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.
This week's upload of fine American Standards beginning with Barry Manilow's "Jump Shout Boogie." Hear Frank Sinatra, The Fifth Dimension, Andy Williams, Dean Martin, The Ames Brothers, Lena Horne and many more.
https://www.mixcloud.com/theneonbeat/the-neon-beat-show-31r6/
On the Neon Beat this week uploaded to Mixcloud.com: Barbra Streisand kicks off this session with some fun songs starting with a song sung by Barbra written by Milton Berle, “Sam You Made the Pants Too Long.” Dean Martin follows next with “Little Old Wine Drinker Me.” Then you'll hear a charming little 1967 diddy performed by Petula Clark called, “Cat in the Window.” Next we'll go “Up on the Roof” with the Drifters. The next segment opens with a film selection from a James Bond movie called, “You Only Live Twice.” Hear more film and stage music with Frank Sinatra singing a number from the Yellow Rolls Royce, Louis Armstrong sings the theme and his hit version of “Hello Dolly,” followed with Pat Boone from a film starring Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. Listen to Engelbert Humperdinck with his sweeping version of “Quando Quando Quando”. We'll drop a needle on Raymond Lefevre and his Orchestra doing, “Mammy Blue.” Catch a dynamic session with some great hitmakers beginning with Tom Jones with his first stateside hit, “It's Not Unusual”, followed with Al Martino with “Spanish Eyes” and Eydie Gorme with a stirring version of “Softly As I Leave You.” Hear Nat King Cole with the lovely Hoagy Carmichael standard “Stardust.” Turn up some good period folk with the Kingston Trio singing “Raspberries Strawberries.” More with Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow and Leslie Uggams. (what is an Uggams? She asks.) Listen today.
On the Neon Beat this week uploaded to Mixcloud: Dean Martin starts the show from his TV show closet from whence he sings, “The Door is Still Open to my Heart.” Pat Boone grabs the mic next for his 1957 hit song, “Love Letters in the Sand”, followed up with Chicago's Joni James with a 1950's period hit song, “How Important Can it Be?” Our fine instrumental picks this hour kick off with France's Raymond Lefevre with his 1967 orchestral hit song, “Ame Caline” (or) “Soul Coaxing.” The T-Bones with a song used in the commercial imaging for “Alka Seltzer”, Andre Previn his piano and orchestra with a lush rendition of the film theme, “Gigi”, Walter Wanderley at the Hammond B3 organ for the “Girl From Impanema, and the Bob Crewe Generation with “Music to Watch Girls By.” Hear Elvis Presley with one of his many chart toppers, “Are You Lonesome Tonight.” We follow the King with a favorite by “The Young Rascals, “How Can I Be Sure?” We'll drop a needle on a fine set with Matt Monro singing a theme from a James Bond film, Sarah Vaughan singing “Tenderly” and Nat King Cole with the song, “Til the Ends of the Earth.” Grab your Sinatra fix with a swingin' rendition of the standard “Blue Moon” with Frank and the Nelson Riddle orchestra. Then listen to some wonderful chemistry between Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby as we hang a line in for the song “Gone Fishing.” Then listen to KC's own Marilyn Maye performing the song, “You're Going to Hear From Me.” More with Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como and the big band of Zim Zemarel.
On the Neon Beat this week uploaded to Mixcloud: Rosemary Clooney slams into this hour of great memories with a consummate theater standard, “April In Paris.” The Four Preps, the youngest of the “Four” groups of that time sing their 1950's hit song, “26 miles, Santa Catalina is Waiting for Me.” Herb Alpert and the TJB are next with the title cut from his award winning album, “Whipped Cream and other Delights.” We'll spin more period instrumentals with Henry Mancini's Orchestra playing the theme from “Charade” and Ferrante and Teicher will sit at the dual keyboards with a rousing version of the song “Smile”. We'll spin a mid 50's hit song by Georgia Gibbs as you twist them hips to the “Hula Hoop Song.” Bobby Vinton takes the mic with his tender version of “There I've Said it Again.” Guy Mitchell does a little “Singing the Blues” backed my the Mitch Miller Gang followed up with Patsy Cline singing her signature hit song written by Willie Nelson. We'll drop a needle on some big band with Benny Goodman backing Helen Ward for the Johnny Mercer song, “Goody Goody.” Tony Bennett will sing his signature hit song, “I Left My Heart in SF.” Then hear a sterling contemporary jazz version of “O' Lady Be Good” by Denver's own Dianne Reeves. More solid gold with Frankie Avalon, Sammy Davis Jr, Matt Monro along with the lovely standard “Embraceable You” sung by Connie Francis. And we'll throw in a surprising stand-out version of the Lalo Schifrin TV theme from “Mission Impossible” remixed for the current movies. Crank up some good listening!
On the Neon Beat this week uploaded to Mixcloud: We open this hour with an Ocean's 11 song performed in the film by Dean Martin. “Aint that a Kick in the Head.” Then we launch into Peggy Lee as she sings “Come Back to Me!” Turn up more hits of stage and film as Robert Goulet sings his signature song from “Camelot.” Hear the Mills Brothers with a Frank Loesser standard from “A Most Happy Fella.” We'll spin and soulful version of “Ruby” sung by Ray Charles and enjoy and song from 'West Side Story” performed by Vic Damone. Hear Dion and the Belmonts with a song from a Rogers and Hart musical called, “Babes in Arms.” Listen to Nat King Cole with a WW2 jukebox favorite called “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” After that, enjoy some smooth big band with Harry James with his Orchestra doing “A Sleepy Lagoon” followed up with Frank Sinatra singing “You're Getting to be a Habit with Me.” Catch a golden set starting with Glen Campbell's hit rendition of “Gentle On My Mind.” Then we'll drop a needle on Gale Storm's “I Hear You Knocking” followed up with Rick Nelson singing “Traveling Man.” Listen to the golden horn of Louis Armstrong with “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” Then we'll wrap up the hour with Bob Hope and actress Shirley Ross singing our mantra for the show, “Thanks for the Memories.” More songs with Patti Page, The Carpenters and Herb Alpert.
On the Neon Beat this week on Mixcloud: The Chairman of the Board leads off this hour's selections as Frank Sinatra sings “How Bout You?” New Zealand's own Gale Garnett follows up as we “Sing in the Sunshine.” Our stage and film selections this hour begin with “the Baby Elephant Walk” by Henry Mancini from the movie, “Hatari.” Hear Dusty Springfield with a song from “The Thomas Crown Affair,” Tony Bennett and the Mitch Miller Gang join in for a song from “Bye Bye Birdie”, Morris Stoloff tinkles the ivories playing “the theme from “Picnic,” and Johnny Horton sings a theme song from the John Wayne film, “North to Alaska.” We'll spin a country-folk set starting with “A White Sport Coat” by Marty Robbins followed with Brenda Lee singing “Too Many Rivers.” Then we pick it up with a salsa version of “Lemon Tree” by Trini Lopez followed up with Peter Paul and Mary singing what would be an early charting song written by Bob Dylan. Laugh a little with Allan Sherman as hear his 1963 smash hit record, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fahdah.” (spell check?) Listen to a lush version of a good ol' Ray Noble song, “The Very Thought of You” sung by Nat King Cole. Bring your umbrella as Eydie Gorme sings a lilting version of an old Al Jolson hit standard, “April Showers.” And listen to a big crossover country-pop hit by Lynn Anderson, “Rose Garden.” More with Buddy Clark and Bobby Darin.
