#alan freed

[drrubinspomade]

#alan freed

STILL ROCKIN’.

Take a moment to consider how beautiful this person is! We post glorious pinups like this all day, every day, all unique! If you dig this pic we’ve found online, u should investigate the creator/subjects of the work and fan them, follow them, hire them.

If you’d like us to remove, or you know who made this so that we can credit, DM. Thanks and greetings from Los Angeles.

YOU ARE THE LIGHT

Dr Rubin’s Pomade

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: One of Alan Freed’s favourite songs, which he played often when he hosted Moondog’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party on WJW Cleveland, was “Sixty Minute Man” by Billy Ward and His Dominoes (a.k.a., The Dominoes) from 1951. Along with “Rocket 88,” “Sixty Minute Man” is often cited as one of the first and, hence, most seminal rock ‘n’ roll songs ever recorded. It is also considered to be an early Doo-wop classic. (Note: This is one of the few songs that makes it onto Prof Hunt’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Blog twice – once in my earlier lecture on R&B, and here again in the portion of my lecture on Alan Freed!)

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: Here is an aircheck sound file of Alan Freed’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Show (February 2, 1955), broadcast at the height of Freed's fame on station 1010 WINS New York. This surviving recording of Freed’s show offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of radio in the mid-1950s, and it is fairly typical of early rock ‘n’ roll programming. The broadcast includes one of Freed’s many impassioned defenses of American teenagers, some cool yet largely forgotten music, and a series of fun commercials, including a plug for a local “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fan Club” in the Bronx “for girls.” Not sure if it's still going. Don't blame me if you send in your hard-earned shekels and it's defunct!

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: One of many films to feature Alan Freed in the 1950s, cashing in on the huge Rock ‘n’ Roll craze, was Mister Rock and Roll (1957), which featured scenes of Freed spliced together with clips of early rock ‘n’ roll performers. This is a trailer for the film. These kinds of B Movies were cheap to make, and were often part of double features at movie theaters and drive-ins across America in the Fifties. They also helped to make Freed a superstar in the 1950s, and one of the most easily recognized figures of the era. The movie itself features memorable performance, especially by the late, great Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman), but the stuff between musical numbers is pretty damn corny.

NOTE: Here is a copy of the entire film Mister Rock and Roll (below) in case you want to watch it from start to finish. This was one of many low-budget films made in the second half of the 1950s consisting of rock 'n' roll performances cobbled together with weak narratives that functioned as the "cement" holding everything in place. It's not a great film, by any means, but it is fun!

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: It's game show time in History 105! Dig this, fellow rock-and-rollers: Celebrity disc jockey Alan (”Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll”) Freed appeared on countless television programs in the second half of the 1950s, including this broadcast here, To Tell the Truth, a popular television panel game show on CBS, which featured celebrities trying to figure out who among three individuals was the real Alan Freed. This particular clip is loads of fun, and highlights how little establishment celebrities (like the ones on the panel) actually knew about rock ‘n’ roll at the time, a genre of music still very much in its infancy. This footage is from 1957. To Tell the Truth was wildly popular at the time, and appearances like this one helped to make Freed a household name up until 1960.

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: Alan Freed interviews Buddy Holly in this radio clip from September 23, 1958. Note the rapport between the two men, and the jokey banter. The subject of conversation eerily turns to flying and Buddy discusses a recent helicopter crash in Cincinnati. Both of them allude a few times to the hazards of flying, in a foreshadowing of things to come. Sad as it is to hear that topic discussed, Buddy is totally charming and down to earth (as always) in this interview, and the audience is clearly enthusiastic. Holly enjoyed a huge following in the last few years of his life, and teenage fans across North America -- and overseas -- adored him. And Freed’s warm and engaging style makes it easy to understand why he was friends with so many early rock ‘n’ roll pioneers of the 1950s. 

[hist105rockblog]

Lecture 5: Here is an aircheck (an aircheck is a recording of a radio broadcast, usually with the music omitted from reproduction for copyright purposes) from radio station WJW Cleveland from April 6, 1954, featuring the Tuesday night rock and roll show hosted by the “Moondog” himself, Alan Freed. WJW was the station that catapulted Freed to fame, paving the way for his move into the New York City radio market and nationwide celebrity status. This broadcast is fairly typical of Freed’s early rock and roll broadcasts, showcasing his vibrant personality and wit, and his deep reverence for rock and roll music. He was one of the most energetic hosts on the radio at the time, which explains his meteoric rise in the business. (Note: Sorry about the poor quality of this particular aircheck. Radio airchecks – which were rare in the mid-1950s – vary quite widely in quality.)

[generationfusion]