Chapter 396 396 The Land of Rock and Roll
Memphis is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, surrounded by vast cotton fields and forests. The city is the largest city in Tennessee, only a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Little Rock.
After leaving Little Rock, Glory to the Dead headed east along Interstate 40, toward Memphis.
This is a city that combines the elegance, conservatism, pride of the South with the expansive, playful, and enthusiastic West. It is this land of ancient and modern that has nurtured a breathtaking music culture. The father of blues William - Christopher Han Di (W. C. Handy) and rock king "Elvis" Elvis - Presley (Elvis. Presley) are here to start their world-famous musical journey.
William Christopher Handy composed the slow four-step jazz dance in Memphis, a country with its vastness, agility and blood and sweat, nurtured in the light cotton, the tears of the stooping black laborers, and the fertile soil that shouts and nourishes out Bruce. In Memphis, it's not just black musicians who stubbornly fill the streets and the air with blues music, their leader Martin. Luther. King is also proudly taking back to the world what should belong to them. Land, rights, dignity and a wonderful breakfast. And Martin Luther King Jr. proudly soaked the entire Memphis with blood in the end, leaving only the blues to continue to play, continuing the last hope of the black people.
Perhaps it was the path paved by these sufferings and melancholy that gave rise to the rock music that influenced the next half century!
Memphis has always been a city full of music culture. In the 1940s and 1950s, Memphis brought together various music genres such as gospel, blues, rhythm and blues and western swing. A young man named Sam Philips (Sam. Philips) because of He likes blues very much, so he gave up his job as a radio DJ and came to Memphis. After his own efforts, he founded Sun Records (Sun. Record) in 1952. The sun is a symbol of Sam's optimistic spirit, and the record company's The motto is "We record any music anytime, anywhere".
As a music producer, Sam treats every newcomer who comes to Sun Records very patiently and seriously. He gives the artists maximum freedom. He said that in Sun Records, there are no restrictions on styles, and those who have not received formal Music-educated artists can express their music however they want, as long as they feel good.
It is precisely because of this that the music style of Sun Records is very different from that of the mainstream record companies at that time, which is vivid and dynamic, which also makes Sun Records the most frequent place for young artists in Memphis at that time. Due to the existence of serious species in the society at that time. clan. Discrimination has prevented the widespread popularity of many black recordings, and Sam believes that to be commercially successful, one must find a "white man with a black voice and feel."
In July 1954, a white truck driver walked into a recording studio in Memphis, and a legend began. The repertoire played by the young man who called himself Elvis Presley went unnoticed by Sam at first, but suddenly he had an epiphany, vaguely aware that an era was about to begin. So Sam recommended Elvis's "That's. All. Right" to Radio Memphis, a revolution of musical, cultural and racial integration. That's how the fate came to an end.
This is a wonderful encounter between a new blues and country music, the new tune is light, hot and even wild, but the main thing is that the tune spreads like a messenger all over the world, announcing that it is in Memphis A new form of music was born - rock!
"Elvis" Elvis Presley began his legendary life, and Sam Phillips was also known as the "Father of Rock and Roll", and Sam's contributions to American music and world music are far more than that. The Sun Records company founded by him will always remain in people's hearts with the name of "The Cradle of Rock and Roll". In the 16 years that Sam has run the company, he has released a total of 226 albums, leaving an unforgettable memory for the world. Measured spiritual wealth. In 1986, Sam Phelps, as one of the first "non-artist winners", was recognized by one of the highest honors in the American pop music industry: into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
In 2003, the day after Sam's death, the U.S. Senate passed an agreement to designate 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, where the Sun Records studio was located, as a U.S. Historic Site and grant it a "National Historic Landmark Building". ” title in recognition of the pop culture created by the studio.
This is Memphis, William Christopher Handy, Elvis Presley, Sun Records, a city alive because of music.
In fact, blues and rock have been closely linked, they influence and interact with each other. Born in hard times, blues brings emotional release and relief to struggling black people. Bruce, who sang joy and hope in pain and despair, was torn apart but still swayed, banished from the world, still bites the sky, hugs the moon, kisses randomly, stubbornly uses guitar, harmonica, drums and Bass calls to friends, touches soul and earth with feet, slaps, chest, harmonica - tears only shame life, but smiles make life forever proud. Such is the power of music to influence the present, to remind the past, to face the future calmly.
For everyone who has been honored to death, when they come to Memphis, they can feel the scorching heat of blood boiling to the point of explosion. This city represents not only music, not only rock, but also ordinary people. That kind of love for music. Music comes from the public and from life, and every corner of Memphis can feel the special charm and style, and even the air is filled with the smell of musical symbols.
Beale Street (Beale. Street) is world-famous. The first blues band played in bars and clubs on this street. Perhaps this street is more famous than the city of Memphis. Beale Street still maintains a Dange Road, revealing a long history. On both sides of the street, there are music-themed bars. The door of the bar opens and closes suddenly, all kinds of music are interlaced, the blues' melancholy, the crazy rock and roll... constitute the unique style of the small street.
At one end of the street, there is a small square named after William Christopher Handy, the father of blues. There are two open-air stages here at the same time, and small bands play every day. In the bright sunshine, passers-by in twos and threes, holding beer, or serving coffee, on the bench, drinking and listening, not far away, Handy in the statue, quietly watching all this, holding a saxophone, It seems that he wants to compose a song for the band in front of him. On the opposite side of the street, there is a video store much larger than the square, displaying all kinds of music products, among which the tapes commemorating Elvis will always occupy the most prominent position.
"So, do you want to stand on this stage?" Neil looked at the two open-air stages in front of him, with boundless passion surging in his chest, making him seem a little unable to suppress his emotions when he spoke, which was completely different from usual .
Although the two open-air stages in front of you are not gorgeous, they are actually two simple wooden platforms in the square, without too much decoration or gorgeous equipment, but for true rock lovers, the two stages have a lot to offer. Extraordinary meaning, to exaggerate, this is one of the symbols of the birthplace of rock; to be honest, this is where countless classics were born, which is special for any band.
In the past, Hugo had never had such a strong feeling. He always felt that Memphis was 108,000 miles away from him, but today, Hugo has a real feeling of pilgrimage, which is the holy place in his heart. Not because of the worship of Elvis Presley or any other particular singer, not because rock was born here, but because of the love of music, the blues, and the birth of rock, which A love makes Memphis unique and makes these two simple stages a holy place in my heart.
"Of course!" Hugo and Fujin said in unison. The voices of the two were not loud, and they just gave an affirmative answer in a low voice, but these simple words contained all the surging and passion in their hearts. .
"You said, what would it feel like if we stood up?" Pedro's expression was more direct, he said excitedly, eager to try it out.
Alfonso was also jumping on the spot with excitement on his face. It seemed that when he was given a chance to take the stage, he was willing to go on the stage immediately and show his skills. It's hard to imagine that a few months ago, he was a great car salesman, and he had been hesitant to join the band; but now, Alfonso has fully entered the role and enjoys being with the band. every minute of every second.
Glory to Death After arriving in Memphis today, I immediately came to Beale Street to find a performance venue. This is a holy place for rock lovers. Every year, there are countless music lovers who come to Beale Street for pilgrimage every day. It is estimated that they have and glory. There are countless bands that have the same idea to the death.
However, are there any performance restrictions on these two stages? Do I need to apply, or can I perform directly on stage as long as the stage is vacant? Is there a management association near here? Hugo and Bill have already begun to skillfully search around for managers. In a city as famous as Memphis, there must be a system for the management of street performances.
But before they could find the management staff, the idle stage at the far end suddenly became lively, and a band started to take the stage one after another, which also caused the pedestrians in the square to naturally cast their eyes. Don't you need any permission to perform here, can you just go on stage?