Andy continues his tribute to Glenn Miller, here's part four.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
End of the year
We need your help at the end of the year. Your memories, the things you saved make this into the special place it is and I thank you.
You can help right now by putting a few bucks in the kitty. Over the year it helps with getting recordings, hardware and the internet things to make it happen to make it available here. The easiest way is the PayPal link on the left. That link isn't there if you're using a mobile device, click "donate" to help.
Your help makes this a nicer place. Thank you.
If you don't like PayPal, just drop me a note and I'll send the street address. It's not a secret just best to not post it on the internet. email Thom, click here
Thank you for visiting. Be sure to tell a friend!
Happy New Year!
Thom
Roland Bynum - 1984

Here's the Roland Bynum show, from 1984 recorded in Iceland.
Nowadays Roland works at Stevie Wonder's station in Los Angeles, KGLH
Roland Bynum - 1984
Labels:
1983,
1984,
Roland Bynum
Saturday, December 26, 2015
12 Days of Christmas on the Isthmus
In the Panama Canal Zone, this was kind of a big deal. Every Christmas on the Southern Command Network, Christmas on the Isthmus:
Cal Hackman and Pete Franquet recorded this song in the SCN studio in 1969 or 1970. The song was written by a young girl named Carrie Ellis. Pete played it on his radio program and it became a hit. I'm trying to locate a copy of the tape. We were still playing it ten years later.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
a pico feo in a mango tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
two crocodiles...
two crocodiles...
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
three kinkajoos...
three kinkajoos...
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
four screaming buzzards...
four screaming buzzards...
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
five coconuts...
five coconuts...
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
six gato solos...
six gato solos...
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
seven golden frogs...
seven golden frogs...
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
eight boa constrictors...
eight boa constrictors...
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
nine armadillos...
nine armadillos...
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
ten green iguanas...
ten green iguanas...
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
eleven traipsing tapirs...
eleven traipsing tapirs...
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me —
twelve fat conejos...
eleven traipsing tapirs, ten green iguanas, nine armadillos,
eight boa constrictors, seven golden frogs, six gato solos,— five coconuts —
four screaming buzzards, three kinkajoos, two crocodiles
and
a pico feo in a mango tree!!
More from SCN
twelve fat conejos...
eleven traipsing tapirs, ten green iguanas, nine armadillos,
eight boa constrictors, seven golden frogs, six gato solos,— five coconuts —
four screaming buzzards, three kinkajoos, two crocodiles
and
a pico feo in a mango tree!!
More from SCN
Friday, December 25, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Boston Pops - 1957
Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops and AFRTS had a long relationship. From WWII well into the 1970s they shared the same stage. Here's a 1957 visit, with works of Ferde Groffe.
Labels:
1957,
Arthur Fiedler,
Boston Pops
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Command Performance - Christmas 1942
So AFRS did run on US radio. As a special treat, the Christmas 1942 show ran on all of the US networks. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Labels:
1942,
Christmas,
Command Performance,
OTR
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Gail Anderson - AFN Berlin - 1994
In 1994 an era was over, AFN Berlin was shut down. Gail Anderson had the last morning show.
Labels:
1994,
AFN,
Gail Anderson
Friday, December 18, 2015
Chris Noel - Christmas 1969
She worked hard. Chris would have had a lot of frequent flier miles. She brought home to troops all over the world. It made the world a better place. Now Chris is a prolific writer. She just completed a new book about the making of "Beach Ball", you should read this. Click here
Here's a Christmas 1969 visit.
Labels:
1969,
Chris Noel,
Christmas,
Date With Chris
Jimmy Wakely - Christmas 1968
Jimmy Wakely wishes you a very Merry Christmas 1968.
Labels:
1968,
Christmas,
Jimmy Wakely
Monday, December 14, 2015
Spectrum USA - 1971
Dick Stark is back with the music of Millard Fillmore. Not really, but in 1971 he did a great series of shows for Marine Reserve Recruiting. Soft music and great stories, Spectrum USA.
Labels:
1971,
Dick Stark,
Recruiting,
Spectrum USA,
USMC
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Stay in touch!
One of the best ways to stay in touch is to "like" the blog facebook page.
There's also a periodic email list, rarely more than once a week. Drop me a note to be added.
Roger Carroll - 1972
There must be a story on this...
Roger has the first half of a Happy Hour from 1972. He has found even more shows and it's going to be great listening. I know what I want for Christmas!
Labels:
1972,
Roger Carroll
Friday, December 11, 2015
Roland Bynum - 1973
Roland Bynum has "Soul in Motion" from the Creators Workshop. It's coming up on Christmas 1973. Roland is still making magic on the radio, in Los Angeles.
Labels:
1973,
Roland Bynum
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Jack Spector - WMCA - 1969
Back to the Coke shows! No one seems to know what the story is on these. In 1969 AFRTS had some sort of arrangement with some of the great jocks in the states and shows were pressed. These disks did not have AFRTS labels, most had commercials. Coke paid the have the albums distributed. WMCA NY seems to have been represented the best. Here's a visit with Jack Spector. Jack mentions the Coke funding.
Labels:
1969,
Coke,
Jack Spector,
WMCA
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Martin Block - Christmas 1954
Christmas time is coming, Martin Block did his show for AFRTS-NY (Hi Jim!). Christmas was a special time in the Make Believe Ballroom...
Labels:
1954,
Christmas,
Martin Block
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Hold High The Torch - 2nd Marine Division - 1947
In the late 1940s AFRS did many shows to explain the mission. A lot of why and how. Glenn Ford had spent WWII as a Marine. He stars in this production highlighting the Marines in Tarawa. Take a listen.
Labels:
1947,
Glenn Ford,
USMC
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
AFVN Billy Williams - 1972
“Here's part one, Thom. I started in Vietnam as a Signal Corps bench technician at AVEL Central (Avionics/Aviation Electronics) in 1971. While on the bench repairing helicopter radios at AVEL, most of us also had a radio tuned to AFVN 540 KHz in Saigon. 10 hour shifts--sometimes days and sometimes nights if the backlog justified double shifts. I heard a "cattle call" on AFVN 540 one day. A few weeks later, I arrived at AFVN Saigon and trained on the "backboard" in AFVN television master control for a week or two. Then up country to Qui Nhon AFVN on Vung Chua Mountain to run the TV station mounted in a van. Qui Nhon detachment closed after Tet 1972 when Vung Chua Mtn signal site (where AFVN was co-located) came close to being overrun. Then on to Da Nang AFVN on Monkey Mountain to work TV master control. Also did TV news/sports there and the C&W afternoon show--they must have been very short-handed. When Capt. Webb went to Saigon, I filled in on DDB. Then he came back as Army Spec. Brett Webb and DEROSed not long after. They were daring me to send out "One Monkey" to a General at the bottom of the hill--but no thanks. A few weeks later...on to Saigon. Did Nightbeat and then Orient Express overnight show until returning to U.S. in late Sept. 1972. More on the historical web site that I maintain for the local Amateur "ham" Radio group.
Labels:
1972,
AFVN,
Billy Williams,
Danang
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