This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
It's a warm night tonight on this special Sunday, of September the second of 1945. Today is a historical day, and on the radio news it was announced that the Emperor of Japan signed his surrender to our great nation. We have finally won the war and victory is ours. Our men will be coming home, my friends, the men of all the women who waited in hope and despair for them to return to our great coutry. The war is over and I decided to celebrate that here in my favorite joint on Los Angeles' central avenue. They couldn't get no band for tonight 'cause it's pretty hard to find 'em right now. So the owner said to me that the jukebox is free for tonight and sent me to pick some records.
So I got my friends here, a beer and free music on the house - what more can I wish. Let's play the music and that'll be Louis Jordan for now.
01 - Louis Jordan - Caldonia
02 - Big Joe Turner - Johnson and Turner Blues
Big Joe Turner got his Johnson and Turner Blues, what a great one. Hadn't seen it in here earlier, it must be new. And well this is the smash of the year I think. Everyone's talking about the Honeydripper. Everyone seems to sell it here in LA up to the shoe shiner's stand and I heard it's a smash in New York and Chicago too. Joe Liggins done become a big star, man.
03 - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - The Honeydripper pt. 1
... let me see if I can get it to play the second half as well... just a moment.
03 - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - The Honeydripper pt. 2
04 - Lucky Millinder feat. Wynonie Harris - Who threw the whiskey in the well
Well we've all been wondering who done threw the whiskey in the well and o man it's crowdy in here, I get pushed back here in that corner of the juke box... whaddaya say? Yeah, want one... No it's in the well, haha. Yeah get me one. Thanks buddy. O yeah, here's another cool guy from here. Nat King Cole.
05 - Nat King Cole - If You Can't Smile And Say Yes
06 - Count Basie - Jimmy's Blues
Jimmy Rushing. I seen a picture of him, man that guy is short and fat. They call 'em mister Five by Five but he sings good with Count Basies band. Cool guy. Oh, man it's so hot in here. I could really do for a big glass of water instead of the whisky they gave me. Or a coke. But people are gay and happy in here. Everyone heard the news, everyone calls victory. Man, this is a great day. Eh... sorry? Yeah I'll put on the music again. What? Eh... Ella Fitzgerald. Yeah.
07 - Ella Fitzgerald & Delta Rhythm Boys - It's Only A Paper Moon
08 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Strange Things Happening Every Day
Strange things happening every day. Well you can say that sister Tharpe. And I selected another lady on the jukebox. I love her voice, I love that voice of Ella Johnson. It's in the jukebox for a few weeks now, the Stuff you gotta watch.
09 - Buddy Johnson feat. Ella Johnson - That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch
10 - Erskine Hawkins - Tippin' In
Well I sent one of my friends for a coke or some water, man I'm dying here in the back of this joint. It's so hot. But I gotta say these trumpets did well over the noise in here. Erskine Hawkins got a great orchestra and is is pretty neat. I seen another Nat King Cole in the jukebox. Man this guy is a real hepcat. He plays somewhere further up Central Avenue but you just can't get in, everyone wanna see 'em. He sings here that he's a shy guy but I don't think he is.
11 - Nat King Cole - Shy Guy
12 - Tampa Red - Detroit Blues
Tampa Red and I heard a lot about this man but I think he's in Chicago or so, he's nowhere in the clubs here in LA. And man it's so hot in here. Haven't seen my friend returning with something to drink. Well I guess I'll select a few more and leave the jukebox playing and get that drink and maybe some fresh air myself. Well I got Louis Jordan again and a gal I don't know, some Albinia Jones for next to that with Don'tcha wear no black.
13 - Louis Jordan - Somebody Done Changed the Lock on My Door
14 - Albinia Jones - Don't Wear No Black
(jingle)
15 - Hadda Brooks - Swingin' The Boogie
16 - Etta Jones - Long Long Journey
OK I'm back and I was in time, that old juke box only can only select two tunes in advance and someone had put in two more. I heard Hadda Brooks playing her boogie woogie and I came back to the juke box just to hear this wonderful blues. It's way too beautiful for a crowded noisy joint like this. Don't know the gal, Etta Jones. But I loved the Long Long Journey and it's good that I was so close to the juke box. Further up at the bar you hardly hear anything. Well I got time to select another one. Cecil Gant.
17 - Cecil Gant - I'm Tired
And well today I had teletimemachined myself to a Central Avenue bar in Los Angeles on that memorable Sunday in September of 1945 and I played what was popular on the jukebox then. Not much talk about the artists like you're used from me, after all in that crowded bar I couldn't possibly check Wikipedia or Allmusic or the 78 online discography project web site or Google Books.
Now I did base my playlist today on the weekly listing of most played race records in juke boxes in Billboard Magazine and I added to that some newly announced records from the weeks before. These were the days of Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole and of course that unprecedented smash hit the Honeydripper.
I know I was somewhat short on announcing the titles and artists that I played so if you want to review what I played on the jukebox of that bar, well I listed it on my web site, pretty much as I always do. Search the web for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman and it will show up first in the results. Of course you can ask me anything about that night in September of '45 - just send an e-mail to rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com.
There in that joint in L.A., the party will go on for a few more hours but on this radio station back in the 21st century, my time's up so have a rocking day and I hope to see you next time, here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!