Throughout the month of February, I've been working hard on cleaning up the audio of a show called "Eight-to-the-Bar Ranch" that featured some great music by The Andrews Sisters. Since I've spent so much time with the content, I figured I'd write a quick post about the show.
By the end of 1944, The Andrews Sisters had been touring and recording at an amazing pace. They were also amongst the biggest acts in America at the time and an opportunity to host their own radio show presented itself. They jumped at the idea.
On December 31, 1944, "The Andrews Sisters Show", subtitled "Eight-to-the-Bar Ranch", made it's premiere on the Blue Network. It was sponsored by Nash-Kelvinator, the makers of Nash Automobiles and Kelvinator Kitchen Appliances. Vic Schoen and His Orchestra provided the music.
Personally, I'm torn in half with my opinions about the show. The scripts, storylines and acting were horrible. The jokes were drawn out and predictable.
The premise of the show was that the Sisters inherited the fictitious Eight-to-the-Bar Ranch from their Uncle Ed Andrews. But, there was one condition: The Andrews Sisters had to operate it themselves. (Insert laughter here!) 😜
The overall theme for the show just baffles me. The Andrews Sisters had only two or three hits that were considered "Country" ("Don't Fence Me In" and "Pistol Packin' Mama" come to mind). So the whole Western theme was quite puzzling. After the first couple episodes I found myself skipping through the broadcasts just to locate the music.
But, when I did find that music was well worth it. There are so many Andrews Sisters gems buried in that audio. Songs that they never recorded in the studio. Great versions of tracks like "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "The Trolley Song" and "Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night" to name just a few. I was able to pull out about 20 songs and they clean up quite good.
So keep tuned to Swing City Radio to hear some fantastic music by The Andrews Sisters from their short lived show.
