Here are the songs, artists and "set themes" for the shows I produced during February 2006. Many of these tracks are available on CD; you can try searching the database at Worlds Records, an excellent mail-order company based in Novato, California, which sells CDs of vintage jazz and pop music. A wonderful "brick-and-mortar" store for vintage music on CD is Canterbury Records, a legendary venue in Pasadena, California. They even carry phonograph cartridges and styli for those of us who love real records!
WEEKLY SHOW LISTINGS
February 5, 2006
Well, this week we were feeling young and healthy, happy and satisfied--and why not? We were listening to the radio!
ETERNALLY YOUTHFUL: Fit As a Fiddle - Waring's Pennsylvanians, 10/25/32; Young and Healthy - Bing Crosby with Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, 1/12/33; Too Young - Spike Jones and his City Slickers, vocal by Paul Frees and Sara Berner, 1950; The Younger Generation - Ray Noble and the New Mayfair Orchestra, vocal by Al Bowlly, 9/1/32.
WHO NEEDS PROZAC?: Get Happy - Art Hodes Orchestra, 9/17/42; That's My Hap-Hap-Happiness - Jack Pettis with vocal by Scrappy Lambert and Billy Hillpot, 2/11/27; Happy As the Day Is Long - Duke Ellington, vocal by Ivie Anderson, 5/9/33; Are You Happy? - Fred Rich and his Orchestra, vocal by The Joy Boys (Sammy Fain and Artie Dunn), 1927. Today I Feel So Happy - Percival Mackey, vocal by Charles Penrose and Val Rosing, 9/17/31; My Troubles Are Over - The Sunshine Boys (Joe and Dan Mooney), 3/20/29.
WELL, I HOPE YOU'RE SATISFIED!: I'm Perfectly Satisfied - Jack Hylton and his Orchestra, vocal trio, 8/29/29; I'm Satisfied With My Girl - California Ramblers, vocal by Ed Kirkeby, 3/29/27; I'm More Than Satisfied - The Chicago Loopers (with Bix and Tram), vocal by the Deep River Quartet, 10/10/27.
WHAT'S ON THE RADIO?: Twisting the Dials, Part 1 and 2 - The Happiness Boys (Billy Jones and Ernie Hare), 1928; Radio Impressions - Arnold Johnson and his Orchestra, 1928; Radio Times - Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra, vocal by Dan Donovan, 10/20/34.
LET'S GET ANOTHER STATION: Nighthawk Blues - The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, vocal by Joe Sanders and Carleton Coon [This was the band's theme song over WDAF-Kansas City in the early '20s.], 4/5/24; Rhythm on the Radio - Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang, 3/20/37; Loud Speakin' Papa - Elsie Clark, 5/25; Man With New Radio - Alec Templeton, 8/16/39.
TOO MUCH STATIC, TRY ANOTHER ONE!: I'll B.B.C.'ing You - Lew Stone and his Orchestra; Mister Radio Man - Al Jolson with Isham Jones and his Orchestra, 3/14/24; The Sound Effects Man - Spike Jones and his City Slickers, vocal by Del Porter, 1943; Tune In - Jack Payne and his BBC Dance Orchestra, vocal by Billy Scott-Coomber, 8/34.
SPINNING THOSE PLATTERS ON THE AIR: The Turntable Song - The Andrews Sisters, 5/26/47; The All-Night Disk Jockey - Henry Morgan with Arnold Stang, 1947; The All-Night Record Man - Charlie Barnet, vocal by Judy Ellington, 7/19/39; Disk Jockey Blues - Peter LInd Hayes.
TWO VINTAGE RADIO PERSONALITIES: Turn Your Head, Sweetheart, I Can Still See Your Face - Jim Hawthorne; Fifty Years From Now - Harry McClintock, 1931.
February 19, 2006
It's Mardi Gras time, so we went down to New Orleans, then celebrated President's Day; but we didn't neglect our music lessons, as we need sweet music to keep the wolf from the door, and to pacify our nagging wife!
CRESCENT CITY PARTY TIME!: High Society - Louis Armstrong, 12/6/33; Sweetie Dear - Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers, 9/15/32; Oh, Didn't He Ramble - Jelly Roll Morton and his New Orleans Jazzmen, 9/14/39; Zulu Parade - Johnny Wiggs, 1950; New Orleans Stomp - Johnny Dodds, 4/22/27; Way Down Yonder in New Orleans - Marvin Ash, 1950; New Orleans - Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, vocal by Jimmy Rushing, 12/13/32; The Tailgate Ramble - Wingy Manone and Johnny Mercer, 3/7/44; At the Mardi Gras - Beatrice Lillie, 1948.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF:I Can't Tell a Lie - Fred Astaire with Bob Crosby's Orchestra, 5/27/42; When I'm the President - Eddie Cantor, 1952; Sophie Tucker for President - Sophie Tucker with Ted Shapiro, piano, 1952; Jordan for President - Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, 5/8/52; Thanks, Mr. Roosevelt - George Formby, 2/21/41; The Face on the Dime - Lawrence Winters, 4/46.
AW, GEE, FELLAS, I GOTTA PRACTICE MY MUSIC!: I Hear Music - Billie Holiday, 9/12/39; Music Lessons - The Andrews Sisters, 2/4/52; Is I Gotta Practice, Ma? - Freddie Slack, vocal by Don Raye, 3/7/46; Practicing the Piano - Hildegarde, 5/29/36; Ragging the Scale - Eddie Condon and his Band, 9/26/50.
WE ALL PLAY AN INSTRUMENT: I Come From a Musical Family - Louis Armstrong, 4/28/36; There's Gonna Be a Wedding in the Band - Joe Haymes, vocal by Cliff Weston, 12/20/34; Sweet and Hot - Ben Pollack and his Orchestra with Jack Teagarden, 3/2/31.
WHAT WAS THAT BOY CRYING ABOUT?: Sweet Music to Worry the Wolf Away - Fletcher Henderson, vocal by Dick Robertson, 7/31/31; Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? - Harry Reser and his Eskimos, vocal by Loretta Clemons, 10/4/33; I'm a Wolf - James Stewart with Bing Crosby, 3/10/48; I Went Hunting and the Big Bad Wolf Was Dead - Ted Fio Rito, 1934.
YES, DEAR...YES, DEAR...YES, DEAR...: Sons of the Desert Convention Brouhaha - Laurel and Hardy with Mae Busch (soundtrack from the film Sons of the Desert), 1933; Put on Your Slippers and Fill up Your Pipe - Beatrice Kay, 1947; I Tell My Troubles to Joe - Mel Blanc; One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) - Fred Astaire, 1943; Pettin' and Pokin' - Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five - 12/1/47.
LET'S GO OUT ON A HAPPY NOTE: Jazz It Blues - Clarence Williams' Alabama Jug Band, 10/3/34.
February 26, 2006
We got out our washboards--not to do laundry, but to make musical whoopee; after that, we celebrated Black History, took a horse and buggy ride, exclaimed "Oh!," heard a banjo solo, and celebrated the 80th anniversary of recorded scat singing.
SCRUBBIN' AND SWINGIN' WASHBOARDS: Rukus Juice Shuffle - Alabama Rascals with Big Bill Broonzy, violin, 3/31/32; Diggin' My Potatoes - Washboard Sam; Just One More Chance - Washboard Rhythm Kings, vocal by Eddie Miles, 9/23/31; Coney Island Washboard - The Five Harmaniacs, 9/17/26; The Shiek of Araby - Washboard Serenaders, 7/19/35; My Gal Sal - Alabama Jug Band, vocal by Hambone Jackson, 9/5/34; Washboard Wiggles - Tiny Parham and his Musicians, 7/21/29.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Atlanta Exposition Speech - Booker T. Washington, 12/05/08; Nobody - Bert Williams, 5/06; Sarah from Sahara - Eubie Blake Trio, 8/17; Great Camp Meetin' Day - Noble Sissle, 1920; St. Louis Blues - W.C. Handy's Memphis Blues Band, 1922.
I SAID BUGGY, NOT BOOGIE!: The King's Horses - Hit of the Week Orchestra (with Bunny Berigan), vocal by Dick Robertson, 2/31; The Shabby Old Cabby - Elsie Carlisle, 8/4/39; Take Me for a Buggy Ride - Bessie Smith, 1933; Thanks for the Buggy Ride - Frank Crumit with Jack Shilkret, piano, 4/13/26; Thanks for the Boogie Ride - Gene Krupa with Anita O'Day; Get 'em in a Rumble Seat - The Six Jumping Jacks, vocal by Tom Stacks, 2/28/26.
H, I, J, K, L, M, N....: Oh! - Robert Cloud, 8/22/29; Oh, Boy, What a Girl! - Eddie Cantor, 9/10/25; Boy, Oh, Boy, Oh, Boy, I've Got it Bad - The Sunshine Boys (Joe and Dan Mooney), 4/13/31; Oh, Baby! - The All-Star Orchestra, vocal by Scrappy Lambert, 3/21/28; Oh, You Have No Idea! - The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, vocal by Joe Sanders and Carleton Coon, 5/29/28; Oh, Lady Be Good - Buck and Bubbles, 12/26/33; Oh, Mo'nah! - Ted Weems, vocal by Country Washburne, 9/24/31; Oh, Johnny, Oh, Johnny, Oh! - Orrin Tucker, vocal by Wee Bonnie Baker, 8/20/39.
TENOR, PLECTRUM, FOUR-STRING OR FIVE: Get Goin' - Pete Mandell, banjo soloist with Debroy Somers' Orchestra, 3/16/26; Crackerjax - Harry Reser, 1930; Shootin' Creek - Charlie Poole, 1928; I'm the Man That Rode the Mule Around the World - Uncle Dave Macon, 6/20/29; Rhapsody in Blue - Eddie Peabody, 11/32.
HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY, OOP BOP SH'BAM AND SCOOBY DOOBY DOO: Heebie Jeebies - Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, vocal [including the first, or at least a very early, scat vocal] by Louis Armstrong, 2/26/26; The Scat Song - Cab Calloway, 12/18/33; How High the Moon - Ella Fitzgerald, 12/20 47.
