07 March 2023
(Until 07 March)Jean Sablon French Singer
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
Jean Sablon was the most widely acclaimed male French singer of his generation in the world after Maurice Chavalier. He’s this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist.
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 7 March) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
JEAN
In 1937, he won the Grand Prix du Disque for the song “Vous qui passez sans me voir”.
Contracted by the producers of The Magic Key, thanks to his success in France, he left for New York, engaged at the NBC studios of Radio City.
In Hollywood, Sablon was contracted to star in “The Story of Irene and Vernon Castle” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Due to production disagreements, he demanded the withdrawal of scenes in which he starred. The final version conserves merely his interpretation of the song “Darktown Strutters Ball”.
In the movie capital, he appeared at the Trocadero. He also presented and sang his songs on the radio show Hollywood Hotel on which he invited numerous big stars.
In the 1940s his “Jean Sablon Show” was on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio and was accompanied by the American accordionist and songwriter John Serry Sr, with Toots Camarata as musical arranger.
He returned to Paris to appear on the stage of the ABC and took part to television experiments.
Then he returned to star on Broadway and then Boston in the musical “Streets of Paris”. He was teamed him with Carmen Miranda, who appeared for the first time outside of Brazil.
Sablon made his debut at the Teatro Municipal in São Paulo in 1940, and then in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. In 1941, he had further engagements in New York, at the Waldorf Astoria, the Plaza and at the San Regis hotels, before going on, in 1942, in Los Angeles and in Cuba, and then touring in America, Brazil and Argentina. Some of his appearances were for war victims.
Meanwhile, in 1943, in London, his sister Germaine was the first to perform Le Chant des Partisans, which became the anthem of the French Resistance.
Sablon continued to sing in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, appearing there through 1945, when he returned to the US to perform in New York, Chicago and Washington.
His 1947-48 US tour took him to New Orleans, San Francisco, Hollywood (Ciro’s), Boston, Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) and Palm Beach, and then onto Brazil, Argentina and Canada.
Sablon’s recording of “Les Feuilles mortes” (Autumn Leaves) in the summer of 1947 in New York (RCA Victor 855332) is the earliest version of this classic.
SABLON
In 1950 in London he recorded on “C’est Si Bon” with the orchestra of Woolf Philips.
Gene Kelly unsuccessfully attempted to persuade him to play the role of Henri Baurel in An American in Paris (subsequently taken by Georges Guetary).
Throughout the 1950s, Sablon traveled constantly (except for a year’s sabbatical in 1957). in Australia, New Zealand, India Tahiti, Panama, Venezuela, the US, the UK, France, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba and Spain.
In 1952, he starred in the film Paris Chante Toujours, and the same year became the first French entertainer to be featured in his own show in Las Vegas. Under the banner of the Moss Empire, Sablon toured the UK and Ireland. Later in the decade he extended his travels to include India, Australia and New Zealand, Tahiti, Panama and Venezuela.
In the 1960s, he drew crowds in Europe, South America, the US, South Africa, Bermuda, New Caledonia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, and Iran (where he appeared before the Shah at the royal palace).
The 1970s and the 1980s found Sablon performing regularly on TV in France, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil and the US. In addition, he regularly offered his services on behalf of charitable causes: The Red Cross Gala in Monaco in 1972, the gala for the restoration of Versailles in 1973 and the International Festival of Song first in Brazil and then in Uruguay.
At the urging of US impresario George Wein and singer-pianist Bobby Short, Jean celebrated his 75th birthday at the Met (Lincoln Center) in New York, appearing with the orchestra of Frank Sinatra.
Sablon appeared in a number of motion pictures and television films performing as a vocalist or pianist, his last being in 1984 when he sang “April in Paris” in Mistral’s Daughter, the popular American TV miniseries filmed in France.
7 MARCH PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 7 March 2023 | ||
Set 1 | Weird Music | |
Theme + Sound of Music | Felicia Sanders | ‘Guest Star’ Radio Transcription New York City 3 Apr 1960 |
Theme + In a Little Spanish Town + Love Nest | Master Radio Canaries with Organ & Violin | ‘Hartz Mountain Pet Food Show’ Radio Transcription Chicago 1949 |
I’m Wild About Horns on Automobiles | Hoosier Hot Shots | ’Alka-Seltzer Radio Spot’ NBC Transcriptions, Chicago 1938 |
Set 2 | Les Paul & Mary Ford | |
Theme + Stumbling | Les Paul & Mary Ford | ‘Les Paul & Mary Ford Show’ NBC Radio Transcription 16 Jun 1950 |
Lonesome Road | Les Paul & Mary Ford | ‘Les Paul & Mary Ford Show’ NBC Radio Transcription 16 Jun 1950 |
The Rustic Dance | Les Paul & Mary Ford | ‘Les Paul & Mary Ford Show’ NBC Radio Transcription 16 Jun 1950 |
Looking For the Bully + If a Nightingale Could Sing Like You (close) | Les Paul & Mary Ford | ‘Les Paul & Mary Ford Show’ NBC Radio Transcription 16 Jun 1950 |
Set 3 | Swing & Sway | |
Open + Kiss Me Sweet | Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc ) Laura Leslie & Don Cornell | ‘Sammy Kaye Showroom’ Radio Transcription New York City 1949 |
Louise + I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now? | Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) Tony Alamo | ‘Sammy Kaye Showroom’ Radio Transcription New York City 1949 |
The Belmont Boogie | Sammy Kaye Orchestra | ‘Sammy Kaye Showroom’ Radio Transcription New York City 1949 |
I’ll Keep the Love Light Burning in My Heart + Theme | Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) The Four Kayedettes | ‘Sammy Kaye Showroom’ Radio Transcription New York City 1949 |
Set 4 | Jean Sablon | |
Open + Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup | Jean Sablon | ‘The Magic Key’ WJZ NBC Blue New York City via Shortwave from Paris 8 Oct 1936 |
Alone | Jean Sablon | ‘The Magic Key’ WJZ NBC Blue New York City via Shortwave from Paris 8 Oct 1936 |
Hoopla! + Insensiblemente | Jean Sablon | ‘Jean Sablon’ Paris French Broadcasting System 1954 |
Place Pigalle + Paris je t’aime (theme) | Jean Sablon | ‘Jean Sablon’ Paris French Broadcasting System 1954 |
Set 5 | Uptempo 1940s Swing | |
Red Top | Woody Herman Orchestra | ‘Old Gold Show’ WABC CBS NYC 1944 |
Memphis Blues | Harry James Orchestra | Hotel Astor Roof WABC CBS NYC 28 Aug 1942 |
1-2-3-4 Jumb | Woody Herman Orchestra (vibes) Marjorie Hyams | ‘Old Gold Show’ WABC CBS NYC 27 Sep 1944 |
Cincinnati | Charlie Spivak Orchestra | Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA Apr 1948 |
Set 6 | Skinnay Ennis | |
When Summer is Gone (theme) + It’s Winter Again | Skinnay Ennis (voc) Hal Kemp Orchestra | ‘Lavena Program’ Radio Transcription NYC 1934 |
Small Fri | Skinnay Ennis (voc) Hal Kemp Orchestra | ‘Lavena Program’ Radio Transcription NYC 1934 |
Shuffle Off to Buffalo | Skinnay Ennis (voc) Hal Kemp Orchestra | ‘Lavena Program’ Radio Transcription NYC 1934 |
Ain’tcha Glad + When Summer is Gone (theme) | Skinnay Ennis (voc) Hal Kemp Orchestra | ‘Lavena Program’ Radio Transcription NYC 1934 |
Set 7 | Raymond Scott | |
Pretty Little Petticoat (theme) + Huckleberry Duck | Raymond Scott Orchestra | Panther Room Hotel Sherman WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1940 |
Mahattan Serenade | Raymond Scott Orchestra | Palace Hotel KQW CBS San Francisco Sep 1947 |
So Do I | Raymond Scott Orchestra (voc) Nan Wynn | Panther Room Hotel Sherman WMAQ NBC Red Chicago 1940 |
Caterpillar Creep | Raymond Scott Orchestra | ‘Music Depreciation’ KHJ Mutual LA 1944 |
Set 8 | Charlie Parker | |
Jumpin’ with Symphony Sid (theme) + Oo Bop Sh’Bam | Charlie Parker (voc) Band | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 22 Jan 1949 |
Scrapple From the Apple | Charlie Parker | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 22 Jan 1949 |
Salt Paenuts | Charlie Parker (voc) Band | ‘Symphony Sid Show’ Royal Roost WMCA NYC 22 Jan 1949 |