Jersey Shore sound
Encyclopedia
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll
popularized at the Jersey Shore
on the Atlantic Ocean
coast of New Jersey
, United States
, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists. A synthesis of pre-Beatles rock and roll and pre-Motown rhythm and blues
, the genre enjoyed a vogue from roughly the late 1960s through the mid-1980s, although it still exists today.
, and the urban culture of the Mid-Atlantic states
, especially Pennsylvania
(more specifically Philadelphia), Maryland
, Rhode Island
, Connecticut
, New York
, and, of course, New Jersey. The form has a strong Italian-American influence, in as much as many of the form's key precursors and artists, from Frankie Valli
through Bruce Springsteen
, are of Italian ancestry and urban background.
and Roots rock
: a focus on the daily lives of people (in this case, those living in the stereotypically industrial society of Northern
and Central Jersey
), and a sense of being the underdog (a theme in the genre from The Four Seasons
' "Rag Doll", "Walk Like a Man", and "Big Man in Town
" and through Bruce Springsteen
's Darkness on the Edge of Town
). The New Jersey sound has also been heavily influenced by Italian accordion
music. In the example of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band
there are three musicians who are accordion players: organist Danny Federici
(now replaced by Charles Giordano
), guitarist Nils Lofgren
, and pianist Roy Bittan
. All three practiced accordion in its classical form and played in their younger years. This music has carried onto the stage and became an integral part of the music that shaped the New Jersey sound. Many piano and keyboard parts have a distinct sound of a call and answer reaction to the lyrics sung. Solidly thrumming guitar lines echo American V-8 engines so beloved by Jersey teenagers of the era. Piano
, Hammond organ
, and glockenspiel
emphasize the melody lines. The glockenspiel sounds were provided by a Jenco Celeste that Danny Federici owned. This combination is distinctly a New Jersey sound; some say that it is an extension of the calliope
sounds heard on the carousels located on Jersey Shore boardwalk
s. Danny Federici was instrumental in creating this sound in Bruce Springsteen's music. Many New Jersey horn sections have used similar phrasing that the keyboards play. This is evident with the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes sound. There has been influence from Van Morrison
in terms of some song structure and with keyboard parts as well.
There are other characteristics, however, that distinguished the "Jersey Shore" sound from its related genres:
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
popularized at the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists. A synthesis of pre-Beatles rock and roll and pre-Motown rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, the genre enjoyed a vogue from roughly the late 1960s through the mid-1980s, although it still exists today.
Origins
The Jersey Shore sound evolved from the mixing of pre-Beatles rock and roll, rhythm and blues, doo-wopDoo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
, and the urban culture of the Mid-Atlantic states
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
, especially Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(more specifically Philadelphia), Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and, of course, New Jersey. The form has a strong Italian-American influence, in as much as many of the form's key precursors and artists, from Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
through Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, are of Italian ancestry and urban background.
Characteristics
Jersey Shore music shares two thematic elements with its contemporary (and in many respects related) genres of Heartland rockHeartland rock
Heartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
and Roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
: a focus on the daily lives of people (in this case, those living in the stereotypically industrial society of Northern
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
and Central Jersey
Central Jersey
Central Jersey is a common designation for a region of the state of New Jersey in the United States of America. Trenton is considered the boundary between designated "North Jersey" and "South Jersey"...
), and a sense of being the underdog (a theme in the genre from The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
' "Rag Doll", "Walk Like a Man", and "Big Man in Town
Big Man in Town
"Big Man in Town" is a song popularized by The Four Seasons and written by Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio. The single was released by Philips Records in October 1964 and reached the #20 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
" and through Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in the late spring of 1978. The album marked the end of a three year period of forced hiatus from recording brought on by contractual obligations and legal battling with former manager Mike Appel...
). The New Jersey sound has also been heavily influenced by Italian accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
music. In the example of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
there are three musicians who are accordion players: organist Danny Federici
Danny Federici
Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.- Career :...
(now replaced by Charles Giordano
Charles Giordano
Charles Giordano is an American keyboardist and accordionist. Giordano is known primarily as the newest member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing keyboards and organ following the serious illness and subsequent death of longtime E Street organist Danny Federici in 2008...
), guitarist Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, and pianist Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...
. All three practiced accordion in its classical form and played in their younger years. This music has carried onto the stage and became an integral part of the music that shaped the New Jersey sound. Many piano and keyboard parts have a distinct sound of a call and answer reaction to the lyrics sung. Solidly thrumming guitar lines echo American V-8 engines so beloved by Jersey teenagers of the era. Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, and glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
emphasize the melody lines. The glockenspiel sounds were provided by a Jenco Celeste that Danny Federici owned. This combination is distinctly a New Jersey sound; some say that it is an extension of the calliope
Calliope (music)
A calliope is a musical instrument that produces sound by sending a gas, originally steam or more recently compressed air, through large whistles, originally locomotive whistles....
sounds heard on the carousels located on Jersey Shore boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
s. Danny Federici was instrumental in creating this sound in Bruce Springsteen's music. Many New Jersey horn sections have used similar phrasing that the keyboards play. This is evident with the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes sound. There has been influence from Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
in terms of some song structure and with keyboard parts as well.
There are other characteristics, however, that distinguished the "Jersey Shore" sound from its related genres:
- Danceable - In contrast with Heartland rockHeartland rockHeartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
, Jersey Shore music lent itself to dancing. - Instrumentation - Jersey Shore music tended to borrow more keyboard, brass, and horn-based arrangements from its R&B roots than did its related genres. Many bands incorporated horns as a part of the band (rather than sideman attachments), from Clarence ClemonsClarence ClemonsClarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
' saxophone in the E Street BandE Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
to the full brass and horns sections of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Romanticism - the genre exhibited a broad streak of romanticismRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
, adding outsized emotion to relationships, personal struggles, and life in general.
Precursors
- Stax RecordsStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
- The raw, horn-heavy, danceable soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
of Stax/Volt records contrasted with the more heavily produced soul of Motown, and was a key precursor to the Jersey Shore sound. - The Four SeasonsThe Four Seasons (group)The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
- This North Jersey-based rock band, mostly Italian American in ancestry, was among the biggest American bands in pre-Beatles rock and roll. - Gary U.S. BondsGary U.S. BondsGary U.S. Bonds is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer. He is also a prolific songwriter.-Career:...
- Most famous for his 1962 hit "Quarter To Three" (one of seven top-40 hits between 1960 and 1962), Bonds laid down one of the key precepts of the genre: it was fundamentally party music. - BluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and soul musicSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
- White soul singers like Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
were key influences.
Major Artists
- Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
- While Springsteen and the E Street BandE Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
did more than anyone to popularize the genre, Jersey Shore rock is an influence on all of his studio albums, rather than a motif. The elements of the genre appear as accents on songs like "Tenth Avenue Freeze-OutTenth Avenue Freeze-Out"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is the second song on Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough album Born to Run.-Content:The song loosely tells the story of the formation of the E Street Band. However, when asked, most Springsteen fans cannot answer the question, "What is a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out?" The...
" (from Born to RunBorn to RunThe album's release was accompanied by a $250,000 promotional campaign by Columbia directed at both consumers and the music industry, making good use of Landau's "I saw rock 'n' roll's future—and its name is Bruce Springsteen" quote. With much publicity, Born to Run vaulted into the top 10 in its...
), "Racing in the StreetRacing in the Street"Racing in the Street" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. In the original vinyl format, it was the last song of side one of the album...
" (from Darkness on the Edge of TownDarkness on the Edge of TownDarkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in the late spring of 1978. The album marked the end of a three year period of forced hiatus from recording brought on by contractual obligations and legal battling with former manager Mike Appel...
) and "Incident on 57th Street" (from The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street ShuffleThe Wild, the Innocent and the E Street ShuffleThe Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle is the second album by Bruce Springsteen and the as-yet-unnamed E Street Band, and is described by Allmusic as "one of the greatest albums in the history of rock & roll." It was released in 1973...
) among many others, mixed heavily with bits and pieces of Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
early in his career, and evolving more into Heartland rockHeartland rockHeartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
later on. But it was in his live performances (captured on innumerable bootlegs and on his Live/1975-85Live/1975-85Live/1975–85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. It consists of 40 tracks recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985. It was released as a box set with either five vinyl records, three cassettes, or three CDs...
album), as well as on songs and albums he wrote for other artists ("This Little Girl" by Gary U.S. Bonds, Hearts of StoneHearts of Stone (Asbury Jukes)Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock–R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1978.-History:Hearts of Stone has been called "the best album Bruce Springsteen never recorded", which is not quite accurate...
by Southside JohnnySouthside JohnnySouthside Johnny is an American singer-songwriter, who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.-Early days:...
) that he let his Jersey Shore roots show most frequently. - The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
- Though not exclusively Jersey Shore sound by any means, the Drifters performed Jersey Shore sound music on their hit song, "Under the Boardwalk." - Willy DeVilleWilly DeVilleWilly DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
- Mink DeVilleMink DeVilleMink DeVille was a rock band known for its association with early punk rock bands at New York’s CBGB nightclub and for being a showcase for the music of Willy DeVille. The band recorded six albums in the years 1977 to 1985. Except for frontman Willy DeVille, the original members of the band played...
- The Willy DeVille bands of the early 1980s exhibited a pure Jersey Shore sound with accordions and a full-throated sax played by Louis Cortelezzi. Critics sometimes compared Mink DeVille's Coup de GrâceCoup de Grace (Mink DeVille album)Coup de Grâce, issued in 1981, is the fourth album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album represented a departure for the band, as frontman Willy DeVille dismissed the only other remaining original member of the band, guitarist Louis X. Erlanger, and hired Helen Schneider's backup band to record...
(1981) and Where Angels Fear to TreadWhere Angels Fear to Tread (Mink DeVille album)Where Angels Fear to Tread, issued in 1983, is the fifth album by the rock band Mink DeVille. It was the second album Mink DeVille recorded for Atlantic Records, and Atlantic brought in two in-house producers, Howard Albert and Ron Albert, to produce the album.Mink DeVille as a rock group had...
(1983) to Bruce Springsteen and South Side Johnny. Allmusic said about Coup de Grâce, "The band's sound combined with Nitzsche's timeless production style, which combined with that voice to create a purer rock & roll noise than even Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's in 1981." Allmusic said about Where Angels Fear to Tread, "Why (Mink DeVille) didn't catch and George ThorogoodGeorge ThorogoodGeorge Thorogood is an American blues rock vocalist/guitarist from Wilmington, Delaware, United States, known for his hit song "Bad to the Bone" as well as for covers of blues standards such as Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" and John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie/One Bourbon, One Scotch, One...
and Southside Johnny (briefly) did is a mystery that will be up to '80s historians to figure out." - Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Immensely popular in the Mid-Atlantic StatesMid-Atlantic StatesThe Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
and in their native New Jersey, the Jukes never really broke out of the region. Their seminal album was Hearts of StoneHearts of Stone (Asbury Jukes)Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock–R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1978.-History:Hearts of Stone has been called "the best album Bruce Springsteen never recorded", which is not quite accurate...
. - Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Although Van Zandt's solo career spanned five albums, only the first one - Men Without WomenMen Without Women (album)Men Without Women, credited to Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, was the debut solo album by Steven Van Zandt, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and a songwriter / producer with the Jersey Shore band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes...
- recorded in a day with members of the Asbury Jukes, The Miami HornsThe Miami HornsThe Miami Horns are a horn section best known for touring and/or recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed and/or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S...
and the E Street Band, The Young Rascals, and other Jersey shore bands, was a classic; Van Zandt's future efforts and live performances sans Springsteen failed to live up to the early promise in relation to the "Jersey Shore" sound, however, he produced a number of albums in different styles. Classic Rock Magazine have rated his 1984 album "Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
" as being musically more viable than Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
's classic "GracelandGracelandGraceland is a large white-columned mansion and estate that was home to Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community about 9 miles from Downtown and less than four miles north of the Mississippi border. It currently serves as...
" album from the same year, as it creates new sounds and styles with African music instead of merely placing it in his own work. 1986's "Freedom-No Compromise" and 1989's "Revolution" were heavily influenced by dance music, whilst his final solo album, 1999's "Born Again SavageBorn Again SavageBorn Again Savage, 1999, was the fifth solo album by Little Steven, following a forced ten-year gap from the previous Revolution due to loss of recording contract....
" was a masterful effort at his first love, Garage RockGarage rockGarage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
. - Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
- although achieving fame through glam metalGlam metalGlam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
pop a decade later than the peak of the era, the band is still in the core tradition with evident R&B and heartland rockHeartland rockHeartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
influences; at the time, they were termed a rediscovery or evolution of the Jersey sound, sometimes the "New" Jersey sound.
Lesser-known artists
- Salvation
- The New Jersey band Salvation played a record 11 summers at the Osprey Hotel, Manasquan, New JerseyManasquan, New Jersey-Government:Manasquan is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only...
, home of the world's longest bar. Salvation had recordings with United Artists and Elektra Records. They packed New Jersey nightclubs for more than a decade from 1969-1981. They were perhaps the greatest show band in the history of New Jersey music scene. Salvation had a huge cult following which is still very strong today. Chuck Guy, Denis Quilligan, Lenny Molinerri, Arnett Leib, Russ Hope, Bobby J and Louie Pietz were the members. http://www.salvationsummer.com Lead guitarist Lenny Molinerri has stayed in the music on a full-time basis. His band Yasgars Farm has been a Jersey Shore favorite for more than 30 years since Salvation broke up. Lead singer Chuck Guy made a comeback for a brief time with a band called Lost Weekend. Most recently, other lead singer and trombone player Denis J Quilligan Jr has returned to living at the Jersey Shore and is active as a songwriter and blues artist using the stage name Asbury Slim. He has released a popular blues CD album titled I Sing The Blues. He has founded a Jersey Shore record company Boss Records, Inc. http://www.reverbnation.com/label/bossrecordsinc http://www.reverbnation.com/asburyslim
- The New Jersey band Salvation played a record 11 summers at the Osprey Hotel, Manasquan, New Jersey
- Sonny Kenn and the Wild Ideas
- The first, the original and still going strong. A legend on the Jersey Shore, credited with the beginning of the Jersey Shore Sound.
- James Deeley and the Valiants
- part of the second wave of the Jersey Shore scene, late 1980s and early 1990s. Members of the band went on to form other, label signed bands, to include The Churchills (featuring Ron Haney.)
- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown BandJohn CaffertyJohn Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band is the name of an American rock band from Narragansett, Rhode Island, that began their career in the 1970s and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s...
- A long-time staple in Mid-Atlantic bars, Cafferty's band had a brief flash of national stardom with their soundtrack to the movie Eddie and the CruisersEddie and the CruisersEddie and the Cruisers is a 1983 American film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge...
. Their follow-up album, Tough All Over, also had two modest hit singles, the title cut and "C-I-T-Y." (This band was actually based in Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, although its sound has much in common with the Jersey Shore rockers.)
- A long-time staple in Mid-Atlantic bars, Cafferty's band had a brief flash of national stardom with their soundtrack to the movie Eddie and the Cruisers
- The Parlor MobThe Parlor MobThe Parlor Mob is a rock band founded in New Jersey in 2004 and named after a notorious 19th Century gang. The band consists of singer Mark Melicia, guitarists David Rosen and Paul Ritchie, drummer Sam Bey and bassist Anthony Chick.-Formation & Capitol Records:The original members of The Parlor...
- Local band who recently signed to Roadrunner Records.
- Vinnie James
- Raised in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and the "inlet" ghetto of Atlantic City his RCA debut, "All American Boy," and his 2007 follow-up, "Songs for the Long Journey," are both written and produced in the classic Jersey Shore Sound. Vinnie James worked with Southside Johnny in pre-production on "All American Boy," and provided backing vocals in the studio with Little Steven and Jon Bon JoviJon Bon JoviJon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
on Jon's first solo album. Vinnie James is the only African-American songwriter in this genre. His first band was called "Rumbletown" and was named after Pleasantville, New JerseyPleasantville, New Jersey-Local government:Pleasantville operates under the City form of New Jersey municipal government, led by a Mayor and a seven-member City Council. The City Council consists of two members elected from wards to three-year terms, and five members elected at-large to four-year terms in office, all of...
, a suburb of Atlantic City that was given the nickname "Rumbletown" by the news media, because of the intense race riots there in the mid-1970s.
- Raised in Newark, New Jersey
- Looking GlassLooking Glass (band)Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy ".-Career:...
- A frat-party band from Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, Looking Glass had one major hit, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"Brandy " is a 1972 pop song written and composed by Elliot Lurie and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass, on their debut album Looking Glass. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, remaining in the top position for one week. Horns and strings were arranged by Larry Fallon...
," which gets much airplay on the statewide radio station NJ101.5.
- A frat-party band from Rutgers University
- Glen BurtnikGlen BurtnikGlen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a former member of Styx.The spelling of his name has changed a few times over the years .Burtnik appeared in the Broadway production of Beatlemania as Paul McCartney,...
- From the Jersey Shore, released a pair of records on A&M and then joined StyxStyx (band)Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
. His songs have been covered by artists like Patty SmythPatty SmythPatty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
and Randy TravisRandy TravisRandy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
. Also was part of Slaves of New Brunswick.
- From the Jersey Shore, released a pair of records on A&M and then joined Styx
- John EddieJohn EddieJohn Eddie is an American folk rock singer. Eddie moved to New Jersey in the 1970s and became a popular club circuit musician there, occasionally performing with Bruce Springsteen. Eddie signed with Columbia Records and released two albums, in 1986 and 1990. The 1986 single, "Jungle Boy" peaked on...
- A very popular artist from the Jersey Shore who released albums on Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and Lost Highways.
- A very popular artist from the Jersey Shore who released albums on Columbia Records
- Bobby BandieraBobby BandieraBobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...
- Jersey Shore guitarist and singer, member of Southside Johnny & The Asbury JukesSouthside Johnny & The Asbury JukesSouthside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are a Jersey Shore musical group led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recorded and/or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" and...
.
- Jersey Shore guitarist and singer, member of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
- Cats on a Smooth SurfaceCats on a Smooth SurfaceCats on a Smooth Surface is an American rock group, that starting in 1978 and throughout the 1980s was the house band at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey...
- House band for The Stone PonyThe Stone PonyThe Stone Pony, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is one of the world's best known music venues. It is known as a starting point for many musicians, first and foremost for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who were the house-band for much of the mid-seventies, but also for New Jersey natives...
in the 1980s, featuring Glen BurtnikGlen BurtnikGlen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a former member of Styx.The spelling of his name has changed a few times over the years .Burtnik appeared in the Broadway production of Beatlemania as Paul McCartney,...
and Bobby BandieraBobby BandieraBobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...
in its original lineup.
- House band for The Stone Pony
- Garland JeffreysGarland JeffreysGarland Jeffreys is a part African-American, and Puerto Rican American, singer and songwriter, transversing the musical genres of rock and roll, reggae, blues and soul.-Career:...
- Lance Larson http://www.lancelarsonmusic.com
- The Spartans, The Cahoots, Cold Blast & Steel, The Lord Gunner Group, Lance Larson and Heat - was one of the most popular unsigned acts on the East Coast in the 1970s and 1980s with opening acts including The SmithereensThe SmithereensThe Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
and Jon Bon JoviJon Bon JoviJon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
and the Wild Ones. Larson's band toured with Sly and the Family Stone and David JohansenDavid JohansenDavid Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
. As a composer, Larson rewrote music for Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
's "The Devil's Right Hand" and Jimmy WebbJimmy WebbJimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
's "Still within the Sound of my VoiceStill within the Sound of My VoiceStill Within the Sound of My Voice is the 43rd album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1987 .-Track listing:Side 1:# "I'm a One-Woman Man" - 2:31...
". Larson's version would be recorded by Steve Earle and Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. Glenn CampbellGlenn CampbellGlen Campbell may refer to:People:* Glen Campbell , American musician -- country, active in US* Glenn Ross Campbell , American musician -- rock, active in UK* Glenn Campbell , Scottish journalist...
recorded Larson's version of Jimmy WebbJimmy WebbJimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
's song and in 1988. It would eventually reach number 5 on the US Country singles chart. Larson released two albums - To make a long story short produced by Garry TallentGarry TallentGarry Wayne Tallent , sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the longtime bass player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
in the 1990s and Songs for the Soldier in 2008.
- The Spartans, The Cahoots, Cold Blast & Steel, The Lord Gunner Group, Lance Larson and Heat - was one of the most popular unsigned acts on the East Coast in the 1970s and 1980s with opening acts including The Smithereens
- The Trinity
- a power pop trio formed as a reaction to the Jersey Shore sound, were seen by some in the industry as America's answer to The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
. They disbanded after touring North America with Lords of the New ChurchLords of the New ChurchLords of the New Church may refer to:*The Lords of the New Church, a 1980s post-punk band*"Lords of the New Church" , a 1993 song by Tasmin Archer...
in 1983.
- a power pop trio formed as a reaction to the Jersey Shore sound, were seen by some in the industry as America's answer to The Jam
- Cozy Morley
- The essence of the Jersey Shore, was the original performer to sing the local classic "On The Way To Cape MayOn The Way To Cape May"On The Way To Cape May" is a song that has become a Jersey Shore sound summertime anthem for the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley and South Jersey Shore area. It was written by Maurice "Buddy" Nugent according to BMI and the The Philadelphia Inquirer...
" as well as many other notable songs.
- The essence of the Jersey Shore, was the original performer to sing the local classic "On The Way To Cape May
- Christopher JamesChristopher JamesChristopher James may refer to:* Christopher James, 5th Baron Northbourne , British farmer and businessman* Chris James, American baseball player* Chris James , New Zealand soccer player* Christopher James , British poet...
- Pop artist song writer creating and performing at the Jersey Shore.
- Colie Brice
- Former lead singer and guitarist for Phantom's Opera and Gemini, former guitarist for Brian Saint and the Sinners, Geena and Dragster, and Capt. James and the P.A.I.N., currently the owner/operator of AERIA Records in Asbury Park, NJ, and a recording artist with 17 solo releases on iTunes and other leading digital distributions sites. In 2008 Colie Brice and the New Age Blues Experience won Top Avant-Garde act at the Asbury Park Music Awards.
- The Hesh Inc.
- Singer, songwriter, and keyboard player whose music and lyrics are very influenced by the classic Jersey Shore sound, particularly on his most recent release, Soul In Exile II: Jersey Shore Baby, on AERIA Records; nominated for Top Jersey Roots Act in the 2007 Asbury Music Awards.
- Phantom's Opera
- Formed in 1969 by legendary songwriter and keyboard player Jack Young (aka John Paul Yanoso - died August 2008) Phantom's Opera contributed to NJ's music scene for nearly 40 years. The band had at one time of another included members of Bon Jovi (Alec and Tico), Symphony X (Michael Romeo), Ace Frehley Band, Arcara (Karl Cochran), Prophet (Dean Fasano), Message (Dean Fasano),and Gemini (Colie Brice, Eric Walz). Originally known as a theatrical inspired club band featuring the incredible showmanship of lead vocalist Joe Fog and Lead guitarists Lou Russomanno, the band went on to secure several record deal throughout the 1990s in Europe, Asia, North and South America. Four albums were released in 36 countries on 6 different record labels. The band worked extensively in the studio with producer /engineer Steve Evetts and Eric Rachel owner/operator of Trax East.
- Mike Rocket
- Singer, songwriter, and leader of Mike Rocket And The Stars who is co-writer of the song "Gotta Get To The Jersey Shore". He is also writer of the following songs: "The Princess of New Jersey", "Hey Bruce", "Hey Bon Jovi" & "Exit 102". Mike has been nominated three times in the Asbury Music Awards.
- The Tides (1967–Present)
- Staple at the Jersey Shore since the late 1960s.
- Sensational Soul Cruisers
- popular 11-man vocal harmony group under the tutelage of sax player Screamin' Steve Barlotta (Gary U.S. Bonds Musical Director 1987-98) While the group has been known as the Soul Cruisers since 1992, the rhythm section was known for many years prior to that, being the band behind Eddie Testa, as “Eddie and the Cruisers”. That band and its name inspired the somewhat popular (albeit entirely fictionally based) movie of the same name. Nominated for Top Jersey Roots Act in the 2005 Asbury Music Awards.
- Astronaut Jones
- Singer, songwriter, and guitarist described as having an atypical Jersey Shore sound. He has been featured on the Howard Stern ShowHoward Stern ShowThe Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005...
for his song parodies and was nominated in the 2007 Asbury Music Awards as Top Male Acoustic Act.
- Singer, songwriter, and guitarist described as having an atypical Jersey Shore sound. He has been featured on the Howard Stern Show
- The Baby Seal Club
- another influential band, part of the shore's second wave along with Eve's Plum, the Whirling Dervishes, Monster Magnet, I Kill Me, James Deeley and the Valiants and Bruce Wacker. Pop/punk influenced. Former bassist and singer Tom Richards is still active in the Jersey Shore music scene.
- LaBamba and The Hubcaps
- band fronted by Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg that included members of the Miami Horns/Asbury Jukes and also Glen Burtnick and Lance Larson on occasion.
- Hot Romance
-
- part cover band, part original band. Short lived but highly influential on the Jersey Shore. The band included noted shore blues guitarist/singer Billy HectorBilly HectorBilly Hector, born 1956, is a blues guitarist and singer-songwriter from Orange, New Jersey, Hector, who considers himself a workingman’s musician, has been performing and producing albums for over 20 years. Hector’s guitar style is a combination of Jersey Shore blues and rock n roll...
and Steel MillSteel MillSteel Mill was an early Bruce Springsteen band. Other members of the band included three future members of the E Street Band - Vini Lopez, Danny Federici and Steve Van Zandt. As well as playing on the Jersey Shore, Steel Mill also played regularly in Richmond, Virginia and played gigs in California...
bassist John Luraschi.
- part cover band, part original band. Short lived but highly influential on the Jersey Shore. The band included noted shore blues guitarist/singer Billy Hector
- Atlantic City Expressway
- Band originally fronted by Jon BonJovi in the late 1970s, this cover band featured a powerhouse horn section which featured Al Chez, currently with the David Letterman Band. Commonly known as ACE, the Expressway was featured primarily at the now-defunct Fast Lane in Asbury Park. Most members of ACE were in their late teens when they broke into the AP music scene. The band was influenced by Springsteen, Asbury Jukes, StaxStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
, Motown, and blue-eyed soulBlue-eyed soulBlue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
. Currently, the revived EXPRESSWAY, featuring some members of the original band, are playing the Jersey circuit.
- Band originally fronted by Jon BonJovi in the late 1970s, this cover band featured a powerhouse horn section which featured Al Chez, currently with the David Letterman Band. Commonly known as ACE, the Expressway was featured primarily at the now-defunct Fast Lane in Asbury Park. Most members of ACE were in their late teens when they broke into the AP music scene. The band was influenced by Springsteen, Asbury Jukes, Stax
- The Gaslight AnthemThe Gaslight AnthemThe Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
- A New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
rock band that encompasses punk rockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, and AmericanaAmericana (music)Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
as well as Jersey shore. They have achieved best album of 2008 awards from punknews.orgPunknews.orgPunknews.org is a website founded by Aubin Paul which launched in 1999. The website publishes music news and album reviews relating to punk rock, hardcore punk, ska, indie rock and heavy metal...
and eMusicEMusiceMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. It is headquartered in New York City with an office in London and owned by Dimensional Associates. As of September 2008 eMusic has over 400,000 subscribers....
as well as high ratings from multiple sites for their album The '59 SoundThe '59 SoundThe '59 Sound is the second studio album by The Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008 on SideOneDummy Records.In December 2008, eMusic named The '59 Sound the best album of 2008. NME rated it as the 47th best album of the year...
. On occasion they have also been joined by Bruce Springsteen on stage at various festivals.
- A New Brunswick, New Jersey
See also
- Brown-eyed soulBrown-eyed soulBrown-eyed soul is a subgenre of soul music or rhythm and blues created in the United States mainly by Latino in Southern California during the 1960s, continuing through to the early 1980s. The genre of soul music occasionally draws from Latin, and often contains rock music influences...
- Doo-WopDoo-wopThe name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
- Rock and RollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
- Soul musicSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
- heartland rockHeartland rockHeartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
- roots rockRoots rockRoots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
- beach musicBeach musicBeach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
External links
- Beyond The Palace - the first book to chronicle Asbury Park's rock and roll history".
- Bruce Springsteen's performance of "Atlantic City", Bruce Springsteen Unplugged, MTV, (performed 1992, released 1993).
- Bruce Springsteen's performance of "The River", Milan, Italy, 2003.
- The 1991 Vinnie James "Black Money" video from his RCA debut, "All American Boy".
- Complete collection of lyrics from Vinnie James "All American Boy".
- Video of Vinnie James solo acoustic guest appearance at the Glasgow Songwriters Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, 2007. Scroll to the center of the page.
- Asbury Park music news and features".
- Astronaut Jones.