50 Plus
10 = 1956
Wow—how
did we get here?! Not only another year gone, but … 50 Years Ago this Month!!
Searching
for December 1966 radio and music news and views, turned up a rather placid time
in Rock Radio.
The top
five songs on KFRC/San Francisco’s “Big 30” (12/14/66) for
example, glorified and vilified love—nothing new there.
Hearts
on a string, we were singing along with the top three pop tunes: 1) “I’m a Believer”
(Monkees); 2) “Winchester Cathedral” (New Vaudeville
Band); and 3) “Tell It Like It Is” (Aaron Neville). A-vo-dee-oh-doe!!
But
every December, here at Blast
from Your Past, we choose to celebrate the birthing day of Alan Freed
(December 15, 1921)—the “father of Rock & Roll Radio DJs.”
This
month, we add ten years to our 50
Years Ago this Month writings to venerate Mr. Freed. We owe our fifty
years-plus-ten mantra to the man who first thundered, “Let’s Rock & Roll!!”?
1955’s
Blackboard Jungle film, which featured Bill Haley &
His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock, inspired tons of teens to dance in the
theater aisles.
Hot off
its success, Mr. Freed appeared in
two iconic Rock & Roll films the following year, Rock Around the Clock
(March), and Rock, Rock, Rock (December).
As
it’s said on Wiki, “In the 1956 film Rock, Rock, Rock,
Freed tells the audience that ‘Rock and Roll is a river of music that has
absorbed many streams: rhythm and blues, jazz, rag time, cowboy songs, country
songs, folk songs. All have contributed to the big beat.’"
Featured Radio Survey: The
closest KFRC’s December 1966 chart came to offering a 1956 Rockin’ song
sound-alike was at #5, Mitch Ryder’s “Devil with the Blue Dress On.” The rest of
the chart lineup went like this …
Celebrate DECEMBER 50 Years Ago
… and Rock On!
* Sonny and Cher hit the January 1967
charts with “The Beat Goes On.” See ya 50
Years Ago 2017!
Grab some Old "Time" Rock & Roll for yourself and your Rockin' friends on Santa's list, at Blast from Your Past Gifts! Fun stuff for everyone ... Rock On!
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