by Colin Escott and Martin Hawkins
Book Review by Deborah L. Wascher
April 10, 2010
In the book Good Rockin’ Tonight, Colin
Escott along with Martin Hawkins tell about Sam Phillips’ Sun Studio. Through research, interviews, and photos, the
authors tell of the start of Sun Studio and about the life of the famous and not-so-famous
artists of Sun Records in
Escott and Hawkins tell of the early days of Sun Studio. Sam Phillips, an announcer and DJ, was influenced by black blues, hillbilly and spiritual music early in his life. Phillips started Sun Studio in 1950 along with his wife Marion. Sam Phillips brought out the best in the wide array of people who crossed the doors of Sun Studio. He could see their potential and knew how to bring it out. Early recording artists like Phineas Newborn, Jr., Chester Burnett, a.k.a. Howlin’, Wolf, and Riley King, a.k.a. B.B. King and even a group of local prisoners brought the sound from local gospel groups, country artists and jazz musicians together. The sound of music was changing as musician shared their various styles.
Chapters in Good Rockin’ Tonight, are given to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. All got their starts at Sun Record’s studio. It was through these artists and their country music with rhythm and blues sound that created the “rockabilly” sound that became known as rock ‘n’ roll.
The book shares an event filled December 4, 1956. “Sun’s Million Dollar Quartet” comprised of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash shared the recording studio. The control room and studio began to fill up as reporter Robert Johnson shot photographs and put together a story while various musicians joined in the recording session. The writer of this book, Colin Escott, has recently made this special recording session into a Broadway Show with stories about each of the four musicians and there journeys to fame.
Rolling Stone magazine said the following about Good Rockin’ Tonight, “from Sun-rise to Sun-set…. The last word on the first great rock ‘n’ roll record label.”
Good
Rockin’ Tonight is well written and
well researched. The books use of
photographs help the reader to visualize the various artists as they read about
their stories. The photos show the time-line
of equipment used at the studio as well as events in
The book is written in chronological order and well arranged. The index as well as the appendix list of sources help in finding sections of the book that you may wish to revisit.
Colin Escott and Martin Hawkins are well known writers and have worked on several books. Good Rockin’ Tonight, is the product of years of research on Sun Records. Original sources as well as secondary sources are listed in the appendix at the back of the book.
I would recommend this book to others. People interested in music would particularly enjoy this book. The book is fascinating and entertaining with facts and pictures of artist at Sun Studio. I would also recommend other books by the authors as well.