Various - History R&B in DC 1940-1960 - Rhythm & Blues, Doo Wop, Rockin’ Rhythm and more… americanahighways.org
The latest, R&B in DC: 1940–1960, is a case in point. Featuring 472 songs on 16 CDs, this numbered, limited-edition box brilliantly evokes the rhythm and blues scene in Washington, D.C., over two decades. It comes with a 352-page, LP-sized hardcover book that contains well-informed essays about the music, the artists, the record labels, the radio stations, and the clubs as well as notes about every song, a bibliography, a ton of rare period photos, and more.
Compiling the material for the coffee-table book reportedly took about seven years, and one can only imagine what must have been required to track down, license, and restore all this old music, much of which was rescued from extremely rare 78 and 45 rpm records. The list of acknowledgments to researchers, DJs, collectors, record dealers, and others is understandably long.
One indication of Bear Family’s obsession with comprehensiveness is that the book opens with a disclaimer that almost reads like an apology: “No attempt was made to cover every record by every artist featured. The list of included artists is extensive but by no means complete.” True, but the compilers can probably be forgiven for any omissions since as previously noted, they did manage to fit in nearly 500 songs. The playing time exceeds 20 hours so you can literally rock around the clock with almost no repeats.
The latest, R&B in DC: 1940–1960, is a case in point. Featuring 472 songs on 16 CDs, this numbered, limited-edition box brilliantly evokes the rhythm and blues scene in Washington, D.C., over two decades. It comes with a 352-page, LP-sized hardcover book that contains well-informed essays about the music, the artists, the record labels, the radio stations, and the clubs as well as notes about every song, a bibliography, a ton of rare period photos, and more.
Compiling the material for the coffee-table book reportedly took about seven years, and one can only imagine what must have been required to track down, license, and restore all this old music, much of which was rescued from extremely rare 78 and 45 rpm records. The list of acknowledgments to researchers, DJs, collectors, record dealers, and others is understandably long.
One indication of Bear Family’s obsession with comprehensiveness is that the book opens with a disclaimer that almost reads like an apology: “No attempt was made to cover every record by every artist featured. The list of included artists is extensive but by no means complete.” True, but the compilers can probably be forgiven for any omissions since as previously noted, they did manage to fit in nearly 500 songs. The playing time exceeds 20 hours so you can literally rock around the clock with almost no repeats.
Press Archive - R&B in DC 1940-1960 - Rhythm & Blues, Doo Wop - Washingtonian magazine
...DC's R&B scene didn't produce a huge number of records that hit the national charts. But Bruder's box set, with its extensive con textual info and illuminating photos and posters, captures just how vital it was as a local phenomenon. "This particular era of music, it was pure-it was fun," says Motley's grandson Morris Clarke, who was close to the musician when he was growing up in Durham. (Motley died in 1998.) "They weren't paid a lot of money to do this. This was real passion."
The collection also offers a cohesive narrative ofa time and place and culture that-as participants pass away and demographic change erodes the city's institutional memory-is fast fading. "1 want everyone to learn about these people and the community that nurtured them in what was a pretty difficult period for the AfricanAmerican community in Washington, DC," Bruder says. "These folks, they accomplished a lot. And no, they didn't have a ton ofnational hits. But they made sorne great music."
...DC's R&B scene didn't produce a huge number of records that hit the national charts. But Bruder's box set, with its extensive con textual info and illuminating photos and posters, captures just how vital it was as a local phenomenon. "This particular era of music, it was pure-it was fun," says Motley's grandson Morris Clarke, who was close to the musician when he was growing up in Durham. (Motley died in 1998.) "They weren't paid a lot of money to do this. This was real passion."
The collection also offers a cohesive narrative ofa time and place and culture that-as participants pass away and demographic change erodes the city's institutional memory-is fast fading. "1 want everyone to learn about these people and the community that nurtured them in what was a pretty difficult period for the AfricanAmerican community in Washington, DC," Bruder says. "These folks, they accomplished a lot. And no, they didn't have a ton ofnational hits. But they made sorne great music."
The Beat of Our Hearts: Bear Family Collects Definitive Survey of “R&B in D.C. 1940-1960” Featuring Early Recordings of Marvin Gaye, Don Covay, Billy Stewart
JUNE 22, 2021 BY JOE MARCHESE LEAVE A COMMENT
Washington, D.C. is associated with a great many things…but R&B? Leave it to German label Bear Family to take the emphasis off politics to uncover a lost chapter of the American capital’s rich story. R&B in D.C. 1940-1960 is the name of the upcoming LP-size, 16-CD box set comprehensively surveying two decades of regional music as only Bear Family can – with 472 tracks (that’s around 20 hours of music) and a 352-page hardcover book. This one-of-a-kind set is due on September 3 and limited to just 1,500 copies worldwide. It spotlights the early days of future marquee artists including Marvin Gaye, Billy Stewart, and Don Covay (all of whom spent their early days on the D.C. scene) as well as dozens of artists who never broke out beyond local stages but are nonetheless worthy of rediscovery. The box is a snapshot of the many sounds percolating in broader American culture during those years – not just “R&B” per se but swing, doo-wop, rock-and-roll, and soul, too.
JUNE 22, 2021 BY JOE MARCHESE LEAVE A COMMENT
Washington, D.C. is associated with a great many things…but R&B? Leave it to German label Bear Family to take the emphasis off politics to uncover a lost chapter of the American capital’s rich story. R&B in D.C. 1940-1960 is the name of the upcoming LP-size, 16-CD box set comprehensively surveying two decades of regional music as only Bear Family can – with 472 tracks (that’s around 20 hours of music) and a 352-page hardcover book. This one-of-a-kind set is due on September 3 and limited to just 1,500 copies worldwide. It spotlights the early days of future marquee artists including Marvin Gaye, Billy Stewart, and Don Covay (all of whom spent their early days on the D.C. scene) as well as dozens of artists who never broke out beyond local stages but are nonetheless worthy of rediscovery. The box is a snapshot of the many sounds percolating in broader American culture during those years – not just “R&B” per se but swing, doo-wop, rock-and-roll, and soul, too.