Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 2nd Apr 2024

Horrie Dargie was an Australian harmonica player and clarinetist, television compère (Personally Yours (1959), BP Super Show (1959–1962) and The Delo and Daly Show (1963–1964)), talent manager, music label founder (Go!! Records) and music arranger.

Horrie was to be last week’s feature artist, however a technical issue meant the segment couldn’t be played. Chiemi Eri was last week’s feature artist in his place.

Read the Chiemi Eri story.

Hear the show until end of April 2024

The Horrie Dargie Quintet was awarded the first gold record in Australia for ‘Horrie Dargie Concert’ (1952). Horrie Dargie was to be last week’s feature artist, however a technical issue meant the segment couldn’t be played.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 2 April) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

HORRIE

Horace Dargie was given a harmonica by his father. From the age of ten, he practised the instrument for five hours a day.

A self-taught musician, Horrie Dargie, began his musical career as a diatonica harmonica player. At 16-years-old, in 1933, he joined the Yarraville Mouth Organ Band.

He joined the Victorian Mouth Organ Band conducted by William Ketterer.

In the early 1930s Dargie took up the chromatic harmonica and won a variety competition for professional and amateurs on local radio station 3KZ in 1937.

The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) hired him as a harmonica player to tour Australia for three months from November 1937.

He started his tour in Tasmania and broadcasting on radio, which he preferred to concert halls as his effects are “concentrated in the one volume of sound, and not thinned by the spread of sound in a hall.”

In February 1938 he joined ABC-sponsored Jim Davidson’s Dance Band alongside hillbilly comedian Bobby Dyer on “an extended tour of capital cities and provincial centres.”

Some tour performances were broadcast on local radio stations.

Dargie’s first recording was with Davidson’s orchestra in 1938, issued via Columbia Records, which you’ll hear on this week’s Phantom Dancer.

After the tour Dargie moved to Sydney where he studied clarinet and orchestration, before starting his own harmonica school there.

With Henry “Doc” Bertram on bass harmonica; Alec Lois, Ron Metcalfe and George Williamson on chromatics and Roy Shea on chords he formed a harmonica group, the Rockin’ Reeds.

The group released six recordings by 1941.

From early March to late April 1942 Horrie Dargie and His Rockin’ Reeds played a weekly programme on ABC radio.

DARGIE

Dargie enlisted in the Australian Army’s Entertainment Unit on 13 November 1942, where he became a Warrant Officer Class 2.

He served in New Guinea (December 1943–September 1944), Darwin (May–July 1945) and in the occupational forces in Japan (March 1946–February 1947). He was discharged in March 1947 and returned to Sydney.

He formed the Horrie Dargie Quintet (also known as the Horrie Dargie Harlequintet) in 1949.

By 1952 the Quintet had risen in popularity and played their farewell concert at the Sydney Town Hall in November 1952 before leaving for England. The line-up of the quintet was Dargie on clarinet, harmonica, vocals; Bertram on bass, harmonica, vocals; Reg Cantwell on piano; Joe Hudson on drums, harmonica, vocals; Vern Moore on guitar, harmonica, vocals.

By chance, a recording was made on a wire recorder using just one microphone – the 10-inch record of the performance, Horrie Dargie Concert (1953) became Australia’s first gold record, selling 75,000 copies.

While in England they appeared several times on BBC television via BBC from 1953.

The quintet’s line-up, in January 1955, was Dargie (harmonica, clarinet, saxophone, vocals), Bertram (bass, harmonica), Cantwell (piano), Hudson (drums, harmonica) and Moore (saxophone, guitar, trombone, harmonica). One of their numbers “The Green Door” (1956) become a hit.

While performing in London in late 1955 Dargie contracted polio and was hospitalised. The disease affected his diaphragm and legs, at the time he was told he would not be able to play a wind instrument again.

He once described the illness as a “bit of a problem” – he was paralysed except for his right arm and he could swallow. With persistence he recovered and returned to his music career by June of the following year.

Upon their return to Australia in 1958 they performed at the Tivoli, Sydney.

The quintet appeared on the Stan Freberg TV Show in June 1959, which was filmed at ATN-7 studios, Sydney.

Dargie took up positions at the then-affiliated TV stations ATN-7 (Sydney) and GTV-9 (Melbourne), where he was in charge of the talent division – variety was popular at the time – he worked on four or five shows a week.

He compèred BP Super Show (1959–1962), Personally Yours (1962) and The Delo and Daly Show (1963–1964) and organised on-air talent and guests. The latter programme was produced by DYT Productions, which had been established by Dargie with Arthur Young and Johnny Tillbrook.

Dargie compèred the first nationwide-edition of The Price Is Right in 1963 on Seven Network, which had previously had rival versions in Melbourne (1958) and Sydney (1957–1958). By 1963 ATN-7 was affiliated with HSV-7 (Melbourne).

DYT Productions also produced The Go!! Show (1964–1967) for ATV-0 (Melbourne).[27] It was a pop music show, which regularly featured solo entertainers Johnny Young, Ian Turpie and Olivia Newton-John. DYT Productions established the related Go!! Records in 1964 to promote artists, which appeared on the show; with distribution by Astor Records. In August 1967, ATV-0 abruptly cancelled The Go!! Show and the loss of its promotional outlet led to the demise of the Go!! label in the following year.

Dargie provided musical arrangements for film Crocodile Dundee and TV series The Leyland Brothers. Under the musical directorship of Sven Libaek, he also participated in the background music in the 1960s TV show Nature Walkabout (hosted by Vincent Serventy). Dargie played background music for TV series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. One of Dargie’s last recordings was for pop music group the Reels’ third studio album, Beautiful (May 1982).

2 April PLAY LIST

Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney
LISTEN ONLINE
Community Radio Network Show CRN #647

107.3 2SER Tuesday 2 April 2024
12:04 – 2:00pm (+11 hours GMT)
National Program
5UV Adelaide Monday 2:30 – 3:30am
5GTR Mt Gambier Monday 2:30 – 3:30am
3MBR Murrayville Monday 3 – 4am
4NAG Keppel FM Monday 3 – 4am
2MIA Griffith Monday 3 – 4am
2BAR Edge FM Bega Monday 3 – 4am
2BRW Braidwood Monday 3 – 4am
2YYY Young Monday 3 – 4am
7RPH Hobart Monday 3 – 4pm
3VKV Alpine Radio Monday 6 – 7pm
7MID Oatlands Monday 3am – 4 and 6 -7pm
2MCE Bathurst Wednesday 9 – 10am
1ART ArtsoundFM Canberra Friday 10 – 11am
and Sunday 11pm
Reading Radio (QLD) Friday 1am – 2
2RRR Ryde Friday 11am – 12
2ARM Armidale Friday 12 – 1pm
5LCM Lofty FM Adelaide Friday 1 – 2pm
6GME Radio Goolarri Broome Saturday 4am – 5am
Denmark FM (West Australia) Saturday 10 – 11am
Repeat: Wednesdays 10 – 11pm
7LTN Launceston Sunday 5 – 6am
3MGB Mallacoota Sunday 5 – 6am
3BBR West Gippsland Sunday 5 – 6pm
2SEA Sapphire Coast Eden Sunday 9 – 10pm

Set 1
Stan Kenton
Open + Walkin’ Shoes
Stan Kenton Orchestra
‘Concert in Miniature’
George Auditorium
CBU CBC Vancouver BC Canada
3 Feb 1953
Gone With the Wind
Stan Kenton Orchestra
‘Concert in Miniature’
George Auditorium
CBU CBC Vancouver BC Canada
3 Feb 1953
Works Stan Kenton Orchestra
‘Concert in Miniature’
George Auditorium
CBU CBC Vancouver BC Canada
3 Feb 1953
Over the Rainbow Stan Kenton Orchestra ‘Concert in Miniature’
George Auditorium
CBU CBC Vancouver BC Canada
3 Feb 1953
Set 2
Frank Sinatra DJ
Theme + You Must’ve Been a Beautiful Baby
Frank Sinatra
‘To Be Perfectly Frank’
AFRS re-broadcast
26 Jan 1954
Dancing in the Dark
Ray Anthony
‘To Be Perfectly Frank’
AFRS re-broadcast
26 Jan 1954
Ruby + I’ll Never Change Partners Again

Richard Hayman + Dinah Shore

‘To Be Perfectly Frank’
AFRS re-broadcast
26 Jan 1954
A Hundred Years From Today + Close

Frank Sinatra

‘To Be Perfectly Frank’
AFRS re-broadcast
26 Jan 1954
Set 3
Horrie Dargie
Intro and Singing Ad
Horrie Dargie Quartet (voc) Quartet
‘BP Super Show’
HSV 7 TV
Melbourne
1961
She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain
Bob Dyer and his Mountain Men
Comm Rec
Melbourne
5 Sep 1940
There’s a Gold Mine in the Sky
Jim Davidson’s Dandies
Comm Rec
Sydney
18 May 1938
Open + The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker
Bob Dyer and his Mountain Men (voc) Bob Dyer and Band
‘The Last of the Hillbillies’
3DB Melbourne
1940
Way Fer Down in the Holler
Bob Dyer and his Mountain Men (voc) Bob Dyer & Band
Comm Rec
Melbourne
23 Aug 1940
I’m An Old Cowhand
Bob Dyer and his Mountain Men (voc) Bob Dyer and Band
‘The Last of the Hillbillies’
3DB Melbourne
1940
Set 4
Charlie Barnet
Open + You Always Hurt the One You Love
Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Kay Starr
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
Time Waits for No-one
Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Bill Barton
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
Rockin’ in Rhythm
Charlie Barnet Orchestra
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
I’ll Walk Alone
Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Kay Starr
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
Straighten Up and Fly Right
Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Peanuts Holland
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
Drop Me Off in Harlem + Close
Charlie Barnet Orchestra (voc) Bill Barton
‘Spotlight Bands’
Bridgeport Conn.
AFRS Re-broadcast
30 Oct 1944
Set 5
Duke Ellington 1920s-30s Sides
East St Louis Toddle-oo
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Comm Rec
29 Nov 1926
Baby When You Ain’t There
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Comm Rec
4 Feb 1932
Creole Love Call
Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Adelaide Hall
Comm Rec
26 Oct 1927
Bugle Call Rag
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Comm Rec
9 Feb 1932
Set 6
Swinging Years
No Name Jive
Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. MC: Ronald Reagan
‘Ford Startime: The Swinging Years’
NBC TV Hollywood
9 Feb 1960
Tangerine
Bob Eberly and Helen O’Connell
‘Ford Startime: The Swinging Years’
NBC TV Hollywood
9 Feb 1960
Caldonia
Woody Herman Orchestra (voc) Woody Herman
‘Ford Startime: The Swinging Years’
NBC TV Hollywood
9 Feb 1960
St Louis Blues March
Ensemble
‘Ford Startime: The Swinging Years’
NBC TV Hollywood
9 Feb 1960
Set 7
Count Basie
I Never Knew
Count Basie Orchestra
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WABC CBS NYC
5 May 1944
Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
Count Basie Orchestra (voc) Jimmy Rushing
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WABC CBS NYC
5 May 1944
My, What a Fry
Count Basie Orchestra
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WABC CBS NYC
5 May 1944
Jumping at the Woodside
Count Basie Orchestra
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WABC CBS NYC
5 May 1944
Set 8
Lester Young
Lullaby of Birdland (theme) + Three Little Words Lester Young Quintet Birdland
WABC ABC NYC
5 Sep 1956
How High the Moon Lester Young (voc) Ella Fitzgerald
‘Symphony Sid Show’
WMCA NYC
27 Nov 1948
PLAYLIST

Stan Kenton   Walking Shoes

Stan Kenton   Gone with theWind

Stan Kenton   Works

Stan Kenton   Over the Rainbow

Frank Sinatra   You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby

Ray Anthony   Dancing in the Dark

Richard Hayman   Ruby

Dinah Shore   I'll Never Change Partners Again

Frank Sinatra   A Hundred Years From Today

Bob Dyer and the Mountain Men   She'll be Coming Round the Mountain

Jim Davidson's Dandies   There's a Gold Mine in the Sky

Bob Dyer and the Mountain Men   The Butcher, The Baker, the Candlestick Maker

Bob Dyer and the Mountain Men   Way Fer Down in the Holler

Bob Dyer and the Mountain Men   I'm an Old Cowhand

Charlie Barnet   You always Hurt the One You Love

Charlie Barnet   Time Waits for No One

Charlie Barnet   Rockin' in Rhythm

Charlie Barnet   I'll Walk Alone

Charlie Barnet   Staighten Up and Fly Right

Charlie Barnet   Drop Me Off in Harlem

Duke Ellington   East St Louis Toodle-oo

Duke Ellington   Baby When You Ain't There

Duke Ellington   Creole Love Call

Duke Ellington   Bugle Call Rag

Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra.   No Name Jive

Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell   Tangerine

Woody Herman Orchestra   Caldonia

Woody Herman Orchestra   St Louis Blues March

Count Basie Orchestra   I Never Knew

Count Basie Orchestra   Baby Won't You Please Come Home

Count Basie Orchestra   My What a Fry

Count Basie Orchestra   Jumpin' at the Woodside

Lester Young   Lullaby of Birdland

Lester Young   Three Little Words

Lester Young   How High the Moon

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