The Jersey Shore sound was a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, that went by a variety of names or, more often, was defined by its artists. A synthesis of pre-Beatles rock and roll and pre-Motown Rhythm and Blues, the genre enjoyed a vogue from roughly the late 1960s through the mid-1980s. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Jersey Shore can also refer to Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... R&B redirects here. ...

Origins

The Jersey Shore sound evolved from the mixing of pre-Beatles rock and roll, Rhythm and Blues, and the urban culture of the Mid-Atlantic states, especially Philadelphia, Maryland, Rhode Island, New York, and, of course, New Jersey. The form has a strong Italian-American influence, inasmuch as many of the form's key precursors and artists, from Frankie Valli through Bruce Springsteen, are of Italian ancestry and urban background. It has been suggested that Middle Atlantic States be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the state. ... Language(s) American English, Italian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, other (predominantly southern) Italian dialects and languages of Italian historical minorities Religion(s) Roman Catholic An Italian American is an American of Italian descent. ... Frankie Valli (born May 3, 1934 or 1937[2]) is best known as the falsetto-voiced lead singer of The Four Seasons, a music act of the 1960s, which continues to perform. ... Springsteen redirects here. ...

Starting in the late 1990's, the Italian-American link would double back on itself, as Jersey Shore fixture Steven Van Zandt became a star on the organized crime television show The Sopranos, which itself made frequent references to the Jersey Shore sound, notwithstanding the later appearance of Frankie Valli himself as an embattled mob captain. In interviews, Van Zandt would say "growing up, everybody knew some of those guys," and on the 1999 E Street Re-United Tour Springsteen himself would introduce Van Zandt as "the star of the Sopranooos tel-ee-vision show" while the latter played the theme from The Godfather on guitar. Steven Van Zandt (born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve. ... This article is about the television series. ... The Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour was a lengthy, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place over 1999 and 2000. ... This article is about the 1972 film. ...

Characteristics

Jersey Shore music shared two thematic elements with its contemporary (and in many respects related) genres of Heartland rock and Roots rock: a focus on the daily lives of people (in this case, those living in the stereotypically industrial society of Northern and Central Jersey), and a sense of being the underdog (a theme in the genre from The Four Seasons' "Rag Doll", "Walk Like a Man", and "Big Man in Town" through Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town"). The New Jersey sound has also been heavily influenced by Italian accordion music. In the example of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band there are 3 accordion players: Danny Federici, Nils Lofgren, and Roy Bittan. All three practiced accordion in its classical form and played in their younger years. This music has carried onto the stage and became an integral part of the music that shaped the NJ sound. Many piano and keyboard parts have a distinct sound of a call and answer reaction to the lyrics sung. Piano, Hammond organ, and glockenspiel emphasize the melody lines. This combination is distinctly a New Jersey sound; some say that it is an extension of the calliope sounds heard on the carousels located on Jersey Shore boardwalks. Many New Jersey horn sections have used similar phrasing that the keyboards play. This is evident with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes sound. There has been influence from Van Morrison in terms of some song structure and with keyboard parts as well. In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Metropolitan statistical areas and divisions of New Jersey; counties shaded in blue hues are in the New York City metro; counties shaded in green hues are in the Philadelphia metro. ... Metropolitan statistical areas and divisions of New Jersey; counties shaded in blue hues are in the New York City metro; counties shaded in green hues are in the Philadelphia metro. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Springsteen redirects here. ...

There were other characteristics, however, that distinguished the "Jersey Shore" sound from its related genres:

• Danceable - In contrast with Heartland rock, Jersey Shore music lent itself to dancing.
• Instrumentation - Jersey Shore music tended to borrow more keyboard, brass, and horn-based arrangements from its R&B roots than did its related genres. Many bands incorporated horns as a part of the band (rather than sideman attachments), from Clarence Clemons' saxophone in the E Street Band to the full brass and horns sections of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
• Romanticism - the genre exhibited a broad streak of romanticism, adding outsized emotion to relationships, personal struggles, and life in general.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. ... Clarence Clemons (born January 11, 1942 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American musician, best known as the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteens E Street Band. ... The E Street Band is a backing band that has toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen on and off since 1972. ... Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes. ... Steven van Zandt (born November 22, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts) is one of the founding members of Bruce Springsteens E-Street Band and plays guitar and mandolin. ... Romantics redirects here. ...

Artists

Precursors

• Stax Records - The raw, horn-heavy, danceable soul of Stax/Volt records contrasted with the more heavily produced soul of Motown, and was a key precursor to the Jersey Shore sound.
• The Four Seasons - This North Jersey-based pop group, mostly Italian American in ancestry, was among the biggest American bands in pre-Beatles rock and roll. The Four Seasons established a number of the themes that would become associated with the Jersey Shore genre: the biggie-sized romanticism of "Big Man in Town", the "Bum...bum chik" beat of "Dawn" (recapped in countless other Jersey bands' songs, from
• Gary U.S. Bonds - Most famous for his 1962 hit "Quarter To Three" (one of seven top-40 hits between 1960 and 1962), Bonds laid down one of the key precepts of the genre: it was fundamentally party music.
• Blues and soul music - White soul singers like Van Morrison were key influences.

Stax Records is an American record label, originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Motown Records, Inc. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Anderson, June 6, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and rock n roll singer. ... Blues music redirects here. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ...

Major Artists

• Bruce Springsteen - While Springsteen and the E Street Band did more than anyone to popularize the genre, Jersey Shore rock is an influence on all of his studio albums, rather than a motif. The elements of the genre appear as accents on songs like "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (from Born to Run), "Racing In The Streets" (from Darkness on the Edge of Town) and "Incident on 57th Street" (from The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle) among many others, mixed heavily with bits and pieces of Van Morrison and Bob Dylan early in his career, and evolving more into Heartland rock later on. But it was in his live performances (captured on innumerable bootlegs and on his Live/1975-85 album), as well as on songs and albums he wrote for other artists ("This Little Girl" by Gary U.S. Bonds, Hearts of Stone by Southside Johnny) that he let his Jersey Shore roots show most frequently.
• The Drifters - Though not exclusively Jersey Shore sound by any means, the Drifters performed Jersey Shore sound music on their hit song, "Under the Boardwalk."
• Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Immensely popular in the Mid-Atlantic States and in their native New Jersey, the Jukes never really broke out of the region. Their seminal album was Hearts of Stone.
• Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Although Van Zandt's solo career spanned five albums, only the first one - Men Without Women - recorded in a day with members of the Asbury Jukes, the E Street Band, The Young Rascals, and other Jersey shore bands, was a classic; Van Zandt's future efforts and live performances sans Springsteen failed to live up to the early promise.
• Bon Jovi - although achieving fame through glam metal pop a decade later than the peak of the era, the band is still in the core tradition with evident R&B and heartland rock influences; at the time, they were termed a rediscovery or evolution of the Jersey sound, sometimes the "New" Jersey sound.

Springsteen redirects here. ... The E Street Band is a backing band that has toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen on and off since 1972. ... Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was the second song on Bruce Springsteens breakthrough album Born to Run. ... Born to Run is a rock album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... Darkness on the Edge of Town is a rock album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 (see 1978 in music). ... The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle is the second album by Bruce Springsteen and the as-yet-unnamed E Street Band, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. ... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes. ... The Drifters are a long-lived American doo wop/R&B vocal group, originally formed by Clyde McPhatter (of Billy Ward & the Dominoes) in 1953. ... Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes. ... It has been suggested that Middle Atlantic States be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Steven van Zandt (born November 22, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts) is one of the founding members of Bruce Springsteens E-Street Band and plays guitar and mandolin. ... Men Without Women is a 1982 album by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul and represented Jersey Shore sound fixture Steven Van Zandts first try as a frontman. ... The Rascals (also The Young Rascals) were an American blue-eyed soul group of the 1960s. ... Bon Jovi is a hard rock band originating from Sayreville, New Jersey. ... Glam metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s - early 1980s in the United States. ... In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. ...

Lesser-known Artists

• John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - A long-time staple in Mid-Atlantic bars, Cafferty's band had a brief flash of national stardom with their soundtrack to the movie Eddie and the Cruisers. Their follow-up album, Tough All Over, also had two modest hit singles, the title cut and "C-I-T-Y."
• Vinnie James - (Also see links below) - Raised on the streets of Newark, and the "inlet" ghetto of Atlantic City, New Jersey, his critically acclaimed RCA debut, "All American Boy," and his 2007 follow-up, "Songs for the Long Journey," are both written and produced in the classic Jersey Shore Sound. Vinnie James worked with Southside Johnny in pre-production on "All American Boy," and provided backing vocals in the studio with Little Steven and Jon Bon Jovi on Jon's first solo album. Vinnie James is the only African-American songwriter in this genre. His first band was called "Rumbletown" and was named after Pleasantville, New Jersey, a suburb of Atlantic City that was given the nickname "Rumbletown" by the news media, because of the intense race riots there in the mid-1970s.
• Looking Glass - A frat-party band from Rutgers University, Looking Glass had one major hit, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," which gets much airplay on the statewide radio station NJ101.5.
• Glen Burtnik - From the Jersey Shore, released a pair of records on A&M and then joined Styx. His songs have been covered by artists like Patty Smyth and Randy Travis. Also was part of Slaves of New Brunswick.
• John Eddie - A very popular artist from the Jersey Shore who released albums on Columbia Records and Lost Highways.
• Bobby Bandiera - A true Jersey Shore staple guitarist and singer.
• Cats on a Smooth Surface - House band for The Stone Pony in the 1980s, featuring Glen Burtnik and Bobby Bandiera in its original lineup.
• Garland Jeffreys
• Joe Long - A true "Jersey Boy." Bass guitar and backup vocal for The Four Seasons.
• Lance Larson and his bands, The Spartans, Cahoots/Cold Blast & Steel, The Lord Gunner Group, Lance Larson and Heat - never broke out of the Asbury Park market.
• The Trinity - a power pop trio formed as a reaction to the Jersey Shore sound, were seen by some in the industry as America's answer to The Jam. They disbanded after touring North America with Lords of the New Church in 1983.
• Cozy Morley - The essence of the Jersey Shore, was the original performer to sing the local classic "On The Way To Cape May" as well as many other notable songs.
• Christopher James - Pop artist song writer creating and performing at the Jersey Shore.
• Colie Brice - Former lead singer and guitarist for Phantom's Opera and Gemini, former guitarist for Brian Saint and the Sinners, currently the owner/operator of AERIA Records in Asbury Park, NJ, a prolific recording artist with over two hundred songs on iTunes and the guitarist for Geena and Dragster who were nominated for best rock band in the 2007 Asbury Park Music Awards.
• The Hesh Inc. - Singer, songwriter, and keyboard player whose music and lyrics are very influenced by the classic Jersey Shore sound, particularly on his most recent release, Soul In Exile II: Jersey Shore Baby, on AERIA Records; nominated for Top Jersey Roots Act in the 2007 Asbury Music Awards.
• The Tides (1967-Present) Staple at the Jersey Shore since the late 1960's.
• Sensational Soul Cruisers- popular 11-man vocal harmony group under the tutelage of sax player Screamin' Steve Barlotta(Gary U.S. Bonds Musical Director 1987-98)While the group has been known as the Soul Cruisers since 1992, the rhythm section was known for many years prior to that, being the band behind Eddie Testa, as “Eddie and the Cruisers”.That band and its name inspired the somewhat popular (albeit entirely fictionally based) movie of the same name.Nominated for Top Jersey Roots Act in the 2005 Asbury Music Awards.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band is the name of an American rock band of the 1970s and 1980s, from Narragansett, Rhode Island. ... Eddie and the Cruisers was a movie released in 1983, followed by one sequel, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives in 1989. ... Looking Glass Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. ... “Rutgers” redirects here. ... Born Glenn Burtnick on April 8, 1955, the youngest of three brothers, he was forced at an early age by his brothers into singing harmonies with them. ... Styx (pronounced sticks) is an American rock band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, with such hits as Come Sail Away, Babe, Lady, Suite Madame Blue, Mr. ... Patty Smyth (born June 26, 1957 in New York City, New York, USA) first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as vocalist and lead singer of the band Scandal. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Bobby Bandiera is a guitarist. ... The Stone Pony, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is one of the worlds most well-known music venues. ... Garland Jeffreys (born January 1, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African-American singer-songwriter. ... Joe Long (born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 5, 1941 as Joseph LaBracio) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocal arranger for The Four Seasons, one of the biggest music acts of the 1960s. ... The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Lords of the New Church are a Gothic rock band originally formed in the early 1980s. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Christopher James may refer to: Christopher James, 5th Baron Northbourne (born 1926), British farmer and businessman Christopher James Makins, 2nd Baron Sherfield (1942-2006), Anglo-American diplomat and nobleman Christopher James Mitchell (born 1979), British television producer and executive Chris James James Christopher Category: ...

See also

• Brown-eyed soul
• Doo-Wop
• Rock and Roll
• Soul music

Brown-eyed soul is a subgenre of Soul music or Rhythm and Blues created mainly by Latinos and Italian-Americans during the 1950s and thriving into the 1980s. ... Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Bruce Springsteen's performance of "Atlantic City", Bruce Springsteen Unplugged, MTV, (performed 1992, released 1993).
• Bruce Springsteen's performance of "The River", Milan, Italy, 2003.
• The 1991 Vinnie James "Black Money" video from his RCA debut, "All American Boy".
• Complete collection of lyrics from Vinnie James "All American Boy".
• Video of Vinnie James solo acoustic guest appearance at the Glasgow Songwriters Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, 2007. Scroll to the center of the page.
• Asbury Park music news and features".