Here's a wonderful recording made in the early days of home-use reel to reel recording, taped directly off someone's TV some time during .
The show in question is something called "The Big Midwestern Hayride", which you can read about in a few different sites, and see short clips of on Youtube. This sounds like a pretty wonderful slice of down-home entertainment from a time and place very different from today.
But this is an entire half-hour episode, featuring a remarkable number of groups and performances for a 30 minute show. I don't recognize any of these artists' names, but perhaps someone more familiar with the country, square dance and related sounds of the era might know some of them.
It's unclear to me when exactly this would have been recorded. The show ran on both ABC and NBC at various points during the '50's, but the show which comes on afterwards (heard for about two minutes) is "Topper", which ran on CBS. So I'm guessing the airing of "Topper" was a rerun, showing on another network, at some point after its 1953-55 run. But who can be sure.
Oh, and one more thing - fans of Negativland - and in my view, everyone should be a fan of Negativland - are sure to get a kick out of the sponsor of "The Big Midwestern Hayride".
Download: Various Artists - The Big Midwestern Hayride
Play:
Okay, now here's the bonus (sic). After I posted a single excerpt from a tape of a somewhat tone-deaf someone singing along with a country song (at the bottom of this post from one month ago), I had a request to provide the entire tape.
So... here it is! I hope you enjoy it a LOT more than I do!
Download: Unknown - Singing Along with the Country Hits
Play:
I love this! Old time hollerin' music!!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW the reason Crosley/Bendix would have sponsored this is that Powel Crosley, owner of the Cincinnati Reds (hence Crosley Field), made his fortune in radio, starting WLW radio in Cincy and selling radio sets. WLWT, the TV station this show is on, was also a Powel Crosley endeavor.
ReplyDeleteStu, I love it when you post up these Knowledge Nuggets! They add background and context to these recordings, making them all the more interesting in their obscurity. Thank you!
DeleteThanks! May I assume you are an actual M.D., btw? :)
Deletesweet, I'm from Cincinnati and remember this show, not this one in particular, but brings back memories.
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ReplyDeleteI"m not familiar with this show. Would this be a type of forerunner to the more recent HeeHaw show of the 1970s and early 80s, only with better music & entertainment all the way around?
Thanks Bob, for uploading that entire tape of somebody's inspired mooing along to Hillbilly anthems from The Queen City.
You da man!
In television's earliest days stations sometimes carried more than one network-for example, WLAN in Lancaster PA was the only VHF station between Philadelphia and Pittsburg. NBC was their primary network, but they also chose from CBS, ABC, and Dumont programming. This could be the case with the tape here!
ReplyDeleteThis must be from 1955 as Skeeter Bonn sings both sides of his "new RCA recording" Life Without You and Playing A Waiting Game. Hugh Cherry is the emcee and was a well-known country music disc jockey in Cincinnati at that time. Other performers that I can figure out are the Willis Brothers, the Geer Sisters, Clay Eager, Mr. and Mrs. Melody (Phyllis and Billy Holmes), Mimi Roman, the Hayseeds, and the Midwesterners (square dancers). This was a lot of fun, so thanks for posting it.
ReplyDeleteEric Carlson
Also I believe the Hayriders and Paul Dixon.
DeleteI knew I recognized that Accordion & Piano Player playing in the Hayriders Band. That Randy Dirks is my Great Grandfather! Thanks so much for posting and making available!!! I think the Steel Player is Ray "Chubby" Howard. Do you have any photos or other memorabilia from the show?
ReplyDeleteHere is a link with the band, my Great Grandfather (Randy Dirks) is on Accordion & Piano. Same fella in this audio reel of yours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VglClQGWIHQ