May 15: Happy Birthday, Eddy Arnold

Quick! Name a big country singer from the 40's 50's and 60's! A lot of people would answer Johnny Cash, Hank Snow--even Hank William's Jr.'s music was huge after his death. But Eddy Arnold topped them all in terms of number one hits. You may remember some of his smashes, "Bouquet of Roses," "Anytime," "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)," "Please Help Me I'm Falling," and "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain."

He was thought of as an urban cowboy, a crooner more than a hillbilly, and he made big contributions to the world of radio.

Before his 1946 string of number one hits, Arnold hosted Checkerboard Fun Fest, a hootenanny of a radio variety show featuring Rod Brasfield, Curle Fox, and The Cackle Sisters.

On the other end of his halcyon days as a C&W star, in the 1960's, he hosted a series of public service announcements for Social Security, on which he strummed songs such as "Who's Sorry Now," and "Cold Cold Heart." A hearty happy birthday to Eddy Arnold!

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1946 Great Crepitation Fart Contest

Not for the faint of heart, here is the remarkable 1946 Crepitation (Fart) Contest (part of the 1946 News Broadcasts Collection ). You'll enjoy the fart-off between champion Englishman Lord Windsmear, and challenger, Australian Paul Boomer who had stowed aboard a cabbage freighter. The hilarious comedy recording was apparently created a spoof by two Canadian radio sportscasters in 1946, but this 15 minute recording definitely has some gems in it. Apparently they made several copies, but it was not for distribution. The recording was copied again and again on disc and reel to reel tape. It was distributed underground and played in dark rooms and back alleys around the world. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element This recording is available with many other delightful treats on Random Rarities #7 available on MP3 CD , Audio CD , and instant download .

January 27, 1948: Wire Recording introduced the 'Wireway'

January 27, 1948: The first magnetic tape recorder was introduced by Wire Recording Corporation of America. ‘Wire Way,’ as it was called, had an integrated oscillator and was sold for $149.50 at the time.

December 25, 1942: 'Victory Parade's Christmas Party of Spotlight Bands' Hit The Airwaves

December 25, 1942: All day long, Coca-Cola sponsored Victory Parade's Christmas Party of Spotlight Band s, transmitted on NBC Blue Network. The long-winded broadcast was picked up by more than 142 radio networks. In an attempt to make itself a network to reckon with, the NBC Blue Network collaborated with Coca-Cola Company to broadcast Victory Parade's Christmas Party of Spotlight Bands . The show was an unusual one in that it was broadcast throughout the entire day, making it the longest broadcast of a commercially-sponsored program on the radio. The marathon broadcast was aired over more than 142 radio networks.

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