This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
number ones - 1943-1944
And legends are what you're gonna get from me, that is the legends of 1943 and 1944, as I feature the number one Rhythm & Blues hits of these two years. That's a whole lotta music, but I know that's what you came here for, so let's start off straight away with the first one. A few weeks ago I did the very first year of the Harlem Hitparade, as the R&B chart was called back then and the one hour that I had, left me stranded in October, 1943. On the second of that month it was Duke Ellington and his orchestra again entering the number one position, but this single held it for just one week. Vocals are from Johnny Hodges, here is the Sentimental Lady.
01 - Duke Ellington feat. Johnny Hodges - Sentimental Lady
02 - Nat King Cole Trio - All For You
Nat King Cole and his trio with All for you. Now that entered the number one position of the Harlem Hitparade on November, 20 and in total it would peak the list twice for a week, with a song of Ersine Hawkins and his orchestra, that had led the list before, in between.
Today on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman, the second show on the number one hits of the Rhythm & Blues charts. Billboard started it in October, 1942, to spotlight the separate market of African American customers and the music they bought. It got by the name of the Harlem Hitparade and it would keep that name until February, 1945, when it was renamed to the list of Race records, a name it would keep until June, 1949. Then it got its most well-known name, the Rhythm & Blues Records. It was renamed several times since then but nowadays the abbreviation of Rhythm & Blues is still in its name - as we know it now as the list of the R&B and hiphop songs. There was just a brief period the list wasn't published, from November 1963 and through all of 64.
Now you can argue whether it was a good or a bad thing that Billboard created a separate list for music targeted at an African American audience. On the downside, you can regard it as one of the many expressions of the segregation that black Americans suffered on. And it's true - the African-American community was a world apart from the ruling, white American society, and that ruling white society did about everything it could to keep it that way, especially in the South. Worlds apart they also were in their musical taste, and the white audience was pretty much oblivious of the exciting new styles that grew in black popular music during the forties and early fifties - before the rise of Rock 'n Roll. Making a separate list for this specific market gave the music much more exposure. Most R&B hits would never have been noticed in the pop list, as their sales to that much smaller - and poorer - audience remained pretty invisible compared to the big hits of that time.
You may wonder if there's still a reason to keep a list like this. I think there is. First of all, African American culture has still many distinctive aspects and it's arguable whether that's a good thing or not. I think America's blacks have reasons enough to be proud of their own identity and thus, their own styles of music, like hiphop, rap and nowadays R&B. But it was Barack Obama who wrote in Dreams of my Father, that turning away from the mainstream culture, as a self-imposed segregation, will hinder emancipation of the African-American. So I think the R&B list as it exists today, will still help expose African-American culture to the nation - that is, to all of the nation.
03 - Ella Mae Morse - Shoo Shoo Baby
04 - Louis Jordan - Ration Blues
Louis Jordan was that with the Ration blues on Decca. That peaked the Harlem Hitparade for just one week on New Year's day of 1944 and before you heard Ella Mae Morse with Shoo Shoo Baby that was number one on December 18 of 1943, released on Capitol. And you missed the top of the chart for Christmas of 43 and that is what you hear in the background right now - Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra with Sweet Slumber. The Ella Mae Morse song would come back as number one on January, 8 and on the fifteenth it was Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra with Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me, that would go on and off the number one position for the forthcomimg months, for a grand 8 weeks in total. Let's hear that big hit.
05 - Duke Ellington - Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
06 - Johnny Mercer with Paul Weston Orch. - G.I. Jive
Johnny Mercer with the Paul Weston Orchestra singing the G.I. Jive - on Capitol. That was #1 on January, 22 and it lasted just one week. But as Duke Ellington came back to the number one to cover February and beyond, the next one-to-play hit the top on March, 11. It's the Solo Flight - here is Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, who also made the top for just one week.
07 - Benny Goodman - Solo flight
08 - Ella Fitzgerald & the Ink Spots - Cow Cow Boogie
March 25 was the date for this number one of Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots with the Cow Cow Boogie also known as Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay - what a cool song of that cowboy with a western accent with a Harlem touch. This Decca record also made the top just for one week, on March, 25 and on April, the 1st Duke Ellington took over for four non-consecutive weeks with the instrumental Main Stem.
09 - Duke Ellington - Main Stem
10 - Buddy Johnson feat. Ella Johnson - When My Man Comes Home
A seventy year old Decca 78 - you heard Ella Johnson backed up by the orchestra of her brother Buddy Johnson. When my man comes home was the best-selling Rhythm & Blues record of April, 15 for just one week, but man, what a killer song is that.
Next up we get Nat King Cole with Straighten Up and Fly Right that would peak the chart for ten weeks - on and off from April, 29.
11 - Nat King Cole - Straighten Up and Fly Right
12 - Louis Jordan - G.I. Jive
Louis Jordan with the G.I. Jive. Now we've heard that song before today, it had hit the top in January of that year in the version of Johnny Mercer, and Louis Jordan did it again for six weeks starting from July, 15. On August 19 it was displaced for just one week by The Mills Brothers with Till Then.
13 - Mills Brothers - Till Then
14 - Lionel Hampton - Hamp's Boogie Woogie
Lionel Hampton and his orchestra with a flair that only he could show off - that was Hamp's Boogie Woogie that hit number one in September the 2nd of 1944. I have a DVD with film recordings of some of his performances and man, what an energy that man had and you could see that every musician in his band had as much fun as he had. Now of course these were the heydays of the big bands but their demise would come soon after the war was over and many of them folded as rhythm & blues made a turn towards smaller combos. Those who survived - including Lionel Hampton's orchestra - took the direction of more traditional or more modern jazz. Up to the mid-forties the Rhythm & Blues charts featured many records that can as easily be classified as jazz - the real distinction came later.
The year 1944 still had three songs to hit the number one spot. On September, 30 it was Benny Carter and his orchestra to do so, with I'm Lost.
15 - Benny Carter - I'm Lost
16 - Nat King Cole - Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
17 - Ink Spots - Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
And with the final smash hit of 1944 I have to end another episode of the Legends of the Rocking Ducthman. That were the Ink Spots with Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall, that took the number 1 spot for a solid eleven weeks starting November, 19 and before that you heard Nat King Cole with Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You that peaked the Harlem Hit Parade for four weeks in a row starting October 21.
I hope you enjoyed all these hits and if so, or if not, please let me know by sending me an e-mail. The address is rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. Or visit me on the web, just do a Google search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman and it will pop up first. As for now, byebye and have a great day. No, have a rocking day. See you next time on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!