This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And my legends are gonna be in a Christmas mood today, like all music on all radio stations these days, but don't worry, I'm not going to play the jingle bells, no white christmas and no rocking around the christmas tree. As you can expect from me, this hour will be filled with stomping Rhythm & Blues - but with the Christmas theme. And sure, you can find that, though it took some patience and hours and hours of searching through my music collection. So let's get started with the first one. Here is, from 1963, Charles Brown with Wrap Yourself in a Christmas Package.
01 - Charles Brown - Wrap Yourself in a Christmas Package
02 - Charley Jordan - Christmas Christmas Blues
From the early sixties straight to the thirties with Charley Jordan. He was a blues singer and guitar legend born in 1890 who had a number of singles for the Vocalion and Decca labels, between 1930 and 1937. You heard the Christmas Cristmas Blues.
Next is Sonny Boy Williamson, that is Sonny Boy Williamson the 2nd as there was another bluesman, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson who was the first to use that name. This Sonny Boy the 2nd is actually Aleck Miller and he started to use that stage name when he played on the famous King Biscuit Time radio show on KFFA of Helena, AK. I guess he was hoping to capitalize on the famous Sonny Boy Williamson who worked in Chicago. Aleck Miller's birth date was unknown and he often said was 1899, probably to make his claim that he was the first to use the name of Sonny Boy more creditable. It's more likely that he was born somewhere in 1912 - what a difference. Nowadays we do everything to look younger.
From Sonny Boy's the Christmas Blues. It was released on the Trumpet label in 1951.
03 - Sonny Boy Williamson - Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues
04 - Smokey Hogg - My Christmas Baby
From the Modern label you heard Smokey Hogg with My Christmas Baby. On with a great Christmas double-sider. Lowell Fulsom needed two sides of a single to sing about his Lonesome Christmas. From 1955 on the Hollywood label.
05 - Lowell Fulsom - Lonesome Christmas
(rocking dutchman jingle)
06 - Little Willie Littlefield - Merry Xmas
07 - Little Esther & The Robins - Have A Merry Christmas
You heard Little Willie Littlefield wishing a Merry Cristmas first, and after that the great Little Esther fronting the Robins with Have a merry Christmas - a production of Johnny Otis.
More vocal group music with Billy Ward and his Dominoes. Here is Christmas in Heaven.
08 - Billy Ward & his Dominoes - Christmas in Heaven
09 - Jimmy Witherspoon - How I Hate to See Christmas Come Around
Well not everyone likes Christmas - that was Jimmy Witherspoon with How I Hate to See Christmas Come Around.
Now I have a confession to make. You know, before I started the idea of making a radio show series on the Rhythm & Blues, I've been guest DJ-ing a few times on WSLR of Sarasota, FL - well actually, I still do that a few times a year, every time I'm in the Sunshine State.
Anyhow the second time I was on radio there, a few days before Christmas, I had a show full of Rhythm & Blues rockers that had nothing to do with the holiday season and so, when I started, I said to the listeners: well forget about the Christmas carols, we are going to rock. And the show host asked me: what's wrong with the Christmas carols? And I said: I don't like 'em. And frankly, I don't like these Christmas songs on any style either. That's what I said.
And it's so that lots of Rhythm & Blues artists did a song for the holiday season and most of them are not R&B but just popular Christmas songs. I don't know how many of them sang White Christmas or Silent Night. So I'd made a vow to myself when I started the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman that I wouldn't, absolutely would not make a Christmas special.
But I knew I'd heard a few really good stomping blues with a Christmas theme and that I had quite a few disregarded tracks on CDs and LP's and so I thought, while thinking of new themes for episodes of this show, well, why don't I just try if I can get an hour full of good enough Christmas Rhythm & Blues stuff. The thing was, I hadn't a notion where to find 'em. So you know how I found them in my collection? By searching the label discography websites for the keywords Christmas and Santa. And so I found out, not only that there was material enough, I also had it all in my collection, forgotten and disregarded. And I hope you are as surprised as I am what a quality Rhythm & Blues there is with a Christmas theme.
10 - Joe Turner - Christmas date boogie
11 - Amos Milburn - Christmas (Comes But Once A Year)
The great Amos Milburn with Christmas (Comes But Once A Year) from 1960 on the King label. It was the flip of that Charles Brown's classic Christmas song that still does well on the playlist of every commercial radio station in the holiday season. And as this is also Rhythm & Blues, actually already with that new feeling that later was to be called soul, here it is, that great classic. Charles Brown with Please Come Home For Christmas.
12 - Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas
13 - Jimmy Liggins - I Want My Baby For Christmas
Jimmy Liggins - the unknown brother who would always remain in the shadows of the great Joe Liggins, with a wonderful Christmas blues song. No turkey for Cristmas, no diamond rings and no Caddilac car. I want my baby for Christmas.
On with Titus Turner and his Christmas morning blues, from 1952 on the OKeh label.
14 - Titus Turner - Christmas Morning Blues
15 - Lowell Fulson - I Want To Spend Christmas With You
And you heard Lowell Fulson with I Want To Spend Christmas With You - great Rhythm & Blues with a Christmas theme. And as you see we're getting the hour full pretty easily, and I hope you agree that I haven't done concessions to the quality of the music played here.
So let's just play the next one. It's from 1954 from the RCA subsidiary Groove. Here is Big John Greer with Wait Till After Christmas.
16 - Big John Greer - Wait Till After Christmas
17 - Larry Darnell - Christmas Blues
18 - Lloyd Glenn - Sleigh Ride
Wow - that was a pretty cracky 45 to end this special Christmas episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman - Lloyd Glenn with the Sleigh Ride and before that you got the Christmas Blues from Larry Darnell. Well you know you get that special vinyl and shellac sound for free here. I hope you liked my little Christmas special and if so, or if you have any comments, suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to contact me at rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. You can also find a lot of things, including today's playlist, on my website, 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 Christmas. No, have a rocking Christmas. See you next time on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!