Swamp rock is a genre ofrock music that originated in the mid-1960s as a fusion ofrockabilly andsoul music withswamp blues,country music andfunk.^[1] The genre originated in Louisiana by artists such asTony Joe White, but was subsequently popularized by California bandCreedence Clearwater Revival.^[2]

Swamp rock fusesrockabilly andsoul music withswamp blues,country music andfunk.^[1] Swamp blues provided swamp rock with its defining guitar sound, which was low toned and often reverberated.^[1] The sound also frequently uses horns, due to its soul influence, although solos are more commonly performed on guitars.^[1] Also contributing influence to the sound of swamp rock was the hard, guitar-driven sound ofBritish Invasion bands, as well ascountry blues,Cajun music andNew Orleans rhythm and blues.^[2] The genre's lyrics are often "dark and menacing",^[1] drawing from young Americans' dissatisfaction with the political establishment, as well asenvironmentalist concerns.^[2]

Dale Hawkins' single "Oh! Suzy Q", credited as being solely written by Hawkins, but predominantly lifted from a song of the same name bySonny Boy Williamson I, was recorded in 1957.^[3] It is often cited as the first swamp rock single; although Hawkins' recording was consideredswamp pop at the time, it had the hard edge and more powerful guitar sound associated with swamp rock.^[2] Swamp rock would not become recognized as a musical trend until the late 1960s and early 1970s.^[2]

Tony Joe White has been credited as having "invented" swamp rock.^[4] Hailing from Louisiana's bayou, White's songs were subsequently recorded byBrook Benton andDusty Springfield, among other performers, to popular success, most notably with the song "Polk Salad Annie", which has been recorded by a number of other singers.^[5]

Dr. John (Malcolm John Rebennack Jr.), hailing from New Orleans, also contributed to the swamp rock scene with a distinctive style that fusedNew Orleans R&B,New Orleans blues,jazz, rock andboogie woogie.^[6] Rebennack originally created Dr. John as a stage persona drawing fromNew Orleans voodoo culture for his friend Ronnie Barron, but when his friend declined the persona, Rebennack ended up adopting the Dr. John persona himself.^[2]

Creedence Clearwater Revival have been described as pioneers of swamp rock. The band often utilized lyrics aboutbayous,catfish, theMississippi River and other elements ofSouthern United States iconography,^[7] although the band was actually from California.Little Feat, formed by musician and songwriterLowell George and also despite hailing from California, helped popularize Southern music in the wider United States with their swamp rock sound which drew from country,folk, blues, soul, swamp pop and R&B.^[2] Another California act,Redbone, adopted their name from a Cajun term for aNative American of mixed race, reflecting the band's ancestral heritage, as the members were of Yaqui, Shoshone, Southern Cheyenne, Chippewa and Mexican ancestry.^[2]

Also part of the early swamp rock scene wereDelaney & Bonnie,^[2]the Meters,^[8]Elvis Presley,^[1]Jerry Reed^[9] andLeon Russell.^[2][10]

Swamp rock declined in popularity during thedisco era.^[1] However,the Radiators, who released their first album in 1981, developed a following who they identify as "fish heads", with a swamp rock sound drawing from blues, R&B, funk and soul.^[11] In the same decade,the Batfish Boys fusedgothic rock^[12] andpost-punk^[13] with swamp rock to create their sound, which also owed influence to swamp blues.^[12] In the 1990s, swamp rock was subjected to a revival in thejam band scene.^[1] Artists that contributed to the revival of swamp rock includeBeasts of Bourbon,^[14]Deadboy & the Elephantmen,^[15]Eagles of Death Metal,^[16][17][18]the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster,^[19]Ray Wylie Hubbard,^[2]JJ Grey & Mofro,^[2]Shooter Jennings,^[20]Kid Rock,^[21]Legendary Shack Shakers,^[22][23][24] andLucinda Williams.^[2]

• Swamp rock
• Rock music genres
• American styles of music
• Fusion music genres
• Louisiana Creole culture
• Music of Louisiana

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata