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What is Skiffle?Skiffle is a type of folk music, predominantly American, with links to country music, blues and jazz, and often using the songs and music of black Americans from the southern states.
The songs usually have a simple verse/chorus structure and often tell a story. Typical themes are trains, prisons, hard work, crime, retribution and punishment and also love and loss. Skiffle is played in an enthusiastic, driving style, with a strong beat and strong rhythm, using home made as well as conventional instruments. |
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It originated in the USA in the 20s and 30s and was resurrected by British jazz bands in the early 50s as something a bit different for the interval of their concerts. Rock Island Line by the Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group,
which was part of the Chris Barber Jazz Band, took skiffle into the hit parade and public attention in January 1956.
The Skiffle 'Group'The name 'group', rather than band or orchestra, implies a fairly loose
structure. Generally all members play something and also sing at least some of the time. This is clearly different to a solo singer and accompanying band. |
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A typical skiffle group would have a couple of guitars and/or banjo, providing the rhythm, a tea-chest bass to give a bass beat and a washboard as
the percussion. As there are 13 of us we have doubled up on guitars, tea-chests and washboards and added spoons, bells and kazoos, for good
measure.
As well as being relatively cheap and easy to obtain, skiffle instruments are easy to play at a basic level; 3 chords on the guitar and you are away. So it is a group music that has a low level entry. Similarly for the singing, enthusiasm and character are the key ingredients.
the percussion. As there are 13 of us we have doubled up on guitars, tea-chests and washboards and added spoons, bells and kazoos, for good
measure.
As well as being relatively cheap and easy to obtain, skiffle instruments are easy to play at a basic level; 3 chords on the guitar and you are away. So it is a group music that has a low level entry. Similarly for the singing, enthusiasm and character are the key ingredients.
The Skiffle Craze
Following Rock Island Line there were a large number of skiffle numbers in the charts. This commercial skiffle was dominated by the Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group, who had 17 top ten hits between 1956 and 1962, with 3 number ones. There were lesser contributions from the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group, the Vipers Skiffle Group, and Johnny Duncan and the Bluegrass Boys. However, all over the country teenagers (mainly boys) started their own skiffle groups. At one time it was estimated that there were tens of thousands in existence. There were regional and national talent competitions just for skiffle groups. Many groups did regular performances in their town, some had the occasional gig at the school dance, for example, and probably many others never made it beyond practising at home. My own skiffle group from that time, the Black Panther Skiffle Group, never had a complete line-up, never had a gig and never made it out of my dad’s garage!
By 1960 the craze was over but Lonnie Donegan kept things going for him by becoming a TV personality and all-round entertainer and by producing a number of novelty songs that have more the character of Music Hall than American folk song.
By 1960 the craze was over but Lonnie Donegan kept things going for him by becoming a TV personality and all-round entertainer and by producing a number of novelty songs that have more the character of Music Hall than American folk song.
What happened to Skiffle?
It still goes on in its original form in a small way; there are currently a dozen or so groups like the Vikings carrying on the tradition in Britain. Many of the late 50s skifflers developed into the rock and roll performers of the 60s. The Beatles started out as the Quarrymen Skiffle Group, Cliff Richard, Joe Brown, the Shadows, Elton John, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Van Morrison and many more started their musical career in skiffle groups. The line-up of the typical rock group is identical to that of the typical skiffle group except that the tea-chest bass is replaced by an electric bass and the washboard is replaced by a drum kit. Without skiffle the 60s scene could not have existed.
The other route from skiffle was into folk, and many of us involved in 50s skiffle, like me, became lifetime folkies. The Liverpool folk group, the Spinners, started out as a skiffle group.
The other route from skiffle was into folk, and many of us involved in 50s skiffle, like me, became lifetime folkies. The Liverpool folk group, the Spinners, started out as a skiffle group.
Written by Nic Dickson