Trask's Time Tunnel - 1955 - Kevin Trask with Simon Owens and Andrew McLaren - 08 Jun, 2025

It's time to go back and remember the peel events.

As using to the soundtrack of Our Lives, we transs time time. Ah, Yes, indeed it's that time where that's sort of.

Snitchy.

Old keV comes to the microphone revenge time.

Yes, yes, going an old thespian.

Wandered so much from life and didn't get it and pays out on people, And now time for him to go back to what ears at this time?

keV, Well, it's the old nineteen fifty five. Oh glory, how were you in nineteen fifty five?

And no, I wasn't even born. I just loved Hey, what are you looking at me like that?

I didn't say anything.

What I enjoy is just hearing you two old guys, Simon and You reminiscent with all the anecdotes about that era.

No, it's wonderful. Yeah, have fond memory. I'm looking forward to this because to me, it's all a blank canvas.

Yes, for it is, but it won't be by a limited About.

Twelve o'clock, I'll feel I'm part of fifty.

Five Old fifty five, that's you, Andrew Old fifty five, that's me. Well, what happened here in nineteen fifty five as Johnny Cash went on radio for the first time. It's one of those low banned radio stations in Memphis, Tennessee, and it was a Saturday afternoon show and he did everything. He did the ads, yeah, asking people to call in. We're going to sing a song we'd like to hear

To her, folks.

This is our first time to be coming out your way by way of radio, and we sincerely hope you'll enjoy our program. If you do, we hope you'll write us a card or a letter telling us so, and maybe we can do your favorite song for you. Sometimes with nothing, we'd like better if we can, if we know it. If we don't know what, we'll try to learn it for you.

This program is.

Brought to you by Home Equipment Company twenty five twenty nine Summer Avenue.

Right here.

We'll tell you more about home Equipment coming in a minute. But to good things rolling here, we want to do one of our own songs, one called wide Open Road.

Well, you said you had enough.

You said that you were leaving. I said, shove of hony, baby, think grieving, pack your back and pull out this evening. There's a wide Open roll.

Early this morning.

You were nowhere about until I searched the town, but you had done pulled out. I look northeast and west, and then uh leading south of all wide.

Open and frand I don't forget about that big show tomorrow night at Overton Park shell Uh the Big Country Jamboree. It's gonna be one of the biggest ever to come to Memphis. And oh, you won't want to miss seeing and hearing in person. Web Bears and all the wondering Boys, Reds of Iron, Elvis Presley will be there. Jim Wilson and his little four year old daughter, the boy that's got such a big hit record on Daddy you know what.

Isn't that wonderful reference to you get to mention that place where they did the show.

The Everton Park shell is a bit like the Hollywood Ball, you know, of those big shells that everybody's on stage in. And they wanted to pull it down and build apartments, and the Hall of Memphis were up in arms. They said, this is where Elvis Presley did his first paid job in this show. Yeah, I'm pulling it down. So they won, and they stuck it on them and it's still there.

Yeah.

Good, that's through for good on them.

Yeah that's good all right.

Quick quiz time, Kevin, Yeah, quick quiz time. Boys, the time to push sharpen your pencils and doss. You've got to take part in this quiz, So pay close attention. Just listen to this, doss. You'll hear this Which of the following films won Best Picture at the nineteen fifty

Is the Marlon Brando movie, isn't it? He was really hot at that time, the Wild One.

And all that.

I'm going to I'm going to go for the for the Branda movie on the Waterfront.

Okay, on the Waterfront second, Doss' second, all right, just for a point of difference.

I was. I was also meaning in that direction.

But I'm going to go Cane Mutiny, which I think might have been a dark horse in that race.

Very good selection, Simon. It wasn't The Country Girl? Which was that even a movie? Been Christmian Grace County. Oh. Yes, they won the Academy Awards for that rubbish for acting, I mean, not for the picture. Rubbish rubbish. Okay, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was the MGM musical. No, they didn't win.

Now music will still never win quest sometimes, don't they're not off a little.

Off quite right there, quite right there, quite right there.

I think they should.

And Simon, I'm sorry to say it's not the Cane mutiny with Humphrey Bogart with the marbles.

Yes it was.

It was on the waterfront. Andrew and Doss have both got it. Congratulations guys. Yes, there are no prize that by the way.

For this, just the sense of a good glory.

It's the glory and the second helping of June Mornee.

Those who missed the first half hour of this program. There was a Tuna More Day bakeoff.

Yes, Simon, Well, we don't need to dwell on who won and who didn't. I think we both prepared lovely meals. And I appreciate your efforts.

How very magnanimous of you, very gracious in victory you are. Yes, it's not I'm impressed. Well, it's I just always knew.

Yes, I might include that in the quick quiz next week.

Who won the twenty twenty five bakeoff?

Yes, that's the quick quiz next Hey, we've got to move on because we've got a whole lot of things here. Yes, we've got some films happening in fifty.

Five marvelous films. Oklahoma. I remember seeing Oklahoma on the big screen at the Regions and I couldn't get over that Toddeo process. That was absolutely fantastic. And guys and dolls came out, the Cane Mutiny, as we mentioned, Brigadooon, the tender Trap, the Blackboard Jungle and Fast Parker me o mate Fess who has been gone for fifteen years now. He died fifteen years ago. He was a terrific bloke and he played Davy Crockett in the TV show Disneyland

So we go and see it at the So we go to the.

Esquire in Burke Street to see Fess Parker. I didn't fancy the old coonskin cap to be quite nice. That smelly old thing on your head didn't appeal to me. What about you, Andrew? Do you have one?

But I said I was way too young.

But it was interesting to watch you old guys wandering around with them on the street. But I tell you what they did with them with the episodes of TV series. That wasn't the only thing the only time they did it with Davy Crockett, because they did it with the Man from Uncle.

I went on to see The Man from Uncle the movie. I thought, oh, this is great.

It was two episodes of the TV series that I had already seen linted together.

Oh, I'd be good money to sit up there in the Belcone.

Oh.

I was outraged.

Yeah, I would have demanded your buddy back, stomped out of the box office, but they'd closed up.

For the night.

Yeah. But anyhow, Davy Crockett was the song that accompanied this, and it was sung by Fess Parker, So I spoke to him about this.

Raised in the woods, sows in you every tree killed him the bar when he was only three, Davy day King of the Wild Front Tier.

And the song itself, The Ballad of Davy Crockett, became a big hit. I don't know if people realized, but right at the beginning there we did play you singing the song, which is actually a version you did.

Well I have to tell you something, Kevin. I was the first person to record it. I was signed in August of nineteen thirty four, and I had sign a little song that I'd written for Walker Disney with my little guitar. I wasn't much of a singer, but I convinced him that I could sing well enough, and they two weeks later they called me in and I recorded

Oh wanted to get into the act that tennesse Andy Ford was one of them too, and.

Oh he was.

Yes, indeed, that's who I was thinking of. Tennessee.

Onnie Ford did a version two didn't he did, and he had the beautiful, deep rounded voice.

To me, yep, yep singing it. You couldn't It was very catchy.

Yeah, it's a good song. It was a good of the spoof version of the Joki version.

I was going to mention it, but if you want to mention it, that's.

All on the tabletop of Yeah dirty stump in the USA. I hope you wouldn't go that shot his mother when he was only three.

Oh yeah, I don't know that one. Oh well it was you know, everybody knew.

It was never released as a record, but everybody knew those lyrics, Yes, more than.

More than the real lyrics.

That was the only version was Yes, very popular, So I could have sold a million that that's right, all right.

Now, Kevin tell us about Dogface Soldier.

Well, there was a film that came out in CinemaScope in nineteen fifty five called to Hallenbach, which was based on the biography of Audie Murphy. Because he was one of the most decorated servicemen in the Second World War. He was absolutely incredible. He was highly decorated, and he also had a film career. He was well, he didn't set the film untill he came back after the warning, but he mainly specialized in westerns. I loved Audie Murphy.

I it was terrific.

I saw all these pictures and I saw this at the State Picture Theater which is now the Forum in nineteen fifty five, and it was on the big screen and they had a great cast of actors, and there was this song that still sticks in my mot Andrew might have some good lyrics to this, but this is talent back the theme song.

Like I Am.

From the Davies Thunderies.

It said the.

Down over.

Dote soldier were the right soldier, and come give me.

Your dog bas soldier by dog.

On all the.

Pols I read, it says the bills I go there with me down to build me over again.

I'm just a dog based soldier.

I have a right both on this soldier and I'm ready for or whatever. I won't take my horn any take a dot ho. I'm a dog based soldier.

What does dog face soldier actually mean? I'm a dog face side.

I don't know, but I walked out of that Picture theater after seeing that film, and I've thought I've found my career. I want to be a dog face soldier soldier. A good day you would to please it's.

It sounds like it's on mos like a put down. You're the lowest level of song.

Maybe he'd be an infantry man, wouldn't he.

That would be literally Yeah, I'd leave Andrew is the word smith. I'd let him pronounce that he's the teacher. Yeah.

Now moving on now, because we must. We got shows of nineteen fifty five Kevin.

Well The Bob Hope Show. Bob Hope was brought over by Lee Gordon, and financially the show was a disaster, had lost a heap of money, and Bob was aware of that, and when he got back to America, he sent Lee Gordon some money apparently to get him out of the financial difficulty he was in.

That was really nice of him.

Yeah, I don't know why it didn't work, because Bob Hope was a big, big star, wasn't he.

Yeah.

I think Lee Gordon had trouble again with he brought out Costello too. I don't think that was particularly successful.

No, I didn't have finished up down at the Palais, and no, it wasn't particularly successful. So there are a couple of momen but he made a lot of money out of Sinatra and people like that. When he did concerts and Johnny Ray. He made a lot of money, Johnny Ray, the Prince of Wales. He was terrific. I never know you interviewed him, didn't you.

I did, yes, once upon a time.

And I did happen to see him at the Fellow Theater with Mom and Dad many years ago.

Did you.

Yes?

Phil was there and Phil records. The sound broke down and he wasn't too happy with the sound man.

Must have been a different shows while I saw.

Probably probably that he did a number of shows down there. Anyhow. Ronnie Rosenberg, my mate was has passed on. But Ronnie was a pianist. He was musical director on him Moment's Night and we did shows together with Teddy Hamilton. We to it all over the place with Ronnie, and Ronnie never had any music in front of me. He just said at the piano. I didn't think you know every song that you could think of. He was fantastic. Anyhow, he did work for Bob Hope. Gee, you must have

Look, I didn't get very close.

I wanted to.

I want he was on the town all but I wanted to because I loved him, you know, yes, I do remember one night I had to play something for him and I had to give him the peggio to get in and he said thank you Liberaci, which destroyed me a bit.

Yeah, life goes.

On, Roddie. You are wealthy stories and it's lovely talking to you.

That's a funny story, that's cute.

Ronnie was fantastic. Have no idea all the fun we had on those shows.

It was terrific. And Frank Sinatra, Yeah.

Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra came in nineteen fifty five with his daughter Nancy and it was the first visit to Australia for Sinatra and he loved him being here and he came back on a number of times and he was someone that you know, was what would you call him? He was a superstar really in those days. And they were doing something like three shows at night at the West Melbourne Stadium, but unfortunately the West Melbourne Stadium burned down,

I would have thought he would be very setting his ways about both understand.

We had a pile of ashes out in West Melbourne with the place that they're supposed to be in. And I remember going pasting the train to school and looking down and seeing that all burnt out because it was, Yes, it was, And I saw Sinatra actually before built burnt down. I must have been very young. All I can remember is him singing one from My Baby in One for the Road in the boxing ring in the middle of the West Melbourne stadium where they used to run all the fights, and is.

That where they had a sort of an upstairs section and that was behind chicken wire.

It was all that sort of stuff. Yeah, it was pretty primitive, wasn't it.

Yeah.

My father used to take me to the boxing and we used to hold up the newspapers to keep the Blood Office from the front fright.

It was terrific. What a life?

Anyhow?

What a life? Say?

Sinatra had a song He's going to sing it now, Nancy with a laughing Face, which was written by Phil Silvers, of all people, and it became a big hit for Frank Sinadra.

Around nineteen forty.

Ladies and gentlemen, they was a song written about a little girl who was then two years old, I should say forty once.

I'm two years old.

And she's grown a good deal since then. I'm glad of that. And the song was written about because she had all of the qualities that the words describing the song, and she still has them. And I'd like to do this tune for you now. It's about my oldest daughter. It's called Nancy with a laughing Face.

If I don't see her each day, I miss her.

Gee, what a thrill each.

Time I kiss her. Believe me, I've got a case on Nancy with a laughing face. She takes the winter and she makes it.

Some lovely to hear Sinatra in Melbourne way back when, in the mid nineteen fifty five and Nancy with a laughing face. We are in the midst of the Time Tunnel with Kevin, and we're back with more of nineteen fifty five right after these.

It's Mystery Voice time in Trask's Time Tunnel. If you're wondering why are we doing trash Time Tunnel in this hour, it's because we didn't get to start till ten thirty this evening, so it's an hour delay for Trask's Time Tunnel. But here we are and it's Mystery Voice time. He wants you to take part by texting us your answer. Kevin's going to play a mystery voice. We're going to

Well, I think this is particularly easy, and I think I would ask you both to hold back and give the listeners a chance to have a little think about this before you dive in, because I think you will know this immediately. But then, on the other hand, I've thought that before, yes, and it has been some of our toughest ones. Toughest ones, so it's very interesting. So look, it's a male and here's tonight's mystery voice. I'm too weak, said.

It a.

Miles.

Play the game, but to dream more, this song came this song came out in nineteen fifty five.

I might point it, Yeah, the Platters, but this is obviously not the Platt's Platters.

No.

Well, I immediately wrote down two names, and then I realized we're talking nineteen fifty five, and neither of them would have been born. So I'll cross Grant, Dya and Rove McManus off the list. McManus, well, it just sounded like a young little person, so I thought.

Grant both per person agree the person doesn't have to be alive this in this case, but singing a song from nineteen fifty five, as.

Long as you're a certain heights, you can be a part of Remember when why's your texting?

Your answer?

Because apparently short people are not welcome according to Simon, No, I just thought that sounded.

Like a young, sort little person.

Yes, oh I didn't pick that up.

It's not granting you. No, it's not Grant, and it's not who Rove McManus. No way, someone who was alive in fifty five and and I think he's.

Alive in fifty five.

Oh, so he wasn't born till after fifteen.

I'm not sure what year is more.

Is he an Australian?

No?

Oh, Englishman?

Englishman, got no idea. I really thought this would go straight up.

We might have to have another listen. But okay, now we know I'm a comedian known for comedy or good quest?

Should know?

No? Okay, straight actor?

No, A singer, A singer.

It is actually a singer.

It's actually a singer, because singer.

Do we have another listen? Please do? Very short?

Singer? And Ronny corb.

A mile.

Play again?

But to dream?

I can hear people screaming at the radio.

They don't know it.

I don't believe this could be what's his name?

Played phantom? Michael Crawford?

Oh, yes, A fan of the Operachael Crawford. He was in Hello Dolly?

Was he?

I don't know he was? Yah, it's not and he's still with us today.

No, good question, Andrew, because I was going to bring up Michael Ball next.

Is he did he have a TV series?

No?

Is this not Desert Con. I'm one of those people screaming at the radio.

Can I chime in?

Put you out of your misery, Freddie Mercury.

It is Freddie Mercury. What you listen to the voice? It is Freddy Mercury.

Did you get that? Did you get that from the voice?

Dos?

It of course is fantastic.

What about the listeners? I bet you everybody got it?

If you can flick it over there, Dos and scroll down so we can see who the first pink one is there, Just just scroll through though his messages to find the lowest pink one.

Further further, further, Gee, there's a lot of entries.

Okay, Cameron and Louise from Botanic Ridge, we're the very first ones to take and they said Freddie Mercury.

So there you go. Other suggestions, So well done Cameron and Louise. Barry Crocker was another suggestion.

Tury terps, Donald dark Tonalds Max of greens bro I don't know what station Max is listening to.

Ronald Reagan, Johnny Farner. Ronald Reagan's a good one, isn't it. There we go, Freddy Mercury. That is absolutely fantastic.

Well well done to everybody who got it. Congratulations, yes, yes.

Well done to all Right, let's get another breakout of because we've only had two breaks.

Have we got two more to go?

Yeah, let's do a break and we'll come back with radio and popular songs soon.

Yes, three w eleven to twelve. This somewhat altered.

Remember when the Sunday Night, but the time tuttle is still rolling along and some of the radio were nine to fifty five Kevin.

Yes, well we're talking about Cuthbert Jeffrey Cork.

Yes, I didn't know his name was Cuthbert.

Yes, yes, you couldn't do.

It on TV.

He's Graham Kennedy and yeh no, it wouldn't work. Jeff is better.

Bert always called him cuff, did he Yeah, I.

Never knew that. Well. He was on In Moment Tonight and worked with Graham Kennedy as we mentioned, and then went onto The Trek Show. But he was out with the A to meet Frank Sinatra in nineteen fifty five to get an interview. And this is a very funny description of what happened with jeff Cork.

I've got the world on a string, and I'm sitting on a rainbow.

I've got the string around my thing.

What a world?

What a life?

I'm in?

Law?

Sinatra came out with a lady called Anne McCormick. It was a fine singer, and she invicted. It was the time that he'd attacked journalists and reporters and no sort of people at the entrance to the stadium because he was a little bit cross. I think the publicity that he proceived.

And he.

This gentleman who was quite a popular radio interviewer, not with Sinatra O command you you had to call him that too, mister Sinnata all the time. And he started off his interview and I was the next cab off the rank. I was standing in the queue, and he said, it's nice to interview a man who came out with

And that's what he got. And I thought, oh darn, me. I was nervous wreck and.

I went and turned on a little recorder after the sky left, and I said, it's so nice to be with you, mister Sinatra, and thank you for having me. And I enjoyed the show last night, and it was great. And you had to butter up to him a little bit, and if you didn't, you'd be off your brain because they had about five or six the biggest men I've ever seen in my life standing around. I don't know where they carried his bags for his toothbrush, but they

Yeah, lovely, lovely, Yeah.

That's nice and yeah, good to hear the voice of Jeff Cola. It was always a favorite of mine.

A Channel nine in the early days, was sort of and when he was on IMT, I thought that the program lifted.

Yes, I thought he was true too.

It's lovely and we move.

On, all right, So let's have a look at the Australia's Amateur Hour Kevin.

Yes, the Amateur Hour, and of course this was accompanied by Terry Dia and we've got a very special word. At the moment. I think he's playing the gum leaf. He is number six on Australia's Amateur Robert Kelleher plays a couple of old favorites on the gum Leaf.

News Talk three a w.

Tomorrow Morning, the premier joins Tom Elliott. Now, dos just made a very good point.

How's he playing the piano and the gum leaf at the same time.

I think it's Malgo Sheridan on the piano.

All right, okay, we would.

Drop the gum leaf. So there's two front teeth are getting in the world.

Oh it's a medley. Oh good, No, look, I'd love to hear more.

But we've really got to get the other breakout of the way so we can get to the popular songs of nineteen fifty five with Kevin after this, and Tony mack has to come into and tell us what's coming up. So we're rapidly running out of time as we close the show, which is odd to do. At the end of trast time tunnel to Ony McManus joins us, Tony, good evening to you.

You're more than were going to kick on the other side of midnight to choose. But it's been a very very tiny little window that you've had for an hour and a half. Andrew, you'd like to do another couple of hours.

Are you sure it's got a card game?

Management can only afford ninety minutes.

Of Holy rate's the one that comes back to But sometimes who.

Sang these songs?

Boys?

Yep, cherry pink and apple Blossom, white Pereesprado correct, sincerely, Oh you know how I love you?

Anything for you? His mind's gone again, so seely no sang that group of sisters.

The sisters was surely.

Lovely Rock around the clock Bill Haley sixteen tons.

Tennessee only four correct?

So far love is a many splendid thing.

Four races You know that one?

Loads of Texas?

Yeah, he did in the movie, didn't he was? What's Miller?

Mitch Miller, Mitch Miller, You're good. Ain't that a shame?

The big fat Fats Domino.

I'll take that unchained, wasn't It wasn't Boom, But that's.

He's allowed to get it first. Someone who wrote the thing.

Yeah, no, it's all right.

Unchained melody Righteous Brothers. No fifty Baxter, Yeah wow, John unchained. It starts off that way. Got me out of a few weird situations here.

Good.

What about learning the blues, guy Mitchell, No, No, that's singing the blues.

Yeah, class bopping the blues.

Not the learning. The tables are empty, the big bopper.

No, we've got.

I don't know no Frank Sinatra. You might have heard of him, moments to remember.

I don't know that one either. We are going out with you.

Hear them coming up with taking We've got news in five, all three coins in the fountain boys, all right, thank you, givin good night.

Nineteen seventy six Simons, Somewhere in the heart