JUST OUT OF THE BOX

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 19, 3 November 1939, Page 52

JUST OUT OF THE BOX

CONVERSATION PIECE: Mrs. A: " Heard a new record on the radio the other evening." Mrs. B: "Did you? I wonder if it was the one I heard on Tuesday — by, let's see now. — I think it was Bing Crosby." Mrs. A: "No, the one I heard was played on Monday ... a new dance band record." Mrs. B: "Oh, there must have been two new records then, played this week." Not only two new ones, Mrs, B! It would be interesting to know just how many listeners are aware that scarcely a day goes by without one or more newly-released records being broadcast for the first time. Of all the new releases, 80 per cent. are dance numbers, and of all the new releases in England and America, the Commercial Broadcasting Service receives one. Not so very long ago New Zealand was almost inaccessible, and new fashions took years to filter through to this far-flung corner, but nowadays it’s a very different story, and we are tapping our toes to the latest song hit almost before the newsboys in London and New York have started whistling it. In order to give a greater number of listeners the opportunity of keeping in touch with the latest in recorded entertainment, the Stations, in addition to featuring individual numbers at the earliest possible moment after their re-

lease, are including the pick of the week’s new recordings in special sessions. For this session in Christchurch, Station 3ZB has hit on the appropriate title " Just Out of the Box." Jack Bremner, who will conduct this review of the week’s releases every Saturday night at half-past eight, is well qualified to handle the session. For many years Jack has been an ardent record "fan" and quite an authority on the bands and artists recording regularly for all the studios. To Jack a record is more than a piece of wax, and he never loses sight of the fact that the voice and the music we are inclined to take so much for granted belongs to a very real person or orchestra. 7 1ZB too, has regular times for broadcasting first releases of the latest shipments of overseas hits. The times are: Saturdays at 7.45 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 p.m. Swing fans can hear the latest records by Ellington and other swing leaders on Saturdays; while lovers of the old masters like Schubert, Grieg, and the three B’s (Beethoven, Bach and Brahms), should have their dials set to 1ZB on Sundays at 9.30 p.m. 2ZB has picked 2 p.m. on Sundays as the perfect time for the launching of debutante tunes. Dunedin, besides having its " Hits and Encores " session at 10 a.m. Fridays, and Embassy Dance Hits at 1.15 p.m. on Saturdays, reserves 9 p.m. on Fridays for its special new release session, "New Recordings."