How African-American ‘Race Records’ Became Obfuscated by ‘Rock ‘n’ roll’ within Transatlantic ‘Cover Versions’
How African-American ‘Race Records’ Became Obfuscated by ‘Rock ‘n’ roll’ within Transatlantic ‘Cover Versions’

Summary/Abstract: When references are made to the development of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ music during the Twentieth Century, they usually focus upon two episodes as related within two conflicting versions. Disparities are the product of perceptions formed both by observers in the UK who reacted to artists from the USA, and observers in the USA who reacted to artists from the UK. The overlapping biographical accounts of both artists and audiences have been melded together into one universal story, but it is far from being a genuine recital of events. Original works were often derived from the African-American community, who in the days of racial segregation had no way to protect their financial interests. Consequently, racial sources were intentionally obfuscated by ‘cover versions’ in order to maximize profits by adapting material to appeal to a wider, bleached culture by the media conglomerates that created legislation to protect their commercial interests. While resulting ‘cover versions’ frequently lacked originality, sensitivity and cognition of original works, on occasion counter-copy-productions eclipsed the originals. But over time a ‘cultural stew’ became blended beyond the point where original components are now discernible, which has prompted this re-examination of the happenstance ‘recipe’ that resulted in a Transatlantic fare known as ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’.

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