Melody Roundup – Lum and Abner Double Feature. (retro326).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:13 — 17.5MB)

Dates are unknown and could have ranged from 1942 through around 1948 or so. My guess is from somewhere right in the middle of that time frame. Similar to other shows produced by the Armed Forces Radio Service, the shows occasionally pshed censorship to boundaries that wouldn’t have cleared for commercial civilian radio, although still very tame compared to today’s level of tolerance.

Some programs such as Command Performance, or Jubilee offered a more high budget stage show style of performance. Others such as GI Jive, and Melody Roundup leaned more closely to a DJ spinning records. Though Lum and Abner weren’t the only DJ’s on the show, they seem to have some of the more popular ones, based on the slim number of episodes I located. The hosts seem to have had a very loose script, and did lots of adlib to introduce the songs. Music is deeply in the ralm of Western Swing, including cowboy trail riding tunes, through more modern swing tunes done with a western flare. If that’s your style, then you’ll love these shows.

Here’s the playlist of what to expect:

Episode 614 With Roy Acuff, and joined by Cottonseed Clark for commentary and show introduction.

1. . All I Do is Hang My Head and Cry.
2. Cottonseed tells how he got his name.
3. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.
4. Cottonseed complains about the bump on his head, and with Abner’s adlib Lum nearly cracks up.
5. Home in San Antone.
6. The guys keep calling Roy to the mike but he never quite makes it.
7. The Great Speckled Bird.
8. Lum remind listeners how to write in.

Episode 640 Jimmy Wakely sings, and helps with the commentary and Intros.

1. My Old Hometown.
2. Lum brings Jimmy Wakely to the mike to help with the color commentary.
3. Blue Trail.
4. You Care No More For Me.
5. Lum needs help reading a letter when he can’t figure what a hillbilly is.
6. That Little Hillbilly Town.
7. To wrap up Jimmy plays, Hit the Trail for Home.
8. Lum gives a quick reminder of how to write for making a request.

Bonus Track:
Jack Benny. 1955. A Trip to the Vault.