[Dixielandjazz] DJ Themes

[Bill Haesler]

> Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:
> I'm confused, or my memory is, or both (two good possibilities). I remember a genial Martin Block on the radio (Saturdays, around 1946) with the theme song "Without Music," linked below, by the Moonlight Serenaders with Tex Beneke.

Dear Charlie,
You can relax. You are not confused and there is nothing wrong with your memory.
Martin Block was, as you know, was one of the first 'disc jockeys' (a 1940's term) and gained popularity in January-February 1935 by playing records on radio WNEW in New York while listeners were tuned in awaiting news bulletins about the famous Lindberg kidnapping court case. 
As a result, in March 1935, Block started a program called 'Make Believe Ballroom' "borrowing" the idea and title initiated by Hollywood broadcaster Al Jarvis (who called his 1933 program “The World's Largest Make-Believe Ballroom”) using recordings of popular big bands and pretending that he was broadcasting from the ballroom venues. Jarvis and Block had been colleagues at KFWB in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Jarvis later tried several times to sue Block to stop him using the name 'Make Believe Ballroom' for his WNEW program, but was unsuccessful.

Initially Block used Clyde McCoy's Orchestra recordings brought from the Liberty Music Shop, then expanded the format by playing other swing band records, using McCoy's January 1935 Decca version of "Sugar Blues' as his theme for about a year.
On 3 August 1936, Charlie Barnet and His Glen Island Casino Orchestra (with vocal by the Barnet Modern-Aires) recorded “Make Believe Ballroom” composed by Andy Razaf and Paul Denniker with Block's popular program in mind.
Then, on 11 October 1940, Glenn Miller recorded “Make Believe Ballroom Time” for RCA-Victor’s Bluebird label. 
With words by Martin Block and Mickey Stoner and music by Harold Green it was made to replace the Barnett rendition as Block's theme. 
It is reported that Miller paid for the “Make Believe Ballroom Time” recording session for which he hired the Modernaires. 
After Miller was killed in a plane crash in December 1944, Block announced that “Make-Believe Ballroom Time” would remain the theme "forever". And it did until 1954 when Block moved on from the WNEW program.

"Make believe Ballroom Time" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYQofQAQ3eE
LYRICS (by Martin Block).

It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time 
Put all your cares away 
All the bands are here to bring a cheer your way 
It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time 
And free to everyone 
It's no time to fret 
Your dial is set for fun 
Just close your eyes and visualize in your solitude 
Your favorite bands are on the stands 
And Mr. Miller puts you in the mood 
It's Make-Believe Ballroom Time 
The hour of sweet romance 
here's your make-believe ballroom 
Come on, children, let's dance, let's dance!

However, over in Hollywood in March 1946, having celebrated the 14th birthday of his Make Believe Ballroom show, Al Jarvis left KFWB and took it to KLAC where it was aired from noon Monday to Friday. For some reason, in mid 1947, KFWB brought Martin Block from New York to present his 'Make Believe Ballroom" at the same time as the Jarvis’ show. 
Both went head-to-head wth the LA homeboy Jarvis always leading in the ratings. It ended suddenly in early October 1947 when, after fulfilling only four months of his three-year contract, Block and KFWB terminated the show with Block agreeing not to appear on Los Angeles stations before 1 June 1950, the end of the contract period. He returned to New York.

According to several contemporary mid 1947 reports I found in Billboard magazine, Martin Block used the song "Without Music" (composed by Eddie DeLange & Louis Alter) recorded for the Victor by Tex Beneke with The Miller Orchestra and vocal refrain by the Mellow-Larks [sic] as his theme for the Southern Californian program. So you wuz right!

> One clear recollection is Block playing Charlie Barnet's merciless put-on of traditional jazz on "Darktown Strutters' Ball," also linked below. He preceded it by saying. "Whenever Charlie Barnet is asked to record a Dixieland tune, he sticks out his tongue and says, 'NYAAAAH!" I liked it so much, I bought it! (The flip side was “Caravan,” with a young Maynard Ferguson.)

That interesting one was recorded by Barnett for Apollo in New York on 12  August 1946.
Another send up of OKOM made at that time was "Dixieland Stomp" recorded by Chubby Jackson & His Jacksonville Seven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0VznqV8T4

Charlie Shavers (t) J.J. Johnson (tb) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Harry Carney (bar) Teddy Wilson (p) John Collins (g) Chubby Jackson (b) Shadow Wilson (d). New York, December 4, 1946.

I was recorded at the end of an Esquire All-American Award Winners session, but not issued until 1958 on an RCA Camden compilation LP CAL 446 'Dixieland And New Orleans Jazz '.
It was reissued again in 1971 as "Moldy Fig Stomp" on RCA Victor LPV-578 'Swing, Vol.1'.

> I also bought Pee Wee Hunt's intentionality corny "12th Street Rag," which became a national hit. Okay, my tastes weren't very discriminating at age 11. But in 1947 I heard Rudi Blesh's live radio program "This is Jazz" with Wild Bill, Edmond Hall, Baby Dodds, Pops Foster, et al.,

So did I. And don't forget or dismiss the great jazz music on numerous Spike Jone's Victor records.
Cheers,
Bill.