The Dawn of Metal & Paramount Records
The Sound Opinions metal-themed holiday continues with a look back to the beginning: The Dawn of Metal. Jim and Greg also discuss one of the most curious tales in American music, Paramount Records.
Dean and Scott Blackwood
One of the most curious stories in the history of American music is documented in a box set called The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records 1917-1927, Volume 1. The set includes 800 songs, 2 books, 6 vinyl LPs, 200 original hand drawn ads of the period, all housed in an oak case modeled after phonograph cases of the 1920’s. This collection is produced by Jack White's Third Man Records & John Fahey's Revenant Records, and brothers Scott and Dean Blackwood joined us to talk about the set which documents how a Wisconsin chair company, producing records on the cheap and run by men with little knowledge of the music business, built one of the greatest musical rosters ever assembled under one roof. Paramount had an amazing roster of performers including Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Son House, & Ma Rainey.
The Dawn of Metal
At this point in the show Jim and Greg take a trip back to The Dawn of Metal. Heavy Metal isn't always taken seriously, but it warrants critical, even scholarly analysis. Before there was Metallica or Guns N’ Roses, there was a group of rockers that birthed the genre. Jim and Greg trace the history, primarily back to England in the late '60s. Here are the bands the credit with giving us the metal we know and love today.
- Steppenwolf
- Blue Cheer
- Hawkwind
- Led Zeppelin
- Black Sabbath
- Deep Purple
- Uriah Heep
- Judas Priest
- Motörhead
Fans of this early metal period will be happy to know that many of these bands are still rocking out live.
Featured Songs
- Ma Rainey, "Bessemer Bound Blues," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Jelly Roll Morton, "Muddy Water Blues," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Papa Charlie Jackson, "Salty Dog Blues," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Ethel Waters and the Jazz Masters, "Brown Baby," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Jimmy O'Bryant's Washboard Band, "Hot Hot Hottentot," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Sister Cunningham and T.C.I Sacred Singers, "Sign of Judgment," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- The Washingtonians, "Rainy Nights," The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Third Man/Revenant, 2013
- Steppenwolf, "Born to Be Wild," Steppenwolf, ABC Dunhill, 1968
- The Stooges, "Loose," Fun House, Elektra, 1970
- Blue Cheer, "Summertime Blues," Vincebus Eruptum, Philips, 1968
- The Beatles, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," Abbey Road, Apple, 1969
- Hawkwind, "Silver Machine," X In Search of Space, United Artists, 1971
- Metallica, "Master of Puppets," Master of Puppets, Elektra, 1986
- Led Zeppelin, "Dazed and Confused," Led Zeppelin, Atlantic, 1969
- Black Sabbath, "Black Sabbath," Black Sabbath, Vertigo, 1970
- Deep Purple, "Hush," Shades of Deep Purple, Tetragrammaton, 1968
- Deep Purple, "Speed King," Deep Purple in Rock, Warner Bros., 1970
- Uriah Heep, "Gypsy," ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble, Mercury, 1970
- Judas Priest, "Victim of Changes (Live)," Unleashed in the East, Columbia, 1979
- Motörhead, "Shoot You in the Back," Ace of Spades, Mercury, 1980
- High on Fire, "Death Is This Communion," Death Is This Communion, Relapse, 2007
- The Replacements, "Answering Machine," Let It Be, Twin/Tone Records, 1984
- Blind Guardian, "Mirror Mirror," Nightfall in Middle-Earth, Virgin/Century, 1998
- Slayer, "Silent Scream," South of Heaven, Def Jam, 1988
- Bruce Springsteen, "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)," The Rising, Columbia, 2002
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