05 December 2023
(Until 05 December)Shortwave Radio 1940
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
Shortwave broadcasting by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from New York to Latin America in 1940 is your Phantom Dancer Feature this week. And below are some relevant paragraphs on shortwave broadcasting taken from a 1942 article in ‘RCA Review’.
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 5 December) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
SHORT
From ‘RCA Review’, 1942…
“AN EXPANDING horizon of steel towers, tall wooden poles, and networks of elevated antenna wires attests to the growing international broadcasting activities of NBC stations WRCA and WNBI at Bound Brook, New Jersey.
NBC has provided this service for many years. International activities have been stimulated in recent years, first, ih point of time, through the action of the Federal Communications Commission authorizing commercial operation, and second, by the more important contribution this service brings to National Defence.
The Bound Brook plant contains NBC’s international transmitting facilities plus the WJZ transmitting facilities. The original property was purchased for these combined facilities in 1925 when RCA built its first short-wave broadcast transmitter, the predecessor of the present busy stations.
The original site consisted of 54 acres. Recently the expanding scope of NBC’s international activities resulted in the purchase of an additional 16 acres, making a total of 70 acres, most of it devoted exclusively to international transmitting antennas.”
WAVE
“It has been the writer’s privilege to be associated with radio for 26 years and with broadcasting for 20 years.
Rarely has there been an opportunity in those eventful times for any form of communication to demonstrate such unique feats as are now becoming accepted common places in international broadcasting.
Barely 16 years ago the first rebroadcast from across the seas took place. Scheduled rebroadcasts from the far corners of the earth have since become matters of but casual interest.
But only in recent months has the bewildered victim of catastrophe, propaganda, and censorship so fully appreciated the modern miracle of radio which enables him to listen, perhaps secretly, at night.
The following is an example of the technical character of the WRCA 9670-kc signal received in Rio de Janeiro from the steerable antenna.
It covers from 6.00 to 7.45 P.M. E.D.S.T. on May 15, 1941. Reception was on a common receiver with six feet of wire for an antenna.
Carrier strength … Very Strong
Fading-Depth … Very slight to slight
Rate of fading … Very slow to slow
Interference from other stations … None
Static ….Very weak
Background noise … None
Quality Overall rating … Excellent.”
5 December PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer 107.3 2SER-FM Sydney LISTEN ONLINE Community Radio Network Show CRN #630 | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 5 December 2023 | ||
Set 1 | Tommy Dorsey | |
Daydreams Come Teue at Night (theme) + Why Fall in Love witha Stranger? + Dime a Dozen | Dick Jurgens Orchestra (voc) Al Galetti | ‘The Treasury Show’ Garden Room Hotel Claremont Berkeley Ca ABC 9 Oct 1949 |
Wedding Day | Dick Jurgens Orchestra Vocals – Lee Castle | ‘The Treasury Show’ Garden Room Hotel Claremont Berkeley Ca ABC 9 Oct 1949 |
That Old Black Magic | Dick Jurgens Orchestra | ‘The Treasury Show’ Garden Room Hotel Claremont Berkeley Ca ABC 9 Oct 1949 |
Medley: Miss You | Was That the Human Thing to Do? | My Blue Heaven | Them There Eyes | Makin’ Whoopee + Close | Dick Jurgens Orchestra (voc) Lee Castle | ‘The Treasury Show’ Garden Room Hotel Claremont Berkeley Ca ABC 9 Oct 1949 |
Set 2 | Tommy Dorsey on Shortwave in Spanish | |
I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You (theme) + Dark Eyes | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | ‘Carnival of Broadway’ Hotel Astor Roof WNBI/WRCA NBC Shortwave NYC 19 Jun 1940 |
Polkadots and Moonbeams | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (voc) Frank Sinatra | ‘Carnival of Broadway’ Hotel Astor Roof WNBI/WRCA NBC Shortwave NYC 19 Jun 1940 |
March of the Toys | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | ‘Carnival of Broadway’ Hotel Astor Roof WNBI/WRCA NBC Shortwave NYC 19 Jun 1940 |
Deep Night + I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You (theme) | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (voc) Frank Sinatra | ‘Carnival of Broadway’ Hotel Astor Roof WNBI/WRCA NBC Shortwave NYC 19 Jun 1940 |
Set 3 | Jazz TV | |
I Left My Baby | Count Basie Orchestra (voc) Jimmy Rushing | Seven Lively Arts ‘Sound of Jazz’ WCBS TV NYC 8 Dec 1957 |
Dickie’s Dream | Count Basie Orchestra | Seven Lively Arts ‘Sound of Jazz’ WCBS TV NYC 8 Dec 1957 |
The Train and the River | Pee Wee Russel (cl) Jimmy Giuffre (cl) Danny Barker (g) Milt Hinton (db) Jo Jones (d) | Seven Lively Arts ‘Sound of Jazz’ WCBS TV NYC 8 Dec 1957 |
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me | Pee Wee Russel (cl) Jimmy Giuffre (cl) Danny Barker (g) Milt Hinton (db) Jo Jones (d) | Seven Lively Arts ‘Sound of Jazz’ WCBS TV NYC 8 Dec 1957 |
Set 4 | ||
Set 5 | Les Brown Orchestra | |
How High The Moon | Les Brown Orchestra | Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA 16 Aug 1945 |
Coastin’ Along | Les Brown Orchestra | Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA 16 Aug 1945 |
I Wish I Knew | Les Brown Orchestra (voc) Doris Day | Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA 16 Aug 1945 |
Show Me The Way To Go Home | Les Brown Orchestra (vov) Butch Stone | Palladium Ballroom KNX CBS LA 16 Aug 1945 |
Set 6 | Cootie Williams | |
Round Midnight (theme) + 711 | Cootie Williams Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Savoy Ballroom Harlem AFRS Re-broadcast 12 Feb 1945 |
Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me | Cootie Williams Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Savoy Ballroom Harlem AFRS Re-broadcast 12 Feb 1945 |
Don’t Blame Me | Cootie Williams Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Savoy Ballroom Harlem AFRS Re-broadcast 12 Feb 1945 |
Perdido | Cootie Williams Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Savoy Ballroom Harlem AFRS Re-broadcast 12 Feb 1945 |
Set 7 | Duke Ellington Orchestra | |
Take the A-Train (theme) + Bensonality | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 30 Jul 1952 |
All of Me | Duke Ellington Orchestra (voc) Bette Roche | Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 30 Jul 1952 |
Bakiff | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 30 Jul 1952 |
The Hawk Talks | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 30 Jul 1952 |
Set 8 | Trad Jazz | |
Theme + Maple Leaf Rag | Wild Bill Davison | ‘This is Jazz’ WOR Mutual NYC 19 Apr 1947 |
Basin Street Blues | George Brunis & Albert Nicholas | ‘This is Jazz’ WOR Mutual NYC 19 Apr 1947 |
Mahoganny Hall Stomp | Louis Armstrong All-Stars | ‘All-Star Jazz Show’ NBC TV 30 Dec 1957 |