Back in the mid 1980s I was producing pieces at New Hampshire Public Television and looking of production music that we didn’t have to pay royalties for. Someone told about this guy in Hollis who loved old 78-rpm records and transferred them to cassette tapes. His name was Bill Hebden and, like my old friend Lou Dumont, Bill was an expert on undiscovered songs from the early days of recording. He sent me some of his discoveries; artists like Loretta Lee and Teddy Grace and Al Bowlly and Art Firman. Wonderful stuff! Bill also found songs with a New Hampshire theme. These included, There’s an Old-Fashion Home in New Hampshire With a Light in the Window For Me by the Joe Green Orchestra with Smith Ballew singing. Bill got this recording from another collector he knew in California, a guy named John Gray. Smith Ballew, by the way, was one of the first Singing Cowboys in the movies. He was a big deal in the nineteen thirties. He was a Texan. I have no idea why he sang a song about New Hampshire. Anyhow, Bill Hebden is now transferring to CDs, not tapes. He also has a collection of rare old New Hampshire songs that you can purchase. There are six songs on the compilation: First song is An Old Fashion Home in NH. Then there are two versions of a song called, My Old NH Home, one by the Peerless Quartet and one by a guy named John Ryan. Then a song entitled, New Hampshire Highway by Willard Robison. And one instrumental, New Hampshire. Finally, the oldest tune is Ain’t You Coming Back To Old NH, Molly by a male quartet on the Star Record label recorded in May of 1907. Intrigued? If you’d like to learn more, Bill’s email and stuff is above. http://www.nhmovies.com/player.php?mv=hi_def_100k&siz=lowhd

You can download the album or the individual song through the links on this page.

        ** Lyrics from the “Fritz Wetherbee Song”.

http://www.westsideav.com/westsidestudios/VideoSamples1.html

WESTSIDE AV

A video/website production company in North Conway that I have done work for over the years. Good and talented people, worth a visit to their site.

LINKS WMUR-TV http:www.wmur.com NH Hisorical Society http:www.nhhistory.org NH Public TV http:www.nhptv.org Old Fashion Home in NH http:www.vintage-swingtime.com Fritz Wetherbee Song http:www.cdbaby.com ... or the iTunes Store 234 Club chet@csbowles.com Westside AV http:www.westsideav.comhttp:www.vintage-swingtime.comhttp:www.cdbaby.commailto:chet@csbowles.comhttp:www.westsideav.comshapeimage_6_link_0shapeimage_6_link_1shapeimage_6_link_2shapeimage_6_link_3

     I get in the Station newscar and everyone is smiling. Well, they are always smiling but on this Friday their smiling has a smugness to it.

       Something’s up.

      We start off to go to a location in Concord when over the car radio I hear this song.

   “Fritz We-thur-bee-ee-ee-ee. I see you on my TV.

    Fritz We-thur-bee-ee-ee-ee, I see you on my TV.”

    Pretty good song. Catchy tune. Nice vocal.

And the subject of the song couldn’t be better.

    A classic.

    “Where did this come from?”

    “Someone sent it in. It’s available on iTunes.”

    “On iTunes?”

    Wow. I never thought I could type my own name into iTunes and come up with anything.

    “Who wrote and recorded it?”

    A group called “Papa Razzi and the Photogs”. the album is , “Get Political”.

 

      Gary Anderson and his wife Elizabeth Longfellow are the proprietors of this operation. They are close and dear friends and as talented in their fields as any I know.

    Gary is a filmmaker with forty years experience in the business. Liz is a fine writer.

                       Click on the logo for an example of their work.

    Really good people.   I do the voice for their stuff.

Click on logo