Treasure Ivan Radio

The latest edition of Treasure Ivan features men who, under the guise of “Uncle,” shared songs and stories for children on records, radio and TV. All the interim songs used in today’s program are from the early 1950’s BBC radio show for children, “Children’s Favourites” hosted by Derek McCulloch, aka “Uncle Mac.”

Uncle Mac of the BBC

Uncle Dave Macon was looked upon as the “Uncle” of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He played banjo and recorded hundreds of songs, including this one when he was 80 years old.

Peek-a-Boo
Uncle Dave Macon

Uncle Dave Macon

Puffin’ Billy
Melodi Light Orchestra

Uncle Don Carney was one of the first children’s radio hosts and certainly one of the most popular. He also made a number of story records for the Sonoma label. Thousands of children turned out to see him at events in New York sponsored by radio station WOR.

Willabus-Wallabus
Uncle Don Carney

Uncle Don Carney

Bluebell Polka
Jimmy Shand & His Band

Little Orley & the Happy Bird
Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum

Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum

Mister Cuckoo
Edmundo Ros

Not much is known about Uncle Henry other than that his real name was Henry Walden and his day job was as a newscaster on WNEW in New York. His style is a bit derivative of Uncle Don, and perhaps he was inspired by Don’s success with children’s story records. Needless to say, Uncle Henry did not become a household word among the younger set, though he certainly deserves credit for this very unusual telling of a popular fairy tale.

The Three Little Pigs
Uncle Henry

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Henry Hull Orchestra

Uncle Johnny Coons hosted a very popular television show during the early 1950s in Chicago. His humor was zany and his material was original to say the least. His character was fond of inventing mechanical wonders, as well as using old silent movies as a background for sight gags and studio pranks.

Uncle Johnny Coons

The Automatic Mouse Trap
Uncle Johnny Coons

Uncle Wiggily (Longears) began as a series of stories by Howard R. Garis, published from 1910 in the Newark News. The RCA Victor record we are playing today was released in 1950 and was narrated by storytelling regular Paul Wing. You may also remember the Uncle Wiggily board game, which is still available to this day!

Uncle Wiggily & Nurse Jane

Uncle Wiggily & His Flying Rug
Paul Wing

“Song of the South” was a motion picture released by Walt Disney Studios in 1946. It was based on the African-American folktales collected in Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Harris in the late 19th century. The Capitol Records adaptation of the film came out in 1947 and featured James Baskett as Uncle Remus. You will also hear Johnny Mercer singing the Academy Award winning song which he wrote for the film, “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.” If this record seems a bit unusual, or even offensive, by modern standards, that’s because it is! Like many Treasure Ivan selections containing material of questionable taste, we present it as a sample of American culture in another time — evidence of how far we’ve come.

Tales of Uncle Remus

Tales of Uncle Remus
James Baskett with Johnny Mercer

All Things Bright & Beautiful
Greenbank Children’s Choir (introduction by Uncle Mac)

The Treasure Ivan Show officially opens the 2012/13 school year with “This is My School,” a song about the preschool experience written by me, Ivan Ulz, with my friend Christopher North. I was raised in a nursery school and this song describes the place I called home while growing up.

This Is My School
Ivan Ulz

In the 1960s, Tom Glazer made an album of songs about weather. The songs are catchy and you can learn a lot by singing them a few times.

What Makes the Weather?/What is the Atmosphere?
Tom Glazer

Tom Glazer

Where is the Stratosphere?
Tom Glazer

Sterling Holloway made two albums of Aesop’s Fables. Today we hear an eleven minute rendering of “The Tortoise and the Hare” with orchestral background. If his voice sounds familiar, that’s because Sterling Holloway played the part of the Cheshire cat in the 1952 Disney version of “Alice in Wonderland.”

The Best Stories of Aesop

The Tortoise and the Hare
Sterling Holloway

“Slow Joe” is a story record on the Children’s’ Record Guild label. It is narrated by Norman Rose whose resounding voice earned him the nickname of “The Voice of God.”

The Story of Slow Joe
Norman Rose

The Story of Slow Joe

Slow Poke
Arthur Godfrey

The Birthday Record by Frank Luther makes one feel that they are attending a wild and wonderful birthday party. This record does in six minutes just about everything you would think of to do at a birthday bash. It’s followed by me singing two classic birthday songs for children, one from radio and one from television. The one that beings “Today is a birthday…” was featured on the Big Jon and Sparky radio show (starring Jon Arthur) and the one starting with “Put another candle on my birthday cake…” was originally performed by Sheriff John Rovick on his eponymous TV Show.

The Birthday Party Record
Frank Luther

Big Jon & Sparky

Sparkie’s Birthday Song/Birthday Cake Polka
Ivan Ulz

“Mr. Gallagher’s Donkey” is a Peter Pan Records production and stars Jack Arthur, who was among the most featured performers on the label. It is based on a book by Mary Windsor.

Mr. Gallagher’s Donkey
Jack Arthur

Why Must We Go to School?
The Nutmegs

With thanks to Kiddie Records Weekly

2012 is only the second year since 1966 that Jerry Lewis has not hosted the annual Labor Day MDA Telethon, marking the end of an era. Treasure Ivan is aware that many people see Jerry Lewis as a symbol of Labor Day and so we open this show with two of his records for Capitol Records made in the 1950’s. First we hear the sing-song recording of “I’m a Little Busybody” followed by a story record, “The Nagger,” in which Jerry convincingly portrays an obnoxious child.

I’m a Little Busybody
Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis, The Nagger

The Nagger
Jerry Lewis

Gene Kelly would have turned 100 years old on August 23rd. He sang and danced his way through many MGM musicals, the most memorable being “Singin’ in the Rain.” Gene also made several records for children. We present Gene’s version of “The King Who Wouldn’t Dance” which includes “The Worrier Song.” It seemed a logical step to follow this with “The Worrier King” by Warren Zevon, and so we did.

Singin’ in the Rain
Gene Kelly

Gene Kelly

The King Who Couldn’t Dance
Gene Kelly

Worrier King
Warren Zevon

The great children’s author Margaret Wise Brown penned many wonderful books including “Goodnight Moon” and “The Runaway Bunny.” “Shhhh…Bang” is an unusual departure for her, a tale which resolves itself with a slamming door, a gunshot and a firecracker. She also called it a “Whispery Book” It is the only children’s record I know of which is narrated by news veteran Frank Gallop.

SHHHhhh…BANG!
Frank Gallop

“Banjo Eyes” was a popular nickname for song-and-dance man Eddie Cantor. His quirky style of comedy brought smiles to many people during the Great Depression. We hear a song of his from that time followed by a tale for youngsters “Tweedle De Dee and Tweedle De Dum” from the early 1950’s. Like many works in the Treasure Ivan Vault these records are not played to endorse the times they reflect, but to acknowledge that they existed.

Oh, Is She Dumb
Eddie Cantor

Eddie Cantor

Tweedle De Dee & Tweedle De Dum
Eddie Cantor

Ling Ting Tong
The Five Keys

This week’s edition of Treasure Ivan has more stories and less music than usual. First up is brief tale by Frank Luther called “The Three Trees.” Frank Luther was a singer and storyteller during the 1930’s and 1940’s. He was extremely popular with children and was in fact called the Bing Crosby of children’s music. Frank Luther is also credited with writing “Barnacle Bill the Sailor.”

Paul Bunyan is the hero of many an American tall tale. On this show, you’ll hear about the birth of Paul Bunyan as told in story and song by Tom Glazer. It would seem that a sequel never came about to this recording, but it does contain all the exaggerated stories that make Bunyan legends live to this day. Tom Glazer, who followed in Frank Luther’s footsteps, may be best known today for composing “On Top of Spaghetti.”

Buffalo Bob, Clarabell the Clown, and Flub-a-Dub were all essential parts of the early television days when Howdy Doody ruled the afternoon airwaves. Children who had access to televisions gathered around them to watch Howdy and dream about being in the Peanut Gallery. Naturally, the show produced a slew of (now-collectible) merchandise, including this recording, which features Howdy and Buffalo Bob with their magic Air-0-Doodle, zooming through “a Howdy Doody World.”

Barbara Streisand played the part of Fanny Brice in the motion picture “Funny Girl.” Fanny Brice played the part of Baby Snooks on radio in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Treasure Ivan plays a selection from “Baby Snooks Learns” a recording on Capitol Records in which Snooks learns her lessons the hard way. A double-spanking occurs at the end of the story to the delight of youngsters who heard it. (Frankie Laine and Jimmy Boyd sing “Tell Me A Story” following Baby Snooks, and yes, there is another unabashed spanking session. Nice to know things are more enlightened now)

And finally, we have two great records about American Indians winding up this week’s program. One is an intelligent retelling of a Native American legend and the other is a Warner’s Brothers’ slightly offensive, Bozo Approved, cartoon version. “Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha” is filled with stereotypes created by Mel Blanc at the peak of his career. “The Eagle and the Thrush” is a real Native American Tale and a gorgeous one at that. Algernon Black was responsible for turning this story into a phonograph record for children. He was also leader of the Ethical Culture Society and the author of many books.

Jig-A-Jig-Jig
Frank Luther

Frank Luther

The Three Trees
Frank Luther

Paul Bunyan
Tom Glazer

Howdy Doody & the Air-O-Doodle

Howdy Doody’s Air-O-Doodle
Buffalo Bob Smith

Baby Snooks Learns to Tell the Truth
Fanny Brice & Hanley Stafford

Baby Snooks Learns

Tell Me a Story
Frankie Laine & Jimmy Boyd

Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha
Mel Blanc

The Eagle & the Thrush

The Eagle & the Thrush
Written & Told by Algernon Black

Bozo Sings
Pinto Colvig

Bozo Sings

Super Circus Band
Claude Kirchner & Mary Hartline

Super Circus Sideshow
Claude Kirchner & Mary Hartline

Mary Hartline

Little Baby Brother

I Wanna Be a Dog
Barry Louis Polisar

Muffin in the Country

Muffin the Country
Norman Rose

A Day at the Circus
Uncle Don Carney

Uncle Don Carney

Nellie the Elephant
Mandy Miller

Goodbye Cruel World
James Darren

First up is a record adapted from The Bobby Benson Show, one of the first radio programs directed at a juvenile audience. Bobby was a youngster who inherited a real ranch, and he was accompanied on numerous adventures by adult cowboys, including Don Knotts, who played the part of Windy Wales, and Tex Ritter, who had occasional roles on the popular show.

Roy Rogers was “King of the Cowboys” and he made motion pictures as well as starring in his own radio and television shows. He was one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era. He was married to Dale Evans who was nicknamed “Queen of the West.” He tells the story of Pecos Bill with help from the Sons of the Pioneers in a record based on a 1948 film made by Walt Disney.

The Concertina that Crossed the Country was produced by the CRG label and narrated by Norman Rose. Tom Glazer supplies the songs for this story about four men who come to California seeking gold in the mid-1800’s, but who soon learn there is more than one way to find fortune in the Golden State.

Tex Ritter

I’m a Natural Born Cowboy
Tex Ritter

Bobby Benson’s Golden Palomino
Created by Herbert C. Rice

Bobby Benson’s Golden Palomino

The Concertina the Crossed the Country
Narrated by Norman Rose, sung by Tom Glazer, written by Jay Williams

Song Wagon
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

Cool Water
The Sons of the Pioneers

Pecos Bill
Roy Rogers & the Sons of the Pioneers

Pecos Bill

Tumbling Tumbleweeds
The Sons of the Pioneers

Yellow Submarine
Leningrad Cowboys & The Red Army Chorus

“The Little Tune that Ran Away” was the follow-up to “Genie the Magic Record,” both zany escapades that barely stop to breathe. In it, Peter Lind Hayes plays the part of a meandering melody to the hilt, running everyone ragged who dares to chase him. But before the story, you’ll also hear a song recorded for adults by Hayes, “Life Gets Teejus.” Like his work for children, it borders on the bizarre.

“Sparky’s Magic Piano” was the second in a series about a boy who was forever learning lessons through hallucinatory experiences. The first record, “Sparky and the Talking Train” found Sparky hearing messages through train whistles that no one else could detect. When Sparky expresses displeasure with having to take piano lessons, his piano plays serious tricks on his mind (or was it a dream). This record was written and produced by Alan Livingston who, fifteen years later, brought the Beatles to Capitol Records.

“Daddy Comes Home” is an unusual story record written by Delmar Molarsky for Children’s Record Guild. This is a dad (played by Lee Sweetland) before television, computers and all the distractions of modern day life that were to manifest themselves later on. His arrival home from work signals FUN! Molarsky’s daughter, interviewed by historian David Bonner for his book “Revolutionizing Children’s Records,” said that this record

“Completely reflected his idea of what a father should be like. He himself was very much like the daddy in that record. He came home from a long, boring day in the advertising business and got down on the floor to play with me and my brother…he wasn’t at all the stuffy Leave It to Beaver dad of the TV sitcoms who smoked a pipe, read the paper, and dispensed words of wisdom.”

Life Gets Teejus, Don’t It?
Peter Lind Hayes

The Little Tune that Ran Away

The Little Tune that Ran Away
Peter Lind Hayes

Sparky’s Magic Piano
Produced by Alan Livingston

Sparky’s Magic Piano

Daddy’s Home
Shep & the Limelites

Daddy Comes Home
Story by Delmar Molarsky

Daddy Comes Home

Oh My Papa
Eddie Fisher

Run, Rabbit, Run
Big Jon Arthur

Run, Rabbit, Run

With thanks to Kiddie Records Weekly!

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912. He was already renowned as an American troubadour by the time his first record album for children was released by Folkways in 1956. Woody penned an eloquent introduction describing his philosophy of family music.

“Please, please, please, don’t read nor sing my songs like no lesson book, like no text for today. But, let them be a little key to sort of unlock and let down all of your old bars. I’m not trying to bait nor trick the little fellers into tearing through all of their fun to my songs. I know the kids will blow their tops. The kids have taught me all I know or ever hope to know.

“Watch the kids. Do like they do. Act like they act. Yell like they yell. Dance the ways you see them dance. Sing like they sing. Work and rest the way the kids do.

“You’ll be healthier. You’ll feel wealthier. You’ll talk wiser. You’ll go higher, do better, and live longer here amongst us if you’ll just only jump in here and swim around in these songs and do like the kids do.

“I don’t want the kids to be grownup. I want to see the grown folks be kids.”

Woody Guthrie – 1956

Woody Guthrie

Howdjadoo
Woody Guthrie

Wake Up
Woody Guthrie

Clean-O
Woody Guthrie

Dance Around
Woody Guthrie

Little Saka Sugar
Woody Guthrie

Rattle My Rattle
Woody Guthrie

I Want My Milk
Woody Guthrie

One Day Old
Woody Guthrie

Wash-Y Wash Wash
Woody Guthrie

Who’s My Pretty Baby
Woody Guthrie

Pick It Up
Woody Guthrie

Pretty and Shiny-O
Woody Guthrie

Why, Oh Why
Woody Guthrie

Don’t You Push Me Down
Woody Guthrie

Come See
Woody Guthrie

Merry-Go-Round
Woody Guthrie

Merry-Go-Round
Ivan Ulz

My Dolly
Woody Guthrie

My Dolly
Ivan Ulz

Little Bird
Arlo Guthrie

Mighty Mouse Theme (Here I Come to Save the Day!)
Tom Morrison and The Terrytooners featuring Mike Stewart

Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Billy Williams

The Little Cowboy
Narrated by Will Geer, with Fred Hellerman & Ernie Lieberman

Back in the Saddle Again
Gene Autry

Xiang pi xiao ya (Rubber Duckie)
Featured on the Chinese version of Sesame Street

Chinese Mule Train
Spike Jones

Quack! Quack! Quack! Donald Duck
The Mouseketeers

There Was a Little Man
Uncle Don

Daffy Duck Rhapsody
Mel Blanc

Bambi
Narrated by Shirley Temple