Sam Waldron

Episode 135, “Grammys,” focuses on recordings that won Grammy Awards. Performers include Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Waller, Roy Acuff, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, The Mills Brothers, and eight more. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Episode 135 Grammys Playlist 1 Great Speckled Bird Roy Acuff 2 The Sound of Music Doris Day 3 Tennessee Waltz Patti Page...

Episode 134, “1940s Superstars,” presents songs by standout 1940s performers. Included: Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, The Ink Spots, The Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Helen Forrest, Guy Lombardo, Les and Larry Elgart, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, The Mills Brothers, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Episode 134 1940s Superst...

Episode 132, “Elvis Gospel” 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Episode 132 Elvis Gospel Playlist 1 I’m Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs Elvis Presley 2 Known Only to Him Elvis Presley 3 Just a Little Talk with Jesus Elvis Presley 4 How Great Thou Art Elvis Presley 5 There is No God but God Elvis Presley 6 He Touched Me Elvis Presley 7 I, John Elvis Presley 8 I Believe Elvis Presley 9 If We N...

Episode 133, “Songs with Stories,” explores interesting stories behind a dozen popular songs including “Take the A Train,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Sing Sing Sing,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Stardust,” and “The Green Door.” 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Episode 133 Songs With Stories Playlist 1 Don’t Be Cruel Elvis Presley 2 Take the “A” Train Duke Ellington 3 I’m So Lon...

Episode 131, “Perfect Pairs,” presents eight pairs of recordings that go together … or not. Topics include welcome and unwelcome letters, to dance or not to dance, a sweet ballad vs. a wild doo-wop reimagination, plus five more comparisons. Performers include The Chordettes, Pat Boone, Buddy Clark, Jo Stafford, The Marcels, Margaret Whiting, and Jimmy Wakely. Episode 131 Perfect Pairs Playlist 1 M...

Episode 130, “1940s Wedding,” imagines picking out music for an old-fashioned wedding, with recordings for a reception, walking down the aisle, and dancing. Performers include Billy Vaughn, Perry Como, Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Rosemary Squires, Hank Thompson, and Ed Ames. Show 141 Music for a 1940s Wedding Playlist 1 To Each His Own Eddy Howard and His Orchestra 2 Be...

Episode 129, “Just Good Music,” presents 20 songs (and a minimum of talk) to represent ‘40s and ‘50s, including love songs, fun songs, dance songs and the sound of the Big Bands. Performers include Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Slim Whitman, The Four Preps, Patsy Cline, Glen Gray and his Orchestra, and Rosemary Squires with the Richmond Strings. Show 129 Just Good Music Playlist 1 Down by the Station T...

Episode 128, “Judy Garland,” presents the life and music of one of the 20 th century’s musical and movie superstars. Highlights include “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” “The Trolley Song,” three tracks from her Grammy-winning Carnegie Hall concert album plus a song from “The Wizard of Oz” that most people have never heard. Episode 128 Judy Garland Playlist 1 Zing Went the Strings of My...

Episode 127, “Classic Country Early 50s,” presents 20 country music recordings from 1952 through 1955. Performers include Carl Smith, Kitty Wells, Chet Atkins, Hank Snow, Red Foley, Eddie Arnold, Hank Thompson, Goldie Hill, Slim Whitman, and eight others. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 127 Classic Country Early 50s Playlist 1 Hey Joe Carl Smith 2 Hey Joe Kitty Wells 3 Now and Then There&#82...

Episode 126, “Black Entertainers,” features 16 recordings by black artists including Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown, Sam Cooke, The Platters, Fats Domino, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Ruth Brown, Lena Horne, Muddy Waters and six more who overcame racial prejudice and left a legacy of fine music. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 126 Black entertainers Playlist 1 A Blossom Fell Nat King Cole 2 Ever...

Episode 125, “Johnny Burke,” highlights the lyrics of this prolific mid-century songwriter. Performers include Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Ella Fitzgerald, She & Him, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, and Julie London. Songs include “It’s Always You,” “Suddenly It’s Spring,” “Annie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Misty,” “Pennies from Heaven” and 10 more. Johnny Burke Playlist 1 Swinging on a Star Bi...

Show 124, “Johnny Mathis,” includes 15 of his songs including big hits like “Wonderful, Wonderful,” “Chances Are,” “It’s Not for me to Say,” “What Will My Mary Say,” and “Misty” as well as the country song “Southern Nights” and several recordings from the Great American Songbook. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 124 Johnny Mathis Playlist 1 Wonderful Wonderful Johnny Mathis 2 It’s Not f...

  Show 123, “Hidden Performers,” introduces eight very accomplished musicians who mostly never made it into the big time of U.S. Top-40 pop music. Performers include Robert Parker, Slim Dusty, Johnny O’Keefe, Wray Downs, and pianist Winifred Atwell. 45 RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s Show 123 Hidden performers Playlist 1 Sneaking Sally Through the Alley Robert Parker 2 Shout Johnny O’Keefe 3 F...

Show 122, “1940s Concert,” features diverse performers from Great Britain re-creating 33 million-selling songs from the 1940s. Performances include “Toot Toot Tootsie,” “Paper Doll,” “I Can Dream, Can’t I,” “I Had the Craziest Dream,” “Baby Face,” “You’ll Never Know,” “With My Eyes Wide Open I’m Dreaming,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” and Twelfth Street Rag.” Show 122 1940s Concert 1 Lullabye of Broadwa...

Show 121, “Songs of Strength,” presents 19 songs with lyrics that describe strength, whether it’s muscle power, character, or unshakable belief. Performers include  Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Gene Autry, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Georgia Gibbs, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Al Jolson, Tony Bennett and Bobby Darin. Show 121 Songs of Strength Playlist 1 Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford 2 Oh, Look at...

Show 120, “The Singer’s Singer,” features the life and music of Great Britain’s Matt Monro. Performances include “Walk Away,” “Real Live Girl,” “How Little We Know,” “I Have Dreamed,” “Born Free,” “Laura,” “Jeannie,” and “Softly as I Leave You.” Show 120 Matt Monro Playlist 1 Portrait of My Love Matt Monro 2 Real Live Girl Matt Monro 3 Love is a Many Splendored Thing Matt Monro 4 More Matt Monro 5...

Show 119, “July Babies,” features 19 diverse performers who were born in July. These include Jerry Vale, Cindy Walker, Dion DiMucci, Louis Armstrong, Tab Hunter, Louis Jordan, Margaret Whiting, Buddy Knox, Pete Fountain, The Andrews Sisters, Buddy Clark and eight others. Show 119 July Babies 1 Walking Through New Orleans Pete Fountain 2 The Paper Boy on Main Street USA Bill Haley 3 Don’t You...

Show 118, “1950s Comfort Music,” presents 19 recordings to show how people escaped the worries of that decade through love songs, escape songs, rock-and-roll, hopeful songs, and more. Performers include Kay Starr, Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Bill Haley and the Comets, Tony Bennett, Percy Faith, The Four Lads, Jerry Keller, Teresa Brewer, and Red Foley. 1 Dear Hearts and Gentle People Bing Crosby 2...

Show 117, “Comfort Music for Troubling Times,” revisits music that helped people get through the dark days of World War Two. Performers include Rosemary Clooney, Vaughn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Anne Shelton, Johnny Mercer, The Andrews Sisters, and Peggy Lee. Show 117 Comfort Music for Troubling Times Playlist 1 When the Lights Go On Again Vaughn Monroe 2 Far Away Places Bing Crosby 3 Da...

Show 116, “Thanks for the Music,” presents 20 recordings that host Sam Waldron had never heard before starting 45RPM, Music of the 40s and 50s. Performers include The Andrews Sisters, Slim Whitman, Cole Porter, Jim Reeves, James Turner, Patsy Cline, Alice Faye, Mel Torme, The Kingston Trio, and Irving Berlin. Show 116 Thanks for the Music Playlist 1 The Best of Everything Johnny Mathis 2 Jingle Ja...

Show 115, “Sister Rosetta Tharpe,” explores the flamboyant life and the influential music of the first national gospel music star in the United States. Recordings include “This Train,” “White Christmas,” “Have a Little Talk with Jesus,” “Precious Lord,” “Shout Sister Shout,” “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” and “God Don’t Like It.” Show 115 Sister Rosetta Tharpe Playlist 1 Down by the Riversi...

Show 114, “Boogie-Woogie,” follows the “invasion” of this musical genre into Carnegie Hall, gospel music, popular music, Christmas music, and even classical music. Performers include Frankie Carle, Nadia Weintraub, Will Bradley, Pat Boone, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and The Andrews Sisters. Show 114 Boogie Woogie Music Playlist 1 Rocket Boogie Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson 2 Boog...

Show 113, “Songs Named For Ladies,” presents 20 recordings with women’s names in their titles. Included are two songs featuring the most popular girl’s name of the 20 th century plus performances by Pat Boone, Dion, Tommy Dorsey, Perry Como, Perez Prado, Frankie Avalon, Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, and Little Richard. Show 113 Songs Named for Ladies Playlist 1 Susie Darlin’ Robin Luke 2 Goodnight...

Show 112, “1940s Ladies,” presents 15 recordings by 12 prominent female vocalists, plus two female singing groups, all from the 1940s. Performers include Helen O’Connell, Kay Starr, Betty Hutton, Helen Forrest, Judy Garland, Dinah Washington, Jo Stafford, The King Sisters, Bea Wain, and Margaret Whiting. Show 112 1940s Ladies Playlist 1 You’ve Got to See Mama Every Night Kay Starr 2 You Belo...

Show 111, “Rare 1950s Records,” presents 20 recordings that most people never heard, including a female vocalist who sounded like Linda Ronstadt and a mostly unknown male singer who sounds like a clone of Elvis Presley. Songs include “No Use Knocking,” “Lovely One,” “If I Had Me a Woman,” “Take Me in Your Arms,” “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” and “I Can’t Rock and Roll to Save My Soul.” Show 111 Rar...