Major Glenn Miller 1944

 

If you ever come across these, they have nothing to do with AFN or AFRTS but are very interesting.  The American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) was a propaganda station we piped to the Nazis.  Glenn Miller made several broadcasts at EMIs Abbey Road studios with Ilsa Weinberger with Glenn speaking in phonetic German. These particular broadcasts were recorded October 30^th and November 6^th, 1944 and aired November 8^th and November 15^th respectively.

 

Joseph Krug of the Colony Record Shop in NYC somehow acquired dubs of these and issued them as bootlegs circa 1951.  These bootlegs actually had wide distribution at the time, being sold by major retail chains, to include Sam Goody.  The Miller Estate started the lawsuits in 1951 and it took five years to resolve.

 

Decades later a more complete better sounding version was issued on RCA as "Glenn Miller - the Lost Recordings"

Navy Hour - 1950

The Navy Hour was very well done and usually pretty entertaining.  The program ran on NBC for many years.

Navy Hour - 1950

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Windows 10 update

Microsoft just put up a Windows 10 anniversary update.  I don't recommend it.  It made some big system changes here, which I'll battle for a couple of days and then probably roll back to something that works.

It killed Citrio, a Chrome clone browser that I have to use with some applications.

It's giving me issues with Edge, that's the new Microsoft Explorer for Windows 10.

The tech in me is trying to figure out exactly what they did, but you've been warned...

Chris Noel - 1967

1967 sure brought great music.  Chris Noel brought America to your radio on A Date With Chris.  It was a very nice combination.

Date With Chris - 1967

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Bud Widom - 1964

Bud Widom was a jack of all trades at AFRTS, doing many many programs. IMDB says that he was born in 1918 and was in "Mister Cory" and "The Green Slime".  We lost Bud in 1976.  In 1964, music of the stage from AFRTS and "Footlights and Spotlights"

Footlights and Spotlights - 1964

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A shipping box and history

In the 1940s and 1950s we used 16" ETs.  They were shipped in strapped boxes.  I had been looking for one for years.  Generally when one comes up for sale it's full of a bunch of mixed disks with no documentation and pretty pricy.  I just got one.  This one is history.  A Marine Chaplain mailed a box of ETs to a different Chaplain in the APO.  It was 1951 and this was in the middle of the Korean War.  The disks were from Korea AFRS (Later AFKN).  The Bob Hope show that was posted a couple of days ago is from this lot.  I'm very thankful. 

Bob Hope - 1951

This was part of a historic set.  The Korean War had just started.  Korea AFRS was driving near the war zones, broadcasting from mobile studios.  Private Casey Kasem was one of the troops making it happen and Bob Hope was on the air.

Bob Hope - 1951

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AFKN Jim "Big Daddy" Kendrick 1972

Jim Kendrick has your favorites from Yongsan.

AFKN Jim Kendrick 1972

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AFRTS By the year

The 1940s

1942  1943  1944  1945  1946  1947  1948  1949 

The 1950s

1950  1951 1952  1953  1954  1955  1956  1957  1958  1959

The 1960s

1960  1961  1962  1963  1964  1965  1966  1967  1968  1969

The 1970s

1970  1971  1972  1973  1974  1975  1976  1977  1978  1979

The 1980s

1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989 

Enchantment of Music - 1963

The matchless fidelity of Frequency Modulation.  FM was almost magic.  KCBH-FM in Beverly Hills was programming light orchestral music.  It was a time when few if any were actally making money with FM. Seems odd...  In 1959 Don Steele was there.  We ran the show, but very rarely on FM.

Now IHeart owns it "Alt 98.7" just doesn't seem as special. 

Enchantment of Music - 1963

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Chris Noel - 1970

Chris Noel has another hour of your favorites on AFRTS.  If you're getting error messages it's a long story but it's because you're using a Microsoft browser, it'll play just fine using Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera or most anything else. Those are all free alternatives.  Apple or Android users do not have problems. 

Date With Chris - 1970

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If Freedom Failed - 1951

We're up to program 8 of "If Freedom Failed" with a pre-Godzilla Raymond Burr and young Mercedes McCambridge.

If Freedom Failed - 1951

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Country Music Time - 1961

I was surprised to find this in a record store.  Airman Jerry Keller has a visit from Jim Reeves.  When these shows were done, the songs were recorded especially for the shows.  Take your shoes off and think about opportunities in the US Air Force!

Country Music Time - 1961 

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Busy Busy Busy

 

I haven't been able to post as often as I should, but busy.  I finally picked up a record washing machine.  Spin-Clean makes the most economical one that works.  If you've been thinking about getting one, they're half off until the end of the month.  No I'm not getting anything for bringing it up.  It's a sweet product. I'm in the process of cleaning thousands of LPs. Click here

1963-65 are done.

 

Marine Band Concert - 1961

Many times since WWII the Marine Band had radio programs. Most of the time rebroadcast on AFRTS.  Here's a 1961 show from CBS.

Marine Band Concert - 1961

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Chris Noel - 1967

The world changes in one picture Chris Noel in Vietnam 1966.  Chris made overseas tours, all over the world pass that much faster on a Date With Chris.  She's dedicated her life to the veteran cause, from going to war zones to running a homeless veteran's shelter today.  Chris, America owes you a lot.  Thank you.

Date With Chris - 1967

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July 4, 2016

Have a happy and safe 4th!  Thanks for stopping by!

Chris Noel - 1969

Chris Noel brought America to thousands of Vietnam era troops.  The years pass, the memories remain.  Chris's birthday is Saturday 7/2.  Wish her a Happy Birthday! Click here

In 1969, here's what home sounded like.

Date With Chris - 1969

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Mystery Playhouse - 1945

AFRS assembled shows from various network shows,  more great material was available that time slots.  In 1944 Mystery Playhouse was generally Inner Sanctum, Mr. District Attorney, Mr and Mrs North, the Whistler and this time This is your FBI. We were running that show well into the 70s.  Today "Robert Perry, Imposter"

Our friend T4Y does his impression of the Inner Sanctum announcer.  He alternated with "Sgt X" (Howard Duff).

Mystery Playhouse - This is your FBI - 1945

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Clem Stein AFN - 1964

A few years ago Clem Stein checked in with a great aircheck. His last "Bouncing in Bavaria" show on AFN. After the service Clem became a very successful businessman and had a book with financial advice. We lost Clem in 2013

Bouncing In Bavaria - Clem Stein 1964

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Invitation to Learning - 1965

Information and education were the primary drivers of AFRTS.  Quality informative programs from the US networks found a good home.  Easy to imagine a troop taking the time to learn with the "Voice Of Home"

Invitation to Learning was a CBS show that started a quarter century run in 1940. Dr.  Stringfellow Barr of St Johns College in Annapolis brought academics and entertainers to share understanding of complex issues.

It's difficult to determine when we started carrying it, it was running in 1950.

Invitation to Learning - 1965

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Continental Varieties - 1961

Orchestral, light classical, sometimes a waltz.  Continental Varieties. Dick Crawford with a Continental salute to the month of April.

Continental Varieties - 1961

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If Freedom Failed - 1951

Our mission of Command Information continues with "If Freedom Failed"

If Freedom Failed 07 - 1951

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Jim Ameche - 1965

From the archives around the world, the most beautiful sounds around, on the Jim Ameche show.  At the time I think we thought it was exclusively for the Colonels..  It's classy.

Jim Ameche - 1965

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Chris Noel - 1969

Chris Noel with producer Bruce Wendell

I can never thank Chris enough for making these available again. She sent her collection of the shows for us to remember to.  It's 1969, better get ready, you have A Date With Chris.

Date With Chris - 1969

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I'm going to the library

 

I spent a lot of time poking through the disks.  The vast majority of the AFRTS library was mediocre MOR and all of the songs that weren't hits from the albums.  But libraries that started in the 40s and 50s and were mostly intact were pretty special.  First time I heard the Glenn Miller AEF band it was from the original WWII ETs.  Over on the country side it went back too.  Sometimes in Panama the jocks would be kinda perplexed at the sort of things I'd listen to.  Great opportunity...

Afrtsarchive Worldwide 06/11/2016

So I guess we are international.  Here's where visitors have come from this week.  Thank you for being an important part of this.  Tell a friend!

 

 

Chris Noel - 1969

Chris Noel in Pleiku 1967

Chris Noel was the girl next door to Vietnam era troops.  Movie star good looks and caring.  It showed.  Date With Chris was very very popular.  Chris made hundreds of these shows available to us and it's a great listen.

Date With Chris - 1969

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Air Force Hour - 1951

It's 1951, with some pretty incredible Korean War stories and music/

Air Force Hour - 1951

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Guess Who - 1944

In the early years of the network, we rebroadcast a lot of stateside shows and created our own "Guess Who" was sort of a reverse request show.  Joan Marshall would play records and the folks at home see if they knew what they were.  Joan was a dancer that later was on the original pilot for the Munsters and was later on a Star Trek.  How many songs do you know?

Guess Who - 1944

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