There was a well know DJ in the 1940's and 50's named Martin Block.



My father was his engineer for a while and helped build him a studio at his home. A couple years ago, I found a stack of 16-inch transcription records of some of his and other shows. You can view them here:

https://imgur.com/a/nBb6UQe

I was able to have them digitized, some of decent quality. I'd be willing to share them, but not sure what the best way would be.

In the mid 50s I used to listen to his show every Saturday AM.
I know the theme song by heart.
https://www.wnew1130.com/music-2/staff/ ... tin-block/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRV37DK1UC4

IIRC ..it Was Martin Block..or maybe William B Williams, ..used to tell a story of how he 1st met Frank Sinatra on the Jersey Boardwalk and Frank was bragging to him that he could sing.. and asking to be on the show.

Williams took over for Block in 1967 and hosted the show for another 20 years.

My father always mentions that he used to listen to "The Make Believe Ballroom" in the late '40's on the front steps of his house in Queens, NY in the late-'40's with his Emerson portable radio. I can so visualize that.

https://archive.org would be good.

Here is one. I can upload more if interested:

https://archive.org/details/martin-block-show-freddy-martin

That's great! By all means, upload more as you can.

If you want to see Martin Block in action in 1948, here's a short film he made, featuring rare footage of singer Buddy Clark, who was killed in a plane crash the following year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icl4xICJgcA

Here's another, a segment sponsored by Hudson automobiles:

https://archive.org/details/martin-block-hudson-audition-1948

What a nice find and you are generous for sharing them with others. It's amazing to me that nearly 70 years after the end of the heyday of network radio, there are still nuggets on transcription discs being found. To me, most of the discs are interesting even when the programming isn't top notch or some much sought after "lost episode" of a legendary series, etc. It's great you recognized what these were...a lot of people just see a 16" record and think it's an old LP...having no way to play it and no curiosity....they get pitched.

I found six 12" aluminum & acetate discs at Goodwill recently - they are studio recordings of an unnamed 1950s country group...girl singer...well recorded 78s. Some time ago I found a home recorded disc of a trip through the radio dial on some random 1940s night...what was playing on each station that came in at that moment on that radio for a few seconds each. IIRC, there is even a snippet of FDR speaking...need to find that disc....