Back in 1996 a six-hour six-part documentary taking a look at one of America's quintessential music genres - country - went to air.
"America's Music: the Roots of Country" delved headlong into what is a rich subject matter, telling its story through live footage and interviews with the stars themselves.
To a new generation of music fans, it offered an eye-opening introduction to some of the great figures from country's past, such as Jimmie Rodger, Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Jones and so many more who paved the way for today's big stars.
Writer Robert K. Oerman told the Chicago Sun-Times that the the idea from the beginning was to take the viewer back and forth and in and out of history. He teamed up for this series with producer Tom Neff, a filmaker known for his documentaries of visual artists including Red Grooms and Beatrice Wood.
"One reason country lends itself to this kind of treatment is that, unlike other styles of music, all its historical elements are still living, breathing styles today," Oermann said.
"People still play bluegrass, people still sing folk songs, play rockabilly, Cajun, Western swing - these are not dead things."
Each of the six hours has a theme - including Rockabilly.
"The Roots of Country" was not only made with entertaining viewers in mind, but with the hope of sending a message about the importance of maintaining a living connection to country's past.
The Reverend Horton Heat kicked off psychobilly in the United States. The Dallas based trio formed in 1985 and built a strong cult following during the ’90s thanks to their constant touring.
While the world of psychobilly is known for its showmanship and twisted sense of humor, Reverend Horton Heat managed to update the psychobilly sound, rocking it as hard as any punk band. Most of their lyrics were a celebration of sex, drugs, booze and cars. And true to their name, their concerts often featured mock sermons in the rural revivalist preacher style.
Their music though is really a mixture of country, punk, big band, swing and rockabilly, all played loud and with a huge amount of energy. Over their 20-odd year music career they’ve achieved notable success within not just the genre, but across mainstream America with many of their songs being featured in video games and commercials.
The current members are founding member, Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath on guitar, Jimbo Wallace on the double bass and Paul Simmons on drums.
Reverend Horton Heat – the man – was born James C. Heath in Corpus Christi, TX. In his early days he played in local rock cover bands around the area. He eventually moved to Dallas and married a former band mate from Sweetbriar and together they had a child. They gave up the rock and roll life and decided to get “real jobs”. However Heath was still using the PA system from Sweetbriar to earn some extra money, doing the sound for a number of local bands. It wasn’t long though that one of the bands talked him into getting up and playing. Heath decided then and there to form his own band and came up with Reverend Horton Heat as an ode to Johnny Horton and using the shortened version of his last name, Heath.
It didn’t take long before Heath started revamping his sound and moved into rock and punk venues. By the fall of 1990 a bidding war ensued between Hollywood’s XXX Records and Seattle’s Sub Pop Records. His good friend at the time, Charlie Ray managed to secure a two record deal with an option for three more, with Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman from Sub Pop.
During those days Reverend Horton Heat managed to amass a significant underground following and ended up signing a major label deal with Interscope in 1994. With extra money thanks to extra big label bucks, Heath started ratcheting up his hell-raising lifestyle that he often sang about along with the temporary worsening of a drinking problem.
Horton Heat came back in 1996 with It’s Martini Time, an album that featured several nods to the swing and lounge revival scenes emerging at that time. That lead to the title track becoming a minor hit and the album became their first to make it into the Top 200. It was at this time that Heath also made his small-screen acting debut thanks to his on-stage preacher act, earning him a guest spot on the dramaHomicide: Life on the Street. The following year he appeared on the Drew Carey Show.
The band’s final major label album, Space Heater was released in 1998. After being dropped from Interscrope, Sub Pop released a 24-song best of compilation, Holy Roller, in 1999 featuring the band’s entire output until that point.
Heath continued to tour and recorded a number of albums for smaller labels, eventually signing his last big deal with Yep Roc in 2003.
These days Jim Heath says he’s had something of an epiphany. He’s taken his music back to what he calls some of his funnier, country-tinged crowd pleasers – “a trip back to a time before slick, over-produced country became the norm – a time when outlaws wrote songs about being without a pot to piss in-or at least about psycho exboyfriends and deadbeat girlfriends that spend your paycheck faster than you can say Lone Star.”
Heath says his latest album Laughin’ and Cryin’ is a record full of country-heavy tunes about bad habits, well meaning but clueless husbands, ever expanding beer-guts and, well, Texas.
“I really wanted to capture the feelings of recordings of the late ’50s, early ’60s,” Heath said of the songs on the new record.
Heath, who personally loves good old, mid-20th century country music, cautions that the record was not born out of a desire to introduce his audience to a new set of influences-it’s just meant to have a little fun. Besides, he warns, his next record may just be a set of “avant-garde versions of Swahili folk songs done on homemade instruments.”
Rockabilly is music that came out of the south of the US, mixed with elements of rock, blues, country, hillbilly booggie and bluegrass.
It emerged in the early '50’s…waned in the '60’s …and was revived in the late '70’s and early '80’s. Its popularity has managed to endure to the present.
Some of the great rockabilly artists included Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson and Roy Orbison.
While Rockabilly may not have lasted all that long as a mainstream rock subcategory, its influence is still felt today. Several bands such as the Stray Cats have continued to perform in the Rockabilly tradition, while other artists have borrowed from the genre to create their own flavour.
The Rockabilly Revival
Over the past 50 years there's been a legion of bands dedicated to replicating the style and sound of classic '50s rock 'n'roll. While there have always been bands playing Rockabilly, the revival really hit its stride in the post-punk era, when a number of new bands picked up the sounds. Not only did they play the music, but they celebrated and embraced the pop culture that surrounds Rockabilly. The first revival culminated in the success of the Stray Cats in the early '80s. Following their success, a number of Rockabilly bands appeared in the underground scene during the late '80s. The Rockabilly Revival continued to thrive into the '90s with the most notable band to emerge being the Reverend Horton Heat.
Please feel free to tell us what you love about Rockabilly - the old stuff, the new stuff, the rockabilly clothes, the hair, the cars, the rockabilly lifestyle - where you shop - what you wear - who you listen to - if you know of an event coming up - a band we should catch - anything at all.
The '50s are seen as a time of innocence - and of innocence corrupted. It was a period of intense conservatism and the rise of suburbia on the one hand and rock and roll and a new rebellious spirit among the young, on the other.
For Rockabillies it’s an era that’s worth preserving - even if it was way before they were even born.
This site is dedicated to full skirts, big quiffs, red lipstick, peroxide hair, vintage cars, rock’n'roll and tattoos.
Rockabilly is music that came out of the south of the US, mixed with elements of rock, blues, country, hillbilly booggie and bluegrass.
It emerged in the early '50’s…waned in the '60’s …and was revived in the late '70’s and early '80’s. Its popularity has managed to endure to the present.
Some of the great rockabilly artists included Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson and Roy Orbison.
While Rockabilly may not have lasted all that long as a mainstream rock subcategory, its influence is still felt today. Several bands such as the Stray Cats have continued to perform in the Rockabilly tradition, while other artists have borrowed from the genre to create their own flavour.
The Rockabilly Revival
Over the past 50 years there's been a legion of bands dedicated to replicating the style and sound of classic '50s rock 'n'roll. While there have always been bands playing Rockabilly, the revival really hit its stride in the post-punk era, when a number of new bands picked up the sounds. Not only did they play the music, but they celebrated and embraced the pop culture that surrounds Rockabilly. The first revival culminated in the success of the Stray Cats in the early '80s. Following their success, a number of Rockabilly bands appeared in the underground scene during the late '80s. The Rockabilly Revival continued to thrive into the '90s with the most notable band to emerge being the Reverend Horton Heat.
Please feel free to tell us what you love about Rockabilly - the old stuff, the new stuff, the rockabilly clothes, the hair, the cars, the rockabilly lifestyle - where you shop - what you wear - who you listen to - if you know of an event coming up - a band we should catch - anything at all.
The '50s are seen as a time of innocence - and of innocence corrupted. It was a period of intense conservatism and the rise of suburbia on the one hand and rock and roll and a new rebellious spirit among the young, on the other.
For Rockabillies it’s an era that’s worth preserving - even if it was way before they were even born.
This site is dedicated to full skirts, big quiffs, red lipstick, peroxide hair, vintage cars, rock’n'roll and tattoos.
Rockabilly might have been born from the jazz, blues and blue grass of the US south, but it’s lived on through five decades in one form or another.
While the Stray Cats enjoyed large-scale fame in the 1980s, the scene has had its own life in the 2000s.Over the past decade there’s been a convergence of the rockabilly style with the swing music scene.Brat Setzer of the Stray Cats played a big part in joining the two subcultures.He formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra as both a rockabilly and swing musician. The Reverend Horton Heat, Rattled Roosters and Royal Crown Revue are also popular in both scenes.
Today there are still lively rockabilly scenes in several major US cities – especially on the west coast.There are a number of big festivals including Viva Las Vegas and Hootenanny along with the Heavy Rebel Weekend Festival on the east coast.
The subculture also thrives in Europe where there is a big focus not just in contemporary musicians reviving the rockabilly traditions, but in artists from the ‘50s.
So why has rockabilly survived in one form or another for all these years?
Meg Appelton in her article “The Rockabilly in the New Millennium” argues that the rockabilly culture is an antithesis to current trends as it embraces its roots in "old school" societal fringes.
She says the rockabilly phenomenon has survived down the generations thanks to a growing dissatisfaction with mainstream culture, music and stylistic icons.
“Rockabilly frequently becomes a way of life or lifestyle to those active, who see the larger scene to be like a family,” she explains.
“The rockabilly lifestyle is not restricted to only the music but also the home furnishings, cars, and even small things like the cigarettes smoked.”
The hits are all here, along with some revealing album cuts, rarities and portions of a 1982 live broadcast that display the Cats' considerable live charms. This album will have you up and dancing - full speed from start to finish. To buy it click here
The Stray Cats formed on Long Island in 1979. Brian Setzer teamed up with two school friends, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom. Their Rockabilly brand of music didn’t attract much attention in New York so headed to London the next year. It wasn’t long before the Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles and two bestselling albums.
After they headed back to the States and were signed by EMI. From there they had chart topping success across the US and Europe and sold out shows everywhere.
At the height of their success though, they split. While they have reconvened a number of times, they were never as big again as in the early 80’s. More than 20 years later and the Stray Cats are about to undertake a farewell tour and will be in Australia in February 2009.
The hits are all here, along with some revealing album cuts, rarities and portions of a 1982 live broadcast that display the Cats' considerable live charms. This album will have you up and dancing - full speed from start to finish. To buy it click here
Rockabilly is not just about the music....it's also a lifestyle. And while the youth of 50s America was quick to embrace the sounds of rockabilly, they were also just as quick to adopot the "look". It's a culture that's managed to strech through five decades. It's had an influence on fashion trends from the Teds in the UK to the Mods, Punks and right through to today’s psychobillies
Back in the 50s the rock 'n' rollers adopted a look to match the crazy music they were making. It was all about sharp cuts, swept back hair, piled high. For the teeangers that took on the look it was pretty much clean cut with a dash of edge. For the boys it was pants with wide cuffs, simple shirts and jackets while for girls it was full skirt dresses and lots of crinolines, flats and ponytails.
The more rebellious teenagers took the look to its limit ...crazy patterns and colours in menswear - two-tone shirts and jackets as well as leather jackets. Girls wanting to show off their bad side opted for the scandalous pencil skirt and tight sweater, stiletto heels and red lipstick.
And while it all died down in the 60s the subculture’s influence lived on. It has provided a template for most every pop style that's followed. You could say today’s Psychobilly is just a younger relation the Rockabilly of the 50’s…taking it’s place in a family that refuses to go away.
There a couple of basic hairstyles for Rockabilly men. One of the most iconic would have to have been the ducktail haircut. It’s a symbol of the 50s that has captured the imagination and endured so well. The ducktail required combing the hair back to the middle of the head, then with the end of the comb, make a centre part. This required a fair bit of grease – hence the term “greasers”. This style quickly identified a guy as a rebel, a non-conformist.
Rockabillies also wore their hair short on the sides, longer at the back and with enough length at the front to create the upswept “pompadour". Another popular cut was the flat top
Women’s styles follow two general looks. The first is the moderate-length, layered cut. This style is always curly or wavy and is a classic look from the 40s and 50s. The other look is the most common among the Rockabilly devotees - the one made popular by Bettie Page, the 1940s and 50s pin-up model. The look is longer, generally created with blunt cut fringe across the forehead. The hair is generally styled to have soft waves while the fringe is straight and smooth.
Here is a great step by step tutorial on how to achieve retro hair in under five minutes.
This is a really nice tutorial for a longer, softer vintage look
Rockabilly is the best of the 1950s - the clothes, music and hair while ignoring the worst (McCarthyism, bigotry) to create a world that rocks.
A passion for the 1950s is one thing but rockabillies turn their passion into a lifestyle. It’s all in the detail – having the right dress, stockings, handbag shoes, hairdo and of course make up.
This is definitely a classy way to dress. The women who wore these dresses oozed confidence and beauty and the best bit is they look great no matter what shape or size you are. These are dresses that hug in all the right places. Curvy girls, petite girls, tall girls, short girls, all look great in vintage rockabilly.
Whether you are looking for actual dresses or just great looking outfits in general, there are likely rockabilly dresses that will fit the bill. They range from the very glamorous pinup dresses made in bengaline fabric to perfectly conform to the shape of your body, to the business professional Ashley dresses.
Check out these Rockabilly Rebels in 2004. They still burn the place down and are hotter than ever. “Rumble in Brixton" is the Stray Cats’ first ‘official’ live album. This is a fine retrospective on their career as well as one of the finest live presentations you’ll ever see.
