Welcome to the Nostalgic Ramber





Hans Jeff Borger is heard on WRGE 97.9 FM in Ocala, FL featuring Christian programming.

"The Nostalgic Rambler" radio show can be heard on Youtube. Just search for Hans Jeff Borger Nostalgic Rambler.





Why a blog? I wrote a book "The Little Grownup: a nostalgic Michigan boyhood" which should appeal to most baby boomers. A mass market book? Well, not yet...but the potential is there! (Be sure to buy it at "finer on line bookstores" everywhere!)

The comments presented in "The Nostalgic Rambler" probably won't be of interest to the masses...anymore. If grandma and grandpa and their friends were still alive, then it would be a different story.

I live in the past. My time warp is a comfortable cocoon even if it sometimes drives my wife crazy. The music of the 1940s and 50s, the stars of those days were big stuff in their day, but are now almost forgotten. Oddly enough, I was born in '64 so those iconic years were for the most part over by that time.

Through "The Nostalgic Rambler" I maybe can help share my love and knowledge for those times and things...all at one time important pieces of Americana but now a bit faded in memory.

The woman who did the blog about cooking all of Julia Childs' French Cuisine Cookbook in a year got a sweet movie deal out of her blog experience. I wouldn't mind that but would be happy to know that you are reading this....and maybe enjoying my time warp, too.



Hans Jeff Borger



Sunday, May 27, 2012

New Crooner Matthew Long finds the essence of Perry Como

It's always amazing to find what some folks have posted on the internet....Makes me think my interest in nostalgia isn't so rare after all!



I've always loved the singing of Perry Como and try to collect just about any recording he made. A fellow blogspot blogger went even further and created an interesting webpage featuring some "Faux Como" recordings....back in the fifites heyday of pop, other record companies and singers were trying to get a bit of the Como success by issuing their own versions of Perry's songs. Click here to see this interesting blog and if you download the zip file you can listen to some pretty good and sometimes very lame renditions of the hits.

There is no reason to re-record what Perry has done, he did it well. I have recorded several of his songs just for my own fun using karoeke type tracks. So far no record labels have been pounding at my door to mass market release these. I guess I won't be the next Susan Boyle type discovery, but it was a lot of fun recording them anyhow.


A very talented guy in the UK however has captured the essence of Perry Como. His name is Matthew Long. Click  here to listen to an original V-disc recording by Perry of his first RCA 78 called "Goodbye Sue." Then click here to listen to Matthew's acapella version. Pretty awesome, huh?

Matthew is another addicted Como fan. Unlike me, he has enough sense not to try to re-record Perry's songs (like those cheap record labels did back in the 1950s). Instead he has released a brand new song called "Dancing With You" featuring his smooth voice and a great new tune. The lyrics bring back the days of couples dancing and a big band playing. Click here for a preview.



Matthew says he is hoping to work on an entire album and if the songs are anything like this preview, it's gonna be a great recording! He gets the essence of Perry. After all, he started the Como Appreciation Society. Click here to visit.


Friday, May 11, 2012

Sheet Music brings to life long lost songs


   I hope you have a chance to listen in to my internet radio show. It's on weekly, Saturdays at 1pm with a repeat Sunday at 1pm EST on www.TheGeneMartinShow.com.

  Recently a good friend of mine, Jo, sent me a whole bunch of old sheet music. I am a pack rat when it comes to collecting records, but I don't really have that much sheet music. If I could play the piano better than I can, then maybe I would have more sheet music!

There were many songs that were "old friends" in this stack of music that I got from Jo. Songs like "Because of You", "The Loveliest Night of the Year" and "My Truly Truly Fair" are at the top of my list for playing on the piano.

Some of the music is simply hilarious or hopelessly out of date, even for "The Nostalgic Rambler"!  I have included a few of those covers here and will offer some examples of these long forgotten songs!

"Put Your Shoes On, Lucy"
Got an invitation to visit in Manhattan with my high fallutin' kin,
Ordered from the catalog some fancy clothes,
Looked so stylish from my head to toes,
Saw ev'ry sight and I even did some flirtin'
Did all right til my feet took to hurtin',
So I slipped off my shoes when I thought they couldn't see,
But they must a 'cause this is what they always sang to me.
Put your shoes on, Lucy...

"Quicksilver" (Bing Crosby sang this?!)
Seems like I am having trouble with you
And I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Seems like you're fickle as can be,
And your fickle ways got me up a tree.
You're as hard to hold as quicksilver,
                                                                when you kiss and run away....


"Candy Kisses"
Candy Kisses wrapped in paper
mean more to you than any of mine.
Candy Kisses wrapped in paper,
you'd rather have them any old time....

"Poison Love"
All your poison love has stained the life blood in my heart and soul dear,
And I know my life will never be the same....

Thanks Jo for this great collection of music, both familiar and not so well known...It's a lotta fun to be at the piano with these songs...........