Join Dave Stroud for a look at a fascinating, if somewhat cringey, slice of music history, where white cover versions of black R&B nuggets were whitewashed across the pop charts in the 1950s. While the ‘cover version’ was a standard industry practice, so were the ‘sanitized’ versions of R&B hits by black artists that made them more ‘palatable’ for white radio audiences, spotlighting white artists while the original creators stayed in the shadows. It’s certainly something that could be the topic of numerous Deeper Roots episodes but we’ll limit our scope to a two hour exploration, measuring the original against the cover. On one side of the house we’ll hear from Fats Domino (a popular source for the practic), Big Joe Turner, The Moonglows and a handful of others. The other side of the house has the names of Pat Boone, Art Mooney, The Fontane Sisters and others among the dubious roster ‘favorites’. Radio and media helped to democratize the landscape but today’s parallels with the frothing ‘look over thereness’ of right wing hate is unmistakable and hard to ignore. It was George Santayana who observed that “those who do not learn from history, are bound to repeat it.“
No.
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
1
The Fontane Sisters
Hearts Of Stone
Vintage Music " Vols 3 & 4
2
The Jewels
Hearts of Stone
Doo Wop Box Disc 1
3
The Fontane Sisters
Rock Love
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
4
Lula Reed
Rock Love
Rhythm & Western Volume 4 – I Hang My Head and Cry
5
Eileen Barton
Fujiyama Mama
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
6
Annisteen Allen
Fujiyama Mama
From the Ghetto
7
The Crew Cuts
Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream)
Magic Moments: Best Of 50's Pop (Disc 2)
8
The Chords
Sh-Boom
Glory Days Of Rock 'N' Roll: Doo-Wop [Disc 1]
9
The McGuire Sisters
Sincerely
Magic Moments: Best Of 50's Pop (Disc 2)
10
The Moonglows
Sincerely
Pure R&B: Vol. 1- Got My Mojo Workin [Disc 2]
11
The Crew Cuts
Don't Be Angry
High School Favorites
12
Nappy Brown
Don't Be Angry [1955 Version]
Down In The Alley – The Complete Savoy Singles A's & B's
13
The Fontane Sisters
Please Don't Leave Me
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.3
14
Fats Domino
Please Don't Leave Me
Rock And Rollin
15
Pat Boone
The Fat Man
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
16
Fats Domino
The Fat Man
Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: Piano Blues – A Film By Clint Eastwood
17
Pat Boone
Long Tall Sally
The London American Story Disc 1
18
Little Richard
Long Tall Sally
Specialty Profiles: Larry Williams
19
Art Mooney
Tutti Frutti
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
20
Little Richard
Tutti Frutti
Loud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of the '50s [Box] Disc 3
21
Johnnie Ray
Flip Flop And Fly
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
22
Big Joe Turner
Flip Flop And Fly
Big Joe Turner: The Definitive Blues Collection [[Disc 2]]
23
Bill Haley & His Comets
Shake, Rattle and Roll
From The Original Master Tapes
24
Big Joe Turner
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Loud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of the '50s [Box] Disc 1
25
Teresa Brewer
Tweedle Dee
The Best Of Teresa Brewer
26
LaVern Baker
Tweedlee Dee
Pure R&B: Vol. 5- Pioneers [Disc 2]
27
Gale Storm
Why Do Fools Fall in Love
The London American Story Disc 1
28
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Gems from the Columbia Vaults, Pt. 1
29
Georgia Gibbs
Dance With Me Henry
Georgia Gibbs Greatest Hits
30
Etta James
The Wallflower
The Best of Etta James [EMI-Capitol Special Markets]
31
Jean Dinning
Bo Diddley
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
32
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Pure R&B: Vol. 2- Somethings Got a Hold on Me [Disc 2]
33
The Hilltoppers
Teardrops From My Eyes
They Tried To Rock – The Popsters Vol.4
34
Ruth Brown
Teardrops From My Eyes
Ruth Brown: The Definitive Soul Collection [[Disc 1]]