One year off… but still… FEEL THE NEEL.
Listen:
Smilin’ Jack Smollon did more than record the best Auburn ditties of his day and interpret current events in his weekly column for the Opelika-Auburn News (which included the lyrics to his “to the tune of” songs). He was also — judging by this and other material discovered in the dusty reel-to-reels salvaged from behind the dumpster of WJHO in Opelika that virtually no one has heard in nearly 50 years — a pioneer in Auburn Spirit field recordings.
And a gifted interviewer:
Who we got here?
Mailon Kent.
Boy, you did a tremeoundous job last week.
Thank you, sir.
I bet your really enjoyed it, too.
Yes sir, I always enjoy beating Georgia Teyech.
… Mailon are you married?
No sir.
Are you going steady?
Yessir, I have a girlfriend, Sue Ellen Robbins.
She’s a beautiful girl.
Thank you, sir.
I think you make a wonderful couple. Lots of luck, I hope you go all the way….
Flubber up the pigskin and save Medfield – the results are positively Disneyian! And thanks to Mailon Kent and Jimmy Sidle and the rabid support of the student body, Auburn did B-E-A-T beeeeeeeeaaaaatt Clemson, 17-14.
Just listen to that…. how could they not have? Are you ready?
Count off.
Cover courtesy Clyde Kingry. You can check out our growing Phil Neel archives here.
Related: Clobber Mississippi State with Smilin’ Jack Smollon.
…
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great sound clip. particularly the cheers at the end were amazing from a former cheerleader’s point of view.
great pep rally. liked the mic man and band. amazing that you can have a pep rally and fired up crowd without rap music blaring and other gimmicks of today.
This was just awesome! I was in the band, and listening to the old versions of the songs we played back in the late 90′s was awesome. The current band should learn that version of Tiger Rag. It is a much more passionate sounding version.
Simply awesome! Thank you.
Thanks, Clyde — seeing your comment reminded me that I neglected to credit WeagleWeagle for the program cover… probably because I don’t want anyone else to know about it. Thanks for maintaining it! It’s kind of invaluable. War Eagle!
This is great! Talk about memories. I was a junior in high school and spent that Saturday selling those programs. And the band was terrific.
My Dad was the band director then and he will love hearing this.
Thanks you and War eagle!
Got chills listening to that. You KNOW Clemson was gonna get beat. And if they weren’t it was still gonna be great (and better) to be an AUBURN Tiger.
This is awesome. It occurred to me about five minutes into this recording that my dad (class of ’63) was very likely in attendence at this pep rally. He died several years ago, so it was kind of touching to me to imagine him as a young man belting out cheers with his fellow students.
Other thoughts:
Cheers: I’d love to hear some of these revived, in particular “Auburn! (clap) (clap) Tigers! (clap) (clap) about nine minutes in. I also liked having a count off before every single cheer.
The Band: (Let me preface this by saying that I love our current band. They are amazing and the hard work they put in all year long is truly appreciated.) You can tell from listening to this that the kids in the ’62 band grew up listening to jazz. That version of Tiger Rag is both smoking and bawdy. If film from this pep rally were ever recovered, I would fully expect to see a cheerleader doing a fan dance on stage during the first part of this song. And the trumpets during the latter part of the song! They’re wailing! Wailing! Somebody please make sure that Dr. Good and Dr. Spurlin hear this recording. I’ve always loved our current version of Tiger Rag, but we need to bring this one back.
Smiling Jack Smollon 51 deserves a star on the AUBURN WALK of fame downtown Auburn! He did more to bring events like this to more Au family than anyone in the early days! He is coming up on his 90th Birthday…
HD! I think Jeremy is working on something more substantial about Smiling Jack Smollon. But maybe with all of this kind of stuff on the site plus a feature piece might get some folks thinking. We should start the drive for his star on the AUBURN WALK here!
I would love to get a copy of the Auburn Men’s Glee Club singing “War Eagle”. It was available in the 60′s and 70′s on a 45 record. All you can get now is the band playing the song. I think it has something to do with us not owning the copyright to the song. If anyone has a copy, please share it with us. War Eagle
I had forgotten the “Rumble, Rumble cheer. I remember as a kid the students would start rising from the first row and go all the way to the top of the stadium before it finished. Also, just heard the playing of that nasty “Dixie” that I loved the intro for.
WDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jack was my mentor and was to 100′s of Auburn Students that worked at WJHO. His Auburn Fight songs maybe 400+, were loved by many and hated by others which was the intention. Controversy sold air time and that was Jack’s strong suit. Yes this is the place to do something for the Smiling Man even being honored at a home game he is going to be 90 soon. He always said he might have to get his reward Upstairs! Super Auburn Guy…Smiling Jack Smollon…
i wonder if the man with the really cool auburn suit was there and sporting his suit.
Hey Skip Hinton,
Please tell Bodie hello for me!! Do you remember the night before the Orange Bowl game after the 1964 season? That was a rough day at the game the next day!
I was in the band from 1959 through 1964….crammed 4 years into 6!!! LOL!!
Hey Skip…I was there with Lamar. Your Dad was a hero to many over the years. Iit was great to be an Auburn Band Tiger!! Give him my regards also.
I came to Auburn in the fall of 1961 and left in Summer of 1964. I learned so much musicianship from Bodie Hinton. I wish I could have spent several more years learning from him. That knowledge was invaluable when I spent the next 20 years as a band director. Also, those years with the Auburn Knights were wonderful, as well. We had so many great teachers and classmates, not only in the band, but in the choral department (Professor Lawrence Rosenbaum). All of these experiences have come in handy in my career as a professional musician. Thanks for posting the great piece of Auburn history.
Does anyone have the halftime of the 1980 Homecoming game. It featured the Auburn Knights Alumni Band during its 50th anniversary year.
WAR EAGLE!!!
Wow! Did that ever take me back. I was in the band (drummer) 61-65 so I must have been playing on this tape. I also miss hearing Dixie, Yes Indeed, that cool version of Tiger Rag, and the great marches (Old Comrades, British Eighth, Bravura, etc.) that we played at the game and pep rallies. The rallies at the ampitheater next to the music building were wonderful.
It’s great to hear Dixie again.