Mystery NBC Song

[V.C. Brunswick]

I came upon this rather interesting recording. I have no idea about its origin or who it's by even though it sounds a bit like Richard Himber and his Orchestra.

On the NBC each night
You'll hear three tones ring out
They have a special meaning
So here's what it's all about
I love you
Three little tones
That just had their say
I love you
Funny, but honey
That's what they say
Chimes have rung
Program's done
My love song has just begun
Turn the dials of your heart
Tune into my station
Though we may be miles apart
Your radio tells you I know
Listen dear
Have you heard?
I love you

 

[Dixon Cannon]

G-E-C; General Electric Corporation

-dixon cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Done by the cast of Saturday Night Live, Season 4, Episode 1, c.1978

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/78/78ailoveyou.phtml

"I Love You (Three Little Tones)" - I don't think anybody knows what this is actually called; nothing even resembling a possible title turns up in ASCAP's ACE database. It's very clearly a paean to the three-note NBC Chimes, but other than a general presumption that it dates from the early 1930s (early enough to be using C A F for the "three little tones"), nothing else is known. Not the singer, not the orchestra, not the circumstances. This could be from a broadcast, but I'm more inclined to believe it was some sort of demo or test recording done in New York, either at NBC or at Victor. That this song was known about in the 1970s is evident by the fact that it opened the first episode of Season Four of "Saturday Night Live" on October 7, 1978. Garrett Morris sang the vocal, with backing by Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and Gilda Radner. Musical director Howard Shore (yes, that Howard Shore) conducted the orchestra and most likely arranged the piece for SNL. http://www.nbcchimes.info/nbcsounds.php[/SIZE]

-dixon cannon

 

[The Wolf]

Could it be Nelson Eddy?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[dhermann1]

Nelson Eddy was a baritone. This guy's a tenor.

 

[dhermann1]

I just posted it on Rich Conaty's Facebook page. If he doesn't know, then nobody does. But I'll bet he will.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra -- Announcer Blues
A swinging number incorporating the NBC chimes.

[video=youtube;fgrQSRvOczU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgrQSRvOczU[/video]

 

[hubbit]

I just posted it on Rich Conaty's Facebook page. If he doesn't know, then nobody does. But I'll bet he will.

If he does, he's the only one in the world. I can guarantee that.

When I was researching the song for my website nbcchimes.info (from which Dixon Cannon quoted above), I reached an acquaintance at NBC who told me that the files for the episode that opened Saturday Night Live's fourth season in 1978 mark the song as "unable to clear", because even in 1978 no information about the song could be found. It's as though for legal purposes this song doesn't exist. (Just as an aside, 1978 was well before NBC radio and television were split up and the NBC radio historic files donated to the Library of Congress.)

 

[Fletch]

The band does sound somewhat like Dick Himber's, but lots of radio bands tried to ape Himber.

Some Tuber suggested Joey Nash or Stuart Allen is singing. As a singer myself, who's studied both at length, I feel sure that neither is the man here.

 

[Fletch]

Kenny Baker?

My old buddy RatPfink66 just posted to the Tube as follows:

I'm going to vote for Kenny Baker. Very clean, even tone, well controlled vibrato, not much of an accent - and - he worked for Jack Benny and Jell-O on NBC.

I trust the Pfink's ears as I trust my own, and I think we just may have our man. Listen to Kenny:
[video=youtube;l4g7xXUGAKc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4g7xXUGAKc[/video]

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Done by the cast of Saturday Night Live, Season 4, Episode 1, c.1978

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/78/78ailoveyou.phtml

"I Love You (Three Little Tones)" - I don't think anybody knows what this is actually called; nothing even resembling a possible title turns up in ASCAP's ACE database. It's very clearly a paean to the three-note NBC Chimes, but other than a general presumption that it dates from the early 1930s (early enough to be using C A F for the "three little tones"), nothing else is known. Not the singer, not the orchestra, not the circumstances. This could be from a broadcast, but I'm more inclined to believe it was some sort of demo or test recording done in New York, either at NBC or at Victor. That this song was known about in the 1970s is evident by the fact that it opened the first episode of Season Four of "Saturday Night Live" on October 7, 1978. Garrett Morris sang the vocal, with backing by Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and Gilda Radner. Musical director Howard Shore (yes, that Howard Shore) conducted the orchestra and most likely arranged the piece for SNL. http://www.nbcchimes.info/nbcsounds.php[/SIZE]

-dixon cannon

It seems that the original recording was taken down. However, here's the audio of the SNL version.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]