Link Wray - Rumble

Each month we take a look at a classic track or album and discuss it from a music production perspective, examining notable aspects of its recording. This month we explore 'Rumble' by Link Wray.

Few tracks in the history of rock'n'roll have been more influential than this Link Wray instrumental. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin described hearing it as a pivotal moment in his life, Iggy Pop says that it is the reason he became a musician, Pete Townshend of The Who wrote that "if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar."

The sound of the track was considered so menacing that it became the only instrumental in history to be banned by radio. Stations in New York and Boston were so worried that it might incite gang violence that they refused to play it.

There were two key sonic innovations that meant that this track sounded like nothing else at the time, and led to the hysteria that greeted its release; the power chord and amplifier distortion.

The power chord is a two note chord made up of the root note and the fifth note of the scale – this chord is also known as an open 5th, which means that is neither major nor minor. It became an absolute staple of rock music, and then metal and punk.

No doubt someone else would have gotten there sooner or later, but Wray got there first – no doubt because power chords sound great on distorted electric guitars – and this takes us to his other innovation.

Link Wray created the first ever distorted guitar sound by physically punching holes in the speaker cone of his amp with a pencil. This leap, creating a sound that would later become known as 'fuzztone' grabbed the attention of listeners – and many budding guitarists. Wayne Kramer of the MC5 (a band who would themselves become hugely influential) said that '"He was one of the first that really had a tone that pointed the way to the future'.

In two minutes and twenty-six seconds, Link Wray had changed the course of rock'n'roll forever.


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