The Chief Rocker, Frankie Crocker! (MP3)
"For there is no other like this soul brother - tall, tan, young, and fly."
Frankie Crocker on Frankie Crocker
Frankie Crocker was one of the flashiest and most flamboyant radio personalities to ever rock a mic. His smooth come hither raps, movie star lifestyle, and broad-based musical taste are the stuff of legend. From his late 60's days on Top 40 giant WMCA (following Murray the K) to his Black Power stint on WWRL to his powerhouse years at WLIB and WBLS - where he pioneered a progressive urban blend of R&B, rock, Latin, disco, jazz, and even Frank Sinatra - Crocker took New York radio by storm.
And Frankie's ego knew no bounds. At the height of his fabulosity he could be seen squiring Jayne Kennedy, walking his matching Afghan hounds, arriving at Studio 54 on a white horse, appearing in "Cleopatra Jones," taking on-air bubble baths with model Beverly Johnson, leading his own disco orchestra, and commanding local record labels to subsidize his live remotes from Cannes and fetch his fried chicken. But there was no disputing that Frankie was King of the New York airwaves. As he himself put it,"when Frankie Crocker isn't on your radio, your radio isn't really on."
The classic Frankie rap below (thanks to Steinski for the vinyl-to-MP3 transfer) is part of WFMU's ongoing Aircheck program: an ever-expanding archive of radio ghosts recaptured. Heard every Thursday from 6-7pm, Aircheck preserves some of the more unusual and unpredictable moments and personalities in radio. The complete Frankie Crocker show can be heard here.
Wow! Fantastic! Thanks so much for posting that. More talent than most of today's jocks put together. Wish we had someone like that now.
Posted by: Johnny | July 27, 2005 at 12:39 PM
What was Frankie's album name? I would like to attempt to find/purchase it.
Joe
Posted by: JOE HAYNES | May 06, 2007 at 11:23 PM