51 Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats “Rocket 88”

Ike Turner is still a despicable human being. We should never forget that. This record’s artist is labeled as Jckie Brenston and his Delta Cats, but really this is Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. But since Ike Turner is a despicable human being, it’s great that we can forget his name for this track.

Ok, let’s talk about “Rocket 88.” 

If there is a consensus about the first rock and roll song, “Rocket 88” get’s the nod. There are many good reasons for this consensus to be wrong.

One could argue that there is no such thing as a first anything. Tell that to Neil Armstrong. 

Still when it comes to genres, which are murky at best, the notion that there could be a first walks the line of nonsensical. 

One could argue that Rocket 88 is just another song coming out of the Jump Blues style of music, and isn’t remarkable for its sound when placed in that context. Go back to #12 on the list – Louis Jordon and his Tympany Five’s “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” for a great example of Jump Blues.

One could argue that the same 1970s music critic and historians who saw blues as being the true start of rock and roll, missing that blues didn’t really become a direct part of the rock and roll repertoire until a bunch of white guitar players in the 70s found influence in that music.

So, yeah, Rocket 88 being the first rock and roll song does not hod up to scrutiny. But there is a story to the making of Rocket 88 that captures what I see as the underlying DIY theme of rock and roll: try it and see what happens.

The story goes like this. On their way from Mississippi to record at Sun Studios (where Elvis will later become their biggest artist) in Memphis, Ike, Jackie, and the rest of the band were only a little bit away when their amp fell out of their truck due to an unexpected pothole. The amp broke and they had no money to fix it or buy a new one. As they wee so close they pulled up to the studio and told Sam Phillips what happened and apologized for not being able to record that day. 

Philips, who was someone who was always looking for a new sound, told them, “Hell, why don’t we plug it in and see what it sounds like?” A couple of well placed crumpled sheets of newspaper, and here we have the first recorded, intentional, distorted guitar. 

That spirit of, “Hell, let’s see what it sounds like?” To me is that Heart of Rock and Roll that Huey Lewis was singing about. The DIY. The let’s just try to make something that is interesting and sounds cool. The who cares if we know how to play. Just plug it in and see what it sounds like. While the song may not be the first rock and roll record, to me, the story is the first rock and roll.