Doris Day Music CDs @ Amazon.com
The Radio Years (1939-1953)
Doris Day continued to showcase her vocal talents through other entertainment media even before she left Les Brown and His Band of Renown in September 1946. Her popularity propelled her into radio programs, such as The Jack Kirkwood Show (CBS), The Sweeney & March Radio Show (CBS), Rudy Vallee Show (NBC); Your Hit Parade (NBC), The Bob Hope Show (NBC), kraft Music Hall (NBC), The Railroad Hour (ABC), and The Doris Day Show (CBS). Miss Day also appeared on other radio shows such as the March of Dimes, Buddy Clark Melody Hour, and those transcribed by the Armed Forces Radio Service. She also recorded song tracks for the transcription services provided by Standard Program Library, Capital Transcriptions, and World Program Service.
Although it was radio that first brought Doris Day to our attention, singing was not Miss Day’s initial interest. She was a good dancer, teamed with her dancing partner, Jerry Doherty, and won a grand prize in a city-wide amateur contest. With the prize money, the dancing team and their mothers went to Hollywood. About a month later they returned to Cincinnati. The plan was to say their goodbyes and return to Hollywood. But on the eventful evening of Friday, 13 October 1937, Miss Day and her friends were involved in a terrible auto accident involving a locomotive.
A shattered leg mended slowly. Miss Day on radio interviews has recalled that her recuperation took 14 months. While recuperating, Miss Day became interested in singing, which she indicated took about 8 months of voice coaching. During this time Mrs. Grace Raine became her vocal coach and imparted the knowledge and technique which would later mold Miss Day’s singing style. Her singing talents were initially showcased at WCPO in Cincinnati where she sang on a weekend amateur show.
Through the assistance of Mrs. Raine, Miss Day then sang, regularly but without pay, on a WLW radio program called “Carlin’s Carnival.” Her newly developed singing style and her formative radio experience lead Miss Day to audition in 1939 for Barney Rapp. Barney Rapp owned a supper club, The Sign of the Drum, and conducted Barney Rapp and his New Englanders. It was Rapp who suggested Doris Kappelhoff change her name to Doris Day, because of her rendition of “Day After Day,” which she sang regularly on Carlin’s Carnival.
Through Miss Day’s association with Barney Rapp came the opportunity for national exposure. On 17 June 1939 a radio program originated from the supper club. The show was co-produced by NBC and was broadcast through WLW Radio in Cincinnati. This was the first coast to coast broadcast of Barney Rapp and His New Englanders, and of course Miss Doris Day. The broadcast featured two Doris Day tracks. These are perhaps her first recordings. After singing with Barney Rapp, Miss Day sang with Bob Crosby and his Bobcats in 1940 during a 3-month period. Afterward she sang with Les Brown and his band. Miss Day was with Les Brown during two distinct periods, August 1940 through mid-1941, and 1943 through fall, 1946.
Between these two periods Miss Day returned to Cincinnati, where she auditioned in 1942 and joined WLW radio as a staff vocalist. She sang on The Lion’s Roar, WLW on Parade, and the Moon River programs. It was during this time that Les Brown heard her on radio and persuaded her in 1943 to return to his orchestra.
This portion of The Definitive Doris Day Discography covers Miss Day’s initial radio recordings, and eventually leads to the final radio recordings appropriately incorporated on The Doris Day Show. By design, this portion of the discography follows The Les Brown Years mainly because her singing with Les Brown comprises the bulk of her early recordings. (Note: The Bob Hope Show is abbreviated to BH Show.)
One Night Stand with Barney Rapp – Sign of the Drum night-club, Cincinnati, Ohio – Little Sir Echo, I’m Happy About The Whole Thing – 17 June 1939 (Joyce LP 1058)
WLW Radio audition, Cincinnati – 1942: Ain’t Misbehavin’;
The Joint Is Really Jumpin’ Down At Carnegie Hall
BH Show – Notre Dame Skit
29 May 1945 (contents unknown)
The Jack Kirkwood Show – (contents unknown) – 8 July 1946
The Jack Kirkwood Show – Who Do You Love – 5 August 1946
The Jack Kirkwood Show (contents unknown) – 20 August 1946
The Jack Kirkwood Show (contents unknown) – 1 September 1946
The Jack Kirkwood Show – My Sugar is So Refined – 29 September 1946
The Sweeney & March Show – My Sugar Is So Refined, I Know A Little Bit About A Lot Of Things – 12 October 1946
The Rudy Vallee Show – More Than You Know; Coffee, Cigarettes & Memories – 17 December 1946
BH Show – Sawtelle Veterans’ Hospital – The Christmas Song – 24 December 1946 (Gen. Omar Bradley, guest/Desi Arnaz, orchestra leader)
The Rudy Vallee Show – Life Can Be Beautiful, Easy Street – 7 January 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – Tea for Two (w/ Sinatra) – 1 September 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – I Wish I Didn’t Love You So;
An Apple Blossom Wedding; That’s My Desire; Take Me Out To The Ball Game (w/Sinatra) – 27 September 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – There’s No Business Like Show Business (w/ Sinatra), Feudin’ & Fightin’, That’s My Desire – 4 October 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – You Do, Feudin’ and Fighin’ – 11 October 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – You Do, Feudin’ and Fightin’ – 18 October 1947
Armed Forces Radio Service #300, Command Performance:
There’ll Be Some Changes Made – 21 October 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York -The Lady From 29 Palms, Near You, I Wish I Didn’t Love You So – 25 October 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – Feudin’ and Fightin’ – 1 November 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – The Lady From 29 Palms – 8 November 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – Feudin’ and Fightin’, Near You – 15 November 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – Near You, You Do, Feudin’ and Fightin’ – 22 November 1947
Armed Forces Radio Service #274, Mail Call: Tea For Two (w/Sinatra) – 26 November 1947
Your Hit Parade, New York – You Do – 29 November 1947
Note: Sometime in 1948 Doris Day sang It’s Too Soon To Know during a radio program, perhaps a Bob Hope Show. She also sang Love Somebody (date unknown).
BH Show – (contents unknown) – 20 January 1948
Guest Star Radio w/ Win Elliot #44 U.S. Treasury Department – That’s My Desire, The Lady From 29 Palms – 25 January 1948
BH Show – My Dream Is Yours – 19 April 1948
The Leo Forbstein Memorial Program – (contents unknown) –
25 April 1948
The Buddy Clark Melody Hour – Love Somebody (w/ Clark), It’s Magic – 26 July 1948
BH Shows (contents unknown): 14 September 1948, 28 September 1948, 5 October 1948
BH Show – Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – 12 October 1948
BH Show – Sentimental Journey; Went Down to Virginia (w/ Bob Hope) – 19 October 1948
BH Show – Hair Of Gold – 26 October 1948
BH Show – Every Day I Love You A Little Bit More – 9 November 1948
BH Shows (contents unknown): – 16 November 1948 and 23 November 1948
BH Show from University of Southern California – It’s Magic – 30 November 1948
The Railroad Hour – Could You Use Me?; Embraceable You w/ Gordon MacRae); But Not For Me – 6 December 1948
BH Show – My Darling, My Darling – 7 December 1948
BH Show (contents unknown) – 14 December 1948
BH Show – That Certain Party (w/ Hope) – 21 December 1948
Kraft Music Hall from Palm Springs – It’s Magic; Melancholy Baby and My Blue Heaven (both w/ Al Jolson) – 30 December 1948
BH Shows – 33-city road tour (contents unknown): 4 January 1949, 11 January 1949, 18 January 1949, 25 January 1949
March of Dimes special from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – ‘S Wonderful – 28 January 1949
BH Show (contents unknown) – 1 February 1949
BH Show – Someone Like You – 8 February 1949
BH Shows (contents unknown): 15 February 1949, 22 February 1949, 1 March 1949, 8 March 1949, 15 March 1949,
22 March 1949
The 21st Annual Academy Awards – It’s Magic (live) –
24 March 1949
BH Show from Pomona High School – I’m Beginning to Miss You; Cruisin’ Down the River (w/ Hope) – 29 March 1949
BH Show (contents unknown) – 5 April 1949
BH Show – Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – 12 April 1949
BH Show – My Dream Is Yours; Mad About That Man (w/Durante & Hope) – 19 April 1949
BH Show, Richmond, Virginia – Someone Like You – 26 April 1949
Kraft Music Hall – Put Your Arms Around Me (w/Al Jolson); My Dream is Yours – 28 April 1949
BH Show – Time You Were Here (w/Les Brown) – 3 May 1949
BH Shows (contents unknown): -10 May 1949, 17 May 1949,
24 May 1949
BH Show – I’m Having A Wonderful Wish – 31 May 1949
The Buddy Clark Melody Hour – Again – 6 June 1949
BH Show (contents unknown): 7 June 1949, 14 June 1949
The Buddy Clark Melody Hour (contents unknown) –
27 July 1949
BH Show – (contents unknown): 20 September 1949
BH Show – That’s My Desire (w/Les Brown) – 27 September 1949
BH Show (contents unknown) – 4 October 1949
BH Show rehearsal – Take Me Out to the Ball Game (w/ Hope) – 6 October 1949
BH Show – You Go to My Head – 7 October 1949
BH Show (several Doris Day songs) – 11 October 1949
BH Shows (contents unknown): 18 October 1949, 25 October 1949, 1 November 1949, 8 November 1949, 15 November 1949
The Railroad Hour – Tea for Two, I Want to Be Happy (w/ Gordon MacRae); Call of the Sea (w/ chorus); No No, Nanette – 21 November 1949
BH Shows (contents unknown): 22 November 1949,
29 November 1949
BH Show – Lucky Us (w/ Bob Hope & Les Brown) – 6 December 1949
BH Show (contents unknown) – 13 December 1949
BH Show – Here Comes Santa Claus (w/Les Brown) – 20 December 1949
BH Shows (contents unknown): 27 December 1949,
3 January 1950, 10 January 1950
March Of Dimes Is On The Air (Columbia Transcription) – You Go to My Head, ‘S Wonderful, Sentimental Journey – 16 January 1950
BH Show – A Blue Bird On Your Windowsill; Where Are You?
17 January 1950
BH Shows (contents unknown): 24 January 1950 and
31 January 1950
BH Show, Vine St. Playhouse, Hollywood – I Wanna Go Home With You – 7 February 1950
BH Shows (contents unknown): 21 February 1950, 28 February 1950, 7 March 1950, 14 March 1950
BH Show – Do You Remember (w/Bob Hope) – 21 March 1950
BH Show w/ Bing Crosby – It’s Too Soon to Know – 28 March 1950
BH Shows (contents unknown): 4 April 1950, 11 April 1950,
18 April 1950, 25 April 1950, 2 May 1950, 9 May 1950,
16 May 1950, 23 May 1950, 30 May 1950
BH Show from Washington, D.C. – Home Cookin’ (w/ Hope) – 6 June 1950
BH Show – Blind Date – 13 June 1950
Guest Star #44 Treasury Department – That’s My Desire, Lady From 29 Palms – 24 January 1948
Guest Star #196 Treasury Department – David’s Psalm, The Everlasting Arms, Lord’s Prayer – 24 December 1950
Guest Star #238 Treasury Department (contents unknown) –
14 October 1951
Sung on the Doris Day (DD) Show at some point between 28 March 1952 and 15 May 1953: I’m Gonna Mend My Fences (guest Howard Keel); Ma Says, Pa Says (guest Broderick Crawford); What Is Love? (guest Broderick Crawford); Merry Christmas All; The One I Love
DD Show (guests Danny Thomas and Grace Kahn): Who, Who, Who – 28 March 1952 debut (Introductory song It’s Magic; closing song Love to Be with You)
DD Show (guest Jack Smith): A Guy is a Guy, On Moonlight Bay; Please Mr. Sun; w/ Smith: I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, Love Ya, Love Ya – 4 April 1952
Stars for Defense #8 – Oops – 4 April 1952
DD Show (guests Ray Bolger, Frank Loesser, Marais & Miranda): Just One Of Those Things; Around The Corner; My Darling, My Darling; If I Were A Bell – 11 April 1952
DD Show (guests Ray Bolger, Mary Wickes) – Shanghai; I Got A Feeling You’re Fooling; Tell Me; I’m in the Mood For Love; With A Song In My Heart – 18 April 1952
DD Show (guests Gordon MacRae, Marais & Miranda) – Oops; A Guy Is A Guy; Ma Says, Pa Says; Tea For Two – 25 April 1952
DD Show (guests Donald O’Connor, Liberace) – Nobody’s Sweetheart; Canadian Capers; Please Mr. Sun; Merrily Song; Singin’ In the Rain – 2 May 1952
DD Show (guests Gordon MacRae, Mary Wickes) – It’s A Lovely Day Today; Just You, Just Me; Bewitched; I Could Write a Book; Cuddle Up A Little Closer; Till We Meet Again – 9 May 1952
DD Show (guests Guy Mitchell, Harry James) – I May Be Wrong;
‘S Wonderful; With A Song In My Heart; Gently Johnny; A Little Kiss Goodnight – 16 May 1952
DD Show (guest Ray Noble, Dennis Day) – On Moonlight Bay; Save A Little Sunbeam; The Very Thought Of You; A Guy Is a Guy – 23 May 1952
DD Show (guests Bob Crosby, Ronald Reagan) – Who, Who, Who; Lullaby Of Broadway; Be Anything; Ol’ Saint Nicholas; Take Me Out To The Ball Game (w/ Reagan & Crosby) – 1 June 1952
DD Show – Just One of Those Things, When I Fall in Love, I May Be Wrong, Red Hot Henry Brown, Sentimental Journey, With a Song in My Heart – 25 November 1952
DD Show – Ol’ Saint Nicholas, Silver Bells, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing – 16 December 1952
DD Show – Here Comes Santa Claus, Second Star to the Right, Silent Night, Christmas Story, Silver Bells, The Everlasting Arms – 23 December 1952
DD Show – What is Love; Ma Says, Pa Says (w/ Broderick Crawford – 13 January 1953
DD Show – Mend My Fences (w/ Howard Keel) – 27 January 1953
Note: The Doris Day Show continued every week until 19 May 1953. More details will be provided at a later date.
American Heart Association special program “Close to Your Heart” – Whatever Will Be, Will Be (piano accompaniment only) – February 1956 (Gotham Recording Corp/GRC-3931B)
Doris Day Music CDs @ Amazon.com
Page Chapter Links:
1. The Les Brown Years (1940-1946)
2. The Les Brown Years – Non-Commercial Recordings (1940-1946)
3. The Radio Years (1939-1953)
4. The Columbia Records Solo Years (1947-1967)
5. Other Commercial Albums
6. Non-Commercial Transcriptions and Recording Sessions
7. The Soundtrack Songs From Doris Day Films (1948-1968)
8. The Television Years (1968-1986)
9. The Bear Family Records of Germany Boxed Sets (1992-1997)