Discussion Questions for Early Rock 'n' Roll Covers: "Shake, Rattle, and Roll": original version recorded by Big Joe Turner, 1954; cover version by Bill Haley and the Comets, "Mystery Train": original version written and recorded by Junior Parker, 1953; cover version by Elvis Presley, 1955 What are the main similarities and differences between the original and cover versions of each of these songs? Compare and contrast the vocal performances of Big Joe Turner and Bill Haley, and Junior Parker and Elvis Presley in their versions of these songs. In each case, do you think that the cover version was a "rip-off" of the original, or that it was a new treatment of the original? In your opinion, which version has a better "feel"? Why?

The original and cover songs share the same lyrics, but have different beats adding up to different feels.

Explanation:

Big Joe Turner has a lot more elements of the blues and Bill Haley has a more rock and roll approach, Rock and roll has its origins on rhythm and blues, and became more commonly used by white performers. Junior Parker also has a lot of elements from the blues and soul rhythms, while Elvis Presley makes a mix of rock and roll and country. The original songs have a deeper, more emotional twist in their vocal interpretation, as for the covers, they have a more technical approach.

The cover versions are a "rip-off" of the originals, because of the social context. It is a form of cultural appropriation, leading to the cover artists becoming more popular and often treated as the original creators of the songs and genre. The original versions have a better feel since the songs were written and recorded to their specific social context, deeply communicating the author's feelings.