Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Jul 20, 2025

In all my years studying music I have come to the conclusion that there is no definitive answer to the question, “What Was The First Rock &  Roll Record Ever Made?”

Support for groups that “started it all,” range from the acapella sounds of Sonny Til And The Orioles with “Crying In The Chapel”; to the south’s Billy Ward And His Dominoes with their 1951 hit “Sixty Minute Man”; to Los Angeles’ Penguins with “Earth Angel”; to the fabled Bill Haley & His Comets with “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock.”

However, a number of aficionados of Rock & Roll music side with the claim of Sun Records’ Sam Phillips that he produced the first Rock & Roll record in 1951.

*****

The song was written by Ike Turner who would go on to discover and partner with Tina Turner. Working from the raw material of jump blues and swing combo music, Turner made this composition even rawer, starting with a strongly stated back beat and superimposing enthusiastic vocals and tenor saxophone solos.

The song became a prototype for hundreds of other Rock & Roll records to follow. The claim that it was the first Rock & Roll record maybe overstated, but it was the second biggest R&B single of 1951 and was much more influential than some of the other “first” claimants.

The record was credited to Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats, but the band did not actually exist. In fact the song was recorded by Ike Turner with his band, the Kings Of Rhythm. Brenston was a saxophonist with Turner and also sang the vocals on the record. Upon its release Brenston was the first to comment on the record’s collective appeal to both young whites and blacks.

The record is sometimes referred to as a hymn of praise to the joys of the Oldsmobile, which had just introduced a new automobile in 1949.

Upon its release, it took off and soared up the charts, aptly titled, “Rocket 88” and it’s this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube listing of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260hXID0Yo0

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.