1943–1945 · Armed Forces Radio Service

One Night Stand

The remote pickup, from wherever the band was playing

The remote was the plainest thing in broadcasting: a line from a ballroom, an announcer at a small table, and whatever the band happened to play that night. No script, no studio audience, no arrangement written for the microphone. AFRS collected these pickups by the hundred and shipped them out to the forces, and in doing so preserved the swing era as it actually sounded on a working Tuesday — tempos drifting, sections tired, soloists taking chances they would never take on a commercial record. The venue names are half the pleasure.

86 broadcasts · 14 years held · Ballrooms across the United States

AFRS transcriptions of remote band pickups, catalogued by programme number, band and venue. Recordings held by the Internet Archive; United States government production.

19432

Transmission

1 October

1943

19432

Charlie Spivak Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Sunday

Shep Fields Park Central Hotel — First Song, Holiday for Strings

194425

Boyd Raeburn Roosevelt Hotel — First Song, 920 Special

Glen Gray Tune Town Ballroom — First Song, a Sure Thing

Count Basie Hotel Lincoln — First Song, Digging for Dex

Sunny Donham Cafe Rouge — First Song, Begin the Beguine

Russ Morgan Clare Mont Hotel — First Song, Do You Ever Think of Me

Glen Gray Cafe Rouge — First Song, Lion Mouse

Count Basie Hotel Lincoln — First Song, Its Sand Man

1944 05 25 AFRS One Night Stand Jan Garber One Night Stand — First Song, Giani

Jan Garber Jantzen Beach Park — First Song, 27 Times Around the Block

Lionel Hampton Civic Auditorium Oakland — First Song, Stardust

Lenny Conn Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Just You Just Me

Harry James Casino Gardens — First Song, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

John Kirby Aquarium Restaurant — First Song, Desert Night

1944 07 23 AFRS One Night Stand Fill027 Jan Savitt Trianon Ballroom — First So

1944 07 27 AFRS One Night Stand Jan Savitt Trianon Ballroom — First Song, on S

1944 08 06 AFRS One Night Stand Fill28 Carl Ravazza Black Hawk — First Song, i

Freddy Martin Coconut Grove — First Song, Everyday of My Life

Jack Tea Garten Coral Gables — First Song, Rompin Stompin

Woody Herman Cafe Rouge — First Song, Straighten Up Fly Right

Carl Ravazza Black Hawk — First Song, Stumbling

Henry Busse Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Hurry Home

Bob Chester Panther Room — First Song, Octave Jump

Woody Herman Rice Hotel Im Gonna See My Baby

Stan Kenton Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Tico Tico

Louis Prima Meadow Brook — First Song, Robin Hood

194517

Louis Prima Terrace Room — First Song, St Louis Blues

Count Basie Hotel Lincoln — First Song, Red Bank Boogie

Vaughn Monroe Black Hawk — First Song, Candy Hop

Joe Reichman Hotel Biltmore — First Song, I Walked in

Charlie Barnet Casa Manana — First Song, Poor Little Rich Girl

Shorty Sherock Glen Island Casino — First Song, Four Bones

Cab Calloway Cafe Zanzibar — First Song, Zanzi

Lucky Mil Linder Savoy Ballroom — First Song, Lady Be Good

Woody Herman Cafe Rouge — First Song, Katusha

Woody Herman Ritz Ballroom — First Song, Katusha

Chuck Foster Terrace Room — First Song, Lullabye of Broadway

Woody Herman Woody Herman Cafe Rouge — First Song, Good Good Good

Les Brown Hollywood Palladium — First Song, My Pet Brunette

Jimmie Lunceford Casa Manana — First Song, Little John

Chuck Foster Terrace Room — First Song, No Can Do

Stan Kenton Cafe Rouge — First Song, I Know That You Know

1945 10 06 AFRS One Night Stand Vaughn Monroe Hotel Commodore — First Song, Ta

194612

Bob Crosby Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Blue Skies

Bob Crosby Hollywood Palladium — First Song, the Whistler

Ray Mc Kinley Hotel Commodore — First Song, the Moon is Low

Bob Crosby Meadow Brook Gardens — First Song, String of Pearls

Dick Jurgens Garden Room — First Song, But Not for Me

Hal Mc Intyre Hotel Commodore — First Song, I Got the Sun in the Morning

Bobby Sherwood Avodon Ballroom Wherever Theres Me Theres You

Cab Calloway Club Zanzibar — First Song, Russian Lullabye

Count Basie Aquarium Restaurant — First Song, My What a Fry

Boyd Raeburn Club Morocco — First Song, Boyds Nest

Lionel Hampton Aquarium Restaurant — First Song, Empty Glass

Lionel Hampton Aquarium Restaurant — First Song, Hamps New Boogie

19472

Lionel Hampton Aquarium Restaurant — First Song, Tempos Birthday

1947 06 23 AFRS One Night Stand Claude Thorn Hill Glen Island Casino — First S

19487

Woody Herman Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Good Earth

Woody Herman Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Four Brothers

Woody Herman Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Sidewalks of Cuba

Woody Herman Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Good Earth

Benny Goodman the Click Restaurant — First Song, Limehouse Blues

Harry James the Hollywood Palladium — First Song, the Man I Love

Woody Herman the Click Restaurant — First Song, Sidewalks of Cuba

19492

Gene Krupa Hollywood Palladium — First Song, Disc Jockey Jump

1949 07 30 AFRS One Night Stand Battle of the Bands Barnet Herman Kenton

19501

Harry James Hotel Astor — First Song, Sweet Jennie Lou

19511

1951 09 02 AFRS One Night Stand Frankie Carle Coconut Grove — First Song, Dood

19522

Ray Anthony Cafe Rouge — First Song, Whos Sorry Now