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The tape said April 18, 1959 – nothing else. On the other side it was Alan Freed and bits and pieces of songs from WABC and WINS in 1959. But the first side was the clincher – a band – a bunch of kids from a local high school practicing. No idea who they were or anything about them – a couple of names are called out in the recording but the band has no name – or if it was a band in the first place. Were they rehearsing for the school talent show or were they slated to play one of the dances in the gym? Who knows. Somebody probably begged, borrowed or stole the family Webcor, propped a mike up on a table and recorded for the next 20 minutes – lots of fits and starts and mostly jam sessions – a couple attempts at Fats Domino’s Ain’t That A Shame but they don’t finish it. The tape was part of a collection of many other tapes. And whether or not there are more samples of this particular group practicing is anyone’s guess. But it could be anybody – any group of kids who got together to play music – anywhere in the country and probably the world.
Like so many kids from the 1950s (probably earlier) up to yesterday, commandeering the family garage and playing their hearts out for the better part of a Saturday – driving the neighbors crazy and promising to be over by sundown was a ritual and still is (most likely). In this case, since the tape came from the East Coast, probably somewhere in New York, it would invariably mean commandeering the family basement where noise wasn’t an issue, at least until parents got home.
It was the same – even in 1959. Probably taking music classes in school or taking lessons from the local Music store and getting together with a bunch of friends to trade licks, learn songs and imagine what it would be like to actually become a rock star.
These kids aren’t professional – maybe they would eventually be years later – maybe they got by just enough to tell themselves they did it and share stories of talent shows and school dances for years and decades to come.
To put it in perspective – the kids on this tape are your parents or your grandparents – they are all in their 80s now. They may forget things and are otherwise falling apart, but they can still listen and still remember when it was all new and fun and very-very vital.
Always was – always will be.
