02 May 2023
(Until 02 May)Allanovy Sestry – 1940s Czech Swing Singers – Phantom Dancer
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
The Sestry Allanovy (Allan Sisters) were a Czech vocal trio formed in 1940. They were together until 1967
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 May) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
ALLAN
The trio was formed during World War II in German-occupied Prague by Jiřina Salačová, Vera Kočvarová and Radka Hlavsová, who were members of the Kühn Choir. Her role models were the Boswell Sisters and the Andrews Sisters .
They first called themeselves The Three Prague Girls, then chose the name Allan after the pseudonym of the composer, Alfons Jindra .
Their first success was in the Červená sedma (Red Seven) cabaret, where Karel Vlach discovered them .
As well as Karel Vlach’s orchestra, they sung with R. A. Dvorský’s Melody Boys and with pianist Leopold Korbar. They were in the musical The Wonder Cauldron. As the “Allan-Terzett” they recorded many songs in German for Telefunken and Deutsche Grammophon-Gesellschaft.
After the war they only sang in Czech. Radka Hlavsová was replaced by Máša Horová and the group expanded into a quartet with Bozena Port. In 1948 they were involved in the production of the musical Divotvorný hrnec .
SISTERS
After the end of World War 2, the trio expanded into a quartet:: Jiřina Salačová, Máša Horová, Věra Kočvarová, Bozena Portová.
From 1946–1948, Věra Holotíková (later Holotíková-Krumniklová) also sang in the quartet .
They made both solo recordings (Land of Singing, Svět je veselý, Behind the Blue Horizon) and accompanied, for example, by male singer Václav Irmanov (Sweet and Lovely; Straighten Up and Fly Right), all with Karel Vlach’s orchestra.
After the arrival of Rudolf Cortés as a permanent singer in Vlach’s orchestra in 1948, they also began to accompany him, and in the late 1940s, their songs Písnička o Číňánek and Starý mlýn were popular.
Jiřina Salačová gave up her career and her place was taken by Blažena Lázničková. This was the line-up until 1955, when it broke up.
The Allan Sisters last performed together in 1967 in Podskalské’s movie comedy Ta naše písnička česká. The last living member was Věra Holotíková (1924–2018).
2 May PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 2 May 2023 | ||
Set 1 | Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) | |
Open + Margie | Cliff Edwards | Cliff Edwards Show WOR Mutual NYC 10 Aug 1945 |
Once in a While | Cliff Edwards | Cliff Edwards Show WOR Mutual NYC 10 Aug 1945 |
Set 2 | C&W | |
Intro + Tall Timber (theme) + Loaded Pistol Loaded Dice | Gene Autry | ‘Dude Martin’s Sunrise Roundup’ KGO ABC San Francisco 11 Feb 1948 |
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? + The Deck of Cards | Sons of the Pioneers + T. Texas Tyler | ‘Dude Martin’s Sunrise Roundup’ KGO ABC San Francisco 11 Feb 1948 |
Best Deal in Town | Spade Cooley | ‘Dude Martin’s Sunrise Roundup’ KGO ABC San Francisco 11 Feb 1948 |
Wabash Cannonball + Orange Blossom Special + Tall Timbers (theme) | Roy Acuff + Arthur Smith | ‘Dude Martin’s Sunrise Roundup’ KGO ABC San Francisco 11 Feb 1948 |
Set 3 | Kid Ory | |
Theme + Clarinet Marmalade | Kid Ory | Club Hangover KCBS San Francisco 30 Oct 1954 |
Darktown Strutters’ Ball | Kid Ory | Club Hangover KCBS San Francisco 30 Oct 1954 |
Buddy Bolden Blues | Kid Ory | Club Hangover KCBS San Francisco 30 Oct 1954 |
Set 4 | Allanovy Sestry | |
Doktor Swing | Allanovy Sestry (voc) Karel Vlach Orchestra | Comm Rec Prague 1941 |
So wird’s nie wieder sein | Allanovy Sestry (voc) R. A. Dvorský se svým orchestrem | Comm Rec Prague 1941 |
Píseň o tramvaji (The Trolley Song) | Allanovy Sestry (voc) Karel Vlach Orchestra | Comm Rec Prague 1946 |
Čekání | Allanovy Sestry (voc) Karel Vlach Orchestra | Comm Rec Prague 1946 |
Set 5 | Bunny Berigan | |
Open + Little Gate Special | Bunny Berrigan Orchestra | Trianon Ballroom WCLE Cleveland OH 9 Apr 1939 |
Black Bottom | Bunny Berrigan Orchestra | Trianon Ballroom WCLE Cleveland OH 9 Apr 1939 |
Familiar Moe | Bunny Berrigan Orchestra | Trianon Ballroom WCLE Cleveland OH 9 Apr 1939 |
I Want My Share of Love | Bunny Berrigan Orchestra (voc) Kathleen Lane | Trianon Ballroom WCLE Cleveland OH 9 Apr 1939 |
Set 6 | Duke Ellington | |
Take the A-Train (theme) + Light | Duke Ellington Orchestra | ‘A Date with the Duke’ Radio City Music Hall WJZ ABC NYC 10 Nov 1945 |
11:60 PM | Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Joya Sherrill | ‘A Date with the Duke’ Radio City Music Hall WJZ ABC NYC 10 Nov 1945 |
I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But the Blues | Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Kay Davis and Al Hibbler | ‘A Date with the Duke’ Radio City Music Hall WJZ ABC NYC 10 Nov 1945 |
Cottontail | Duke Ellington Orchestra | ‘A Date with the Duke’ Radio City Music Hall WJZ ABC NYC 10 Nov 1945 |
Set 7 | Radio Transcriptions | |
Hodge Podge | Claude Hopkins Orchestra | Radio Transcription New York City 1935 |
Don’t Be That Way | Chick Webb Orchestra | Radio Transcription New York City 1936 |
Swingin’ and Jivin’ | Claude Hopkins Orchestra | Radio Transcription New York City 1935 |
Nit Wit Serenade | Chick Webb Orchestra | Radio Transcription New York City 1936 |
Set 8 | Charlie Parker | |
| Groovin’ High | Charlie Parker | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 11 Dec 1948 |
| Big Foot | Charlie Parker | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 11 Dec 1948 |
| Ornithology | Charlie Parker | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 11 Dec 1948 |
