Originally broadcast live on January 23, 1945 from the Trianon Ballroom, Southgate, California... this track features Horace Heidt (Photo) and his Musical Knights orchestra with a mix of Big Band instrumentals and vocals. This is an Armed Forces Radio Service recording and as such is of a very good quality. Enjoy a flashback... or an introduction to some good Big Band radio programming on Heirloom Radio a Different Kind of Oldies Program

In 1980 the Mutual Broadcasting System attempted to resurrect radio drama with this 5 night a week series entitled The Mutual Radio Theater. It was sponsored by Sears Roebuck and featured a different genre introduced by a different star Monday-Friday. This show's host is Lorne Green of TV's Bonanza fame... and the genre is a Western starring Tony Tennille (of the Captain and Tennille singing duo) making her dramatic acting appearance. The story? "The Legend of Gibson Holler"... April 21, 1980

A program written for the post-WWII paranoia about communists, spies, espionage, etc. Featured tough-guy actor Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell... some sort of a secret agent working for an unnamed government agency... traveling around the world immersed in the seedy world of espionage, trying to protect America. Mystery-Adventure series. "Saigon - Sunken Ships" July 16, 1949

Big Band live remotes were very popular beginning as far back as 1923! They reached the top of their popularity in the 1940's, especially during WW II when the Armed Forces Radio Services broadcast to our troops overseas. Generally broadcasting from Boston, LA, NYC, San Francisco or Chicago... from some ballroom, restaurant or club. This track features clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and band leader Woody Herman from the Cafe' Rouge room at the Hotel Pennsylvania in NYC.... Pennsylvania 6-5000! Vocals by Herman and Frances Wayne.

Gordon McCrae is the host, but also is the star in this show's radio version of the 1945 Rogers and Hammerstein Broadway sensation, "Carousel". All the hit songs are in this show... and they are done very well. McCrae had a wonderful voice. In 1956 he starred with Shirley Jones in the film version of the same show. Very entertaining and well done program. The Railroad Hour was the show's name because it was sponsored by the American Railroads... and the funny thing is that the show was NOT an hour long... Give it a listen.

The humor is as fresh today as it was 73 years ago... the topic is different...but the humor is still there! Jack, Phil, Dennis, Rochester, Mary, Don... the whole gang is here to entertain you with a 1944 episode that includes a skit where Dennis Day is asked to play Hitler and Tojo (dual role)... remember this was aired during WW II, 6 months before "D-Day". Jack Benny had the most popular show on radio and one listen, then you will know why.

Les Brown's orchestra (The Band of Renown)... was responsible for keeping the big band tradition going through decades. The band originally was heard on the Bob Hope radio show.. but they did many broadcasts beyond that and this track features an Armed Forces Radio Service 15 minute broadcast from May 25, 1944 from a military hospital in Woodrow Wilson General Hospital in Virginia. Vocalists heard on the broadcast were Gordon Drake, Butch Stone, and Doris Day. This is a very entertaining 15 minute listening experience.... start your toes tapping now.... Here comes Les Brown and the Band of Renown on Heirloom Radio a different kind of oldies program....

Chester Lauck and Norris Goff star as "Lum 'n Abner" in this Golden Age of Radio classic folk-comedy program. Set in the small town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas... Lauck and Goff created a show that ran for 23 years (1931-1954) performing over 1000 shows! The intro to the track will give you more details about the show. This track is two connected episodes edited back to back. The first one is "The Pine Ridge Matrimonial Bureau is Swamped with Mail" and was aired on 1.12.1935. The second part of the story is "Operating the Pine Ridge Matrimonial Bureau" aire 1.18.1935. Each episode runs 15 mins. Parts 3 and 4 to this series can be found on Heirloom Radio as well. Enjoy... these are wonderfully simply and down-to-earth folks in a time that was far simpler than the world we live in today!

Parts 3 and 4 (Parts 1 + 2 can be found as a track on this site) of the story of the Matrimonial Bureau in Pine Ridge Arkansas... Broadcasts on Jan 22 and 23, 1935. This track has just the two episodes edited together, each about 15 minutes, without any narration prior to the start of the track. The story of the Matrimonial Bureau and all the problems that come with starting it up and keeping it running in the little country town of Pine Ridge... is told wonderfully with Lum 'n Abner and many of their friends from Pine Ridge. (Note: Both Lauck and Goff did more than one voice often playing 3 or more characters in the same story)

A terrific trumpeter, Henry Busse leads his orchestra in a broadcast that originated from the Hollywood Palladium on Sept. 21. 1944 as part of the Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast to troops serving overseas in WW II. This is a combination of swing and dance music with a few vocal numbers heard to round out the program. The music is quite good and if you have never heard of Henry Busse... there is a detailed intro about him before the show begins...