Subject: [removed] Digest V2016 #75
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 11/18/2016 10:18 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

------------------------------


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2016 : Issue 75
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  NUMBER PLEASE now available           [ "Read Burgan" <rgb@[removed]; ]
  Macy's Parade on the Radio?           [ Chad Palmer <[removed]@[removed] ]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:11:55 -0500
From: "Read Burgan" <rgb@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  NUMBER PLEASE now available

Two years ago I announced that I had acquired a set of more than 40
electrical transcriptions of a 15 minute transcribed program titled "Number
Please."  As far as I am aware, these are the only known recordings of this
series.

I have finally finished transferring and digitally restoring the entire set
of programs that I have here.  If you would like to hear the series, I am
making a set of 2 data CD's each containing 36 programs available for $6 per
CD ($12 for a 2 CD set) plus priority mailing at $[removed]  I use CEDAR
hardware and other restoration software transferring from Technics direct
drive turntables using SME tone arms.

The name "Number Please" was used by a several different radio stations
during this period.  In 1949 WGN in Chicago had a give away program using
that name and the FCC threatened to shut down the program.  In 1946 KGO had
a program with the same name sponsored by the Pacific Telephone Telegraph
Company that ran 7 days a week.

That sounds similar to my "Number Please" series. However the KGO program
used a different announcer suggesting that it was not a part of this
specific series.

My "Number Please" series featured Eddie Dunn, a veteran WOR announcer and a
mixed quartet vocal group called The Song Spinners in a 15 minute program.
The Song Spinners was organized by Margaret Bassett Johnson.

Margaret was born in Texas in 1907 to the Reverend Wallace Bassett.  Upon
graduation from Baylor University, she married a fellow student and tenor,
Travis Johnson.  Together they moved to New York in 1931 to pursue musical
careers.  In 1937 she joined the Bob Hope radio show as Honey Chile.

Margaret and Travis formed the vocal group The Song Spinners and provided
music for a radio program called the "Wayside Cottage."  In time they
provided the background music for many vocalists including Dick Haymes, Ella
Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby and appeared on "The Henry Aldrich Show", "Melody
Round Up," "The House Of Mystery", "I'd Walk A Mile" and other popular radio
shows.  By 1940 Margaret was considered one of New York's most popular vocal
arrangers.

The origins of the "Number Please" program are a bit obscure.  According to
"Radio Daily" the program had its debut on Detroit's WWJ on December 10,
1945.  That was probably the same transcribed version that I have here.

However in 1946 "Radio Daily refers to the program as an NBC series.  Were
there two versions of "Number Please"?  One as a syndicated program aired on
independent stations and another aired nationally over the NBC network?

The version that I have was sponsored by Michigan Bell Telephone Company and
ran on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:15 PM.  My discs were originally
aired on WSOO at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The earliest disc that I have is number 161 and dated December 30, 1946.

The earliest 16 inch electrical transcriptions that I have were pressed and
distributed by the World Broadcasting System.  Later the discs were pressed
and distributed on the WOR label.

Because the program ran three days a week, many discs are two sided with the
Monday program on one side and the Wednesday program on the other.  The
Friday program was often on a one-sided disc.  I am speculating that a
week's worth of discs were shipped at a time.

I am also speculating that the WOR produced program was syndicated in other
Bell Telephone markets using the same content but just changing the opening
and closing and the one minute infomercial in the middle of the program.
That raises the question:  If that is so, why haven't more electrical
transcriptions of this program turned up?

The program consisted of Eddie Dunn (and sometimes Song Spinners' members)
providing the background of a song and then the Song Spinners singing the
song.  Most programs contained five songs -- some six.  The music included
folk, traditional, popular, spirituals, hymns, Broadway and novelty numbers.

The primary benefit for Michigan Bell was the infomercial inserted at the
mid point of the program and it provides interesting insights into post war
life in America.  Many of the infomercials apologize that Michigan Bell
could only provide party line service to new applicants.  Frequent appeals
were made to party line users to limit their use of the phone for the sake
of others sharing the line.  It also provided staggering statistics on the
number of miles of cable being laid, the number of phones being
manufactured, etc.

The last "Number Please" program featuring the Song Spinners was on January
28, 1949.  After that, the program changed formats but continued using Eddie
Dunn as the announcer.

>From 1949 to 1952, Margaret appeared on a New York television program
called, "The Maggie Johnson Television Shopper Show."  For many years after
that she created the lyrics for commercial jingles including "Winston tastes
good, like a cigarette should!"

In 1967 Margaret and Travis returned to Dallas, Texas.  Travis died in 1970.
Margaret died at the age of 99 on May 27, 2007.

If you are interested in receiving copies of "Number Please," please email
me at rgb@[removed].

Read Burgan

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:23:00 -0500
From: Chad Palmer <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Macy's Parade on the Radio?

Earlier today I was reading an article about the 90th anniversary of the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and it mentions the fact that it has aired on
radio since 1932. Are there any old radio broadcasts of the Macy's parade in
circulation? I did a few quick searches and wasn't able to find much online.

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2016 Issue #75
********************************************

Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
  including republication in any form.

If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
   [removed]

For Help: [removed]@[removed]

To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]

To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
  or see [removed]

For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
  in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]

To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]

In the event of a major mail problem, please contact the listmaster via
  the web-based contact form available at [removed]
  (on the sidebar) or follow/DM CFSummers on Twitter

To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]