The Crosby-Clooney Show, Pt. 6

Reprinted in the January, 2009, Old Radio Times.
(http://www.otrr.org/pg07_times.htm)

The Crosby-Clooney Show
Excerpts from Bing Crosby –– The Radio Directories (out of print)
compiled by Lionel Pairpoint
reprinted by permission

A typical program of the series began when the station break announcer said:"And now, the Crosby-Clooney Show! Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, with Buddy Cole and his music!"
BING: Hello, everybody! Hi, Rosie.
ROSIE: Hi, Bing.
BING: You care to commence the proceedings with a bit of song. Rosemary?(Opening song was always alternated with Rosie.)
ROSIE: I’ll just do that little thing.
KEN C: And what's the selection, Rosie?
ROSIE: (Song title and comment as Buddy Cole opens with organ or piano intro)

Following the first song was the first commercial, usually handled by Ken, but often with Bing or Rosie doing the concerning current events but as wide-ranging as cooking and restaurants or temperamental opera singers. This was followed by a second song, in this case Bing's solo. Then either a duet or an instrumental number by Buddy Cole and combo, followed by a commercial. The program concluded with solos by Bing and Rosie, the ending commercial, and into the closing theme song, "Side By Side," later changed to "Don’t Worry about Tomorrow." The ending often went like this:

BING: Time for us to move on out, Rosie.
ROSIE: Yes, gotta go now, but we'll be back at this same time tomorrow.
BING: That we will, hope you’ll be listening! Until then...
THEME: "Side By Side" comes up behind Carpenter.
KEN C: Tune in tomorrow at this time for another session with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. This program was produced in Hollywood by Bill Morrow and Murdo McKenzie. Ken Carpenter speaking.
THEME: Up and hold for timing.
BREAK ANNCR: The Columbia Broadcasting System.

What songs were used by Bing, Rosie and Co. on their programs? Some old, some new, middle-of-the-road tempo, and the kind you'd expect to attract the house-wife audience. Bing, of course, favored the old standards. Rosie’s were more current (but no rock or Presley lyrics) and Buddy Cole could get a little wild on his solos. A good example would be program 184, aired Thursday Nov 10, 1960. Here was the line-up:I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - RosieGypsy in My Soul - BingTuxedo Junction - Buddy Cole and ComboWe Just Couldn’t Say Goodbye - Bing and Rosie duet I Wish I Were in Love Again - RosieGoodnight, Sweet Dreams, Mary Lou - Bing

Bing and Rosie met often at the studio, recording all the intros and dialogue as well as the duets. Some of Bing’s solos were borrowed from his nightly 15-minute show of 1954-56, The Bing Crosby Show (what else?). Other tapes came from the series The Ford Road Show, which came along in1957. Rosie”s songs were sometimes borrowed from her own daytime program, The Rosemary Clooney Show, which also used Buddy Cole and his boys.

And of course, Bing repeated. Oh, how he repeated! His solos and duets on these programs were repeated an average of only three times each, true, but this means that some were played ten times and others once. Rosie followed suit, but to a lesser degree. Even Buddy Cole repeated himself; his “Chloe” is found on a half-dozen of the shows.