Swing City Radio will no longer be Free for the general public

I'm sad to announce that the general public will no longer be able to access Swing City Radio. Starting on June 21, 2025, the only way to continue listening to Swing City Radio is by becoming a Hepcat Supporter on my Patreon.

Listeners that sign up to my Patreon and become Hepcats Supporters (Basic, Silver and Gold Members) will receive a unique User Name and Password that grants them access to the Swing City Radio Premium player.  This player will provide listeners the ability to tune in to the station on their computers and mobile devices.

The reason for this change:

Due to rising costs, overwhelming demand and a number of other reasons, streaming the radio station for FREE is no longer possible. Even with the support from so many of you over the years, the station is not even remotely close to just breaking even. Financially, I can't sustain the costs anymore. I have been streaming this internet station for FREE since October of 2019 and have put in countless hours developing content and sharing my passion for this music with all of you. I truly LOVE this little radio station.  And I want it to continue. After months of considering different options, this formula was the only one that truly made sense.

Thanks for listening all of these years and hopefully I'll see some of you on Patreon.  To check out my Patreon please go to: patreon.com/swingcityradio. 

Hepcat Supporters (Basic, Silver and Gold Members) enjoy access to Swing City Radio Premium and also have full access to the complete collection of content I've posted on the platform.  This content includes a full archive of The Big Band and Swing Podcast, The V-Disc Episodes, and a wide range of other shows and specials I've produced over the years. Also, new content is being posted on a regular basis.

Free Members do not have access to Swing City Radio Premium but do have access to a lot of the content I've listed above. And it's a great way to stay connected to this music we all love so much.  I post articles and videos on my Patreon on a normal basis as well.

Thanks again for listening all of these years.  I really appreciate that.  And hopefully I'll continue to see many of you on Patreon.

Your Friend in Swing,

~ Ronnaldo 

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About the Music Played on Swing City Radio...

The vintage Big Band and Swing music you hear on Swing City Radio is rescued from the vast archives of Old Time Radio Broadcasts, Armed Forces Radio recordings, Radio Remotes, Transcription Discs and other public sources.  I then clean up the audio, taking out as many pops and crackles that I can while retaining the integrity of the original recording, and then I play it here just for you. On many occasions, I keep the original song introductions by the old radio announcers so it retains that "authentic feel" so you can enjoy it just like listeners did all of those years ago.

It's safe to say that there are not many radio stations like this one and I truly hope you enjoy the music that's played here.  My hopes are that this fantastic Big Band music is never forgotten.

Swing City Radio: Big Band Favorites from the Archives of Old Time Radio!

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Playlist Additions - March 2025

This month I've added about a dozen songs to the Swing City Radio Playlist by one of my favorite vocal groups of the 1940's, The Dinning Sisters.

All of these tracks were original aired on a very popular show called "National Barn Dance" which broadcasted from the city of Chicago from 1924 until 1968.  "National Barn Dance" regularly featured Country/Western artists, but in the early 1940's with Swing Music reaching it's peak in popularity, artists like The Dinning Sisters would make appearances to add a little bit of "Swing" to the Country music.

The Dinning Sisters made their first appearances on "National Barn Dance" in 1940 and soon became regulars.  They received national exposure and gained quite a following.  By 1943, the group was signed by Capitol Records to be that label's answer to The Andrews Sisters, who exclusively recorded for the Decca Record label.

The "National Barn Dance" recordings I recovered were quite tough to work with. Many shows were originally recorded too loud causing a distortion that couldn't be fixed.  Luckily, some were captured correctly and with the exception of a few "pops" here and there, they came out sounding pretty good. 

Keep an ear out for their version of "San Fernando Valley", a song called "3,121 Miles" and the song I've included in this post - "Blue Jacket".  Great stuff!

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Feb 2025 - Playlist Additions and Update

Hey there everyone!

I hope you are all having a great 2025 so far!  The numbers for Swing City Radio have been through the roof over the last few months. It makes me so happy that even after all of these years the station continues to draw more listeners week after week.

As you all know by now, I continue to add new tracks to keep things fresh on the station.  Here's a brief breakdown of a couple dozen tracks I'm adding this month:

Jimmy Dorsey

Selected tracks from a show that Jimmy did to support the U.S. Treasury War Bond Drive in 1943.  Keep an ear out for a fantastic version of "Murder, He Says" sung by Kitty Kallen and a blistering rendition of "One O'clock Jump". Jimmy was definitely jammin' on this performance.

Glenn Miller

I'm always on the look out for Glenn Miller content.  He's always been one of my favorites.  I've recently cleaned up some music from a Basic Music Library Transcription Disc issued by the AFRS.  Tracks include live performances of "The Weekend Of A Private Secretary", "Whatcha Know Joe", "Dancing In A Dream" and "High On A Windy Hill".  Great stuff!

I'm also adding music by Connee Boswell, Freddie Rich and Mildred Bailey from a show called "It's Florida's Treat" that originally aired in 1937. And selected tracks from an April 1951 episode of "Jazz Club USA" featuring Buddy Johnson and Cootie Williams.

Also, I want to wish Ray Anthony a belated Happy Birthday.  He turned 102 years old last month. 

Enjoy the music!

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Footprints of The Rat Pack

Every year around this time I travel out to Las Vegas for work purposes.  That's why I don't post as much as I should in January.  When I have a chance, I enjoy strolling down The Strip and taking in the sights and sounds.

This year I stumbled upon something I hadn't seen before.  In the area where The Venetian now presently stands I found a little landmark celebrating The Rat Pack.

In the early 1960's Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford posed for a legendary photograph taken in front of The Sands Hotel.  They marked the location with a nice plaque and footprints on the ground where they stood.  Very cool!

And in case you are wondering, yes I did stand on both Frank Sinatra's and Dean Martin's footprints. :)

Just a little personal update from your friendly neighborhood station owner.

~ Ronnaldo

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Added to Playlist - January 2025

Hey there, Hepcats! - Happy New Years to all of you!  Over the holidays I had a chance to clean up some great music.  Most of the tracks came from a show called "Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands". If you are unfamiliar with the show, it was a 15 minute program that featured the hottest bands of the day and aired nationally. "Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands" was sponsored by Coca-Cola and ran from 1943 to about 1950. The show would travel around the United States to different Military Bases and Manufacturing Plants.

Here are some of artists and performances that I recently added to The Swing City Radio Rotation:

Charlie Barnet - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) - Ep 777 - Mar 14, 1945

Charlie Spivak - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) - Ep 731 - Jan 19, 1945

Al Donahue - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) -Nov 10, 1943

Johnny Long - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) - Ep 810 - Apr 21, 1945

Tommy Tucker - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) - Ep 814 - Apr 26, 1945

Tommy Dorsey - Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands (AFRS) - Jan 17, 1942

The performances listed above yielded a few dozen new additions to the "always growing" playlist. Also added were a few tracks from a Red Nichols radio remote from The Hotel Netherlands, Cincinnati, OH recorded on March 31, 1939 and a Frankie Trumbauer Radio Broadcast from The Hickory House recorded in February of 1937.

Enjoy!

Listen to: "Boarding House Bounce" by Tommy Tucker from 1945

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New Years Eve Special

Hey there everyone!  I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas Holiday.  So over the last couple of years I've had listeners email me about doing something special to celebrate the New Year. 

Starting this New Year's Eve, I will be playing an old AFRS Transcription Disc that originally aired back on December 31st of 1944.  It's called "Swing Around The Clock" and features a fabulous selection of music from some of the biggest names of the Big Band Era.

It's roughly about an hour long and I took a lot of time cleaning up the audio so it sounds great.  It will air on Swing City Radio starting at around 11:30pm EST on December 31st. So be sure to do your time conversions depending on where you live.

Let me know your thoughts, and Happy New Years to all of you out there in radio land.  

Tune in at 11:30pm EST on December 31st

for Swing City Radio's New Years Special. 

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The Four Knights

The Four Knights were a fantastic vocal group from Charlotte, North Carolina that enjoyed some national success in the late 1940's and throughout 1950's.  The original lineup included: Gene Alford, Oscar Broadway, Clarence Dixon and John Wallace.  They formed the group in 1943 under the name The Southland Jubilee Singers.  By 1944, they were receiving regional exposure on a radio program called Carolina Hayride.  They also appeared on a handful of transcription discs for Lang-Worth Records and at that point decided to change their name to The Four Knights.

In 1948, The Four Knights caught their big break as a regular appearing act on The Red Skelton Show (Raleigh Cigarettes Program).  This gig gave them the national exposure they needed and they became a popular fixture on the show.  They performed on the Red Skelton Show for over two years and many of the songs that you hear on Swing City Radio is from that library of music performances.

Listen to: "Sugarfoot Rag" by The Four Knights from April of 1950

Sadly, in late 1950 the Red Skelton Show parted ways with The Four Knights due to a contract dispute.  The group then fired their manager because they now had lost their national exposure.  A couple of years later, with new representation, the group renewed their contract with Skelton for his new TV Show.

The Four Knights eventually went on to have a major hit in 1954 called "I Get So Lonely When I Dream About You (Oh Baby Mine)" which awarded them a gold record for selling over a million copies worldwide.  They recorded many songs that appeared on the charts throughout the 1950's, but as the 1960's rolled in, music styles were changing, and soon the Four Knights fizzled out.  The group officially disbanded in 1966. 

Their music has been compared to the Mills Brothers and Ink Spots by some.  I feel they had a much fuller sound that could really swing at times.  The songs they performed on The Red Skelton Show are a great example of that.  The music really had a good groove to it. Especially the songs where the house orchestra led by David Rose provided accompaniment.

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Update: Christmas Songs on "The YouTube"

So my wife LOVES Advent Calendars. I mean she REALLY LOVES them.  She orders all kinds at this time of year.  Advent Calendars with hard candy, chocolates, marshmallows, stickers, even ones that contain little stuffed animals that come with cute outfits and accessories.

I truly understand why she loves these things so much.  Every morning in December, she gets to open a new "door" for the day to reveal her "little daily gifts". The ritual always seems to put her in such a good mood. It just goes to show that it's the "small things" in life that make life worth living.

So why am I telling you all this stuff?  Because starting today, I will be posting a Holiday Song on Swing City Radio's YouTube Channel every day through to Christmas.  If you've already subscribed to the channel, a new video should appear in your YouTube feed every morning.  Think of it as Swing City Radio's own little Advent Calendar to celebrate the Christmas Holidays.

Listen to: "Let It Snow" by Jimmy Dorsey

As you know, I tend to only play one or two Holiday Songs per hour on the station.  If you are really in "The Christmas Spirit" just head on over to the Big Band Christmas Playlist to hear as much as you want.  Here's the link: Click Here

Have a great month of December and don't wait to the very last minute to start shopping. :)

~ Ronnaldo

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Holiday Programming - 2024

Christmas Music Now Playing:

Just in case you haven't noticed, Swing City Radio began playing Christmas songs by your favorite Big Band and Swing artists on Thanksgiving Day. As I've done for a few years now, I will be scattering them in throughout the day mixed in with normal programming.  (About one or two songs per hour.)

On Christmas Eve: Starting at 6pm EST, Swing City Radio will be playing Big Band Christmas Songs until Midnight.  I will also be sprinkling in the Christmas Episodes of The Big Band and Swing Podcast during the night as well.

Christmas Day: I will be decking the halls and stuffing your stockings with V-Discs.  "A V-Disc Christmas" will feature a full 24 hours of just V-Disc Recordings.  I did this last year and a lot of you reached out to let me know how much you enjoyed it.  I has now become the new Christmas Tradition, so be sure to tune in at some point.

On December 26th, Swing City Radio will go back to it's normal programming.  Happy Holidays everyone.

~ Ronnaldo

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George Paxton

George Paxton led a very good band from 1944 until about 1949.  He got his start in the late 1930's as an arranger and saxophonist for George Hall's Orchestra. At that time, George Hall was turning over the reigns of his band to his popular vocalist, Dolly Dawn, and Paxton's excellent arrangements helped make the transition a success.

In the early 1940's, Paxton began arranging music for Bunny Berigan, Charlie Spivak, Vaughn Monroe and Sammy Kaye.  His top shelf arrangements also played a large role in the comeback of bandleader Ina Ray Hutton.

In 1944, Paxton stepped out of the background and formed his own band. George Paxton and His Orchestra went on to enjoy a good level of success and popularity.  The band toured the eastern part of the United States and reached a national audience via broadcasts from the Roseland Ballroom.  

His band featured some pretty big names including Nick Fatool on drums, Doc Goldberg on bass and vocalists Alan Dale and Liza Morrow to name just a few.

George Paxton later went on to influence the music of the 1960's with a record label he co-founded called Coed Records.

Listen to: "I Begged Her" by George Paxton and His Orchestra from July of 1942

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Skeets Tolbert and His Gentlemen of Swing

Skeets Tolbert played clarinet and saxophone, he was also a vocalist and bandleader. His nickname "Skeets" was short for "Mosquito."  Not sure why. But it stuck with him throughout his life. He composed and arranged a great number of tunes that would become hits for others, including names like Nat King Cole, Count Basie and Louis Jordan.

Skeets joined "Taylor's Dixieland Serenaders" in 1929, where he had his first known recording in 1931, as a vocalist and on alto sax. In 1934, he moved on to play with Charlie Alexander before joining the house band at the New York night club, The Savoy Ballroom.

In 1936 he played alto sax along side the legendary Fats Waller. The time he spent with Waller ended up being highly influential on Tolbert's writing and arranging style.

Something I was surprised to learn was that in 1937, Skeets played in a band with famed Olympic Athlete, Jesse Owens.  I had no idea Jesse Owens was a musician.

In 1939, Skeets formed his own band and recorded under the name "Tolbert's Gentlemen of Swing." Babe Hines and Yack Taylor were featured female vocalists. He rarely used a single male lead vocal in his music. He also used elements of vaudeville in many of his songs along with darker lyrics. None of his songs ever charted or became standards but were intended for dancing in nightclubs and living rooms. He recorded with this band on the Decca Records label.

Tolbert also filmed his share of Soundies. In 1944, the band recorded four Soundies of the tunes "No No Baby", "'Tis You Babe", "Blitzkrieg Bombardier", and "Corn Pone."  Skeets eventually left the music business by the late 40's to pursue a career of teaching and lived to be 91 years old.

Watch: "Blitzkrieg Bombardier" by Skeets Tolbert and His Gentlemen of Swing from 1944

You can hear "Skeets Tolbert and His Gentlemen of Swing" right here on Swing City Radio.

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Elmer's Tune

The song "Elmer's Tune", was hit record for both Glenn Miller and Dick Jurgens in the early 1940's.  It's a bouncy little song that leaves the listener humming the melody hours later. (Well, that's how it works in my case. haha)  I've included audio of the song so you can hear it for yourself, just in case you are unfamiliar with the song.  So let's look at the story behind this song.

Listen to: "Elmer's Tune" by Glenn Miller And His Orchestra

Origins of Elmer's Tune

A gentleman by the name of Elmer Albrecht penned this song in the early 1920's. Elmer was working at a funeral parlor in Chicago as an embalmer. That is where he worked out the original tune and melody. Luckily, for fans of the song, there was a piano located in the back of this parlor.

Over the years, still working as an embalmer, Albrecht would play this song in small night clubs around the Chicago area. He even offered the song to Ted Weems at one point but was turned down.  Then in 1941, he approached Dick Jurgens with the song.  Dick Jurgens' band was in the middle of a stint at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom.  At first, Jurgens also turned down the song, but Albrecht was persistent and Jurgens finally agreed to arrange the song for his orchestra.

After a short time, the band was set to perform the newly arranged song, but still didn't have a name for it.  Band members bickered over what the name should be. Jurgen's finally suggested the generic "Elmer's Tune" and the name stuck.

Recordings of the Song

In April of 1941, Jurgens and his Orchestra recorded an instrumental version of "Elmer's Tune" for the Okeh Label and it reached #8 in the charts.  This got the attention of Glenn Miller, who asked Jurgens if he could record a version of the song with lyrics.  Sammy Gallop was hired to write the lyrics. (The credits for the song from that point forward include Albrecht, Gallop and Jurgens.) Miller recorded his version in August of '41 and by December of that year the song had reached #1 on the Billboard Charts.

Glenn Miller's recording of the song was the most popular.  But many others recorded versions of the tune including Benny Goodman, The Andrews Sisters, Bob Crosby, Lawrence Welk, Blue Barron, Bert Ambrose and many more.  It still amazes me what you can learn when you poke around to learn the origins of a particular song.  I would have never imagined that this bouncy little ditty originated in the back room of a funeral parlor.  😀

You can hear different versions of 'Elmer's Tune" right here on Swing City Radio.

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5th Anniversary of Swing City Radio

Hey there Hepcats!  Can you believe Swing City Radio has been streaming for 5 years now?  We've been through a worldwide pandemic together, as well as a host of natural disasters, wars across the globe, two U.S. Presidential Elections and so much more.  Personally, I love the fact when the world goes crazy I'm able to sit down, take a deep breath, relax and listen to this great music.  I hope you feel the same.

I'm not planning to make a big deal about the Anniversary on the air, just a couple of promo announcements here and there.  Frankly, I've been so busy behind the scenes with personal stuff, it all kind of snuck up on me. 

But, the main reason for this post, is to thank ALL of you.  Thank you so much for tuning in day after day, year after year.  Thank you for being so passionate about this music.  And thank you for all of the support and valuable feedback.

One of the great byproducts of creating this station has been the fact that I've gotten to know many of you out there.  I'm not the biggest fan of technology and always try to simplify my life as much as possible, but in this case I find it so cool that the online world has provided a way for all of us to enjoy this music from years past together.

Thank you and I'm looking forward to another 5 years with all of you.

~ Ronnaldo

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Soundie: My Lost Horizon

Today's Soundie features Les Brown and His Band Renown along with a 16 year old Doris Day handling the vocals.  "My Lost Horizon" was filmed in April of 1941.  Les Brown also filmed two other Soundies that month: "Once Over Lightly" and "Is It Love or Conscription?".

As far as I know, this was Doris Day's first film appearance of any kind.  About a decade later she would go to have a successful movie career.

Enjoy!

Watch: "My Lost Horizon" by Les Brown featuring Doris Day.

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Soundie: "Anvil Chorus"

Today's Soundie is "Anvil Chorus" by Al Donahue and His Orchestra.  This was filmed and released in 1943.  Donahue and his boys do some nice work in this one and it features some pretty good solos.  I'm not sure if Al got the memo that he was being filmed.  Throughout the majority of the Soundie he is facing the band and rarely acknowledges or interacts with the camera.

Enjoy!

Watch the Soundie: "Anvil Chorus" by Al Donahue and His Orchestra from 1943

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Playlist Additions - Sep 2024

I hope everyone is doing well.  Over the past week I've added some more songs to the Swing City Radio regular rotation.  Here are some of the highlights:

Songs from The Carnation Contented Hour - Melody Hour (AFRS)

The Carnation Contented Hour was a radio music series that aired on various networks from 1931 to 1951 and was sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company.  In the 1940's, it was also called The Melody Hour when it was distributed to the troops via the Armed Forces Radio Service.  The show had many great hosts through the years and a boatload of talent performed on this show.  I've only begun to scratch the surface.  In this batch of additions I've added songs by Jo Stafford, Buddy Clark and Dick Haymes.

Listen to: Jo Stafford sing "I Got the Sun in the Morning" from September 1950

Benny Goodman Swing School

These tracks are from broadcasts that took place in July and August of 1937.  They feature one of the most classic lineups that Goodman ever assembled.  Some of the titles included are: "Sing, Sing, Sing (Part 2)", "Mother Goose Marches On", "Lullaby In Rhythm" and "Clarinet Marmalade".  Great stuff! 

Also added to the Playlist

Tracks by Bing Crosby from October of 1952 and selected songs from a July 1945 performance by Lucky Millinder on the show "One Night Stand".  I had to really work with the audio quality but I got it sounding pretty good.

Enjoy!

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Watch: Hawaiian War Chant

I can never get enough of old film footage that captures our favorite Big Bands in action.  This is a clip of Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra jammin' out to Hawaiian War Chant.  This clip is from the 1942 motion picture entitled "Ship Ahoy".

Take a look at a young Buddy Rich pounding away at the drums.  It's so great to be able to watch him in action.  The Youtuber that put this video together did a very good job restoring the footage and the overall sound.  Check it out!

One last thing, I'm pretty sure that the "special effect" in the opening part of the film which makes it appear like Buddy Rich and his drum set are floating onto the set caused many of the 1940's audience to experience vertigo.  But that's just my theory. 😁  Enjoy!

Watch - "Hawaiian War Chant" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

Remember:  If you would like access to Bonus Content and Podcast Extras then join our Patreon and become a Hepcat.  It's a great way to support the station.  

Check it out at: SupportSwing.com

Swing City Radio: Playing Your Big Band and Swing Music Favorites from the 1930's, 40's and Today! - Big Band Radio Station Streaming Online from King of Prussia, PA. Commercial Free!

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Soundie: My Reverie by Larry Clinton

Today's Soundie features Larry Clinton and His Orchestra along with Peggy Mann on vocals performing "My Reverie". This was originally filmed in 1941 and by the time of it's release to Panoram movie-jukeboxes in October of 1943, Clinton's Orchestra had disbanded.

The production itself is pretty straight forward and basic, but it seems to work well with this Soundie. I really enjoy the job that Peggy Mann does with the vocals.  The original version of this Clinton classic from 1938 featured Bea Wain as the female lead, but Mann does a fantastic job.  She's also featured in two other Larry Clinton Soundies: "Deep Purple" and "The Night We Met in Honomu".

Enjoy! 

Watch: "My Reverie" by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra with Peggy Mann on vocals.

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Added To The Playlist - Aug 2024

This weekend I added a few dozen more songs to the Swing City Radio rotation. I try to do this every month so the daily playlist remains fresh and more enjoying to listen to.  Here's a quick breakdown of the "new" content added:

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra

I was very surprised I hadn't added these yet.  I actually checked and rechecked to make sure they weren't already in the rotation.  There's over a dozen songs from appearances Shaw made on Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands.  These shows took place in September and October of 1945 and the sound quality is very good.  The band sounds very sharp and Imogene Lynn was the female lead at the time.

Jan Garber and His Orchestra

Contains a handful of songs from a gig at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles sometime during the 1940's.  I don't have an exact date on these.

Freddy Martin and His Orchestra

A half dozen songs from two different sources.  Recordings he made for the Standard Library and a Dec 1943 performance on Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands.  Good Stuff!

Also keep an ear out for songs by The Andrews Sisters, Boyd Raeburn, Sam Donahue, and some fusion of Hawaiian and Big Band by Harry Owens and His Royal Hawaiians.  

Enjoy.

Listen to: "Can't Read Between The Lines" by Artie Shaw from 1945.

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