On the Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: Tony Bennett goes “From Rags to Riches” as we open this hour's selection of great American standards. The McGuire Sisters take it next with a number from the Fred Astaire film “Daddy Long Legs.” Hear many more stage, film, and TV offerings with Lalo Schifrin's “Theme from Mission Impossible.” Hear Henry Mancini's Orchestra with the lovely theme from “The Thornbirds.” Vic Damone sings a great standard from “My Fair Lady,” Ferrante and Teicher man the duo keyboards for the theme from “Midnight Cowboy.” And we'll remember Dick Clark's American Bandstand as Barry Manilow performs his own “Bandstand Boogie.” Enjoy hit songs by the fine period groups like The Vogues, The Carpenters, and The Ames Brothers. Enjoy another film hit song from a 1965 Steve McQueen movie “Baby the Rain Must Fall” sung by Glenn Yarbrough. Listen to a one hit wonder pairing of Nino Tempo and April Stevens for their hit song, “Deep Purple” followed up with Tommy Edwards for his biggest hit song, “It's All in the Game.” We'll experience a little “Deja Vu” with Dionne Warwick. More great songs with Michael Buble, Eydie Gorme, and Georgia Gibbs. We'll wrap up the hour with a fine Leroy Anderson composition called “The Typewriter Song.” (Could you still change a ribbon?) Listen now at Mixcloud.
The blog home of John Christopher's The Neon Beat. A radio show featuring great music from the 1940's, 50's and 60's. Featuring great artists that you know and love. Artists like Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, The Lettermen, Henry Mancini, The Four Lads, Tony Bennett, Marilyn Maye, Percy Faith and Andy Williams.
Thursday, November 5, 2020
The Neon Beat - 10.25.20
On the Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: We open this hour with two of this Irish lad's favorites. We'll start with The New Christy Minstrels with their hit song, “Green Green.” We'll follow this up with a cut from Roger Whittaker's album, “Folk Songs of Our Time” as he performs, “The Star of the County Down.” Our “tag team” selections include Frank Sinatra with his daughter Nancy for “Something Stupid” and Nat King Cole with the Four Knights for the song, “If I May.” Nat Cole will also sing a rousing version of an old Al Jolson standard, “Avalon.” Enjoy our stage and film offerings with Ella Fitzgerald singing a song from “Kiss Me Kate,” Tony Bennett with a lush version of a great song from “The Sandpiper,” Andre Previn, his piano and orchestra stroking in the “Theme from Irma La Douce.” The Mitch Miller Gang assembles for the “The Colonel Bogey March from The River Kwai,” and then hear a fine rendition of another movie theme from the Academy Award winning film, “Patton.” Hear the lovely 1963 hit song for Nashville pianist Bill Pursell, “Our Winter Love” and another 1963 hit song for Andy Williams, “Can't Get Used to Losing You.” Rosemary Clooney does a 1957 remake of an old Ziegfeld Follies song called “Mangos.” A follow up to to her previous chart buster, “Come On-a My House.” Perry Como makes a stab for a sock-hop hit called “Tina Marie.” (Made number 5 on the Billboard Charts in 1955) More from Sammy Davis Jr, Matt Monro, and Louis Armstrong. And we'll fulfill one from our request list. A song by the great song writer, Laura Nyro. Enjoy!
The Neon Beat - 10.18.20
On the Neon Beat this week at Mixcloud: Hugo Winterhalter and his RCA Orchestra kick off this week's upload with a Leroy Anderson composition as we do the “Blue Tango.” Barbra Streisand follows Hugo with a hit song that she bet would never make the top 10. (Charting on Billboard at number six 12-12-1970) Next we go “Swinging of a Rainbow” with Philly's own Frankie Avalon. Turn up hit songs by some of the great period groups like The Chordettes with “Lollipop,” The Four Lads with “Istanbul not Constantinople.” The war time bombshells, namely, The Andrews Sisters, sing “I Can Dream Can't I?” and the Mills Brothers heat things up with “I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Hear a heart tugging version of “September Song” sung by the great Jimmy Durante. We'll remember the year 1951 with a top charting hit by G.I. Jo Stafford called “Shrimp Boats.” Next, a Rat Pack set with Frank Sinatra from his Swinging Session LP and Dean Martin turnin' on the waterworks for the song “I'd Cry Like a Baby.” Nat King Cole sings, “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” followed up with Michel Legrand's Orchestra performing the David Rose standard, “Holiday For Strings..” We'll team up Bing Crosby with good friend Rosemary Clooney as we “Go to the Mardis Gras.” Listen to Patti Page with a sentimental standard, “Mockingbird Hill,” Enjoy a film favorite with Felix Slatkin directing the orchestra for the theme from “The Sundowners.” More with Louis Armstrong, Ralph Flanagan and Eddie Fisher.” Some good listening kids!
https://www.mixcloud.com/theneonbeat/the-neon-beat-show-22r6/
The Neon Beat - 10.11.20
On the Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: Robert Goulet begins this hour with an old feel-good summertime favorite, “Summer Sounds.” Nancy Sinatra follows up with her 1966 hit record, “Sugar Town” after which we add some more sweetness with Pat Boone's “Sugar Moon.” Enjoy some of the period instrumentals we enjoyed like Bert Kaempfert's 1961 chart hit, “Wonderland By Night”' Roger Williams with his flourishing version of “Autumn Leaves,” and Britain's own Sounds Orchestral with their lush rendition of the Vince Guaraldi hit, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Dig on the some great period folk music with Peter Paul and Mary doing “If I Had a Hammer,” Terry Gilkyson and his EZ Riders with “Marianne,” Colorado's own Serendipity Singers with “Ah Ah,Don't Let the Rain Come Down,” The Kingston Trio with a wander lust favorite “One More Town” and Jimmie Rodgers with “Uh Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again.” Listen to more fine groups like The Mills Brothers and Lyndhurst, Ohio's The Poni Tails. We'll spin great memories such as Perry Como's “Hot Diggity,” Elvis with “Don't Be Cruel,” and “Patsy Cline” with “Walking After Midnight.” More with Glen Campbell, Mama Cass Elliot, and Roy Orbison's “Pretty Woman.” Left click. Go there!
The Neon Beat - 10.4.20
On The Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: Ol' Dino launches into this hour of great memories with “Powder Your Face with Sunshine.” Then we assemble The Ames Brothers for a fine big band standard as they sing Tommy Dorsey's “Marie.” Eydie Gorme takes up the microphone next for “I'll Take Romance” followed by a song by the Tennessee plow boy. Eddy Arnold sings “The Tips of My Fingers.” Back from the break, our next segment leads off with Peggy Lee backed by an orchestra directed by Randy Newman, “Is That All There Is?” Then stand back for Count Basie's Orchestra backing Sammy Davis Jr for a steamy version of “She's a Woman.” Next, turn up Lena Horne for her signature version of the song, “Stormy Weather.” We'll bring back Count Basie recorded live in Vegas with Joe Williams singing “Smack Dab in the Middle.” Here more fine standards with the period artists we know and love like Tom Jones, Patti Page, and Tony Bennett who sings the lovely “Stranger in Paradise.” We'll remember the year 1968 with one of the biggest instrumental hits of all time by Paul Mauriat. We'll sweeten things up listening to The McGuire Sisters with their mid 50's signature hit song, “Sugartime” followed with a funny memory with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope from one of their “road movies.” More with The Statler Brothers, Michael Buble, and Louis Armstrong.
The Neon Beat - 9.27.20
On the Neon Beat this week uploaded to Mixcloud: Caterina Valente' storms onto the stage with an old Xavier Cugat standard that showcases the woman's tremendous range. Listen to Caterina as we open with “The Breeze and I.” Then, smoke em' if ya got em' as Frank Sinatra takes the mic for a little “Learnin' of the Blues.” Enjoy a lovely rendition of a song formerly known as “Limelight” as Sarah Vaughan performs this lovely melody with the lyric, “Eternally.” Listen to Al Martino with a sentimental favorite, “I Love You Because” followed up a “steamy” Broadway number sung by Patti Page from “the Pajama Game.” We'll track more stage and film selections with Dinah Washington singing one from “Guys and Dolls,” Robert Goulet with a fun little number from the movie “Little Me,” Petula Clark with a lovely Charlie Chaplin song he wrote for his film “Countess From Hong Kong,” and Henry Mancini with his razzy, mischievous, “ Theme from The Pink Panther.” We'll bring back Dinah Washington and team her up with Brook Benton for a fun tate-a-tate called “Baby, You've Got What it Takes.” Hear Nat King Cole with a 1957 rock-a-jazzy hit song called, “Send for Me.” Catch a set starting with Bobby Darin's swingin' version of “I Got Rhythm,” Billie Holiday with the song, “All Of Me” and “Kisses Sweeter than Wine” by Jimmie Rodgers. More with the Four Knights, Moe Koffman, and literally “More” (the song) with singer Vic Dana.
The Neon Beat - 9.13.20
On the Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: We give Brook Benton the Gospel gun as he ascends to the pulpit for his 1962 hit single, “Shadrach.” After which, turn up your speakers for Tony Bennett with one his early Columbia hit singles, “Because of You.” We'll “Put a Little Love in Our Hearts” with Jackie DeShannon. Our stage and film selections this hour will be delivered by Ed Ames with a song from “I Do, I Do.” The English Gentleman, Matt Monro, sings a song from “Laura,” and Andre Previn plays a lovely rendition of a song from “Lili.' Also listen to Glen Campbell singing a song from the 1969 John Wayne film, “True Grit.” We'll spin some Burt Bacharach-Hal David music sung by Dionne Warwick. Get your 'Swing” on with the most requested big band era song of all time as Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra do “In The Mood.” We'll team up Rosemary Clooney with good friend Bing Crosby for the song “I Can't Get Started.” Hear Perry Como with one of his 1950's chart hit singles and Nat King Cole with a lovely rendition of the song, “I Love You For Sentimental Reasons.” Catch a “western” set with Glen Campbell, Sonny James and Roy Rogers with Dale Evans. More with Barry Manilow, The Supremes and Nashville pianist Floyd Cramer.