05 October 2021
(Until 05 October)Steel Guitar in 1930s German Pop – 5 Oct 2021
Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show
Steel Guitar in 1930s-40s German Pop music, off radio and recordings, is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature.
LISTEN to this Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 5 October) and two years of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/
This week, Steel Guitar in Nazi Germany…
HAWAIIAN GUITAR
The steel guitar was invented by Hawaiian 11 year old, Joseph Kekuku, in the late 1880s. He later toured the world as a Hawaiian guitar soloist.
Quoting The Smithsonian magazine, “According to one of the most popular origin myths, Kekuku picked up a railway spike as he was walking along railroad tracks and put it in his pocket. When he returned to his dormitory later that day and was playing the guitar, he had a moment of inspiration—Kekuku pulled out the steel railroad tie, ran it along the guitar strings as he strummed, and noticed the unique sound the steel made.”
Kekuku modified his guitar to raise the strings higher off the fretboard and created a smooth metal cylinder to run over it as he played. He had modified an existing instrument into something entirely new.
Steel guitar is played on the lap, and the guitarist plucks the chords instead of strumming them while running a steel bar over the neck.
The steel guitar made a huge impact on different styles of American music. Hawaiian music was the most popular music genre by record sales in 1916. In Australia, Hawaiian music had a huge fan base in the 1940s into the 1960s.
In 1931, an electric Hawaiian guitar hit the market – the frying pan guitar – and it launched Hawaiian music back into the mainstream. The breakthrough song was the big hit of 1933, My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua.
In Europe, strangely, Nazi Germany, was the country that made the most steel guitar recordings, incorporating the instrument into its dance bands and on radio. You’ll hear one 1940 radio selection and two Berlin dance band recordings featuring steel guitar with dance orchestra.
5 OCTOBER PLAY LIST
Play List – The Phantom Dancer | ||
107.3 2SER Tuesday 5 OCTOBER 2021 | ||
Set 1 | 1940s One Night Stand Radio | |
In a Moment of Madness | Harry James Orchestra (voc) Kitty Kallen | ‘One Night Stand’ Casino Gardens Ocean Park Ca AFRS Re-broadcast 29 Jun 1944 |
Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee | Sammy Kaye Orchestra (voc) The 3 Kaydettes | ‘Spotlight Bands’ WJZ NBC Blue NYC 31 Jan 1942 |
Annie Laurie + Memories of You (theme) | Sonny Durham Orchestra | ‘One Night Stand’ Hollywood Palladium AFRS Re-broadcast 1 Aug 1944 |
Set 2 | Rock’n’Roll Dance Party | |
One O’Clock Jump (theme) + You For Me | Count Basie Orchestra | ‘Rock’n’Roll Dance Party’ WCBS CBS NYC 7 Apr 1956 |
Play it Fair | LaVerne Baker (voc) Count Basie Orchestra | ‘Rock’n’Roll Dance Party’ WCBS CBS NYC 7 Apr 1956 |
Ev’ry Day + Cherry Point + One O’Clock Jump (theme) | Count Basie Orchestra (voc) Joe Williams | ‘Rock’n’Roll Dance Party’ WCBS CBS NYC 7 Apr 1956 |
Set 3 | Jimmy Grier | |
Music in the Moonlight (theme) + After All is Said and Done | Jimmy Grier Orchestra (voc) Dick Webster | Cocoanut Grove Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1931 |
A Secret Love | Jimmy Grier Orchestra (voc) Kenny Allen | Cocoanut Grove Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1931 |
Kiss By Kiss + Music in the Moonlight (theme) | Jimmy Grier Orchestra (voc) The 3 Cheers | Cocoanut Grove Radio Transcription Los Angeles 1931 |
Set 4 | Steel Guitar in German Dance Bands | |
Heimat deine Sterne | Wilhelm Strienz | ‘Wunschkonzert für die Wehrmacht’ RRG Berlin 1940 |
Wenn wir uns einmal wiederseh’n | Joop Carlquist und sein Hawaiian-Tanzorchester | Comm Rec Berlin 1939 |
Eine Insel aus Traumen geboren | Hans Rehmstedt Orchestra (voc) Rudi Schuricke | Comm Rec Berlin Dec 1938 |
Set 5 | Chicago Style Jazz | |
Open + At The Jazz Band Ball | Eddie Condon Group | ‘Eddie Condon Jazz Concert’ Town Hall NYC WJZ Blue NYC 30 Sep 1944 |
Relaxin’ at the Trouro + Royal Garden Blues | Muggsy Spanier | Blue Note WMAQ NBC Chicago 18 Oct 1953 |
Impromptu Ensemble | Eddie Condon Group | ‘Eddie Condon Jazz Concert’ Town Hall NYC WJZ Blue NYC 9 Sep 1944 |
Set 6 | 1910s New Orleans Jazz Stars | |
Livery Stable Blues | Original Dixieland Jazz Band | ‘Saturday Night Swing Club’ WABC CBS NYC 31 Oct 1936 |
Winnin’ Boy | Jelly Roll Morton | ‘Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street’ WJZ NBC Blue NY 14 Jul 1940 |
King Porter Stomp | Jelly Roll Morton | ‘Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street’ WJZ NBC Blue NY 14 Jul 1940 |
Nick LaRocca Interview + Tiger Rag | Original Dixieland Jazz Band | ‘Saturday Night Swing Club’ WABC CBS NYC 31 Oct 1936 |
Set 7 | 1930s Swing Bands | |
All Those in Favour of Swing Say Aye | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (voc) Edythe Wright | Roof Hotel Astor WABC CBS NYC 14 Sep 1939 |
Deep Night | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (voc) Jack Leonard | Roof Hotel Astor WABC CBS NYC 14 Sep 1939 |
Cotton Pickers’ Congregation | Russ Morgan Orchestra | Paradise Restaurant WEAF NBC Red NYC 14 Oct 1938 |
Down South Camp Meeting | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Madhattan Room Hotel Pennsylvania WABC CBS NYC 20 Nov 1937 |
Set 8 | 1950s Progressive Jazz | |
Jeepers Creepers | Dave Brubeck | Birdland WJZ ABC NYC Dec 1953 |
Some Blues + Polka Dots and Moonbeams | Stan Getz | Red Hill Inn Pennsauken NJ WRCA NBC NY 16 Feb 1957 |
| Congo Square | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Aircheck 27 Aug 1960 |
A Gem From Tiffany | Shelly Manne | Basin Street WCBS CBS NYC 1956 |
