Tonight's post is a rare occasion, in that it did not come from my personal record collection. This is a public domain radio program recording that I downloaded from a free radio site. More on that later.
This share is a radio broadcast of "Truth or Consequences" hosted by Ralph Edwards. I believe it was originally broadcast on December 20, 1947. And, I'm tellin' ya folks, this is a great, great program. The main part of the program, featuing a hospitalized soldier playing the Truth or Consequences game, begins 10 or 12 minutes into the broadcast. You won't regret downloading and listening to this.
Truth or Consequences Christmas
Really. Download and listen to this. Remove extraneous noise from your surroundings. Dim the lights. Have a tissue ready.
Now, some notes about the source. I originally downloaded this from oldtimeradiofans.com, where the webmaster claimed this was "the BEST Christmas radio program ever recorded". (I agree). Here is a site link to their list of Christmas radio free downloads: Oldtimeradiofans Christmas There are many other terrific programs available here. If you like what you hear, please send a donation to the webmaster.
While I'm on the subject of Christmas radio, Relic Radio is another radio program site I visit often. Programs of all genres are available for download there. They do a great job of cleaning up the old broadcasts. Mystery, horror, drama, comedy, and, yes, Christmas programs abound at Relic Radio. Again, if you like what you hear, send them a donation to help with site costs. Relic Radio Christmas
Many shout-outs to the folks that run these sites. They are as big a part in preserving our audio history as the Christmas sharity gang...
This is a surprisingly beautiful, sentimental Christmas program, one of my favorites. I've been an Old Time Radio (OTR) fan for awhile now.
ReplyDeleteOTR was before my time, but it's encouraging to see younger people -- 30's, 40's - take an interest in OTR -- it's amazing how much of what we see and hear today can be traced back to those days. It's easy to get immersed in it .. the programs are free, or almost free, for download or purchase.
Thanks for the OTR links - they're new to me!
I was born in '64, but my parents were a little older than most (Mom was 44, Dad was 61), so growing up I was influenced by their upbringing, which included may of the radio personalities you'll find on OTR sites - Jack Benny, Fibber McGee & Molly, etc. And I remember listening to shows like CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. Compared to the drek on TV today (ahem - Disney Channel), these superbly produced radio programs are truly gems.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school in the 70's, the local radio station I worked for played a selection of several of these shows. I was hooked. I worked there off and on for 30 years. The station eventually threw the tapes away that contained the shows and I fished them out of the trash and we began playing them in the car when we visited the in-laws in Florida over the holidays. My son became a fan and now has made a dub of the shows. Just a few days ago, I played these for my step grand daughter. She loved them and wants a copy.
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