WEBVTT
1
00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.199
It's make Believe Ballom time.
2
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.879
Put all your cares away. All the bands are here
3
00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:22.960
to bring.
4
00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:24.160
Good cheer your way.
5
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:32.880
It's make Believe ball and time and free to everyone.
6
00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:40.719
It's no time to friend your Dalis said bombs.
7
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:45.840
Close your eyes and as you lie in your solitude.
8
00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:50.320
Your favorite bands are on this dance and.
9
00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:52.520
Mister Miller, but you're in the wood.
10
00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:55.039
Its make Believe Ballom Time.
11
00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:01.280
We are of sweet romances you make live.
12
00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:03.640
Come on, Joe.
13
00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:04.640
Last dat lets.
14
00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.359
Hi, folks, I'm Jeff Presler, turning on the lights of
15
00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:13.920
the Make Believe Ballroom and welcoming you into my Crystal
16
00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:18.040
studio for another hour of the greatest swing, jazz and
17
00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.560
big band hits of the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties.
18
00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:25.120
I'm hosting the show to keep the music in traditions
19
00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:29.599
of past hosts Martin block Al Jarvis, William B. Williams,
20
00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:33.239
and the legendary Steve Allen alive. Whether you're one of
21
00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:36.159
my longtime listeners, or maybe you're tuning in for the
22
00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:39.239
first time today, I invite you to join me for
23
00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:42.200
some of the greatest jazz and swing hits from the
24
00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:47.439
big band era. Hello world, and will Welcome, Welcome, Welcome,
25
00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.040
one and all into the Make Believe Ballroom, coming to
26
00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.599
you coast to coast and across the Atlantic Ocean on
27
00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:59.760
stations like Members Supported Jazz ninety point one WGMC in Rochester,
28
00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.040
New York, and on other fine affiliates across the US
29
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:08.759
and in the UK to get things started today. Well,
30
00:02:08.800 --> 00:04:10.759
I'd certainly put a nickel in the jukebox for this one.
31
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:17.479
Old baby, I don't want you to do sting mellow.
32
00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.520
Let me want you in a fan. Bring me a
33
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:25.599
swing song and let me dance. Old baby, I don't
34
00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:30.599
want anything right and yellow. You can have your sweet
35
00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:33.840
rom man. Bring me a swing song and let me dance.
36
00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:40.000
Mister Trumble mays com I ain't caring one nose, mister
37
00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:45.840
Trumpits grab your hon brother, give me hard nose. Old baby,
38
00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:51.039
I don't want anything on a shallow gives the rhythm,
39
00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:54.159
Then a chance, Bring me a swing song and let
40
00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:54.759
me down.
41
00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:39.920
Benny Goodman and his orchestra with the Helen Ward vocal
42
00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.920
sing me a swing song recorded on Victor in nineteen
43
00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:49.399
thirty six. Let's see here. Let me play one more
44
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:54.160
than an email regarding a vocalist. We listened to last week.
45
00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.399
You can take the moon, gather up the stars and
46
00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:12.240
the robins that sing merrily, pour them in the box.
47
00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:17.160
Tie with the ribbon from and the deep blue sy.
48
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:21.199
You can take the flowers down in Lover's Lane and
49
00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:24.560
that sentimental poetry.
50
00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:29.600
Pull them in the box tie with the ribbon prum
51
00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:34.800
in the deep blue sy, not farming all that star,
52
00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:42.319
the dreams that ruin your sleeve, not bummy heaven Ah.
53
00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:46.160
Love is one thing you can keep.
54
00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.279
You can take the plans and the wedding bells and
55
00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:53.680
whoever sings or promise me.
56
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:59.480
Pull them in the box tie with the ribbon proum
57
00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:01.199
and the blue sea.
58
00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:03.519
Because love and I.
59
00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:04.560
We got be.
60
00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:51.399
Handsomes through the park, kisses in the dark, all the
61
00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:54.920
promises made faithfully.
62
00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:59.560
Where them in the box time with the ribbon from
63
00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:01.839
and the deep Blussy.
64
00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:05.920
And you won't go wrong if you take a song
65
00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:08.519
sung by Frankie Boy or mister c.
66
00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:14.560
Put them in the box tie with the ribbon Roum
67
00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:20.079
in the deep blue sea. Not formy all that's die,
68
00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.560
not formy, heven live.
69
00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:35.839
You know what to do with good old teeth for
70
00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:37.560
two and the girl for you.
71
00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:38.720
The boy for me.
72
00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:44.920
Pull them in the box, tie with the ribbon Roum
73
00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:50.519
in the de Blue Sea. Because loving I we die.
74
00:07:56.680 --> 00:07:59.199
Put him in a box and tie him with a ribbon.
75
00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:07.000
Darris Day vocal on Columbia Records, recorded in nineteen forty seven. Friends,
76
00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:11.079
I want to share, as I mentioned before, Darris Day's vocal,
77
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.959
an email I received last week and it pertains to
78
00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:20.639
the last record we played on the program last week
79
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:25.879
seven twenty in the books from Jan Savat with a
80
00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:31.720
Bonbond vocal. The email is from Charlie Pendergast, who lives
81
00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:36.960
in Surprise, Arizona. I haven't heard from Charlie for a while,
82
00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:42.840
so hope all is well with you, Charlie. His email says, Jeff,
83
00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.679
I enjoyed your show last week. As I have written
84
00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:49.799
to you in the past, I remind you that my
85
00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:53.679
late uncle Ed used to work in sales for w
86
00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:58.639
New Radio and sol time for the Make Believe ball
87
00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:02.639
Room in the nineteen sixth Last week you played a
88
00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:07.279
Savag band song that I had never heard, and likewise
89
00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.279
for the singer you named Bonbon, can you tell me
90
00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:15.879
more about him and perhaps another song from him? And
91
00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:20.240
that's signed Charlie and Charlie is always thanks for taking
92
00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:24.360
the time to write to the program an answer to
93
00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:31.440
your question. Bon Bon was born George Tunnel and best
94
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:37.600
remembered for his work with Jan Sabat's orchestra, Jance Savat
95
00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:43.080
and his Top hatters. Bon Bon was truly a groundbreaker.
96
00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:47.759
He was among the first black singers to tour with
97
00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:53.279
a white band. But Bonbon he had a tough run
98
00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.159
due to one of the certainly uglier aspects of the
99
00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.879
big band era of the thirties and forties, that being
100
00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:06.720
the racism suffered by touring bands with African American members.
101
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:10.559
He started, Bonbon did with a group called The Three
102
00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:17.159
Keys out of Philadelphia. He then joined Savat's radio orchestra
103
00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:22.759
and he became very popular as its featured vocalist. When
104
00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:26.639
the band, who was playing for a Philadelphia radio station,
105
00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:31.559
was gaining radio prominence, they decided to go out on
106
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:34.759
their own. Jan Savat did in early nineteen thirty eight,
107
00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:40.320
and as I mentioned, discrimination plagued his time with Jan
108
00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:45.240
and was so upsetting to him that he eventually returned
109
00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:50.559
to his native Philadelphia as a black performer in an
110
00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:58.000
otherwise all white band. Bonbond faced extra humiliating discrimination on
111
00:10:58.120 --> 00:11:04.320
the road and explain that black performers in black bands
112
00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:08.799
sort of under They understood that they had to stay
113
00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:12.960
even though it wasn't right in different hotels. It was
114
00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:14.639
just the way it was. They had to stay in
115
00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:18.919
different hotels and as a group had to eat non
116
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:25.120
white restaurants. But Bonbon wanted to be part of Savage's
117
00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:29.120
orchestra as a full member, and to that end, he
118
00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:33.919
often pretended on the road to be the band's manager's
119
00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:38.840
valet in order to stay in the same hotel as
120
00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:45.000
his friends and fellow band members. During a performance in Kentucky,
121
00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:51.320
he was refused service at the ballroom's soda stand. After that,
122
00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.879
he decided to boycott the entire show. He only appeared
123
00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:59.960
on stage to sing during the thirty minutes of Jay
124
00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:06.879
Savat's national radio broadcast from that ballroom. With all that hardship, though,
125
00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:09.960
we still quickly became one of the most well known
126
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:14.639
and popular vocalists in the nation. He placed fifth in
127
00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:19.039
Billboard magazine's nineteen forty college poll for most popular male
128
00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:24.279
band Singers and six in nineteen forty one. Bonbon also
129
00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.799
earned third place and Downbeat magazine's poll for best banned
130
00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:32.440
vocalist in both nineteen thirty nine and nineteen forty, So
131
00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:38.799
a little about an unfortunately little remember today vocalist Won
132
00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:42.759
George Tunnell aka Bonbon.
133
00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:52.440
Good morning, good morning. We've danced the whole night through.
134
00:13:52.519 --> 00:14:00.320
Good morning, Good morning do you? Good morning, good morning.
135
00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:05.120
It's great to stay up late. Good morning, good morning.
136
00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:06.240
Do you.
137
00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:12.759
When the band began to play, Stars was shining bray.
138
00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.200
Now the milkman's honest way, it's too late to say
139
00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:23.120
good night, so good morning, good morning. Sunbeams will soon
140
00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:41.960
smile through. Good morning, good morning, do you.
141
00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:34.559
On Decca Records. Good Morning by Jan Savat and his Orchestra,
142
00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:42.559
vocal by Bonbon, recorded October fourth, nineteen thirty nine. Charlie
143
00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:47.000
Charlie Pendergast, let me play one more from a savag
144
00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:51.759
Bonbon tune, and I thank you Charlie for asking about
145
00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:58.840
more information concerning the vocalist bon Bon. So let me
146
00:15:58.919 --> 00:17:10.680
take a look here and we will play this one.
147
00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:19.000
Underneath threading chestnut tree.
148
00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:21.720
I loved her and she loved me.
149
00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:26.519
There she used to set upon my knee leaf spreading
150
00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:30.680
chestnut tree. There beneath the bowels we used to meet.
151
00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:35.240
All her kisses were so sweet, All the little birds
152
00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:39.640
went twet tweet leath spreading chestnut tree.
153
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.480
I said I loved you.
154
00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:47.400
There really ain't no if somebody. Then she said I
155
00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:53.359
love you, and the black clip shouted chestnut underneath spreading
156
00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:54.759
chestnut tree.
157
00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.920
There she said she'd married me. Now you are to
158
00:17:59.000 --> 00:17:59.640
see our.
159
00:18:01.160 --> 00:19:09.400
Knit spreading chestnut tree.
160
00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:16.279
That was on Thesaurus RCA, a track from a sixteen
161
00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:22.559
inch thirty three and third electrical transcription disc that contains
162
00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:26.839
music recordings created specifically for radio station use, but not
163
00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:31.319
issued for sale at the time on commercial seventy eight
164
00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:36.119
RPM discs. The song was the Chestnut Jan Saved and
165
00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:40.519
his orchestra vocal by Bonbon recorded in New York City,
166
00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:45.839
made the first nineteen thirty nine and friends. During the
167
00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:49.960
next record, I want to check some past notes, which
168
00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:52.759
I am starting to do right now, if you would
169
00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:56.440
indulge me, because I'm pretty sure you never heard of
170
00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:04.039
Thesaurus RCA, And as is my solemnly sworn duty, well,
171
00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.240
I didn't actually take an oath, but to keep you
172
00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:09.720
informed of all that was popular music in the thirties
173
00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:14.640
and forties. An explanation of what Thesaurus was.
174
00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:22.680
Jackson, what in the world are you doing?
175
00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:30.200
Just getting ready, Frank just getting ready.
176
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.319
Tell me one thing, Jackson, what are you getting ready for?
177
00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:37.160
Just getting ready? Frank just getting ready? I okay. Bro likes
178
00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.160
my music when I meet him way up there. If
179
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:46.680
I way too sweet, I'll turn on the woop. Hero
180
00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:50.000
likes my music when I meet him way up there.
181
00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:57.200
Always rooted into I use my muvie when I comma
182
00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:06.039
dud mean start as he swinging game, I won't be lettle.
183
00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:09.880
I hope Gabriel likes my music. Man, I mean, I'm
184
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:13.640
way up there. It's too much more. I'll take my
185
00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:17.039
toe ever played in sharp while trying my up. He
186
00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:20.480
said no, I'll go be little. I hope Gabriel likes
187
00:21:20.559 --> 00:22:19.880
my music. The sec.
188
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:29.920
Frankie Trumbauer and his orchestra with a Jack T. Garden vocal.
189
00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:35.279
I hope Gabriel likes my music. Recorded on Brunswick Records
190
00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:39.720
in nineteen thirty six. I'm Jeff Bresler, and you're listening
191
00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:43.240
to the one, the only, the original Make Believe Ballroom
192
00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:49.640
broadcast almost continuously since February of nineteen thirty five. I
193
00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:54.079
can be reached at Jeff at Make Believe Ballroomradio dot com.
194
00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.640
That's Jeff at.
195
00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:59.759
Make Believe Ballroomradio dot com. And that's how Charlie Pendergast
196
00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:04.680
in touch with me. I told you a moment ago
197
00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:07.039
that I was going to talk for a few seconds
198
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:12.480
about Thesaurus, which was a radio transcription service that was
199
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:20.799
part of RCA and distributed four NBC affiliated stations now
200
00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:24.279
in major markets during the Big band era, stations had
201
00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:28.880
their own in house orchestras or bands, much like Jan
202
00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:35.640
Savat did for that Philadelphia radio station. However, smaller stations
203
00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:41.440
across the country and less well financed stations might have
204
00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:47.599
picked up in this case NBC syndicated programming, but there
205
00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.160
remained a large amount of airtime when those shows were
206
00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:58.799
not available. NBC nationally did not broadcast twelve hours a
207
00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:03.880
day or more more than that, so Thesaurus, as well
208
00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:08.480
as other radio transcription services, they were able to provide
209
00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:14.319
these smaller stations and less finance stations with record like
210
00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:20.119
discs of programming. So Thesaurus was able to provide stations
211
00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:25.599
through a weekly subscription in essence, nationally known talent like
212
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:30.759
Jan Sabatt at a low cost. These stations, through their
213
00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:35.640
own announcers, were able to create their own programs wrapped
214
00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:41.400
around that music and sell their own local advertising, sort
215
00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:46.000
of what DJs did, like Martin Block, the first host
216
00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:49.519
of The Make Believe Ballroom, but without having to make
217
00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:54.440
the investment into a full blown record library at the station.
218
00:25:55.640 --> 00:25:58.680
Martin Block on WNEW Radio in New York when he
219
00:25:58.759 --> 00:26:02.279
started to Make Believe Ballroom in thirty five, had milk
220
00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:06.319
carton after milk Carton just filled with the records, and
221
00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:10.079
there were record pickers that Block would call upon to
222
00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:13.119
go to those milk cartons and pick certain records he
223
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:17.720
wanted to hear. But again, smaller stations were not able
224
00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:21.960
to make that time type of an investment. But anyway,
225
00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:24.359
by June of nineteen thirty six, the Saurus had one
226
00:26:24.440 --> 00:26:29.279
hundred and forty radio stations as a subscribers, offering seventeen
227
00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:33.920
and a quarter hours of programming each week. I have
228
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:38.960
found one more the Saurus transcribed bantoon to play for you,
229
00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:44.519
and that is the George Hall Orchestra with You Couldn't
230
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:48.319
Be Cuter, recorded in nineteen thirty eight.
231
00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:04.000
Looking.
232
00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:36.039
Him both.
233
00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:18.680
Friends.
234
00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:22.000
Last week on the show, I played the Boswell Sisters
235
00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:26.839
singing Alexander's Ragtime Band, and it brought to mind the
236
00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:30.920
duet that Bing Crosby did, not with the Sisters, but
237
00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:37.160
with Connie Boswell. You know, Crosby, although regarded as the
238
00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:42.720
greatest crooner of the era, really enjoyed in addition to
239
00:29:42.759 --> 00:29:47.720
his solo career, he loved singing duets with a number
240
00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:51.359
of well known vocalists. So I had this tune floating
241
00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:54.559
around in my mind since last week when I played
242
00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:58.359
the Boswells, and I transmit it now from my brain
243
00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:01.319
into the microphone and a US the airwaves of the