Playlist For August 31, 2016

The playlist for the August 31, 2016 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

TCM In September

It is time once again for the preview of TCM programming from The Hollywood Revue.  Gene Hackman is the Star of the Month, and there will be a salute to the late Gene Wilder.  TCM will also be doing a spotlight on slapstick comedy every Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Sunrise Serenade: Limehouse Blues

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Limehouse Blues" by Ambrose and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Red Hot 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 Jason and Angela with music by DJ Ben.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

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.

Learn about the University of Memphis RHLH chapter and events here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Petootie Pie

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Petootie Pie" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Curtis Howe Springer And Zzyzx Road

Off Interstate 15 in San Bernadino County, California, is a 4.5 mile long rural road known as Zzyzx Road.  I have never seen it, heard of it, or to my knowledge, ever been near it.  This item on Boing Boing, however, provided such an interesting story, and one with its origins in the Swing Era, that it merited posting. 

At the end of Zzyzx Road lies Zzyzx, founded by 1940's radio evangelist, snake-oil salesman and all-around con man, Curtis Howe Springer.  From Road Trippers:

Curtis Howe Springer was one of those old-timey radio evangelists, way back in the day. However, he wasn't actually a minister of any kind. He was born in 1896 in Birmingham, Alabama, and spent much of his early life convincing people he was a doctor. . . .

  Throughout his life Curtis also claimed to be a boxing teacher in the U.S. Army, the "Dean of Greer College" (a defunct/bankrupt school in Chicago), he was a rabble-rouser during Prohibition (he was in favor of it, and railed against "Demon Rum"). He also loved making up universities. Like "National Academy, The Springer School of Humanism, the American College of Doctors and Surgeons, the Westlake West Virginia College, and two non-existent osteopathy schools in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. . . ."

 Curtis founded several health spas during the 1930s and 1940s. . . .  However, Curtis really hated paying taxes, so most of his "spas" were seized by the Feds. Then in 1944, Curtis hooked up with a new lady and she filed a claim to 12,800 acres of Mojave Desert in California. Springer named the land Zzyzx Mineral Springs resort. The purpose was so that it would be known as "the last word in health," and to build his resort he hired a bunch of homeless men from L.A.'s infamous Skid Row.

 Springer even faked the hot spring! Seriously! He used a boiler to heat pools around the resort, which ultimately included a 60-room hotel, spa, mineral baths, a radio studio, and a church, of course. So, even though he wasn't a minister or a doctor, over 200 radio stations carried his program. Listeners would send in donations for his "cures", which he claimed could relieve constipation, hemorrhoids, hair loss and, oh yeah, cancer. However, what people were getting was, well, actually a bit better than snake oil. It was mostly celery, carrot and parsley juices.

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.

Betty Boop: Poor Cinderella

I was surprised to discover that I have not posted this cartoon before now.  This 1934 Fleischer Bros. animated short was the only time Betty Boop appeared in color, which may be why the Fleischers chose to make her hair red just for this occasion.  From the Internet Archive, here is Poor Cinderella.

Sunrise Serenade: Begin The Beguine

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Begin The Beguine" by the Andrews Sisters.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

The Ghost On Mars

As Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine points out, the plot of this 1941 The Ghost episode has more elements than the periodic table.  The Ghost is a wizard with a cape, who gets sent to Mars, through a time machine, to find red Martian rocks that are essential to America's defense, and discovers little Martian men with ray guns, ruled by a tall blond. 

Sunrise Serenade: Fairy Tales

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Fairy Tales" by the Mills Brothers with Ella Fitzgerald.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Playlist For August 24, 2016

The playlist for the August 24, 2016 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: I've Got My Fingers Crossed

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I've Got My Fingers Crossed" by Fats Waller and His Rhythm.  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 continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night with live music from the Harlequin Jazz Band.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. and $7 admission.  Lesson by Ceasar and Monica with music by DJ Monica during band breaks.

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 Field House.  Beginner lesson at 7:30 p.m.  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: Baby, Are You Kiddin'

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Baby, Are You Kiddin'" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

WMPS Postcard

I saw this circa 1930's-40's radio station postcard while browsing around American Radio History.  The call letters for radio station WMPS stood for "Memphis Press Scimitar," which was once one of the daily newspapers that served the city.  Although the newspaper is gone, the station is still around, and up until about five years ago, it had an "adult standards" format (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc.). 

Sunrise Serenade: Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

1930's-40's Pulp Fiction Covers

I have no idea of the stories in these 1930's-40's pulp fiction books were any good, but the cover art always makes me want to read them.  The Golden Age posted this series of pulp fiction covers from a number of different genres, including crime, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, war and even western.

Sunrise Serenade: Harlem Holiday

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Harlem Holiday" by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 17, 2016

The playlist for the August 17, 2016 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Silly Putty's WW2 Origins

The title of this post on the National World War II Museum site may be slightly misleading, in that it led me to think that Silly Putty was both invented during WW2, and served some purpose during the war effort.  Stranger things have happened.  Only the latter is accurate.  Like many other great inventions, Silly Putty was an accident:  a failed attempt to create artificial rubber (certainly useful to the war effort) that bounced when accidentally dropped, so meriting a patent.  The rest is history.

Sunrise Serenade: Chinatown

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

Hop In And Dry Out

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 Jim 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 Field House.  Beginner lesson at 7:30 p.m.  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: And The Angels Sing

Today'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. 

Hacking Myrna Loy?

Paleofuture posted another fine of example of how little times change.  While the term "hacking" may not have been used in the 1930's to describe invading someone's privacy, it was still done, and in a manner that is not too different from today.  This post explains how someone hacked Myrna Loy's home and work telephone in 1938.  As is the case today, the weakest point in the security was not the technology, but the people. 

Sunrise Serenade: Rhythm Is Our Business

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

Sunrise Serenade: It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Phantasmo

I can always find a new hero in classic comics.  This time it is Phantasmo, who is essentially omnipotent.  He mentally projects a caped version of himself out of his body, and that version can - as far as I can tell - do anything.  In this story, posted on Four Color Shadows, the projected Phantasmo flies off the Empire State Building to save a suicidal army officer, then flies to Panama, and lifts a burning cargo ship to the top of a mountain.  His only apparent weakness is, when he projects himself, his physical body just locks up and goes stiff, resulting in medics carting him off to the morgue. 

Sunrise Serenade: Straighten Up And Fly Right

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Straighten Up And Fly Right" by the Nat King Cole Trio.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For August 10, 2016

The playlist for the August 10, 2016 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

American Radio History

While doing some research for a broadcast of the SSS, a friend referred me to American Radio History.  This site features thousands of searchable scanned copies of broadcasting, technical and early radio magazines from the dawn of radio into the 1980's.  I was looking through copies of Billboard from the 1940's for tour schedules ("skeds") of swing orchestras ("orks"), and found fascinating insights into the era. 

Sunrise Serenade: Moonglow

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

Back To School 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 Jason and Anna with music by DJ Anna.

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 Field House.  Beginner lesson at 7:30 p.m.  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: La Cumparsita

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "La Cumparsita" by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Television Is Coming

Being in the advertising industry during World War II must have been a surreal experience, especially if your clients were manufacturers of durable goods.  All large scale production was under government contract cranking out the arsenal of democracy, and nobody had anything to sell to the general public, so what did one advertise?  The promise of a brighter tomorrow.  Paleofuture posted this 1945 ad from Detrola Radio, with hints of the newest gadget, television. 

Sunrise Serenade: In The Mood

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "In The Mood" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Marriage Wows

This encore from 2012 is a "Screen Song" story of wedding attended by a menagerie of animals, with a bouncing ball sing-a-long of "Me And My Gal" in the middle.  There is a surprise reveal of the bride at the end.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1949 short Marriage Wows.

Sunrise Serenade: Hip Hip Hooray

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Hip Hip Hooray" by the Four Vagabonds.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Sunrise Serenade: He Ain't Got Rhythm

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "He Ain't Got Rhythm" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra featuring Jimmy Rushing on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For August 3, 2016

The playlist for the August 3, 2016 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Beat The Heat With The 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 Josey and Angela with music by DJ Josey.

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 Field House.  Beginner lesson at 7:30 p.m.  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: Murder, He Says

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Murder, He Says" by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Sunrise Serenade: Run Joe

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Run Joe" by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

August On TCM

Time again for The Hollywood Revue's preview of programming on Turner Classic Movies.  August is Summer Under The Stars month, and there are a lot of options for fans of "pre-code" films from the early to mid-1930s.  Stars featured include Jean Harlow, Fay Wray, Jean Arthur and others. 

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.