Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat

09/02/2025

CHESS RECORDS, PT. 4 – 1953 – "Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the birth of Rock n' Roll. Chess was the musical home of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and countless other giants of 20th Century music. In part 4, Matt The Cat takes a close look at all the significant Chess and Checker releases from 1953. Willie Mabon scored 2 #1 hits for Chess in '53 with "I Don't Know" and "I'm Mad," while Little Walter continued to rack up the hits for the Checker subsidiary with "Blues With A Feeling" and the double-sided hit, "Off The Wall" b/w "Tell Me Mama." Vocal groups begin to make a stronger showing in '53 with The Blue Jays and a charting record from The Coronets that features an interesting songwriting story. Leonard Chess loved recording blues artists that had already made a name for themselves, whether or not he had the right to do so and in '53, he released singles on Elmore James and the legendary Memphis Minnie. Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf continued to make stellar records for the label as Chess continued to grow in popularity and influence. Grab those nickels as the "Juke In The Back" presents part 4 of Chess Records. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/561331

"Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the....

02/02/2025

CHESS RECORDS, Pt. 3 – 1952 - "Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the birth of Rock n' Roll. Chess was the musical home of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and countless other giants of 20th Century music. In part 3, Matt The Cat focuses on the important Chess releases from 1952. The year was front-heavy with releases that Leonard Chess bought off of Sam Phillips in Memphis. Phillips was getting close to starting his own label, Sun Records, but at this time, Chess was his best customer for recordings from his roster of talent in Memphis. It began with Phillips' early Ike Turner (Jackie Brenston), Howlin' Wolf and Roscoe Gordon recordings, but soon blossomed into stellar offerings from Harmonica Frank, Rufus Thomas and Doctor Ross. In April of '52, Chess launched its first subsidiary by introducing the Checker label. By the end of the year, Checker had its own star, Little Walter. Muddy's old blues harp player was now sitting on top of the R&B charts with "Juke," soon following up with "Sad Hours" b/w "Mean Old World." Chess Records was really rollin' in '52 and on part 3 of our series, the "Juke" brings it all to you! You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/560430

"Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the....

26/01/2025

CHESS RECORDS, Pt. 2 – 1950-51 - "Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the birth of Rock n' Roll. Chess was the musical home of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and countless other giants of 20th Century music. In part 2, Matt The Cat focuses on the important Chess releases from 1950 and '51. With Phil and Leonard together running the company, they would change Aristocrat Records to Chess in June, 1950. The brothers were short of cash to fund their fledgling label, but thanks to strong sellers from Gene Ammons, Al Hibbler and Jimmy Rogers, the label stayed afloat and scored its first R&B #1 with "Rocket 88." This Ike Turner session that the brothers issued as by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats was recorded by Sam Phillips down at the Memphis Recording Service and purchased by Chess. Chess had a nice deal going with Phillips before he started his own label, Sun Records, in early '52. They would also buy some demos and a contract with Howlin' Wolf, which would pay dividends over the next 15 years. We'll also hear the important releases from Muddy Waters during this time as we feature the 2nd part in our series on Chess Records on this week's "Juke In The Back." You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/559568

"Juke In The Back" continues a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the....

19/01/2025

CHESS RECORDS, PT. 1 – ARISTOCRAT RECORDS - "Juke In The Back" begins a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the birth of Rock n' Roll. Chess was the musical home of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and countless other giants of 20th Century music. In part 1, Matt The Cat introduces Leonard and Phil and their foray into the entertainment business, beginning with liquor clubs, nightclubs and eventually a record company. Leonard got a deep education of African-American culture while growing up, living and working on Chicago South Side. The jukebox in his liquor joint was jammed with the down-home Delta Blues that newly-arrived transplants from the South were craving. This set the stage for Leonard's involvement with the fledgling Aristocrat Record Label. He originally bought into the label to help with distribution and promotion, but as the Blues became more popular, his involvement with the label grew. During the Aristocrat days, local talent from The 5 Blazes, Tom Archia and Andrew Tibbs was beginning to sell outside of Chicago. Tibbs' song "Bilbo Is Dead" became a minor hit and was banned in parts of the South for its sarcastic tone towards recently deceased segregationist Senator Bilbo. Muddy Waters had only recently begun recording for the label, but in late 1948, he scored a national hit with "Feel Like Going Home" b/w "I Can't Be Satisfied." By the end of '49, Leonard had bought out the other partners and brought in his brother Phil to help. Soon, Aristocrat would get a name-change to Chess and the brothers would be off and running. This week in part 1, we'll look at where it all began on the Aristocrat of Records. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/558735

"Juke In The Back" begins a behemoth, multi-part series on Chess Records. The Chicago record label, founded by 2 Polish immigrant brothers, Leonard and Phil Chess, proved to be one of the most influential and important labels in not only Blues, but also Rhythm & Blues and its contribution to the bir...

12/01/2025

JIMMY REED: 1953-59 - Jimmy Reed was a hit-making blues machine back in the 1950s, yet he isn't as well remembered today as some of his contemporaries. This week, Matt The Cat and the "Juke In The Back" dedicate the entire program to this highly influential bluesman. Reed's mid-tempo shuffle was unique when first introduced in 1953 and has since become a part of Blues and Rock n' Roll DNA. Reed, along with The Spaniels, were the first two acts signed to Vivian Carter and James Bracken's new label, Vee-Jay, out of Gary, Indiana. His first 2 releases didn't go anywhere, but it was his third, "You Don't Have To Go," that put Reed into the R&B top 5. He'd score 19 charting singles over the next 13 years. Some of them, like "Can't Stand To See You Go," "Little Rain," "Honest I Do," "Take Out Some Insurance," "Baby What You Want Me To Do," "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City" have become blues standards. Almost anyone could sing and play a Jimmy Reed tune, but only one man sounded like Jimmy Reed. This week, Matt The Cat loads up the "Juke In The Back" with Reed's finest sides from 1953-59. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/557818

Jimmy Reed was a hit-making blues machine back in the 1950s, yet he isn't as well remembered today as some of his contemporaries. Almost anyone could sing and play a Jimmy Reed tune, but only one man sounded like Jimmy Reed. This week, Matt The Cat loads up the "Juke In The Back" with Reed's finest....

05/01/2025

1955: JUKEBOX RHYTHM REVIEW, Pt. 2 - Let’s journey back 70 years and put the ol' Rockola Jukebox back in the spotlight as we present part 2 of a 2 part feature on the biggest R&B jukebox records of 1955. It was a year of many firsts. 1955 was the first full year of Rhythm & Blues records consistently crossing over into the Pop Chart. Matt The Cat will point out just how popular some of these records were in the Pop Market. 1955 was also the debut year for Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Etta James. Fats Domino had 6 charting singles this year, 3 of which topped the R&B chart. 1955 was the year of "Blackboard Jungle"'s tremendous success in helping to deliver Rock n' Roll music to the mainstream through the popularity of its theme song, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock." In Part 2, we'll spin the last R&B chart-topper to NOT cross over into the Pop Chart as well as a healthy dose of vocal group records gaining jukebox spins. Smiley Lews, The Clovers and The Drifters, with a new lead singer, continued to score hits and make 1955 a year to remember. Part 2 covers the jukebox hits from July through December. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/556972

The ol' Rockola Jukebox is back in the spotlight as we present part 2 of a 2 part feature on the biggest R&B jukebox records of 1955. It was a year of many firsts. 1955 was the first full year of Rhythm & Blues records consistently crossing over into the Pop Chart. Matt The Cat will point out just h...

29/12/2024

1955: JUKEBOX RHYTHM REVIEW, Pt. 1 - Let’s journey back 70 years and put the ol' Rockola Jukebox back in the spotlight as we present part 1 of a 2 part feature on the biggest R&B jukebox records of 1955. It was a year of many firsts. 1955 was the first full year of Rhythm & Blues records consistently crossing over into the Pop Chart. Matt The Cat will point out just how popular some of these records were in the Pop Market. 1955 was also the debut year for Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Etta James. It was the last year for Johnny Ace, who scored the biggest hit of his career, posthumously. 1955 was the year of "Blackboard Jungle"'s tremendous success in helping to deliver Rock n' Roll music to the mainstream through the popularity of its theme song, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock." In Part 1, we'll look at just how big a record "Unchained Melody" was, with 2 versions topping the R&B Chart and crossing over to the Pop Top 10. Little Walter, Ray Charles and Ruth Brown continued to score hits and make 1955 a year to remember. Part 1 covers the jukebox hits from January to June and Part 2 will focus on July through December. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/556105

The ol' Rockola Jukebox is back in the spotlight as we present part 1 of a 2 part feature on the biggest R&B jukebox records of 1955. It was a year of many firsts. 1955 was the first full year of Rhythm & Blues records consistently crossing over into the Pop Chart. Matt The Cat will point out just h...

22/12/2024

1945: JUKEBOX RHYTHM REVIEW: This week, the "Juke In The Back" brings the jukebox into the spotlight as we journey back 80 years and dig on the top requested jukebox records from the entire year of 1945. This was a pivotal year for Rhythm and Blues Music as 1945 marked the beginning of a new sound in Black Music. As the war raged on, many of the African-American big bands found it hard to afford such large ensembles, so they slimmed down to rhythm combos. Around the same time, blues singers were expanding their sound to go beyond just a guitar or piano accompaniment. They began adding rhythm sections and thus, Rhythm and Blues was born. 1945 marked the first year that this new style of music dominated the Black Community and the juke joints they patronized. 1945 was a strong year for jump blues cats like Louis Jordan, Joe Turner and Lionel Hampton. The blues cats faired well this year as Pvt. Cecil Gant had one of the year's biggest hits with his self-penned, "I Wonder," which was also successfully covered by Roosevelt Sykes and Louis Armstrong. Joe Liggins burst on the scene with "The Honeydripper," the biggest selling record of the year and quite possibly the entire decade! Matt The Cat's got a pocket full of nickels and he's ready to warm up the "Juke In The Back," so we can all dig that big beat jive of 1945! You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/555414

This week, the "Juke In The Back" brings the jukebox into the spotlight as we journey back 80 years and dig on the top requested jukebox records from the entire year of 1945.

15/12/2024

JUKE CHRISTMAS PARTY! - Christmas, like you've never heard it before. This year, the "Juke In The Back" cordially invites you to join us at Rosie's Juke Joint for an intimate Christmas Celebration. Miss Rosie, Bobby The Bobcat and of course, Matt The Cat will be there to make your yuletide bright and present an hour of Christmas tunes that have never been spun before on a "Juke In The Back" holiday program. B.B. King, Gatemouth Brown and Jimmy McCracklin will make sure you have plenty of Christmas Blues, while The Larks, The Soul Stirrers and Pilgrim Travelers provide glorious vocal group harmonies on some obscure Christmas tunes. Jesse Belvin sings about Christmas love while Johnny Moore stops by WITHOUT Charles Brown for a change. Now that's something you don't hear every Christmas. So freshen up your ears with a solid batch of hep, cool and groovy holiday records as you join Rosie's Juke Joint for a jumpin' Christmas Party! You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/554517

Christmas, like you've never heard it before. This year, the "Juke In The Back" cordially invites you to join us at Rosie's Juke Joint for an intimate Christmas Celebration. Miss Rosie, Bobby The Bobcat and of course, Matt The Cat will be there to make your yuletide bright and present an hour of Chr...

12/12/2024

What if Santa were to bring you a new Juke In The Back Christmas special with Christmas songs that have NEVER appeared in any other Juke Christmas show before?

08/12/2024

JOE LIGGINS - There were so many important figures in post WWII Rhythm & Blues that helped build what would become Rock n' Roll. Today's popular culture has left so many musical pioneers behind and this week the "Juke In The Back" features Joe Liggins, one such pioneer who's been largely forgotten. Liggins scored one of the biggest hits of all-time when his "The Honeydripper" hit #1 on the R&B Chart for 18 staggering weeks in 1945. Singer/songwriter and music historian, Billy Vera drops by the "Juke" to tell us how "The Honeydripper" became such an enormous hit. Liggins scored 10 solid hits for Leon Rene's Exclusive Records before moving to Art Rupe's Specialty Records in 1950. At Specialty, Liggins had the biggest R&B hit of 1950 when "Pink Champagne went to #1 for 13 weeks and ended up selling more copies than "The Honeydripper." It looked like Joe Liggins' career couldn't be stopped, but soon Rock n' Roll, the music he helped create, pushed him and his contemporaries aside to make way for the youth movement. Last week, we spotlighted Joe’s younger brother Jimmy and this week, "Juke In The Back" is proud to honor one of the great musical pioneers of the last century as Matt The Cat plays every chart hit from the fantastic Joe Liggins. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/553762

Today's popular culture has left so many musical pioneers behind and this week the "Juke In The Back" features Joe Liggins, one such pioneer who's been largely forgotten. Liggins scored one of the biggest hits of all-time when his "The Honeydripper" hit #1 on the R&B Chart for 18 staggering weeks in...

01/12/2024

JIMMY LIGGINS - Jimmy Liggins didn't have the chart success or popularity of his older brother Joe Liggins, but he did have a killer band, a raw sound and quite possibly the "first rock n' roll record." Both brothers traveled to California from their native Oklahoma in order to make it in the music business. Jimmy started out as a professional boxer before hanging up the gloves in order to drive his older brother around after the success of Joe's "The Honeydripper" in 1945. By the end of '46, Jimmy told Joe that he was cuttin' out on his own to form his own band and make his own records. He hit the charts with his 2nd single "Teardrop Blues" in 1948. Its flipside was "Cadillac Boogie," which was Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston's inspiration for "Rocket 88." Jimmy Liggins only scored four R&B chart hits during his career, but he cut a trove of groovy plattahs worth hearing. He is definitely one of R&B's unsung heroes. Get Jimmy Liggins' story and all the great music that comes with it on this week's "Juke In The Back" with Matt The Cat. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/552919

Jimmy Liggins may not have been as successful as his older brother Joe, but Jimmy's 1948 recording of "Cadillac Boogie" just might be the first rock n' roll record. Dig on the story and music of Jimmy Liggins, an unsung R&B hero on this week's "Juke In The Back" with Matt The Cat.

24/11/2024

BUDDY & ELLA JOHNSON - Bandleader, pianist, composer and sometimes vocalist Buddy Johnson and his chanteuse sister Ella are in the spotlight on this week's "Juke In The Back." Johnson was a superstar and one of the hottest live acts of the 1940s in the Black Community, but he barely made a dent with White audiences, though a few of his records actually did cross over into the Pop Chart. Raised in South Carolina, Buddy moved to New York when he was 23 and began touring the world with the Cotton Club R***e. A professed lover of Classical Music, Buddy found his bread n' butter was playing Big Band Swing and Jump Blues to audiences coast to coast. His touring band was widely popular after WWII, when most large ensembles had paired down to smaller combos. Buddy Johnson always put entertaining the people first and he changed with the times, keeping his style fresh and relevant. He scored numerous R&B hits with "Let's Beat Out Some Love," "When My Man Comes Home," "That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch," "(Gotta Go) Upside Your Head" and many more. His sister Ella Johnson was the featured vocalist on many of Buddy's biggest hits, but he also discovered a young Arthur Prysock, who would go on to greater fame after leaving Johnson. Buddy Johnson wrote some of the era's most endearing tunes, including "Fine Brown Frame," "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball" and "Since I Feel For You," which is now a jazz standard. Matt The Cat loads the ol' Rockola Juke with Buddy Johnson's biggest Decca and Mercury sides, spanning 18 years on this week's "Juke In The Back." You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/552170

Bandleader, pianist, composer and sometimes vocalist Buddy Johnson and his chanteuse sister Ella are in the spotlight on this week's "Juke In The Back." Johnson was a superstar and one of the hottest live acts of the 1940s in the Black Community, but he barely made a dent with White audiences, thoug...

17/11/2024

BO DIDDLEY, Pt. 2 – 1956-59 - Last week, the "Juke In The Back" featured every recording made by the innovative BO DIDDLEY during the year 1955. This week, the Juke picks it up in early 1956 and showcases BO DIDDLEY's influential and diverse releases through 1959. He remained mostly off the R&B Charts during this period. That's inexplicable, since many of the singles issued by Checker Records became R&B, Rock n' Roll and Blues standards. Many Blues greats have recorded and interpreted Bo's "Before You Accuse Me (Take A Look At Yourself)" and countless garage bands have taken a crack at "Who Do You Love." Matt The Cat also highlights the previously unreleased original recording of "Love Is Strange," recorded almost a whole year before Mickey & Silvia made it a #1 R&B smash. Why didn't Checker ever issue Bo's original? We close the program with Bo Diddley returning to the R&B and Pop Charts in 1959 with the doo w*p ballad, "I'm Sorry," the Latin-tinged "I'm Crackin' Up" and the signifying "Say Man," which would become BO DIDDLEY's biggest selling record. Don't miss BO DIDDLEY: 1956-59 on this week's "Juke In The Back." You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/551313

Last week, the "Juke In The Back" featured every recording made by the innovative BO DIDDLEY during the year 1955. This week, the Juke picks it up in early 1956 and showcases BO DIDDLEY's influential and diverse releases through 1959.

10/11/2024

BO DIDDLEY, Pt. 1 – 1955 - This week's "Juke In The Back" takes a look at the breakthrough year of one of rock n' roll's true architects and innovators, Bo Diddley. His first recording session was held at Chess Records in Chicago on March 2nd and 3rd, 1955, where he laid down 4 original tunes. One of those songs, "I'm A Man," would inspire blues great Muddy Waters' "Manish Boy," while the other, "Bo Diddley," would be the igniting spark for rock n' roll. Diddley was a complicated and compelling artist, who's talents go way beyond his signature "hambone" rhythm, his vibrato guitar and his crazy lyrics. Bo's spirit is the spirit of rebellion, the true ingredient for rock music. It all began in 1955 and this week's "Juke In The Back" will explore those roots. This is part 1 of a 2 part special on the great Bo Diddley. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/550433

This week's "Juke In The Back" features every record Bo Diddley recorded during his debut year of 1955. You'll hear where it all began with one of rock n' roll's most unique and dynamic personalities as Matt The Cat presents part 1 of a 2 part series on Bo Diddley.

03/11/2024

The CHECKERS - The "Juke In The Back" features another highly underrated R&B vocal group from the 1950s: The Checkers. They never scored a national hit, but they're one of the finest examples of polished 1950s R&B and their story deserves to be shared. The Checkers were formed after tenor Charlie White and bass Bill Brown split from Bill Ward & His Dominoes. They had some regional success with "House With No Windows," an uptempo version of "White Cliffs Of Dover" and "Don't Stop Dan," the sequel to "Sixty Minute Man." Matt The Cat digs through a mess of King Records 78s to bring you the best and most influential sides that this great R&B vocal group has to offer on this week's "Juke In The Back." You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/549665

The "Juke In The Back" features another highly underrated R&B vocal group from the 1950s: The Checkers. They never scored a national hit, but they're one of the finnest examples of polished 1950s R&B and their story deserves to be shared.

27/10/2024

HALLOWEEN RHYTHM & BLUES - This week, the ol' Rockola Jukebox is haunted by a strange spirit of rhythm & ghouls. Where is Matt The Cat? We don't know, but the spirit tells us he will return next week. In his absence, the "Juke In The Back" still fulfills the weekly promise of delivering a solid hour of 1940s and '50s Rhythm & Blues, but with a Halloween theme this week. Dig on some of your old favorites by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, LaVern Baker and The Hollywood Flames, while also getting a good fright off of seldom heard records by Mad Man Jones, The Sly Fox and Chuck Berry. Plus, a rare 1937 test pressing from Victoria Spivey makes its "Juke" debut with "Witchcraft Blues." Also, Bobby The Bobcat returns with another spooky Halloween tale from his incredible imagination. So hang on to your souls as the haunted jukebox presents Spooky Halloween Rhythm & Blues. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/548726

This week, the ol' Rockola Jukebox is haunted by a strange spirit of rhythm & ghouls. Dig on some of your old favorites by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, LaVern Baker and The Hollywood Flames, while also getting a good fright off of seldom heard records by Mad Man Jones, The Sly Fox and Chuck Berry. Plus, a...

20/10/2024

KING RECORDS, PT. 10 – FEDERAL RECORDS, PT. 2 - This week, it's part 10 of a 10 part series on the great King Record Label, out of Cincinnati. Syd Nathan, who began putting out records under the King logo in 1943, developed King as a hillbilly music label. After seeing the sales potential in the Rhythm & Blues market, Nathan launched the Queen Records subsidiary in 1945, but folded it into King in 1947 and transferred his R&B acts over. At the end of 1950, King launched a new R&B subsidiary called Federal Records. Nathan chose Ralph Bass to head up this new venture. Bass had already proven himself a great talent scout, first with Black & White Records in the mid-'40s and then with Savoy Records. Bass kicked off 1954 with a smash, "WorK With Me Annie" by The Midnighters, who were formally known as the Royals. "Annie" spent 7 weeks at #1 and sparked a myriad of sequels and answer records. One of those sequels, "Annie Had A Baby," also by The Midnighters spent 2 weeks at #1, later in the year. This week, in part 10 of our behemoth series on King Records, we'll feature the biggest and best releases from King's subsidiary label from 1954-56. The Federal catalog is plentiful with vocal group releases during this time and we'll hear some of the finest and rarest from The Platters, The Lamplighters, The Tune Blenders, The Californians and The Sheiks. Plus, James Brown and the Famous Flames get their start at the beginning of 1956 AND we'll hear early R&B records from a future comedian and a future Broadway performer. Matt The Cat is full of surprises and the "Juke In The Back" is loaded with Federal 78s as we present the final part of our 10 part series on King Records. You can stream "Juke In The Back" below OR on Spotify, TuneIn and iTunes. More info and a list of radio stations airing the program at jukeintheback.org.
https://exchange.prx.org/p/547815

This week, it's part 10 of a 10 part series on the great King Record Label, out of Cincinnati. At the end of 1950, King launched a new R&B subsidiary called Federal Records. Nathan chose Ralph Bass to head up this new venture. Bass kicked off 1954 with a smash, "WorK With Me Annie" by The Midnighter...