Original air date - Phantom Dancer :: 12:00pm 17th Sep 2019

This  week's Phantom Dancer radio show with Greg Poppleton features a set of women jazz singers from 1950s radio and TV including Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Roche and Ella Fitzgerald. And the featured artist is the Glenn Miller Orchestra in German. In just four years Glenn Miller scored 16 number-one records and 69 top ten hits—more than Elvis Presley (38 top 10s) and the Beatles (33 top 10s) Miller received the first gold record for 1.2 million sales of Chattanoga Choo Choo in 1942. [caption id="attachment_8341" align="alignnone" width="525"] Glenn Miller gold record 1942[/caption] The Phantom Dancer is your two hour non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV presented by Greg Poppleton on Radio 2SER 107.3 Sydney since 1985. This week's show can be heard over and over again online at radio 2ser.com The last hour is all vinyl.

GERMAN GLENN MILLER

This description of the Glenn Miller German broadcasts is from "An Overview, from Glenn Miller Declassified" by Dennis M. Spragg © 2017, Potomac Books, University of Nebraska Press: "A new venture in psychological warfare was the appearance of leading American entertainers and bands on Music for the Wehrmacht (Musik für die Wehrmacht), (over ABSIE, the American Broadcasting Station in Europe, based in London) for which William Klein wrote German-American continuity.

DER BINGLE

During September 1944 Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore recorded programs and standby (reserve) recordings during their tours of England and the Continent. The American Band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (ABAEF) pianist Pvt. Jack Rusin accompanied Crosby, who was nicknamed “Der Bingle” by German troops listening to Music for the Wehrmacht. Irene Manning and Morton Downey followed them. Others appearing in the series during the latter third of 1944 were Marlene Dietrich, M1C Sam Donahue and the U. S. Navy Dance Band of the Allied Liberation Forces and even Spike Jones and his City Slickers. [caption id="attachment_8342" align="alignnone" width="525"] Glenn Miller and the Andrew Sisters 1940[/caption]

NEW ZEALAND

Musical projection of America was furthered notably by the appearance on Music for the Wehrmacht of musical programs with Maj. Glenn Miller and the ABAEF in a series of weekly broadcasts with German continuity. This series instantly became a highlight of the ABSIE schedule and received significantly favorable comment. Interesting evidence of the global audience for Music For The Wehrmacht was received when a listener from New Zealand reported in detail about one of the Glenn Miller broadcasts. [caption id="attachment_8340" align="alignnone" width="525"] Glenn Miller and Irene Manning[/caption]

DEATH THREATS

A female announcer identified as Ilse Weinberger hosted many of the Music for the Wehrmacht programs. In OWI photographs, Gloria Wagner is the announcer seen with Glenn Miller and others recording programs in this series. In addition to full-time announcer Wagner (who hosted other programs) the ABSIE German Desk had two other staff members handle female announcing duties using the “Ilse” pseudonym. Among ABSIE’s well-known German voices was Gottfried “Golo” Mann, son of Thomas Mann and the reporter mentioned in these scripts. All of the ABSIE staff were American citizens and included SHAEF military and OWI civilian personnel. Wagner, Mann, ABSIE contributor Marlene Dietrich and other ABSIE on-air personnel were subject to enemy death threats.

WEHRMACHT MUSIK

Six complete episodes of Music for the Wehrmacht were recorded and broadcast by the ABAEF. Program 7 was scheduled for broadcast December 20, 1944 but only the start of the episode was recorded. Any additionally planned programs or repeats were cancelled following the announcement of Miller’s disappearance December 24, 1944. Your Phantom Dancer Video of the Week this week is Episode 3 of the 1940s Republic Serial, Radar Men From the Moon: Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffp1Av3SsIA Make sure you come back to this blog, Greg Poppleton's Radio Lounge, every Tuesday, for the newest Phantom Dancer play list and Video of the Week! Thank you.

Play List - The Phantom Dancer 107.3 2SER-FM Sydney, Live Stream Community Radio Network Show CRN #404
107.3 2SER Tuesday 17 September 2019 After the 2SER 12 noon news, 12:04 - 2:00pm (+10 hours GMT) and Saturdays  5 - 5:56pm + 23 stations across Australia
Set 1	Big Bands on Air From The Palladium Ballroom 1949-61
Let’s Dance	Benny Goodman Orchestra	’One Night Stand’ Palladium Ballroom LA AFRS Re-broadcast 22 Mar 1949
Walkin’	Harry James Orchestra	’One Night Stand’ Palladium Ballroom LA AFRS Re-broadcast 27 Nov 1959
It Took Ten Days Blues	Jerry Gary and His Band of Today	’One Night Stand’ Palladium Ballroom LA AFRS Re-broadcast 20 Jan 1961
Set 2	Strange and Wonderful 1938 - 1960 Radio Transcriptions
Theme + The Sound of Music	Felicia Saunders with Harry Sosnik and the Savings Bonds Orchestra	’Guest Star’ Radio Transcription New York City 3 Apr 1960
Theme + In A Little Spanish Town	The Master Radio Canaries	’Hartz Mountain Pet Food Canaries’ Radio Transcription Chicago 1949
I’m Wild About Horns on Automobiles	Hoosier Hot Shots	’Alka-Seltzer Radio Spot’ NBC Transcriptions, Chicago 1938
Set 3	1920s-30s Women Pop Singers
He’s So Unusual	Helen Kane	Comm Rec New York City 14 Jun 1929
I Can’t Write The Words	Mildred Hunt (voc) Philco Orchestra	’Philco Hour’ WABC CBS NY 1931
After You’ve Gone + Got A Bran’ New Suit	Kay Thompson (voc) Dodge Orchestra	’Dodge Program’ Radio Transcription New York City 1935
Set 4	Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye on 1940s Radio
Theme + Kiss Me Sweet, Kiss Me Simple	Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) Laura Leslie and Don Cornell	’Chrysler Showroom’ Radio Transcription 1949
Swanee River	Sammy Kaye Orchestra	’One Night Stand’ Hotel Astor Roof New York City AFRS Re-broadcast 27 Aug 1945
So In Love + My Gal Sal + Theme	Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) Tony Alamo	’Chrysler Showroom’ Radio Transcription 1949
Set 5	Women Jazz Singers 1950s Radio & TV
Intro + Fine & Mellow	Billie Holliday	’The Sound of Jazz’ WCBS CBS TV NY 8 Dec 1957
My Gentleman Friend	Sarah Vaughan	’Concert Recording’ Apollo Theatre NY 17 Aug 1950
All Of Me	Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Betty Roche	Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 30 Jul 1952
Ridin’ High	Ella Fitzgerald (voc) Benny Goodman Orchestra	’Texaco Swing Into Spring’ WRCA TV NBC NY 9 Apr 1958
Set 6	Cab Calloway on Live 1940s Radio From Cafe Zanzibar NYC
Do I Care? No, No	Cab Calloway Orchestra (voc) CC	Comm Rec New York City 18 Mar 1940
Minnie The Moocher (theme) + The Very Thought Of You	Cab Calloway Orchestra (voc) CC	’One Night Stand’ Cafe Zanzibar New York City AFRS Re-broadcast 22 Sep 1944
The More I See You	Cab Calloway Orchestra (voc) CC	’One Night Stand’ Cafe Zanzibar New York City AFRS Re-broadcast 10 Jul 1945
Lammar’s Boogie + Coastin’ With JC	Cab Calloway Orchestra	’One Night Stand’ Cafe Zanzibar New York City AFRS Re-broadcast 16 July 1946
Set 7	Early Radio Jazz and Dance
Blue Melody Blues	Tiny Parham and his Musicians	Comm Rec Chicago 1 Feb 1929
Me	Gus Arnheim Orchestra (voc) Loyce Whiteman and Dave Marshall	’Cocoanut Grove’ Radio Transcription 1931
Happy Feet	Paul Whiteman Orchestra (voc) Bing Crosby and the Rhythm Boys, Brox Sisters	’King of Jazz’ Film Soundtrack 1929
Is It Spain + A Most Remarkable Girl	The Dixie Two-Steppers (voc) The Dixie Tenor	’Sunny Meadows Program’ Radio Transcription 1929
Set 8	Glenn Miller Broadcasting to Germany 1944
Intro + Here We Go Again	Glenn Miller AEF Orchestra	Radio Transcription American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) Abbey Road Studios London Oct-Nov 1944
Now I Know	Glenn Miller AEF Orchestra (voc) Johnny Desmond	Radio Transcription New York City 1939
Begin the Beguine	Glenn Miller AEF Orchestra (voc) Irene Manning	Radio Transcription American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) Abbey Road Studios London Oct-Nov 1944
Great Day + Close	Glenn Miller AEF Orchestra	Radio Transcription American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) Abbey Road Studios London Oct-Nov 1944