Genre: Rock and Roll
Title: Rocket 88
Composer/Artist:. Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston(vocal). The recording is credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats but the band was actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm band of which Brenston was the saxophonist. The record is considered to be the first rock and roll record.
Mood: Upbeat, swinging and dance-able.
Texture: Homophonic. Vocals accompanied by guitar and saxophones.
Dynamics/Articulation: Authentic rock and roll style of twelve bar blues. Dynamically consistent from the beginning, vocals being at the forefront due to close microphone. The band appear to have been recorded playing together in studio with ambient microphone placement giving the drums a very distant sound. Saxophones take forefront of musical interludes.
Instrumentation/use of Technology: Two guitars, bass, two tenor saxophones, piano and drums. The guitar sound is distorted, this is due to a damaged amplifier.
Vocals: Swinging big band, jazz style male vocal.
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 154 – 155 bpm
Key: Dmajor
Structure: Part A and B. Repeated musical phrasing with lyrical verses and instrumental solos. Twelve bar intro. Twelve bar lyrical verse(0.19), twelve bar instrumental verse(0.38), eight bar lyrical verse, thirty six bar instrumental solo(1.08) and a twelve bar lyrical verse(2.05) before part B(2.25) swing jazz turnaround before ending.
Notation: The guitar riff:
Overview of Style: The earliest example of the rock and roll genre. This record is a combination of earlier styles of swing jazz and jump blues. The unintended distortion on the guitar paved the way for the modern distorted guitar sound. Also the beat, being a shuffle beat, differs from the classic rock and roll rhythm which came later.
Song Analysis 