“Train Kept A-Rollin’” (or “The Train Kept A-Rollin’”) is a song first recorded by American jazz and rhythm and blues musician Tiny Bradshaw in 1951. Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio made an important contribution in 1956 – they added a prominent three-note minor key repeating guitar line to the song, which features an early use of intentionally distorted guitar in rock music. (More from Wikipedia)
“Train Kept A-Rollin’” is a jump blues song that was originally recorded by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951, the 1956 rockabilly recording of “Train Kept A-Rollin’” by the Johnny Burnette Trio is said to be the first rock and roll record to deliberately use distorted guitar. (The trio is also known as the Rock and Roll Trio but are not to be confused with the Johnny Johnson Trio, where Chuck Berry started out). This song even predates Link Wray’s “Rumble” in this regard (that instrumental came out in 1958), though Wray is still the man credited with bringing power chords to rock guitar.
(July 2013)
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To my mind, the musical form that became psychedelic rock was built on the growing availability of gimmicks and gizmos that could greatly affect the sound of musical instruments and vocals. I have already written of the 1956 rockabilly recording of “Train Kept A-Rollin’” by the Johnny Burnette Trio and the 1958 instrumental “Rumble” by Link Wray and His Ray Men that both used distortion to great effect.
(July 2015)
