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Sponsored by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, the Firestone Hour debuted December 3, 1928 on the NBC radio-broadcasting network. The program featured classical and operatic music in an old time radio shows format, in which selections were performed by the Firestone orchestra. The long running weekly radio show was broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on Monday nights for 28 years.

On November 29, 1943, the show became known as, The Voice of Firestone, which coincided with its television premier on a New York television station. The “voice” of the new televised format focused more on documentary and commentary than its radio broadcast version. Firestone supported and promoted several national organizations on its show. In 1944, the NBC television network began televising the program to a nationwide audience. This series aired until 1947.

The Voice of Firestone continued to evolve and by 1949, the NBC network once again picked up the show. This time, the televised program aired simultaneously with its radio broadcast. Unfortunately, the televised series was less successful than its radio counterpart was. Mixed reviews and low ratings resulted in NBC wanting to remove the show from its prime time line-up; however, Firestone executives refused and the show was acquired by the ABC network in 1954. Radio broadcasting continued until 1956, while the televised show aired until its cancellation by ABC in 1959. Many viewers protested against the cancellation, citing that television lacked high quality programs. The program was revived in 1962, but it was cancelled within a year.

This is one of the few remaining recordings of the musical series from 1953:

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The Carnation Contented Hour debuted at 8:00 p.m. on April 26, 1931. Originally broadcast over the west coast National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the show began to broadcast nationwide in January 1932. Taking its name from the longtime Carnation Milk Company slogan, “Milk from contented cows,” the company aimed to please listeners with a variety of musical programming.

The program initially featured conductor, Josef Pasternack. Unfortunately, Pasternack suffered a fatal heart attack during one of the rehearsal sessions. The network hurriedly began the search for his replacement. Eventually, network executives chose Percy Faith and his orchestra. Featured performers included Herman Larson and Gene Arnold, with the addition of Buddy Clark in October 1932. Regulars on the show included Josephine Antoine and Reinhold Schmidt.

Sadly, during World War II many servicemen and women did not have access to programs broadcast for the general public. In order to boost moral and ensure that military personnel had access to venues of entertainment, the newly created Armed Forces Radio Services (AFRS) received permission to rebroadcast several radio programs, including the The Carnation Contented Hour. Edited programs were recorded onto discs and sent to various military bases. The recorded rebroadcasts were commercial-free and the AFRS re-titled the program, The Melody Hour.

In 1949, the program was moved to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and Dick Haynes joined the line-up. Although broadcasting time was shifted to 10:00 p.m. in November of 1932, the show continued to enjoy popularity. The final broadcast of The Carnation Contented Hour was heard on December 30, 1951.

You can enjoy an episode of the The Carnation Contented Hour from 1949:

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ALL ABOARD! Enjoy Gordon MacRae and his guest stars as they perform some of the greatest musical selections from famous plays and operettas.

The Railroad Hour was on the radio from 1948 until 1954, first on the American Broadcasting System (ABC) and moving to the National Broadcasting System (NBC) in 1949 where it stayed until the series end. It was on the air Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on both radio networks.

Gordon MacRae was the star with various guest stars performing each week, usually a well-known female star of the era such as Jane Powell and Doris Day. The show opened each week with the theme song, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”, which is very appropriate for a show sponsored by the Association of American Railroads.

If you want to hear some great old show tunes sung by some of the most most famous singers of the 1940s and 1950s, visit The Railroad Hour page at Old Time Radio. Enjoy!

(Source: http://RailRoadHour.com)

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Listening to classic big band radio broadcasts is a great past-time.  Hearing some live music old time radio shows broadcasts from the greats never gets old!

Some favorites include:

• Andrew Sisters
• Artie Shaw
• Bing Crosby
• Call for Music
• Tommy Dorsey
• Chesterfield Show Moonlight Serenade
• Glenn Miller
• Harry James Show
• Music Rarities
• Benny Goodman
• Sammy Kaye Sunday Serenade
• Serenade in Blue
• Swingtime
• Your Hit Parade

What are some of your favorite music old time radio shows?

A promising classical violinist by the age of 15, Xavier Cugat would go on to become the “Rumba King” by the time he reached 30. Two years after his birth in 1900, Cugat and his family emigrated from Spain to Cuba. While in Cuba, his talent for classical music was noticed by Enrico Caruso. Caruso, a famous tenor with the Metropolitan Opera Company brought the adolescent Xavier Cugat to the U.S. in 1915. Unfortunately, a disillusioned Cugat temporarily put down his classical violin shortly after performing on a WDY radio broadcast in 1917.

Xavier Cugat would later re-emerge onto the music scene with a new flamboyant style of Latin music that included the Rumba, Cha Cha, Mambo and Tango. His newly formed Latin band became popular in 1928, after the group began playing during intermission at the famous Los Angeles hotspot, the Cocoanut Grove located in the Ambassador Hotel. During this same period, Cugat resumed playing the violin on a daily radio program broadcast by KFWB. The “Rumba King” made his way to the Waldorf-Astoria, where he became the highest paid performer in the history of the hotel. By 1934, Cugat and his band became featured performers on “Let’s Dance,” a nationwide weekly radio program sponsored by the NABISCO company. The popularity of Cugat’s Latin music peaked during the 1940’s; however, Cugat continued to perform until a stroke partially disabled him in 1969.

Additional rare Xavier Cugat radio recordings are available from the Radio Music Rarities Collection from Old Time Radio.

Enjoy the Xavier Cugat Orchestra Remote broadcast from 66 years ago today, Jan 26, 1945:

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Today in radio history, the first commercial broadcast The Voice of Firestone was aired. Sponsored by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company on the NBC network. ABC aired the show on the same day and time starting 1954 after a dispute over the time slot when NBC wanted to change the time. The television and radio show were simulcast and when NBC wouldn’t back down Firestone took the show to ABC until it went off the air in 1955. Show had one of the longest runs in the history of radio being on the air for twenty-seven years.

This is one of the few remaining recordings of the musical series from 1953:

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In this NBC network/NBC-TV net simulcast the program celebrating the completion of the program’s twenty-fifth year on the air. The first selection is, “Strike Up The Band” by George Gershwin. The first half hour was heard on radio and television, the second half hour was heard on television only.