Make Believe Ballroom - 7/24/26 Edition

0:12 It's make believe ballroom time. Put all your cares away. All the bands are here to bring good cheer your way. It's make belief ballroom time and free to everyone. It's no time to friend your dalis. Said by. Yours. Close your eyes and visual lie in your solitude. Your favorite bands are on the stands. And mister Miller, what you're in the mood? It's make believe ballroom time.

0:55 We are a sweet romance. Is you make the ballroom? Come on, Joe the last. Dass last, Hello world, I'm Jeff Presler, turning on the lights of the Make Believe Ballroom and welcoming you into my Crystal studio for another program of classic big band music from the nineteen thirties and forties. Please get ready as I play for you some amazing jazz, swing, blues, and boogie woogie favorites. Folks, you're listening to the Make Believe Ballroom, broadcasting almost continuously since nineteen thirty five, and to welcome, Welcome, Welcome, one and all. Not actually in the Crystal studio today, but once again broadcasting from the J One Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and thanks for joining me. When one thinks of the make believe ballroom.

1:57 Hopefully you envision or the top name band playing in the nineteen thirties or forties hotel ballroom and the audience being comprised of swing enthusiasts and young dancers. Now in order to dance properly to some it comes naturally well. To others, they have to take dance lessons before cutting a rug. Life was so peaceful at the laundry. Life was so calm and serene. Life was tragging to that unlucky day I happened to read that magazine. Why did I read that advertisement where it's s since our room but Red's example blind? Why did I ever try? When I didn't have the talent, I didn't have the money.

3:12 And teacher did not have the time. Arthur Murray taught me dancing in a hurry. I had a weak despair. He showed me the groundwork to walking around work and told me to take it from there. Arthur Murray then advised me not to worry. It had come out alright. To my way of thinking, it came out stinking. I don't know my left for my right. The people around me can't all sing. I want a two and a three for any resemblance to Walt sing if just coincid dental with me, because got the married, got me dancing, and I hurried, and so I took a chance to me.

4:08 It resembles a nine day trembles, but he guarantees it's a dance. My tangle resembles a two steps. My rumble makes people turn pale I Nga goes into a goose step till a f b I it's dogging my trail because I got the murried, got me dancing, and I hurry. Maybe the stars were wrong. If I ain't a minister Russet Saint Dennis, I'll do until one comes along. Turkey trot uga bad, don't go which, don't know what jitter buck bunny. How long as you cut a rug, Lindy hop till you drop all of jack back to back, cheek the cheek till you're weak.

4:57 Now you've heard of pavloa will Jack move over? Make way for the whoo of the d. From Columbia Records, we just heard the Wonderful Mildred Bailey along with Red Norvo and his orchestra. Music by Vic Scherzinger, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer author Murray taught me to dance in a hurry, recorded back in nineteen forty two. And I'm sure a lot of you old timers out there might actually remember the old author Murray dance lessons on TV along with his wife Catherine. And if I'm not mistaken, that song was from the film The Fleet's in which I am double checking on monitor and computer number two here as I speak, Yes it was, And also from that film another Shirt Singer Mercer collaboration. This one a big band, They're a standard and I have it on

6:29 computer number two, ready to go. Tangent she is all the claim with her. Eyes of nine and lips as bright as flames, tang Injury when she dances bar Senoritas st and Cavalierra's.

7:25 Side and love scene. Tolls to Tangerine raised in every bar across the o Gentine. Yes, she has them all over. Run, but her heart belongs to just one. Her heart belongs alongs to time. Read Tanjury.

8:46 She is all they say with mascarret iron shackled by day shade Tanjury, with her lips of blame. If the color keeps Louis Philips to blame. And I've seen goes on Tangerine, where the label. Says from Macy's Mezzanie, Yeah, she's got the guys in the world, but she's only pulling one girl.

9:27 She's only pooling. Tanger Cherzinger and Mercer's Tangerine by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra, vocal by Bob every and Helen O'Connell one in nineteen forty two's top hits, spending six weeks at number one on the National Singles Sale Charts, and performed by the Dorsey Band in the aforementioned musical The Fleet's In And of course many of you may also remember the very popular also I think a number one hit, the Von Monroe version. I'm Jeff Bresler, and thanks for joining me today on this edition of The Make Believe Ballroom. I didn't intend on playing Tangerine, so let's get back on track here, and what better way than with the tune from Fletcher. Henderson's brother Horace and his orchestra.

11:21 Came over that.

12:38 The words. A Little.

13:39 Recorded in New York City on October third, nineteen thirty three, this one via Parlophone Records, Horace Henderson and his Orchestra with many the moacher's wedding day. I never knew many of the moucher got married or well, I probably would have sent the gift a gift in care of cab callaway.

14:29 Folks. Now here's a story about Mini the Moucher. She was a red hot hooch couture. She was the roughest tough Israel, but many had a hard as big as. A hayway Holy. Ho ho ho hold ty hid hi oh. Now she messed around with a blow name smoking. She loved him though he was cookie.

15:13 He took her down to chiin a towny shoulder. Hor a king the gong around show. That had a king the. Gone around hordy ho. Ho ho hodi hai. Hony weibobo oh hold. Now she had a dream about the King of sweeping. He gave up thing that she was needing. He gave her a home fill of gol.

15:54 And steal on time and coming the. Platinum Why honey won away honey who away oh baby oh bab woo. How hello oh. Now he gave her his townhous and his race and horses. Each meal she ate was a dozen cossuins. She had a million dollars worth of. Nickels, and dimes, and she sat around. And counting them all the million times. Horty hoarty, hody ho woo, many oh many, hoty way, holyway oh Wow.

17:14 From Brunswick Records. Mini the Moocher by Cab Callowey and his Orchestra vocal by Cab, recorded in New York City, March third, nineteen thirty one, just two years before Horace Henderson married her off. The legendary Mini the Moucher Let me spend another disc and then a letter from a listener. Along the Delmarva Peninsula.

18:46 There were two little piggies and a big pan. They love like sweethearts too, said the little piggy boy to the little biggy girl. Let's Piggy Wiggy Wiggy wiggy boo. But the farmer was the delho the case so well that he always on God no one on that farm, and. Could do them harm. They were the kiddest piggies in the whole barnyard. One little piggy. Was so jealous each time mad villain Coop all the other biggest cheered, but the jealous biggest. Neared because he couldn't Piggy Wiggy woo, Piggy woo Piggy Woo.

19:27 Now the plot begins to think and follow. Through Oh the bad Little Piggy, where a scorn roll a villain threw. And through wants to try to steal a. Kiss, but she squilled and told him to sound every Piggy Wiggy Woo with you. But the farmer and the dell who the case so well that he ran to her pellmell through. That villain out began to shower. Learn if I don't believe you're right to steal her now, so the next thing you shift him to the mark and Buddy the other. Doon Zo. Biggie Way Peggy.

20:09 Baggy Woo Peggy Woo, now the Peggy Wiggy Wiggy Wiggy Woo Peggy Wiggyggy Wiggy. Woo on a transcription disc not Greg Gordon, but Gary Gordon and his orchestra with Pigley Wiggly Woo vocal by Rider Ray and distributed to radio stations around the country by Thesaurus, who was the transcription arm of NBC Radio. This Jeff Wrestler, it's my privilege to host the third longest running musical program on the radio. To make believe Ballroom only surpassed by the Grand old Opry and the broadcasts from the Real Metropolitan Opera. To reach me, I'm Jeff at make bel Ballroom Radio dot com. That's Jeff at MakeBelieve Ballroom Radio dot com. Or as an alternative, you can leave a voice message to be played on the radio with your requests and comments by going to make Believe Ballroom dot com. MakeBelieve Ballroom dot Com. On the homepage, go to the bottom of the right hand corner, press the little microphone that's sitting there and record away.

21:29 Also on MakeBelieve Ballroom dot com you can find over two hundred and fifty past programs to enjoy make Believe Ballroom dot com, and now a letter from a listener who enjoys the Ballroom. On WSM ninety one point three, which broadcasts on the Delmarva Peninsula, they actually have three stations and wonderful cultural not rapvideo released programs and activities going on all the time in that beautiful part of the country. Proud to be a part of that great radio family. And within that family as a listener is Gordon Rap who writes, Jeff, faithful listener to the program.

22:19 Since you started to broadcast on WESM, I have long been a fan of Django Reinhardt and was pleased to hear his music recently. I also I got lost here for I also found a band that attempted to emulate the style of Reinhart and Stefan Grippelli. They were called Joe Paradise and his Music. I attached the song if you see fit to play it, thanks for the ballroom and making me get up early on Saturday mornings, and that's signed by Gordon Rap And thanks Gordon, I'm going to play the record you sent me via MP three, and then a little about the band itself. Everything recorded

25:44 in London, England, on September the twenty fourth, nineteen thirty five, on Parlophone Records. Lady Be Good the George Gershwin standard on the record, featuring Laurie Booken playing the violin, Albert Harris, Freddie Watson and George Elliot on the guitars, and Phil Green playing the piano in a great rendition it was, and Gordon, you are one hundred percent correct the great emulation of Django rein Hard and Stefan Grippelli, who, as I mentioned, we featured a few weeks back on the show.

26:24 Now the group we just heard was called Joe Paradise and his music. Yet I did not mention Joe Paradise when I announced the musicians on the recording. And that's simply because Joe Paradise was a pseudonym used by Phil Green, a British composer and conductor who played the piano on the Joe Paradise recordings, and the similarity to the sound of Joe Paradise was obvious. Slay an ode to Django and step On and their legendary quintet of the Hot Club of France, which had started up but just a couple of years before Paradise made that record. Let me play another by Joe Paradise sent his music.

28:49 In the attor.

30:03 This one recorded in London September twenty fourth, nineteen thirty five on Parlophone Records, the classic Limehouse Blues performed by Joe Paradise and his music. And thanks so much to Gordon Rapp, who lives in Delaware, for your kind email and information on Joe Paradise and the similarity to the Hot Club of France. Friends, this is the weekly edition of the Make Believe Ballroom. I'm Jeff Bresler today broadcasting not from the Crystal Studio, but for the second week the beautiful J One Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Thanks so much for your courtesies. So Limehouse Blues was written in nineteen twenty two by the London based songwriting duo of Douglas Ferber and Philip Brahm. Now Ferber also wrote this song that comes from a classical musical comedy of the nineteen thirties, still frequently revived today all around the world.

32:30 The Thing.

33:36 From a radio remote, Artie Shaw and his Orchestra with Lambeth Walk, written by Douglas Ferber, who also worked on Limehouse Blues. Let me choose another recording then a bandleader who started heading down the slide after he lost his primary vocalist. Why don't looking at the playlist? Why don't I stay with yet another British recording recorded on British

36:37 Decca in London on August nineteenth, nineteen thirty five. We just heard bandleader and pianist Reginald Forsyth and his Orchestra with Sweet Georgia Brown, written in part by the old maestro himself, Ben Bernie, who led a legendary popular big band and if I'm not miss taken. Ben Bernie, a popular radio band leader in personality, was the first to use the term yooser, yooser yowser when he was on the radio thanks for being here today with me on the Make Believe Ballroom and now, folks well, a major happening went into the demise of one of the most popular band leaders of the late thirties into the very early forties. Let's hear from that band and it's vocalist.

37:33 Then the story.

38:25 All the girls are crazy about a certain little lad. Although he's very, very bad, he could be also good when he wanted. To better good. He understood that love and other things. For every girl in town followed him around just to hold his hand and say, oh, Janny, Oh Jenny. How you can love? Oh Jenny, Oh Janny. Heavens above, you make my sad hid jump with joy. And when you're. Near, I just care sit still meany I'm so old, Johnny, Oh Johnny, Please tell me, dear, what makes me love you?

39:13 So you're not handsome, It's true, but when I look at you, I just oh, Johnny, Oh Jenny, Oh Oh. Oh Jenny, Oh Johnny, Please tell me, dear, what makes me love you.

39:55 So you're not handsome, It's true, But when I looked at you, I just saw Jenny Jenny. Aarren Tucker and his orchestra with their hit recording of Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny featuring vocalist Wee Bonnie Baker on Columbia Records, release September the twenty ninth, nineteen thirty nine. So why didn't we hear more from arn Tucker than just a few scant years. Nice band? You just heard them? Great vocalist for sure. Well, Aarn Tucker was leading a successful hotel orchestra back in nineteen thirty nine when his female vocalist Wee Bonnie Baker recorded the World War One tune oh Johnny and with the help of her, I guess it could be described as her her sexy size and coups Tucker. Arn Tucker suddenly found himself with a hit record and one of the hottest bands in the country.

41:09 But much of arn Tucker's success really was down to Bonnie Baker's incredible popularity with audiences. She was the attraction, and herd departure in nineteen forty two effectively spelt an end to his fame. Bonnie Baker joined the Tucker Band, who were playing at a hotel in Saint Louis during nineteen thirty six. And a very interesting fact, she was recommended to Arn Tucker none other than Louis Armstrong himself.

41:49 Now kind of well, kind of inexplicably, even though they were riding high. In January of nineteen four two, Tucker shook up his whole vocal department, releasing everyone, including the wildly popular and his meal ticket Bonnie Baker, who then decided to go solo. And that didn't work. Tucker was drafted, and by releasing we Bonnie Baker, he was never able to pull it back together after the war. So Bonnie Baker, if you're wondering what happened to her. She continued with a very successful solo career, first singing with the USO during World War Two, then appearing regularly as a star on the radio show Your Hit Parade. She performed in clubs and other venues right up into the nineteen sixties, when a heart condition forced her to retire from the music business. And I don't think I mentioned and Tucker named her Wee Bonnie Baker due to her height. She was all of I know she was under five feet probably four ten four or eleven, but a big vocal star, and I guess Aren Tucker in the end blew it, not knowing who the folks came out to see.

44:11 Pinch me so I'll know that it's true that I'm really making love to you. I can't believe you really, and my arm I'm afraid I'll wake up and find it's one of those false alarms. So pinch me. I don't mind the pain as long as I know I'm not living in pain. You've made another world for me, just as I dreamted me. So pinch me and I'll know it's true.

45:33 So pingch mae. I don't mind the pain as long as I know I'm. Not living in vain. You've made another world for me, just as I dreamted me. So pinch maybe and I'll know it's true. Recorded on August the thirtieth, nineteen thirty nine for Columbia Records, that was Arn Tucker and his orchestra with Pinch Me vocal by Wee Bonnie Baker, and somebody probably should have pinched ar In Tucker, who pretty much released the whole band and sort of went down the tubes after that.

46:20 And now friends. How about a little polka courtesy of Eddie Oliver. Not to make the most of the moment, an Eddie Oliver song, The Oliver Twisters singing the Texas Polka, and you can advancing.

47:27 Him down a way, try out backs, walking. Away, walks on him, then play datsy poker. We're and missing in the day before wrot wait a mind. Make you fardy befall jacky poker. Every time Dick very naws I going. Out he. The game shouting the managin. Why not leaking funny? He's sort of amun these money see he's versing allogether? Me wh. Poka?

48:19 Why go. On the radio? Back in nineteen forty five, that was Eddie Oliver and his orchestra with Texas Polka vocals by and a great play on words here the Oliver Twists, bandleader and movie actor Eddie Oliver. How about another polka? There's a garden? What a garden? Only happy?

49:00 This is bloom there and there's never ran a room there for. A worry for a gloom there focus music, anders, dancing and a lot of Swede romancing. When they played the foulcar. They all get in the swing every time they hear a fall. Everybody bes so troll a lot if they want to throw. Their cares away. They are the line arying.

49:44 Then he ra rumble on the floor, the floor. It's a big surprise. They're waiting for hand on the car pus form. A ring for mother around you. He dancing, Roll loud the bear roll. We'll have the bear roll fun, Roll loud the bear roll. If we've got the blues on the run scene boom there, roll to bring out the song of the gin.

50:31 Now to down to roll the bearrol for the gangs. All you got. And he's a rombolo ho. It's a big surprise. They were waiting for and not the comfortables. They fall worrying for bus. Round to hear thusing gum thing.

51:16 Roll it out, Roll it out, Roll out the barrel, sing a song Uncle jeer, because the whole gang is me. Roll it up, roll it do. Let you the beer ball. That was one of everybody's favorites, Beer Barrel Polka Roll out the Barrel by the Andrews Sisters, recorded on Decca Records in nineteen thirty nine. I'd like to play one more song. I thought about this during the Eddie Oliver Polka and then and through the andrew Sisters. I want to play one more interesting polka because it may sound like a polka, and it became kind of a controversial song.

52:12 It was called Strip Polka. It was a nineteen forty two novelty song with music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The music you will hear incorporates a polka beat and the lyrics. The controversial lyrics back in nineteen forty two are about Queenie, who was a burlesque performer who longs to quit her job and retire to a life on the farm. Now. Mercer was commissioned to write the music for nineteen forty one film called Navy Blues, but he was prevented at the Warner Brothers studio by an executive, Joe Breen, who sent a memorandum to the head honcho Jack Warner regarding the low moral tone of the lyrics. So the first actual recording of Strip Polka, which we'll hear in a moment, featured the vocals of Johnny Mercer, believe it or not, Phil Silvers and the Great Margaret Whiting, with piano provided by Jimmy Van Heuston and an arrangement by Paul weston an all star cast, and I guess that's what made it a significant early hit for Capitol Records. It charted at number seven, selling more than a million copies. So

53:43 that's the background on the song. Let me play it for you. Now, this is the strip, say, let's listen and have some fun to the gay lyrics of Handsome Handy cruise about.

54:40 There's a burlesque theater where the gang loves to go to see queen the cutie of the burlesque show, and the thrill of the evening is went out. Queenie skips, and the band plays the Poco while she strips. Take it off, Take it off, cries a voice from the rear, Take it off, take it off. Soon, it's all you can hear. But she's always a lady, even in a pan of mime. So she stops, and always just in time. She's as fresh and as wholesome as the flowers in May. And she hopes to retire to the farm someday. But you can't buy a farm until you're up in the chip.

55:20 So the band plays the Poco while she strips. Take it off, Take it off, all a customer shouting. Down it try and down it while a band pizza out. But she's always a lady, even in pa Lin. So she stops and always just in time. Some day. Instead she hits Cornye waltzes and she hits the gavat. And there's one big advantage if them's hot. It's a fast moving exit just in case something rips. So the band plays the poco while she stripped. It's the best in the West. You can yell like the rest, take it up. She's a peach when she's best.

56:20 And just in time. Time we. We owe them all. We someday you some day church bells beach. It's the bulk. In stripball got time, and folks, we are out of time. The digital clock here in studio Jay one indicates, well we have to go. Thanks so much for joining me today. To reach me, I'm Jeff at Make Belie Ballroom Radio dot com. That's Jeff at Make Believe Ballroom Radio dot For past shows or recorded requests, go to make Believe Ballroom dot com. MakeBelieve Ballroom dot com. Thanks to our syndicators and distributors for offering to Make Believe Ballroom cost free to commercial, free, public, community and university radio stations across the US, as well as in the United Kingdom, the Public Radio Exchange PRX, the PACIFICA Network, and Global Community Radio. The program's flagship affiliate is Jazz ninety point one WGMC in Rochester, New York. The Ballroom is also heard on your favorite podcast provider, So Friends. Until next week.

57:39 This has been Jeff Bresler.