This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And top legends is what you're gonna get from me today, as today I'm going to bring you the number one hits of 1951 and a part of 1952 according to Billboard's top selling and most played in jukeboxes lists of Rhythm & Blues records. And today that'll bring anything from drinking blues to a crying tear jerker. And the list starts with the first of these, it's Amos Milburn with his classic Bad Bad Whiskey on Aladdin records that started his long run of drinking songs, This one hit number one from January 6 for three weeks.
01 - Amos Milburn - Bad Bad Whiskey
02 - Charles Brown - Black Night
Charles Brown at his best in his classic Black Night, also on Aladdin and starting March, 1 that went a solid fourteen weeks on number one of the Billboard Rhythm & Blues list, of which I feature the number ones of 1951 and a part of 1952, here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. And like the previous shows where I did these number ones, it actually is about two lists, one for most selling in retail and one for best played in jukeboxes. And it's often, but definitely not always, the same song on both lists, and that explains overlap and doubles on the number one spot for the same day.
So on June 9, and that is quite a jump from March, we find two singles on number one. And I start with an instrumental that often was featured here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman, but always as the background music of my talking. So it's time to expose it in full and play it without my voice over it. Most played in jukeboxes from June 9 of 1951, here is Lloyd Glenn with Chica Boo.
03 - Lloyd Glenn - Chica Boo
04 - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats - Rocket 88
Rocket 88 - one of these classics that, according to many, compete for being the first rock 'n roll record. And apart from stylistically, there was another typical element that was re-used in many a rock 'n roll song - the automobile. The Rocket 88 was the Oldsmobile 88 model with the Rocket V8 engine in it, and that car, in its first generation, was introduced in 1949. It grew very popular after it won numerous Nascar races, and the rocket emblem was put on the trunk in 1950. It was a high-end luxury car, from 1951 it even featured optional hydraulic power windows and power seats. The commercial slogan for the car was "Make a Date with a Rocket 88".
The song itself was billed to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats recorded at Sun studios in Memphis on March, the record label that later made fame by signing Elvis Presley. Now the Delta Cats were not a group that existed - it were a 19-year old Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm and actually, Jackie Brenston normally played the saxophone in Turner's band. Much to the chagrin of Ike Turner, he remained uncredited both for co-writing and session work and he only got 20 bucks for his efforts on it, and whoever really got rich on this song, it may well have bought him a brand new Rocket 88 as the record sold half a million copies.
And the next one is another of these classics in Rhythm & Blues. I'm talking about the Billy Ward and his Dominoes song the Sixty Minute Man. It's groundbreaking in many ways. It crossed the borders between gospel and blues, it was pushing the limits of what was acceptable in recording sexual content, and despite it appealed to both black and white listeners. Not only did it hit number one on the R&B chart for a solid 14 weeks, but it also got to number 17 on the pop chart.
Bill Brown's bass voice was chosen as the lead for this song over Clyde McPhatter's tenor, for the boasting on how good a lover he was, being able to satisfy his women with fifteen minutes each, of kissing, teasing, and squeezing and blowing his top. Here are Billy Ward and his Dominoes with the Sixty Minute Man.
05 - Billy Ward & The Dominoes - Sixty Minute Man
06 - Clovers - Don't You Know I Love You
The Clovers with Don't You Know I Love You and that went number one for 2 weeks on Septeber, 1. It was recorded earlier that year in their first session with Atlantic records on February 22, a week after they'd signed there. The song was written by Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun and we'll hear more of this group later as they had another number 1 hit later that year.
On September 22 we see another vocal group take the top spot: the Five Keys with their Aladdin recording The Glory of Love.
07 - Five Keys - The Glory Of Love
08 - Jimmie Nelson and the Peter Rabbit Trio - T-99 Blues
The T99 Blues - you heard Jimmie Nelson and the Peter Rabbit Trio. T99 is the old Texas highway 99 and this was recorded for the RPM label - one of the subsidiaries of Modern Records of Hollywood. Jimmie Nelson hit number 1 for only one week on the 3rd of November of 1951.
And on November 10 we find the Clovers back on number one for the best selling record. Fool Fool Fool is the title and it stayed on the top for six weeks.
09 - Clovers - Fool, Fool, Fool
10 - Peppermint Harris - I Got Loaded
Peppermint Harris with I got loaded and from November 10 that was number one as most played in juke boxes. It topped the list for a total of two weeks, but not in a row, because on November 17, John Lee Hooker was best played in the juke box, be it just for one week. Off the Modern label, here is I'm in the mood and that sure is a blues classic.
11 - John Lee Hooker - I'm in the mood
12 - Tab Smith - Because Of You
What a contrast with that raw blues tune. Tab Smith's alto saxophone was always good for a smooth instrumental and this recording on United was no difference. It got on the top of the R&B list for two weeks from December 8 of 1951. Tab Smith played in many great big bands and recorded for many labels but he will most be connected to United records where he had this hit and 23 more singles. When United records closed down, Tab Smith's career in the music industry was effectively over.
And talking about smooth and jazzy instrumentals - the next one is another of these. Closing the year 1951, we find Earl Bostic with Flamingo on number one, for 4 weeks well into the next year.
13 - Earl Bostic - Flamingo
14 - The Griffin Brothers Orchestra Feat. Tommy Brown - Weepin' and Cryin'
Weeping and crying - you heard Tommy Brown with the Griffin Brothers. This one on the Dot label made it three weeks on number one and I must say that though this is a great blues, that crying in the background gets the laughs on me until it get annoying.
Now Weepin' and Cryin' was most played in juke boxes on January 12 of 1952 and it must have been a lot of sobbing in the beginning of the new year, because also on January 12 best selling in retail was the classic tear jerker Cry sung by Johnny Ray, that also hit number one on the pop list. And I must say, listeners, that this is something that I wouldn't have included in my radio program if it hadn't been on number one of the R&B list. You know - not only I can't make R&B out of it anymore, but also there's just one thing that I can think of when I hear this song, and that is an awfully good and funny parody that the Dutch comedian Andre van Duijn did on this song. Well - judge for yourself. Here are Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads with Cry.
15 - Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads - Cry
16 - B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues
17 - Jimmy Forrest - Night Train
And unfortunately there's not enough time to play all of this great instrumental. The Night Train, that was Jimmy forest and he was most played in juke boxes on March 15. Well you'll get this one in full on the next show, I promise you. Before that you got B.B. King with the Three o'clock blues that spent 5 weeks on the top of the list.
And so we leave the top of the R&B hit list in the early spring of 1952 where we'll pick it up some time later in a next episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. On my web site you can always see when that will be, I keep a complete list of shows and their play lists there. Just do a google search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman and my site will show up first. And of course you can e-mail me with anything you like to comment or ask - the address is rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. As for now, time is up, so byebye and have a wonderful day. No - have a rocking day. See you next time here on the the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!