July 24, 2026

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/24/26 Edition

Show Notes
Transcript

On this week’s show: a few Johnny Mercer tunes, a bandleader who didn't know who the real star was, some swinging polkas—this and many more great songs and stories to cherish and enjoy on the program.

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It's make believe ballroom time. Put all your cares away.

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All the bands are here to bring good cheer your way.

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It's make belief ballroom time and free to everyone.

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It's no time to friend your dalis.

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Said by.

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Yours.

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Close your eyes and visual lie in your solitude. Your

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favorite bands are on the stands.

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And mister Miller, what you're in the mood?

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It's make believe ballroom time.

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We are a sweet romance. Is you make the ballroom?

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Come on, Joe the last.

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Dass last, Hello world, I'm Jeff Presler, turning on the

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lights of the Make Believe Ballroom and welcoming you into

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my Crystal studio for another program of classic big band

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music from the nineteen thirties and forties. Please get ready

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as I play for you some amazing jazz, swing, blues,

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and boogie woogie favorites. Folks, you're listening to the Make

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Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since nineteen thirty five, and

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to welcome, Welcome, Welcome, one and all. Not actually in

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the Crystal studio today, but once again broadcasting from the

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J One Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and thanks for

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joining me. When one thinks of the make believe ballroom.

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Hopefully you envision or the top name band playing in

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the nineteen thirties or forties hotel ballroom and the audience

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being comprised of swing enthusiasts and young dancers. Now in

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order to dance properly to some it comes naturally well.

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To others, they have to take dance lessons before cutting

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a rug.

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Life was so peaceful at the laundry. Life was so

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calm and serene. Life was tragging to that unlucky day

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I happened to read that magazine. Why did I read

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that advertisement where it's s since our room but Red's

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example blind? Why did I ever try? When I didn't

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have the talent, I didn't have the money.

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And teacher did not have the time.

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Arthur Murray taught me dancing in a hurry.

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I had a weak despair.

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He showed me the groundwork to walking around work and

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told me to take it from there. Arthur Murray then

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advised me not to worry. It had come out alright.

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To my way of thinking, it came out stinking. I

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don't know my left for my right. The people around

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me can't all sing. I want a two and a

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three for any resemblance to Walt sing if just coincid

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dental with me, because got the married, got me dancing,

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and I hurried, and so I took a chance to me.

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It resembles a nine day trembles, but he guarantees it's

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a dance. My tangle resembles a two steps. My rumble

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makes people turn pale I Nga goes into a goose

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step till a f b I it's dogging my trail

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because I got the murried, got me dancing, and I hurry.

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Maybe the stars were wrong.

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If I ain't a minister Russet Saint Dennis, I'll do

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until one comes along. Turkey trot uga bad, don't go which,

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don't know what jitter buck bunny. How long as you

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cut a rug, Lindy hop till you drop all of

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jack back to back, cheek the cheek till you're weak.

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Now you've heard of pavloa will Jack move over?

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Make way for the whoo of the d.

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From Columbia Records, we just heard the Wonderful Mildred Bailey

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along with Red Norvo and his orchestra. Music by Vic Scherzinger,

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Lyrics by Johnny Mercer author Murray taught me to dance

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in a hurry, recorded back in nineteen forty two. And

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I'm sure a lot of you old timers out there

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might actually remember the old author Murray dance lessons on

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TV along with his wife Catherine. And if I'm not mistaken,

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that song was from the film The Fleet's in which

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I am double checking on monitor and computer number two

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here as I speak, Yes it was, And also from

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that film another Shirt Singer Mercer collaboration. This one a

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big band, They're a standard and I have it on

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computer number two, ready to go.

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Tangent she is all the claim with her.

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Eyes of nine and lips as bright as flames, tang

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Injury when she dances bar Senoritas st and Cavalierra's.

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Side and love scene.

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Tolls to Tangerine raised in every bar across the o Gentine.

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Yes, she has them all over.

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Run, but her heart belongs to just one. Her heart

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belongs alongs to time.

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Read Tanjury.

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She is all they say with mascarret iron shackled by

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day shade Tanjury, with her lips of blame. If the

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color keeps Louis Philips to blame.

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And I've seen goes on Tangerine, where the label.

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Says from Macy's Mezzanie, Yeah, she's got the guys in

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the world, but she's only pulling one girl.

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She's only pooling.

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Tanger Cherzinger and Mercer's Tangerine by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra,

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vocal by Bob every and Helen O'Connell one in nineteen

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forty two's top hits, spending six weeks at number one

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on the National Singles Sale Charts, and performed by the

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Dorsey Band in the aforementioned musical The Fleet's In And

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of course many of you may also remember the very

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popular also I think a number one hit, the Von

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Monroe version. I'm Jeff Bresler, and thanks for joining me

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today on this edition of The Make Believe Ballroom. I

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didn't intend on playing Tangerine, so let's get back on

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track here, and what better way than with the tune

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from Fletcher. Henderson's brother Horace and his orchestra.

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Came over that.

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The words.

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A Little.

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Recorded in New York City on October third, nineteen thirty three,

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this one via Parlophone Records, Horace Henderson and his Orchestra

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with many the moacher's wedding day. I never knew many

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of the moucher got married or well, I probably would

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have sent the gift a gift in care of cab callaway.

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Folks.

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Now here's a story about Mini the Moucher. She was

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a red hot hooch couture. She was the roughest tough Israel,

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but many had a hard as big as.

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A hayway Holy.

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Ho ho ho hold ty hid hi oh.

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Now she messed around with a blow name smoking.

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She loved him though he was cookie.

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He took her down to chiin a towny shoulder.

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Hor a king the gong around show.

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That had a king the.

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Gone around hordy ho.

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Ho ho hodi hai.

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Hony weibobo oh hold.

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Now she had a dream about the King of sweeping.

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He gave up thing that she was needing.

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He gave her a home fill of gol.

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And steal on time and coming the.

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Platinum Why honey won away honey who away oh baby

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oh bab woo.

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How hello oh.

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Now he gave her his townhous and his race and horses.

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Each meal she ate was a dozen cossuins.

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She had a million dollars worth of.

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Nickels, and dimes, and she sat around.

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And counting them all the million times.

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Horty hoarty, hody ho woo, many oh many, hoty way,

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holyway oh Wow.

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From Brunswick Records. Mini the Moocher by Cab Callowey and

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his Orchestra vocal by Cab, recorded in New York City,

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March third, nineteen thirty one, just two years before Horace

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Henderson married her off. The legendary Mini the Moucher Let

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me spend another disc and then a letter from a listener.

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Along the Delmarva Peninsula.

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There were two little piggies and a big pan.

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They love like sweethearts too, said the little piggy boy

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to the little biggy girl.

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Let's Piggy Wiggy Wiggy wiggy boo.

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But the farmer was the delho the case so well

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that he always on God no one on that farm, and.

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Could do them harm.

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They were the kiddest piggies in the whole barnyard.

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One little piggy.

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Was so jealous each time mad villain Coop all the

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other biggest cheered, but the jealous biggest.

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Neared because he couldn't Piggy Wiggy woo, Piggy woo Piggy Woo.

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Now the plot begins to think and follow.

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Through Oh the bad Little Piggy, where a scorn roll

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a villain threw.

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And through wants to try to steal a.

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Kiss, but she squilled and told him to sound every

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Piggy Wiggy Woo with you.

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But the farmer and the dell who the case so

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well that he ran to her pellmell through.

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That villain out began to shower.

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Learn if I don't believe you're right to steal her now,

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so the next thing you shift him to the mark

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and Buddy the other.

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Doon Zo.

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Biggie Way Peggy.

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Baggy Woo Peggy Woo, now the Peggy Wiggy Wiggy Wiggy

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Woo Peggy Wiggyggy Wiggy.

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Woo on a transcription disc not Greg Gordon, but Gary

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Gordon and his orchestra with Pigley Wiggly Woo vocal by

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Rider Ray and distributed to radio stations around the country

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by Thesaurus, who was the transcription arm of NBC Radio.

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This Jeff Wrestler, it's my privilege to host the third

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longest running musical program on the radio. To make believe

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Ballroom only surpassed by the Grand old Opry and the

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broadcasts from the Real Metropolitan Opera. To reach me, I'm

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Jeff at make bel Ballroom Radio dot com. That's Jeff

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at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. Or as an alternative,

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you can leave a voice message to be played on

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the radio with your requests and comments by going to

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make Believe Ballroom dot com. MakeBelieve Ballroom dot Com. On

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the homepage, go to the bottom of the right hand corner,

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press the little microphone that's sitting there and record away.

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Also on MakeBelieve Ballroom dot com you can find over

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two hundred and fifty past programs to enjoy make Believe

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Ballroom dot com, and now a letter from a listener

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who enjoys the Ballroom. On WSM ninety one point three,

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which broadcasts on the Delmarva Peninsula, they actually have three

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stations and wonderful cultural not rapvideo released programs and activities

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going on all the time in that beautiful part of

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the country. Proud to be a part of that great

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radio family. And within that family as a listener is

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Gordon Rap who writes, Jeff, faithful listener to the program.

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Since you started to broadcast on WESM, I have long

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been a fan of Django Reinhardt and was pleased to

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hear his music recently. I also I got lost here

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for I also found a band that attempted to emulate

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the style of Reinhart and Stefan Grippelli. They were called

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Joe Paradise and his Music. I attached the song if

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you see fit to play it, thanks for the ballroom

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and making me get up early on Saturday mornings, and

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that's signed by Gordon Rap And thanks Gordon, I'm going

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to play the record you sent me via MP three,

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and then a little about the band itself. Everything recorded

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in London, England, on September the twenty fourth, nineteen thirty five,

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on Parlophone Records. Lady Be Good the George Gershwin standard

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on the record, featuring Laurie Booken playing the violin, Albert Harris,

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Freddie Watson and George Elliot on the guitars, and Phil

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Green playing the piano in a great rendition it was,

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and Gordon, you are one hundred percent correct the great

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emulation of Django rein Hard and Stefan Grippelli, who, as

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I mentioned, we featured a few weeks back on the show.

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Now the group we just heard was called Joe Paradise

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and his music. Yet I did not mention Joe Paradise

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when I announced the musicians on the recording. And that's

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simply because Joe Paradise was a pseudonym used by Phil Green,

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a British composer and conductor who played the piano on

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the Joe Paradise recordings, and the similarity to the sound

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of Joe Paradise was obvious. Slay an ode to Django

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and step On and their legendary quintet of the Hot

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Club of France, which had started up but just a

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couple of years before Paradise made that record. Let me

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play another by Joe Paradise sent his music.

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In the attor.

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This one recorded in London September twenty fourth, nineteen thirty

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five on Parlophone Records, the classic Limehouse Blues performed by

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Joe Paradise and his music. And thanks so much to

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Gordon Rapp, who lives in Delaware, for your kind email

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and information on Joe Paradise and the similarity to the

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Hot Club of France. Friends, this is the weekly edition

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of the Make Believe Ballroom. I'm Jeff Bresler today broadcasting

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not from the Crystal Studio, but for the second week

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the beautiful J One Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Thanks

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so much for your courtesies. So Limehouse Blues was written

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in nineteen twenty two by the London based songwriting duo

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of Douglas Ferber and Philip Brahm. Now Ferber also wrote

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this song that comes from a classical musical comedy of

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the nineteen thirties, still frequently revived today all around the world.

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The Thing.

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From a radio remote, Artie Shaw and his Orchestra with

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Lambeth Walk, written by Douglas Ferber, who also worked on

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Limehouse Blues. Let me choose another recording then a bandleader

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who started heading down the slide after he lost his

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primary vocalist. Why don't looking at the playlist? Why don't

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I stay with yet another British recording recorded on British

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Decca in London on August nineteenth, nineteen thirty five. We

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just heard bandleader and pianist Reginald Forsyth and his Orchestra

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with Sweet Georgia Brown, written in part by the old

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maestro himself, Ben Bernie, who led a legendary popular big

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band and if I'm not miss taken. Ben Bernie, a

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popular radio band leader in personality, was the first to

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use the term yooser, yooser yowser when he was on

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the radio thanks for being here today with me on

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the Make Believe Ballroom and now, folks well, a major

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happening went into the demise of one of the most

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popular band leaders of the late thirties into the very

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early forties. Let's hear from that band and it's vocalist.

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Then the story.

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All the girls are crazy about a certain little lad.

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Although he's very, very bad, he could be also good

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when he wanted.

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To better good. He understood that love and other things.

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For every girl in town followed him around just to

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hold his hand and say, oh, Janny, Oh Jenny.

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How you can love? Oh Jenny, Oh Janny.

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Heavens above, you make my sad hid jump with joy.

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And when you're.

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Near, I just care sit still meany I'm so old, Johnny,

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Oh Johnny, Please tell me, dear, what makes me love you?

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So you're not handsome, It's true, but when I look

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at you, I just oh, Johnny, Oh Jenny, Oh Oh.

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Oh Jenny, Oh Johnny, Please tell me, dear, what makes

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me love you.

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So you're not handsome, It's true, But when I looked

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at you, I just saw Jenny Jenny.

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Aarren Tucker and his orchestra with their hit recording of

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Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny featuring vocalist Wee Bonnie Baker on

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Columbia Records, release September the twenty ninth, nineteen thirty nine.

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So why didn't we hear more from arn Tucker than

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just a few scant years. Nice band? You just heard them?

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Great vocalist for sure. Well, Aarn Tucker was leading a

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successful hotel orchestra back in nineteen thirty nine when his

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female vocalist Wee Bonnie Baker recorded the World War One

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tune oh Johnny and with the help of her, I

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guess it could be described as her her sexy size

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and coups Tucker. Arn Tucker suddenly found himself with a

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hit record and one of the hottest bands in the country.

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But much of arn Tucker's success really was down to

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Bonnie Baker's incredible popularity with audiences. She was the attraction,

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and herd departure in nineteen forty two effectively spelt an

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end to his fame. Bonnie Baker joined the Tucker Band,

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who were playing at a hotel in Saint Louis during

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nineteen thirty six. And a very interesting fact, she was

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recommended to Arn Tucker none other than Louis Armstrong himself.

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Now kind of well, kind of inexplicably, even though they

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were riding high. In January of nineteen four two, Tucker

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shook up his whole vocal department, releasing everyone, including the

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wildly popular and his meal ticket Bonnie Baker, who then

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decided to go solo. And that didn't work. Tucker was drafted,

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and by releasing we Bonnie Baker, he was never able

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to pull it back together after the war. So Bonnie Baker,

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if you're wondering what happened to her. She continued with

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a very successful solo career, first singing with the USO

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during World War Two, then appearing regularly as a star

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on the radio show Your Hit Parade. She performed in

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clubs and other venues right up into the nineteen sixties,

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when a heart condition forced her to retire from the

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music business. And I don't think I mentioned and Tucker

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named her Wee Bonnie Baker due to her height. She

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was all of I know she was under five feet

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probably four ten four or eleven, but a big vocal star,

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and I guess Aren Tucker in the end blew it,

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not knowing who the folks came out to see.

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Pinch me so I'll know that it's true that I'm

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really making love to you. I can't believe you really,

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and my arm I'm afraid I'll wake up and find

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it's one of those false alarms.

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So pinch me.

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I don't mind the pain as long as I know

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I'm not living in pain. You've made another world for me,

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just as I dreamted me. So pinch me and I'll

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know it's true.

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So pingch mae.

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I don't mind the pain as long as I know I'm.

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Not living in vain.

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You've made another world for me, just as I dreamted me.

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So pinch maybe and I'll know it's true.

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Recorded on August the thirtieth, nineteen thirty nine for Columbia Records,

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that was Arn Tucker and his orchestra with Pinch Me

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vocal by Wee Bonnie Baker, and somebody probably should have

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pinched ar In Tucker, who pretty much released the whole

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band and sort of went down the tubes after that.

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And now friends. How about a little polka courtesy of

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Eddie Oliver.

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Not to make the most of the moment, an Eddie

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Oliver song, The Oliver Twisters singing the Texas Polka, and

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00:47:26.159 --> 00:47:27.559
you can advancing.

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Him down a way, try out backs, walking.

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Away, walks on him, then play datsy poker.

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We're and missing in the day before wrot wait a mind.

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Make you fardy befall jacky poker.

345
00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:48.519
Every time Dick very naws I going.

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Out he.

347
00:47:50.440 --> 00:47:53.360
The game shouting the managin.

348
00:47:52.920 --> 00:47:54.480
Why not leaking funny?

349
00:47:54.920 --> 00:47:59.239
He's sort of amun these money see he's versing allogether?

350
00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:00.400
Me wh.

351
00:48:03.719 --> 00:48:04.079
Poka?

352
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Why go.

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On the radio? Back in nineteen forty five, that was

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00:48:33.519 --> 00:48:37.960
Eddie Oliver and his orchestra with Texas Polka vocals by

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00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:42.280
and a great play on words here the Oliver Twists,

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00:48:43.239 --> 00:48:48.559
bandleader and movie actor Eddie Oliver. How about another polka?

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There's a garden? What a garden?

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Only happy?

359
00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:04.960
This is bloom there and there's never ran a room

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00:49:05.119 --> 00:49:06.320
there for.

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00:49:06.559 --> 00:49:13.639
A worry for a gloom there focus music, anders, dancing

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00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:18.079
and a lot of Swede romancing.

363
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When they played the foulcar.

364
00:49:23.239 --> 00:49:29.039
They all get in the swing every time they hear

365
00:49:29.320 --> 00:49:30.360
a fall.

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00:49:31.800 --> 00:49:37.000
Everybody bes so troll a lot if they want to throw.

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00:49:37.320 --> 00:49:44.559
Their cares away. They are the line arying.

368
00:49:44.719 --> 00:49:48.880
Then he ra rumble on the floor, the floor. It's

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00:49:49.000 --> 00:49:50.320
a big surprise.

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00:49:50.480 --> 00:49:55.119
They're waiting for hand on the car pus form.

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A ring for mother around you.

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He dancing, Roll loud the bear roll.

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We'll have the bear roll fun, Roll loud the bear roll.

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If we've got the blues on the run scene boom there,

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00:50:25.239 --> 00:50:29.239
roll to bring out the song of the gin.

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Now to down to roll the bearrol for the gangs.

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All you got.

378
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And he's a rombolo ho.

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It's a big surprise.

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They were waiting for and not the comfortables.

381
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They fall worrying for bus.

382
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Round to hear thusing gum thing.

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Roll it out, Roll it out, Roll out the barrel,

384
00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:28.639
sing a song Uncle jeer, because the whole gang is me.

385
00:51:30.199 --> 00:51:31.719
Roll it up, roll it do.

386
00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:34.599
Let you the beer ball.

387
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That was one of everybody's favorites, Beer Barrel Polka Roll

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00:51:45.320 --> 00:51:48.880
out the Barrel by the Andrews Sisters, recorded on Decca

389
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Records in nineteen thirty nine. I'd like to play one

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00:51:54.639 --> 00:51:58.400
more song. I thought about this during the Eddie Oliver

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00:51:59.199 --> 00:52:03.159
Polka and then and through the andrew Sisters. I want

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00:52:03.199 --> 00:52:07.119
to play one more interesting polka because it may sound

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00:52:07.280 --> 00:52:12.800
like a polka, and it became kind of a controversial song.

394
00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:17.400
It was called Strip Polka. It was a nineteen forty

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two novelty song with music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

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00:52:23.840 --> 00:52:27.719

Make Believe Ballroom - 7/24/26 Edition

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