Legendary soul-singer Jerry Butler hosts Let The Good Times Roll, a fabulous 13-part series that chronicles Rhythm&Blues, from its roots in 1940s to the politically charged Soul Era of the 1960s.
Their fascinating stories and memorable songs are among many that the series illuminates, drawing from archival sound and over 300 interviews with industry execs, music promoters, disc jockeys, songwriters, fans, political leaders, historians, and the artists themselves.
Along with the extensive info/listing of each show, think fair to say that if haven't been there yet it has to be a worthwhile trip
Originally distributed through satellite by PRi on Tuesdays, December 30, 2003 - June 22, 2004.
Full 26 shows avail to listen on line
The producers a/q session tells you more on what they are about
Q: There have been many music documentaries on radio and TV in recent years. What did you want to do differently with "Let The Good Times Roll?"
A: Well, most importantly, "Let the Good Times Roll" is the first major, multi-part documentary series devoted to rhythm and blues. One of its goals is to tell the often forgotten or overlooked stories of the pioneers of the music that became rock and roll. The story of a New York arranger, producer and songwriter named Jesse Stone pretty much reflects the spirit of the series. His story is told in program three, about Atlantic Records. Stone is an unsung hero who introduced the thumping electric bass beat into R&B - it's the same beat heard in rock and roll. Yet Stone's story remains mostly overlooked. So telling about him and many others like him makes this series distinct because it profiles people and explores a topic that hadn't been fully explored before. It also tells a history from a first-person perspective.
Full notes and more info can be found at the website, along with all the 20 plus shows in full
here's the listing
Click on the link to see the page and listen to the show.
"Jumping the Blues" - A visit to an early hot spot of rhythm and blues, Los Angeles of the 1940s, and a profile of Louis Jordan, "The Father of R&B."
"Singing on the Corner" - Profiles the best-loved doo wop groups of the 1950s, including The Orioles, The Flamingos, and The Cadillacs.
"The Atlantic Sound" - A mad scheme to launch a record company in a tiny New York hotel suite grows into one of R&B's most influential labels.
"Walkin' to New Orleans" - From Fats Domino to Little Richard, the sound of New Orleans sweeps the nation.
"Honkers, Bar Walkers and Screamers" - Wild saxophonists and their outrageous shows stirred up crowds coast-to-coast.
"Bold, Bawdy, and Banned" - Salacious song lyrics get the music banned on jukeboxes and the airwaves.
"The Jet Pilots of Jive" - Jive-talking disc jockeys play songs for a price - until they get caught.
"Roadhouse Blues" - On the road with rhythm and blues artists during the segregationist days of Jim Crow.
"Going to Chicago" - A stop in the Windy City, which produced stars of blues and soul from Muddy Waters to Curtis Mayfield.
"Sweet Soul Music" - Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin drew upon their Gospel roots to build the foundation for 1960s soul music.
"Dancing in the Street" - A look behind-the-scenes at Detroit's legendary record label.
"Soul Sisters" - Rhythm and blues from a female perspective, from blues shouter Big Mama Thornton to the Girl Groups of the 1960s.
"Our Day Will Come" - Music in the Civil Rights movement.
"Kings of the Strings" - The guitar in rhythm and blues from T-Bone Walker to the King of the Blues, B.B. King.
"Beale Street Blues" - Memphis produced the first stars of rhythm and blues, including Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas and Howlin' Wolf.
"R&B in Black and White" - Rhythm and blues artists cross the color line of the segregated television airwaves of the 1950s and early '60s.
"The Magic of Muscle Shoals" - A small cotton-farming town in Alabama produces some of the most soulful records of the 1960s and Seventies.
"Profits and Pride" - The story of pioneering African-American record company owners before Motown.
"R&B Goes Country" - The roots of country music are both white and black, and artists from Ray Charles to Aaron Neville incorporate its sounds into their music.
"The Pillars of Soul" - Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Faye Adams were some of the first stars who left their mark on soul music.
"Boogie Woogie Blues" - Boogie woogie pianists laid down the rhythmic foundation for rhythm and blues, including Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson.
"Southern Fried Soul" - Many of the best soul singers hail from south of the Mason-Dixon line, from Irma Thomas to Al Green.
"The Poets of the Blues" - We'll tell the stories behind some of the best-loved songs of rhythm and blues, and the songwriters who composed them.
"The Stax Story" - With a studio set in an abandoned movie house, this Memphis record company rivaled Motown and produced a distinctive brand of gritty soul.
"Soul Serenaders" - Soul groups of the 1970s created some of the era's most memorable sounds, from Gladys Knight&The Pips to The Dells.
"Philly Soul" - The City of Brotherly Love fashioned a lush soulful sound whose artists include The O'Jays and The Delfonics.
legendary soul-singer Jerry Butler hosts Let The Good Times Roll, a fabulous 13-part series that chronicles Rhythm&Blues, from its roots in 1940s to the politically charged Soul Era of the 1960s.
Nat Cole, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles, Smokey Robinson. Their fascinating stories and memorable songs are among many that the series illuminates, drawing from archival sound and over 300 interviews with industry execs, music promoters, disc jockeys, songwriters, fans, political leaders, historians, and the artists themselves.
Let The Good Times Roll revisits some of black America's most influential artists as it heralds music that has inspired millions.
Producer(s)
Produced by Lex Gillespie for The Rhythm&Blues Foundation
Executive Producer, Suzan Jenkins
National Funders
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Rhythm&Blues Foundation
listen to all shows at the
"Let the Good Times Roll" website
http://www.goodtimesroll.org/index.html
Official Website
www.rhythm-n-blues.org
