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Michael Rose,
Tuesday, March 06 2007
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Page 1 of 2
Next to love, heartache and sex, cars have been the most popular subjects for rock 'n' rollers since the first Rock record was released. In fact, the first rock ‘n' roll song was the 1951 hit, “Rocket 88”, a song sung by Jackie Benston and His Delta Cats about the virtues of a V8 powered Oldsmobile. Ever since this song rocked the airwaves, music has provided the soundtrack for teen life as kids cruised the boulevards, staked out the drive-ins and steamed up the windows of their hot rods and jalopies. "It’s all about getting chicks and rock 'n' roll, and, cars is all about getting chicks," according to Guitar Center's Dave Weiderman. Inside their cars, away from the watchful eyes of parents, teens were free to taste the forbidden fruit of the sexually charged music of blues, R&B, Bee Bop and the early strains of rock 'n' roll, in Jazz lingo a term for sex. "The whole phrase, rock 'n' roll, was about having sex in the back of the car," explained David Bowie's former guitar player, Reeves Gabriel. "Rock 'n' roll is what you listen to and cars are what you look at and they’re rock that rolls," said music publicist and car buff, Bob Merlis. "It’s always about hormones. You know kids want to go out and cruise and you've got to have a car to do it in, and while you’re 'doing it', you’re turning on the radio." The freedom of the open road laced with music pouring out of tinny car radio speakers intoxicated and inspired fledgling rock artists to pick up guitars and spill their souls onto vinyl. "Musicians came up with car songs because it was a way to have unbridled love and not be embarrassed about it," said Merlis. Jan and Dean sang about “Dead Man’s Curve.” The Beach Boys told us that their “409” was “real fine” and Detroit’s Sir Mack Rice gave us a rockin’ car anthem with “Mustang Sally.” Cars and rock influenced many top artists like ZZ Top, Chuck Berry, Brian Setzer and Meatloaf who found "paradise by the dashboard light." Their hot rod themed hits still reverberate as newer Hip Hop artists fill their urban music with car themes. Van Halen's Michael Anthony sees the connection, "I think rock ‘n roll and cars, it’s just kind of a fast lifestyle. It’s very free, very open, very fast and it’s this little thing in everybody that just wants to get out." The burning desire to "get out" on the open road created music that inspired the youthquake, launched the Boomers, the Gen X’rs and today’s car addicted Fast and Furious movie franchise fans. 
When they weren’t singing about cars, rock stars were often dreaming about them. Cars became a status symbol for musicians who celebrated their first hits with the purchase of the finest rides money could buy. They all had favorites. Elvis Presley, like many others, loved Cadillacs. The Beach Boys chose little Deuce Coupes, and ZZ Top created custom Hot Rods. Gilby Clark of Guns 'n' Roses summed it up. "These are our toys. These are things that, since we were little boys we’ve admired, cars, guitars and all that."
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