Playlist 12-15-19

This Sunday found us howling with the King of the Moondogers, Alan Freed!

Listen to Route 66 Sunday from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Eastern on Atlanta’s WRFG 89.3FM. Your independent community radio station is streaming worldwide over our free mobile app and WRFG.ORG.

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Here’s your WRFG Route 66 Playlist for December 15, 2019
Hosts: John & Frankie Lee
Birthday: Alan Freed was born Albert James Freed in Windber, Pennyslvania on December 15, 1921.

NOTE: All songs on this show were played by Alan Freed during his shows on WJW AM-FM in Cleveland, Ohio, WINS AM in New York City, or on the Camel Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party on CBS Radio and Armed Forces Radio.

Part One of our birthday tribute to Alan Freed, the King of Rock’n’Roll

Intro to the Moondog Show Alan Freed WJW Radio Dec 1953
The Whip Gil Bernal Spark Records 1954

When Alan Freed quit his morning drive job in Akron, Ohio, he found he couldn’t get a job locally because he’d signed a non-compete agreement. The only job he could find was a late night slot on WJW AM-FM in Cleveland, Ohio.

Soon after he arrived in Cleveland, Freed walked into Record Rendezvous, which was in the black part of town, and discovered it was filled with white teenagers buying uptempo R&B records. The store’s owner told Freed he’d buy advertising on his show if he’d play a few R&B records here and there.

Freed and the station’s management went along with the idea, and Freed some stopped playing pop hits and started pumping out a powerful mix of “blues, rhythm, and jazz” that soon became known as rock’n’roll.

Don’t Leave Me This Way Fats Domino Imperial Records 1953
Whoopin’ The Blues Sonny Terry Capitol Records / Americana 1947
Bridge from Sonny Terry (Whoopin) to Muddy Waters (Mad Love) Alan Freed Saturday Night Dance Party on WJW Radio, December 1953
Mad Love Muddy Waters w/ Little Walter Chess Records 1953

One O’Clock Jump Jack Parker & Etta Jones Decca Records 1954
We’re Gonna Rock, We’re Gonna Roll Wild Bill Moore Savoy Records 666 1948
Call Before You Go Home Memphis Slim United Records 1953

Alan Freed intro & Lonely & Blue B.B. King WINS Radio 1955
Rock Daddy Rock Big Bertha Henderson Chance Records 1952
My Babe Little Walter & His Night Cats Checker Records 1952

Alan Freed is credited with producing the world’s first rock’n’roll concert, the Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland, Ohio on March 21, 1952. It was supposed to be a two night event, but, thanks to a printing error, all the tickets were for March 21. To make matters worse, thousands of counterfeit tickets were sold. So, instead of 6,000 people in the Cleveland Arena, the crowd swelled to about 20,000…

The Hucklebuck Paul Williams & The Hucklebucks Savoy Records 1949

… and the world’s first rock’n’roll concert turned into the world’s first rock’n’roll riot. The fire marshal shut it down just moments after the first act, Paul Williams and the Hucklebucks took the stage. They only played one song: “The Hucklebuck.”

Just for fun, if your parents or grandparents are from Cleveland, ask them what they were doing on March 21, 1952.

Alan Freed apologizes for the chaos at the Coronation Ball WJW Radio
3-22-1952

Freddy’s Boogie / Money Honey / All Night Long (Night Train) Freddie Mitchell / Drifters / Rusty Bryant Alan Freed WJW Radio 1953

Double Crossing Daddy Varetta Dillard Savoy Records 1952
Drunk Jimmy Liggins Specialty Records 1953

Part Two of our birthday tribute to Alan Freed, the King of Rock’n’Roll

Show Intro – C-Jam Blues Alan Freed & Lynn Hope WJW Radio 1953

After moving from WJW in Cleveland to WINS in NYC, Alan Freed was syndicated nationwide. Of course, this didn’t go over very well with the KKK and other groups that didn’t want white teenage America exposed to “the devil’s music.”

Boom Diddy Wa-Wa / My Ideal about You Alan Freed /Varetta Dillard / PeeWee Crayton WINS-AM NYC 2-2-1955
The Smoke From Your Cigarette The Mellows featuring Lillian Leach Jay-Dee Records 1955

ALAN FREED’S CAMEL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DANCE PARTY
CBS RADIO / Armed Forces Radio & Television Service
Program #2 (NYC) – 31 March 1956

Soft Drink – Count Basie Orchestra
Winner Take All – Sunny Gale
Sixteen Teens – Rover Boys
Corner Pocket – Count Basie Orchestra
Roll ‘Em Pete – Joe Williams
Rock & Roll Wedding – Sunny Gale
Come To Me – Rover Boys
Big Red – Count Basie Orchestra

Smack Dab In The Middle Charles Calhoun MGM Records 1955
(Watch The Skies) The Spaceman Alan Freed, Steve Allen, & Al Jazzbo Collns Luniverse Records 1956

(sign off)

Tag (You’re It) Little Charlie & The Nightcats Nine Lives 2005

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