JACKIE BRENSTON And His Delta Cats Chess 1458 Rocket 88 VJM=V—CRAZY RARE R&B
  $   136

 


$ 136 Sold For
Dec 18, 2023 Sold Date
Dec 11, 2023 Start Date
3   Number Of Bids
  USA Country Of Seller
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Description

I never thought I'd find a pressing of this very HTF Rock & Roll Historical & Rare 78 rpm. I've been on the hunt for this record for 40 years. 
V (78)  Moderate, even wear throughout, but still very playable. Surface noise and scratches audible but not intrusive. 
PLEASE VIEW ALL PHOTOS!
Thanks for looking!
The recording was credited to "Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats", who were actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. The single reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart. Many music writers acknowledge its importance in the development of rock and roll music, with several considering it to be the first rock and roll record. In 2017, the Mississippi Blues Trail dedicated its 200th marker to "Rocket 88" as an influential record. The song was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1991, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. In 1991, after a great deal of debate, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized this as the FIRST ROCK 'N' ROLL RECORD EVER RECORDED... Ike Turner was in jail at the time for drug possession, so his daughter accepted the award. The song is about a car. The Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" came out in 1949 and was the fastest car on the road at the time. A small car with a big, overhead valve V8 engine, it was one of the first muscle cars and dominated NASCAR races in the '50s. The car was advertised as having a V-8 "Rocket" engine, with the slogan, "Make a Date with a Rocket 88." This song was produced by Sam Phillips, who formed Sun Records in 1952. Phillips later became famous for recording Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Jackie Brenston, who was a member of Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings, sang lead. The single was credited to "Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats" because Phillips wanted to release a different record credited to Turner. This was a #1 R&B hit. There were no rock charts at the time. This song came about when Turner and his band were playing black clubs in the American South and B.B. King set up a recording session for them in Memphis with Sam Phillips. They wrote most of "Rocket 88" on the way to the session, which took place March 5, 1951. On the drive to the session, the band's amplifier fell out of the car and broke the woofer. Turner shoved paper in it at the studio to cover the problem, which ended up providing a more distinct sound when guitarist Willie Kizart played it. The sounds that came from the damaged amp made it likely the first song to feature guitar distortion. Brenston was credited with writing this song, although he admitted he stole the idea from a 1947 song called "Cadillac Boogie." General Motors gave Brenston a Rocket 88 to thank him for the publicity this generated for the car. Ike Turner played piano on this song. It was a huge influence on Little Richard, who used the piano intro on his 1958 hit, "Good Golly Miss Molly." Brenston did not handle success well. He quickly spent the money he made from this song, became an alcoholic, went broke, and died in 1979. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine (issue 93) in 1971, Ike Turner recalled how despite this being a local hit, he made little from it: "Some dude at the record company beat me, and I only got $40 for writing, producing, and recording it. And the lead singer (Jackie Brenston) took the band from me and went on his own."
There were other songs recorded before this that could be considered rock and roll, but this was unique in that it appealed to a white audience.

Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats* ‎– Rocket "88" / Come Back Where You Belong

Label: Chess ‎– 1458 Format: Shellac, 10", 78 RPM
Country: US Released: 1951 Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul Style: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues


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