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Club Fifteen is a radio program in the United States that featured popular music. It was broadcast weeknights (except for a two month hiatus each summer) 30 June 1947 – 21 December 1951. Then, it aired Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights until 16 January 1953.[1] The name reflected the program's length—15 minutes. The Historical Dictionary of Old-Time Radio noted that the show "is sometimes listed as Bob Crosby's Club Fifteen because Bob Crosby was the original star, although Dick Haymes took over in 1949-50."[2] The program was sponsored by Campbell Soups.[3]

Format

Media historian Jim Cox commented that in Club Fifteen, "Crosby followed a pattern that he had perfected a dozen years earlier, being the front man with the easygoing, laid-back technique, quick to defer to others in the cast." Musical selections formed the core of each broadcast, supplemented as "Crosby bantered back and forth with his co-stars in lively scripted exchanges laced with light humor."[4]

A contemporary critic echoed Cox's comments. Paul Ackerman, in a review of the 25 July 1947, episode of Club Fifteen in Billboard, wrote: "Club 15 [sic] .. is patterned after a tried and proven formula ... the talent is easily listenable." He continued, "Bob Crosby ... is engaging in the light chatter ... and a good performer in his solos and duets with Margaret Whiting." Overall, Ackerman considered the program "a pleasant quarter-hour of pops and standards."[5]

Personnel

Except for the 1949-50 season, when Dick Haymes was host, Bob Crosby was the star of the show. During that year, Crosby left CBS to sing in a half-hour program for Pet Milk on NBC. Cox wrote, "When his NBC contract ended, he hustled back to re-sign at CBS, and remained—with rare exceptions—a fixture in CBS's fold for the continuation of his network broadcasting life."[6]

Other individuals who sang on Club Fifteen were Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Patti Clayton, Evelyn Knight (singer)[7] and Gisele MacKenzie. Vocal groups featured were The Andrews Sisters and The Modernaires. Jerry Gray led the orchestra and Del Sharbutt was the announcer.[3] Effective March 30, 1948, The Pied Pipers replaced The Modernaires, singing on Tuesdays and Thursdays as they alternated nights with the Andrews trio.[8]

Producers were Murray Bolen,[9] Diana Bourbon,[10] Ace Ochs,[11] and Cal Kuhl.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Cox, Jim. (2012). Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926–1962. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6325-1. Pp. 73-74.
  2. ^ Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). Historical Dictionary of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 0-8108-5780-4. P. 60.
  3. ^ a b Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  4. ^ Cox, Jim. (2012). Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926–1962. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6325-1. P.73.
  5. ^ Ackerman, Paul. "Club 15". The Billboard. August 2, 1947. P. 12.
  6. ^ Cox, Jim. (2012). Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926–1962. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6325-1. P. 74.
  7. ^ Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 54.
  8. ^ "Pied Pipers To Join 'Club 15'". Harrisburg Telegraph. March 27, 1948. p. 20. Retrieved August 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "Production" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 1, 1947. p. 60. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Diana Bourbon Plans to Leave Wheelock Agency" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 27, 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Agencies" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 4, 1948. p. 40. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  12. ^ "JWT Names Kuhl" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 17, 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 5 July 2019.

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