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D I S C O G R A P H Y
(you may also hear audio clips)
45 RPM:
Coral 9-61363: "I Wanna Hug You, Kiss You, Squeeze You" and "Smoke from Your Cigarette," by the Billy Williams Quartet. Freed can be heard introducing the record. 1955
Coral 9-61626: "Right Now, Right Now" and "Tina's Canteen," by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band with Alan Freed's Rock and Rollers. 1956
Coral 9-61660: "I Don't Need Lotsa Money" and "The Camel Rock," by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band with Alan Freed's Rock and Rollers. 1956
Coral 9-61693: "The Space Man" and "Jazzbo's Theory," A-side by Alan Freed, Steve Allen, Al "Jazzbo" Collins, and the Modernaires with George Cates and the Out of Spacers. 1956.
Coral 9-61749: "Rock & Roll Boogie" and "The Grey Bear," by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band. 1956
Coral 9-61818: "Stop, Look and Run" and Sentimental Journey," by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band with Alan Freed's Rock and Rollers. 1957
33.3 RPM
Coral 57063: Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party—Vol. 1 by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band featuring the Modernaires. 1956
Coral 57115: Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party—Vol. 2 by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band featuring the Modernaires. 1957
Coral 57177: Go Go Go—Alan Freed's T.V. Record Hop. 1957
Coral 57213: Rock Around the Block by Alan Freed and his Rock & Roll Band featuring Buddy Holly, Billy Williams and the Modernaires. 1957
Brunswick 54043: Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Show featuring Jackie Wilson, Buddy Holly and The Crickets and Terry Noland. 1958
Coral 57216: Alan Freed Presents the King's Henchmen featuring King Curtis, Sam ("The Man") Taylor, Count Hastings, Kenny Burrell, Everett Barksdale and Ernie Hayes. 1958
Rodiola LP 1087: Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Released 1978, from Freed's 1956 CBS radio broadcasts.
WINS LPs 1010-1014: Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party Recorded Live On Stage, Vols. 1-5 Released 1978, from Freed's 1956 CBS radio broadcasts.
Silhouette Music 10006-10008: Dedication, Vols. 1-3. Released 1982, compilations from Freed's 1956 CBS radio show and "Moondog House" on WJW.
Silhouette Music 10006-10008: Alan Freed... and This is Rock 'n' Roll Released 1985, compilations from Freed's "Moondog House" show, "Spaceman," segments from WINS and WNEW-TV, including farewell to his fans in 1959.
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ALAN FREED,
the disc jockey credited with
naming rock & roll, was born Albert James Freed on December 15, 1921, near
Johnstown, PA. In 1933 the Freed family moved to Salem, Ohio.
In high school Freed formed a band
known as the Sultans of Swing, in
which he played trombone.
In 1942 Freed landed his first
broadcasting job, at WKST (New Castle, PA).
He took a sportscasting position at WKBN
(Youngstown, OH) the following year.
In 1945 he moved to WAKR (Akron, OH)
and became a local favorite, playing
hot jazz and pop recordings.
In 1949 Freed moved to WXEL-TV in
Cleveland. Record store owner Leo Mintz
convinced him to emcee a program of
rhythm & blues records over WJW radio,
and on July 11, 1951, calling himself
"Moondog," Freed went on the air. At
his "Moondog Coronation Ball" at the
10,000-capacity Cleveland Arena in
March 1952, upwards of 20,000 fans
(almost all black) crashed the gates,
causing the dance to be cancelled. This
is considered to be the first "rock" concert.
It also marked the point at which Freed's audience
began to include an increasing number of whites —
who subsequently heard Freed refer to rhythm & blues
as "rock & roll."
In September 1954 Freed was hired by WINS radio
in New York. The following January he held a
landmark dance there, promoting black performers
as rock & roll artists. Within a month, the music
industry was advertising "rock & roll" records in
the trade papers.
Freed also emceed a string of legendary stage shows
at the Brooklyn and New York Paramount Theatres;
was heard nationally via CBS radio; and starred in
several rock & roll movies.
In 1957 ABC-TV gave Freed his own nationally-televised
rock & roll show, but an episode on which Frankie
Lymon danced with a white girl enraged ABC's
Southern affiliates and the show was cancelled.
continued...
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