Link Wray - Rumble

[ohtara1211]

whether he invented the power chord or not is beside the point. as was mentioned, the're so simple they probably invented themselves. Link combined them with his tonal techniques, and composed a deceptivly simple song in a way that had not been done before. He "invented" a new sound. It's been mimicked by more noted guitarists than there's room for here. He had a Billboard # 16 hit when gritty rock & roll was almost unheard of. (Volere was the #1 song in 1958) shame on U R&R Hall of Fame!

[Rosieisapunk1200]

Wikipedia is trying to discredit this legend saying he didn't invent the power chord. Every Link Wray fan please go listen to "Cotton Crop Blues" and "How many more years" and tell me if the power chords on those 2 songs can match this. Maybe it's just me but the distortion on those 2 songs isn't loud enough to challenge Link's influence and innovation. Nothing against those guys though they're cool

[YTOnceAgain]

@Rosieisapunk1200 you don't know what a power chord is, do you? link CANNOT be the inventor of the power chord, as it's something so basic that it probably was "invented" a couple of hours after the first multi-stringed instrument was built. I bet there's a lot of power chords in lute music from the Middle Ages... they just weren't called power chords.

Note: You don't have to know a lot about music theory and history to rock & roll... but then you'd better not talk too much about it

[Secure81]

One of the only people more badass than Keith Richards haha, great song, sort of reminds me of Fuck You Blues by The Electric Flamingos

[WhitstableWilliams]

I was at this gig! Link is The Legend.

[BostonRocker51]

Killer riff, from the hands and mind of a Master.

He really shows the raw power of an electric guitar...

[stewgotz1]

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME...WHERE'S LINK? TIME TO LET HIM IN !!!

[Rosieisapunk1200]

The American countermeasure to Tony Iommi.

[karonhiio1992]

great guitarist, or the greatest guitarist?

[spacepatrolman]

@karonhiio1992 Jim Reiken a dj on wfdu always sez he is the greatest guitarist

[anthraxx94]

No surprise this is Jimmy Page's favorite song...

[skrimpshidy]

Only man alive that is allowed to wear his collar up!

[TheAeonflux1]

and Johnny Ramone on bass! XD

[toeyen]

@TheAeonflux1 - I think it is Eric Geevers - who played with Link in the mid-90s, and also recorded with him. A great bass player.

[ClaussXeroS]

vayanse a la mierda tan abuelos!

[moondog50002000]

you gotta be a bad motha fugga to get a song banned from the radio and there is not a single lyric in the song. thats tough !!!!! like if you agree

[boskiroman999]

o mój boże, Jeremy Klarkson ma długie włosy i gra na gitarze XD

OMG Jeremy clarkson have a long hair and play on guitar

[staticview]

pure and simple, Link Wray

[mikerebel]

Axl Rose should learn from him to see whats dangerous

[michelesaintthomas]

A native american brother and a Rock and Roll GOD!

[Spookaduke100]

still the bees knees

[TheEarlOfQuo]

That's a c. '65/'66 Yamaha SG-2 in Coral Red. Extremely rare. Of course, he modded it just a little. ;~)

[TheOrchidee1]

very googdstuff!!

[postal105]

the creation of the power cord was the greatest thing  ever.

[pulpumbraIII]

Yes! thanks very much @vrieskip is the yamaha sgv. Good luck.

[rourkey9]

THE coolest OAP I ever did see

[czwij]

so this is where jeff beck gets becks bolero. holy shit!

[leebouldog]

Is that CJ Ramone on bass?

[jfo41]

Just the name alone, Link Wray, is towering. His inovative playing set the stage for rock and roll. Link is a big part of that foundation. You can't say that about to many musicians. There was always a mystic about him, and still is, he is that much of a legend. Link redefined the meaning of "stage presence", yet somehow stayed just below the radar and was able to do it his way. Thanks for the memories Link RIP

[Astrotype]

good stuff!

[shoekstra1419]

he's the father of heavy music

[pulpumbraIII]

What kind of guitar use Link here?

[vrieskip]

@pulpumbraIII a yamaha sg

[barlett1995]

Love this guy

[ZBone12]

Without him there is no hard rock.

[nasafakedit]

@ZBone12

this sounds like the blues rock

certainly not hard rock

[jfo41]

@nasafakedit In 1958 this was considered "radical rock", In today's standards, it is not hard rock. The words blues rock, and hard rock, didn't even exsist in 58. You have to have lived in that era to get the full impact of what Link Wray meant to rock and roll. In these days and times, this song wouldn't even get playing time. Non the less, this is a classic rock and roll song.

[nasafakedit]

@jfo41 i lived through th 60s and 70s

that was classic rock

led zepplin

pink floyd

black sabbath

[DoctorIvanSFN]

So true... Wray is an unsung giant.

[raunchy1313]

this guy is what fonzie would be in real life

[crowbarftw]

No Link Wray = no Motorhead.

[danthegreaser71]

Link Wray is a Legend! He will be missed.

[timmaay18]

Such a Boss

[r4m0n0]

johnny ramone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahaha

[orangebike66]

the bassist looks like brian jones

[monkeyyattack1018]

does anyone know what type of guitar hes using here?

[unclejoeoakland]

well I'm tempted to say a Tiesco, possibly a del-ray, of which there are as many forms as there are guitarists, but tough to be certain. Probably one of the frankenstein monsters this cat slings around, or else one of the hundred mini-brands from the seventies.

[Bietel]

@unclejoeoakland

Nope, see my reply to monkeyyattack1018: it's a Yamaha, would you believe it.

[Bietel]

@monkeyyattack1018

Yep, that's a Yamaha SG-2, late sixties, slightly modded. Links copy was named Screaming Red, and that name was painted on the customized leather-coated (!) headstock. It had the original tuners from Links Firebird on it, too, the one he broke in the sixties when throwing it for his brother to catch. Well... he didn't catch.

Link could laugh about it now :-)

[mattdogg65]

@Bietel if he was alive...

[meckerschorsch]

Oh oh yeah

[Taped0uT1]

He literally invented bad-ass. If not who else?

[DavePerry2012]

Mr. T

[xterry]

@Taped0uT1 vintage awesomeness

[barlett1995]

He is Great

[tynertyner]

@Taped0uT1 You asked "who else"? Most everyone in mid '50s who played Rock-a-Billy portrayed the teenage, bad-ass angst. It's the signature of the movement. Jerry Lee wrote the book on bad-ass lifestyle and performance.

With Link, it's the melding of styles that produces his unique quality. He plays with his decade as reference.

[JCfromDC2]

@Taped0uT1 Is he still around? I saw him in a show with Bob Gordon waaay abck when, late 70s, and he looked pretty burnt then!

[aerlingus18]

@Taped0uT1 my mom ....

[SpaceBambino]

@Taped0uT1 lead belly. he was bad ass

[ftdesigner]

mega nutte

[JBigjake]

Google Robert Zimmerman

[LooneyM3]

this song was in Roadracers, by Robert Rodriguez, who used the same Music supervisro for Pulp Fiction and since she liked the song so much, she offered it to QT, which later he found out that RR used it first and was mad, but not at robert, mad at the music supervisor. but good songs.. and Roadracers had the same songs by link wray as Pulp Fiction, which made robert and QT mad for having a lazy Music superivsor.

[Gozzer02]

This is were music first started getting heavy in rock n roll...1958 "rumble". Some can say heavy metal's heavy influences can date as early as Link Wray.

[MalTheDyke]

Interesting comment, Gozzer. I think I tend to agree. One could also say that Punk Rock had the same ifluences which leads me to say, if I may paraphrase the Stones.."I know, it's all Rock and Roll but I love it"...~smiles~

[baldoff]

1023 Wheeler Rd , S.E  DC

[johnthelad]

Real Attitude from a great Rock n Roll era.

John

[steamersgirl]

I FUCKIN LOVE YOU

[erwinunderscorealf]

I kind'a tent to agree with Bob Dylan if he really said this is one of the best songs ever. It's quite powerfull in it's simplicity. The song is made by putting the accents in the right place...

[JBigjake]

IIRC, on the night Link died, both Dylan & Springsteen opened their shows with this song.

[aldinr32]

he gave the guitar the sound as it is today

[varekai1983]

Did Bob Dylan really say this was the best instrumental ever?! LOL

[FazlokAaAaAaA]

the other guy playing guitar looks like joey ramone

[Dnedbr2]

I Think he looks more like Johnny Ramone!

[bostonasscal]

dont forget..this was in BLOW and PULP FICTION..great track and both great flicks thanks for postingggg

[LightLizard]

the really hilarious thing is that this song, rumble, was actually banned by british radio stations! they said it was too 'suggestive.' (WTF?)

it's an instrumental, fer cryin out loud! heehee

[goodtimes12342]

yet it still gives you a boner to this day...

[disciple456]

Such a simple song, yet so powerful at the same time.

He is an unrecognized hero of guitar.

Pete Townshend even said he would have never picked up a guitar if it hadn't been for Link.

This man never got the recognition he truly deserves.

It's a tragedy.

[satp88]

@disciple456 totally agreed

[lewars1912]

@disciple456  I agree. One of the simplest ever guitar instrumentals to play and yet one of the most powerful and memorable.

[BloodShotNow]

@disciple456 Jimmy Page( The Dude that wrote Stairway & Kashmir) played this song on camera and said how much it influenced him on a Documentary with Jack White & The Edge. It's called It might get loud.

[wmprokipchak]

@BloodShotNow=yeah good call=seeing Jimmy play air guitar to the spinning 45 of Rumble!

is there a simpler song with LESS chords that was indestructably thrilling to hear 20 years after the fact in 78 in THIS video.. 53 yrs later to now 2010.. that can be seemingly slowed way way down & somehow STILL be great to listen to..a showcase for the power of nuances or the players wringing physically sounds out of his axe (not via effects boxes)..and makes anyone want to pick up their air guitar RAWK

[armitagenlowell]

He helped invent THE jam!

[JunkyardGlen]

Yeah!! I was at this gig!! Still My favorite Guitar player , RIP Link Wray your music will never die.

[theold2007]

the best.

[MarkMaginel]

R.I.P Link Wray

[Boingusboingus]

Is that a Fender Mustang I spy?

[heinekensalo]

Maybe the body...check the headstock

[zanderscho1]

It's a Yamaha SG2 ;-)

[vatonaught]

I can remember the first time I heard this...like a frozen moment in time. There weren't any pedal effects then so this sound was supernatural on AM radio...I was cruisin' in a cool 53' Merc with dual glasspacs..wish I had that car now.

[1flh81]

yah i these licks on my fender!

[Lasareath]

1958 ?

[Lasareath]

Was it the 1958 ?

[goodtimes12342]

cool, I'll bet that was a magic moment in time... thanks for painting the picture.

[chumskowsky]

go Joe go!!!

[IGotchaOpen]

....IK1963....i like your style

[ming1984]

This song was prohibited in EEUU (1959)

[daughterMYslaughter]

Lmao,Johnny Ramone.

[smlsax99]

One very cool dude.

[TUBETUBEJAN]

Wat een kutmuziek!

[Rautas78]

awesome. and its not ramone

[TUBETUBEJAN]

Wat een kutmuziek!

[Bietel]

That's not Johnny Ramone, it's this guy called Eric who's been playing garage rock'n'roll for ages...

Used to be in the Ace-Tones (playing Vox organ), now plays guitar and sings in The Napoleons, same in The Flying Tygers, and playing bass with the Fuzztones every now and then, too!

LINK WRAY... like he used to say, "my Jesus God gave me Rumble", and amen to that!

Oh by the way he punched a hole in the tweeter of his amp, not the woofer.

[Abstractstv]

Wow, that was a cheapshot. Nothing like cutting a legend off in the middle of a song.

Cheap

Frank

[mightyhighrocks]

Link Wray invented loud.

[flik6993]

He also invented Power Chords, as this was the the first song to use them!

[IK1963]

Link Wray made my ears ring for a week!

[altbast]

Is that Johnny Ramone playing with him???

[sonatonemaster]

i got this yamaha sg 2

[wastrel1066]

the shadows influenced more guys than him (link), ok, he used overdrive but hank and the boys piss all over him in the `my inspiration` scores!

[epidemic922]

blah..blah.. is this song owned by a british company now?

[ravenlovesjosh]

i can play this song on guitar!!!! its pretty simple.

[kinkygirl2008]

yes but you have to create it first! not copy

[Eskesne]

Yeah Kinky... You Rock!

[goodtimes12342]

wow, you and 1,000,000,000,000 other beginners. Good for you. Yank your own chain some more.

[wwwgotristancom]

this is van halens-eruption of the 50s

[W00lyBully]

link wray is the coolest guitarist... so original. thats what I call rock n roll :)

[INeedScissors61]

Dude, I've been searching for the name of this song for years. Then the other day I heard it in Pulp Fiction which made finding it so much easier. Thanks for posting.

[mynameisnotalfredo]

when Link Wray first did this song he shoved a pencil in the amp to distort the sound. that is kickass

[nemaniofrules]

its been 3 years, not even wikipedia had this song listed. it repetitive yet addictive, such a cool calm song as well so clad i found it

[kaighley1]

First heard this song on Top Gear and spent about a week trying to find out what it was as i loved it so much! (bit obsessive!)

[Boabyo]

same but with pulp fiction and closer to a year than a week for me ;)

[KHearse87]

likewise. I heard it in Pulp Fiction and was like "that is the greatest sound I have ever heard". It's one of my all time favorites, for sure.

[sonatonemaster]

Dudes, i got thath guitar, its a Yamaha sg2, a very rare model

[CatNika]

Godfather of heavy metal!

Or at least paved the way!

R.I.P Link

[CatNika]

Godfather of heavy metal!

R.I.P Link

[brucestratton]

Used to hang out in the DC bars in the 60's and dig on Link Wray. He's one of the reasons my hearing is so bad today..great !! Dr. Bruce Nelson KFTX Radio Corpus Christi

[74associates]

turn it up!

[HenryCristo]

this songs reminds me uma thurman as mia wallace in pulp fiction xp

[effentjes]

RIP

[nonodont]

then link wray played on it anyway liked the way it sounded and invented distorted guitar playing i vaguely remember hearing that somewhere i want to know if i got my facts straight

[nonodont]

didnt his roadie drop his only amp on their first tour knocking the woofer loose or punching holes in it or something

[johnnypigfinger]

link poked holes in his speaker cones with a pencil =) when sum1 pointed out that he was wrecking his amp, he replied with sumthin along the lines of "who cares? as long as i get that fuckin sound man"

legend.

[CairoKid]

nonodont: Link punched holes in woofer with pencil back in the day to get that sound....

[CairoKid]

this is like heavy metal before there was Metal....

[CairoKid]

father of power chord use!

[deckape1956]

Thanks link, for slashin your speakers on your standel, it made us guitarists think again, man guys wouldnt wanna be there when he did it?? he's is the MAN!

[mlb9303]

I bet God set put an amp and custom made a guitar for him up in heaven lol

R.I.P. Grand daddy of metal

[judomouse]

I 2nd that.Watch ur mouth you pussy wrinkle piece of shite.

[dougster127]

bone head, this guy realeased this song in 1958.

He was pushing the envelope on how to play the guitar before

Eddie was even born.

It's a comparison that doesn't even make sense.

[72seeker72]

Compared to guitarists with acutal skill, especially Randy Rhodes, even Eddie Van Halen, this guy STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[56BUICKRiviera]

The man invented heavy metal

[voxhammer]

Eddie's number one influence for rhythm guitar was Pete Townshend. Pete's was Link Wray. So most of what Eddie does is second hand Link Wray.

[capablancas]

Primer guitarrista en usar un sonido distorsionado, agujereando el parlante de su amplificador, este puede ser escuchado en la grabación de 1958 de "Rumble"

[bulldog11881]

Maui loves Link Wray

[juniorofralph]

The first ever to use distortion,fuzz and power chords R.I.P. Link and thanks.

[nadasafari]

born permanently coool!

[danielgirard]

LINK was the Epitome of COOL. There will NEVER be another like him......

[moloch49]

To the incomparable Link Wray - the "Granddaddy of Heavy Metal" - rock on, in Eternity...!

[BostonRocker51]

a classic riff... totally cool... rock on!

[cloonmore]

good and greasy