Playlist For December 31, 2014

The playlist for the December 31, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Hop Into The New Year

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Jaredan and Jennifer, with music by DJ Jaredan.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions will be back in January at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Her Tears Flowed Like Wine

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" by Lauren Bacall and the Williams Brothers from the 1946 film The Big Sleep.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Ivy Benson And Her All Girl Orchestra

The words "Spice Girls" and "Swing Era" are not the most common association, but former Spice Girl, Melanie C, is making sure one story of the Swing Era is not forgotten.  She presented a BBC documentary on Ivy Benson and Her All Girl Orchestra, one of the leading acts in the UK during the 1940s, and will present a second documentary on the band in 2015. 

Fifty years before Victoria, Mel B, Emma, Geri and myself were talking about Girl Power, Ivy and the members of her all-girl band were risking their lives entertaining Allied troops in war-torn Europe, and fighting the battle of the sexes back at home.

While I missed the documentary, the item has made me start looking for recordings by Ms. Benson and her band.   

Sunrise Serenade: The Nutcracker Suite

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Nutcracker Suite" by Les Brown and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.
  

Merry Christmas!

From everyone here at the SSS - Merry Christmas!  The young lady in this photo from the Library of Congress certainly seems to be enjoying her Christmas morning.  I'll wager she had a happy older brother as well, since I see an open Lionel train box on the left. 

I'm taking a quick break for the holiday, but I'll be back Monday.  Have a very safe and Merry Christmas!

Playlist For December 24, 2014 - Christmas Special Part 2

The playlist for the December 24, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

The Green Lama Merry Xmas

The Golden Age posted this holiday tale from the ghosts of comics past.  The Green Lama (with one "L"  - as in an eastern holy man - as opposed to an Andean pack animal) is Jethro (yes, Jethro) Dumont, a gentile scholar of Asian lore, who becomes the mighty Green Lama to fight evil.  In this episode, he must fight a Dickens-ish miser to bring a Merry Christmas to a fishing village in "The Turn of the Scrooge." 

Sunrise Serenade: The Christmas Song

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Christmas Song" by Les Brown and His Orchestra featuring Doris Day on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Boxing Day Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Brooke and Keenan, with music by DJ Brooke.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are taking a holiday break for December, but they will be back in January at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Sculpting A Cord

The Hemmings blog noted this posting on Motor City Garage, which featured a film showing the process for sculpting a model of the 1936 Cord 810.  I have seen the same (or at least similar) equipment used for this process at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana.  The model 810 is not bad, but fortunately, the final production version of the Cord 810 turned out much better.  Unfortunately, Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg all ended production by 1937. 

Sunrise Serenade: Christmas Night In Harlem

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Christmas Night In Harlem" by Raymond Scott.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Tom And Jerry: The Night Before Christmas

For this last Friday before Christmas, I found a very nice classic Tom & Jerry (yes, the cat and mouse this time) holiday cartoon.  In this animated short from 1941, Jerry is definitely not the proverbial non-stirring mouse.  Tom actually wins, successfully kicking Jerry out of the house, only to feel the Christmas spirit, and rescue the mouse from freezing in the snow.  From the Internet Archive, here is The Night Before Christmas. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Want Your For Christmas

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I Want Your For Christmas" by Dick Robertson and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Fisher On Every Fighting Front

I saw this Fisher advertisement on Vintage Ads, and thought it was another good example of companies maintaining customer goodwill during the war, even though they were not producing consumer goods.  I particularly like the lower right portion, where traditional "Body by Fisher" slogan was updated by marking through "body" and changing it to "armament." 

Sunrise Serenade: Little Jack Frost Get Lost

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Little Jack Frost Get Lost" by Frankie Carle and His Orchestra with Marjorie Hughes on vocals.  Enjoy the video below from YouTube.

Playlist For December 17, 2014 - Christmas Special Part 1

The playlist for the December 17, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

The Phantom Reporter

Another (by today's standards) unlikely hero:  an ex-All American football player, boxing, wrestling and fencing champion, whose father left him millions, maintains a job as a cub reporter at a newspaper under a fake name, and by night becomes The Phantom Reporter, although I never see anyone in the story call him that, or anything else.  Love the Shadow/Spirit-type costume though - a suit and fedora with a mask and cape.  Posted on Four Color Shadows.

Sunrise Serenade: Swingin' Them Jingle Bells

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Swingin' Them Jingle Bells" by Fats Waller and His Rhythm.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Last Pre-Christmas Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Olivia and Justin, with music by DJ Kimmie.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are taking a holiday break for December, but they will be back in January at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Are You Hep To The Jive

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Are You Hep To The Jive" by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Santa Claus Land In Santa Claus, Indiana

I saw this item on Retro Planet a while back, but kept it ready when the appropriate season arrived.  It seems that, back in the early 1940s, a retired industrialist was disappointed, as were many children, that there was no Santa Claus in the town of Santa Claus, Indiana.  Faced with this situation, he developed the world's first theme park:  Santa Claus Land.  With construction understandably delayed by World War II, the park opened in August 1946, and kids could visit Santa, a toy shop, a restaurant and themed rides.  Admission was free, and remained so for many years.  Renamed Holiday World in the 1980s, the park is still up and running.

Sunrise Serenade: Winter Wonderland

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Winter Wonderland" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Christmas Comes But Once A Year

Time for the Christmas cartoons again.  Today we revisit one of the Fleischer Studios' Color Classics in which Grampy does a little innovation to bring Christmas joy to some orphans.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1936 animated short, Christmas Comes But Once A Year. 

Sunrise Serenade: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Blindfolded Cartoonists' Art

Boing Boing posted this item about a 1947 Life magazine article in which comic strip artists were asked to draw their most famous characters while blindfolded.  Some of the results, like Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, were not too far off from the sighted version, but some others led to interesting images.

Sunrise Serenade: When Winter Comes

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "When Winter Comes" by Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Playlist For December 10, 2014

The playlist for the December 10, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

This Week In History: December 7-13

We visit Retro Planet's Planet Retro blog again for another look at This Week In History, which includes more notable events from the Swing Era.
World News & the American Experience:

1941 – Dec 7 – “A date which will live in infamy,” Pearl Harbor Day.  1100 men are lost as America’s Pacific Fleet is attacked.  The catastrophic event leads the US to declare war and enter into World War II.

Movies & TV:

1937 – NBC Radio gets into trouble with the Federal Communications Commission for broadcasting a racy skit with Mae West.  As a consequence, West is banned from its airwaves for 15 years.

1948 – The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program is broadcast for the first time on NBC TV.

Music & Radio:

1926 – Benny Goodman’s first recording session takes place (at age 17).  He plays clarinet with the Ben Pollack and his Californians.

1944 – The Chesterfield Supper Club premieres on NBC radio.

1949 – Fats Domino records his first songs for Imperial Records, starting with “The Fat Man”.

Arts & Entertainment:

1939 – Betty Grable is featured on the cover of LIFE.

1949 – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Carol Channing, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.

Sports:

1937 – The Red Sox acquired the contract of 19-year-old Ted Williams.

1939 – Lou Gehrig, 36, is elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Technology & Inventions:

1931 – Coaxial cable is patented.

1945 – The Microwave oven is patented by Dr. Percy Spencer of Raytheon Corp.

Sunrise Serenade: Christmas Medley

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Christmas Medley" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Only Two More Hopping Days 'Til Christmas

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Meghan and Ceasar, with music by DJ Alexis.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are taking a holiday break for December, but they will be back in January at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Tabby The Cat

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Tabby The Cat" by Anita O'Day with Stan Kenton and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

TCM In December

Well, it is a little late due to my break, but better late than never with the Hollywood Revue's preview of December programming on Turner Classic Movies.  In addition to holiday favorites, the Star of the Month is Cary Grant, with his films airing every Monday night. 

Sunrise Serenade: An Old Fashioned Tree

I'm back from break, and the Christmas music has started to infiltrate my unconscious.  This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "An Old Fashioned Tree" by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Playlist For December 3, 2014

The playlist for the December 3, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Happy Thanksgiving! And A Holiday Break

We here at the SSS wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a very safe holiday season.  This November 1942 image from the Library of Congress shows a family in Neffsville, Pennsylvania beginning their holiday feast. 

With the start of the holidays, I will be reducing SSS operations for a week or so.  Full posting will resume on Monday, December 8.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Playlist For November 26, 2014

The playlist for the November 26, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

This Week In History

RetroPlanet's Planet Retro Blog posts a weekly "Retro History" item, and this week is full of all sorts of interesting anniversaries from the Swing Era, in a variety of areas.  
World News & the American Experience:

1930 – Ruth Nichols becomes the first woman pilot on a transcontinental flight from New York to California.  It took 7 days.

1942 – A tragic fire at the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, MA kills nearly 500 people.

Movies & TV:

1940 – Woody Woodpecker is seen for the first time in the theatrical short Knock Knock.

1942 – Casablanca premieres at Hollywood Theatre in New York City.

1948 – Hopalong Cassidy premieres on TV.
Music & Radio:

1932 – Groucho Marx performs on radio for the first time.

1944 – The FBI in Peace and War is broadcast by CBS radio for the first time.

1949 – Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, by Gene Autry, becomes the musical hit of the Christmas season.

1956 – Bandleader Tommy Dorsey dies at the age of 51. His records sold more than 110,000,000 copies.

Arts & Entertainment:

1936 – The first issue of Life magazine, created by Henry R. Luce, is published.

Technology & Inventions:

1944 – Johns Hopkins Hospital performs the first open heart surgery.

1948 – The Zoomar Lens is patented by Dr. Frank G. Back of New York City.  It becomes a popular lens most often used in television production.

1948 – The first Polaroid camera is sold.

Sunrise Serenade: A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid" by Fats Waller and His Rhythm.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Red Hot Black Friday Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Angela and Pip, with music by DJ EJ.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Found A New Baby

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Found A New Baby" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Myrna Loy In Suspense Radio Role

Myrna Loy, costar of The Thin Man series with William Powell, appears here in a 1945 episode of the radio series Suspense called "The Library Book".  Posted on 20th Century Radio. 

Sunrise Serenade: Limehouse Blues

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Limehouse Blues" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Jerky Turkey

This Friday before Thanksgiving, we once again invite the great Tex Avery to tell the story of a simple Pilgrim looking for that first Thanksgiving Day meal, and throw in a pack of World War II era jokes to boot.  From the Internet Archive, the 1945 animated short, Jerky Turkey.

Sunrise Serenade: Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Holiday Swing: PB&Jammies December 5

The Germantown Performing Arts Center has hosted its youth music education series - Peanut Butter & Jam - for 20 years now.  On December 5 at 6:00 p.m., GPAC will ring and swing in the holidays with a special Peanut Butter & Jammies show, featuring big band holiday music and other swing with Jeremy Shrader and the New Memphis Hepcats.  The swing kids can dress in their favorite jammies, and milk and cookies will be served afterward.  I may just show up for the cookies!

Sunrise Serenade: You Dyed Your Hair Chartreuse

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "You Dyed Your Hair Chartreuse" by Louis Jordan.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Playlist for November 19, 2014

The playlist for the November 19, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Swinging On The Old Sod

This recent story on the BBC brought a smile to my face.  While my interest in Swing music began when I was in high school, it was not always at the level it is today.  For many years starting in the early 1990's, I was (and still am) a dedicated fan of Celtic music, the traditional music of the Celtic lands - Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, and Galicia (in Spain).  The "craic" was grand at many a ceilidh and Celtic festival I attended, and I am honored to count among my acquaintances a few big names in the world of Celtic music.  Imagine my surprise, then, to find that Erin's Isle has started to swing, with the Lindy Hop (rather than a jig or reel) prevailing on a few Irish dance floors.

Sunrise Serenade: Git Along

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Git Along" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session features live music from Davy Ray at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Five dollar admission before 7:00 and $7 thereafter.  Lesson by Olivia and Jim.  Dress like you are going out! 

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Pop Goes The Weasel

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Pop Goes The Weasel" by the Merry Macs.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Sunrise Serenade: Ta-hu-wa-hu-wai (a/k/a Hawaiian War Chant)

It's a bit late, but this morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Ta-hu-wa-hu-wai" by the Merry Macs.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The End Of Der Atlantik Wall

I started posting images from the Nazi propaganda filmstrip, Der Atlantik Wall, right after the 70th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day) on June 6, 1944.  My purpose in posting these photos was not only to provide what appears to be an inside look into the German military-industrial complex during World War II, but also to demonstrate the massive obstacles that Allied forces overcame during and after the invasion of Europe.  We have now come to the end of the film, appropriately enough, during the week of Veterans Day.  I omitted a few pictures as redundant or just boring, but otherwise, you have seen the entire filmstrip.  We end with the last three photos:  a U-boat tucked safely in its underground pen, an artillery emplacement firing, and the final frame of the film, the Nazi eagle.  I hope you found these photos as interesting as I did. 

Sunrise Serenade: Rock And Roll

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Rock And Roll" by the Boswell Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For November 12, 2014 - Fall Pledge Drive Special

The playlist for the November 12, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle Fall Pledge Drive Special - "New For 1934!" - has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Hop Off The Cold With A Red Hot Lindy

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Brooke and Phil, with music by DJ Alexis.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Swing Shift Shuffle Fall Pledge Drive Special Tonight - New For 1934!

WEVL is just a little over halfway through our Fall Pledge Drive, and included in our special programming is tonight's Swing Shift Shuffle Pledge Drive Special:  "New For 1934!"  All the songs in tonight's show were recorded in 1934, and many have never been played on the show before.  Tune in at 6:00 p.m. for an 80 year trip back in time, and help WEVL reach its goal of $67,000.  Thanks for listening and supporting WEVL!

Sunrise Serenade: Are You Livin' Old Man?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Are You Livin' Old Man?" by Anita O'Day.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Veteran's Day And Hedy Lamarr's 100th Birthday

At 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918 - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - the Allies signed a ceasefire agreement with Germany bringing The Great War a/k/a World War I to an end.  Known as Armistice Day for many years, it became a day to remember the fallen of that war.  In the U.S., Armistice Day eventually became Veteran's Day, a day to honor living veterans of all conflicts, while Memorial Day in May became the designated day to honor the fallen.  In Europe, November 11 is still Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day in the UK, and it is still dedicated to the fallen. 

The above photo, from the Library of Congress, shows an Army mechanic working on a truck.  I once heard a theory that the four machines that won World War II were not guns, tanks, planes or other armaments, but rather the C-47 cargo plane, the landing craft, the bulldozer and the 2 1/2 ton truck.  It was these machines that enabled men and supplies to get where they needed to be, and so the work this soldier performs on this truck is just as important as a front line soldier, because without food and ammunition, those at the front could not do much.

Today is also the 100th birthday of Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, a/k/a Hedy Lamarr.  Aside from being one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the screen, in 1942, she patented a method for remote radio control of torpedoes that led to technology we still use today in our smart phones. 

Sunrise Serenade: Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn" by Bunny Berigan.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Holiday Classics at The Majestic Grille

The holidays are almost upon us, and The Majestic Grille is getting into the spirit with the return of its classic holiday films for Sunday Supper and a Movie. 

Sunrise Serenade: Undecided

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Undecided" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Jack Frost

Since the leaves are starting to change and the cool weather has finally arrived, this encore from 2011 seemed appropriate.  In this 1934 animated short from Ub Iwerks, a young grizzly bear ignores the warnings of Jack Frost, and underestimates the chilling power of Old Man Winter.  Carl Stalling, of future Warner Bros. fame, provided the musical score.  From the Internet Archive, here is Jack Frost.

Sunrise Serenade: Cherokee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Cherokee" by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Batteries Of Der Atlantik Wall



Our tour of the Nazi propaganda filmstrip Der Atlantik Wall is starting its final leg, and after last week's scenes of U-boat pens, we now have fortified bunkers  The top bunker even was apparently even named Batterie Todt after the Organization Todt that constructed it.  There is no indication whether the artillery emplacement in the lower photo is the other side of this bunker or not.

Sunrise Serenade: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For November 5, 2014

The playlist for the November 5, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Rangers Of Freedom VS. Superbrian!

According to Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, Rangers of Freedom was a short lived series about "teenagers in fancy outfits with sharks fins on their heads," whose constant enemy was the evil genius, Superbrain, complete with his oversized cranium.  Pappy's posted this ROF adventure from 1940.

Sunrise Serenade: You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" by Bing Crosby.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Keep Warm With Red Hot Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Erin and Justin, with music by DJ Justin.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: At The Woodchopper's Ball

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "At The Woodchopper's Ball" by Woody Herman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

TCM In November

The Hollywood Revue posted its regular monthly preview of Turner Classic Movies programming.  The Star of the Month is a group, specifically the stars of the silent era, such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow, Mary Pickford, etc.  The Friday Night Spotlight will be on road movies. 

Sunrise Serenade: Swanee River

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Swanee River" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Happy Halloween! There's Good Boos Tonight

For Halloween, I thought this encore from 2010 featuring  Casper the Friendly Ghost would be appropriate.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1948 animated short, There's Good Boos Tonight.

Sunrise Serenade: Don't Get Around Much Anymore

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by the Ink Spots.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

U-Boats Along The Atlantic Wall

After the "human interest" photos depicted in the last two postings on this topic, the Nazi propaganda filmstrip Der Atlantik Wall returns to more imposing military/industrial scenes.  I find the two pictures below especially interesting because they depict U-boat pens, the sheltered submarine bunkers from which German Admiral Karl Doenitz launched his coordinated "wolfpack" attacks against Allied convoys carrying vital supplies to Britain and the Soviet Union.  The first photo shows the aft deck of a U-boat is in the foreground, while the second shows the scale of the U-boat bases.

Sunrise Serenade: Barnyard Boogie

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Barnyard Boogie" by Louis Jordan.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For October 29, 2014

The playlist for the October 29, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Universal Studios Horror Movie Stills

Just in time for Halloween, The Golden Age posted a series of 1931-1944 publicity stills from Universal Studios horror movies.  All the big names are here:  Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, et al.

Sunrise Serenade: Satchel Mouth Baby

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Satchel Mouth Baby" by the Nat King Cole Quartet.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Hot Hop Halloween

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Keenan and Camille, with music by DJ Camille.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Sweet Lorraine

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sweet Lorraine" by the Nat King Cole Trio.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

It Is A Housecar

Back in September, the Hemmings blog posted two related items about the Brooks Stevens motorhomes.  The first posting noted that a modified version of a Brooks Stevens was for sale at Hemmings, at a price of $150,000 (photo below).  The second provided a history of the Brooks Stevens vehicles.  Apparently, while driving one to the New York World's Fair in 1940, Stevens was pulled over in Manhattan for driving a commercial vehicle on Fifth Avenue.  Stevens replied, "This, Officer, is not a truck.  It is a housecar."  He then made his way to the fairgrounds, where NBC interviewed him in a live broadcast. 

Sunrise Serenade: Moonglow

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Moonglow" by Benny Goodman.  Enjoy the video below from YouTube.

Little Lulu: Cad And Caddy

Here is an encore from 2012 and Famous Studios featuring Little Lulu.  In this 1947 cartoon, Lulu gets the shaft when a golfer who hired her to caddy fires her without payment.  She and her frog, Qunicy, soon collect the compensation.  From the Internet Archive, here is Cad And Caddy.

Sunrise Serenade: The Honeydripper

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Honeydripper" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Life Working On Der Atlantik Wall

Continuing our tour of the German defenses along the North Atlantic coast of Europe, as depicted in the Nazi propaganda filmstrip, Der Atlantik Wall, we now see scenes of the life supposedly enjoyed by those working on the wall.  These men appear to be members of Organization Todt, who were construction workers, but who also served as a military unit.  In the first photo, an "Org. Todt" armband is clear on the central figure.  The fact that their uniforms are not actually uniform suggests that they were not regular military.  The second picture shows a scene of "barracks life," while the third may have been intended to demonstrate the good care workers received if they were injured on the job.  I cannot think of another likely purpose for that photograph considering the context.