Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 17th Aug 2021
Phil Harris is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist. Wonga Phil Harris was a drummer, band leader, singer, comedian, actor, Academy Award winner and voice-over artist. Because of the continuing Sydney lockdown, this show is a re-broadcst of the 23 Feb 2021 Phantom Dancer.
His first name, Wonga, is a Cherokee word meaning fast messenger.
The Phantom Dancer is your non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV hosted by me, Greg Poppleton. Hear past Phantom Dancer online now at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/.
This show will be online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 17 August at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/.
PHIL
Phil Harris’ parents were circus performers. Phil started playing in his father’s tent band as a drummer at age 9.
He began his dance band career as a drummer in San Francisco, first in 1925 with the Henry Halstead Orchestra, which toured Australia in 1927. In the late 20s he formed an orchestra with Carol Lofner which had a three year engagement at the St. Francis Hotel.
The Lofner-Harris orchestra recorded for Victor, Columbia, Decca, and Vocalion.
MOVIES
In 1933, he made a short film for RKO called So This Is Harris!. It won the Academy Award for best live action short subject. He followed with a feature-length film, Melody Cruise.
He starred in I Love a Bandleader (1945) with Leslie Brooks. He appeared in The Wild Blue Yonder a.k.a. “Thunder Across the Pacific” (1951), alongside Forrest Tucker and Walter Brennan. He made a cameo appearance in the Warner Bros. musical, Starlift, with Janice Rule and Dick Wesson, and was featured in The High and the Mighty with John Wayne in 1954.
He made many TV appearances guesting on the Ed Sullivan Show and Dean Martin Show in the 1960s
As a singer, he had a #1 hit in 1950 with the novelty record, “The Thing”.
He was an avid golfer and won many amateur golf tournaments. Took over managing the Bing Crosby Golf Tournament after Crosby’s death
On this week’s Phantom Dancer you’ll hear Phil Harris from a radio transcription simulating a broadcst from the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel where his band was resident in 1933-34.
In 1936, Harris became musical director of The Jell-O Show Starring Jack Benny singing and leading his band.
When Harris showed a knack for giving snappy one-liners, he joined the cast.
In 1946, after serving in the US Navy during WW2, Harris and wife Alice Faye began co-hosting The Fitch Bandwagon, a comedy-variety program that followed the Jack Benny show on Sunday nights.
On The Fitch Bandwagon and its later incarnation as The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, Harris played a vain, stumbling husband, while Faye played his sarcastic but loving wife.
The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show ran until 1954. Harris was concurrently on Jack Benny’s show from 1948 to 1952.
VOICE ACTOR
Harris was a popular voice actor for animated films – he played Baloo in The Jungle Book (1967), Thomas O’Malley in The Aristocats (1970), Little John in Robin Hood (1973), and Patou in Rock-a-Doodle (1991).
17 AUGUST 2021 PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney Community Radio Network Show CRN #507 |
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107.3 2SER Tuesday 17 August 2021 |
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Set 1
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1945 Radio Dance Bands | |
Moonlight Serenade (theme) + Sun Valley Jump
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Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Cedar Rapids Iowa Blue Network 1945 |
I’m Beginning To See The Light
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Ray Noble Orchestra (voc) Trudy Irwin and the Smart Set
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‘By Request’
KNX CBS LA 13 Jun 1945 |
Dark Eyes + Close
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Jimmy Joy Orchestra
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Hartigan TX Blue Network 6 Jan 1945 |
Set 2
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1940s-50s Mod Jazz Bands | |
Open + Who’s Sorry Now?
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Ray Anthony Orchestra
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‘One Night Stand’
Cafe Rouge Hotel Statler NYC AFRS Re-broadcast 1952 |
Old Man Bebop
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Dizzy Gillespie
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AFRS Radio Transcriptions
1946 |
El Greco + Let’s Dance (theme)
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Benny Goodman Orchestra
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‘One Night Stand’
Palladium Ballroom Hollywood AFRS Re-broadcast 1949 |
Set 3
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Phil Harris | |
Young and Healthy
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Phil Harris Orchestra (voc) Phil Harris and The Three Ambassadors
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Cocoanut Grove
Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1933 |
The Girl in the Little Green Hat
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Phil Harris Orchestra (voc) Lee Norton
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Cocoanut Grove
Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1933 |
Come On, Get Up
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Phil Harris Orchestra (voc) Leah Raye
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Cocoanut Grove
Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1933 |
Set 4
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Women on Radio | |
Theme + 24 Hours of Sunshine
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The Andrew Sisters, Dick Haymes, Jerry Gray Orchestra
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‘Guest Star’
Radio Transcription New York City 8 Jan 1950 |
If I Loved You + Lady Be Good (close)
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Georgia Gibbs (voc) Paul Whiteman Orchestra
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Madhattan Room
Pennsylvania Hotel AFRS Re-broadcast 22 Jul 1945 |
That Ol’ Black Magic + Close
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Jo Stafford, The Starlighters, Paul Weston Orchestra
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‘Guest Star’
Radio Transcription New York City 22 May 1949 |
Set 5
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1940s Australian Swing | |
Don’t Sweetheart Me
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George Trevare Orchestra (voc) Joan Blake
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Comm Rec
Sydney 1944 |
Let’s Have One For The Road
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George Trevare Orchestra (voc)
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Comm Rec
Sydney 1944 |
Long Ago and Far Away
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George Trevare Orchestra (voc) al Royal
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Comm Rec
Sydney 1944 |
Set 6
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Radio Trad | |
Back to Coajingolong
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George Trevare Orchestra
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Comm Rec
Sydney 1945 |
September in the Rain
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Eddie Condon
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‘Eddie Condon Jazz Concert’
WJZ Blue NY 21 Oct 1944 |
Levee Blues
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Jimmy Dorsey Dorseyland Band (voc) Charlie Teagarden
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Radio Transcription
1950 |
Gin Mill Blues + Close
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Bob Crosby Orchestra
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‘Swing Concert’
Congress Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 18 May 1937 |
Set 7
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Lseter Young 1950s Radip | |
Lullaby of Birdland (theme)
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Lester Young Quintet
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Birdland
WABC ABC NY 5 Sep 1956 |
Three Little Words
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Lester Young Quintet
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Birdland
WABC ABC NY 5 Sep 1956 |
Lullaby of Birdland (theme)
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Lester Young Quintet
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Birdland
WABC ABC NY 7 Aug 1956 |
Lester Leaps In
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Lester Young Quintet
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Birdland
WABC ABC NY 7 Aug 1956 |
Set 8
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Benny Goodman Small Groups | |
Oh, Baby!
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Benny Goodman Sextet
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Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca AFRS Re-broadcast 26 Jan 1946 |
Limehouse Blues
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Benny Goodman Sextet
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Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca AFRS Re-broadcast 26 Jan 1946 |
Sweet Georgia Brown
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Benny Goodman Quintet
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‘Spotlight Bands’
Springfield Mass Mutual Network 29 Sep 1943 |
Sweet Lorraine
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Benny Goodman Trio
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Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca AFRS Re-broadcast 26 Jan 1946 |