Saw him play Rumble live and met him after his show at a small blues club in Pittsburgh- Loudest concert I was ever at up to that point- and his amps were cranked and facing the back walls haha- I said something like this to Link, “I been covering a couple of your tunes at my shows with my band and want to ask if you thought that’s ok?” He replied “F#%^ Ya!” Hahahhaa he was so cool and such a nice guy! He also signed my Danelectro!
An instrument needs be played. The museums which keep Paganini's violins have high payed musicians playing these two or three times a week, to prevent the violins die. Protect it for the rest of time. Some artists put hairspray over a finished picture. Hairspray is an ultra thin protective lack. I use it myself (front- & rear-panels), also to protect details from the coating. 🚀🏴☠️🎸
What's your band's name? Rick Miller from Southern Culture on the Skids plays a Danelectro, too. I saw him play with Link at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill.
I saw him in Detroit just a few years before he died with Lee Rocker from the Stray Cats and he killed it! He played dirty, loud and was still punk as hell
When I saw the thumbnail, I immediately thought it was Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Part 2. I believe stations began banning that song after his arrest. I don't want to say more bcuz I can't remember all the details that went down.
@@ricklane Atheists think that they are God and that they even create life through procreation, procreation being a word that is seldom heard anymore. They also think that they are naturally moral which is self righteousness at its height. Part of being moral I guess, is to blaspheme unabashedly for no other reason in their minds, I suppose, than to upset some of God's creations (people). And that's really moral too, I guess. AND I guess to show that there is no God by acknowledging God enough to blaspheme Him. AND they think that Christians, by acknowledging the obvious truth, are somehow trying to get into their pocket or make them skeared. (True Christians are never trying to get into your pocket. Church is not the answer). It may sound like I am not being nice, but an honest look will show that I am just telling the simple truth, which is the only thing that has the chance to begin working. God is my real Friend and He can be anyone's who will open up his heart wide enough to let Him in. Just saying.
The first time I listened to this song was in Pulp Fiction. I bought the soundtrack because of the music. I loved this song in particular. Greetings from Spain.
I remember the 'uncomfortable silence' scene for sure but was way to young to see it in cinema so I bought the soundtrack and I swear it wasn't on there. In the dark ages I lent it to a friend of mine and never got it back. So I bought the Collectors Edition of the soundtrack years later. Its actually funny that that is the only CD to this day with that song despite the literally wall of compilations with recordings from the last 100 years I own.
There's is proof of that happening right now... Love Is a Long Road by Tom Petty just went on a rocketship ride into mainstream popularity 30+ years after being recorded because GTA 6 uses it for the song in the trailer... It's a simple B,D,A- E,D,A chord progression. Originally an overlooked B Side to Free Fallin' people went NUTS for it because the song finally found the right time and place to make its mark...
Link's riff captures and encapsulates the spirit of rock and roll like very few others do, right up there with what Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley did. As for the "Rumble" documentary about the influence of Native Americans on the genre, it deserves to be a lot more popular than it seems to be, as it adds a whole new perspective to the history of contemporary music, from blues and jazz through rock to hip hop.
I'm a 60 year old rock musician still playing today. I hear so many people credit songs and groups as being pioneers of rock. I disagree with most because for me it was instrumentals that pioneered rock music. And this one is the best examples of that. Thanks for bringing this out of the collection. Rock on man
I started playing rock and roll guitar in 1960. Rumble was the first 45 I bought. It was one of those “Man o’ man, I gotta have that record” songs. Probably the first song I learned to play. I still have that 45. It’s still a great song.
The first 45 single I ever bought. But you never mentioned one of the key features that drew me to that recording, the gradually increasing tremolo! Through most of the song there is just the slightest hint of tremolo effect at the end of each phrase. Then in the last 30 seconds or so, Wray (or somebody in the studio) gradually cranks up the effect on his amp. By the end as the songs fades, the tremolo is going full force and chops the guitar sound into a thick buttery ripple. I loved it!
Nice job Rhett. I've loved this song ever since I heard it back in the early 1960's and you did a marvelous job of explaining the chords and what makes this Hall Of Fame song so timelessly POWERFUL. The phrase that the bass and drums "That lets the guitar just float on top" is an epic description.
You forgot to mention that my uncle Link invented the power cord. I like his instrumentals but also loved his later albums. For examples the song Back woods preacher man which was also covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fire and brimstone which is also covered in the movie lawless. The song I got to ramble. And Good time Joe. When he was still riding and working on this home good time Joe. He stopped by our house told my dad this new song he was writing. Played the riff but he said he hadn't got the baseline figured out yet for the song. My dad went and grabbed his bass guitar and said what about this link any played the baseline for his song. Link got so excited he said that's it that's it that's the baseline. Memory sitting there watching them to work on that song was so cool. I grew up watching him and my father sit around in my living room playing music to three and 4:00 in the morning. Watching them both trade licks on their guitar it was good times.
@@SilkyMilkyOriginal Links oldest daughter Beth Wray Webb is my aunt her and my father's baby brother were married over 40 years till death do you part. I grew up calling him Uncle Link cuz he was like an uncle to me. Him and my father were very very good friends and family as well. Even between his concert if he was close by he would stop by to see my dad and they would spend all night till 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning playing music and talking. My father gave him the ideal for the baseline on backwoods preacher Man setting in my living room. Lots of good memories. He wasn't linked the rock star to me and he was just unclean member of the family it was a really cool dude.
@@SilkyMilkyOriginal It's so funny I was having this conversation a few days ago. And my aunt Links oldest daughter came and stayed the night with me last night lol And showed me the Hall of Fame trophy and also to let me know that they put her dad in the Smithsonian. For his instrumental Rumble that was banned by the radio for in fear it would incite balance in the youth. Lol
It is important to remember songs like this in their context. At the time music listeners would have been bombarded with orchestral country numbers and bubblegum pop - so if you heard this song it would deliver a legitimate shock and you'd either want to hear it immediately again... or call for it to be banned as dangerous.
I saw some people criticising Jimmy Page’s choice when he played this the other week. Sure it’s old fashioned and “simple”, but it’s got such a swagger. Rock and roll is about more than riffs and solos
I love history and I try to always view it from its own context. I try to avoid projecting my place, time, knowledge, morality, etc. on to the past. This is especially the case with music. Yes, it’s a bit of an academic exercise. But when you listen with fresh ears, you get more out of the experience. It’s just cooler. It’s also interesting to listen from the perspective of a typical radio listener, a musician, and a full headphones dive into the mix.
Love this song, bought the record back in 1958 and still have it. Recently started playing the guitar {i'm 82} and learned how to play Rumble, I wont say I'm real good but you would know what I was playing. I believe it when people say Rumble helped start heavy metal, it sure started something different when it came out in 1958.
I remember reading that the second guitar in "Immigrant Song" that comes in alongside the verse was based on how "Rumble" is played. Really cool detail. I saw Bob Dylan a few years back, and he did "Cry A While" set to a version of "Rumble" altered to fit the chords/melody of the other song. Even played the same guitar solo. I thought that was such a cool moment.
That means someone heard this and made them feel so emotional they couldn't describe it and it scared them so badly they thought no one else should hear this. Rock and Roll
In the early ‘60s Link lived in Washington DC. He often played the college party circuit. That is how I got to meet him and his band. At Cornell in during this time we had 3 party week ends and Frats would book bands that to play Friday and Sat at many locations. Our house contracted him for multiple years and I was able to get to know him. He and the band members were easy to talk to and made the party a life time experience; We had brothers that would sit in and play with him and sing along with some songs. Our dates were impressed out of their minds. I have party pictures with him.
What this video did not mention is that the sock-hop where this song was first introduced was right here in good ol' Fredericksburg, Virginia. A pretty cool bit of local history to think the power chord was invented here. And being a metal head, it is so awesome to to think what is the basic foundation of heavy metal was invented right here. However, I cannot seem to find anywhere exactly where in town the sock-hop occurred. To think how time has changed. Some of the music I've heard and seen performed these days makes "Rumble" seem very tame by comparison. However, never got to meet the guy. I was not born until 1969, so much of this occurred before my time. By the time I really got into music, bands like Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and Rush where tearing up the airwaves.
When I was a kid, back in the '70s, I found a copy of this in amongst my dad's old record collection. It was in there with some Duane Eddy, The Shadows, Eddie Cocheran and a whole bunch of other old stuff. He used to let me play them when it was too wet or cold outside to go and play. Rumble stood out to me from all the other discs, it was just dripping with rebellious attitude, and I loved it.
Great story. You're right! It has influenced countless musicians over the years. Booker T and the MG's also comes to mind. Instrumentals touch musicians in many ways. Great video
1974-ish, I went and saw Link Wray in Austin, a large indoor venue into the next day with many groups playing. Link's turn, he comes onstage and sonic-booms a single 'warmup' chord, instantly paralyzing the crowd into full attention. During the short count into Rumble, Link only THEN steps on some kind of 8 kabillion megaton ancient alien tech planet-annihilation boost pedal and BAMMMMM!, into the song. I can still hear today....pure soaring joy was the in-concert built-in antidote. Thanks forever Link and gracious alien crew.
Link Wray being inducted into the R&R HOF is long overdue and so well deserved. He's also credited with developing the power chord. Rumble is such a great song for beginning guitarists to learn. It is the first song I learned to play all the way through in the same way Link played it in 1958. It's easy to play and sounds great. For someone just starting out, you get a lot of satisfaction and encouragement when you play the song. You think to yourself: wow, I just played a great song. I can really see why people like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend were so encouraged to learn how to play guitar. Once you get Rumble, the sky's the limit. 🎸🎸🎸
I wondered about that. Power chords are the audio equivalent of the floor joists in a house - not something you really think about, but they sit on top of the foundation (bass and drums) and support the rest of the song!
Yes, and they're such an important part of hard rock and metal. If for no other reason, Link Wray should be in the R&R HOF for inventing power chords. @@lisagulick4144
I love Link Ray’s music and I was lucky and got to see him play at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on July 19, 2002. I still have the ticket stub. His son played bass but I don’t recall the drummer’s name. It was such a great show and experience. His wife was his guitar tech extraordinaire. Link was one of a kind for sure! Thanks for reminding us about Link and his rock-n-roll impact, Rhett!!
Spot on! This is such a cool riff, and song. It also doesn't really sound outdated at all to this date. Not many songs from that era still sound as good.
There is a video from November 1974 of Link playing "Rumble" at Winterland in San Francisco. I was at that show and was standing right up front. Link was just plain Badass. And LOUD. It was wonderful!
Saw an interview (maybe 20 years ago or so) with Link and a group of Native North American musicians in which he recounted the origin story of Rumble and added that after he was signed, he rather liked playing Dsus (rather than DMajor) in the verse because it had a slightly sinister tone to it, but he was already getting enough grief from certain industry authority figures (about the time of the radio bans) so no "official" changes. Otherwise, he did what he pleased, when he pleased. Rock on, Link!
I was 8 years old back in the spring of '73 when I heard Rumble for the first time, from a 45 my mom put on our old Philco stereo/tv. I got the fever. Begged my parents for an electric guitar and amplifier, but we were pretty poor. But I did extra chores and saved up my allowance all year. I finally got a cheapo electric and a cheapo amp from Sears Roebuck. The first song I learned to play was Rumble- and my dad showed me the chords. Man, what a great memory.
Excellent job interpreting this arrangement. It helps give me voice to what I am hearing, opening up an avenue for me communicate thoughts on music much better
This song is the perfect example to show the beauty of simplicity. I heard it numerous times when I was a kid, but I never really LISTENED to it until I was a teenager. The mother of a friend always listened to "golden oldies" on the radio, and one day while visiting his home, this song came on. I stopped whatever I was doing and listened to the song in its entirety. I didn't catch the name of it, the DJ had apparently said it before playing the song, so I asked her what it was and she laughed, amused that I was interested in such an old song, but she told me and I made a mental note to look it up as soon as I got a chance. That was back in the early days of the internet, and my family didn't even have a computer, so I had to go to the local library for internet access. When I found that it had been banned simply because of the title and it's attitude, it became (and still remains) one of my favorite songs.
Link Wray and the Wraymen's song "Rumble" arguably changed Rock music forever, introducing "Surf," "Grunge" and "Garage." In it's incredibly powerful simplicity, Link was the innovator of both the sound and the "Power Chord." Many bands were either influenced by this, or emulated this sound, particularly "The Cramps," and who else really knows. Wray's "Rawhide" is arguably the first Surf Instrumental, and "Deuces Wild" is just incredible!
Rumble is the first song I learned to play on guitar that sounded like the recording. It was my first “I can do this” moment in learning to play guitar
Great shout outs to two fantastic rock and roll documentaries! Watched them both more than once and always pick up on some little nuance missed before. Good stuff good vid.
i would've never herad of, much less heard, "rumble" if some corporation didn't recently play it in one of their commercials. i've discovered some GREAT music from movies and even commercials. i've been a record collector, exclusively albums, for 50 years and i'm still finding some excellent sounds i never heard before from the 50s, 60s and 70s. mainly thanks to youtube. its about the only thing YT is actually good for. thanks for the video.
It is legitimately the first "tough riff" of Rock & Roll. It pointed to the "toughness" that was to come. Which is what Rock & Roll needed to point it in the right direction.
Sock hops. Wow! Hadn't thought of them in years. Some of the best memories of my teen years. Love that riff and the info. Really sad that they had to hide their heritage. Glad he's got a star at least. Thank you! Have a joyful and safe holiday!🎄🙏🏼🤘🏼
"Not because of the technical prowess or how hard it is to play..." Another music channel I watch and quite enjoy is from a musician who comes from a background of a lot of more "complex" genres like jazz/progressive etc. And recently I watched them evaluating parts from a punk song, and just so many comments along the lines of "when there's this few pieces, every little change you make has such a huge impact". And being me, I'm watching thinking to myself "Well, &*^$ing Duh!" while also having to bear in mind that there are a lot of musicians who write off anything with fewer than 4 key changes, 3 time signatures, a minimum number of swept arpeggios, etc etc. When you strip down to the bare bones, every little thing matters so much more. Complex song? Something can be 'meh' but don't worry, blink and you've missed it, something else is happening now. Something like this? Every choice carries weight. Minor variations equate to big changes. The little drags across the beat of the drums, where the guitar and even bass drag just a hair behind the beat now and then? They don't pass by in the blur of a million other *things*, they add weight and tension because they're *right there*.
"when there's this few pieces, every little change you make has such a huge impact" indeed: that's the beauty of minimalism: each part retains its own identity, and a varied (or even botched) note, a delayed beat or an instrument momentarily dropping out can make all the difference!
I was 15 when that song hit the radio and there were already electric guitar pioneers like Mickey and Sylvia, and Duane Eddy, who had altered my expectations of what guitars could sound like, so Link Wray just added to the potential "symphonic" & gigantic role that sustained & distorted guitar could play in a relatively small band. That combined with my exposure to blues artists who pushed guitar to still another place, was an inspiration for me as a novice guitar player
thankyou. I was 7 years old when Rumble came out. I don't remember when I 1st heard it, it was so long ago but seems like every time I hear it, which is kinda often, it always gives me goosebumps and takes me back to a time when music was evolving. just a year or so earlier, when I was listening to pop Disney songs on my little record player, when finding a box of big black thick records that said 78 rpm on them which turned out to be Little Richard and Elvis and that experience changed my life til this day over 55 years ago..don't kno what my life would be without music...good job!
When I first heard RUMBLE I thought it sounded like something written by somebody who was playing guitar for two weeks. And I still think so. But, now, I realize it's genius. Music at its best can create a mood or an atmosphere, but Rumble was the first song to convey an "attitude."
'Banned in Boston' explained: In the 1950's/1960's there was a section of Boston called the Combat Zone. It was where the adult entertainment was in the city, and where members of the assorted military branches would go on weekends. Well, you get a bunch of young men drunk, and looking for a scrap, brawls would ensue, hence the name the 'Combat Zone' Banning a song they feared might fuel the fights, kind of makes sense.
Link also had lung issues, which is why he played instrumentals. His brother was the lead singer and went by the name of Ray Vernon, which is a reversal of his given name.
This riff most definitely was the mother of hard rock. There was nothing else like it before and it took some time after the till someone picked up on it. Dave Davies of the Kinks found it and the rawness of his playing showed thru. No question he was inspired by Linc.
The feel and the attitude of this song is amazing. The timing is what makes it amazing. The sound of the drums, the syncopation of the drum beat, and the fractional difference of where the drum beats vs the guitar chords and notes land on the beat was, to me, groundbreaking for 1958. I don't think anything sounded quite like this at the time. My interpretation is that the drums have a native-american spirituality to them, but then the guitar is like a raw Rock&Roll sound that I cannot point to in any other song released before Rumble. I think a lot of the Blues in the 1950s was more straight-up 12-bar blues. It didn't start on the flat-7th chord. The ordering of the chords in Rumble makes it sound intoxicated and off-balance. I have huge respect for early American Rock & Roll and also American 12-bar blues. I love Muddy Waters. I love Chuck Berry. I love Pink Anderson and Gary Davis. Link Wray took some of the chords from 12-bar blues and the harmonies from it, but then he mixed them up in Rumble to get a very different feel that didn't quite exist in country, blues or other early rock at the time.
Thanks so much for introducing me to this powerful musician! Never knew he existed till now. I believe this is where rock and roll started. The song is timeless. Could have been featured at Woodstock. Of course Buddy Holly was awesome too. Yet as I hear this piece, I hear groups like The Who, Jimmy Hendix, and of course Led Zeppelin. This is saved in my Favorites 😍
The first time I saw video of Link performing this he had to be around 7 and looked kinda silly (so I thought). Recently I saw footage of him back in the 1970s and he had such incredible swagger that it put the whole song in a new light for me.
Greatest ever. Was looking for it in the summer before the school year began and didn't know it was Link Wray or Rumble. Now I know and will never forget.
As well as 'Rumble' Link cut many other great instrumentals, 'Comanche' 'Deuces Wild' 'Jack the ripper' 'Bo Diddley' and though not much of a vocalist himself his band did provide backing on cult rockabilly classics like 'Boo hoo' by Marvin Rainwater and 'The girl can't dance' by Bunker Hill which is undoubtedly one of the heaviest sounding rock and roll records of its or any era.
I 've always liked Rumble, but I think hearing you play it in this video with modern fidelity and clarity of sound made me understand it in a whole new way. That big, crunchy, aggressive feeling just leaps out of my headphones.
Thank you Rhett. Great info on the iconic musician with the iconic tune! The tempo and structure of this guitar work had influence on so many rock tunes to follow - be it consciously or unconsciously - by many of rock/pop guitarists around the world.
One of the coolest, most honest moments in IMGL is when Page plays air guitar to Rumble. Then he emphasizes the tremolo. That said it all for me! Filthy riff
That video is so gorgeous. The pure joy he exudes while airguitaring that is magnetic. I've always only been a passionate listener but that joy made me want to pick up an instrument.
Thank you thank you thank you for bringing this up that has been buried in my subconscious so many years. This song was absolutely one of the first that brought on the entire movement !
Rhett, I think it's really interesting that the first time you heard this was in the "It might get loud" video. Sometimes I forget how old I am and how many years have gone by. I was born in 1958 and the first time I heard Rumble was so long ago I don't remember, but songs like that locked into my young brain and influenced everything that I heard after it. Other songs like The Animals covering House of the Rising Sun or Blue Cheer covering Summertime Blues or the Stones covering Little Red Rooster all hit me like a ton of bricks when I was a little kid. By the time I was sixteen I found out there was so much old blues music that was the foundation of everything I was listening to.
Seriously awesome presentation man. Just seen a small clip on the kinks, mostly to do with distortion etc. But obviously this was done ten years earlier. I have never heard this before, but thank you. Great vid, cheers!
I recall like last week the first time I heard: dooom dooom thooom pa pa pa thoom. In Pete's '53 Chevy, cruising North on Eastman Road just after sunset. Still some light on the West horizon, I watched it fade as the guitar twanged and the drums crashed. A magic moment for an18 year old boy in 1960. Link, thanks for the magic.
First time I heard Rumble, it was back in 1970 when it was used as the theme on the Friday night horror movie show Screaming Yellow Theater, hosted by the original Svengoolie.
"Rumble" truly is the embodiment of rock and roll: very in your face, full of street swagger, slicked back hair, cigarette box rolled up in your white tee-shirt sleeve, toothpick dangling from your lip, leather jacket slung over your shoulder, Ray Bans hiding a smoldering look....just daring someone to piss you off enough to start a rumble! (if only the musical guitar variety)
Saw him play Rumble live and met him after his show at a small blues club in Pittsburgh- Loudest concert I was ever at up to that point- and his amps were cranked and facing the back walls haha- I said something like this to Link, “I been covering a couple of your tunes at my shows with my band and want to ask if you thought that’s ok?” He replied “F#%^ Ya!” Hahahhaa he was so cool and such a nice guy! He also signed my Danelectro!
put that guitar in a glass case! I'm all for playing it, but that thing needs to be protected big time when not in use!
An instrument needs be played. The museums which keep Paganini's violins have high payed musicians playing these two or three times a week, to prevent the violins die.
Protect it for the rest of time. Some artists put hairspray over a finished picture. Hairspray is an ultra thin protective lack. I use it myself (front- & rear-panels), also to protect details from the coating.
🚀🏴☠️🎸
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What's your band's name? Rick Miller from Southern Culture on the Skids plays a Danelectro, too. I saw him play with Link at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill.
I saw him in Detroit just a few years before he died with Lee Rocker from the Stray Cats and he killed it! He played dirty, loud and was still punk as hell
Writing an instrumental song that gets banned for its content is god-tier musicianship.
When I saw the thumbnail, I immediately thought it was Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Part 2.
I believe stations began banning that song after his arrest. I don't want to say more bcuz I can't remember all the details that went down.
It's a dangerous statement that places anyone on the same level/tier with The Creator of all things. Just saying.
@@ricklane- Fine for you but most of the rest of us are not afraid of your imaginary friend. There is no danger at all.
@@ricklane God’s a myth. Just saying.
@@ricklane Atheists think that they are God and that they even create life through procreation, procreation being a word that is seldom heard anymore. They also think that they are naturally moral which is self righteousness at its height. Part of being moral I guess, is to blaspheme unabashedly for no other reason in their minds, I suppose, than to upset some of God's creations (people). And that's really moral too, I guess. AND I guess to show that there is no God by acknowledging God enough to blaspheme Him. AND they think that Christians, by acknowledging the obvious truth, are somehow trying to get into their pocket or make them skeared. (True Christians are never trying to get into your pocket. Church is not the answer). It may sound like I am not being nice, but an honest look will show that I am just telling the simple truth, which is the only thing that has the chance to begin working. God is my real Friend and He can be anyone's who will open up his heart wide enough to let Him in. Just saying.
The first time I listened to this song was in Pulp Fiction. I bought the soundtrack because of the music. I loved this song in particular. Greetings from Spain.
Me too. Quentin has a real gift for picking the perfect tune to match the mood of certain scenes.
I remember the 'uncomfortable silence' scene for sure but was way to young to see it in cinema so I bought the soundtrack and I swear it wasn't on there. In the dark ages I lent it to a friend of mine and never got it back. So I bought the Collectors Edition of the soundtrack years later. Its actually funny that that is the only CD to this day with that song despite the literally wall of compilations with recordings from the last 100 years I own.
Same, it was prolly circa 2017-2018 for me.
Same here
Same,Tarantino always has good soundtracks.
Wray’s daughter has been petitioning for years. I am so glad he was finally inducted. Truly a great piece of music.
He does deserve it, but it's a damn shame the RRHOF is such a political clown show.
@@mvp019 🎯
Jimmy Page played Rumble at his induction in the RRHOF. Great stuff!!!
@@mvp019 Is the RRHOF even about Rock? 🤔There were "rappers" in before Wray and MANY, MANY other ACTUAL Rock artists. 😫
@@jamesslick4790 It's BS.
the best riffs are always the simplest. The tone and timing create the magic.
Yep which is one of many reasons AC/DC rock so hard.
There's is proof of that happening right now... Love Is a Long Road by Tom Petty just went on a rocketship ride into mainstream popularity 30+ years after being recorded because GTA 6 uses it for the song in the trailer... It's a simple B,D,A- E,D,A chord progression. Originally an overlooked B Side to Free Fallin' people went NUTS for it because the song finally found the right time and place to make its mark...
such a classic, it brings back so many memories. 100 million GTA trailer views will certainly have that effect.@@FloridaManRacer
"...the best riffs are always the simplest..." -- Precisely, which is why this video is excess analysis.
@@Piaseczno1 This video was HARDLY excess....
I am now 75 years old, and I have loved this song forever! Thank you for this video. It brought back so many memories.
It's the attitude of the 'Rumble' riff that sets it apart. Its slow tempo conveys its menace perfectly.
Menace is the perfect definition of this song!
It doesn't come off menacing to me. More relaxed. Perfect to kick back and drink a beer while listening.
"Menace". Yep. You nailed it.👍
@@immikeurnot I agree, but in 1958 it was hard-core sounding.
You listen to _Rumble_ and it immediately invokes a menacing "tough guy" imagery, and it didn't even need lyrics.
Link's riff captures and encapsulates the spirit of rock and roll like very few others do, right up there with what Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley did. As for the "Rumble" documentary about the influence of Native Americans on the genre, it deserves to be a lot more popular than it seems to be, as it adds a whole new perspective to the history of contemporary music, from blues and jazz through rock to hip hop.
Rumble is so cool that it was one of the things I had to learn when I first started playing guitar.
I'm a 60 year old rock musician still playing today. I hear so many people credit songs and groups as being pioneers of rock. I disagree with most because for me it was instrumentals that pioneered rock music. And this one is the best examples of that. Thanks for bringing this out of the collection. Rock on man
I often find myself calling Rumble the very first Hard rock tune, I mean it literally taught me the E minor Pentatonic scale!!
I started playing rock and roll guitar in 1960. Rumble was the first 45 I bought. It was one of those “Man o’ man, I gotta have that record” songs. Probably the first song I learned to play. I still have that 45. It’s still a great song.
Rumble was eye opening for me as a Native American. It was an affirmation for me to pursue music.
What does being born on US soil have to do with it?
@Frankie5Angels150 you couldn't even make it 3 minutes in to the video 😂
@@Frankie5Angels150 Representation matters.
Rumble stirs my blood. I'm just a white half-assed guitar player wanna be
@@Frankie5Angels150Wray was a Shawnee native American.
The first 45 single I ever bought. But you never mentioned one of the key features that drew me to that recording, the gradually increasing tremolo! Through most of the song there is just the slightest hint of tremolo effect at the end of each phrase. Then in the last 30 seconds or so, Wray (or somebody in the studio) gradually cranks up the effect on his amp. By the end as the songs fades, the tremolo is going full force and chops the guitar sound into a thick buttery ripple. I loved it!
Never noticed that. I will check it out.
Nice job Rhett. I've loved this song ever since I heard it back in the early 1960's and you did a marvelous job of explaining the chords and what makes this Hall Of Fame song so timelessly POWERFUL. The phrase that the bass and drums "That lets the guitar just float on top" is an epic description.
You forgot to mention that my uncle Link invented the power cord. I like his instrumentals but also loved his later albums. For examples the song Back woods preacher man which was also covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fire and brimstone which is also covered in the movie lawless. The song I got to ramble. And Good time Joe. When he was still riding and working on this home good time Joe. He stopped by our house told my dad this new song he was writing. Played the riff but he said he hadn't got the baseline figured out yet for the song. My dad went and grabbed his bass guitar and said what about this link any played the baseline for his song. Link got so excited he said that's it that's it that's the baseline. Memory sitting there watching them to work on that song was so cool. I grew up watching him and my father sit around in my living room playing music to three and 4:00 in the morning. Watching them both trade licks on their guitar it was good times.
You're his nephew?
@@SilkyMilkyOriginal Links oldest daughter Beth Wray Webb is my aunt her and my father's baby brother were married over 40 years till death do you part. I grew up calling him Uncle Link cuz he was like an uncle to me. Him and my father were very very good friends and family as well. Even between his concert if he was close by he would stop by to see my dad and they would spend all night till 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning playing music and talking. My father gave him the ideal for the baseline on backwoods preacher Man setting in my living room. Lots of good memories. He wasn't linked the rock star to me and he was just unclean member of the family it was a really cool dude.
@@tim196868 Wow, that's awesome!
@@SilkyMilkyOriginal It's so funny I was having this conversation a few days ago. And my aunt Links oldest daughter came and stayed the night with me last night lol And showed me the Hall of Fame trophy and also to let me know that they put her dad in the Smithsonian. For his instrumental Rumble that was banned by the radio for in fear it would incite balance in the youth. Lol
Cool! But you seem to be describing Link inventing the power chord, not the power cord, and bassline, not baseline.
It is important to remember songs like this in their context. At the time music listeners would have been bombarded with orchestral country numbers and bubblegum pop - so if you heard this song it would deliver a legitimate shock and you'd either want to hear it immediately again... or call for it to be banned as dangerous.
I saw some people criticising Jimmy Page’s choice when he played this the other week. Sure it’s old fashioned and “simple”, but it’s got such a swagger. Rock and roll is about more than riffs and solos
I love history and I try to always view it from its own context. I try to avoid projecting my place, time, knowledge, morality, etc. on to the past.
This is especially the case with music. Yes, it’s a bit of an academic exercise. But when you listen with fresh ears, you get more out of the experience. It’s just cooler.
It’s also interesting to listen from the perspective of a typical radio listener, a musician, and a full headphones dive into the mix.
I don't think that modern kids can feel something similar nowadays. It is not bad, it is not good, nevertheless.
The closest thing may have been fall of ‘91 when nirvana dropped “smells like teen spirit “.
Agreed. It probably dealt out a similar shock value as Punk, Death Metal, Grunge etc in its day.
Love this song, bought the record back in 1958 and still have it. Recently started playing the guitar {i'm 82} and learned how to play Rumble, I wont say I'm real good but you would know what I was playing. I believe it when people say Rumble helped start heavy metal, it sure started something different when it came out in 1958.
82 and learning guitar! Love it!
I remember reading that the second guitar in "Immigrant Song" that comes in alongside the verse was based on how "Rumble" is played. Really cool detail.
I saw Bob Dylan a few years back, and he did "Cry A While" set to a version of "Rumble" altered to fit the chords/melody of the other song. Even played the same guitar solo. I thought that was such a cool moment.
Thanks Rhett! For us old european guys these rock history pills are very much appreciated. Keep on.
That means someone heard this and made them feel so emotional they couldn't describe it and it scared them so badly they thought no one else should hear this. Rock and Roll
That's actually a really good way to describe that! Art moves people in different ways, be it simple or complex.
I was immediately pulled in by the “slap your face” tremolo level in the last few bars of the song. Such an influential jam
In the early ‘60s Link lived in Washington DC. He often played the college party circuit. That is how I got to meet him and his band. At Cornell in during this time we had 3 party week ends and Frats would book bands that to play Friday and Sat at many locations. Our house contracted him for multiple years and I was able to get to know him. He and the band members were easy to talk to and made the party a life time experience; We had brothers that would sit in and play with him and sing along with some songs. Our dates were impressed out of their minds. I have party pictures with him.
What this video did not mention is that the sock-hop where this song was first introduced was right here in good ol' Fredericksburg, Virginia. A pretty cool bit of local history to think the power chord was invented here. And being a metal head, it is so awesome to to think what is the basic foundation of heavy metal was invented right here. However, I cannot seem to find anywhere exactly where in town the sock-hop occurred. To think how time has changed. Some of the music I've heard and seen performed these days makes "Rumble" seem very tame by comparison. However, never got to meet the guy. I was not born until 1969, so much of this occurred before my time. By the time I really got into music, bands like Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and Rush where tearing up the airwaves.
When I was a kid, back in the '70s, I found a copy of this in amongst my dad's old record collection. It was in there with some Duane Eddy, The Shadows, Eddie Cocheran and a whole bunch of other old stuff. He used to let me play them when it was too wet or cold outside to go and play. Rumble stood out to me from all the other discs, it was just dripping with rebellious attitude, and I loved it.
Great story. You're right! It has influenced countless musicians over the years. Booker T and the MG's also comes to mind. Instrumentals touch musicians in many ways. Great video
“Honey hide the children someone just played 2 chords that’s going to start a riot!”
And then, of course, 30 years later, it becomes, "it'll convert our children to satanism!!"
You are so right the riff, the time period, the influence are all so important. Thanks for posting.
1974-ish, I went and saw Link Wray in Austin, a large indoor venue into the next day with many groups playing. Link's turn, he comes onstage and sonic-booms a single 'warmup' chord, instantly paralyzing the crowd into full attention. During the short count into Rumble, Link only THEN steps on some kind of 8 kabillion megaton ancient alien tech planet-annihilation boost pedal and BAMMMMM!, into the song. I can still hear today....pure soaring joy was the in-concert built-in antidote. Thanks forever Link and gracious alien crew.
An artist ahead of his time. Amazing the influence he had on music and the song is still great sounding today.
Link Wray being inducted into the R&R HOF is long overdue and so well deserved. He's also credited with developing the power chord. Rumble is such a great song for beginning guitarists to learn. It is the first song I learned to play all the way through in the same way Link played it in 1958. It's easy to play and sounds great. For someone just starting out, you get a lot of satisfaction and encouragement when you play the song. You think to yourself: wow, I just played a great song. I can really see why people like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend were so encouraged to learn how to play guitar. Once you get Rumble, the sky's the limit. 🎸🎸🎸
I wondered about that. Power chords are the audio equivalent of the floor joists in a house - not something you really think about, but they sit on top of the foundation (bass and drums) and support the rest of the song!
Yes, and they're such an important part of hard rock and metal. If for no other reason, Link Wray should be in the R&R HOF for inventing power chords. @@lisagulick4144
81 yrs old & still listen to this!!!!
Nectar for the soul.
I love Link Ray’s music and I was lucky and got to see him play at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on July 19, 2002. I still have the ticket stub. His son played bass but I don’t recall the drummer’s name. It was such a great show and experience. His wife was his guitar tech extraordinaire. Link was one of a kind for sure! Thanks for reminding us about Link and his rock-n-roll impact, Rhett!!
It's so nice to see that this iconic track is still appriciated.
Love watchin Wray walk around chewing bubble gum and blowin the speakers out. Legendary.
Simple, instructive, efficent, quick and to the point. Just like this riff, definitly a cool video 🤟
This is the first song I learned on guitar. I believe Jimmy Page said the song was "life changing".
Spot on! This is such a cool riff, and song. It also doesn't really sound outdated at all to this date. Not many songs from that era still sound as good.
There is a video from November 1974 of Link playing "Rumble" at Winterland in San Francisco. I was at that show and was standing right up front. Link was just plain Badass. And LOUD. It was wonderful!
That video is great. I've watched it a zillion times.
I use to have a 1958 Corvette and loved playing this song while driving around with the top down!!! I hear it now and I'm back in that car!!!
Saw an interview (maybe 20 years ago or so) with Link and a group of Native North American musicians in which he recounted the origin story of Rumble and added that after he was signed, he rather liked playing Dsus (rather than DMajor) in the verse because it had a slightly sinister tone to it, but he was already getting enough grief from certain industry authority figures (about the time of the radio bans) so no "official" changes. Otherwise, he did what he pleased, when he pleased. Rock on, Link!
It sounds like a Dsus2.
I was 8 years old back in the spring of '73 when I heard Rumble for the first time, from a 45 my mom put on our old Philco stereo/tv. I got the fever. Begged my parents for an electric guitar and amplifier, but we were pretty poor. But I did extra chores and saved up my allowance all year. I finally got a cheapo electric and a cheapo amp from Sears Roebuck. The first song I learned to play was Rumble- and my dad showed me the chords. Man, what a great memory.
Lots of people started on silvertone amps, they were affordable
Excellent job interpreting this arrangement. It helps give me voice to what I am hearing, opening up an avenue for me communicate thoughts on music much better
Fantastic to see Link highlighted Rhett. He’s amazing, check out his work with Robert Gordon. 👌
Love it. It creates an instant mood similar to how the intro in "Gimme Shelter" gives your mind the space to float.
Rumble was not banned in my state of Florida! It was played all the time on WLOF
This song is the perfect example to show the beauty of simplicity. I heard it numerous times when I was a kid, but I never really LISTENED to it until I was a teenager. The mother of a friend always listened to "golden oldies" on the radio, and one day while visiting his home, this song came on. I stopped whatever I was doing and listened to the song in its entirety. I didn't catch the name of it, the DJ had apparently said it before playing the song, so I asked her what it was and she laughed, amused that I was interested in such an old song, but she told me and I made a mental note to look it up as soon as I got a chance. That was back in the early days of the internet, and my family didn't even have a computer, so I had to go to the local library for internet access. When I found that it had been banned simply because of the title and it's attitude, it became (and still remains) one of my favorite songs.
Link Wray and the Wraymen's song "Rumble" arguably changed Rock music forever, introducing "Surf," "Grunge" and "Garage." In it's incredibly powerful simplicity, Link was the innovator of both the sound and the "Power Chord." Many bands were either influenced by this, or emulated this sound, particularly "The Cramps," and who else really knows. Wray's "Rawhide" is arguably the first Surf Instrumental, and "Deuces Wild" is just incredible!
This is a really cool music history video, Rhett. Nice job and thank you, brother.
Rumble is the first song I learned to play on guitar that sounded like the recording. It was my first “I can do this” moment in learning to play guitar
Great shout outs to two fantastic rock and roll documentaries! Watched them both more than once and always pick up on some little nuance missed before. Good stuff good vid.
I watched the live version from ‘74 a while back. One of the most bone crushing fuzz tones I’ve ever heard. Great song
i would've never herad of, much less heard, "rumble" if some corporation didn't recently play it in one of their commercials. i've discovered some GREAT music from movies and even commercials. i've been a record collector, exclusively albums, for 50 years and i'm still finding some excellent sounds i never heard before from the 50s, 60s and 70s. mainly thanks to youtube. its about the only thing YT is actually good for. thanks for the video.
It is legitimately the first "tough riff" of Rock & Roll. It pointed to the "toughness" that was to come. Which is what Rock & Roll needed to point it in the right direction.
👍 It took the bubble gum out of rock and roll.
Sock hops. Wow! Hadn't thought of them in years. Some of the best memories of my teen years. Love that riff and the info. Really sad that they had to hide their heritage. Glad he's got a star at least. Thank you! Have a joyful and safe holiday!🎄🙏🏼🤘🏼
"Not because of the technical prowess or how hard it is to play..."
Another music channel I watch and quite enjoy is from a musician who comes from a background of a lot of more "complex" genres like jazz/progressive etc. And recently I watched them evaluating parts from a punk song, and just so many comments along the lines of "when there's this few pieces, every little change you make has such a huge impact". And being me, I'm watching thinking to myself "Well, &*^$ing Duh!" while also having to bear in mind that there are a lot of musicians who write off anything with fewer than 4 key changes, 3 time signatures, a minimum number of swept arpeggios, etc etc.
When you strip down to the bare bones, every little thing matters so much more. Complex song? Something can be 'meh' but don't worry, blink and you've missed it, something else is happening now. Something like this? Every choice carries weight. Minor variations equate to big changes. The little drags across the beat of the drums, where the guitar and even bass drag just a hair behind the beat now and then? They don't pass by in the blur of a million other *things*, they add weight and tension because they're *right there*.
I don't think you're describing "12 Tone", but I think you'd probably enjoy that channel too.
@@pulaski1 12 tone is a great channel, definitely. Highly recommend dude's breakdown of songs and composition/structure.
very well said
Art is all about making choices. You always have options. That long series of decisions makes the final product what it is.
"when there's this few pieces, every little change you make has such a huge impact" indeed: that's the beauty of minimalism: each part retains its own identity, and a varied (or even botched) note, a delayed beat or an instrument momentarily dropping out can make all the difference!
Yeah, and that riff came to him in an instant!! Just fascinating! Congrats making the R&R Hall of Fame! Deserved!
Some songs will be cool forever.
Your rig sounds perfect, nailed it. Cool song thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I was 15 when that song hit the radio and there were already electric guitar pioneers like Mickey and Sylvia, and Duane Eddy, who had altered my expectations of what guitars could sound like, so Link Wray just added to the potential "symphonic" & gigantic role that sustained & distorted guitar could play in a relatively small band. That combined with my exposure to blues artists who pushed guitar to still another place, was an inspiration for me as a novice guitar player
Not what I expected, but I really liked your commentary - and came over to your point. Nice ear-opener!
In the early 70s, Rumble was used as the opening theme for an early version of the Svengoolie show.
Screaming Yellow Theater with the original Svengoolie Jerry G Bishop.
thankyou. I was 7 years old when Rumble came out. I don't remember when I 1st heard it, it was so long ago but seems like every time I hear it, which is kinda often, it always gives me goosebumps and takes me back to a time when music was evolving. just a year or so earlier, when I was listening to pop Disney songs on my little record player, when finding a box of big black thick records that said 78 rpm on them which turned out to be Little Richard and Elvis and that experience changed my life til this day over 55 years ago..don't kno what my life would be without music...good job!
It's fun to listen to and really, really fun to play!
When I first heard RUMBLE I thought it sounded like something written by somebody who was playing guitar for two weeks. And I still think so. But, now, I realize it's genius. Music at its best can create a mood or an atmosphere, but Rumble was the first song to convey an "attitude."
I can't even describe how much I've always loved this song. It stirs such raw emotion.
Finally!!! Someone gives credit where credit is past-due. First hard/metal rock and Roll song, THE FIRST in 1958!
The progressively louder, fast tremolo towards the end of the instrumental deserves mention. I still have the original 45 rpm.
I do too it just oozes menace off the turntable!😎
'Banned in Boston' explained: In the 1950's/1960's there was a section of Boston called the Combat Zone. It was where the adult entertainment was in the city, and where members of the assorted military branches would go on weekends.
Well, you get a bunch of young men drunk, and looking for a scrap, brawls would ensue, hence the name the 'Combat Zone'
Banning a song they feared might fuel the fights, kind of makes sense.
Link also had lung issues, which is why he played instrumentals. His brother was the lead singer and went by the name of Ray Vernon, which is a reversal of his given name.
It is pretty cool. I'm 71 right now, Rumble was probably released when I was 4. I recognize and remember it. Very cool.
This riff most definitely was the mother of hard rock. There was nothing else like it before and it took some time after the till someone picked up on it. Dave Davies of the Kinks found it and the rawness of his playing showed thru. No question he was inspired by Linc.
Thanks for the back-story, Rhett. Your version kicks arse.
The feel and the attitude of this song is amazing. The timing is what makes it amazing. The sound of the drums, the syncopation of the drum beat, and the fractional difference of where the drum beats vs the guitar chords and notes land on the beat was, to me, groundbreaking for 1958. I don't think anything sounded quite like this at the time. My interpretation is that the drums have a native-american spirituality to them, but then the guitar is like a raw Rock&Roll sound that I cannot point to in any other song released before Rumble.
I think a lot of the Blues in the 1950s was more straight-up 12-bar blues. It didn't start on the flat-7th chord. The ordering of the chords in Rumble makes it sound intoxicated and off-balance. I have huge respect for early American Rock & Roll and also American 12-bar blues. I love Muddy Waters. I love Chuck Berry. I love Pink Anderson and Gary Davis. Link Wray took some of the chords from 12-bar blues and the harmonies from it, but then he mixed them up in Rumble to get a very different feel that didn't quite exist in country, blues or other early rock at the time.
Thanks so much for introducing me to this powerful musician!
Never knew he existed till now.
I believe this is where rock and roll started.
The song is timeless.
Could have been featured at Woodstock.
Of course Buddy Holly was awesome too.
Yet as I hear this piece,
I hear groups like The Who, Jimmy Hendix, and of course Led Zeppelin.
This is saved in my Favorites 😍
The first time I saw video of Link performing this he had to be around 7 and looked kinda silly (so I thought). Recently I saw footage of him back in the 1970s and he had such incredible swagger that it put the whole song in a new light for me.
Greatest ever. Was looking for it in the summer before the school year began and didn't know it was Link Wray or Rumble. Now I know and will never forget.
Link Wray. Nice to see him getting some of the recognition he deserves.
Now it's Lonnie Mack's turn.
Yes it is Lonnie's turn, and Stevie Ray Vaughn would totally agree too
Johnny Burnett & the Rock n Roll Trio were full on in their day!
Me and my band covered Rumble when we first started out. Rumble is a classic and really started the wave of guitar solos and riffs as we know them.
Thanks for sharing great music. Saw him live. Blown away
As well as 'Rumble' Link cut many other great instrumentals, 'Comanche' 'Deuces Wild' 'Jack the ripper' 'Bo Diddley' and though not much of a vocalist himself his band did provide backing on cult rockabilly classics like 'Boo hoo' by Marvin Rainwater and 'The girl can't dance' by Bunker Hill which is undoubtedly one of the heaviest sounding rock and roll records of its or any era.
Also 'Rawhide', it's similar to 'Rumble' but has more actual melody going on.
Hey Rhett, I remember when I was 6 years old, listening to this song on my local radio station. That was 1958.
The only thing dumber than banning this riff was the FBI investigatig "Louie Louie" for pornographic lyrics. Grow the eff up people.
Don't forget Harry Anslinger going after Jazz musicians for marijuana.
I 've always liked Rumble, but I think hearing you play it in this video with modern fidelity and clarity of sound made me understand it in a whole new way. That big, crunchy, aggressive feeling just leaps out of my headphones.
I've loved this song since the 1960's, and I saw Link Wray live. Your mix needs more bass; that walking line was hypnotic!
Thank you Rhett. Great info on the iconic musician with the iconic tune! The tempo and structure of this guitar work had influence on so many rock tunes to follow - be it consciously or unconsciously - by many of rock/pop guitarists around the world.
One of the coolest, most honest moments in IMGL is when Page plays air guitar to Rumble. Then he emphasizes the tremolo. That said it all for me! Filthy riff
Nice detail.
That video is so gorgeous. The pure joy he exudes while airguitaring that is magnetic. I've always only been a passionate listener but that joy made me want to pick up an instrument.
Holy cow! This is amazing!
I never heard this song until tonight. Thanks. The song is too cool. Ill be playing this.
Accidentally bumped into you. Thanks man. Good stuff.
great stuff. I really enjoyed ur break down of 'Rumble'.
IT WAS NOT BANNED ON RADIO! I remember hearing this song a lot back in the 60s.
Thank you thank you thank you for bringing this up that has been buried in my subconscious so many years. This song was absolutely one of the first that brought on the entire movement !
Like how you exude that, rumble kind of, attitude while simply showing us the chords.
Rhett, I think it's really interesting that the first time you heard this was in the "It might get loud" video. Sometimes I forget how old I am and how many years have gone by. I was born in 1958 and the first time I heard Rumble was so long ago I don't remember, but songs like that locked into my young brain and influenced everything that I heard after it. Other songs like The Animals covering House of the Rising Sun or Blue Cheer covering Summertime Blues or the Stones covering Little Red Rooster all hit me like a ton of bricks when I was a little kid. By the time I was sixteen I found out there was so much old blues music that was the foundation of everything I was listening to.
Seriously awesome presentation man. Just seen a small clip on the kinks, mostly to do with distortion etc. But obviously this was done ten years earlier. I have never heard this before, but thank you. Great vid, cheers!
He ended up living in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is still there, interred into the floor of a local church.
I recall like last week the first time I heard: dooom dooom thooom pa pa pa thoom. In Pete's '53 Chevy, cruising North on Eastman Road just after sunset. Still some light on the West horizon, I watched it fade as the guitar twanged and the drums crashed. A magic moment for an18 year old boy in 1960. Link, thanks for the magic.
First time I heard Rumble, it was back in 1970 when it was used as the theme on the Friday night horror movie show Screaming Yellow Theater, hosted by the original Svengoolie.
"Rumble" truly is the embodiment of rock and roll: very in your face, full of street swagger, slicked back hair, cigarette box rolled up in your white tee-shirt sleeve, toothpick dangling from your lip, leather jacket slung over your shoulder, Ray Bans hiding a smoldering look....just daring someone to piss you off enough to start a rumble! (if only the musical guitar variety)