Episodes
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
The Chesterfield Supper Club - March 5, 1945
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Here’s another wartime musical program - “The Chesterfield Supper Club”, originally heard on NBC on March 5, 1945. This is the Armed Forces Radio Service version of the program where it was number 43 in the series.
Perry starts off the show with the new song, “I Should Care”. We also hear “Taking a Chance on Love”, “Gonna Build a Fence Around Texas”, and other songs. Perry Como is joined by the Satisfiers, Ted Steele and His Orchestra and there’s a routine by comedian Gary Mann. This appears to be a previously lost episode of the series.
The show was transferred direct from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio Service transcription.
Again, our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Waltz Time - March 30, 1945
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
And now, another episode of “Waltz time”, the popular program of light music created by Frank and Anne Hummert.
Program 78 in the series as it was heard on Armed Forces Radio was originally broadcast on March 30, 1945 on NBC. The commercials for Philips Milk of Magnesia are omitted here. The first song on the show is “I Walked In”, sung by Frank Munn. Evelyn MacGregor, Abe Lyman and His Orchestra, and the Amsterdam Chorus. This appears to be a previously uncirculated episode of the series.
Our program was transferred to digital from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio transcription disc; the date is from the disc matrix.
My thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the blog!
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Raymond Scott - Pgm 140
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Now a bit of a rarity on the blog. Despite the interest in the career of band leader Raymond Scott in recent years, one aspect of his career hasn’t really circulated among OTR collectors, a fifteen minute weekly show he did during the War years for CBS. In this post an Armed Forces Radio Service version of one of those programs.
Originally heard the afternoon of August 3, 1944 on CBS, the first song on the show is “Amore”. We also hear vocalist Dorothy Collins with “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and “It’s a Crying Shame”, and a new Scott tune “The Moccasin Glide”. The show appears to be uncirculated among OTR collectors.
What really strikes me about hearing Raymond Scott’s orchestra in this period is how much some of the arrangements sound like they would have been done for Glenn Miller. The arrangements and orchestra are quite good, but not necessarily distinctive in the same way that Scott’s quartet recordings or other works might be.
This program was dubbed direct to digital from an original Armed Forces Radio 16” vinyl transcription; the date is from the matrix. A tip of the hat to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Our show was transferred direct from a vinyl 16” Armed Forces Radio transcription. The date of the show is from the matrix. I’ll be posting a few more of these in coming weeks.
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Hour of Charm - Pgm 68
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Here’s another previously lost musical program, an episode of the popular “Hour of Charm”.
The episode of July 25, 1944, originally heard on NBC and rebroadcast on Armed Forces Radio as program 68 in the series, is “A Program of Songs”, a selection of songs with the word “song” in the title. The show kicks off with “Song of the Vagabonds” from “The Vagabond King”. Featured are Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra, Evelyn and Her Magic Violin, and featured vocalist Vivian singing an arrangement of “Song of India”.
Our show was dubbed direct to digital from an original Armed Forces Radio 16” vinyl transcription; the date is from the matrix. Our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Kollege of Musical Knowledge - Pgm 129
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumnus Kay Kyser joins us on the blog now with his popular musical quiz program, “The Kollege of Musical Knowledge”.
The program originates from Camp Anza in California and was originally broadcast on NBC on April 11, 1945. The first song is “Talk, Talk, Talk” by Dolly Mitchell, which uses a speeded up speech recording as a novelty effect.
The mp3 was dubbed direct from an original Armed Forces Radio Service 16” vinyl transcription; the date is from the disc matrix. Our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Guy Lombardo - Pgm 61
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Well, it’s not New Year’s Eve, but let’s hear some Guy Lombardo anyway.
Despite being a fixture on radio for many years, there are relatively few programs by Guy Lombardo floating around. Here’s one that’s previously uncirculated.
Originally heard on the ABC radio network, we hear the program in its Armed Forces Radio Service version where it was #61 in the series. The first song on the show is “Dream”. We also hear “Boo Hoo”, “What’ll I Do?” and other tunes. The show is dated April 7, 1945 in the matrix, but it might be assembled, since the applause is faded in after the numbers, or it might just be the specific editing done on the program by AFRS.
Our show was dubbed direct to digital from an original Armed Forces Radio 16” vinyl transcription; the date is from the matrix. Our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
The Chesterfield Supper Club - March 2, 1945
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Here’s another wartime musical program - “The Chesterfield Supper Club”, originally heard on NBC on March 2, 1945. This is the Armed Forces Radio Service version of the program where it was number 43 in the series.
Perry starts off the show with the new song, “I Should Care”. We also hear “Taking a Chance on Love”, “Gonna Build a Fence Around Texas”, and other songs. Perry Como is joined by the Satisfiers, Ted Steele and His Orchestra and there’s a routine by comedian Gary Mann. This appears to be a previously lost episode of the series.
The show was transferred direct from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio Service transcription.
Again, our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
The Fred Waring Show - April 19, 1945
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians had a popular weekly musical show on the Blue Network for several years. This program, from April 19, 1945, is heard in its Armed Forces Radio Service version, where it was slotted as program 413 in the series.
The show kicks off with “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and we hear “Candy”, “Let’s Take the Long Way Home”, and other tunes. Soloists include Jimmy Atkins and Joanne Wheatley. This appears to be a previously missing episode of the series.
The show was dubbed direct to digital from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio Service transcription disc.
Many thanks to blog listener William Harris for the disc!
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Waltz Time Pgm 69, January 26, 1945
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
“Waltz Time” was a popular radio program created and produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, more well known for their work in soap operas. The series was on the air for fifteen years and presented popular light orchestral music.
Program 69 in the series as heard on Armed Forces Radio was originally broadcast on NBC on January 26, 1945. It was sponsored by Phillips Milk of Magnesia on NBC, but the commercials are omitted here. The first tune is “I Dream of You”, sung by Frank Munn. The program features Frank Munn, Evelyn MacGregor, Abe Lyman and His Orchestra, and the Amsterdam Chorus. Howard Duff is the announcer for AFRS. This appears to be a previously lost/uncirculated episode of the series.
Our program was transferred to digital from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio transcription disc.
My thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the blog. We’ll be hearing more episodes of “Waltz Time” in the coming weeks.
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Concert Hall - Pgm 34
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
With this post, we start a series of several AFRS transcriptions dating from around 1945 and some other transcriptions of primarily more obscure music programs. They were donated to the blog by listener William Harris. My thanks to blog listener William for sending the discs my way!
“Concert Hall” was a program of classical music created especially for Armed Forces Radio. Using material from a variety of sources - likely different radio broadcasts - the show featured the top classical and light classical performers of the day and was hosted by Lionel Barrymore.
Program 34 in the series features pianist Jose Iturbe performing first movement of the Concerto in B-Flat Minor by Tchaikovsky. Soprano Rose Bampton sings a song in Spanish by Padilla. Barrymore relates a story about Iturbe recently appearing in a Hollywood film.
Our program was transferred from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio transcription disc.