The “Golden Hits Of The 50s” 

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ERNIE FREEMAN

RAUNCHY

(BILL JUSTIS, Sidney Manker)

Imperial 5474

No. 4    December 30, 1957

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Ernie Freeman was right there at the dawn of rock’n’roll.  Next time you check out the period classic Bill

 Haley flick,  Rock Around the Clock (1956), take notice of the unimposing piano man tinkling in the

shadows way behind the Platters as they warble “Only You.”   That’s Ernie Freemon, the man behind

a pile of California born hits.

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A little Freeman was born the morn of August 16, 1922, in Cleveland.  Ernie took to the keyboards early

and studied music at the university level.   After his return from the service at the start of the ’50,

Freeman worked the clubs playing light jazz and acrompanying the likes of Dorothy Dandridge and

Dinah Washington.   In 1956, songwriter and producer Jerry Leiber discovered–so to speak–Ernie:

and used him as the pianist and arranger for his one-off rock’n’roll ensemble, Scooby Doo.   Imperial

Records got wind of Ernie, and enlisted his services as an A & R man and recording artist.

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For the next half-dozen years, Freeman recorded nearly 30 old fangled rockin’ instrumentals.   In 1957,

Freeman covers of both Doc Bagby’s “Dumplin’s” (#75) and BILL JUSTIS” classic “Raunchy” charted,

as did three later disks–“lndian Love Call” (#59, 1958), “Theme From ‘The Dark at the Top of the

Stairs,” (#70, 1960), and a version of “The Twist” (#93, 1962).   These instrumentals usually featured

Plas Johnson (sax), Irv Ashby (guitar), and a contingent of sticky strings.

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 In 1960, Percy Faith turned solid gold with the release of his mushy “Theme From a Summer Place.”

 Freeman, in response, wrote, arranged, and produced an equally bathetic string-thing he called

“Beautiful Obsession.'”   Released under the name “Sir Chancy,” Ernie’s record sold well enough to

chart (#89, 1960).   Freeman and his usual session crew also hit pay dirt as both BILLY JOE & THE

CHECKMATES–responsible for the coffee classic “Percolator (Twist)”–and “B. Bumble & the Stingers”

when their recordings of “Bumble Boogie” (#21, 1962) and “Nut Rocker” (#23, 1962) made the big time.

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Over the next two decades, Ernie’s keyboard sounds, his arrangements, and/or his producing skills

were utilized by Sammy Davis, Jr., Connie Francis, Dean Martin, Gene McDanials, Sandy Nelson,

Simon & Gar­funkel, and Frank Sinatra, to name but a few.  For 10 years, in his twilight career years,

he was a music direc­tor for Reprise Records.

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 Late in the ’70s, Ernie Freeman retired and moved to Hawaii.  On May 16, 1981, Ernie died of a heart

attack.