February 27, 2009
California Melodies - circa 1948
I’ve not been able to dig up much info on “California Melodies”, a program of light popular music heard on Mutual in the 1940s. Looking over a log of the surviving episodes of the show at otrsite.com, this broadcast appears to be from the 1948 run of the series.
A sustaining half hour, the program features music by Harry Zimmerman with the Little Sisters and Vernan Polk with guest Pat Russo. First song on the show is “It’s a Good Day”. The program is a good example of what I’d call a “Hollywood style” approach to popular orchestral music - a little lighter and upbeat and sounding a bit like the arrangements from movie musicals of the time.
The mp3 was transferred directly from an original Don Lee Productions-KHJ vinyl transcription, matrix numbers DL 31048-1 and DL 31048-2.
I’m puzzled on why the show was pressed on vinyl - perhaps it was done as an audition for potential advertisers or for one of the performers.
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Dick O'Connor said,
April 20, 2009 @ 11:26 am
The program, which was on the air from 1930 to about 1952, was the Don Lee network’s premiere “good music” weekly popular music show featuring the KHJ orchestra and vocalists. When it was broadcast elsewhere it was known as California Melodies. It was on CBS until about 1937. When CBS built a Los Angeles studio it rather upstaged KHJ’s studio and the latter became less important to CBS and its stations were treated not so well so they switched their affiliation to Mutual who then carried the program . Musical director-arranger-conductors included Raymond Paige, Josef Koestner, David Rose (who became nationally famous on the show 1940-43), Frank DeVol (when DeVol had it it was sometimes called Musical Depreciation), and Zimmerman (who had been Rose’s assistant). I think Jo Stafford made one of her early appearances on it and Maxine Gray was featured during the Rose years. It was of the same genre, though not as well-financed) as the Andre Kostelanetz Chesterfield, Coca-Cola, Tne-Up Time, the Percy Faith Carnation Contented Hour, Pause That Refreshes On the Air (which Kostelanetz di previously), Morton Gould’s Cresta Blanca Carnival, Frank Black and Roy Shield programs on NBC, etc.
Razzilla said,
July 30, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
If Goldin is right on this…it’s the March 10th show…
57393. California Melodies. March 10, 1948. Mutual net, KHJ Los Angeles-Don Lee transcription. Sustaining. The first tune is, “It’s A Good Day.” Harry Zimmerman and His Orchestra, The Lyttle Sisters, Bill Gordon (announcer), Pat Rousseau (guest), Vernon Polk, Brody Schroff (trumpet), Robert Armstrong (piano), Daryl Terwilliger (violin), Hank Larson (bass), Carl Moss (drums), Ralph Lee (tenor sax). 29:36. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.