The Talking Machine

Hey there! Today we listen to Victor 18701 which features two sides by the Benson Orchestra of Chicago performing a medley of “I Love You Sunday” with “Ev’rybody Calls Me Honey” on side A and on side B “Oh Gee! Oh Gosh! (My Feet Won’t Behave)” Also: health updates all around.

This fortnight we listen to Victor 18735 featuring two sides with medleys by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra: “Bright Eyes” with “You Oughta See My Baby” and “Love Bird” with “Under the Honeymoon” (maybe?). Also: breaking things.

The Talking Machine has been around for two years now, and to celebrate we have a record featuring a band we haven’t heard since almost the beginning. We listen to Victor 18633 which features Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra performing “Dardanella” and a medley waltz of “My Isle of Golden Dreams” with “Lullaby Time”. Also: Muzak.

And we’re back! After a long, unexpected hiatus, The Talking Machine is back with an episode that has been sitting on the shelf for over a month. Fortunately, we are talking about a record that has been on the shelf for about a century! We listen Victor 18171, featuring “My Lonely Lola Lo” performed by the Sterling Trio and “My Own Iona” performed by Wright and Dietrich. Also: Family films.

A welcome return from our first and most frequent musical contributor, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, with Victor 18856 featuring “Dear Old Southland” and a medley of “They Call It Dancing” introducing “The Schoolhouse Blues” from Irving Berlin’s “Music Box Revue”. Also: questions answered.

We listen to Victor 19318 featuring “Doodle Doo Doo” and “Back in Hackensack, New Jersey” performed by The Benson Orchestra of Chicago led by Don Bestor with vocals by Frank Sullivano (aka Sylvano). Also: the department of corrections.

Back to 1924 this episode with Victor 19318 featuring the International Novelty Orchestra with vocals by Elliott Shaw singing “Jealous” and the Garber-Davis Orchestra performing “Waitin’ Around”. Also: resolution updates.

This episode we have two records from the Silvertone Record Club: 209 featuring Vic Damone and the orchestra of Tutti Camarata performing “Dancing in the Dark” and “Something to Remember You By”, and 211 featuring “Beautiful Dreamer” and “Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming” performed by the Silvertone String Orchestra led by Glen Osser. Also: contemplations on stellar armed conflicts in filmic form.

Just in time for your holiday celebration, it’s two Christmas records from the Peter Pan label: First, #2231 featuring “Silent Night” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” on the A-side and on the B-side “Jingle Bells” and “Adeste Fideles”; second, #2233 featuring a reading titled “The Night Before Christmas” on the A-side and the B-side a collection of songs including “It Came upon a Midnight Clear”, “Away in a Manger”, “The First Noel”, and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. Also: Mailbag!

Polka time again with this episode where we listen to two records with performances by Ray Henry and His Orchestra from the Dana label: Dana 3008 featuring “Roller Derby Polka” and “Barrel of Fun Polka” and Dana 3056 featuring “Cheer Up” and “Rolly Polly Polka”. Also: A long rambling rant about Charlie Brown.

Everyone could use a little humor, so this time we are featuring two comedy records: Party Record Company 11 featuring “I Married an Acrobat” and “She Lost It” performed by Carol Chapelle and Let’s Have Fun! 17 featuring “Sam the Marine” and “Any Ice Today, Lady?” performed by… someone? Also: wrestling.

Two records from very obscure labels this episode–one so obscure I’m not even sure it has a name. Broadcast Recordings 416 features “Ballad to a Lovely Lady” and “Lili Marlene” performed by Ken Griffin and our second record with serial numbers PC5029 and PC5030 which features the songs “Dancing Doll” and “My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice” performed by the American Radio Warblers with Preston Sellers at the organ. Also: sports and recreation.

This time around we listen to two records recorded in Germany for the American Odeon Label: Odeon 10122 featuring “Bummelpetrus” and “Wiener Zugvögel” and Odeon 10174 featuring “Handwerker-Leben: Poutpourri” parts 1 and 2, all of which are performed by anonymous German musicians. Also: car trouble-not-trouble.

Another couple of records with hidden connections as we listen to Vocalion 4155 featuring “By the Campfire’s Glow” and “Why’d Ya Make Me Fall in Love” performed by Allan Fielding (and his Tic Toc Music) and OKeh 06543 featuring “The Air Corps of Uncle Sam” and “I’ve Changed My Penthouse for a Pup Tent” performed by the Texas Rangers. Also: children.

This episode we listen to two records from the Varsity Label: Varsity 108 featuring “A Tree in the Meadow” performed by Barbara Brown and “Blue Bird of Happiness” performed by the Jimmie Valentine Quintet, and Varsity 101 featuring “Woody Woodpecker” performed by the Varsity Orchestra (with vocals by FRANK) and “My Happiness” performed by the Tyler Duo. Also: neighbor turkey.

This week we listen to two less-well-known Chicago-based labels: Tower 1473 featuring “Drifting Sands” and “Bewitched” performed by Bill Snyder and His Orchestra and Aristocrat 104 featuring “Get on the Ball, Paul” and “No Greater Love” performed by Sherman Hayes and His Orchestra. Also: dental surgery.

More music from the old country–just a different old country–this week as we listen to Etna Records 1252 featuring “Grattami… Grattami il Formaggio” and “Betty… She Eats Lots of Spaghetti” and Etna 1274 featuring “I No Wanna Go Home” and “Comare… Comarella”, all four of which are performed by Nicola Paone. Also: on being different.

Polkas and a little something different this week when we listen to Dana 717 featuring Stás Jaworski and the Milton Delugg Orchestra playing “B?ysk, Bam, Alakazam” and “Ta Rzecz” and Dana 3107 featuring Joe Kurat and His Orchestra performing “Sunnyside Polka” and “My Pal”. Also: connections.

Back from hiatus and featuring two more polka records, Dana 502 and 509, with “Oj Tadarum” and “Helicopter Polka” performed by Walt Dana and His Orchestra and “Carpathian Polka” and “Two Dancing Michels” performed by Ted Maksymowicz and His Orchestra. Also: late breaking book review.

Another short episode this week. We listen to Dana 2054, featuring “My Fanny” and “Hop Scotch Polka” performed by Gene Wisniewski and His Harmony Bells Orchestra, and Dana 3062, featuring “Power House Polka” and “Cross Town Polka” performed by Ted Powers and His Orchestra. Also: Feelings. Again.