KEVIN McCORRY, HOST: I\u2019m Kevin McCorry and this is \u2018Jukebox Journey.\u2019<\/p>\n
[BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TALKING TO LIVE AUDIENCE IN BRYN MAWR: \u201cDoes anyone want to say hello to their mother?\u201d]<\/p>\n
KM: This week: Live from Philly\u2019s glorious bygone music venues, part 1.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cBattle Axe\u201d by Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra, live at the Earle Theater 1939]<\/p>\n
KM: In the early 1900s, Philadelphia was awash in venues, from high class opera halls to vaudeville and burlesque stages. <\/p>\n
The Earle Theatre at 11th and Market was built in 1924 and considered the cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me for acts including Duke Ellington, Court Basie and Jimmie Lunceford, as in this 1939 live recording.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC SWELL]<\/p>\n
KM: The Earle was demolished in 1953. On the site today: a CVS Pharmacy.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the way it\u2019s been for many of the region\u2019s most cherished venues. Here today; gone tomorrow.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cThe Weaver\u201d by Yusef Lateef, Live at Pep\u2019s from 1964]<\/p>\n
KM: The 1950s and \u201860s saw a boom in jazz and soul clubs. Pep\u2019s Musical Bar at Broad and South was considered an \u2018IT\u2019 club of its time \u2014 with shows by Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and Yusef Lateef, who titled his 1964 album \u201cLive at Pep\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
[MUSIC SWELL]<\/p>\n
KM: A block over on Lombard street was The Showboat. Billie Holiday often lived at the hotel above the club \u2014 which lives on in John Coltrane bootlegs from the early 60s.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cMr. P.C.\u201d by John Coltrane, live at The Showboat 1964]<\/p>\n
KM: The room later became \u201cThe Bijou\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n
[GROVER WASHINGTON JR. TALKING TO LIVE AUDIENCE: \u201cYou can clap your hands, ya\u2019ll. It\u2019s Saturday night.\u201d]<\/p>\n
KM: \u2026where Grover Washington Jr. recorded this 1972 record:<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cLock it in the Pocket\u201d by Grover Washington Jr., Live at The Bijou 1972]<\/p>\n
KM: Head north on Broad, The Uptown Theater became a cornerstone of the Black community for decades \u2014 as did The Cadillac Club, for which North Philly\u2019s Billy Paul titled his first record.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cBilly Boy\u201d by Billy Paul, from \u201cFeelin\u2019 Good at The Cadillac Club\u201d]<\/p>\n
KM: The late \u201860s and early \u201870s saw a major upswing in folk and rock venues. There were the small clubs like The 2nd Fret in Rittenhouse Square, where a 23 year old Joni Mitchell recorded in March of 1967.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cBoth Sides Now\u201d by Joni Mitchell, live at The 2nd Fret 1967]<\/p>\n
KM: The Main Point in Bryn Mawr was a coffee shop venue that became a favorite for the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Ian. Bruce Springsteen did a benefit show there in 1975 that was broadcast live on WMMR.<\/p>\n
[BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TALKING TO LIVE AUDIENCE IN BRYN MAWR: \u201cEd Sciaky, are we really on the radio tonight, Ed? Ed Sciaky tells me all these lies all the time, I never know when to believe him or not.\u201d]<\/p>\n
KM: It included the debut of a song then called \u201cWings for Wheels.\u201d<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cWings for Wheels\u201d by Bruce Springsteen, live at The Main Point, 1975]<\/p>\n
KM: After some revisions, Springsteen renamed it \u201cThunder Road.\u201d<\/p>\n
[MUSIC SWELL]<\/p>\n
KM: In Cherry Hill, one of the most dynamic venues of the \u201860s and \u201870s was the Latin Casino, with an all-star roster of lounge acts.<\/p>\n
[ANNOUNCER VOICE: \u201cLadies and Gentleman, the world famous Latin Casino proudly presents the stars of our show: The mighty, mighty Spinners\u2026.]<\/p>\n
KM: \u2026.who cut a live album there in 1974.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cCould It Be I\u2019m Falling in Love\u201d by The Spinners, live at The Latin Casino, 1974]<\/p>\n
KM: The space later became a disco and rock club called Emerald City, and hosted The Cure for its first American show in 1980.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cPlay for Today\u201d by The Cure, live at Emerald City 1980]<\/p>\n
KM: The site on Route 70 went on to become the corporate headquarters for Subaru of America \u2014 before being demolished and left vacant.<\/p>\n
Last but not least for part one of our series on bygone Philly venues: JFK Stadium, known best for the massive Live Aid concert in 1985.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201cInto the Groove\u201d by Madonna, live at Live Aid, JFK Stadium 1985]<\/p>\n
KM: But also a final concert in the space by the Grateful Dead, attended by 55,000 people in July of 1989 \u2014 six days before the venue was condemned by the city as a structurally unsafe potential fire hazard.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC: \u201dKnockin on Heaven\u2019s Door\u201d by Bob Dylan, covered live by The Grateful Dead at JFK Stadium July 1989]<\/p>\n
KM: The Dead closed it down with an apt Bob Dylan cover.<\/p>\n
[MUSIC SWELL]<\/p>\n
I\u2019m Kevin McCorry and this has been a Jukebox Journey on WHYY.<\/p>\n