WE WELCOME THOSE WITH A GENUINE INTEREST IN BING CROSBY. YOU WILL BE ASKED THREE QUESTIONS WHEN YOU REGISTER. DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWERS, WE WILL EITHER APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP. This requirement arises from misuse of the forum by a few.
KEEP AN EYE ON:-
Jon Oye keeps adding images to his site Contemplations on Classic Movies and Music
David Lobosco has continual additions to his site The Bing Crosby News Archive
Tony Mead adds photos and other interesting material Bing's Photos
NOTE: If you are having trouble logging in, please contact David Lobosco at davidlobosco@yahoo.com.
Offline
Afraid circumstances have kept me away from the board for a while, but it seems not too much has been happening in the meantime!
However - COMMAND PERFORMANCE 30 Recorded Sunday, August 30, 1942
with Connee Boswell, Bert Wheeler, Hank Ladd, James Cagney, The Music Maids, Kay Kyser Orchestra, NBC Orchestra conducted by Dr. Frank Black
and G. I. JOURNAL 12 Recorded Saturday, October 9, 1943
with Georgia Carroll, “Ish Kabbibble”, Julie Conway, Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan, Jerry Colonna, John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra
are both here on Star Spangled Radio Hour
Offline
I've been listening to the Command Performances lately while I nod off in bed at night, it's amazing how many Bing hosted! That man was a ball of cool, composed energy! Between those show, his own radio shows, his movies ...wow! The ones where he is teamed up with Hope are gold, the ones with Sinatra or Judy Garland or his buddy Gary Cooper are really entertaining as well.
Offline
I agree. Great stuff.
But for those who need reminding or who are new to this board, Bing's own shows, on Kraft Music Hall,
during the same era are also very good.
Follow this link.
There is also a selection of Chesterfield and Philco shows on the same site
Offline
Thank you Richard. More than 70 years on, those programs are still entertaining. Especially interesting (for me) was to hear reference in Command Performance to letters received from four GIs in Australia, which reminds me that during the War the US War Department Special Services Division sent many recordings of its programs to Australian radio stations so they could be heard by the many US services personnel stationed here and, of course, Aussies.
Offline
Graham, as an extension of the point you make, Malcolm, in his notes to an issue on CD of some of the material a year or so back, made the point that the civilian population of the UK (and from what you say, Australia) were more likely to hear the broadcasts than the civilians back in the US, specifically because the broadcasts were aimed at the US force overseas via the records that were sent out for use over local stations.
I know that many in the UK did listen in to the US forces shows, because they added to the rather limited fare produced by the BBC at the time.