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Article: Transatlantic blues: how American blues inspired British rock and pop.(guitar music)(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- Guitar Player
- Article date:
- March 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 New Bay Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"Now the story must be told," sang bluesman Brownie McGhee, "the blues had a baby, and they called it rock and roll." During the early'60s, this offspring was the result of an international affair. While Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and other bluesmen were struggling to get by on their home turf, young British bands were imitating their records. To members of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Led Zeppelin, the recordings of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Jimmy Reed were just as influential as those of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. In an ironic yet wonderful twist of fate, most kids in America ...