This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And today I take you to a joint somewhere in a black neighborhood in a big American city - like the south side of Chicago, or Harlem - doesn't matter where we are. It's been a hot day in mid-July of 1948 but it's getting late now and we're longing for a beer and some good music. So there's a jukebox in the place and I have a few nickles to put in the slot.
Today you're gonna hear what was in that jukebox in the summer of '48, or rather, what I chose because I left out the crooning ballads and sentimental pop songs by African American artists that seem to be popular with the crowd in here. Hey, you know, it's my program, and my choice, it's all hot Rhythm & Blues in here.
And I start with what seems to be the most popular song for the week and that is Lonnie Johnson of whom I select Tomorrow Night. A 78 of the King label is being moved somewhere in the machine and here it's gonna play.
01 - Lonnie Johnson - Tomorrow Night
02 - Ravens - Send For Me If You Need Me
You may have recognized the bass voice of Jimmy Ricks - The Ravens were that with Send For Me If You Need Me and that was on the National label. Now for today's show - on what's in the juke box in the summer of 1948 - I used Billboard's list of Most played in juke boxes race records - the term Rhythm & Blues would be coined later that year.
And in that juke box also sits a record of Lionel Hampton. The A-side is a sentimental crooning ballad, so I select the flip titled Hamp's Got A Duke.
03 - Lionel hampton - Hamp's Got a Duke
04 - Louis Jordan - All for the Love of Lil
(jingle)
05 - Nellie Lutcher - Fine Brown Frame
06 - Julia Lee - When You're Smiling
Two lady pianists and singers who both were known for their light-hearted songs. You heard Julia Lee with When You're Smiling and that was the flip of her big hit King Size Papa and Nellie Lutcher with Fine Brown Frame - both on Capitol.
Then before the jingle I selected Louis Jordan's All for the Love of Lil from the jukebox, the flip of Run Joe that was a calypso-style song. Jordan done a few of these calypso style novelty songs that sold well and that were popular in the jukebox. It was number one on Billboard's most played in Jukebox list of race records in early July of 1948.
And among the most popular records of july '48 was a strong shuffling double-sided instrumental, Long Gone of Sonny Thompson. You probably had to drop two nickles in the slot to hear both sides. Well here they are.
07 - Sonny Thompson - Long Gone
08 - Memphis Slim - Messin' Around
Memphis Slim's Messing Around - just like Sonny Thompson's instrumental on the Miracle label - well it also was highly in demand for the jukebox in these summer days of '48. It was recorded in December of 1947 as most of the contents of the jukebox of '48 was. The second recording strike of the American Federation of Musicians was effective. Record labels had been stockpiling masters in a recording frenzy during the last weeks of '47 and the studios had been empty for half a year now.
It was by the summer of '48 that, be it reluctantly, the first illicit studio sessions had resumed, still illegal and the mighty hand of the AFM could get you fined or expelled - and the latter could well mean the end of your musical career.
Next selection from the juke box of july '48 is T-Bone Walker with That's better for me, the of flip a ballad titled I'm waiting for your call and that was on the Black & White label.
09 - T-Bone Walker - That's better for me
10 - Ivory Joe Hunter - Pretty Mamma Blues
The pretty mama blues - you got Ivory Joe Hunter who was in the jukebox hit list with two records, this one and a ballad Don't fall in love with me.
The next one don't need no introduction so I'm giving it anyhow. It already stayed twelve weeks in the top ten of the jukebox hit parade and now it's seen as one of the most important records that made rock 'n roll happen. Here is Wynonie Harris with Good Rocking Tonight.
11 - Wynonie Harris - Good Rockin' Tonight
12 - Wynonie Harris - Good Morning Mr Blues
And I selected the flip just after it. Good Morning Mr. Blues was that and everyone who bought a copy of that King platter with that groundbreaking Good Rockin' Tonight got stuck with this heavy blues too.
Next up the flip of the first tune I played. Here is Lonnie Johnson with What a Woman.
13 - Lonnie Johnson - What a Woman
14 - Ivory Joe Hunter - Don't Fall in Love With Me
Sentimental pop songs and ballads did surprisingly well in the jukeboxes of what Billboard called "operators whose locations require race records". You heard Ivory Joe Hunter with Don't Fall in Love With Me. Personally I like the flip better so let's play that too. Here is Siesta with Sonny.
15 - Ivory Joe Hunter - Siesta With Sonny
16 - Memphis Slim - Midnight Jump
A frantic honker of Memphis Slim and his band the House Rockers. You heard the Midnight Jump and that was the flip of Messin' Around that I played earlier in this show.
Well, the hour still got space for just one more. I played the flip of it before, so here's that popular A-side. Julia Lee with what she was best in, a great double entendre blues, the King Size Papa.
17 - Julia Lee - King Size Papa
And the King Size Papa was the last that I could play within the hour. I've tried to get you an idea what featured the juke box in the summer of 1948 and that jukebox may well have been an old second hand Rock-Ola that's seen a better venue before. You shouldn't expect the latest models in joints in a late forties black neighborhood.
In the future I plan to play more from the juke box of a specific year. I hope you liked the idea and if so, or if you have suggestions or comments, let me know at my e-mail address rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. And you can read back today's story and playlist and see what'll be on next week on my web site. A google search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman is the easiest wat to get there.
As for now time's up so have a great and rocking day. Keep on playing that juke box and see you next time, here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!