Episodes
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 86
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
You know you should be buying US Savings Bonds, right?
Here’s another installment of the US Treasury Department’s long-running series, “Guest Star”. Program 86 in the series features guest Bonita Granville and Jack Webb in a dramatic sketch, “The Road to Yesterday”, written by Harry Lawrence. The plot concerns a dead woman reflecting on her life. David Rose and the Savings Bond Orchestra kick off the program with “I’ll Be Seeing You”.
The program was digitized direct from an original Treasury Department 16” vinyl transcription, matrix number TDR-1004 D-32349.
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 78
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
Update, 11.19.19 - Listener Joe Salerno thinks the opening tune is "El Relicario".
Kicking off the shows this week, we drop in again on the Treasury Department to hear some music and a pitch for US Savings Bonds.
In program 78 of the series, pianist Jose Iturbi is joined by announcer Win Elliot and Harry Sonic and the Savings Bond Orchestra. The program kicks off with a Spanish number arranged by Sosnik that I can’t quite make out the name of, and Iturbi performs a piece by Debussy. The show was released the week of September 19, 1948.
Our mp was transferred from an original Treasury Department vinyl transcription, matrix number FS-ABC-SB-78 D-28762, manufactured by Allied Record.
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 77
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Saturday Nov 10, 2018
Here’s another episode of the long-running public service program, “Guest Star”. Usually, the show features musical guests, but here’s one with a short dramatic sketch.
Program 77, originally heard the week of September 12, 1948, stars Boris Karloff in “The Baby Sitter”, a piece about a stranger that breaks into a house to find food and finds a little boy. Before the drama, Harry Sosnik and the orchestra perform “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. The announcer is Roger Forster.
The show was transferred from an original 16” vinyl Treasury Department transcription, matrix number FS-ABC-SB-80 D-28615.
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 64
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
More comedy on the blog now as the Treasury Department presents “Guest Star”.
Program 64 in the series, syndicated for broadcast the week of June 13, 1946, features Eddie Cantor in a routine about running for President. The show features announcer Harry Von Zell, the Sportsmen Quartet, and Cookie Fairchild and His Orchestra.
The program was transferred direct from an original 16” Treasury Department vinyl transcription.
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Guest Star - Program 63
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Saturday Oct 27, 2018
Once again, we hear from the Treasury Department hawking United States Savings Bonds. Rather than the usual musical guest or comedian, our guests are the cast of a popular radio drama.
Program #63, dated June 6, 1948 on the label, features the cast of “One Man’s Family” in a short sketch where son Paul makes a speech for US Savings Bonds. The announcer is David Ross.
Our show was dubbed direct from an original Treasury Department vinyl transcription, matrix number D23995B.
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 10
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Saturday Oct 20, 2018
Here’s another episode in that long-running fifteen minute program hawking United States Savings Bonds, “Guest Star”.
Program 10 in the series, dated June 15, 1947 by Goldin, features Fibber McGee and Molly with Denes Agay leading the Savings Bonds Orchestra and announcer Harlow Wilcox. The orchestra and chorus kicks off the show with “Rise and Shine”. Fibber plans a get rich quick scheme involving a company’s money back guarantee on mock turtle soup. The cast includes Gale Gordon. Jim Jordan, and Marian Jordan.
Our mp3 was dubbed directly from a 16” vinyl Treasury Department transcription, matrix number ND7-MM-5429-1D.
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Guest Star - Pgm 9
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
Saturday Oct 13, 2018
“Guest Star” is, of course, the long-running United State Treasury syndicated series created to promote the sale of Savings Bonds. If you’re collecting transcriptions, it’s probably the most commonly-found series, so I really only get the discs if they’re unusual. And any comedy or drama presentation is unusual in this series usually devoted to musical guests.
Program 9 in the series features a fifteen minute comedy show with guests Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore that plays similarly to their popular CBS program. Dennis Agay leading the orchestra and chorus opens the show with “California”. The sketch in the show features Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore running a real estate business and finding themselves with a haunted house. The announcer is Howard Petrie.
The show was transferred from an original vinyl transcription disc, matrix number ND7-MM-5428. The date April 3, 1947 is in the matrix.
Saturday Apr 08, 2017
Guest Star - Pgm 682 - April 17, 1960
Saturday Apr 08, 2017
Saturday Apr 08, 2017
Now another late era episode of the long-running program promoting US Savings Bonds, “Guest Star”. The times are changing, as some upstart teenage rock n’ roll invades this showcase for vocalists and big bands.
In program 682, we hear the popular fifties vocal group from Canada, the Crew Cuts. While we don’t get to hear their big hit, “Sh-Boom”, we get a reminder of how good they could be, turning in polished performances of less well-remembered tunes. The first song is the upbeat “Let’s Fall in Love” and they also perform “Aura Lee”, recorded by Elvis four years earlier as the title song for his film, “Love Me Tender”. As usual, the music is provided by Harry Sosnik’s Orchestra and the announcer is Del Sharbutt.
Our mp3 was transferred direct from a sixteen inch vinyl microgroove Treasury Department vinyl transcription.
Saturday Mar 25, 2017
Guest Star - Pgm 681 - April 10, 1960
Saturday Mar 25, 2017
Saturday Mar 25, 2017
Here’s another in our series of late era “Guest Star” programs that were syndicated by the Treasury Department to promote Savings Bonds.
Program 681 in the series features vocalist Betty Johnson and the first is “You Don’t Care a Rowboat”, which she released on Atlantic records. Johnson, by the way, is a native of Guilford County, North Carolina. Her vocal style reminds me a bit of Dinah Shore. The show features Harry Sosnik’s Orchestra and the announcer is Del Sharbutt.
Our mp3 was transferred direct from a sixteen inch vinyl microgroove Treasury Department vinyl transcription.
Saturday Mar 11, 2017
Guest Star - Pgm 680 - April 3, 1960
Saturday Mar 11, 2017
Saturday Mar 11, 2017
Here’s another late OTR era episode of the long running Treasury Department public service program, “Guest Star”.
Program 680 in the series features singer Felicia Saunders backed by Harry Sosnik’s Orchestra. The announcer is Del Sharbutt.
I won’t tell you what the first song is that Saunders performs - you’ll have to listen and find out yourself. It’s one of the most bizarre arrangements of a well known show tune that I think I’ve ever heard. Keep in mind, though, that the show this song came from was still on Broadway and hadn’t been made into one of the biggest musicals of the sixties - back in 1960, it was just another song from another Broadway show that could be shaped and rearranged by a variety of recording artists.
The show was transferred from an original 16” vinyl microgroove Treasury Department transcription.