The American trade magazine Billboard first inaugurated a popularity chart exclusively for sales amongst the black population in their edition of the week ending October 24th 1942. The chart was entitled 'The Harlem Hit Parade' and initially the chart was indeed compiled from a comparatively tiny sample of shops and jukeboxes situated in the Harlem borough of New York. In 1942 the racial lines were much less defined when it came to popular music and Southern Blacks were as equally fond of Country and Hillbilly music as blues and R & B. By contrast the comparatively sophisticated residents of Harlem were equally happy to drop a coin in the slot to listen to Frank Sinatra singing with The Dorsey Band or buying the platter in such quantities that it was able to climb as high as No 2 alongside more down home sides from Chicago based artists like Tampa Red and Lil Green. The very first No 1 was Andy Kirk's 'Take It And Git' and most of the decade's biggest stars featured in the charts first 11 weeks, The Ink spots, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Louis Jordan.

Track Listing

• Andy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy - Take It And Git
• Freddie Slack And His Orchestra - Cow Cow Boogie
• Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - I'm Gonna Leave You On The Outskirts Of Town
• Lil Gretta - Let's Be Friends
• Earl Hines And His Orchestra - Stormy Monday Blues
• Freddie Slack And His Orchestra - Mr. Five By Five
• Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra - Trav'lin' Light
• Lucky Millinder And His Orchestra - When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)
• Barney Bigard's Orchestra - C Blues
• Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - What's The Use Of Getting Sober
• Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Hayfoot Strawfoot
• Fats Waller - The Jitterbug Waltz
• Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band - Let Me Play With You Poodle
• Bea Booze - See See Rider Blues
• The King Cole Trio - That Ain't Right
• Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/ Frank Sinatra & The Piep Pipers - There Are Such Things
• The Southern Sons - Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition
• Jimmie Lunceford And His Orchestra - It Had To Be You
• Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra - Bicycle Bounce
• Ink Spots - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Additional Details

Label: Acrobat

Genre: R & B

Release Date: 11/08/11

UPC: 824046418625