King, Freddy (Freddie): Goes Surfin’

Vinyl.  Syd Nathan, impresario of Cincinatti's King Records, was the epitome of the old-school indie record label owner.  Always hustling, Nathan regularly beat the odds to release hit after hit in multiple genres.  He'd try anything if he thought it might work, or more precisely, if he thought it would make money.  After Chess Records turned down guitarist/vocalist Freddy King several times for sounding too much like B.B, King, Nathan thought that sound might actually be sellable and took a chance, signing Freddy to his Federal subsidiary label.  They hit pay dirt with an instrumental titled "Hide Away", which reached No. 5 on the R&B Chart and No. 29 on the Pop Singles Chart.