Episode Details

Welcome to Glenn Robison’s Rapidly Rotating Records, bringing you vintage music to which you can’t *not* tap your toes, from rapidly rotating 78 RPM records of the 1920s and ’30s.

On this evening’s show we’ll celebrate the birthdays of Harry Roy and Arthur Johnston, have an interlude, play some cardiac songs, and some songs about ducks (as an added bonus, you’ll learn what a grinnel is too). 

Enjoy the show!

Here’s the complete playlist:

Segment 1: Harry Roy

January 12 marked the birth in 1900 in London, England of Harry Lipman. You may know him better as bandleader Harry Roy. In the early 50’s Harry disbanded and was running his own restaurant, but at age 69, led a quartet in London’s Lyric Theaters show “Oh, Clarence”. He died in London on February 1, 1971.

How Could Red Riding Hood – Southern State Dance Band
Crazy People – Harry Roy and His R. K. Olians / Bill Currie, v.
I’m Silly, I’m Daffy, It’s No Use, I’m In Love – Harry Roy and His Café Anglais Orchestra / Harry Roy, Bill Currie and Ivor Morton, v.

Segment 2: Hearts

Tomorrow is the third anniversary of my little cardiac bypass procedure, but this segment of heart songs is dedicated to KISL’s own Steve-o, who along with Rambo, hosts Radio Free Catalina.

Take My Heart – Dick McDonough AHO / Chick Bullock, v.
Your Heart and Mine – Roy Fox and his orch / Denny Dennis, v.
My Heart – Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

Segment 3: Interludes

Strange Interlude – Harold White AHO / Will Osborne
Blue Interlude – Chocolate Dandies
Riff Interlude – Count Basie AHO

Segment 4: Ducks

You were promised the meaning of ‘grinnel’ (the context will make sense in a moment). In the Missouri Arkansas boot-heel area a “trash fish” is called grinnel, also known as bowfin, mudfish or dogfish. In the spring, the locals would catch grinnel in backwater ponds by spearing them with a three-pronged fork, a practice known as gigging. Band members of a certain band, most of whom were cotton farmers and fishermen, actually had done gigging.

Duck Shoes Rag – Grinnel Giggers
The Duck’s Quack (A Barnyard Jazzboree) / Gilbert Girard, Animal Imitations – Kaplan’s Melodists
Huckleberry Duck – Raymond Scott and His New Orchestra

Segment 5: Arthur Johnston

Last week, January 10 marked the birth in 1898 in New York City of composer Arthur Johnston. He began his career as a movie theater pianist and later as a pianist and musical director for Irving Berlin’s stage productions. He moved to Hollywood in 1929 and wrote the scores for films such as College Humor, Too Much Harmony, Hello Everybody, Murder At The Vanities, Thanks A Million, Pennies From Heaven and Double Or