DJzone DJ Magazine

Good Evening I hope you will join me as I take a trip down memory lane. Music has been important in each of our lives and I hope we can recall and enjoy together some of the music you will hear this evening.
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I would like to start with Sentimental Journey Sung by Doris Day when she was singing with the Les Brown Orchestra Many of the younger generation remember Doris as a movie star, remember those movies she made with Rock Hudson? But if you go back a little farther we will remember Doris as a Big Band Singer where she got her start.

2
What a memory now lets listen to a young fellow from NJ that got his start singing in movie theaters. Remember when they had to have entertainment half way through the movie so the projector operator could change the movie reels? Play Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week. Do you remember? Frank Sinatra the movie singing boy grew up to be one of our greatest singing stars.

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Ok lets go way back to the 1930's This song and Band leader have been on the top hit charts at least once in every decade since the 1930's . Play In The Mood Glenn Miller. Boy I bet that song brings some memories back doesn't it? Mr. Glenn Miller a giant of a band leader that joined the service and died while crossing the English Channel in a plane during WW2 While we have Glenn with us lets play another great song of his Pennsylvania 6-5000.

4
Hoggy Carmical wrote a great song and he and Nat King Cole both recorded it but I am going to play it they way you will remember it. It became Artie Shaw's signature song and to this day I bet you can close your eyes and put your arm around someone and sway to the sweet sounds of Stardust.

5
Here is another one from the past for you. this fellow started making great music way back in the twenties, this was his last great hit and he retired up in the Maine woods on a small lake in Lovell Maine, anybody got a guess? Here he is Rudy Vallee singing As Time Goes By. You might remember this as the great Jimmy Durantee sang it many years later.

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Remember Helen Forrest? What a nice mellow voice she had here she is singing I've Heard That Song Before with the Harry James Orchestra.

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Here is the other Helen, Helen O'Connell singing Green Eyes the signature tune of Jimmy Dorsey. Jimmy had many great singers with his band through the years but Helen certainly did a great rendition of this song.

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How about a little fun with the Russ Morgan Orchestra, remember when nylons were scarce due to the war. Remember how the girls wore them with a hole in them? They had to didn't they. That was all that was abatable, here is one of my personal favorites Dance With a Dolly With A Hole in Her Stocking.

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Can't you just see that girl with a hole in her stocking. Well here are some girls that just about jumped out of their stocking. The Andrews Sisters singing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.

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While we have the Andrews sisters in our memories lets listen to then singing Shoo shoo Baby.

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Remember the shows during and after WW2, those were the shows you would see the Andrews Sisters and no sooner had they gotten off the stage when here comes Big Crosby singing Deep In the Heart of Texas.

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Now before Bing goes I bet he will give us a sweet memory of that great old song I'll Be Seeing You.

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There was a young man that came to us for a while during the war years and after whose voice was so beautiful that I believe that God must have called him home to sing. We lost him young to a auto accident but he left us some beautiful music lets remember together that voice singing You'll Never Know as only Dick Haymes could sing it.

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Here is another memory for you. Remember Teresa Brewer the little girl with that great voice. She sang with duke Ellington for years but I think we will remember her for her peppy tune Music Music Music, or as you probably remember it Put another Nickel in the Nickelodeon.

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While I am remembering Teresa I am going to play you one more song that was sung to so many young men when they went off to the service. Till I Waltz Again With you

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Lets move our memories up a few years and this of that young fellow that sang so many great songs for our enjoyment. Mr. Nat King Cole with Too Young

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Along came the younger ones with the Rock Music of the day and I always smile when I remember Kay Star lamenting the time of close dancing with her version of Rock and Roll Waltz.

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Of course the "Big Bands" we seemingly fading a bit in the mid fifties but in 1956 one of the greatest modern ballads was sung by that great Big Band singer remember with me the Tennessee Waltz sung by Miss Patti Page.

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Remember Andy Williams her continued the Big Band tradition as well lets listen to his version or Are You Sincere?

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Of course we could not think of leaving the fifties without Mr. Al Martino singing his biggest hit Daddy's Little Girl

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Some say the day of the Big Band has gone but I keep hearing memories of these bands in my mind when I hear such modern singers as Jimmy Roselli lets listen to Jimmy sing a couple of his favorites. It's Only a Shanty in Old Shanty Town and Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue.

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Well much as I would like to go on it is time for me to end this brief trip down memory lane with you today, I hope we can do this again real soon. I am going to leave you with a song that I sing to my love. Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight by the McGuire Sisters.

Goodnight and may each of you have sweet dreams of your sweetheart.

I use this format in nursing homes and at other types of gatherings for senior citizens. It runs about an hour and fifteen minutes to a hour and a half and they really like it. Basically I put together programs like this to help older people remember the past through music.