Chuck was brilliant. He invented a lot of the basic ingredients of Rock ‘n’ Roll (Although Johnny Johnson, his pianist, probably had a lot to do with it). His guitar riffs are instantly recognisable and fundamental. His songs formed a big percentage of many Rock Groups repertoire.
In the fifties he and Bo set the tone and brought black R&B and white C&W, with dollops of Chicago Blues, into Rock music.
Chuck was astute and homed in on the white teenage market yet he consistently produced songs that had more to them than just that. Cars, Dancing, School and Girls were the main themes. They were brilliant.
However as the fifties came to an end they wanted to shut down Rock ‘n’ Roll and Chuck got caught up in it. He found himself locked up on a trumped up charge.
Chuck had a big chip on his shoulder. He felt that he had been treated really badly and ripped off right left and centre by white promoters, record producers and club owners. It made him cynical. He put together scratch bands and did the minimum possible. The great songs (with a few exceptions) dried up, the performances were patchy (Unrehearsed and minimal input) and the creativity dried up.
What a shame. He was prostituting his talent.
It’s amazing how much you can learn if your intentions are truly earnest.
I think that is true in all creative endeavours.
Science and religion are both the same thing. They’re there; they’re life. If it’s not science, it’s not a fact.
That seems a bit contradictory to me. They are not the same thing. Science is about establishing how things work. It deals with reality. Religion is based on belief and has no factual substance.
A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it’s an hour. When I look at a contract, I look at the obligation – where, when, how long, the compensation. If I agree to it, that’s the way it is. I have an obligation. They have an obligation.
This is the mindset that created decline. He wasn’t treating the music as a fun creative thing; it was a job that he had to do. I can’t understand why. If he had put his heart and soul into it he would have enjoyed it more himself. He was just eaten up with the way he had been exploited.
Of the five most important things in life, health is first, education or knowledge is second, and wealth is third. I forget the other two.
Thoroughly agree with the first two – but then I’d add pleasure, love, happiness, creativity, fulfilment, friendship way above wealth.