Way back when on this blog, I presented Ralph Flanagan's LP
"The Freshman-Sophomore Frolics," noting that the bandleader was a Glenn Miller clone - but a good one!
That opinion has not changed, and I have to admit that I still enjoy his music a great deal - so much so that I have re-ripped "The Freshman-Sophomore Frolics" and have supplemented that with a first-time transfer of its companion LP, "The Junior-Senior Prom".
Flanagan was indeed popular at the time (1954) with the college set, so I imagine he was appearing at many dances. However, these are not live recordings or even a facsimile of what the bandleader might have programmed on such an occasion. They are, instead, miscellaneous recordings made between 1949 and 1952 with a variety of musicians. The records are, nonetheless, quite consistent in their sound.
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I didn't matriculate (you should pardon the expression) until 12 years after these records came out, but I don't recall attending a "Freshman Frolic" - or a "Sophomore Splash," which is the title of one of the spin-off EPs from this set. But perhaps the world had changed in the interim. I do recall that there was a protest at the university I attended because the annual formal was being held at a private, racially segregated club. That was a long time ago.
As noted, this is a new transfer of the freshman-sophomore selections,
and a first-time transfer of the junior-senior disc. The sound is very
good. The downloads include complete scans, including cover scans of two of the spin-off EPs, discographies, etc. There are photos of Flanagan in his oversized suits - the early-50s fashion was apparently to wear your clothes five sizes too large (see below).
17 comments:
Superb, and fabulous work, thank you very much!
Wow, rare stuff. Any chance you have the Boyd Raeburn 1950's dance band albums?
Thank you, Buster for the Ralph Flanagan lp's!
Buster (and the others); Here's a Youtube kinescope of Ralph Flanagan..."Hot Toddy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKpdMALXNuM&feature=youtu.be
Also, I have a recording of him at Cafe Rouge (NY?) from 1950...about a half hour radio show.
Thanks for some more of ol Ralph.
Jack
Buster - I appreciate the furtherance of my musical learning here at Buster U! Thank you.
I'm going to give this one a try, since it is appears to be swing music. I hope there's plenty of uptempo stuff!
Can anyone recommend other of Buster's titles that are good swing, uptempo dance records?
Thanks for the LPs AND that neat Halo Shampoo ad -- that's the first one I've been able to put in my vintage ad collection (Halo ads aren't even in my Taschen reference books). And the "Halo, Everybody, Halo" is the old radio jingle.
BTW, the suits were big to hide the flab, the suit vests held in the pot belly, and the hats hid the bald spots.
Another Glenn Miller clone -- mainly because he was a top arranger used by Glenn Miller, Arte Shaw, and Tex Beneke -- is Jerry Gray, who had a contract with Decca. I know he put out one Decca 10" ("Dance To The Music Of"), but there are probably others.
Just saw that you've got a later one on Liberty.
KL -
Halo, everybody Halo!
Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair.
It sounds like the fashions of the early 50s would have been just the thing to enhance my flab and vanishing hairline.
I do have several Jerry Gray LPs - one has appeared here, in fact!
Excellent stuff, Buster. Thank you!
Os links estão vencidos, poderia reupar por favor?
Abs
Pimenta
Pimenta - The files appear to be there. Rapidshare has a daily file download limitation. I suppose that could have been reached. You might try again after midnight Central Europe time.
Thanks so much for the share.
Thank you Buster - Flanagan output is considerable and I've heard little of it.
Dear Buster!
Can you reupload this ablum?
Thank you for these blogs!
Remastered version (Apple lossless):
http://www.mediafire.com/file/vg5ifaldjjg11rr/Ralph_Flanagan_-_Freshman-Sophomore_Frolics_%26_Junior-Senior_Prom_%28remastered%29.zip
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