06 | April | 2017 | Russ & Gary's "The Best Years of Music"

By Gary

The advent of Rock and Roll which came from Country, Blues and R&B can basically be credited to the Southern United States. I have preached this sermon before, but the US & Canada gave up on True Rock and Roll far too early and it has not existed for about 20 years. It had a great run, well over 40 years. Let’s see if Justin Beiber’s music is played in 2057. Trust me, there is no way I will know if this happens, but maybe my Grandchildren. Now just because we abandoned the music, it appears as if many countries in Europe and the UK did not totally.

Groups included:

Steve n’ Seagulls – Finland
Finlanders – Finland
Refreshments – Sweden
Old Boys – Hungary
Mojo Blues Band – Austria
Shakin’Stevens & the Sunsets – United Kingdom
Rocky Sharpe & the Replays – United Kingdom
Blue Jays – United Kingdom
Overtones – United Kingdom

Remember with some of these groups English is NOT their first language

Europe, UK, Sweden, Finland still rock (I think)

This is a subject area of which I have limited knowledge, so if I make a mistake or leave people out, I apologize. This post is all PURE research, not much from experience of memory. There are some groups that I have been listening to for maybe 10 years, but others, really new. I have limited knowledge so some of the groups could have changed personnel many times or even broken up.

Finland

Now this is a country that I would never have associated any form of Classic or 50’s & 60’s Rock and Roll, BUT here are a couple of examples.

Steve n’ Seagulls

Really AC/DC / Thunderstruck / Great Version /

Finlanders / Roll Over Beethoven /

Sweden

Now this group I have enjoyed for sometime!!

The Refreshments

High School Confidential / Johan just rocks this one /

55 Ford / Johan rocks this one too /

Here we Are /

Chuck Berry’s Let it Rock /

Hungary

This group with the very simple name, based in Budapest, have been Rockin’ for 38 years. They sometimes use two percussionists.

The Old Boys

Roll Over Beethoven / with a Symphony Orchestra /

Do You Love Me /

Rockin’ All Over the World /

My Boy Lollipop /

Radar Love /

Don’t Be Cruel /

Austria

Now who would have thought from the birthplace Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, we would find a group that I really enjoy. I first heard them, in of all places, Myrtle Beach South Carolina at Fat Harold’s Beach Club, not in person but my first recording. I have since them purchased their music, it is hard to find, but I was able to find other sources.

Mojo Blues band / https://strathdee.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/mojo-blues-band/

Banana Peel Slide (man this thing just rocks) /

One Day /

Boogie Woogie Country Girl /

Rockin’ in 2011 /

Chuck Berry’s Promised Land /

A Little Fat’s Domino’s “Sick and Tired” /

How about at little Jerry Lee Lewis from Andy Lee Lang!

Andy Lee Lang / Vienna

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On /

You don’t know me /

What’d I say /

Keep in mind for all of the above artists, English is definitely NOT their first language.

And now for the United Kingdom. I have followed some of the groups from England for some time. They have an advantage that ENGLISH, is their first language and they have a Rock and Roll Legacy. Even so, the music that I love is very much still alive and Kickin’ in the U.K.

Michael Barratt, although unknown in North American, has had a very successful career in the UK and Europe for over 30 years. I am a traditionalist so I still prefer Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets. This group could rock, but he would go on to be very successful on his own from the Eighties until now.