SOME NOSTALGIA AND SOME COMMENTS

Thinking about the segment on the program of late regarding the WPAT program of the 1950s (and late 1940s) by Dave Miller---slogan Thrills of The Hills, Tops in Pops, and Best in the West I got to thinking of something that I wondered about when cigarette advertising was going to be verboten on radio and TV. What would replace it? We surely have found out--we own luxury cars, our breath must be better, our sexual functions are enhanced, and our teeth are ever so much whiter.

I found this great clip on YouTube that I really think you might enjoy as a look at the past and how advertising could make us believe all that great scientific evidence ---through double talk---about the healthy attributes of tobacco. I also, then, was a believer.

A little nostalgia with Perry Como, Hank Snow (best part of the program) and the main reason for this the commercials.



We had the country, Perry Como, but most important how advertising insinuated itself--and still does---into our minds. I hope your Chesterfields gave all the ads promised---other than emphysema. Well, they did not promise that anyway. Truth in advertising.

Might I know urge you to scoot over to THE ALMOST DAILY ROOSTER by clicking on the right side of the page and we can talk of other things not related to the radio program(s).

A PROMISED LINK

On TRADITIONS today I promised to post a link to a wonderful video having to do with Michael Palin vis a vis the other Palin---Sarah.

If you check you will see my thoughts on that. I have to admit that this encapsulates it all--a brilliant piece of comedy and editing that should make us all perk up a bit and think about the presidential hopeful's choice of a person a heartbeat away from him.

OK the link http://www.michaelpalinforpresident.com/

You will not be disappointed. If you listen to NPR and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me you know that they think that a nice touch would have been for "Pistol Packin' Mama" to shoot an ACLU member and stuff him.

Any other thoughts from me on this should really be read on THE ALMOST DAILY ROOSTER--perhaps I should add to some to already there---OK I will Come on over--or as that great old commercial for the now long gone airline National said---Come on Down (that was to get you to fly to Florida). Of course, once in Florida---God's waiting room--hosted by the late optimist Ponce De Leon---they had another commercial for that market---"Come on Up".
Nothing like NYC in the winter and nothing like Florida in the summer.

Program Notes---As The Title Says

A few comments regarding some of the features of late on TRADITIONS. I started as a one time thing a sort of nostalgia trip, if you will, a reminiscence of a radio program from the 1950s---The Dave Miller Show---that had the slogan "The Thrills of The Hills, The Tops in Pops, and The Best of The West". It was only supposed to be a one shot thing and it took about 10 minutes. It seems that it has caught on with our family of listeners and so I have been continuing it in approximately 15 minute segments. It is a blend of Country, Folk, Pop, and pretty much anything from a bygone era. An era when people wrote in requests to be played.

If you want requests you too can write in and now it is instantaneous---we have e-mail. No postcards to mail in. Sort of like the tag line on The Lone Ranger---"....in the land of yesteryear".

I can tell you in advance that this week you will hear---just a sample--Marty Robbins, Elvis Presley, Mr. B (you figure it out).

One of the big surprises was the reaction (all positive) to Tommy Edwards.

TRADITIONS is program that plays traditional music. Traditional music and new music that we hope will be considered tradition in years to come. Seems that music of that past era---not from some front porch but from a new electronic age---is now also in the tradition. So to speak.

So there you have my thoughts on that and if you have requests for any of these musical genres please do e mail me at wfdutraditions@yahoo.com . You can also make requests for Calypso which I am trying to have people recall because of the rhythm and the great political content. I thank Smithsonian Folkways for supplying me with some great archival material by some of the greats---Lord Invader, Mighty Sparrow, Lord Melody, and so many more.

A final thought which is not a musical one and should not be on this page---scoot over to THE ALMOST DAILY ROOSTER by clicking here or going to the right side of this page.

You might also enjoy some of the new videos that have been added.

One last thought and a mention of a person who many of you do not know. Many times we mention and mourn the loss of some famous artists---Kate Wolf, Erik Darling, etc; A few weeks back I started the program with a commemoration of Dr. Morris Dunkel. People like him are the supporters that keep this music alive and I want to say that he is missed, it was an honor and a pleasure to spend time with him, and my sympathy and hope for healing go out to his wife Marilyn.

SOME VIDEO COMMENTS AND A FEW ITEMS

I know that some of you are, as I am, fans of John Prine. You will, hopefully, enjoy some videos of him now available on the right of this page. You will, I hope, notice the similarity to Hays Carll in the sound and thought. You will recall that I did a bit of a contest on TRADITIONS about that and we had a few folks who picked up on it. As to the videos---check that bottom one out---very clever.

On the subject of videos on this site. There are 3 pages and on each one (which can be found by clicking on the right side of the screen) you will find videos germane to that page and ones that will make you either reminisce, discover something new, or just say--oh, s++t. In any case try them out--tell your computer savvy nerd friends to join you--have a few light hearted, serious, or nostalgic moments if you like.

This coming Sunday I believe you will find some things of interest on TRADITIONS and on SUNDAY SIMCHA.

TRADITIONS: Once again a dip into the archives of things we have not heard in a while, some new political material, and we continue a brief visit to Calypso (again my thanks to Smithsonian Folkways). Political material will not be ignored since the Democratic convention starts on Tuesday---fait accompli as opposed to how it used to be.

SUNDAY SIMCHA: It is said (does that sound biblical enough---as opposed to "they said"--who are "they" anyway?)that a picture is worth a thousand words so here is one:

You will also get to hear about how I managed, to my great chagrin miss the last concert at Tanglewood--- an event never forgotten by my companions that fateful day.

I hope that some of you were able to see the wonderful documentary about "Lenny" recently on PBS.

As to TABLETALK You may be aware that one of my recent guests was David Amram. The latest issue of the Fairleigh Dickenson Newsletter (magazine) features a quote by him about this radio station. No more little fish big pond for us---after all he does swim along with the big whales and sharks in the big ponds.

One last personal item. The other day I viewed an HBO special of Billy Crystal. It was done in 1986 and, amazingly, featured "Brother Theodore" in it. It was a joy to once again re-visit this great performance artist that I had the honor and utter delight of visiting with in his apartment for an interview for TRADITIONS back in , I believe, 1998. THEODORE passed away a few years back at the ripe old age of 94---still performing. He was in the same league as ANDY KAUFMAN (or Andy was in his league)

Some Misc. Program Notes

A number of listeners to SUNDAY SIMCHA have requested more Ladino music. Ladino music is, as many of you know, the music of the Sephardic Jews and while we have played some pieces by Robin Greenstein and Joe Elias I have been in contact with Dganit Dado who will be touring Canada and the Northeast later this year. She is an Israeli and brings a whole new sound to Ladino music---and, I suppose, a look as well:

A picture is worth a thousand words---I heard that somewhere. To get a sample of what her music sounds like just click on the right side of this page and scoot over to the PLAYLIST page where you will find some videos of her and her group in a very lively Ladino performance.





As to TRADITIONS I want to thank, once again, Smithsonian Folkways for all the wonderful Calypso material they have supplied. Smithsonian Folkways has truly kept and is keeping so many genres of music from being relegated to the dustbin of history. Reissuing, in wonderfully restored versions, so many genres---blues, traditional, calypso, folk, etc;.

I am also delighted that many of you have called in or written to request pieces for that segment Thrills of The Hills, Best in The West, and The Tops in Pops (term coined by Dave Miller of WPAT in the 1940s). While we won't do more than 10 or 15 minutes as a general rule I will try to get to as many requests as I can. A picture of Dave Miller would have been nice to put here but I suppose he had a face for radio---none available. So I guess we can just end with a picture of the WFDU transmitter located in Alpine, NJ and is quite historic in its own right---the birthplace of FM broadcasting and named after its creator---The Armstrong Tower.

Being a resident of Rockland County (near the Alpine location) I am always amazed when I realize how few people who drive down the Parkway never realize the historical significance of this structure. I had written some papers way back in school about it and FM broadcasting so perhaps my knowledge if it is expected but, still, one would think such a massive structure in that particular location would cause people to research it a bit. OK---time for all those folks to do some GOOGLING---a new verb.

Program Notes as the Title Says--And Some Other Items

First off a few updates on the up-coming programs:

TABLETALK: Since we had a nice scoop with my interview with Susan Quinn about her book FURIOUS IMPROVISATION and NPR a few weeks later raved about it as well we shall, this Sunday (8/10)have an encore presentation.

Here now are a few comments that describe the book and, frankly, our discussion of that and events occurring today might be found quite interesting---or perhaps not. Best to tune in at 8 AM Eastern Time (or on the web)---



In Furious Improvisation, Susan Quinn brings to life the challenges of this desperate era when Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and the tough-talking idealist Harry Hopkins furiously improvised programs to get millions of hungry, unemployed people back to work. Quinn’s compelling story of politics and creativity reaches a dramatic climax with the entrance of Martin Dies and his newly-formed House Un-American Activities Committee, which turned the Federal Theatre Project into the first victim of a Red scare that would roil the nation for decades to come.
Furious Improvisation is a vivid and engrossing portrait of the turbulent 1930s, rich in humor and anecdotes which combine to tell not only the story of the theatre project but also of the Great Depression and government intervention in a time of national peril, a time when the still-pressing issues of discrimination, injustice and the meaning of liberty commanded center stage.



SUNDAY SIMCHA: As always a few surprises in Comedy Corner and also a visit to the dusty archives that seem to be so popular---but also the newest in what can be termed "Jewish " music---of music in a Jewish vein---not a Jewish artery since that is clogged with chicken fat.



TRADITIONS: The segment about WPAT in the 1950s---The Dave Miller Show show has proven quite popular amongst listeners so who am I to cut it short (Oh those "Thrills of the Hills, Tops in Pops, and Best in The West")---we do an extended version this Sunday---have you heard Moon Mullican combined with Jo Stafford (that was a request by the way--Temptation)? In addition Smithsonian Folkways is a true treasure trove of wonderful archival material and they have, graciously, sent over recordings that will represent some of the great Calypso material :
















We shall also commemorate the sad passing of Erik Darling. Ron Olesko will have a more full commemoration the week after given his interviews and personal contact with this wonderful artist.

For the segment about stories (novellas) in under 5 minutes or so---there is a new person you have to hear. I then await your comments as to who he reminds you of. If time allows in that segment the master story teller will once again be on the air.

As to other "items" I think it best you go to the right side of your screen and click on The Daily Rooster and find out a few other items that, perhaps , you will find of interest. This is not really the place for them--they are, however, "G" rated.