rand's esoteric otr

Chesterfield Supper Club - March 8, 1945

Perry Como sings for us again on “The Chesterfield Supper Club”, originally heard on NBC on March 8, 1945.  This is the Armed Forces Radio Service version of the program where it was number 46 in the series.  Perry starts off the show with “I’m So Lucky to Be Me”.  

The show was transferred direct from an original 16” vinyl Armed Forces Radio Service transcription.

Again, our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!

Imperial Intrigue - unnumbered episode

Here’s another episode of the odd syndicated drama series, “Imperial Intrigue”, following up from our last post.

This unnumbered of the episode begins with Charles IX on this deathbed.

The program was transferred from an original Hollywood Recorders 16” single-sided shellac transcription, matrix number 1102.

Imperial Intrique - Audition

Next up on the blog, a real rarity I haven’t been able to find out much about.  It’s “Imperial Intrigue”, a drama program dated June 28, 1939.

The plot concerns French King Charles IX and the royal intrigue involving his mother Catherine in August 1572.  The program was written by Lloyd L. Harris.  Goldin’s database has three entries for the director, Don Brody, for work on a KFWB program in 1939 and a couple of other shows in 1946 and 1953.

I found some listings for this program on Los Angeles area radio stations in 1939-1940, but I’m not sure if it was heard outside of California.  I also found an obit for Vern A. Milton who did the sound effects for the program; the article mentions the show as originating on KGB (now KLSD) in San Diego.

Our show was transferred from an original Hollywood Recorders 16” single-sided shellac transcription, matrix number 1001.  The disc is dated June 28, 1939 and noted “Audition Record” on the label.  The transcription was pressed by Allied.

Let me know if you have some more info on this oddity.

Light Up and Listen Club - Pgm 327

We go north of the border again for another episode of the popular “Light Up and Listen Club” program heard for several years on Canadian radio stations and sponsored by Sweet Caporal cigarettes.

Program 327 in the series features the novelty group, the Vass Family and the first song is “Louisiana Hayride”.  They also do their own version of the “Little Red Riding Hood” story in song.

These kids are downright goofy, aren’t they?

Our program was transferred from an original RCA Orthacoustic vinyl transcription, matrix number MS 01307.

Here’s to Romance - Pgm 45

And how a half-hour of light romantic music hosted by Jim Ameche with Ray Bloch and His Orchestra and Chorus and vocalist Larry Douglas.

Program 45 in the series as it was heard on the Armed Forces Radio Service kicks off with the romantic ballad “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (?!?).

Our show was dubbed directly from an original vinyl 16” Armed Forces Radio Service transcription.  There’s an indication in the matrix that the disc is “dubbed”, so this is probably a show assembled from parts of various other episodes.

And deepest thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!

Raymond Scott - Pgm 146

Here’s another fifteen minutes of big band music by Raymond Scott.

Our show was originally heard September 8, 1944 on CBS and distributed as program 146 in the series for the Armed Forces Radio Network.  The first song is “Amore”.  I think this is a previously uncirculated episode.

The program was transferred direct to digital from an original vinyl Armed Forces Radio Service transcription; the date is from the disc matrix.

Again, our thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!

Waltz Time - April 20, 1945

And now, another episode of “Waltz time”, the popular program of light music created by Frank and Anne Hummert.

The first song is “This Heart of Mine”.  Abe Lyman and His Orchestra, vocalist Frank Munn, the Amsterdam Chorus.  The announcer is Andre Baruch.

The show was originally heard on NBC on April 20, 1945 and was distributed as program 81 in the series for the Armed Forces Radio Service.

Our mp3 was transferred from an original Armed Forces Radio vinyl transcription.  The date is from the matrix.  It appears to be a previously uncirculated episode.

Many thanks to blog listener William Harris for his donation of the disc to the collection!

Grady Cole and the Johnson Family Singers - April 23, 1951

Following up on our previous post, here's a complete network broadcast of "Grady Cole and the Johnson Family Singers" heard April 23, 1951.

The first song on the show is “Give the World a Song”.  The program is sponsored by Quaker Corn Meal and Quaker Grits.  The CBS network “pip” is heard at the beginning and a CBS ID from a network announcer at the end.

Grady Cole was a legend in North Carolina broadcasting.  As a young newspaper reporter, he started doing a program on WBT in Charlotte in 1930.  The following year, he accepted a job at the station and was on the air for 30 years, retiring in 1961.  Cole was on the air in the mornings for a couple of hours for WBT, and did the farm report and other programming throughout the day.  In the 1980s, a popular public venue was named after him.

By the way, you can hear Grady Cole's hilarious 1950s "manure spreader" blooper at the BT Memories site.

The Johnson Family Singers were a popular and gospel singing group from Randolph County, North Carolina.  (The Southern Folklife Center at UNC has several of their recordings, scripts, and other materials.). They were on WBT with regular shows starting in the early 1940s.  This program was broadcast just a few months before their contract with Quaker Oats ended, along with their regular series on WBT.  You can read a tribute to Grady Cole by one of the Johnson Family Singers in a book about the group.

Our program was transferred direct to digital from an original line check 16” lacquer from WDNC in Durham, NC.

It's too bad more of these don't survive - they're fascinating examples of local and regional Southern radio during the classic Old Time Radio era.

Grady Cole and the Johnson Family Singers - Dec 25, 1950 excerpt

In this holiday post, a (very) short glimpse into holiday programming as heard on local and regional radio.

This is an excerpt from a 15 minute transcribed program originating at WBT in Charlotte, NC on December 25, 1950 and carried on a regional segment of the CBS Radio Network.

The excerpt starts of with a brief introduction from announcer Grady Cole before the Johnson Family sings “Silent Night”.  We have more remarks from Grady before the Johnson Family does the theme song of the show as Grady puts in a pitch for the sponsor, Quaker Corn Meal.

Grady Cole was a legend in North Carolina broadcasting.  As a young newspaper reporter, he started doing a program on WBT in Charlotte in 1930.  The following year, he accepted a job at the station and was on the air for 30 years, retiring in 1961.  Cole was on the air in the mornings for a couple of hours for WBT, and did the farm report and other programming throughout the day.  In the 1980s, a popular public venue was named after him.

By the way, you can hear Grady Cole's hilarious 1950s "manure spreader" blooper at the BT Memories site.

The Johnson Family Singers were a popular and gospel singing group from Randolph County, North Carolina.  (The Southern Folklife Center at UNC has several of their recordings, scripts, and other materials.). They were on WBT with regular shows starting in the early 1940s.  This program was broadcast just a few months before their contract with Quaker Oats ended, along with their regular series on WBT.  You can read a tribute to Grady Cole by one of the Johnson Family Singers in a book about the group.

Our little bit of local Christmas radio was transferred from an original one-sided 12” lacquer.  The other two parts of the broadcast don’t survive.

 

 

Douglas MacArthur Speech - April 19, 1951

In this post, a historic broadcast that’s widely available, but we hear it dubbed from a line check done by a local station.

From April 19, 1951, this is a full recording of General Douglas MacArthur’s farewell speech (aka the “Old Soldiers Never Die” speech) before a joint session of Congress.  Truman relieved MacArthur of command a few days earlier and the speech was the centerpiece of much publicity when the General returned to the United States from Asia.  You can read about the full controversy, including the debate about civilian control of the military, at Wikipedia.

This recording includes only the introduction of MacArthur and the address with no commentary before or after.  It was recorded on by station WDNC in Durham, NC, presumably so it could be rebroadcast later in the day or so they could play excerpts of it in their news programming.  This is likely from the CBS feed of the speech, since WDNC was a CBS radio affiliate.

The show was transferred from a three-sided 16” lacquer set from WDNC, Durham, NC.  The fourth side of the set contains the April 23, 1951 broadcast of Grady Cole and the Johnson Family Singers, heard in another post on the blog.

 

I’m not sure if this is any better or worse than other versions of the same broadcast that are floating around.