|
|
The BILLY MURRAY PAGESS
Billy
Murray on the
Radio (1925 – 1942)
Compiled
by Anna-Maria Manuel
Introduction
and additional annotations by Allan Sutton
Latest updates:
November 9, 2009
Page
1 | Page 2 >>>
Introduction
This
compilation — begun in 2006, and the first to document Billy
Murray's radio work in detail — continues to be regularly updated. Thanks to ongoing research
by Anna-Maria Manuel, details of many
additional Murray programs continue to be added to this listing.
We
welcome verifiable reports of other Murray broadcasts, which will
be fully acknowledged if used. Please be sure to include complete
primary-source citations (title, location, date, and
page number of the publication in which the citation appears).
Listings that are purely anecdotal, or that lack full source citations
do not meet our standards for inclusion.
The
Victor Talking Machine Company
maintained tight contractual control
over radio appearances by its exclusive artists, and Billy Murray
was no exception. In 1922, Victor issued riders to its exclusive
artists' contracts forbidding them to broadcast under the auspices
of any other company. (For a detailed study of the interaction
between the the early broadcasting and recording companies, and
their artists, see Recording the 'Twenties,
available from Mainspring Press.)
As an exclusive Victor artist through mid-1928, Murray participated
in two reliably documented “Victor Hour" broadcasts
under Victor's sponsorship. He was also allowed to broadcast for
other sponsors, with Victor's permission, most often as a member
of the Eight Popular Victor Artists,
a promotional troupe underwritten by Victor. This group traveled
widely and sometimes broadcast from regional stations that were
not covered by the New York press. Newspaper program listings
rarely name all personnel on a given broadcast, and it is likely
that Murray was heard on many other as-yet undocumented broadcasts
while still under contract to Victor.
As
a freelancer (having been dropped as an exclusive artist by Victor
in July 1928), Murray performed on pre-recorded "Brunswick
Brevities" programs in 1929, and in live broadcasts sponsored
by Edison, Armour Meats and General
Electric. No more live performances are reliably documented until
his 1931–32 series of trio broadcasts over WOR and WJZ.
But again, it is likely that he took uncredited roles or worked
for minor stations that were not included in the national program
listings during this period. A recently rediscovered WABC drama
series, aired in 1935–36, included a "Billy Murray" in some
of its casts, but it is by no means certain that this was "our"
Murray.
After a long hiatus, Murray returned to radio work in 1940, when
he was added to the cast of The Parker Family. In 1941–42
he substituted for Henry Burr on NBC's National Barn Dance,
newly discovered listings for which will be found at the end of
this article
|
Billy
Murray and his old protégé Walter
Van Brunt (a.k.a. Walter Scanlan, often misspelled
"Scanlon") teamed with comedienne Marcella Shields in
early 1930s radio broadcasts. Shields recorded with Murray as early
as January 1929, as an uncredited extra on "Ever Since the Movies
Learned to Talk" (Edison 52518).
Many
of Murray’s 1920s broadcasts were made with members of the
Eight Popular Victor Artists promotional
troupe. This May 1927 ad provides a rare look at a typical EPVA
program.
Document
History — First web posting: 9/20/2006. Revisions: Version
2, 11/30/2006; Version 3, 12/7/2006; Version 4, 4/10/2007; Version
5, 4/27/2007; Version 6, 5/24/2008; Version 7, 12/26/2008; Version
8, 1/12/2009; Version 9, 1/15/2009; Version 10, 2/4/2009; Version
11, 4/23/2009; Version 12, 6/16/2009; Version 13, 8/5/2009; Version
14 (current), 9/6/2009
|
The
Billy Murray Radio Broadcast Listing
Program
times are Eastern time zone, unless otherwise noted.
March 12, 1925 (9:00–10:00 pm)
THE
VICTOR HOUR *
Studio: WEAF (New York)
Other Performers: Rudy Wiedoeft (saxophone), Henry Burr
(tenor) & Peerless Quartet, International Novelty Orchestra (Nat Shilkret,
director)
Note:
This program pre-dated the release of Murray's first electrically recorded
78 records by approximately two months and probably was the first time
the general public heard his voice reproduced electrically.
*The New York Times listed this program under the title, "Victor
Presentation."
October 10, 1925 (5:00–10:00 pm)
[STATION
OPENING PROGRAM]
Studio: WGHP (Detroit)
Other performers: Frank Banta (piano), Rudy Wiedoeft
(saxophone), studio dance orchestra (William Finzel, director), studio
symphonic group (Dirk van Emmerick, director)
Note:
This special program, marking the opening of WGHP, has not been located
in the national program listings. It was reported in The Oxnard
Daily Courier (Oxnard, CA), where a hopeful radio store owner predicted
that many in the area might be able to receive the broadcast.
March 12, 1926 (9:00–10:30 pm)
THE
VICTOR HOUR
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Other Performers: Lambert Murphy (tenor), Elsie Baker
(contralto), Royal Dadmun (baritone), Lucy Isabelle Marsh (soprano), Henry
Burr (tenor) & Peerless Quartet, Rudy Wiedoeft (saxophone), Monroe
Silver (comedian), Frank Banta (piano), Victor Salon Orchestra (Nat Shilkret,
director)
Note:
The time was shown in error as 9:00–10:00 in the previous version
of this listing. It was stated as such in a preliminary New York
Times report, but was later corrected in the Times' own
program listing (which nevertheless still listed this ninety-minute
program as "The Victor Hour").
October 7, 1926 (10:00–11:00 pm)
GOODRICH
ZIPPERS
Studio: WEAF (New York)
Other Performers: Henry Burr (tenor), Carl Mathieu (tenor),
Stanley Baughman (baritone), James Stanley (bass), Monroe Silver (comedian),
Frank Banta (piano), Sam Herman (xylophone). This was a late version of
the Eight Popular Victor Artists. Burr, Mathieu, Baughman, and Stanley
comprised the Peerless Quartet.
Note:
The Victor Talking Machine Company granted permission for the Eight
Popular Victor Artists to broadcast on the Goodrich Zippers program
on August 6, 1926. That date raises the possibility that the EPVA might
have participated in earlier Goodrich Zipper broadcasts, which remain
to be confirmed.
The participants were not named in the New York Times program
listings, but their presence is verified in a story in The Bee
(Danville, Virginia). The story states incorrectly that this was the
first appearance of the "Goodrich Zippers" over WEAF. WEAF
had been airing the program since at least November 5, 1925, starring
the Goodrich Silvertown Cord Orchestra and Joseph M. White, "The
Silver-Masked Tenor." The Bee reported that the Victor
group was a replacement for those stars, who it said "will probably
return to the air early in the Spring." "Goodrich Zippers"
continued to air over WEAF through early 1928, with varying personnel
that only rarely included Murray.
October
28, 1926 (10:00–11:00 p.m.)
GOODRICH
ZIPPERS
Studio: WEAF (New York)
Other Performers: Henry Burr, Monroe Silver
A
program with “orchestra, songs, character sketches.”
January
20, 1927 (9:00–10:00 p.m.)
RADIOTRONS
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Other Performers: Lew [sic] Raderman (violin);
Harry Reser (banjo); Frank Black (piano); and the Shannon Quartet, comprising
Franklyn Baur (tenor), Elliott Shaw (baritone), Lewis James (tenor), and
Wilfred Glenn (bass) in ensemble and solos.
Complete
program:
Radiotrons, “Baby Face”
Raderman, “Sweety Pie”
Baur, “Thinking of You”
Reser, “Meadow Lark”
Quartet, “Santa Lucia”
Murray, “Where Do You Work-a John?”
Black, piano medley and vocal chorus
Radiotrons, “Blue Room”
Reser, “Give Me a Ukelele”
Baritone solo and quartet, “The Riff Song”
Raderman, “I’ve Got the Girl”
Reser, “Coney Island Washboard”
Radiotrons, “Pale Moon”
Raderman, “Hush-abye-Waltz”
Glenn, “Port of Missing Ships”
Reser, “Clock Song”
Murray, “What Do You Think of That?”
Radiotrons, “Moonbeams, Kiss Her for Me”
Note:
Except for Murray, none of these performers were exclusive to Victor.
The Victor Talking Machine retroactively granted Murray permission to
broadcast on this program at some point in 1927. The permission letter
— which inexplicably bears three different dates — is addressed to Murray
in care of Henry Burr, Inc., the management company that handled Murray
and other members of the Eight Popular Victor artists.
April
13, 1927 (10:00–11:00 pm)
[TITLE UNKNOWN]
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Other Performers: Shannon Quartet, Frank Munn.
Note:
From the Fitchburg Sentinel (Fitchburg, MA)—
“The Shannon Quartet, assisted by Frank Munn and Billy Murray
will be heard in a program of hits from current musical shows.”
April 27, 1927 (9:00–10:00 pm)
THE
MAXWELL HOUR
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Other Performers: Shannon Quartet, Nat Shilkret's Orchestra.
Note:
Only Nat Shilkret is credited by name in the New York Times
program listings. Murray and the Shannon Quartet (a.k.a. The
Revelers) were mentioned in the program listing in the Fitchburg
Sentinel (Fitchburg, MA).
May 11, 1927 (7:00–8:00 pm, Central Time)
May 12, 1927 (11:00 pm–midnight, Central Time)
TIVOLI THEATER BROADCAST
Studio: WBCN (Chicago)
Other performers: Frank Banta (piano), Henry Burr (tenor), Monroe
Silver (comedian), Carl Mathieu (tenor), Stanley Baughman (baritone),
James Stanley (bass), Sam Herman (xylophone).
Note:
From the Southtown Economist—
“One of the outstanding special WBCN features of the year will
be broadcast by the SOUTHTOWN ECONOMIST radio station tomorrow evening
from 11 to 12 p.m. [sic], when the famous Peerless Quartet,
makers of scores of Victor records, and four other famous Victor artists,
will step before the microphone.
“The quartet, composed of Henry Burr, tenor, who
has made more records than any one other person; Carl Mathieu, tenor;
Stanley Baughman, basso, and James Stanley, baritone, will be accompanied
in their program by Frank Banta, pianist; Monroe Silver, monologist;
Billy Murray, tenor comedian, who ranks second to Henry Burr in the
number of his records, and Sam Herman, xylophonist.
“So that WBCN listeners may hear the quartet sing
their favorite numbers, the station has arranged to have the artists
receive requests from their radio audience at the conclusion of the
11 to 12 o'clock program. These requests will reach the quartet if telephoned
to Glen R. Fuche, manager of the Tivoli Theater, at Randolph 5300. The
eight Victor recording Artists are appearing on WBCN through the courtesy
of Mr. Fouche [sic?], in whose theater the artists may be seen
in person, for they are appearing there this week in the Tivoli stage
presentation.”
May
11, 1927 (9:00–10:00 p.m.)
RADIOTRONS
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Other Performers: Radiotron Orchestra and Shannon Quartet,
comprising Lewis James (tenor), Elliott Shaw (baritone), Wilfred Glenn
(bass), and Charles Harrison (tenor).
Note:
This program was broadcast on the same day as the Eight Popular Victor
Artists’ live appearance in Chicago on WBCN (see previous entry).
Given that the EPVA could not be in two places at once, would it be
reasonable to speculate that this Radiotrons program was pre-recorded?
January 30, 1928 (10:15-11:15 pm; probably Pacific
Time)
[UNTITLED SPECIAL PROGRAM]
Studio: KLX
(Oakland, CA)
Other performers: Henry Burr, Monroe Silver, James Stanley,
Carl Mathieu, Frank Banta, Stanley Baughman, Sam Herman.
Note:
From the Oakland Tribune—
“The Monday night ‘special’ will be presented by courtesy
of the West Coast theaters [West Coast Theaters, Inc.—probably
a theater chain] which is presenting the Victor recording artists in
a program at the T. & D.[name of theater] this week in conjunction
with the picture, ‘Sorrell and Son.’ Henry Burr heads the
list of artists and is best known for his ‘heart interest’
ballads.
"Others on the program are: Billy Murray, Monroe Silver,
James Stanley. Carl Mathieu, Frank Banta, Stanley Baughman, and Sam
Herman. The program will include comedy monologues, quartet songs and
instrumental numbers and will last for an hour starting at the conclusion
of the regular Monday night meeting of the Lake Merritt Ducks, at 10:15
p.m.”
March
31, 1928 (8:00-9:00 p.m.; probably Mountain Time)
[UNTITLED SPECIAL PROGRAM]
Studio: KFUR (Ogden City, UT)
Other performers: Henry Burr and Peerless Quartet [James
Stanley, Carl Mathieu, Stanley Baughman], Monroe Silver, Frank Banta,
Sam Herman.
Note:
From The Ogden Standard-Examiner—
“Special-studio program has been prepared for this evening,
from 8 until 9 o'clock, by radio station KFUR. It will include eight
Victor recording artists who are appearing at a local theatre, according
to an announcement made by Ralph W. Flygare, station technician.
“The artists who will participate in the program include
Henry Burr, Billy Murray and the Peerless quartet.
“An arrangement will be made
so that the program will be broadcast simultaneously through KFUR and
KSL of Salt Lake, Mr. Flygare said, each station using its regular wave
length....
“The artists are to appear through the courtesy of
Harry Ashton, manager of the Paramount theatre.”
February
11, 1929
THE
EDISON HOUR
Studio: Probably WJZ (New York)
Guest Speakers: Thomas Edison (speaking by relay from
Florida), Charles Edison
Other Performers: Frieda Hempel, Edison Concert Band,
Moriz Rosenthal (piano) (Part 1); B. A. Rolfe's Orchestra, Ed Parker Quartet
(Part 2)
Note:
This was the first "Edison Hour" program and was captured on two 30-rpm
vertical-cut transcriptions that survive at the Edison National Historic
Site. The first half-hour was devoted to classical music. Murray performs
only on the second half (mx. 185-B), singing "Doin' the Raccoon" with
orchestra accompaniment. It is not a dubbing from his commercial release
of the title, contrary to the claims of at least one collector. A New
York Times report filed from Fort Myers on February 10 notes,
"Tomorrow night, after the [Herbert] Hoover party has left here, Mr.
Edison will make a short birthday address over a nation-wide hookup
of twenty-six radio stations and will hear on the same program "I'll
Take You Home Again, Kathleen." The program will include selections
by Frieda Hempel and an address by Charles Edison, the inventor's son."
A recent e-mail from Gerald Fabris of the Edison National Historic Site
has caused us to question our previous assumption that the ENHS discs
were produced as transcriptions intended for broadcast. Followup research
by Anna-Maria Manuel suggests that this recording was indeed made from
a live broadcast. The ENHS recordings, which were logged into the engineer's
notebook on the date of the broadcast, seem likely to have been airchecks
recorded from that broadcast. The speed fluctuations, sporadic amplifier
noise (from a failing power tube that, in the words of the engineer,
"went Democratic"), and sudden truncation of Part 2 do not suggest a
product intended for public airing. Unfortunately, the engineer's notebook
does not state the process by which the recordings were made.
August
3, 1929 (9:00–10:00 p.m.)
GENERAL ELECTRIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Studio: WEAF (New York)
Other Performers: Carson Robinson [sic], Frank Luther
November
29, 1929 (Unknown time)
THE ARMOUR PROGRAM
Studio: WJZ (New York)
Note:
From The Charleston Daily Mail—
“Billy Murray, tenor and comedian, will be guest soloist
in the Armour program on the coast to coast network of WJZ Friday evening,
November 29.”
Broadcast
date unknown; recorded late December, 1929
BRUNSWICK
BREVITIES — Program U
Studio: Brunswick recording
studio (New York)
Other Performers: Colonial Club Orchestra, Walter van Brunt (as
"Walter Scanlan")
Note:
This was not a live broadcast. It was pre-recorded on six 12",
78-rpm transcriptions by Brunswick, for syndication over various stations.
Murray and Van Brunt perform only on Part 3 ("Sergeant Quirt and
Sergeant Flagg," mx. XE-31656-A) and Part 5 ("Shut the Door,"
mx. XE-31655-A). They had previously recorded both titles for commercial
issue (Brunswick 4611), raising the possibility that the transcriptions
are dubbed from those recordings. Copies of the transcriptions have
not been located for aural comparison.
Go to Page 2 for continuation and references
>>>
Related
Articles: Billy
Murray's Recording Contracts | A Billy
Murray Scrapbook
Billy Murray in the Movies | A
Billy Murray Record Label Gallery
Murray
in the Movies: The 1928 M-G-M Shorts
Anna-Maria
Manuel is an independent researcher and a major contributor to Mainspring's
book and online projects. She chairs the Outreach Committee of the Association
for Recorded Sound Collections and is currently developing a major
manuscript for Mainspring Press.
|
