About There Goes That Song Again Special
We take an in-depth look each week at a particular aspect of the music of the 1940s, 50s or 60s. Each “Special” may feature a specific artist, event, anniversary, Broadway show, Hollywood musical or other theme. It’s also an opportunity to take a detailed look at the history of a particular aspect of the era and re-discover forgotten artists and songs.
Deails of programs appear below, beginning with the most recent. You can see a list of songs played on some recent programs by noting the date of the program, scrolling to the bottom of this page, and clicking on the date of that program there.
You can email Brian with your comments or requests at [email protected]
You can also hear a selection of programs as podcasts, at mixcloud.com/theregoesthatsongagain
THIS PROGRAM IS BROADCAST ON WEDNESDAYS AT 11AM AND REPEATED ON FRIDAYS AT 3PM, OCCASIONALLY BEGINNING SLIGHTLY EARLIER
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 29th January, 2025 & 3pm Friday, 31st January
This week we have another archival program with Bob Rogers. Bob’s guest is a man who was closely involved behind the scenes in the 1950s and early 1960s with flamboyant entrepreneur Lee Gordon who was the first to bring many American artists of the era to perform here in Australia, whereas previously we heard most of them only on record. The name of Bob’s guest is Alan Heffernan and he has many fascinating stories to tell about bringing those artists to Australia.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 22nd January, 2025 & 3pm Friday, 24th January
On our TGTSA Special this week, we’re featuring a popular and enduring artist who had his first hit as a 19 year old in 1958. He is singer and song-writer Neil Sedaka. In all, he had 13 Top 40 hits in America between 1958 and 1963. Then his career slumped with the arrival of the Beatles and the so called “British Invasion”. But he found new life when he had a further eight hits between 1974 and 1980. He has continued composing and performing to this day,
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 15th January, 2025 & 3pm Friday, 17th January
In our Special this week, we are featuring the music of Oscar Hammerstein the Second, one of the best-known composers of Broadway musicals of the 1940s and 50s, including “Showboat”, “Oklahoma”, “Carouse”, “The King and I”, “South Pacific”, “The sound of Music” and many others. Throughout the program, you’ll also hear a rare archival interview with Mr Hammerstein that Bob Rogers recorded with him in 1956, now almost 70 years ago.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 1st January, 2025 & 3pm Friday, 3rd January
in our Special this week we hear a radio program in which Frank Sinatra Jr introduces some of the songs from his father’s final “Duets” Albums recorded 30 years ago, and we hear some of the artists Frank dueted with talking about him and their participation in the making of those albums.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 25th December, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 28th December
In our first hour, Johnny Knox plays a selection of Perry Como’s Christmas recordings. We then hear a short Christmas radio program from 1948 featuring Frank Sinatra, followed by a range of songs to suit Christmas Day by artists popular in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 18th December, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 20th December
Christmas with Col Joye: Col introduces songs from his 2005 Christmas CD.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 27th November, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 29th November
Recently on TGTSA, we had two Specials called “INTERESTING ALTERNATIVES”. In Part 3 this week called “CONTRASTS”, we continue the theme by contrasting the same artist singing in two very different styles, so highlighting these artists’ versatility. In many cases, it will be the contrast of a ballad with an upbeat song but sometimes more than that!
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 20th November, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 22nd November
Veteran radio personality and talk-back radio host, John Laws, retired at age 89 earlier this month on 8th November, after 71 years on air. He was there when talk-back radio began in 1967. But in the 14 years preceding that, from 1953 to 1967. he’d become one of the most popular music presenters on Sydney radio and other stations. So in our Special on TGTSA this week, we’ll trace that part of John’s career and include songs that were popular in those years.
If you miss the broadcast or repeat of today’s program, you can hear a podcast of it at any time at https://www.mixcloud.com/ThereGoesThatSongAgain/john-laws_music-presenter-in-the-1950s-and-60s/
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 18th September, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 20th September
This week we have another Special in our series featuring Bing Cosby from his radio shows of the 1940 and 50s. This week Bing sings his version of some of the most popular songs of 1949.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 11th September, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 13th September
It’s Spring, the time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to love, and, if he’s lucky, perhaps a young woman’s does too. Frank Sinatra poses the question “What is this thing called love” as we repeat a previous Special which attempts to answer that question. Each song begins with the words “Love is…”.
TGTSA 10am Wednesday 4th September & 2pm Friday 6th September
In Brian’s Special this week, he is featuring an American singer popular in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s, Tommy Sands. Tommy was born on the 27th August, 1937 so celebrated his 87th birthday on Tuesday last week. You may recall he was married to Frank Sinatra’s daughter Nancy, from 1960 to 1965, herself a popular singer in that period. But did you know that Tommy started his career as a country singer? You’ll hear more about that too in Brian’s Special on TGTSA this week.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 28th August, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 30th August
This week our “Special” features a vocal group who were very popular in the 1950s in the United States: The Hilltoppers They were lesser known here, but one of their members, Billy Vaughn, was well known as an orchestra leader. He had many hits in his own distinctive style as well as providing the orchestral backing for Pat Boone, the Fontane Sisters, Gale Storm and other artists at Dot Records. We’ll hear lots of the Hilltoppers’ hits as well as some by Billy Vaughn and his orchestra.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 21st August, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 23rd August
This week we have the second of our Specials we’re calling “Interesting Alternatives”. This week we hear each artist first performing a song in the style we are used to hearing from them, and then another song in a very different style, showing their versatility.
TGTSA 11am Wednesday, 14th August, 2024 & 3pm Friday, 16th August
This week we have another Special in our series featuring Bing Cosby from his radio shows of the 1940 and 50s. This week Bing sings his version of some of the most popular songs of 1948.
11.00am Wednesday 7th August and Repeat 3pm Friday 9th August, 2024
This Saturday, 10th August, 2024 is the 96th anniversary of the birth of one of the most popular male singers of the early 1950s, Eddie Fisher. Sadly, Eddie’s no longer with us having died on 22nd September, 2010. But we still have his many records to enjoy. We have a whole hour of songs from Eddie in our Special in our second hour today, to celebrate his 96th anniversary.
10.45am Wednesday 31st July and Repeat 3pm Friday 2nd August, 2024
You can hear a podcast of this Special at
This week we continue with Part 2 of our Special in our series on “Music presenters on radio in the 1940s, 50s and 60s”. Our featured presenter is JOHN KERR.
10.45am Wednesday 24th July and Repeat 3pm Friday 26th July, 2024
You can hear a podcast of this Special at
In this week’s Special, we have another in our series on “Music presenters on radio in the 1940s, 50s and 60s”. Our featured presenter is JOHN KERR. John’s career in radio has now spanned 67 years and still counting. Since commencing on air in 1957 his career has taken him to several major stations in country NSW and in Canberra, before he settled ultimately at 2UE, Sydney’s then top rating station, where he spent almost 20 years hosting the overnight program “New Day Australia”. In addition, John was also on pirate radio in Scotland in the late 1960s. Along the way, he has spun many records and talked to many artists, as well as rubbing shoulders with many other radio people whose names you’ll be very familiar with.
I talked to John recently about his extensive and fascinating career and we’ll that interview in our “Special” today. The program also includes songs that were popular in the years we talked about and several excerpts from some of John’s many interviews, with artists as well as about other significant events.
10.45am Wednesday 17th July and Repeat 3pm Friday 19th July, 2024
This week’s Special remembers the 60th Anniversary last month of the Beatles Tour of Australia in June, 1964. Radio presenter Bob Rogers toured with the Beatles, and you’ll hear excerpts from Bob’s radio program on the day he returned to air after the tour. As well, Brian talks to Kirk Docker, Director and Producer of the series “I was actually there”, currently on ABC TV and IView, about the episode on the Beatles historic visit to Adelaide when half the population of the city turned out to greet them.
11am Wednesday 10th July and Repeat 3pm Friday 12th July, 2024
We celebrate France’s National Day on 14th July, and trace the career of Robert Clary, who spent his earliest years in France and in a German Concentration Camp during the war, before coming to America in his early 20s in 1949.
11am Wednesdays 29th May to 3rd July and Repeat 3pm Friday 31st May to 5th July, 2024
We pay tribute to Australian singer Frank Ifield and listen again to our 6 part Special about his career, recorded when Frank came into 2RRR’s studios in 2018.
11am Wednesday 22nd May and Repeat 3pm Friday 24th May, 2024
We remember Empire Day with songs by artists from various countries which were part of the British Empire until 1958.
11am Wednesday 15th May and Repeat 3pm Friday 17th May, 2024
We’re calling our Special this week “Interesting Alternatives”, featuring recordings by artists who were known for a particular style but who also recorded one or more songs in a style with which we are less familiar.
11am Wednesdays 1st and 8th May and Repeat 3pm Fridays 3rd and 10th May, 2024
We remember Graham Webb who died in April and listen again to our 2 part series of a previous Special in which Graham talked to Brian about his radio career.
You can hear a podcast of this Special at
11am Wednesday 24th April and Repeat 3pm Friday 26th April, 2024
We celebrate Anzac Day listening to the original versions of songs popular during World War 1 and revivals of these songs in the 1940s and 50s.
11am Wednesday 17th April and Repeat 3pm Friday 19th April, 2024
This week Brian’s Special in the second hour will feature songs from more of Bing Crosby’s radio shows. This time we’ll hear Bing’s renditions of songs that were popular in 1947.
11am Wednesday 10th April and Repeat 3pm Friday 12th April, 2024
This week Brian’s Special in the second hour will feature songs from more of Bing Crosby’s radio shows. This time we’ll hear Bing’s renditions of songs that were popular in 1953 and 1954.
11am Wednesday 3rd April and Repeat 3pm Friday 5th April, 2024
This week we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Sarah Vaughan, on 27th March, 1924.
11am Wednesday 27th March and Repeat 3pm Friday 29th March, 2024
We celebrate the 112th Anniversary of Frankie Laine, born on 30th March, 1913 and hear Frank introducing his songs at an informal concert he gave to members of The Frankie Laine Appreciation Society in his home city, San Diego, on his 85th birthday in 1998.
11am Wednesday 20th March and Repeat 3pm Friday 22nd March, 2024
In Brian’s Special in the second hour, he again has Bing Crosby singing songs on his radio shows, this time songs that were popular in 1951 and 1952.
11am Wednesday 28th February and Repeat 3pm Friday 1st March, 2024
in our Special ithis week we have the soundtrack of the 2005 movie “The Jersey Boys”, about the very popular vocal group of the 1960s, The Four Seasons.
11am Wednesday 7th, 14th and 21st February and Repeat 3pm Friday 9th, 16th and 25th February, 2024
In this 3 part Special over 3 weeks, Phil Handeman reminisces about his 60 year career on Sydney radio.
11am Wednesday 10th January and Repeat 3pm Friday 12th January, 2024
On 10th January it’s the 97th anniversary of the birth of Johnnie Ray. He was born on 10th January, 1927 but died aged only 63 in 1990. Johnnie was a major star in the 1950s whose emotional style was very different to other singers of the day. Anyone listening to popular music then will remember when he burst onto the music scene with his song “Cry” and his many hits that followed. So we’ll remember Johnnie in our Special today. And something with a difference. Quite a number of the songs Johnnie recorded were revivals of songs popular in the 1920s and 30s, given quite a different treatment by Johnnie. So we’re going to hear Johnnie’s version of many of those songs together with an original version of each. We’ll continue this Special next week as well.
11am Wednesday 27th December and Repeat 3pm Friday 29th December, 2023
To high step it into the New Year, we hear music from the original 1953 Broadway production of Cole Porter’s show “Can Can”. The story line is about the showgirls of the Montmartre dance halls during the 1890s.
11am Wednesday 29th November and Repeat 3pm Friday 1st December, 2023
This week on our Special, we celebrate the 86th birthday this Thursday, 30th November, of Australian singer, Frank Ifield. Frank’s recording career began at the age of 15 in 1953. As a country singer, he began recording at EMI’s Homebush studios and his first records were issued on the Regal Zonophone label. But it was ten years later, in 1963, after he went to England, that he had great international success, with three top charting hits in a row that year. Frank talks about his career and you’ll hear many of his best known recordings.
11am Wednesday 22nd November and Repeat 3pm Friday 24th November, 2023
We continue this week to feature another Canadian group who found success in the United States. They were Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.
11am Wednesday 15th November and Repeat 3pm Friday 17th November, 2023
Recently on our Special we’ve been featuring Canadian artists who found success in America. We continue this week and for the next few weeks with more. This week it’s the turn of The Diamonds who were a very popular vocal in the late 1950s. Their biggest hit was “Little Darlin’”. Most of their songs were in the doo-wop vein, but they revealed their versatility when they made an album with an orchestra leader known for his jazz interpretations, Pete Rugulo. We’ll trace The Diamonds’ career and play lots of their recordings in our Special this week.
11am Wednesday 1st February and Repeat 3pm Friday 3rd February, 2023
On our Special this week, we follows last week’s program featuring The Pied Piers with another vocal group popular in the 1940s, The Satisfiers. They first came to prominence as the vocal group backing Perry Como on his radio program “The Chesterfield Supper Club” and on many of his hit recordings in the 1940s. But they went on to become popular in their own right. We’ll talk about their career and play a range of their recordings in our Special.
11am Wednesday 25th January and Repeat 3pm Friday 27th January, 2023
Today in our “Special” we’re featuring one of the vocal groups of the 1940s who got their start singing with the Big Bands. They were the Pied Pipers, who first achieved popularity in the early 1940s singing with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra and with Frank Sinatra. In 1943, they branching out on their own, and had several major hits throughout the rest of the 40s. One of the original members of the group was Jo Stafford, who herself achieved great success as a soloist in the 1940s and 50s.
11am Wednesday 26th October and Repeat 3pm Friday 28th October, 2022
We’re calling our Special this week “Keeping up with the Jones”. Every artist has the surname Jones.
11am Wednesday 19th October and Repeat 3pm Friday 21st October, 2022
This week we pay tribute to Angela Lansbury who died on 11th October as we listen to the orinunal 1966 Broadaway cast production of “Mame” in which she had the starring role.
11am Wednesday 12th October and Repeat 3pm Friday 14th October, 2022
in our Special in the second hour this week we put the spotlight on a group of people essential in the music business, but only a few of whom become very well known: the music producers. Today we feature Hugo and Luigi and Snuff Garrett.
11am Wednesday 5th October and Repeat 3pm Friday 7th October, 2022
This week we’re featuring American singer Al Morgan, popular in the 1940s and 50s. Al’s biggest hit was in 1949 called “Jealous Heart”. Although he had only a few other hits, his career extended must longer, and included some recordings he made in Australia in 1959.
11am Wednesday 28th September and Repeat 3pm Friday 30th September, 2022
In our Special in our second hour today, we’re featuring “Answer Songs”. Do you remember back in the 1950s and 60s, there were a number of songs which generated other songs in reply? Most were songs by country music artists. One original by Hank Loughlin was a hit for him in 1960 called “Please help me I’m falling” and later the same year Skeeter Davis replied with another song “I can’t help you (I’m falling too)”. On the strength of that success, Skeeter recorded five more answer songs, released on an album which included the initial songs by other artists. In our Special today, you’ll hear those songs, both the originals and the answers.
11am Wednesday 21st September and Repeat 3pm Friday 23rd September, 2022
This week, we hear more songs by Bing Crosby from his radio shows in the late 1940s.
11am Wednesday 14th September and Repeat 3pm Friday 16th September, 2022
Last Friday morning, here in Australia we woke to the very sad news that our much-loved Queen, Elizabeth the Second, had died overnight, our time. She came to the thrown in February, 1952 when her father, King George the Sixth, died suddenly. On our TGTSA Special today, we’ll hear some of the songs that were popular in 1952. The Queen herself was no stranger to popular music, having attended many Command Performance concerts in London during her lifetime. After the concerts, the performers would typically stand in line to be introduced to the Queen and she would exchange a few words with each of them. Many of them later recalled it was one of the most memorable occasions in their careers. Frankie Laine recalled the occasion in 1954 when he met the Queen.
11am Wednesday 7th September and Repeat 3pm Friday 9th September, 2022
This week in our Special, we’re entertained with songs by Bing Crosby from several of his radio shows in the 1940s, sung in Bing’s typically relaxed style. Listen out for one in particular which is more like a rehearsal: “Time after time” which Bing sings with Les Paul on guitar. But it got plenty of laughs, so obviously Bing was happy to let it go to air!
11am Wednesday 31st August and Repeat 3pm Friday 2nd September, 2022
This week, Brian’s guest is Gary Pinto. A veteran of the Australian music industry of over 30 years, Gary’s many activities include performing on stage and in the studio with artists such as Guy Sebastian, Jimmy Barnes, Christine Anu and Taylor Dayne, and he has worked on Australia’s biggest music shows, X Factor and The Voice, as Vocal Director and Vocal Coach for the past 10 years. You might think he doesn’t sound like someone who would fit the 1940s, 50s and 60s genre of “There Goes That Song Again”? Well, Gary does, because earlier this year he recorded a tribute album to a very popular artist of the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sam Cooke. What’s more, Gary is presenting a concert featuring Sam’s music at the Opera House this Friday night. In Brian’s Special this week, we hear Gary talk about, and sing, many of Sam Cooke’s hits as well as some of Sam’s Gospel songs, and more. That will start a little earlier this week: soon after 10.45am if you’re listening on Wednesday and 2.45pm if you’re listening on Friday.
11am Wednesday 24th August and Repeat 3pm Friday 26th August, 2022
This week as our “Special” we have Part 2 a three-part Special featuring one of the major stars of the movies in the 1930s, 40s and 50s: Fred Astaire. You’ll hear songs from three of Fred’s later movies for MGM, “The Barclays of Broadway” in 1949, “Three Little Words” in 1950 and “Royal Wedding” (or as it was known here “Wedding bells”) in 1951.
11am Wednesday 17th August and Repeat 3pm Friday 19th August, 2022
Listeners will have heard the sad news that Judith Durham died in Melbourne last Friday week, 5th August, at the age of 79. She of course is best known as the female singer with the vocal group The Seekers, although she had a very considerable solo career as well. In our Special in his second hour this week, we’ll pay tribute to Judith, and replay a previous Special featuring their 1968 concert televised by the BBC.
11am Wednesday 10th August and Repeat 3pm Friday 12th August, 2022
This week in our “Special”, we feature Howard Keel at the movies. Howard was one of the most popular stars of Hollywood musicals in the early 1950s, having leading roles in many of the best known musicals of that era. They included “Annie get your gun”, “Showboat”, “Kiss me Kate”, “Seven Brides for seven brothers” and many more.
11am Wednesday 3rd August and Repeat 3pm Friday 5th August, 2022
As our Special in our second hour today, we have the original Broadway cast production of “Call me Madam”. The original recording RCA Victor recording did not include the star of the show, Ethel Merman, because she was contracted to Decca. Decca released a studio album of Ethel singing her songs, with other Decca artists singing the other songs. But we have a composite presentation today of the original cast plus Ethel.
11am Wednesday, 27th July, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 29th July, 2022
This week as our Special we have the first of two programs featuring one of the major stars of the movies in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Fred Astaire. We’ll hear songs from all his early movies for MGM, including “Dancing Lady” (1933), “Broadway Melody of 1940”, “Yolanda and the thief” (1945) , “Ziegfield Follies” (1946) , “Easter Parade” (1948) and more.
11am Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 22nd July, 2022
Our Special this week is “The Essential Broadway – Part 2”, continuing a program aired in January with more of the best loved songs from Broadway shows. Most of the performances are from original cast productions, others from revival productions.
11am Wednesday, 13th July, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 15th July, 2022
The Weavers were a very popular American vocal group in the very early 1950s, but were then black-listed in the McCarthy era, preventing them from performing on radio and television and their records were withdrawn from sale. In December, 1955, they held a “come-back” concert in Carnegie Hall, beginning a return to their popularity. We’ll hear that concert in our Special today.
11am Wednesday, 6th July, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 8th July, 2022
In our Special in our second hour this week, we’ll hear another of Spike Jones’ radio shows from 1948. We’ll again also hear the original hit versions by other artists of some of the songs.
11am Wednesday, 29th June, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 1st July, 2022
In our Special in our second hour this week, Brian features Spike Jones and plays the first of two radio shows from 1948 starring Spike. We also hear the original hit versions by other artists of some of the songs.
11am Wednesday, 22nd June, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 24th June, 2022
We have a 2-hour Special today, beginning at 10am Wednesday and 2pm Friday. Brian Crabbe was an avid listener to radio while growing up Sydney in the late 1940s, the 1950s and the 1960s. With the recent closure of iconic Sydney commercial station 2CH after 90 years on air, this week Brian remembers some of the presenters on 2CH who played the music of that period, either at the time or reminiscing in more recent years. Included are Bob Pollard, Walter Elliott, Brian Henderson, Max Rowley, Dal Myles, Howard Craven, Phil Haldeman, Sam Kronje, John Mahon, and in more recent years Ward Austin, Chris Kearns and Bob Rogers. It’s a two-hour Special with lots of audio excerpts and music of the period.
11am Wednesday, 15th June, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 17th June, 2022
In our “Special” this week, you’ll hear a concert by English film star and singer Julie Andrews and American comedian Carol Burnett It was held at New York’s Carnegie Hall and broadcast on American television on 11th June, 1962, exactly 60 years ago last Saturday. Julie and Carol were quite different personalities, but as you’ll hear in this concert. they gell together very well.
11am Wednesday, 8th June, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 10th June, 2022
This week we feature Band Leaders who also sang.
11am Wednesday, 1st June, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 3rd June, 2022
In the movie “Tea for Two” based on the stage show “Non, No Nanette”, Doris Day won a bet with her uncle by always answering “No”. Well, there are plenty of songs that have the word “No” in the title. We’ll hear lots of those in this week’s Special.
11am Wednesday, 25th May, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 27th May, 2022
Yet another anniversary of a birth and yet another great interview by Bob Rogers. That’s in store for us today on our TGTSA Special as we celebrate the 101st anniversary of the birth this Wednesday 25th May of popular American singer of the 1940s and 50s, Kitty Kallen. Kitty first came to fame in the early 1940s as a singer with several of the best-known Big Bands, including Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James. But it was not until ten years later she had her biggest hit “Little things mean a lot”.
11am Wednesday, 18th May, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 20th May, 2022
This week we have a 75 minute Special in tribute to Perry Como for the 110th Anniversary of his birth on 18th May, 1912. His manager, orchestra leader, and his daughter fondly reminisce about him in this program produced and presented by American radio presenter and Perry’s friend, Johnny Knox, not previously broadcast on 2RRR.
11am Wednesday, 11th May, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 13th May, 2022
Saturday, 7th May this year was the 91st anniversary of another American singer very popular in the 1950s, Teresa Brewer. So we’re paying tribute to her in our Special today. In 1999, just before Teresa’s 68th birthday, Bob Rogers interviewed her, and with thanks to Bob, we’ll hear that interview and lots of Teresa’s songs.
11am Wednesday, 4th May, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 6th May, 2022
Ahead of Mothers’ Day this Sunday, we’ll celebrate with a whole hour of songs about mothers.
11am Wednesday, 20th April, 2022 & 3pm Friday, 22nd April, 2022
This week on our ‘There Goes That Song Again’ Special, we celebrate the 103rd Anniversary of the birth of Don Cornell this Thursday, 21st April. You’ll hear lots of Don’s hits, along with an interview with Don and Sydney radio personality Bob Rogers, recorded in the late 1990s.
SEE SONGS IN LATEST PROGRAMS BY CLICKING ON EACH DATE BELOW
