifters ft Ben E. King)  ∙  Tears on my pilow (Little Anthony)  ∙  1959 / 1960 ∙  Handyman / Wondrous place (Jimmy Jones)  ∙

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GOSPEL

In the 1950s, RnB Gospel drew on the popular forms developed in 1941-46 by the spirituals vocal ensemble The Jubalaires. It flourished in 1952-55 with bands like The Soul Stirrers, The 5 Royales, with singer Faye Adams, and even more significantly in 1957-1964 with singer Sam Cooke's stellar 30-hit streak.

∙  1950  ∙  Our father (Five Blind Boys of Mississippi)  ∙  Jesus gave me water (The Famous Bue Jay Singers) ∙  1951  ∙  Jesus gave me water  (The Soul Stirrers ft Sam Cooke)  ∙  1952  ∙  Baby don't do it (The 5 Royales)  ∙  1953  ∙  Help me somebody / Crazy crazy crazy (The 5 Royales)  ∙  Shake a hand (Faye Adams)  ∙  A sinner's plea / Somewhere to lay my head (Sensational Nightingales)  ∙  1954  ∙  Dreaming of the Ladies in the moon (The Jubalaires)  ∙

∙  1957  ∙  Dedicated to the one I love (The 5 Royales)  ∙  You send me (Sam Cooke)  ∙  1958  ∙  Joshua fit the battle of Jericho / Lord, don't move the mountains (Mahalia Jackson)  ∙  Wade in the water (The Drinkard Singers)  ∙  Oh Mary don't you weep (Swan Silvertones)  ∙  1959  ∙  Only sixteen (Sam Cooke)  ∙  It's just a matter of time (Brook Benton)  ∙  Waterboy (Odetta)  ∙

 

Gospel revival, a 2010 CD+DVD Combo with 26 Gospel clips: "How sweet it was, the sights and sounds of Gospel's golden age

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BLUES

In the 50s, traditional blues continued while RnB blues modernized the genre and spread, with Screaming Jay Hawkins turning it into spectacular popular acts and B. B. King shaping elaborate jazzy blues-rock.
 

TRADITIONAL BLUES ∙  1950  ∙  Blue lite boogie (Louis Jordan)  ∙  1951  ∙  3 O'clock blues (B.B. King)  ∙  1952  ∙  When I'm gone (Joe Hill Louis)  ∙  1954  ∙  Bad Boy (John Lee Hooker)  ∙  Thank you for your kindness (J.B. Hutto)  ∙  Boogie disease (Doctor Ross)  ∙  Cotton's crop blues (James Cotton)  ∙  1958  ∙  Nobody knows you when you're down and out (Scrapper Blackwell)  ∙  1959  ∙  Shake'em on down (Mississippi Fred McDowell)  ∙  

RnB BLUES    1950  ∙  Rollin' stone (Muddy Waters)  ∙  1951  ∙  She left me a mule to ride (Big Joe Williams, ver. 1966)   ∙  How many more years (Howlin' Wolf)  ∙  1953  ∙  Why did you waste my time (Screamin' Jay Hawkins)  ∙  The things that I used to do  (Guitar Slim)  ∙  Hound dog / Hound dog live (Big Mama Thornton)  ∙  Mistery Train (Junior Parker)  ∙  On the road again (Floyd Jones)  ∙  1954  ∙  I got a woman (Ray Charles)  ∙  High and lonesome (Jimmy Reed)  ∙

∙  1956  ∙  I put a spell on you (Screamin' Jay Hawkins)  ∙  Everyday I have the blues  (B.B. King)  ∙  Dimples (John Lee Hooker, ver. 1997)  ∙  I can't quit you baby (Otis Rush, ver. 70s)  ∙  Keep it to Yourself (Sonny Boy Williamson, ver. 1963)  ∙  1957  ∙  I'm a King bee (Slim Harpo)  ∙  1958  ∙  Stone crazy (Buddy Guy)  ∙  1959  ∙  Come go with me/Lightnin's blues (Lightnin' Hopkins) ∙  Maudie (John Lee Hooker, ver. 1968)  ∙  She left me a mule to ride (Big Joe Williams, ver. 1966)  ∙

A number of songs promoted the genre's mass popularity and have since become classics such as :

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JAZZ

In the 50s, swing-jazz and big bands lost popularity. Jazz became a more complex and confidential music segment, praised both technically and artistically but with limited audience. Notwithstanding this development, jazz remained a distinctive popular segment in the world of RnB, where 1940s singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald left their mark forever on the jazz song style.

∙  1950  ∙  I found my way to wine (Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes)  ∙  1951  ∙  Night train (Jimmy Forrest)  ∙  Blue skies (Joe Caroll)  ∙  1952  ∙  Cool breeze (Dizzy Gillespie)  ∙  1953  ∙  Apples peaches and cherries (Peggy Lee)  ∙  1955  ∙  Urbanity (full "1947-1955 LP", 32' ) (Hank Jones)  ∙  1957  ∙  Air mail special (Ella Fitzgerald, orig. 1941 Benny Goodman)  ∙  I can't give you anything but love (Ella Fitzgerald)  ∙

∙  1958  ∙  Me and the blues (Ray Bryant)  ∙  Moanin' (Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers)  ∙  Autumn leaves (Cannonball Adderley, orig. 1950 Yves Montand)  ∙  1959  ∙  Moanin' (Charlie Mingus)  ∙  Are you havin' any fun? (Count Basie ft Tony Benett, orig. 1939 Tommy Dorsey)  ∙  Umbrella (Louis Armstrong & Dizzy Gillespie)  ∙  So what ? (Miles Davis)  ∙  Strange fruit (Billie Holiday)  ∙  My baby just cares for me (Nina Simone)  ∙

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RnB ROCK

In the 50s, rnb rock turned into a frenzy (see also Rock USA 50s)..

∙  1950  ∙  Teardrops from my eyes (Ruth Brown)  ∙  Cupid's boogie (Esther Phillips & Mel Walker)  ∙  1951  ∙  Rocket 88  (Ike Turner & Jackie Brenston)  ∙  Sixty minute man (Billy Ward & The Dominoes)  ∙  How many more years  (Howlin' Wolf)  ∙  1952  ∙  Ring-a-ding-doo (Johnny Otis & Esther Phillips)  ∙

∙  1953  ∙  Money honey  (Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters)  ∙  Mistery train  (Junior Parker)  ∙  Tiger man, king of the jungle (Rufus Thomas Jr.)  ∙  1954  ∙  Boogie disease  (Doctor Ross)  ∙  Shake rattle' roll  (Big Joe Turner)  ∙  Work with me Annie  (Hank Ballard & The Midnighters)  ∙  I got a woman (Ray Charles)  ∙

∙  1955  ∙  Pretty thing  (Bo Diddley)  ∙  Ain't that a shame (Fats Domino)    Maybellene (Chuck Berry)  ∙  Wallflower (roll with me Henry!)  (Etta James & The Peaches)  ∙  1956  ∙  Tutti frutti / Long tall Sally  (Little Richard)  ∙  Please please please (James Brown & the Famous Flames, ver. 1964)  ∙  Everyday I have the blues  (B.B. King)  ∙  That's right (Deep River Boys)  ∙

∙  1957  ∙  Little bitty pretty one (Thurston Harris)  ∙  Bony Moronie (Larry Williams)  ∙  1958  ∙  Sweet little sixteen / Johnny B goode (Chuck Berry)  ∙  Rock 'n' roll call  (The Treniers)  ∙  Litle bitty pretty one (Frankie Lymon)  ∙  1959  ∙  What'd I say  (Ray Charles)  ∙  That's why (I love you so) (Jackie Wilson)  ∙  Money that's what I want (Barrett Strong)  ∙  Jump children  (The Flamingos)  ∙

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RnB 50s

JOURNEY THROUGH 800 RnB SOUL SONGS

RnB SOUL  ∙  1920-40s  ∙  50s  ∙  60s  ∙  70s  ∙  80s  ∙  90s  ∙  Neo Soul 2000s-2010s  ∙