14 December 2021
(Until 14 December)Christmas Songs Phantom Dancer Part 1 – 14 December 2021
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
Christmas songs and Christmas themed 1930s-50s radio features in the first (nationally networked) part of this week’s Phantom Dancer.
LISTEN to this Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 14 December) and two years of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
I’m Greg Poppleton, The Phantom Dancer producer and presenter every week on 107.3 2SER radio Sydney since 1985.
First, 1952 TV Christmas greetings from your local, neighbourhood drug dealer…
XMAS MUSIC
Music associated with Christmas is thought to have its origins in 4th-century Rome, in Latin-language hymns such as Veni redemptor gentium. By the 13th century, under the influence of Francis of Assisi, the tradition of popular Christmas songs in regional native languages developed. Christmas carols in the English language first appear in a 1426 work of John Awdlay, an English chaplain, who lists twenty five “caroles of Cristemas”, probably sung by groups of ‘wassailers’ who would travel from house to house. In the 16th century, various Christmas carols still sung to this day, including “The 12 Days of Christmas”, “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”, and “O Christmas Tree”, first emerged.
POPULAR
Of the top 30 most performed Christmas songs in 2015, 13 (43%) were written in the 1930s or 1940s and 12 (40%) were written in the 1950s and 1960s.
1930s-50s CHRISTMAS SONGS
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie 1934
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin 1944
“Winter Wonderland” Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith 1934
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! “Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne 1945
“The Christmas Song” Mel Tormé, Robert Wells 1944
“Sleigh Ride” Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish 1948
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Johnny Marks 1939/1949
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” Meredith Willson 1951
“White Christmas” Irving Berlin 1940
“Carol of the Bells” Peter J. Wilhousky 1936
“Frosty the Snowman” Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins 1950
“Blue Christmas” Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson 1957
“The Little Drummer Boy” Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone 1941
“Silver Bells” Jay Livingston, Ray Evans 1950
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” Tommie Connor 1952
“Santa Baby” Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer, and Fred Ebb 1953
“Happy Holiday” Irving Berlin 1948
Your Phantom Dancer Video of the Week is the 24 Dec 1955 Christmas edition of the TV show ‘Your Hit Parade’…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFWv_x-CwQE
14 DECEMBER PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 14 DECEMBER 2021 | ||
Set 1 | ||
Let’s Dance (theme) + Jingle Bells | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Joseph Urban Room Congress Hotel WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 25 Dec 1935 |
Open + It Had To Be You + The Fairy On The Christmas Tree | Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra (voc) The 3 Sisters | BBC Regional Service London 25 Dec 1936 |
Set 2 | ||
Open + Maple Leaf Rag | Kid Ory | Club Hangover KCBS CBS San Francisco 25 Dec 1954 |
Theme + Blue Christmas | Jan Garber Orchestra (voc) Ray Cordell | Melody Mill WGN Chicago 1950 |
Weary Blues + Ad | Kid Ory | Club Hangover KCBS CBS San Francisco 25 Dec 1954 |
Set 3 | ||
Jingle Bells (open) + The Morning After | Chico Hamilton Quartet | ‘Stars In Jazz’ AFRTS Re-broadcast New York 25 Dec 1958 |
Wrap your Troubles In Dreams | Chico Hamilton Quartet (voc) Georgia Carr | ‘Stars In Jazz’ AFRTS Re-broadcast New York 25 Dec 1958 |
Blee Blop Blues + One O’Clock Jump (theme) | Count Basie Orchestra | Birdland WRCA NBC NY 16 Dec 1956 |
Set 4 | ||
Happy Holidays + Here We Come a’Caroling + Silent Night | Bing Crosby and the Norman Luboff Choir (voc) Paul Weston Orchestra | ‘Christmas Sing With Bing’ KNX CBS LA 24 Dec 1957 |
Description of Ballarat’s Carols By Candlelight + Joseph Mine, Help Me Cradle The Child Divine | Ted Furlong (station manager 3BA Ballarat) + The Ballarat YWCA Choir | Christmas Sing With Bing’ KNX CBS LA via 3BA Ballarat 24 Dec 1957 |
Set 5 | ||
Personality | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra (voc) Cozine Stewart | ‘One Night Stand’ Blue Room Hotel Lincoln AFRS re-broadcast 1 May 1946 |
It’s Dawn Again | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Blue Room Hotel Lincoln AFRS re-broadcast 1 May 1946 |
Eelibuj Boogle | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | ‘Jubilee’ AFRS Hollywood 1943 |
Mister Beebe | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra (voc) June Richmond | ‘Jubilee’ AFRS Hollywood 1943 |
Set 6 | ||
Let’s Dance (theme) + That Naughty Waltz | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Madhattan Room Hotel Pennsylvania WABC CBS New York 6 Nov 1937 |
Once in a While | Benny Goodman Orchestra (voc) Martha Tilton | Madhattan Room Hotel Pennsylvania WABC CBS New York 6 Nov 1937 |
| Satan Takes a Holiday | Benny Goodman Orchestra | ‘Camel Caravan’ KNX CBS LA 17 Aug 1937 |
| So Rare | Benny Goodman Trio | ‘Camel Caravan’ KNX CBS LA 17 Aug 1937 |
Set 7 | ||
Right as Rain | Charlie Spivak Orchestra (voc) Irene Day | ‘Spotlight Bands’ Jamestown NY Blue Network 19 Jan 1945 |
Even Stevens | Charlie Spivak Orchestra | ‘Spotlight Bands’ Jamestown NY Blue Network 19 Jan 1945 |
I’d Rather Sleep in a Hollow Log | Gene Krupa Orchestra (voc) Roy Eldridge | Aircheck CBS 25 Dec 1942 |
Drummin’ Man + Close | Gene Krupa Orchestra (voc) Anita O’Day | Aircheck CBS 25 Dec 1942 |
Set 8 | ||
Stella by Starlight | Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra | Birdland WCBS CBS NY 1956 |
Doodlin’ | Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra | Birdland WCBS CBS NY 1956 |
Manteca | Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra | Winter Palace Stockholm Radio Sweden 2 Feb 1948 |
