Not many people can make instrumental music so dangerous it gets banned, but that’s exactly what happened in 1958 when Link Wray released Rumble. Banned due to the fear that the rawer sound would lead to violence in the streets, its immediately recognisable riff was one of the key touchpoints on which rock and roll was founded.
But it had a sequel, which has never been released… until now. In time for the 60th anniversary in March 2018, “Son Of Rumble” has been unearthed from the vaults, and is being released as a 7″ on Easy Eye Sound. Although you can hear it now :
2018 is clearly going to be the year of Link Wray, as well as the anniversary and the single, there’s a nomination for him to join the Rock and Roll hall of fame in the latest intake (see the other nominees here). And here’s hoping also for wider distribution of the rock documentary of the story of indigenous influence on rock and roll “Rumble – The Indians Who Rocked The World“.
