Season 40 of the Ukulele - It's only Rock 'n' Roll

Tootler

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I can still remember my "Wow" reaction when I heard my first Rock 'n' Roll records so for this season we are going back to the heady days of Rock 'n' Roll!

The Challenge
* Make a recording of a song from the Rock 'n' Roll era.: Say between the release of 'Rock Around the Clock' in 1955 and 'Love Me Do' in 1962.
* More particularly, your song should be from a hit record (from either side of the Atlantic) released between those two years.

Bonus tracks are encouraged and your bonus tracks can be from outside the period providing the original artist was active during the period.

Instrumental breaks were a common feature of records at that time so there will be a bonus point for an instrumental break. There were also a number of artists/groups that specialised in instrumental records, so instrumentals are particularly encouraged, especially of instrumental originals. and will get a bonus point.

Multiple versions of the same song are encouraged so if someone beats you to posting the song you were going to do, don't be discouraged, go for it anyway. Earlier seasons have shown we can have several excellent and different versions of the same song.

Parameters
* Ukulele front and center
* State in your clip that the recording is for the "40th season of the ukulele"
* Give the title of your song either in the video itself or its title or in the intro to your entry in the 40th season thread.
* Your first post will count as entry unless you state otherwise. the more bonuses the better!
* Overdubbing is allowed to add an instrumental break but not for multitrack vocals.
* Instrumental breaks should be of a length at least equivalent to one verse and can be from any instrument; just your uke, a second uke or another instrument altogether (including kazoo)

Judging
Judging will be based on votes from participants. If you enter, you are entitled to vote.
* You will be asked to nominate your first second and third choices
* Scoring will be: 1st choice 3 points, 2nd choice 2 points, 3rd choice 1 point. Instrumental breaks and all instrumental entries one bonus point.
* Honourable mentions: You may also add honourable mentions to your vote for any entry you think worthy in addition to your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices.
* Honourable mentions may include bonus tracks as well as entries and there will be a prize for the track getting the most honourable mentions.
* You may not vote for your own entry.

The entries with the highest scores will then be drawn by a suitable random process - to be decided later.

Deadline: 11:59 PM Hawaii time, Sunday November 25th. That's 10am Monday November 26th here in the UK.

Prizes:
1st prize: George Formby Songbook (23 George Formby songs with words, music and ukulele chord diagrams)
2nd and 3rd prizes: 1930's original tin kazoo by Clarke and Pub prop
Honourable mentions: Mini tambourine.

Playlists.

Season 40 Entries playlist
Season 40 Bonus tracks playlist
 
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I do love the 50's, but my knowledge of rock and roll is sorely lacking. Time for some education! Thanks for the challenge!
 
I do love the 50's, but my knowledge of rock and roll is sorely lacking. Time for some education! Thanks for the challenge!

Look forward to your entry, Tina. You usually do something good. You never know, you could even win the shiney kazoo! :music:
 
Fantastic Geoff and fab prizes oohhh i like the look of the kazoo and the min tambourine :) great theme and i am really ooking forward to it, funnily enough as i type this someone somewhere else in this block of flats is playing the saxophone, might have to try and stalk them to do a instrumental break for me lol
Anyway smashing theme, time to dig out the winkle pickers, drainpipes and fashion my hair into a D A :)
 
I used to like Elvis a lot when I was young, and some of my musical heroes have been influenced by music from this era. But my first thought was skipping this season, and then I recorded this (Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis) :cool: with some modern delay on the uke.


Great choice. Excellent start.
 


Am on a Layover in New York so am sure the hotel is wondering what the heck
with the music coming from this room. hahahahahaha
What is the mystery song --- 1950's -60's early Rock
One of the First Extremely Controversial Rock N Roll
greats. Give you a hint a cousin of a well known preacher...

But here it is a quick channeling of Jerry Lee Lewis as you
just can't this season without Great Balls of Fire.
 
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I had a really bad day so this is what came out of it. Apparently, earth angel is a rock song? At any rate, I decided to strip it as far as it could be stripped. No uke in sight, so this is a bonus entry all the way.

 
I used to like Elvis a lot when I was young, and some of my musical heroes have been influenced by music from this era. But my first thought was skipping this season, and then I recorded this (Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis) :cool: with some modern delay on the uke.


very smooth xommen. Nice feel mate, the uke sounds awesome too
 


Am on a Layover in New York so am sure the hotel is wondering what the heck
with the music coming from this room. hahahahahaha
What is the mystery song --- 1950's -60's early Rock
One of the First Extremely Controversial Rock N Roll
greats. Give you a hint a cousin of a well known preacher...

But here it is a quick channeling of Jerry Lee Lewis as you
just can't this season without Great Balls of Fire.

GOODNESS GRACIOUS Ganga! That was fab! :)
 
I had a really bad day so this is what came out of it. Apparently, earth angel is a rock song? At any rate, I decided to strip it as far as it could be stripped. No uke in sight, so this is a bonus entry all the way.



wow Tina, that was stunning. Whatever happened today sure brought forth a wonderful performance. Can almost hear the doo-wops in the background. Take care mate.
 
Thanks Geoff for hosting another fun week! Here's Richie Cunningham's theme song :p

 
Thanks Geoff for hosting another fun week! Here's Richie Cunningham's theme song :p




Wow. That was so good, it's pretty much preemptive. Most excellent.
 
Wow. That was so good, it's pretty much preemptive. Most excellent.
thanks brother, now if I could just catch that bloody rooster. He's in dire need of an agent or some lead therapy, not sure which :p
 
GREAT THEME!!! Gotta be a hit record huh? All right- me and the Father,Son and the Holy Ghost are heading to the sock-hop to figure out what it is we are going to play
 
This will be another great one, Geoff.

Question: If I go instrumental, can I multi track to do chords + lead for the whole tune?

cheers,
peewee
 
Be Bop a Lula

Ok,
Not exactly sure how to go about this but this is my entry for Season 40 of Ukulele - Rock and Roll Competition.
Be Bop a Lula by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. Top ten USA and top 20 UK in 1956. Sold more than 2 million copies.
Done on my Tom pocket.
My wife did say I was going crazy when she saw me videoing this.
I'll just try pasting the address for the YouTube clip first to see how that goes.
Edited my post and it worked a treat - Thanks ukuloonie
 
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I'll add it here for you
when you create a reply, click on the filmstrip icon next to the speech bubble
add the link by pasting the link into the space provided. and it puts it into the post.


Great playing and singing
 
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