Searching For The First Rock And Roll Song

Series produced by Jamie Dell'Apa

Series image
Image by: Regular Listener, J.T. Lindross, From Finland 

We, the rock and roll generation, have never found our self-defining first rock and roll song. Host Jamie Dell'Apa presents music and musicians you've never heard from the small regional record companies who pioneered rock and roll. Songs that could have been the first rock and roll song. Songs that fill the gap in understanding where we came from and who we are.

Searching For The First Rock and Roll Song features records coveted by collectors from the era when rock and roll was emerging but hadn't yet settled on a definition of itself. Music from before rock and roll was domesticated into a commercial music industry. When country and western sounded like swing, pop music sounded like rockabilly, rockabilly sounded like rhythm and blues, and doo wop sounded like girl groups and all those musics sounded an awful lot like what we now call, “rock and roll”.

Not a hits, oldies, or “history of” radio show. it's all the songs that influenced our now-legendary musicians who are regularly featured in all those hits, oldies, and “history of” radio shows.

Hosted by WWOZ in New Orleans for the last 18 years, the show is carried by a dozen stations.

P.S. We never find the first rock and roll song. Just like our journey through life, the search is the joy. Finding the final destination in life or music is something to continually delay until after next week's episode.
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Searching For The First Rock and Roll Song features records coveted by collectors from the era when rock and roll was emerging but hadn't yet settled on a definition of itself. Music from before rock and roll was domesticated into a commercial music industry. When country and western sounded like swing, pop music sounded like rockabilly, rockabilly sounded like rhythm and blues, and doo wop sounded like girl groups and all those musics sounded an awful lot like what we now call, “rock and roll”.Not a hits, oldies, or “history of” radio show. it's all the songs that influenced our now-legendary musicians who are regularly featured in all those hits, oldies, and “history of” radio shows. Hosted by WWOZ in New Orleans for the last 18 years, the show is carried by a dozen stations. ... Show full description


654 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Whyte Boots The Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer Fictitious Band
In the post World War II era a new music captured the imagination of people in the US and around the world. This music wasn't called rock and roll...

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


  • Added: Feb 01, 2022
  • Length: 02:57:02
  • Purchases: 5
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In the post World War II era a new music captured the imagination and hope of people in the US and around the world. This music wasn't called rock ...

Bought by KCHU, KPRG, WQCS, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Jan 23, 2022
  • Length: 02:57:02
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
In the post World War II era a new music captured the imagination and hope of people in the US and around the world. This music wasn't called rock ...

Bought by KCHU, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], WYAP, KPRG, and KFCF FM


  • Added: Jan 19, 2022
  • Length: 02:56:59
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Jumping Bill Carlisle
The first rock and roll song is centered in the post World War II era when a new music captured the imagination and hope of people in the US and ar...

Bought by KCHU, WQCS, KPRG, Prairie Public, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio] and more


  • Added: Jan 10, 2022
  • Length: 02:57:02
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Rudy Ray Moore kneeling
These are songs you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of so this is a deep dig into the non-commercial arts instead of pop music as de...

Bought by KCHU, KFCF FM, KPRG, and Prairie Public


  • Added: Jan 05, 2022
  • Length: 02:57:11
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Original Checkmates
These are songs you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of so this is not a "hits" or "oldies" presentation. It's purposely not the ...

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


  • Added: Dec 24, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Little Joe Cook and The Thrillers
The Fleetwoods of Olympia Washington were White kids who did precise harmonies much like the more ethnic "doo wop" groups of the same era. Sun Ra...

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


  • Added: Dec 19, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: The Girls (From Athens, Greece Approximately 1962-64
As we search for the first rock and roll record in those songs you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of, we're hearing the tens of tho...

Bought by KCHU, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KFCF FM, KPRG, GCR (Global Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Dec 16, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Denny Ezba and the Goldens
Every show we search for the first rock and roll record but from before Elvis and from areas far from Elvis. This radio show presents the tens of ...

Bought by KCHU, KFCF FM, GCR (Global Community Radio), Prairie Public, KPRG and more


  • Added: Dec 06, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Fay Simmons
Every show we explore the endless examples of rock and roll music from before Elvis and from unexplored locations. This radio show presents the te...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, GCR (Global Community Radio), WQCS, Prairie Public and more


  • Added: Nov 29, 2021
  • Length: 03:56:16
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Paul Gabriel
Journeyman blues guitarist Paul Gabriel recounts his years playing blues and gospel guitar with luminaries ranging from Georgia Lewis to B.B. King.

Bought by Prairie Public and WYAP


  • Added: Nov 22, 2021
  • Length: 11:28
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Edgar Blanchard
Scratching through another corner of my endless musical library - songs you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of. All of which could...

Bought by KCHU, KPRG, GCR (Global Community Radio), Prairie Public, KFCF FM and more


  • Added: Nov 22, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Cats and the Fiddle
There is a belief that the first rock and roll song was centered around Elvis but in the post World War II era there was a new music with so many s...

Bought by KCHU, KPRG, KFCF FM, GCR (Global Community Radio), and Prairie Public


  • Added: Nov 18, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: The billiard ball removal saw.  (Cut 'em in half and spit 'em out.)
While listing all his boring traits, Jamie tries to demonstrate a "cool trick" but gets a billiard ball stuck in his mouth. He performs an billiar...

Bought by KFCF FM, WQCS, KPRG, GCR (Global Community Radio), Prairie Public and more


  • Added: Nov 10, 2021
  • Length: 02:56:59
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Earthquakes
Starting with music from outer space because that's what was considered the origination of the first rock and roll song. In its time it was as ali...

Bought by KPRG, GCR (Global Community Radio), KFCF FM, Prairie Public, and WQCS


  • Added: Nov 03, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:04
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
The first rock and roll song is centered in the post World War II era when a new music captured the imagination and hope of people in the US and ar...

Bought by KCHU, GCR (Global Community Radio), KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public and more


  • Added: Oct 27, 2021
  • Length: 02:57:26
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Shake Spears
There are endless examples of rock and roll music from before Elvis, The Beatles, or whoever else has the title of "first rock and roll song." Thi...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), KFCF FM, Prairie Public, KPRG, and WQCS


  • Added: Oct 19, 2021
  • Length: 02:56:29
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
A focus on the Denver and Toronto regional record companies of Band Box and Quality plus a long segment on "music from outer space" based on the in...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), KFCF FM, KPRG, Prairie Public, WQCS and more


  • Added: Oct 11, 2021
  • Length: 03:46:26
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Songs that are only between 90 and 100 seconds are the communications professor's dream of - "the direct, active voice." No lengthy introduction o...

Bought by KFCF FM, KPRG, Prairie Public, and WYAP


  • Added: Oct 04, 2021
  • Length: 04:11:25
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Supersecos
After a hurricane reminds you that only a veneer of safety keeps you alive, it's easy to get wistful about what is important. It's not the posses...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), KPRG, KFCF FM, Prairie Public, and WYAP


  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:47:45
  • Purchases: 5