Nostalgic Rambler: February 2014

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

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Amazing Story of Singer Jill Corey

Many talented people hone their craft for years hoping for fame and fortune. I imagine most never attain it. The rags to riches/nobody to star scenario is always fascinating and intriguing. An example is the Jill Corey story (that rhymes pretty nicely, doesn't it?)

Apparently she loved to sing but didn't have any connections to help her in the music biz. In the early 1950s she won a local Lions club competition and was a local success. She put together a tape recording to send to Columbia Records on the fat chance that somebody would listen to it. Mitch Miller did and summoned her to New York. Within a few weeks she was on the cover of LIFE magazine!

Jill soon had several hit records and appeared on TV with Ed Sullivan, Dave Garroway and Johnny Carson.

I'm not sure if Hugh Hefner heard this song, but it could be an early Playboy reference. Click here to listen to the 1950s version of sexy.

Click here to listen to Jill sing one of her prettiest songs in my opinion. Here's a cool clip of YOUR HIT PARADE with Jill including an interview of Jill with Richard Dawson (I didn't know Richard did a talk show....)

It looks like Jill is still doing well and you will probably enjoy visiting her website here.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

I wanna hear the Olympic Fanfare!

It's time for the Winter Olympics. I've been watching a bit but am not an avid sports fan. Of course that got me a bit nostalgic for the Olympics of the past so here are a few pics you might enjoy... Wow look at the price of postage...

Watching NBC's coverage I have to say I miss the original Olympic Fanfare that ABC used for all of those years it had the TV rights. From what I understand John Williams wrote the music we hear now which included parts of the fanfare by Leo Arnaud, which we used to hear much more of. Here and here are a couple of links if you're pining for that song....