13 July 2021

Happy Birthday – 500th CRN Phantom Dancer 13 July 2021

Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show

Happy Birthday, Phantom Dancer! Bob Crosby is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist, in broadcasts from 1937 – 41. You’ll also hear live 1950 radio featuring Afro-Cuban jazz by Machito. And this is the 500th national Phantom Dancer heard across Australia over stations of the Community Radio Network. See the play list below.

I’ve brought you The Phantom Dancer, mostly live, every week since 1985. It’s been heard across Australia over the Community Radio Network since 2013. Though I wanted this week to be live, this week’s show is a re-broadcast of the 17 November 2020 Phantom Dancer as Sydney is in Covid lockdown.

Bob Crosby is an unusual figure in the history of show business. While he had a brother, Bing, who was one of the biggest names in the business, (the first multimedia star, leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1930 to 1954), Bob was both similar enough and different enough not to be overshadowed. They could even work together sharing the same self-effacing and laid-back wit.

Hear how Bob and Bing’s voices and personalities blend in this 1950 aircheck of ‘Let’s Do It Again’…

Hear all Phantom Dancers with Greg Poppleton, Tuesdays 12:04-2pm and Saturdays 5-5:56pm on 107.3 2SER Sydney and online at 2ser.com

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BAND

Bob Crosby started singing in the early 1930s with the Rhythm Boys, which included vocalist Ray Hendricks and guitarist Bill Pollard, and with Anson Weeks (1931–34) and the Dorsey Brothers (1934–35).

He led his first band in 1935 when the former members of Ben Pollack‘s band elected him leader.

Crosby’s “band-within-the-band,” the Bob-Cats, was a dixieland octet with soloists from the larger orchestra, many from New Orleans.

The Bob-Cats included at various times Ray Bauduc, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Charlie Spivak, Muggsy Spanier, Irving Fazola, Nappy Lamare, Jack Sperling, Joe Sullivan, Jess Stacy, Bob Haggart and Bob Zurke.

In the spring of 1940, during a performance in Chicago, teenager Doris Day was hired as the band’s vocalist.

For its theme song, the band chose George Gershwin‘s song “Summertime.” The band’s hits included “South Rampart Street Parade”, “March of the Bob Cats”, “In a Little Gypsy Tea Room”, “Whispers in the Dark”, “Day In, Day Out”, “Down Argentine Way”, “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby“, “Dolores”, and “New San Antonio Rose” . A bass-and-drums duet between Haggart and Bauduc, “Big Noise from Winnetka“, became a hit in 1938–39.

RADIO

During World War II, Bob Crosby spent 18 months in the Marines touring with bands in the Pacific. His radio variety series, The Bob Crosby Show, aired on NBC and CBS in different runs from 1943 – 1950. This was followed by Club Fifteen on CBS from 1947 -49, then 1950 – 53. A half-hour CBS daytime series, The Bob Crosby Show, followed from 1953 to 1957. Bob introduced the Canadian singer Gisele MacKenzie to American audiences and subsequently guest-starred in 1957 on her NBC television series, The Gisele MacKenzie Show.

In 1952, Bob replaced Phil Harris as the bandleader on The Jack Benny Program, remaining until Benny retired the radio show in 1955 after 23 years.

TV

Bob Crosby starred in his own afternoon variety show, The Bob Crosby show, that aired from 1953 to 1957. He also fronted a TV program in Australia in the 1960s. He was one of two featured singers (himself and Dennis Day) in mid-1950s episodes of The Jack Benny Program.

13 JULY PLAY LIST – 500th National Phantom Dancer Radio Show