Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?

We've talked about Alan Freed and his Camel Rock'n'Roll Dance Party before and have even featured several of those shows here at the World of Wonder. What initially sparked my interest in the R'n'R Dance Party was a record that my father had when I was a kid. (A record that has since disappeared. I have no clue where it went but was glad to find a copy of it in my travels to replace the missing gem!) The record was put out on the Radiola label back in 1978. It was called "Rock and Roll Radio" and featured Freed introducing great hits from the big names of 1956. I had always assumed that these were two complete shows from the CRRDP and never questioned it any further. Upon further inspection and research we find that was not the case. In fact, the origins of these two shows on the record were a topic of discussion amongst fans of the show for many years. The man responsible for the release of this album was J. David Goldin, owner of the Radiola label. Goldin said he had received the recordings of 23 issues of the Camel Rock'n'Roll Dance Party from a friend in Frankfurt who had access to the Armed Forces Radio archives there. However, the recordings already had been edited a lot. Among other things, the AFR had cut out Camel's (the show sponsor) name everywhere, which must have been in every second sentence Freed had said. The Radiola album Rock'n'Roll Radio (Radiola MR-1087) was a collection of the songs Goldin liked best. So, in a nutshell, they are not complete broadcasts but are a compilation of several shows edited together to make it seem like complete shows. Either way, the album is great! The recordings have amazing sound quality for tapes of shows that were, at the time, twenty years old. With such greats as Frankie Lyman, Bill Haley, Clyde McPhatter, Etta James, the Chordettes, Ivory Joe Hutton, Gene Vincent and the great, Chuck Berry. Also, be on the listen for the presentation of an award to Count Basie from Cashbox magazine as "Best Rock 'N' Roll Band in the Country," based on a nationwide poll of jukebox operators. Here is that great Radiola LP. Here is "Rock 'N' Roll Radio". Enjoy!

Rock 'N' Roll Radio

September of Soundtracks: American Hot Wax (Re-Post)

Now that Elvis month is over, here at the World of Wonder we are offering you an entire September of nothing but soundtracks and soundtrack related items! This is due to the response to the poll on the right hand side of the blog asking you what your favorite type of post was. It was a close call between bootlegs and soundtracks, but soundtracks won out. And this month you get what you asked for. (incidentally, keep on the look out for the latest poll). With Elvis month, we had a post for every single day in August. I can't guarantee that the same will hold true for this month but I will certainly give it my best try. For the first "September of Soundtracks" post, I thought that I would make a smooth transition from the world of Elvis to the world of soundtracks with a re-post of the 1978 "American Hot Wax" soundtrack. The film was loosely based on the introduction of Rock And Roll and starred Tim McIntire as the great DJ Alan Freed, as well as Fran Drescher, Melanie Chartoff and Jay Leno in supporting roles, with SNL alum, Laraine Newman in a role based on Carole King. The highlight of the movie was a recreation of a 1959 "Alan Freed Rock N' Roll Show" which featured performances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Ford, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. During a TV interview at the time just after this film was released, Chuck Berry said he handled his own wardrobe, and it was all authentic. He still had an entire closet full of the suits he wore while touring during the time frame portrayed in the film, so what he wears in the film is what he wore on stage during the 1950s. Though it didn't fare too well at the box office, it has become a small cult favorite and has yet to be released for home video in any format. Here is the soundtrack which features not only the original hits from the fifties, but the recreation of the Rock N' Roll show as well! Enjoy!

Part 1
Part 2