Searching For The First Rock And Roll Song on Saturday Night New Orleans Radio

Series produced by Jamie Dell'Apa

Caption: That's me, compliments of Andy Kerr
That's me, compliments of Andy Kerr 

Music from that time when rhythm and blues and rock and roll were emerging but hadn't yet become a predictable formula. A time when musicians were listening to and incorporating these exciting emergences into their own style of music. We focus on music that is difficult to categorize. C&W that sounds like rockabilly and rockabilly that sounds like R&B which sounds an awful lot like rock. That's the sweet spot for the music on the show and, sure enough, that's where the New Orleans sound is centered.

To follow us (and see playlists) on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saturday-Night-New-Orleans-Radio/625773220767239

What does music sound like when it is taken out of context?

When John Coltrane quits walking the bar for dance patrons or some English kids leave gentle pop music for the blues of the American south, they're following their muse. Breaking out of the formula. The result can be a disaster or miraculous. Dr. Demento plays the disasters. We play the miraculous.

Music from that time when rhythm and blues and rock and roll were emerging but hadn't yet become a predictable formula. A time when musicians were listening to and incorporating these music's exciting emergence into their own style of music. We focus on music that is difficult to categorize. C&W that sounds like rockabilly and rockabilly that sounds like R&B which sounds an awful lot like rock. That's the sweet spot for the music on the show and, sure enough, that's where the New Orleans sound is centered.

Songs are arranged in sets originating from an overall theme and between songs are short interstitial sound clips that sometimes tell a parallel story or a contrasting story or are simply audio cultural artifacts used that frame the music. Hide full description

What does music sound like when it is taken out of context? When John Coltrane quits walking the bar for dance patrons or some English kids leave gentle pop music for the blues of the American south, they're following their muse. Breaking out of the formula. The result can be a disaster or miraculous. Dr. Demento plays the disasters. We play the miraculous. Music from that time when rhythm and blues and rock and roll were emerging but hadn't yet become a predictable formula. A time when musicians were listening to and incorporating these music's exciting emergence into their own style of music. We focus on music that is difficult to categorize. C&W that sounds like rockabilly and rockabilly that sounds like R&B which sounds an awful lot like rock. That's the sweet spot for... Show full description


636 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Ronnie Dee (Dawson) and the D-Men
Every week we search songs you've never heard by musicians you've heard of in trying to find the first rock and roll song before rock and roll caug...

Bought by KSLU


  • Added: Mar 17, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Jan Lanhom (Oklahoma)
In contrast to crisp music from urban areas, music from the rural swampy bayous is slower, muddier, funkier. The third hour is early rock and roll...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Mar 11, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Augie Garcia
The common sound of rock and roll's origination is indistinguishable across two hemisphere separating musicians living under the Southern Cross and...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], Raven Radio and more


  • Added: Mar 03, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Sweet Katie Sweet was 3 years old when she recorded this
Long before the child singer Michael Jackson extended his childhood musical career past his voice change, there were countless little kids propped ...

Bought by KPRG, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], Delmarva Public Media, KSLU and more


  • Added: Feb 25, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Johnny Sardo When He Was With Randy and the Rainbows
Also song lyrics specifically about boxers and songs sung by boxers (and other athletes). And oh so many musicians named "Johnny." Oh yeah, songs...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, WMTNradio, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Feb 18, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 8
Piece image
A series of songs similar to "The Stroll" but wackier; Gorilla Walk, Panther Walk, Wild Man Walk, Wee Gee Walk, Cat Walk, etc. Then music and musi...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Feb 12, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Lord Luther
What is it with teenagers commanding popular music of the last 3/4 century then defaulting to the stupidest lyrics imaginable? Songs featuring cre...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], Prairie Public and more


  • Added: Feb 05, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Miles Conner
Songs about drinking milk, the hip lexicon lyric and its opposite, extremely goofy lyrics. Plenty of vocal group harmony songs because vocal grou...

Bought by KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KSLU and more


  • Added: Jan 29, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: The Aquatones
We wipe out more pesky teenagers with overly dramatic teenage angst songs ranging from splatter platters / death disks about car crashes to shotgun...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Jan 21, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: The Mysterious "Marie Bourbarere" of New Orleans "I'm Coming Home"
Belgium, Japan, Italy, and US guitar slingers; musicians who worked radio and their bands, songs about giant canaries and little Yosemite Sam. All...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Jan 15, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Julie and the Desires
Music and musicians you've never heard, any of which could have been the first rock and roll record. This show puts the "non-commercial" into the ...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Jan 09, 2024
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Jeannie and the Big Guys (Cindy Cole was "Jeannie"))
Music goes through eras of innovation followed by imitation which eventually becomes codified into commercial formula. The blandness is then follo...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, Raven Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 31, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Janis Peters
As always, the show is a restatement of who we were after the horrors of WWII. When a new whimsical and hopeful music of youth was adopted across...

Bought by KFCF FM, Prairie Public, KPRG, KSLU, Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Dec 25, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Piece image
This week I wandered into the "Mar" portion of my bottomless musical library to pull 85 songs from "Marvin, Marvel, Mary, etc" musicians and bands....

Bought by KFCF FM, Prairie Public, Delmarva Public Media, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], and Raven Radio


  • Added: Dec 18, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Meloaires
Also Sputnik and Rocket City (Huntsville, AL) Songs plus corny songs by corny actors including Jerry Mathers (Beaver Cleaver), the cast of McHale's...

Bought by KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, KSLU, Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Dec 12, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Jim Easter and the Artistics
This radio show's search for the first rock and roll song without considering commercial "hits" profoundly re-calibrates a listener's musical esthe...

Bought by KFCF FM, KSLU, KPRG, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Dec 04, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Jimmy "Chickie" Horne
Music from "Jimmys" who all predate Jimi Hendrix. All these "Jimmys" could have been awarded "the first rock and roll song" but few to none of the...

Bought by Raven Radio, KPRG, KFCF FM, KSLU, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Dec 01, 2023
  • Length: 02:56:59
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Dreamtones
The joy of this show isn't finding the first rock and roll song. As in life, it is the the journey through all this music you've never heard that...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, Raven Radio, Prairie Public, KSLU and more


  • Added: Nov 20, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Tracy Pendarvis
Songs by musicians insisting on being referred to as, "Mr." as we search for the first rock and roll song in all the music that you've never heard.

Bought by KFCF FM, KSLU, Prairie Public, KPRG, Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Nov 13, 2023
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Krazy Kats
And finding not the song, but the feeling, the emotion, the state of mind from where the first rock and roll song emerged. It's what we do in publ...

Bought by KFCF FM, KSLU, Prairie Public, KPRG, Delmarva Public Media and more


  • Added: Nov 06, 2023
  • Length: 02:56:58
  • Purchases: 6