Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Before Ray Columbus and Max Merritt, who were the musical legends in Christchurch? Which New Zealand musician was told by Frank Sinatra to “Come to Hollywood”?

This new season of Blue Smoke, explores the early years of recorded New Zealand popular music. Local hits did not begin with ‘She’s a Mod’ or even ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’.

After the release of ‘Blue Smoke’ in 1949 launched the local recording industry, the fledgling studios were busy capturing the sounds of New Zealand artists.

Among those prominent was Julian Lee, the blind multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, who would later work at Capitol Records in Hollywood.

Episide one: Heartland Hootenany

Regional talent, family friendly pop, folk nationalists and country ramblers

Track: Lady Be Good
Artist: The Rhythmaires
Source: New Zealand Presents, prog 4
Composer: Gershwin
Location: RNZ Music Archive, Wellington

Track: Blue Smoke
Artist: Jean Ngeru
Source: NBS mobile recording, 1946: MU97B
Composer: Ruru Karaitiana
Location: RNZ Sound Archive, Christchurch

Track: King Tawhaio
Artist: Lou Paul and His Maori Maids
Source: Beacon 78rpm disc
Composer: Walter Smith
Location: RNZ  Sound Archive, Christchurch, ID 102902

Track: Yodelling Song
Artist: Brown Sisters of Coromandel
Source: NBS mobile recording, 1948
Composer: unknown
Location: RNZ  Sound Archive, Christchurch, ID 4950

Track: The Overlander Trail.
Artist: Jack Christie,
78rpm disc
Composer: Roy Darling
Label: Tanza 3

Track: Choo Choo Samba
Artist: Santos Romeros’ Rhumba Band, with Esme Stephens
Album: Cosy By the Fire (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 6)
Composer: Godinho
Label: Stebbing

Track: Geddes Dentures jingle
Artist: Pat McMinn
Source: Keith Pine collection
Composer: attrib. Percy Montrose

Track: Twenty Tiny Fingers
Artist: Pat McMinn
Album: The Great Kiwi Tanza Recordings
Composer: Sid Tepper & Roy Bennett
Label: Rajon

Track: Perfidia
Artist: Ellen Vann
Album: Pretty and Popular (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 1)
Composer: Dominguez
Label: Stebbing

Track: I’ll See You in My Dreams
Artist: George Campbell and His New Sound
Album: Pretty and Popular (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 1)
Composer: Jones-Kahn
Label: Stebbing

Track: Dem Bones
Artist: the Harmonaires
Album: Pretty and Popular (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 1)
Composer: James Weldon Johnson
Label: Stebbing

Track: Be My Life’s Companion
Artist: Phyl Mounce
Album: Love on the Wireless (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 2)
Composer: DeLugg-Hilliard
Label: Stebbing

Track: Little White Duck
Artist: Big City Six
Album: Holidays and Novelties (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 7)
Composer: Walt Barrows & Bernard Zaritsky
Label: Stebbing

Track: Harbour City Lights
Artist: Big City Six
Album: Love on the Wireless (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 2)
Composer: unknown
Label: Stebbing

Track: Hawaiian Hotel March
Artist: Colin McCrorie’s Kalua Islanders
78rpm disc
Composer: trad
Label: Tanza Z102

Track: Shadows on the Trail
Artist: Les Wilson
78rpm disc
Composer: Wilson
Label: HMV LA4

Track: Piano Medley
Artist: John Parkin
Album: HMV 50 Years in New Zealand
Composer: arr. Parkin
Label: HMV50

Track: Black and White Rag
Artist: Nancy Harrie and Lloyd Sly
78rpm disc
Composer: Botsford
Label: Tanza Z170

Track: The Hillary Song
Artist: Jimmy Fitzpatrick
Album: HMV 50 Years in New Zealand
Composer: Laurie Murphy
Label: HMV50

Track: Till the End of the World
Artist: Esme Stephens
Album: Esme Stephens and Friends (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 5)
Composer: not listed
Label: Stebbings

Track: Calla Calla
Artist: Ellen Vann
Album: Pretty and Popular (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 1)
Composer: Adelson, Almeda, Samuels
Label: Stebbing

Track: Mr Tap Toe
Artist: Rina Menzies
Album: Love on the Wireless (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 2)
Composer: Weston-Gilkyson
Label: Stebbing

Track: Noodlin’ Rag
Artist: Mavis Rivers
Album: Love on the Wireless (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 2)
Composer: Allen-Roberts
Label: Stebbing

Track: Dennis the Menace
Artist: the Duplicats
Album: Turn Back the Hands of Time (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 4)
Composer: not listed
Label: Stebbing

Track: Cold Cold Heart
Artist: Johnny Granger
Album: Early Kiwi Country Gold (Archive Series 1945-1956 Vol 3)
Composer: Hank Williams
Label: Stebbing

Track: I’ve been thinking things over
Artist: Rex Franklin and Noelene Anderson
Source: Live recording on 2ZA, 1958
Composer: Rex Franklin
Source: Rex Franklin

Track: Kansas City/Haere Mae
Artist: Garth Young
EP: Rockin' With Garth, Vol 2
Composer: Leiber and Stoller/Sam Freedman
Label: Viking VE 49

Track: Got a Zak in the Back of My Pocket
Artist: Johnny Devlin with the Bricks
45rpm single
Composer: Nat Kipner
Label: Teen TC4406

Track: Such a Night
Artist: Johnny Devlin with the Devils and the Penguins
45rpm single
Composer: Lincoln-Chase
Label: Teen TC4406

Track: Wanna Walk in and Sit Down
Artist: the Everglades
45rpm single
Composer: unlisted
Label: Robbins RRSP42

Track: Cathy’s Clown
Artist: Bill and Boyd
45rpm single
Composer: Phil and Don Everly
Label: Peak OK119

Track: Spaceman Medley
Excerpts from (and publisher): Little Darlin’ (B&H), Hard Day’s Night (Northern), Kamate Kamate (Begg), Henry Eighth (Albert), I Belong to Glasgow (Albert), Bread and Butter (Pork and Puha) (Acuff-Rose), Davy Crockett (Hone Heke) (Chappell), Bye Bye Love (Acuff-Rose), See You Later Alligator (Jewel)
Artist: Gerry Merito
Album: I Must Have Been a Beautiful (Baby) Spaceman
Arranger: Gerry Merito
Label: Imp IMPLP1