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1 of 1- Malcolm Macfarlane
- Senior Member
Offline - From: Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK
- Registered: 22/11/2010
- Posts: 836
Rare transcription records found.
See
Makes you drool doesn't it?
- Richard Baker
- Moderator
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- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: Rare transcription records found.
It's to be hoped they're taking care of them. I wonder where they will land up/what will be done with them.
I don't like the way he handles a disc at one point - fingers on the surface and flexing it.
The close up at the end is of a Bing disc with the titles -
'Shoo Shoo Baby'
'My Ideal'
'My Wonderful One'
'It's All Over Now'
'The Way You Look Tonight'
These aren't transcription discs of the AFRS shows such as 'Music Hall' or 'Command Performance' - but seem to be library discs of individual songs. Five a side on the sample seen, on 16 inch discs.
Any authority on these discs out there? If so come in and comment please.
Last edited by Richard Baker (09/2/2011 5:34 pm)
- thane
- Member
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- Registered: 21/11/2010
- Posts: 11
Re: Rare transcription records found.
The Library of Congress Recorded Sound Collection ... ... lists quite a few of these Armed Forces Radio Service discs in its collection. The 'basic music library' seems to consist of commercial recordings and selected radio songs.
It will be interesting to see if anything new turns up on these recently discovered transcription discs.
--
The Library of Congres collection also contains quite a few radio programs on which Bing guested on over the years ... such as a 21 October 1941 appearance on Treasury Hour, 7 April 1942 appearance on Tribute to Stephen Foster and a 16 August 1935 appearance on Rogers and Post Memorial Program.
Unfortunately there is no information regarding Bing's contribution on the shows ... however at least we know that these shows have survived.
- Richard Baker
- Moderator
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- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: Rare transcription records found.
Thane, the catalogue you have linked to has some recordings shown in enormous detail.
You have to dig down but there much information there.
New to me, I don't know about others, but thank you. There is much emphasis at the site as to the catalogue as yet only extending to a small part of the total holding. All this merely goes to show that there is so much out there waiting to be re-discovered or to become more widely known.
Just so others can be convinced of the interest that could be aroused in browsing through here is a copy of what is shown for one specific broadcast
Shelf no. RYA 6184
Title Kraft music hall
Date Broadcast : 01/09/1936
Publication Status
Unpublished
Type Mixed
Medium Radio broadcast
Broadcast Series Yes
Source NBC
Performer(s) Various vocalists and instrumentalists.
Recording Note
Duplicated from an NBC radio broadcast of Jan. 9, 1936; time unknown.
Note Cataloged from listening.
Work(s)
Some of these days. Performed by Bing Crosby, vocalist; Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.
Return of macabre. Performed by Joe Venuti, violinist.
Talk. Performed by Rupert Hughes, author.
Humorous talk/instrumental novelty. Performed by Bob Burns.
Song. Performed by Clarke Sisters.
Piano solo. Performed by Mischa Levitzki, pianist.
Dorsey dervish. Performed by Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.
Imitations of radio stars. Performed by Radio Rogues.
Humorous monologue. Performed by Bob Burns.
Vocal solo. Performed by Bing Crosby.
Genre(s)
Popular music--1931-1940
Popular instrumental music
Variety--Radio
Name(s)
Crosby, Bing, 1904-1977. (vocalist)
Venuti, Joe. (instrumentalist)
Burns, Bob, 1890-1956. (vocalist)
Hughes, Rupert, 1872-1956. (author)
Levitzki, Mischa, 1898-1941. (instrumentalist)
Group(s)
Clark Sisters (Musical group). (musical group)
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. (musical group)
Radio Rogues. (musical group)
Physical Item
RYA 6184. 1 sound cassette, mono.
Local
Unable to determine titles of all selections.
- Malcolm Macfarlane
- Senior Member
Offline
- From: Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK
- Registered: 22/11/2010
- Posts: 836
Re: Rare transcription records found.
Yes, fascinating stuff. The extra detail given is useful. The info I had about the shows Thane highlighted is as follows:
1935 August 16, Friday. It is announced that Will Rogers and Wiley Post have been killed in a plane crash during the night of August 15. Bing is at the Arrowhead Inn in Saratoga Springs where Guy Lombardo is playing when the news comes through. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) A radio tribute over the NBC Blue Network takes place and at short notice Bing is asked to sing “Home On The Range†from the inn. Having attended a Turf Writers dinner earlier in the evening, he has had a fair amount to drink and has trouble remembering the words at first. Bing later says that it was the only time he was really nervous. George M. Cohan and Will Hays also take part in the tribute.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR THIS!
1941
October 21, Tuesday. (8:00–9:00 p.m.) Takes part in The Treasury Hour on station WJZ on the NBC Blue Network in New York. Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, is the speaker and entertainment is provided by Bing, Charles Boyer, Carmen Miranda and the US Navy Band. Noel Coward is cut into the program from London.
1942
July 4, Saturday. (2:00-3:00 p.m.) Bing and Dinah Shore take part in a radio tribute to Stephen Foster broadcast over the Mutual Broadcasting System. Also Bing takes part in a radio program over station KHJ sponsored by the War Production Board called Junk Will Win The War and sings the title song. Both of these programs may have been recorded in advance as Bing himself was near Newcastle in California.
- •
Thread Starter- Richard Baker
- Moderator
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- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: Rare transcription records found.
I have been doing some more browsing through the Library of Congress catalogue to which Thane provided a link.
As Thane says, there are many 16 inch 33 1/3 transcriptions for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service listed.
Presumably there will be overlaps with the hoard recently discovered.
Some seem to have cataloguing errors - a disc of 1931 hits are all attributed to the Victor Young Orchestra.
But there is one thing that puzzles - even amazes - me.
Why was there a need in the late 1950s to transcribe perfectly good LPs onto a 16 inch format? We have for example been mentioning the Singalong disc - 33 Great Songs, recorded and issued in 1959 in mono and stereo, but there present on the Library of Congress shelves in an AFRT 16 inch transcription in glorious mono. What was the point? There are quite a few others which are recognisable by the titles as being well into the LP era and that must merely have been copies of LPs or specially prepared for the AFRT from the same tapes as the LPs.
But why go to the expense and with what purpose?