Life in the Eisenhower Years: Sports, Slumber Parties, Live from Riverview, and Making Fun of the Hits

Howdy, y'all, 

I have a nice little collection of obscurities for you today. And after I selected them, I realized that they all fall within a very specific period: 1953-1960, nearly an exact overlap with the Eisenhower years. I'm not sure what that means, aside from something I already knew, which is that I'm particularly fascinated with recording made in the years before I was born. But I selected them because they are each wonderful in their own ways. 

To start, a tape of a grown man being completely silly. And I don't know who this guy is, but I love him. I have an image of "the Man of the House" in the 1950's, and it isn't this guy. He's not afraid to be ridiculous. I'm not sure if he was trying to amuse his grade school children (who are heard elsewhere on the tape, in less interesting segments), or just amuse himself, or what, but I have rarely come across a tape in recent months that I've adored as much as I do this one. And I'll say this right off - your mileage may vary - I could see this tape annoying the hell out of a person who is not like me. 

Basically, and for the most part, the gentleman in question is simply interacting with the radio, talking back to the announcer, making fun of the songs played, sometimes with satiric asides or comebacks, but just as often with wordless noisemaking. And it's not just the hits - classical music and quiet pop also get razzed - even the newscaster doesn't escape his playing. At one point near the end, he simply sings listing from TV guide over a rendition of "I've Got You Under My Skin". One of his kids joins in a few times, too. 

I am indebted to Brian B., who popped up in my e-mail, out of the blue, back in March, and offered to donate a stack of 1950's reels to me, for my perusal and possible use. Other tapes from Brian will be featured in the future - I've listened to three of them - but this was killer segment, and like I said, one that I couldn't wait to share. 

I love this guy. 

Download: Unknown - Singing Along with the Radio in 1958

Play:  

~~

Shooting back a half-decade, we head to Riverview Amusement Park, which was the place to be for teens and young adults in Chicago, right up to it's closure following the 1967 season. 

Apparently, the mighty WGN radio, which was conveniently located about six blocks from Riverview, had a regular remote broadcast from the park in 1953, and a then-newcomer to the station, Buddy Black, hosted that half-hour broadcast. 

This is another in the series of tapes that I've owned for decades, which I've started revisiting in recent months, and it's another of my favorites. There is a cornucopia of pre-rock 1950's feeling to this reel, from the songs played to the interaction between the host and his friend, to the interviews with attendees. 

Download: Buddy Black at Riverview Park, WGN, 1953

Play:  

~~

Now let's head right back into 1958. 

Clif Mercer (and that is how he spelled his name) was a mainstay in Chicago radio for somewhere around 25-30 years, mostly at WGN, and later, briefly, at WJJD when it was a big band oldies station. He also worked at WGN TV and did everything from news to commercials to DJing. 

He is said to have been a fairly wonderful person. That said, I always wondered, from the first time I heard him, how he ever ended up trying to make it in radio, and once he did, how he succeeded. My mother had the same reaction, as did most of the radio-heads that I knew when Mr. Mercer was still on the air. 

Because, as you'll hear, while Clif Mercer had a lovely, deep and authoritative-toned voice, he also a prominent lisp. One that would, I would think, preclude entry into the field of on-air broadcasting, let alone a 25 year plus career. 

I have several recordings of Clif Mercer, the best two of which I've been wholly unable to put my hands on, since starting this project. Many, many thanks to my best pal Stu, who sent me a digitization of a segment from 1958, featuring a Clif Mercer sports report, that I believe I sent him some time in the early 1990's. Now you can enjoy the dulcet tones of Mr. Mercer, too. 

Download: Clif Mercer - WGN Sports Report, May, 1958

Play:  

~~

And here's a discovery! Would you like to eavesdrop on a slumber party from 1960? Our host set up her reel to reel machine, and for part of this recording, her pals knew it was on, and at other times, it seems to be a surprise to them, particularly the last few minutes when they talk a bit more openly about certain things. 

The sound quality goes up and down here, and there are sections where nothing of very much interest goes on, but the overall tape is interesting to me in its one-of-a-kindness and just that "fly on the wall" aspect that makes, for example, the Beatles "get back" rehearsal tapes (50+ hours of them available on bootleg) so fascinating for some of us. Just to hear people being themselves when they are not conscious of being recorded and don't expect anyone else to hear large sections of it. 

They talk about school (a lot), boys, things they've been doing, etc. - there's even a few moments when they discuss (with someone's father present for a moment) what food to order. 

We're in (or near) Chicago, and the radio gets turned on in the last quarter of the recording. I'm assuming it's WJJD, which was a top 40 station at the time, as this is clearly the winter of 1960, based on the songs played, and WLS didn't flip to Top 40 until May of that year. 

Download: A Chicago Area Slumber Party, Winter 1960

Play:  

~~

For our "Very Short Reel", I've selected two items today, and they're from two sides of the same tape. The first is just under 100 seconds worth of an interview, at Bell Island in Canada, and a then-new ferry called "The John Guy". Since the ferry began its work in 1960, I'm guessing that's about when this is from. 

If you want to read about Bell Island, you can find that here. If you want to see a picture of The John Guy, that's here. 

Download: Brief Interview About "The John Guy" on Bell Island, circa 1960

Play:  

~~

Finally, on the flip side of that tape, is a series of short ads, which clearly date from the same era, just based on the sound of them (and that they're on the same tape). 

This is not actually three ads, but three recordings of the exact same ad. That's the way they're heard on the tape, as indicated on the box (below), and that's what I've provided here for you. The ad is for"Terra Nova Motors", which, like Bell Island, was and is in the vicinity of Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada, where the dealership has been located since 1930. 

Like the guy who makes fun of the radio at the top of this post, I simply love this little ad. Those tight sixth and seventh chords in the final section are intoxicating to me - like manna from heaven

Download: Terra Nova Motors - 3 Jingles - "All Same"

Play: