Playlist For September 30, 2015

The playlist for the September 30, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Red Hot Lindy Hoptober!

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 Jason and Bethany with music by DJ Bethany.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The University of Memphis RHLH chapter hosts a free beginner swing dance lesson every Monday (except school holidays) in Room 254 of the Roane Field House.  Beginner lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and social dancing and practice until 9:30.  More information here. 

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

Sunrise Serenade: Shim Sham Shimmy

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Shim Sham Shimmy" by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Victory Stamp Corsage

Dull Tool Dim Bulb posts a lot of old, handmade folk art, and this World War II stamp corsage caught my eye.  It is made of nine, 10 cent postal "savings" stamps, which were redeemable for War Bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. 

Sunrise Serenade: South Of The Border

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "South Of The Border" by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Knit Your Bit, Kids!

The National World War II Museum posted this item on the "Knit Your Bit" campaign.  Knitting was a popular home front activity during the war that provided both useful goods to the troops, and a "calming distraction" for civilians that could also help the war effort.  It was also easy for kids to learn, allowing them to contribute as well.  The most needed items knitted?  Socks. 

Sunrise Serenade: Bugle Call Rag

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Bugle Call Rag" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For September 23, 2015

The playlist for the September 23, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Once again, The Hollywood Revue has reviewed another of my favorite movies, The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934).  Aside from Leslie Howard in the title role, the film stars Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey.  Best remembered as playing Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind, Howard is (in my opinion) much better as a English aristocrat than a Southern gentleman.  Massey plays Citizen Chauvelin, an agent of the French government who pursues the Pimpernel; and who becomes one of those cold-blooded but charming villains that you start to respect during the film.

Sunrise Serenade: Oh, Lady Be Good

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

Hop Into Fall

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 Mike and Joy with music by DJ Joy.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The University of Memphis RHLH chapter hosts a free beginner swing dance lesson every Monday (except school holidays) in Room 254 of the Roane Field House.  Beginner lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and social dancing and practice until 9:30.  More information here. 

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

Sunrise Serenade: The Way You Look Tonight

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "The Way You Look Tonight" by Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra with Billie Holiday on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

The Strange Twins

As Four Color Shadows noted, the heroes of this 1941 comic - the Strange Twins - have a complicated backstory.  One of the identical twins was kidnapped at birth, and raised by a pirate.  The other brother was eventually sent to prison for his brother's crimes.  After his release from prison, that brother becomes a police inspector, and goes searching for his twin.  He finds him, reforms him, and they fight crime together, apparently using their identical features to thwart criminals.

Sunrise Serenade: My Little Cousin

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "My Little Cousin" by Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Break Time

The SSS is taking a break this week for a little Late Summer/Early Fall shutdown.  We'll be back next week. 

Popeye The Sailor - She Sick Sailors

There is a little cross marketing in this 1944 animated short.  Olive Oyl is entranced by Superman, so Bluto disguised himself as the Man of Steel to win her affections.  At one point, the cartoon even uses the music from the Superman cartoons.  Being a Popeye cartoon, however, we all know how it turns out for Bluto.  From the Internet Archive, here is She Sick Sailors.

Sunrise Serenade: And The Angels Sing

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "And The Angels Sing" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra featuring Martha Tilton on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Satchel Page & A Packard

Here is the great, and dapperly dressed, pitcher Satchel Paige relaxing with a smoke on the bumper of a 1940 Packard, posted on Rivet Head. 

Sunrise Serenade: Fare You Well

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Fare You Well" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Playlist For September 9, 2015

The playlist for the September 9, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Former Army Mechanic Becomes Longest Reigning British Monarch

Today, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning British monarch in history, surpassing her great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria.  In honor of that occasion, I remembered this post from 2012, that cited a Hemmings blog item that included this World War II British newsreel about then Princess Elizabeth's service in the Army as a driver and mechanic.

Sunrise Serenade: Lazy Bones

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Lazy Bones" by the Casa Loma Orchestra with help from Louis Armstrong on vocals and trumpet.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Hop On Downtown

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 & Erin with music by DJ Monica.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The University of Memphis RHLH chapter hosts a free beginner swing dance lesson every Monday (except school holidays) in Room 254 of the Roane Field House.  Beginner lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and social dancing and practice until 9:30.  More information here. 

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

Sunrise Serenade: No Strings

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "No Strings" by Leo Reisman And His Orchestra featuring Fred Astaire on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Teachers Pest

Since school has started up again, this encore from 2012 seemed appropriate.  This Noveltoon from Paramount Pictures in 1950 features a young owl on his first day at school outwitting a wolf.  From the Internet Archive, here is Teacher's Pest.

Sunrise Serenade: Murder, He Says

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Murder, He Says" by the Four Vagabonds.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

The Real "Cooler King"

Last week, the last Australian survivor of the "great escape" from a German POW camp during World War II died.  The 1963 film The Great Escape, which featured a rich cast of stars (Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, etc.), immortalized the event.  This week, the BBC did a story on William Ash, an American pilot who flew for the RAF, took part in the Great Escape, and who served as the model for Steve McQueen's character in the film. 

Sunrise Serenade: Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For September 2, 2015

The playlist for the September 2, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Roy Rogers - True Story

According to Four Color Shadows, Roy Rogers was already in comic books by another publisher when this issue came out in 1947.  It seems the publisher of this comic got around that problem by telling the true story of how Rogers got into acting and became the King of the Cowboys.  In that way, the comic was essentially a biography of a public figure.  This comic also includes Trigger, who was no stranger to the big screen even before Rogers bought him.  Trigger's first major screen role, under his birth name Golden Cloud, was the mount for Maid Marion, played by Olivia de Haviland, in the 1938 film, The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn.

Sunrise Serenade: Truckin'

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

Labor Day Weekend 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 Caesar & Jeska with music by DJ Jeska.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The University of Memphis RHLH chapter hosts a free beginner swing dance lesson every Monday (except school holidays) in Room 254 of the Roane Field House.  Beginner lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and social dancing and practice until 9:30.  More information here. 

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

Sunrise Serenade: South American Way

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "South American Way" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.