These are brilliant and so funny.  I can remember hearing these on WMEX.  They were my first taste of underground anything.  The "Leave It To Beaver," piece at 13:00 is hysterically funny.

During a show business career that lasted over 60 years, Jack Benny was one of the premier entertainers in the world. Now, almost 50 years after his death, there is little doubt in my mind that his comedy is still as good as ever. But I wanted to see if that thought holds up to scrutiny while also exploring how a guy who almost never told any jokes could become such a comedy star in the first place.

Featuring interviews with author Kathy Fuller-Seeley, TV writer Ken Levine and Laura Leibowitz, the president of the International Jack Benny Fan Club, I'm Thinking it Over!: Jack Benny and Reflections on What Makes a Straight Man So Funny is a journey through the golden age of radio and the early days of TV. It's also a celebration of a great comedian from yesteryear.

I'm Thinking it Over!: Jack Benny and Reflections on What Makes a Straight Man So Funny

In Breaking Walls episode 134 we spend our holidays with one of the most-beloved figures of the twentieth century: Jack Benny.

——————————

Highlights:
• Picking Up with Benny Leaving NBC for CBS
• A World in Turmoil
• Benny Launches his Fall 1949 Season
• The Texas Benefit
• What About 1950?
• Jack Goes Christmas Shopping
• Christmas Week 1949 in World News
• Christmas Day with Jack and the Gang
• Bringing 1949 To a Close — Looking Ahead to January

——————————

The WallBreakers:

http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• Sunday Nights at Seven — By Jack and Joan Benny
• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings — By Jim Ramsburg

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On the interview front:

• Jack Benny, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Frank Nelson, and Don Wilson, were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Mel Allen, Mel Blanc, and Vincent Price were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Jack Benny, George Burns, Phil Harris, Frank Nelson, and Don Wilson were also interviewed by Jack Carney.

• Dennis Day and Dick Joy spoke with John Dunning for his 1980s 71KNUS Radio program from Denver.

• Don Quinn was interviewed by Owen Cunningham in 1951

——————————

Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• Somewhere In My Memory — By John Williams
• What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve — By Nancy Wilson

——————————

A special thank you to Ted Davenport, Jerry Haendiges, and Gordon Skene.

For Ted go to RadioMemories.com, for Jerry, visit OTRSite.com, and for Gordon, please go to PastDaily.com.

——————————

Thank you to:
Tony Adams
Steven Allmon
Orson Orsen Chandler
Phil Erickson
Jessica Hanna
Perri Harper
Briana Isaac
Thomas M. Joyce
Ryan Kramer
Earl Millard
Gary Mollica
Barry Nadler
Christian Neuhaus
Aimee Pavy
Ray Shaw
Filipe A Silva
John Williams

——————————

WallBreakers Links:
Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers
Social Media - @TheWallBreakers

BW - EP134: Christmas With Jack Benny In A Changing World (1949)

NEW: American Top 40 (AT40) (1970) - Moog Jingles & Show Theme - PAMS Productions

PEPPER TANNER 'NOW SOUND'

From a very long time ago! Perhaps one of the most recognisable Jingles of all time came from ‘PAMS’ is the ‘Contempo Sig Cut’ from Series 18. It was mainly used at the TOH. (Boom, plink as somebody recently described it).

Series 18 was originally released in 1961 when I was 7!

Here is a montage (150) of the station ‘Contempo’ sig cuts produced mainly produced by ‘PAMS’  between 1961-1978. There will still be many packages of this that I don’t have, KBGO for example. There some later re-sings included from CPMG/BEN FREEDMAN/KENR and maybe a couple from JAM! Some of the later ones I am not entirely sure of their origin. Like XM.

One of my favourites is from ‘WGAR’, I love the American twang in it. I am very partial to ‘WQXI’ as well. I have also included five of ‘KQV’s six cuts. The three from ‘WAYS’. The two from ‘WMEX’ and ‘WQAM’

Hope you can stand it.

'PAMS' SERIES 18 CONTEMPO SIG 'MEGAMIX'

‘PAMS GUILTY PLEASURES’ – PART ONE

This is what keeps me happy for days. I have been working on this project for the past 3 years, inspired by ’PAMS’ 70th anniversary! Here is a montage of some of my favourite ‘PAMS’ Jingles, the whole thing goes on for a ridiculous 3 hours (I love listening to them loud on a long car journey). Don’t worry I have cut it down into 3 parts. Part 2 and 3 still need a lot more work.  Thankfully you no longer have to do this on a reel-to-reel machine.

Many have gone before me doing ‘PAMS’ montages. I was inspired to do this hearing from others including Ken R Deutsch, Jon Wolfert, Tracy Carmen on (REEL RADIO), the late Michael Neff whose collection I would love to have had a copy of, Norman Barrington who has an amazing collection, and has been very helpful. Norman has kindly done a 10 minute ‘curated edit’ for those who cannot stand the 50 mins worth.   

Please anybody know who ‘Storm King’ is or was? Sam Ward? Thanks to everyone else not mentioned who has helped me with this project.

A very special thanks has to go to KEN R who saved so many of theses PAMS tapes from being dumped. 

What I love so much about PAMS, pre series 40 was that you can sing along to them, they are so catchy! 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I have had putting it together.


Henry

'PAMS' GUILTY PLEASURES - PART-1 (FULL LENGTH VERSION)

Between 1970 and 1975, these hilarious radio commercials for clients like New England Music City/Cheap Thrills, The Real Paper, and others by WBCN alum Michael Fremer were on Boston radio. Here’s Part 1 (of 2) of these examples from his 1976 LP from the cutout bin at the late Jason’s in Quincy Square. Subjects, references, and jokes will hit the person from that era dead center. Nothing is sacred. Not sure they’d fly today. Part 2 coming.

Boston Radio Spots 1970-75 by Michael Fremer (PART 1/2)

So Sorry to hear that Terry Lea who sung most of the PAMS ‘HOMETOWN’ songs has passed. What a great age! ( I was 6 when she was singing these).

Please note, I don’t believe she sung the Providence cut.  This has been a work in progress and not yet completed.  It seems appropriate to share it unfinished today.

Hometown songs (parts of) are included for BIRMINGHAM AL (WSGN), WASHINGTON DC (WWDC), RADIO LONDON (NORTH SEA UNITED KINGDOM), AUSTIN TX (KNOW), BOSTON MA (WCOP), PROVIDENCE RI (WICE), ST JOSEPH MO (KKJO), ELMIRA NY (WELM),
TIDE WATER VA (WNOR), FORT WORTH TX (KXOL), WACO TX (WACO), SHERMAN DENISON TX (KDSX),
DALLAS TX (KLIF).

PAMS 16 HOMETOWN (TERRY LEA JENKINS)

Exclusive Pams Montage series #14-#44 from Norman Barrington

PAMS #14 to #44

In Breaking Walls episode 82 we focus on the state of the radio broadcasting industry in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as Broadcasting booms while the world goes to War. 


Highlights:
• Early days at NBC’s Radio City in New York
• How Press Associations caused NBC and CBS to launch a news service
• The Birth of the Mutual Broadcasting System and their Struggles
• NBC Red and NBC Blue
• The FCC and US Justice Department Get Involved with Radio
• The Murrow Boys and Encroaching War in Europe
• The War Comes Home
• NBC sells The Blue Network
• Norman Corwin and His World War II Work
• Bing Crosby, Philco Radios, and Network Transcription
• The Talent Raids of 1949
 
The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

Special thanks to our Sponsors: 
• Twelve Chimes, It’s Midnight
https://twelvechimesradio.blogspot.com

• The Fireside Mystery Theatre
https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com


The reading material used in today’s episode was: 
• The General: David Sarnoff & The Rise of the Communications Industry - by Kenneth Bilby
• The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning
• Beating The Odds: The Untold Story Behind the Rise of ABC - by Leonard H. Goldenson with Marvin J. Wolf
• Empire: William S. Paley & The Making of CBS - by Lewis J. Paper
• The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Radio - by Christopher H. Sterling

As well as four articles from the archives of TIME Magazine:

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY MBS - September 15, 1941
• Old Law v. New Thing - January 12, 1942
• Black & Blue - January 11, 1943
• Network Without Ulcers - April 21, 1947


Norman Corwin was with Chuck Schaden on August 8th, 1976. You can stream this interview and many others for free on Chuck’s site, Speakingofradio.com 



Selected Music featured in today’s Episode was:

• Rudy Vallee - Brother Can You Spare A Dime
• Jaqueline Schwab - The Minstrel Boy & The Battle Cry for Freedom
• Bing Crosby - Blues in the Night & Don’t Fence Me in with The Andrews Sisters


I’d like to especially thank Larry and John Gassman as well as Walden Hughes for continued help and support. They host a program on the Yesterday USA Radio Network, which you can visit at http://www.yesterdayusa.com. The three gentleman are also members of SPERDVAC - The Society To Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy. 

They’re having their next convention this coming November 1st through 3rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 3131 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, CA for more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com


A Special Thank you to:
Ron Baron
Ryan Kramer
Christian Neuhaus
Aimee Pavy
Rebecca Shield


WallBreakers Links:
Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers
Social Media - @TheWallBreakers
URL - thewallbreakers.com
Online Store - jamesthewallbreaker.com/shop/

BW - EP82: Depression, War, And The Birth of ABC (1932 - 1946)

Gilbert and Frank welcome returning guests Dick Cavett and author-producer Robert Bader for a look back at Groucho Marx's memorable appearances on "The Dick Cavett Show" and a look ahead at the new Bader-directed HBO documentary, "Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes." Also, Johnny Carson disses Jerry Lewis, Zeppo misses Chico's wedding, Cary Grant romances Amelia Earhart and Danny Kaye zings the Duchess of Windsor. PLUS: Orson Welles meets the Fuhrer! The lost novel of Truman Capote! The triumphant return of Richard Loo! James Mason stars in "The Honeymooners"! And Dick reflects on his friendship with "The Greatest"!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dick Cavett and Robert Bader

Broadcaster and programmer of almost 50 years. Broadcast and Commercial and Pop Culture archivist.

Boston Radio Spots 1970-75 by Michael Fremer (PART 1/2)

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