The Midnight Masquerade as performed by Alamantra. Music by Robert Shiflett. c.2025 All Rights Reserved.
I originally wrote this instrumental as a requiem to the many friends and loved ones who are no longer with us.
When I started writing it, I originally was experimenting with a fugue, but as the song developed that got pushed to the back burner.
The video is my first attempt to make a conceptual piece using AI. To make it, I used LTX.Studio with Canva as my video editor.
In memorium: Cary Allbritton, Tim Bagley, Lisa Bland, Charlie Brush, Jack Cage, Cindy Camp, Steve Casteel, Stephen Christian, Chris Cox, Holly Cratty, Charles Elkins, Anne Galloway, Drew Galloway, Meg Gavin, Carlito Jackson, Charlie Kai (aka Anthony Hatfield), Matt Kimbrell, Bill MacKechnie, Genie McElroy, Mike Musick, Frank Pigott, Tygre Pike, Ed Reynolds, Mark Reynolds, Mats Roden, Jon Sellers, Laura Stansell, James Thorn, Don Tinsley, Davey Williams
Birmingham was rock and roll before rock and roll was cool.
Could Birmingham be one of the very first places to have embraced rock and roll? This song, “Birmingham Bounce,” was originally recorded in 1950 by Sid “Hardrock” Gunter at WBRC-AM. This was out over a year before “Rocket 88” which many claim is the first rock and roll record. “Birmingham Bounce” may also be the first real rockabilly record. When Gunter released this record, it became a regional hit, and he was having to book airport hangers to be able to take in the crowds that were showing up. Then Decca put a version of the song out by Red Foley that shot up the country music charts to number one for 14 weeks. Gunter’s records were ignored in the avalanche of Foley’s success.
Gunter followed “Birmingham Bounce” up with “(Gonna Rock and Roll) Gonna Dance All Night.” He put that out on the Sun label in 1954 (Before Sun signed Elvis.) This song was one of the earliest to use the words “rock and roll” in the lyrics although Wild Bill Moore released the song “Rock and Roll,” in 1949 featuring Scatman Crothers on vocals.
It is clear that Sid “Hardrock” Gunter is one of the earliest pioneers of rock and roll, and should be given his due. He should, at the very least, be in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. This also means that Birmingham is one of the first places to rock.
