Pat Boone - At My Front Door (1955) video free download

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I think much of the criticism toward Boone's covers derives from the fact that his recordings sound so much cleaner than the originals recorded in a closet-like studio. But that is more a question of recording facilities than musicality. Boone was a very good singer, with a cleaner voice than many black singers (and also white ones). But that it is not necessarily a disadvantage: it's more a question of style. And he has style, in my opinion. One wonders though if his choice of songs was always the right one: but if he made money out of it, so he was right. 

mrob75

And then you have those who believe that "The Beatles" somehow "rescued" us from the sound of the early 60s....I do love the Beatles...But I also love the sounds of the early 60s too....Especially those girl groups who by the way, the Beatles themselves idolized and even covered their music! And during the British invasion, a LOT of good "northern soul" music was born...While at the same time the sound of "Motown" forged on despite the invasion.

MROSEN62

The general view of the early 60s was that payola had badly hurt the industry's reputation and they needed to bring back a "clean" image. Chubby Checker was certainly cleaner than Chuck Berry (who got arrested taking a young girl across state lines) and Jerry Lee Lewis (who married his 13-year-old cousin). There were also the people you mentioned and some pretty good girl groups. I think Sedaka does belong in the R&R Hall of Fame. Don't know if he'll ever make it in. Then came the Beatles.

mrob75

This "pop" drama extends into the debate regarding the early 60s where rock 'n rollers don't include artists like Neil Sedaka , Bobby Rydell, etal as true "rock 'n roll artists".

MROSEN62

Must be a regional thing. New York currently has zero stations (AM or FM) that play 50s music (except for doo-wop on a few college stations). So when I say that oldies stations almost never played the artists you mention, I'm talking strictly from a NYC perspective. I know you can find all kinds of stuff on Sirius-XM, but I've only heard it a few times while on vacation. I don't drive a great deal and I don't have it in my car.

mrob75

Some of the on-line stations (like Sirrus) play a mix of pop covers as well as the original R & B versions. Here in the southwest, we have an A. M. station that plays both as well. Many folks who grew up in that early 50s pop sound (right before Rock and Roll) have fond memories of those pop performers...Pat Boone, Gale Storm, Georgia Gibbs) Georgia even did a version of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" !

MROSEN62

The white pop versions were certainly very successful. In general, pop music of the 30s and 40s was made up of big bands and crooners. The early 50s white pop was an effort to retain the same audience while incorporating the new beat. Other than specialized doo-wop shows, there are few oldies stations left around that play 50s music. When they did exist, they played the oldies their audiences wanted to hear. This usually did not include the white pop cover versions.

mrob75

I wouldn't give the music industry that much credit to say that "they saw the future coming"...Hardly. The music industry has always been about $ ! The periods of 1955 - 58(ish) white kids were buying these pop covers (that repulse you, LOL) Kids are fickle....As R & B mainstreamed onto the scene, teens / DJs followed in suit. When Dick Clark went network, his first musical guests were Billy Williams (black) covering in pop: Fats Waller & The Chordettes! Kids wanted "POP" ...at that time.

mrob75

Exactly....As segregation came "closer" to an end by the late 50s (but not everywhere...geographically) teens / DJs began experimenting with R & B for the first time e.g. Allen Freed. As teens learned of this new genre (R & B) they flocked toward it. But we can't erase these white pop versions as not being successful...there were! Artists like Pat Boon etal w/ their pop style records were HUGE at one point. Oldies stations today are terrible only playing what they "think" was big.

MROSEN62

A few cover versions have survived and are played as much as (or more than) the R&B originals: "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds (original was by the Gladiolas) and "Sh Boom" by the Crew Cuts (original was by the Chords) come to mind. I'm sure there were others, but most of the cover versions (except for Elvis, of course) did not survive the 50s.

MROSEN62

The way I view the white cover artists of the 50s is as follows : They saw the future and tried to postpone it by giving white audiences alternative versions. These were of varying quality (and in my opinion, Pat's were not among the best of these). The ElDorados may never have broken wide, but when white DJs started to play Little Richard, Chuck Berry and others, the white cover versions pretty much stopped coming out. Oldies stations in the 70s thru 90s almost never played the white versions.

mrob75

That is true....I just find it hard to turn the cheek on Pat, Georgia, Gale Storm etal and say there music stinks because it wasn't their own and that they didn't have an R & B sound to them. These white artists sold records BY THE MILLIONS to white audiences. I think their music made teens curious to explore other musical genres especially R & B. Lavern's Tweedle Dee sure was SASSY but I still love Georgia's snappy, happy go-lucky 50s sound as well...They just don't compare. (jmo)

MROSEN62

I certainly do respect your opinion regarding Pat Boone's covers, but you probably are in the minority among those familiar with both his versions and the R&B songs he covered. I just refreshed my memory of Georgia Gibbs' Tweedle Dee and it's almost the same as Lavern Baker's version, note for note. Georgia did a good job on it but Lavern gave it more "sass". Again, just my opinion, but if we didn't have opinions, what fun would it be?

mrob75

LOL I would be one of those "not everyone"....I like Pat's version here! As a matter of fact I bought it on 45 as well as "Tutti Frutti" :-) I really think that comparing original R & B versions to these Pop covers is comparing apples to oranges....Each in their own right had their own merit. As much as I loved Lavern Baker's "Tweedle Dee" I also loved Georgia Gibb's pop version as well...Each had it's different style. (jmo)

MROSEN62

Of course, at the time, nearly all white audiences preferred the white cover versions. It's what they heard on the stations they listened to and also what they were comfortable with. Today, for people aware of both versions (and that's certainly not everyone) the ElDorados' version is widely preferred.

mrob75

But again, you're missing the point here. The 50s were still segregated in many ways including the music industry. At the time, most white audiences were flocking into to record stores to buy what they heard on white radio stations / jukeboxes. Blacks were buying R & B at the SAME record stores only R & B was classified as "Race Music". When you compare the two versions, then it comes to a matter of preference. You prefer the R & B versions, while others liked the pop sound better.

MROSEN62

I did (and still do) like Pat Boone when he did songs such as "Friendly Pursuasion" or "April Love". That was his style. But anyone who has any appreciation for early R&B realizes that Pat shouldn't have gone anywhere near material such as "Tutti Frutti" or "At My Front Door". Yes, there might be people who prefer Pat's pre-washed versions of those tunes, but I really don't want to ever have a serious music discussion with those people.

mrob75

Back about this time, I would not say that Pat saw the $ signs...That came later when he was more established...In '56 I'd venture to guess the $s were going to the execs at Dot Records. Colonel Parker may not have not known about music, but made a lot of $ out of Elvis! Another bottom line: you may not like Pat Boone but millions of people did and still do!

MROSEN62

So instead of saying that Pat saw the dollar signs, just amend it to say Pat and his management saw the dollar signs. Pretty much the same thing. As for Colonel Parker, I don't believe he knew that much about music, but he exercised complete control in order to maximize his bottom line.

mrob75

But that isn't exactly true. Pat Boone (and other artists at the time) had absolutely no control over the material they recorded....Not even Elvis Presley had that power. The music execs of the time dictated to the artists what they were to record. In Elvis' case, Colonel Parker called all the shots.

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