ROCK THAT ROLLS
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Michael Rose,
Tuesday, March 06 2007
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Page 2 of 2  Automakers found rock ‘n’ roll could help them sell cars. Carroll Shelby’s Cobra was charmed by another Carol, songwriter Carol Connors when one of Shelby’s off-hand remarks led to her write the #1 hit “Hey Little Cobra.” That song turned the car into an instant cult favorite.
Former Pontiac ad agency exec Jim Wangers and Pontiac’s bad boy, chief engineer, John DeLorean assembled a group of aging Memphis studio musicians, they dubbed Ronnie and The Daytonas, to record a song to promote a new car. The success of “Little G.T.O.” sold cars and created a clamor to see the band perform live. Wangers unexpectedly found himself in the music business and had to quickly recruit a younger group to take out on the road. Groups tapped into the emotions evoked by cars when they took their names from car models. Listening to a medley of the collective hits of groups like The Cadillacs, Impalas, Fleetwoods, E-Types, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Edsels, Nomads and Mink DeVille underscores the impact cars have had on rock ‘n’ roll. Album names and cover designs often included automotive iconography. Jr. Parker “Driving Wheel”, The Crystals “Phillies” album cover featured a Chevy stations wagon, The Beach Boys hot rod classic “Little Deuce Coupe” and, for contrast, Bo Diddley’s Chess Records cover featuring him sitting on a Cushman Scooter showed the power of a revved up image. Cars touched every part of the rock universe -- even guitars. Fender’s Mustang and Jaguar, and custom guitars in the shape of tail fins and side scoops have graced the stage with their automotive chops. Music videos featuring vehicles have kept the auto-themed excitement current. From ZZ Top’s visually stunning “Legs” to Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” to Martha and The Vandellas’ promo clip for “Dancing In The Streets” to videos from artists as diverse as Smash Mouth and Rob Zombie have rock kept rolling into pop culture. Today, cars continue to inspire musicians and their fans. Rap and rock videos are filled with images of hot rods, Ferraris, Bentleys, huge menacing Cadillac Escalades, Hummers, Rolls-Royces and low riders. Rock started to literally roll as in-car auto audio was transformed from Highway HiFi to Highway High-Tech. From the first tube driven AM car radios, through the rise of stereo FM, 8-tracks, cassettes, CD’s and today’s cars with satellite radio systems, built-in Ipod and MP3 players music has kept us rollin’ down the road. Young fans are in a decibel battle on the streets of every city. They're outfitting their cars with monster sound systems that announce their arrival with the deafening beat of their favorite cruising music. And, once again, parents just don’t understand. The potent cross fertilization of the car culture and pop music prompted two special exhibits, titled, Cars and Guitars of Rock “n’ Roll, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The popular events showcased the cars and guitars of rock legends from every decade. Looking at the glittery rides of the Beach Boys, ZZ Top, Metallica, Elvis and Snoop Dogg brought home how the cars and the music they inspired gave us music to drive by. Ironically, the street adjacent to the Petersen Museum was the site of the still unsolved, drive by shooting of rapper Notorious BIG, aka Christopher Wallace, who was leaving a music industry party held at the museum on March 9, 1997. On a lighter note, there’s now a book for those of us who love both cars and music, “Rockin' Down The Highway: The Cars and People That Made Rock Roll” by music writer Paul Gushkin. This 240-page book is lavishly illustrated with1,500 rockin’ images chronicling the relationship between rock n’ roll and the automobile. The best way to celebrate this melodic marriage is to get hold of the “Hot Rods & Custom Classics” four CD boxed set put out by Rhino Records several years ago. This is the ultimate car lover’s eclectic collection of Car Tunes. Everything from Robert Mitchum’s “The Ballad of Thunder Road,” Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline,” The Beach Boys, “Little Deuce Coupe,” Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again,” to Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” with many memorable stops along the way. Where else can you hear Nelson Riddle, Howlin’ Wolf and The Flying Burrito Bros on the same CD set? It’s a must have for any road trip.  In the end it all comes down to what Gilby Clark told us, "It's rock that rolls, man. This is what it’s all about, fast cars and fast guitars.”
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