Cannon Still Gets Bang Out of Singing : He’ll reprise some of his chart-topping hits from late ‘50s and early ‘60s at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on New Year’s Eve.

Before MTV, CDs and FM radio that mattered, there was the three-minute song, the sock hop, AM radio that mattered and the first generation of rock stars. Like Freddy (Boom Boom) Cannon.

Cannon scored a national hit in 1959 with “Tallahassee Lassie.” A string of hits followed, leading Cannon to a record 110 appearances on “American Bandstand.”

On New Year’s Eve at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Cannon will be showcasing some hits of wild rockers from the days when even your parents swore they were cool. Several other acts that live long and prosper on AM radio will also perform.

Well she comes from Tallahassee ,

She’s got a hi-fi chassis ,

Maybe looks a little sassy ,

but to me she’s real classy.

So sang Cannon, a man of keen perception and unassailable logic. Cannon, whose early hits were on Swan Records, moved west in the early ‘60s and signed with Warner Bros., never losing his accent or his allegiance to those Red Sox.

Recently, the singer discussed what’s what from his Tarzana home.

You’ve been out here a long time. Has it been long enough to root for the Dodgers if there were a Boston versus L.A. World Series?

I’ve been out here about 32 years, but I’m for the Red Sox--can’t beat the Red Sox. I hear they just signed Jose Canseco.

What was the Boston scene like in 1957?

It was all doo-wop then. I was a young kid, 16-17 years old, working after school driving a truck for a hardware store. I was in a band with four or five other guys doing covers of other people’s songs. In 1957, I wrote and sang a song called “Cha Cha Do.” The name didn’t mean anything; it was just a dumb thing, but the song was a hit in Boston and sold about 5,000 copies on Hot Records--if anyone has one of those 45s, let me know. Then I played guitar on a record called “Ka Ding Dong” for a band called the G-Cleffs. They gave me 20 bucks and the song went to No. 3 in the country.

So did you get ripped off for money like a lot of the other early artists?

I never got what I was supposed to get. It seemed like I always owed the label money. After “Palisades Park,” which was a big hit, I still owed the label $20,000. But there was no one for me to sue because Swan disbanded. But all of that taught me the business.

What was it like being a teen idol?

I don’t think I ever considered myself a teen idol. The teen idols were Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Ricky Nelson, Dion and Bobby Rydell. I was always the hard-rock rock ‘n’ roller of my time. I was the raw Rolling Stones type. My early records such as “Tallahassee Lassie” sound like the early Stones. But I wasn’t the first--Little Richard, he’s our leader, and Jerry Lee Lewis, too. They set the stage; we were like their students.

And screaming girls were eyeing you?

Oh yeah, we got a lot of that. One time, at a state fair in Michigan, they put us up in these trailers, and the kids found us. They used hatchets and screwdrivers to try to get in through the roof while others were underneath trying to get in through the floorboards.

Tell me about a sock hop.

Those were great opportunities for a band to build on. A disc jockey would be hired to go to a high school. I remember back in Boston, Arnie Ginsberg would be there with his records, and he’d jam five to seven thousand kids in the gym at a buck a head. The deejay really helped you then. He would play your record, then you’d come out and do it live or sometimes lip sync it. Usually, we’d do live shows just for gas money.

How did you get signed to Swan Records?

Back then, deejays had the power to play what they wanted to play. I gave Arnie Ginsberg this reel-to-reel tape of “Tallahassee Lassie,” but then it was called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Baby.” So he gave it to some producers, Bob Crew and Frank Slay, who took it to New York and reworked it. It was a big hit. All the songs on my first album, “The Explosive Freddy Cannon,” were named after cities, and the third single, “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” was a monster. When you’re young and you hear your record on the radio, there’s nothing like it.

Describe Freddy Cannon music.

It’s danceable music that’s fun, very upbeat and happy. I like people to have fun with me. I work very hard and I enjoy what I’m doing. It’s not a put-on. I want to have a party: If you don’t, you don’t belong here. My music isn’t for people who sit there and stare at each other.

Was it a mistake to sign with Warner Bros. and move west?

Not at all. It was a beautiful move for me to go with Warner Bros. I moved to California, and except for the earthquakes, everything is great. It’s a great label and everyone treated me very well. The first record I gave them was “Abigail Beecher,” which was a hit. Everyone, of course, wants to have another hit record. My last one that charted was in 1981, a song called “Let’s Put the Fun Back in Rock ‘n’ Roll,” recorded with Dion’s old band, the Belmonts. It got to No. 71, then it fell off.

What’s it like doing revival shows?

They’re fun. But the only thing I don’t like is when there’s eight or 10 acts, you only get to do about 20 minutes, four or five songs. So, you’ve got to do it, then get off. I don’t have a hit record now, but I’m working as much as anyone else. I work hard and the people know it. When I’m out there, I give 150%. The way I see it, if you don’t sweat, you’re not a rock ‘n’ roller. I’m doing a 22-day tour of the Midwest starting in April. I usually work every weekend, and I’m usually home during the beginning of the week. I also do a lot of corporate dates, the Diners Club, Ford dealers, stuff like that. Then, in the summer, I do a lot of fairs.

Is there anything you’d change in your career?

I think I would probably do the same thing. I’d like to have had the knowledge I have now when I was 15 years old, but you can’t do that. The music business has given me a lot of chances and opportunities. I’m going to have a new album coming out on Rhino in January or February with 20 songs on it. I have a beautiful family. I’m doing well and I’m really happy.

Details

* WHO: Freddy Cannon, Mitch Ryder, Gladys Horton’s Marvelettes, the Coasters, Dodie Stevens, the Monte Carlos.

* WHEN: 9:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve.

* WHERE: Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

* HOW MUCH: $65, $55, $50.

* CALL: 583-8700 or (213) 480-3232.