Elvis and cultural appropriation
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 9:37 pm
Obviously inspired by recent entries in Tahlvin's music countdown, and specifically poorpete's response to white rock n roll artists with black artists who did the same songs better and earlier.
And this thread isn't particularly about Elvis, really, but I invoke his name, because he is the most famous white rock artist of the era and is often used as a symbol of whites stealing and profiting from black music.
Did Elvis (along with many other early white artists) profit immensely from a very racist and oppressive system? Yup. No doubt about it. But did he do so knowingly? With ill intent? Is it possible, as many claim, that Elvis (and others) created a path for black music to become mainstream? I'm sure the answer will be mixed and will be different for each performer.
Elvis always seemed humble and grateful to the black community. In his own words: "A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock ‘n’ roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like coloured people. Let’s face it: I can’t sing like Fats Domino can. I know that."
Also, at least in the earliest years of his career, I can't fault a poor kid for making money playing music he loves. Same goes for artists like Eminem. Or Gwen Stefani. Once they've risen to the top and are making bank though... then we can and should hold them to a higher standard.
Looking at Elvis's quote above, I compare it to Pat Boone years later who still hewed closely to the white savior theory and said outright that black artists of the era should be grateful to him and other white performers for creating a way for them to be successful. And even if there might be grains of truth behind that, it is far from the full context. Plus, his lack of gratitude or even the recognition that his own success was built on THEIR work seems galling.
I have too many thoughts, but I'm going to stop for now by saying that Elvis also stayed pretty true to the original music. He did less sanitizing and white-ifying of the songs he covered. And...
I think I found my least favorite (so far) translation of black rock n roll into "acceptable" music:
First, here's Ike Turner's "Rocket 88" (yeah, I know it's credited as Jackie Bengston and his Delta Cats, but they were actually performing as the Kings of Rhythm already) from 1951...
Compare that to Bill Haley and the Saddlemen (they were originally a country band and hadn't become the Comets yet)...
The Bill Haley version just feels lifeless to me compared to the original. And I know you're thinking that Ike should lose points for being an abusive spouse, but it seems that Bill Haley was an abusive drunk, so the playing field is sorta level there.
And this thread isn't particularly about Elvis, really, but I invoke his name, because he is the most famous white rock artist of the era and is often used as a symbol of whites stealing and profiting from black music.
Did Elvis (along with many other early white artists) profit immensely from a very racist and oppressive system? Yup. No doubt about it. But did he do so knowingly? With ill intent? Is it possible, as many claim, that Elvis (and others) created a path for black music to become mainstream? I'm sure the answer will be mixed and will be different for each performer.
Elvis always seemed humble and grateful to the black community. In his own words: "A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock ‘n’ roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like coloured people. Let’s face it: I can’t sing like Fats Domino can. I know that."
Also, at least in the earliest years of his career, I can't fault a poor kid for making money playing music he loves. Same goes for artists like Eminem. Or Gwen Stefani. Once they've risen to the top and are making bank though... then we can and should hold them to a higher standard.
Looking at Elvis's quote above, I compare it to Pat Boone years later who still hewed closely to the white savior theory and said outright that black artists of the era should be grateful to him and other white performers for creating a way for them to be successful. And even if there might be grains of truth behind that, it is far from the full context. Plus, his lack of gratitude or even the recognition that his own success was built on THEIR work seems galling.
I have too many thoughts, but I'm going to stop for now by saying that Elvis also stayed pretty true to the original music. He did less sanitizing and white-ifying of the songs he covered. And...
I think I found my least favorite (so far) translation of black rock n roll into "acceptable" music:
First, here's Ike Turner's "Rocket 88" (yeah, I know it's credited as Jackie Bengston and his Delta Cats, but they were actually performing as the Kings of Rhythm already) from 1951...
Compare that to Bill Haley and the Saddlemen (they were originally a country band and hadn't become the Comets yet)...
The Bill Haley version just feels lifeless to me compared to the original. And I know you're thinking that Ike should lose points for being an abusive spouse, but it seems that Bill Haley was an abusive drunk, so the playing field is sorta level there.