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He creates this whole persona.
2
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He's like, hey, how y'all doing today?
3
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It's Alan Freed, King of the Moondoggers!
4
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- Oh, yeah.
- Yeah.
5
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Oh, my God.
6
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And Kristofferson said,
how can I get my song
7
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to Johnny Cash and make an impact?
8
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Johnny said, some fool's landing
in our yard with a helicopter.
9
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If there's any doubt, Derek Waters
10
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is really drinking with me.
11
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Sylvia Robinson wanted to name the band
12
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the Sugarhill Gang
13
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after this artistic community in Harlem.
14
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I'm really drunk now.
15
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Too drunk.
16
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? ?
17
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Music's the soundtrack of life.
18
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You put on a little
Metallica to get pumped.
19
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You put on whatever.
20
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Rock and roll, country, and rap.
21
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Music does a lot of things.
22
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Sometimes music makes me split my pants,
23
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because I'm, like,
24
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dropping it so hard on the floor.
25
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I like music.
26
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American... the American
stuff is pretty good.
27
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What is American music to you?
28
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Like jazz or blues and, uh...
29
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I know that something's about...
30
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you know what I'm saying?
31
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- Whoa!
- Thank you.
32
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All right, and my hands are clean.
33
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Oh, I trust you.
34
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'Cause I took a shower a few hours ago.
35
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[Both chuckle]
36
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Now, why do you use that for yours?
37
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You don't trust your own fingers.
38
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'Cause I want these to be clean.
39
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[Laughs]
40
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Hello, my name is David Wain.
41
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I have a dirty martini,
42
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and today we're gonna talk about Alan Freed
43
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and the birth of rock and roll,
44
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which is a great story
45
00:02:02,249 --> 00:02:04,633
about fun, race, and music.
46
00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:11,070
Alan Freed was a DJ on
W.A.K.R. in Akron, Ohio,
47
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and he's like, you know,
48
00:02:12,589 --> 00:02:15,507
hey, I'm playing regular music.
49
00:02:15,517 --> 00:02:20,136
He was playing jazz and pop
and pre-rock and roll music.
50
00:02:20,151 --> 00:02:22,868
Meanwhile, there was
this guy named Leo Mintz.
51
00:02:22,878 --> 00:02:26,330
Leo Mintz was a record-store
owner in Cleveland, Ohio,
52
00:02:26,342 --> 00:02:28,892
and Leo Mintz was seeing
that these white kids
53
00:02:28,901 --> 00:02:30,735
are having a good time,
and they're dancing.
54
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But at the time, it wasn't accepted
55
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for white people to buy black music,
56
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or what they called race music.
57
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And he became aware of this DJ, Alan Freed,
58
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and he's like, come over to Cleveland,
59
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and you can go on the air on WJW,
60
00:02:47,338 --> 00:02:48,588
which was a big radio station,
61
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was a white radio station,
62
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but I'm going to get you to play
63
00:02:51,989 --> 00:02:55,491
these rhythm-and-blues records
that I'm trying to sell.
64
00:02:55,503 --> 00:02:57,336
And Alan Freed said, thank you.
65
00:02:57,343 --> 00:02:58,792
I'll do it.
66
00:02:58,798 --> 00:03:00,798
It was a time when racial boundaries
67
00:03:00,806 --> 00:03:03,607
were just slowly being bended,
68
00:03:03,617 --> 00:03:05,651
but nobody knew.
69
00:03:05,659 --> 00:03:07,825
[Laughs]
70
00:03:07,833 --> 00:03:09,416
- Nobody knew.
- Nobody knew.
71
00:03:09,422 --> 00:03:12,724
Nobody knew.
72
00:03:12,736 --> 00:03:14,769
Leo Mintz would come
over to the radio station,
73
00:03:14,776 --> 00:03:15,992
and he's like, you know,
74
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what are we gonna call this thing?
75
00:03:17,337 --> 00:03:18,786
'Cause if we call it rhythm and blues,
76
00:03:18,792 --> 00:03:20,542
then the white audience won't accept it,
77
00:03:20,549 --> 00:03:23,383
'cause that's a race-music term.
78
00:03:23,393 --> 00:03:24,776
And they were like, well, you know,
79
00:03:24,782 --> 00:03:26,198
we're rocking and rolling.
80
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It's [Bleep] great.
81
00:03:27,541 --> 00:03:28,824
He was like, that's what it is.
82
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It's rock and roll.
83
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[Burps]
84
00:03:32,092 --> 00:03:34,259
And he creates this whole persona.
85
00:03:34,268 --> 00:03:36,435
He's like, hey, how y'all doing today?
86
00:03:36,443 --> 00:03:38,943
It's Alan Freed, King of the Moondoggers!
87
00:03:38,952 --> 00:03:40,836
The Moondog Show in Northeast Ohio,
88
00:03:40,843 --> 00:03:42,092
Cleveland, Ohio,
89
00:03:42,098 --> 00:03:45,182
home of the Cleveland Browns' Art Modell!
90
00:03:45,192 --> 00:03:47,142
Okay, so, now...
91
00:03:47,150 --> 00:03:48,817
And that's good.
92
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- Cheers.
- Rock and roll.
93
00:03:49,961 --> 00:03:51,327
Once again, and here we are.
94
00:03:51,333 --> 00:03:53,333
- This is number two.
- Number two.
95
00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:55,924
So then he's like, okay, what do we do to,
96
00:03:55,934 --> 00:03:57,650
like, up the ante here?
97
00:03:57,657 --> 00:04:02,827
And so Alan Freed's like,
let's make a big [Bleep] show.
98
00:04:02,843 --> 00:04:04,376
[Coughs]
99
00:04:04,383 --> 00:04:07,468
So then they set up this big
show at the Cleveland Arena,
100
00:04:07,478 --> 00:04:09,694
the Moondog Coronation Ball.
101
00:04:09,703 --> 00:04:12,204
It was, you know, considered
the first rock and roll concert
102
00:04:12,213 --> 00:04:13,245
that there ever was.
103
00:04:13,250 --> 00:04:15,467
So 20,000 people come to it,
104
00:04:15,475 --> 00:04:17,425
a venue that could only fit 10,000.
105
00:04:17,433 --> 00:04:20,851
They're shoving in. It
becomes a [Bleep] fiasco.
106
00:04:20,862 --> 00:04:22,278
There's riots.
107
00:04:22,284 --> 00:04:24,334
The Cleveland Fire Department
shut the whole thing down.
108
00:04:24,342 --> 00:04:25,842
Well, of course, the next day, it's like,
109
00:04:25,848 --> 00:04:29,216
rock and roll music is hurting teenagers,
110
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making them bad, um...
111
00:04:32,540 --> 00:04:33,623
I think when you drink,
112
00:04:33,628 --> 00:04:35,044
you lose a little bit of vocabulary,
113
00:04:35,050 --> 00:04:36,499
but anyway, that's fine.
114
00:04:36,505 --> 00:04:38,005
But he went on the air the next day...
115
00:04:38,012 --> 00:04:41,313
Look, it didn't work
out, but we move forward.
116
00:04:41,324 --> 00:04:42,857
Are you with me? We'll know if...
117
00:04:42,863 --> 00:04:44,863
by your phone calls, your letters.
118
00:04:44,871 --> 00:04:49,957
And the teenagers were into it,
119
00:04:49,973 --> 00:04:53,391
and they just came out in throngs.
120
00:04:53,403 --> 00:04:55,787
He was eventually wooed by the big town,
121
00:04:55,796 --> 00:04:58,497
and I'm talking about Mr. New, Mr. York,
122
00:04:58,507 --> 00:05:00,056
and hello, city.
123
00:05:00,062 --> 00:05:01,762
I'm talking about New York City.
124
00:05:01,769 --> 00:05:03,268
Jesus Christ.
125
00:05:03,274 --> 00:05:04,774
He packs up his [Bleep],
126
00:05:04,780 --> 00:05:06,279
and he goes from Cleveland to New York,
127
00:05:06,286 --> 00:05:08,203
and he's like, let me
tell you about Chuck Berry.
128
00:05:08,210 --> 00:05:09,676
Let me tell you about Little Richard.
129
00:05:09,682 --> 00:05:11,015
Let me tell you about Fats Domino.
130
00:05:11,021 --> 00:05:12,687
And his show is piped to Europe.
131
00:05:12,694 --> 00:05:15,228
It has been said it's the
first time that the Beatles
132
00:05:15,237 --> 00:05:18,155
hear rock and roll, is on
Alan Freed's radio show.
133
00:05:18,165 --> 00:05:19,831
[Bad British accent] Hey, there, Paul.
134
00:05:19,838 --> 00:05:21,304
This is pretty good.
135
00:05:21,310 --> 00:05:23,644
Maybe we should do this.
136
00:05:23,653 --> 00:05:25,186
[Normal voice] Next thing you know,
137
00:05:25,192 --> 00:05:26,691
it's, like, the Beatles.
138
00:05:26,697 --> 00:05:29,081
He put together a show in Boston,
139
00:05:29,090 --> 00:05:31,173
and the kids are getting rowdy,
140
00:05:31,181 --> 00:05:33,381
and the cops in Boston, they're like,
141
00:05:33,389 --> 00:05:34,722
no, this is not okay.
142
00:05:34,728 --> 00:05:36,945
So then Alan Freed gets onstage,
143
00:05:36,953 --> 00:05:38,903
and he's like, kids, it's gonna be fun.
144
00:05:38,911 --> 00:05:40,077
We're gonna have a good time.
145
00:05:40,082 --> 00:05:41,665
We're gonna rock and roll tonight.
146
00:05:41,672 --> 00:05:43,388
Rock and roll, rock
and roll, rock and roll!
147
00:05:43,394 --> 00:05:45,010
And then they're like, everyone,
148
00:05:45,017 --> 00:05:46,233
we're turning the lights on.
149
00:05:46,239 --> 00:05:47,772
Alan Freed makes this offhand remark.
150
00:05:47,778 --> 00:05:50,829
He's like, you know,
I guess the Boston cops
151
00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:52,924
just don't want you guys to have any fun.
152
00:05:52,931 --> 00:05:57,433
It becomes a total
disaster, bad-news thing.
153
00:05:57,448 --> 00:05:59,031
It's, like, almost a riot breaks out,
154
00:05:59,038 --> 00:06:00,654
and then they have to shut the thing down.
155
00:06:00,660 --> 00:06:03,411
Outside the venue that night,
there were some stabbings,
156
00:06:03,421 --> 00:06:06,589
and there was some violent
[Bleep] that went down.
157
00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,851
They accused him of inciting a riot,
158
00:06:09,862 --> 00:06:12,029
and he had to defend himself and say,
159
00:06:12,037 --> 00:06:14,788
you know, I didn't do...
I was just having a concert.
160
00:06:14,798 --> 00:06:18,049
But his job, his bosses at W.I.N.S.,
161
00:06:18,060 --> 00:06:20,310
were like, no, this is too controversial.
162
00:06:20,319 --> 00:06:22,736
You know what? This guy is...
163
00:06:22,745 --> 00:06:26,247
Can't... got to go.
164
00:06:26,259 --> 00:06:27,725
He went on the air, and he was like,
165
00:06:27,731 --> 00:06:29,981
look, I'm sorry. I'm sad.
166
00:06:29,989 --> 00:06:33,941
But I'm going off the air,
so thanks for all these years,
167
00:06:33,954 --> 00:06:37,122
but my era is over.
168
00:06:37,133 --> 00:06:39,633
And then he put on this record,
169
00:06:39,642 --> 00:06:41,609
So Long by Fats Domino.
170
00:06:41,617 --> 00:06:46,320
It was really the end
of his reign as the guy,
171
00:06:46,335 --> 00:06:49,219
and he left the station.
172
00:06:50,769 --> 00:06:52,819
And when he goes down, at
the bottom of the station,
173
00:06:52,827 --> 00:06:54,193
all these fans are down there,
174
00:06:54,199 --> 00:06:56,449
and they're like, oh,
my God, you can't leave!
175
00:06:56,457 --> 00:06:57,456
What are we gonna do?
176
00:06:57,461 --> 00:06:58,761
What are we gonna do without you?
177
00:06:58,767 --> 00:07:00,133
And he was like, you know what?
178
00:07:00,138 --> 00:07:01,854
It's not about me. It's
about rock and roll.
179
00:07:01,861 --> 00:07:04,061
And rock and roll will always be here,
180
00:07:04,070 --> 00:07:05,236
and nothing will stop that.
181
00:07:05,241 --> 00:07:07,625
And so rock and roll will never die,
182
00:07:07,634 --> 00:07:09,467
and rock and roll has gone on.
183
00:07:09,474 --> 00:07:11,841
Rock and roll is basically about, like,
184
00:07:11,850 --> 00:07:13,683
getting up there and
being like, [Bleep] it,
185
00:07:13,690 --> 00:07:14,689
you know what I mean?
186
00:07:14,694 --> 00:07:17,695
Like, it's not enough to say,
187
00:07:17,705 --> 00:07:19,004
I don't give a [Bleep].
188
00:07:19,010 --> 00:07:20,960
You have to [Bleep] show it.
189
00:07:31,005 --> 00:07:32,556
[Screams]
190
00:07:32,562 --> 00:07:34,812
- Rock and roll.
- Rock and roll.
191
00:07:37,457 --> 00:07:40,059
[Bright piano notes playing]
192
00:07:40,068 --> 00:07:42,268
Music breaks through
193
00:07:42,277 --> 00:07:48,047
because of just the incredible
need to communicate something.
194
00:07:48,065 --> 00:07:50,649
Try this. See, it...
195
00:07:50,658 --> 00:07:53,910
[deeper piano notes playing]
196
00:07:53,921 --> 00:07:58,256
Off.
197
00:07:58,271 --> 00:08:01,272
[Harmonizing]
198
00:08:01,282 --> 00:08:09,205
? ?
199
00:08:21,024 --> 00:08:22,024
There you go.
200
00:08:22,029 --> 00:08:23,745
- It's all context.
- Rest.
201
00:08:28,385 --> 00:08:30,019
Oh!
202
00:08:30,025 --> 00:08:31,892
Let's do it.
203
00:08:31,900 --> 00:08:33,399
Hello.
204
00:08:33,405 --> 00:08:36,573
Today we're talking
about Kris Kristofferson.
205
00:08:38,423 --> 00:08:41,392
[Laughing]
206
00:08:44,915 --> 00:08:47,200
Kris Kristofferson got incredible grades,
207
00:08:47,208 --> 00:08:49,792
and he was a Rhodes Scholar,
208
00:08:49,801 --> 00:08:52,018
and then he trained as an Army Ranger
209
00:08:52,027 --> 00:08:53,309
to fly helicopters.
210
00:08:53,314 --> 00:08:56,699
His platoon commander
knew someone in Nashville
211
00:08:56,711 --> 00:08:58,077
that worked for Johnny Cash.
212
00:08:58,083 --> 00:09:00,417
He can get you in for free to
a show at the Grand Ole Opry.
213
00:09:00,425 --> 00:09:02,225
Yeah? I love it.
214
00:09:02,233 --> 00:09:03,515
Let's do it.
215
00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,106
So Kris takes a one-week
leave and watches Johnny Cash.
216
00:09:08,121 --> 00:09:10,171
He felt a power and an energy,
217
00:09:10,179 --> 00:09:12,129
'cause that's what Johnny Cash did.
218
00:09:12,137 --> 00:09:15,972
Kris felt transfixed.
My God, this is my hero.
219
00:09:15,984 --> 00:09:19,486
And Kris said in that moment
that he was thunderstruck.
220
00:09:19,498 --> 00:09:21,131
And then Johnny Cash walked off,
221
00:09:21,138 --> 00:09:23,421
and Johnny Cash walked
over and shook his hand.
222
00:09:23,429 --> 00:09:25,897
Boom. Holy [Bleep]!
223
00:09:25,906 --> 00:09:28,072
This is my hero, and he just came up to me
224
00:09:28,081 --> 00:09:29,698
and connected with me.
225
00:09:29,704 --> 00:09:31,620
So Kris says, you know what?
226
00:09:31,628 --> 00:09:35,096
I'm gonna quit this, and he quits the army.
227
00:09:35,107 --> 00:09:36,724
And he moves to Nashville, Tennessee,
228
00:09:36,731 --> 00:09:40,816
with the idea of becoming
a great singer-songwriter.
229
00:09:40,830 --> 00:09:44,215
Finally, a job opens up of being a janitor
230
00:09:44,226 --> 00:09:45,559
at Columbia Records,
231
00:09:45,565 --> 00:09:48,849
and then his mother writes him a letter...
232
00:09:48,860 --> 00:09:53,780
your hero, Johnny Cash, is a drug addict,
233
00:09:53,796 --> 00:09:55,545
and of course he sings at San Quentin
234
00:09:55,552 --> 00:09:56,718
and Folsom right now,
235
00:09:56,724 --> 00:09:58,891
because a jailbird sings with jailbirds,
236
00:09:58,899 --> 00:10:01,116
so we have now officially disowned you.
237
00:10:01,124 --> 00:10:02,657
I hope somehow you come to your senses,
238
00:10:02,663 --> 00:10:04,129
'cause you're not a songwriter.
239
00:10:04,136 --> 00:10:06,336
Sorry, Kris. You're done.
240
00:10:09,020 --> 00:10:10,603
And he felt like a giant failure.
241
00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:12,527
He's a [Bleep] janitor.
242
00:10:12,534 --> 00:10:15,118
And then one day Johnny Cash comes in.
243
00:10:15,128 --> 00:10:18,296
He's like, who in the
world is in there right now
244
00:10:18,307 --> 00:10:20,474
changing the ashtrays with those brown...
245
00:10:20,482 --> 00:10:23,066
with the incredible blue eyes?
246
00:10:23,075 --> 00:10:25,075
- Well, it's Kris.
- Who is he?
247
00:10:25,083 --> 00:10:29,385
His mom just disowned him
because you're his hero.
248
00:10:29,399 --> 00:10:33,234
And Kris was in there
changing the ashtrays,
249
00:10:33,247 --> 00:10:35,497
and Johnny Cash comes in and says,
250
00:10:35,505 --> 00:10:39,040
well, it's always nice to get
a letter from home, ain't it?
251
00:10:39,052 --> 00:10:40,635
And Kris can't believe it.
252
00:10:40,642 --> 00:10:41,724
He's like, yeah.
253
00:10:41,729 --> 00:10:43,062
But they bonded over it,
254
00:10:43,068 --> 00:10:45,652
because he was passionate
and he had his dream.
255
00:10:45,661 --> 00:10:47,544
I'm gonna quit all this,
256
00:10:47,551 --> 00:10:50,002
and I want to pursue an artist's life.
257
00:10:50,011 --> 00:10:51,894
So he quit.
258
00:10:51,902 --> 00:10:55,437
Kris is starving. He has no money.
259
00:10:55,449 --> 00:10:57,616
He's now writing these songs.
260
00:10:57,624 --> 00:11:01,959
And then Kris, so frustrated,
and he has one song.
261
00:11:01,973 --> 00:11:04,190
It's about that feeling to be on a Sunday
262
00:11:04,198 --> 00:11:06,031
when the bars don't open,
263
00:11:06,038 --> 00:11:08,489
and it's called Sunday Morning Coming Down.
264
00:11:08,498 --> 00:11:09,964
It's a that feeling, loneliness
265
00:11:09,971 --> 00:11:12,755
and nobody believing in you but you
266
00:11:12,764 --> 00:11:16,015
and wishing, lord, that I was stoned,
267
00:11:16,027 --> 00:11:17,860
'cause there ain't nothing in a Sunday
268
00:11:17,867 --> 00:11:19,784
that makes a body feel alone.
269
00:11:19,791 --> 00:11:22,342
Sunday Morning Coming
Down was the song Kris knew
270
00:11:22,352 --> 00:11:24,885
was something special.
271
00:11:24,894 --> 00:11:26,811
How can I get my song to Johnny Cash
272
00:11:26,818 --> 00:11:29,035
and make an impact?
273
00:11:32,472 --> 00:11:34,473
So, for Johnny,
274
00:11:34,481 --> 00:11:39,234
Kris landed a helicopter in his lawn
275
00:11:39,249 --> 00:11:41,949
to give him this song.
276
00:11:41,959 --> 00:11:45,795
Some fool's landing in
our yard with a helicopter
277
00:11:45,808 --> 00:11:49,643
right out of the sky.
278
00:11:49,656 --> 00:11:50,905
He really listened to the song,
279
00:11:50,910 --> 00:11:53,494
and the song went to the
next level for Johnny,
280
00:11:53,504 --> 00:11:54,753
because he understood it.
281
00:11:54,758 --> 00:11:57,559
He understood the
isolation and the loneliness
282
00:11:57,569 --> 00:12:00,653
and wishing, Lord, that he was stoned.
283
00:12:02,872 --> 00:12:05,707
- Excuse me.
- You're fine.
284
00:12:05,717 --> 00:12:08,434
[Burps]
285
00:12:08,444 --> 00:12:10,194
So, at that time, Johnny Cash was recording
286
00:12:10,201 --> 00:12:12,902
his own variety show for ABC.
287
00:12:12,911 --> 00:12:15,328
So Johnny said to Kris,
288
00:12:15,337 --> 00:12:17,637
hey, we're going to do
Sunday Morning Coming Down
289
00:12:17,646 --> 00:12:21,264
right now and then went through
a run-through of the song:
290
00:12:21,276 --> 00:12:23,109
? On a Sunday morning sidewalk ?
291
00:12:23,116 --> 00:12:26,701
? wishing, Lord, that I was stoned ?
292
00:12:26,714 --> 00:12:28,097
Well, he did it one time,
293
00:12:28,102 --> 00:12:29,802
and the ABC censors came up and said,
294
00:12:29,809 --> 00:12:32,810
uh, Johnny, uh... great song,
295
00:12:32,821 --> 00:12:36,539
but we actually can't in
any way put on the lyrics,
296
00:12:36,551 --> 00:12:38,001
"wishing, Lord, that I was stoned,"
297
00:12:38,007 --> 00:12:40,507
'cause it's clearly an
allusion to marijuana.
298
00:12:40,517 --> 00:12:42,350
And it's in the country tradition.
299
00:12:42,357 --> 00:12:43,773
You can do something about alcohol,
300
00:12:43,779 --> 00:12:45,029
but marijuana is a no-go.
301
00:12:45,034 --> 00:12:47,034
You have to change that.
302
00:12:47,042 --> 00:12:49,842
"Wishing, Lord, I was home"?
303
00:12:49,852 --> 00:12:53,137
I wrote it "wishing,
Lord, that I was stoned"
304
00:12:53,148 --> 00:12:55,649
'cause I wished I was stoned.
305
00:12:55,658 --> 00:12:58,742
So, when it comes time to
record the song in that show,
306
00:12:58,753 --> 00:13:00,419
they put Kris way up in the rafters,
307
00:13:00,426 --> 00:13:03,811
'cause he was... he
was on the fringes, man.
308
00:13:03,822 --> 00:13:06,406
So the song starts, and he's like,
309
00:13:06,416 --> 00:13:08,783
"on a Sunday morning sidewalk,"
310
00:13:08,791 --> 00:13:11,425
and then his gaze goes right up to Kris
311
00:13:11,435 --> 00:13:13,301
in the very back row,
312
00:13:13,308 --> 00:13:17,561
and he's like, "wishing,
Lord, that I was stoned,
313
00:13:17,575 --> 00:13:19,825
"'cause there's something in the sidewalk,
314
00:13:19,834 --> 00:13:22,218
makes a body feel alone."
315
00:13:22,226 --> 00:13:24,342
And Kris said he felt his heart warm.
316
00:13:24,350 --> 00:13:26,651
God bless, you know?
317
00:13:26,660 --> 00:13:29,861
My song's on TV, and it
meant the world to Kris,
318
00:13:29,872 --> 00:13:31,755
'cause his hero did right by him.
319
00:13:31,762 --> 00:13:33,962
Once Johnny Cash says it's cool,
320
00:13:33,971 --> 00:13:36,856
well, everyone wants to
record a Kristofferson song...
321
00:13:36,866 --> 00:13:38,732
Waylon Jennings, Joni Mitchell,
322
00:13:38,739 --> 00:13:41,740
James Taylor, Janis Joplin.
323
00:13:41,751 --> 00:13:43,417
Kris Kriskoff...
324
00:13:43,423 --> 00:13:46,808
Kris Kristofferson became the biggest star
325
00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:48,520
in the world, truly.
326
00:13:48,527 --> 00:13:51,444
In 1976, and it's been forgotten,
327
00:13:51,454 --> 00:13:53,955
he was the biggest star
in the world at the time.
328
00:13:53,964 --> 00:13:58,550
Kris was huge.
329
00:13:58,565 --> 00:14:02,984
Both: ? of a sleeping city sidewalk ?
330
00:14:02,999 --> 00:14:08,252
? and Sunday morning coming down ?
331
00:14:08,269 --> 00:14:11,354
[Laughs] And then it's a good taste.
332
00:14:13,289 --> 00:14:14,623
Man, they're a boy band.
333
00:14:14,629 --> 00:14:16,963
The Sugarhill Gang was put
together by a record label
334
00:14:16,971 --> 00:14:19,805
to sell a thing that
was popular at the time.
335
00:14:19,815 --> 00:14:21,781
? Hip, hop, hippy to
the hippity-hip-hip-hop ?
336
00:14:21,789 --> 00:14:24,156
? you don't stop, rockin'
to the bang, bang, boogie ?
337
00:14:24,164 --> 00:14:25,247
? to up jump the boogie ?
338
00:14:25,253 --> 00:14:26,969
? to the rhythm of the boogity beat ?
339
00:14:26,975 --> 00:14:28,508
- How you doing, buddy?
- Hey, brother.
340
00:14:28,515 --> 00:14:30,432
- Good to see you, man.
- Thanks for having me over.
341
00:14:30,439 --> 00:14:32,739
Of course, man. Thanks for coming over.
342
00:14:32,748 --> 00:14:34,281
- I can't wait to learn.
- Come on in.
343
00:14:34,287 --> 00:14:35,620
Yeah, yeah, come on in.
344
00:14:35,626 --> 00:14:36,625
All right, thank you.
345
00:14:36,630 --> 00:14:38,212
[Bleep] gonna get real.
346
00:14:38,218 --> 00:14:39,885
Hello. My name's Colton,
347
00:14:39,892 --> 00:14:42,392
and tonight I'm gonna tell
you about Rapper's Delight.
348
00:14:42,401 --> 00:14:44,068
Drink up.
349
00:14:44,075 --> 00:14:46,625
[Laughs]
350
00:14:46,634 --> 00:14:49,135
All right, so we're
talking about late '70s.
351
00:14:49,144 --> 00:14:51,227
Disco was everywhere.
352
00:14:51,235 --> 00:14:56,071
But Silvia Robinson, who was a R&B...
353
00:14:56,087 --> 00:14:57,453
R&B singer,
354
00:14:57,459 --> 00:15:01,178
she went to a party one night
with her son in New York,
355
00:15:01,190 --> 00:15:03,640
and at the party, a rapper gets up,
356
00:15:03,649 --> 00:15:05,616
and he just starts rhyming over the beat,
357
00:15:05,624 --> 00:15:07,657
just for, like, hours and hours.
358
00:15:07,664 --> 00:15:09,664
And she goes, this [Bleep] great.
359
00:15:09,672 --> 00:15:12,306
I could record it and make it a hit.
360
00:15:12,316 --> 00:15:15,684
So she went up to the MCs at the party.
361
00:15:15,695 --> 00:15:17,695
She went up to Herc, and she goes,
362
00:15:17,703 --> 00:15:19,870
I want to make a rap album.
363
00:15:19,878 --> 00:15:21,344
I think hip-hop could be cool.
364
00:15:21,350 --> 00:15:22,683
You want to do it?
365
00:15:22,689 --> 00:15:27,275
But Herc was like, no.
366
00:15:27,290 --> 00:15:29,406
I don't want to do it.
367
00:15:29,414 --> 00:15:32,966
Hip-hop... you can't put it on an album.
368
00:15:34,851 --> 00:15:37,102
And so she goes to the other rappers.
369
00:15:37,111 --> 00:15:41,113
They all say no to her, but
she's tenacious about it,
370
00:15:41,126 --> 00:15:42,592
and she goes, you know what?
371
00:15:42,598 --> 00:15:44,348
This is going to happen.
372
00:15:44,355 --> 00:15:49,141
I'm gonna make a hip-hop
album no matter what.
373
00:15:49,157 --> 00:15:51,324
Uh, where's my son at?
374
00:15:51,332 --> 00:15:52,497
She gets her son.
375
00:15:52,502 --> 00:15:55,837
She goes, take me to anybody who can rap
376
00:15:55,849 --> 00:15:57,766
and rhyme over music.
377
00:15:57,773 --> 00:15:59,189
Take me to them.
378
00:15:59,195 --> 00:16:02,279
And he's like, uh...
379
00:16:02,290 --> 00:16:05,208
Well, I know a rapping pizza guy.
380
00:16:05,218 --> 00:16:08,603
Her son takes her son takes her
to the Crispy Crust Pizza Shop
381
00:16:08,615 --> 00:16:11,732
where they have the rapping pizza guy.
382
00:16:11,743 --> 00:16:16,413
Hey, this is Big Bank
Hank, the rapping pizza guy.
383
00:16:16,428 --> 00:16:20,096
She goes, hey, I hear you can rap.
384
00:16:20,108 --> 00:16:22,859
Oh, yeah, I can rap. Can you do a beatbox?
385
00:16:22,869 --> 00:16:25,619
[Beatboxing]
386
00:16:25,629 --> 00:16:29,465
No, come on. [Beatboxing]
387
00:16:29,478 --> 00:16:31,478
[Beatboxing]
388
00:16:31,485 --> 00:16:33,284
Like "F." Like the letter "F."
389
00:16:33,291 --> 00:16:34,491
[Beatboxing]
390
00:16:34,497 --> 00:16:35,829
There you go. Now, make it a beat.
391
00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:39,053
[Beatboxing]
392
00:16:39,064 --> 00:16:40,981
? Sometimes I wear a vest ?
393
00:16:40,988 --> 00:16:42,571
? and I'll never stop rhyming ?
394
00:16:42,578 --> 00:16:44,945
? 'cause I'll never stop timing ?
395
00:16:44,953 --> 00:16:45,952
? all day ?
396
00:16:45,957 --> 00:16:47,623
? I keep reminding ?
397
00:16:47,630 --> 00:16:49,513
? all my friends of... ?
398
00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,937
[Laughs]
399
00:16:51,946 --> 00:16:54,897
Look, I'm gonna make a rap album.
400
00:16:54,908 --> 00:16:56,374
You should be on it.
401
00:16:56,380 --> 00:16:58,414
Who else do you want to bring in?
402
00:16:58,422 --> 00:17:00,088
Big Bank Hank is like, uh, I'll try to...
403
00:17:00,094 --> 00:17:01,644
you know, let me think of some guys,
404
00:17:01,651 --> 00:17:03,434
and he thinks of a couple guys
405
00:17:03,441 --> 00:17:05,241
who are, like, in the neighborhood.
406
00:17:05,248 --> 00:17:08,949
He brought in wonder Mike and Master G,
407
00:17:08,961 --> 00:17:12,129
but he himself didn't have any raps,
408
00:17:12,140 --> 00:17:15,024
so he went to a guy named Grandmaster Caz.
409
00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:16,734
And he goes, hey, Grandmaster Caz,
410
00:17:16,741 --> 00:17:19,041
can you hook me up with some rhymes?
411
00:17:19,050 --> 00:17:21,718
'Cause I'm about to do an album.
412
00:17:21,727 --> 00:17:23,093
Hey, of course.
413
00:17:23,099 --> 00:17:25,316
Yeah, you do a rap on an album.
It makes everything great.
414
00:17:25,325 --> 00:17:26,407
Here's some raps.
415
00:17:26,412 --> 00:17:27,861
Here's, like, old [Bleep] that I did.
416
00:17:27,867 --> 00:17:30,001
Big bank Hank is like, oh, these are great.
417
00:17:30,009 --> 00:17:31,709
These are great rhymes.
418
00:17:31,716 --> 00:17:35,968
So Silvia Robinson brings Big Bank Hank,
419
00:17:35,982 --> 00:17:40,034
Master G, and Wonder Mike to her mansion,
420
00:17:40,047 --> 00:17:41,546
but then she gets into it,
421
00:17:41,552 --> 00:17:43,135
you know, like dead poets society,
422
00:17:43,142 --> 00:17:44,642
like, trying to be inspirational.
423
00:17:44,648 --> 00:17:48,933
She was like, okay, do
your rap about the motels?
424
00:17:48,947 --> 00:17:51,948
He's like, motel, hotel... great!
425
00:17:51,959 --> 00:17:55,294
Do your rap about Superman,
like, orchestrating it.
426
00:17:55,305 --> 00:17:56,354
She's like, hold up.
427
00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,394
Let me put it in the order of a song.
428
00:17:59,405 --> 00:18:03,123
You know, verse, bri... chorus,
429
00:18:03,135 --> 00:18:05,335
verse, chorus, bridge,
430
00:18:05,344 --> 00:18:08,312
chorus, verse, chorus,
431
00:18:08,322 --> 00:18:11,273
which hadn't happened in hip-hop.
432
00:18:11,283 --> 00:18:13,616
But I don't know if that
makes any sense, what I said,
433
00:18:13,625 --> 00:18:15,292
'cause I'm drunk, so I don't care.
434
00:18:15,299 --> 00:18:18,433
- But I understand.
- [Laughs]
435
00:18:18,444 --> 00:18:22,563
They wanted to name the
band the Sugarhill Gang
436
00:18:22,576 --> 00:18:26,962
after this artistic community in Harlem.
437
00:18:26,977 --> 00:18:29,260
I'm a [Bleep] genius.
438
00:18:29,268 --> 00:18:33,354
So, when they actually sat
down to record it for the album,
439
00:18:33,368 --> 00:18:37,036
she was like, you have to
get it down in one take.
440
00:18:37,048 --> 00:18:40,383
And so they brought in a
band, and they go, hey, man.
441
00:18:40,395 --> 00:18:42,645
We just want you to play these 16 measures
442
00:18:42,653 --> 00:18:47,155
of the song over and over and over again.
443
00:18:47,170 --> 00:18:50,088
[Humming]
444
00:18:55,251 --> 00:18:58,169
You know, the song, you hear behind them
445
00:18:58,179 --> 00:19:02,048
while they're rapping
is Good Times by Chic.
446
00:19:02,061 --> 00:19:05,896
But what they were able to
pull off was a 14-minute song,
447
00:19:05,909 --> 00:19:07,959
and yet at the end of the day,
448
00:19:07,967 --> 00:19:12,386
they recorded it in one take.
449
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:13,816
I have to pee.
450
00:19:19,330 --> 00:19:21,031
- Put it in there.
- Yes, sir.
451
00:19:21,038 --> 00:19:23,421
- Put it in there.
- Yes, sir.
452
00:19:23,429 --> 00:19:26,130
That's me drinking a
bottle of Jameson tonight.
453
00:19:26,140 --> 00:19:28,691
- But, Colton...
- Look at that.
454
00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:30,366
FYI...
455
00:19:30,373 --> 00:19:32,573
I'm a [Bleep] monster, man.
456
00:19:32,581 --> 00:19:33,830
You can't stop me.
457
00:19:33,836 --> 00:19:34,919
'Cause here's the deal...
458
00:19:34,924 --> 00:19:37,808
they put it out, it's a hit,
459
00:19:37,818 --> 00:19:41,319
and the song just took
off all over the world.
460
00:19:41,331 --> 00:19:43,448
But also, at the time when it came out,
461
00:19:43,456 --> 00:19:48,126
people like Herc and Grandmaster Caz,
462
00:19:48,141 --> 00:19:50,941
these people are livid
463
00:19:50,951 --> 00:19:54,536
because this is not hip-hop.
464
00:19:54,548 --> 00:19:57,966
And once that song came
out and Chic heard it,
465
00:19:57,978 --> 00:19:59,645
they were like, hey, that's our song.
466
00:19:59,652 --> 00:20:01,768
They sued.
467
00:20:01,776 --> 00:20:04,277
She's like, that [Bleep] sucks.
468
00:20:04,286 --> 00:20:07,120
But regardless of whether or not
469
00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:10,215
it is made up of stolen raps
470
00:20:10,226 --> 00:20:12,609
or a ridiculous beat
471
00:20:12,617 --> 00:20:14,817
that was stolen from another band,
472
00:20:14,826 --> 00:20:17,577
it created a genre of music
473
00:20:17,586 --> 00:20:22,422
and blazed the path for all other hip-hop.
474
00:20:28,210 --> 00:20:30,545
Yeah, he was a little...
475
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,901
- You need help?
- I'm good.
476
00:20:36,903 --> 00:20:39,904
[Patriotic music]
477
00:20:39,906 --> 00:20:47,829
? ?
478
00:20:47,830 --> 00:20:54,830
- synced and corrected by chamallow -
- www.addic7ed.com -
479
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,430
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