Mr Superbad
Mr Superbad
Mr SUPERBAD
In reality Mr Superbad is the venerable Freddie Mack. Born on a cotton plantation in South Carolina and raised in streetwise Brooklyn, New York; he was a formidable fellow, a former professional boxer, who lived in Scotland since the late 70’s.
Freddie’s timeless patter and two fisted lust for life belie the fact that he was somewhere in the region of 74 years old when he passed away on the 11th January 2009.
The late Freddie Mack’s C.V. was packed with so many remarkable facts and after a face to face get together you would never forget this charismatic, colourful character, a cross between soul brother James Brown, childhood friend and boxing buddy, Floyd Paterson, the glittering bling of Mr”T “of the “A” Team and a black Kojak, sweet tooth and shaved bald head as well.
There was also never much opportunity or need to ask him many questions as he talked it like he walked it, unstoppably, whirlwind style. Chatting to him took many historical twists and turns. Few people can lay claim to a working life that has encompassed Hollywood superstars Liz Taylor and Ava Gardner, fight legend Sir Henry Cooper, punk icon Johnny Rotten, soul maestro Barry White and such infamous individuals as the Kray twins and Christine Keiller.
There’s also the small matter of Freddie having been a world class boxer; the leader of a 15 piece soul band and the co-star of a cheapo Italian movie called “Two Escapes from Sing Sing” with Donald Pleasance. Freddie Mack started making something of himself as a boxer in the fifties when he accompanied Gold Medallist Floyd Paterson to the Helsinky Olympics as his sparring partner and alternate for the light heavyweight bouts.
Freddie eventually became a top three world title contender himself , knocking out the Italian and Brazilian Champions in Europe and the late Chic Calderwood and Jack Bodell in England. He spent four years fighting in Rome where he was persuaded by fight fan Richard Burton to join the cast of “Cleopatra” as an African slave who carried Elizabeth Taylor into Rome in the magnificent final scenes.
Soon afterwards Freddie Mack re-located to swinging sixties London, where his film career resumed with an appearance in the”Great Rock’n ‘Roll Swindle” with the Sex Pistols. Emulating other émigré Americans like his good friends Geno Washington and Jimmy James, Freddie next started a soul band, “Freddie Mack and the Mack Sound Band”. They became a staple support band travelling all over Europe backing the likes of the “Rolling Stones” and “The Who”.
On one memorable occasion when Freddie was the M.C. for Barry White’s Show the M.D. of K.TEL Records was in the audience and immediately offered him the job of presenting all the K.TEL T.V.ads. One of the compilation albums he had to advertise was called “Superbad” Hence Freddie Mack’s mutation to Mr Superbad.
With his Mack Sound Band and his Mr Superbad and the Mighty Super Power Band he worked the London R ‘n’ B circuit appearing at semi-legendary venues including The Marquee, The Whisky A-Go-Go, The Ram Jam Club and the Flamingo.
Freddie twice had his own record label, Superbad Records in the 70’s and Superbad Productions in the 80’s and he also recorded hit singles called “Kung Fu Man” with “Ultrafunk” and “People” with “Extravaganza in Sounds”
His eventual arrival at Radio Clyde was due to the foresight of Andy Park who realised that late night Saturday radio needed to appear to listeners that they were joining in a house party, albeit in their own homes.Mr Superbad has in the past set the airwaves ablaze in many Scottish stations over the years and has also spent some time presenting in Tenerife.
He had his own inimitable style and was awash with a larger than life personality. Certainly no bland D.J. just reading out song titles, artists names and the like; no computer generated playlists, no fake American accent and definitely not the same old bland commercial records that dominate some of the airwaves today.
Mr Superbad can also be described as a man of firsts as he hosted the first Loch Lomond Rock Festival, the first Glasgow Marathon, the first Glasgow Garden Festival, the first S.T.V. “Best Disco in Town” Show and the first Disco Cabaret at the once famous Glasgow Apollo.
In 2000, after a trip to America to attend the Induction of World Champion Ken Buchanan into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in New York Freddie Mack set up the Scots Boxing Hall of Fame and he thoroughly enjoyed his role as its first Chairperson and then its first President ensuring that Scotland’s great Boxing History was honoured and preserved. One of his proudest moments was when the committee and directors presented him with a real chain of office with his name engraved on it to replace his usual over stated bling.
As part of Mall Music Broadcasting he appeared for the last couple of years of his life in Xmas Pantomine, where his heart was on fire at the prospect of being involved with young people when he played and introduced them to everything from “Howlin Wolf” to “The Beatles”, lots of Philly Sound, Atlantic, Stax, Motown and Funk were thrown in for good measure using his unusual flamboyant style.
His air of difference was refreshing and massive audiences came along and joined in the FUN! Delighting fans all over Glasgow Mr Superbad joined the fantastic Quackers Roadshow for its charity tour last summer where he joined Chinese Elvis, June Brown MBE, also known as Dot Cotton from the BBC’s Eastenders soap and John Manning and Derek MacIntyre from L107- Lanarkshire’s own radio station .
In November 2008 he did a radio interview on Manning Memories at the L107 Studios in Hamilton and to his credit he insisted on producing a C.D. of what was to be his final live interview and raised £1,000 for Airdrie Hospice.
His charity work over the years raised thousands of pounds for good causes like the Variety Club of Scotland and his beloved childrens’ projects. Four weeks before he died he made a guest appearance at the Monklands Hospital Staff Xmas Party to raise money for charity. He was in a wheelchair, but he had promised six months before that he would be there and his determination and resolve won through.
He was supported, literally, on the night by Scotty McClue and Alan Shields of L107 and he was very, very happy to see his chocolate box tin fill with money.
Having attained late night fame in Scotland with Radio Clyde nearly 30 years ago entertaining listeners with his amazing Soul Show and with his outstanding work for charity the Superbad Extended Family have resolved to continue to work to support his favourite charities and keep Freddie Mack’s legacy alive even though he is probably getting ready once again to funk it up in the great big disco in the Sky.