Old-Time Radio Shows

'Radio Spirits' Provides Entertainment from the Golden Age of Radio

For many it's difficult to imagine life without television. But in the 1930s and 40s the prime source of commercial entertainment was radio—and it did not disappoint. Radio programming varied from news to variety shows, sitcoms, game shows, mysteries, dramas, interviews, —hey, even "reality" programs. In fact, if you take a good look at the golden age of radio you'll find the origins of many of today's television programming.

Most shows were performed live, but thankfully many were recorded onto discs for various reasons, and thus have been preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come.

There are many outlets and many ways to collect these old radio shows. For many people it's a fulfilling hobby. However, if you don't have the time or the inclination to deal with the difficulties of locating them, sifting through recordings of varying quality, or buying expensive recording equipment, then let Radio Spirits (www.radiospirits.com) do the work for you.

Radio Spirits has over 60,000 hours of old-time radio programming. They offer a wide array of CD collections featuring many of the classic shows and most popular personalities like Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope and many more.

Radio Spirit's American Icons Collection

These CD collections are where you'll get the most for your dollar. They are attractively packaged, come with informative booklets, and sound great.

I own some of these collections and can attest to their quality. The "American Icons" collection, part of their Smithsonian Institute series, has 6 hours of great radio entertainment featuring such stars as Cary Grant and James Stewart, and a 32-page booklet full of photos and info about the lives and careers of these performers. Here's the entire list of shows in this collection:

The Lux Radio Theatre: Theodora Goes Wild, with Cary Grant 06-13-38
Suspense: The Copper Tea Strainer, with Betty Grable 04-21-49
Suspense: Community Property, with Kirk Douglas 04-10-47
The Lux Radio Theatre: Mr. and Mrs. Smith, with Bob Hope 06-09-41
The Radio Reader's Digest: One Way To Broadway, with Jimmy Stewart 03-18-48
Academy Award Theatre: Prisoner of Zenda, with Douglas Fairbanks Jr 07-17-46
The Theatre Guild On The Air: Boy Meets Girl, with Gene Kelly 05-26-46
The Lux Radio Theatre: A Farewell to Arms, with Clark Gable 04-05-37

I also own some "10 CD Collections" including: The Lone Ranger, The Best of Jack Benny, and Hard-Boiled Detectives, the latter containing some very fun tongue-in-cheek performances by Jack Webb (in his pre-Dragnet days) as both Jeff Regan, Private Investigator and Pat Novak, For Hire.

The Lone Ranger collection comes with one of the more impressive booklets I've seen jam-packed with interesting trivia and photos of vintage ads and paraphernalia.

If you like horror, check out their "Scariest Shows" CD collection. Looking for kid's programs? Check out their "Family Fun Pack" CD. Science Fiction? Look for their "X Minus One" collection. Radio Spirits carries enough nostalgic radio entertainment to satisfy everyone's tastes.

Radio Spirits sponsors the nationally syndicated radio program "When Radio Was" hosted by Radio Hall-of-Famer Chuck Schaden. Their website has a section that lists the radio stations that broadcast this program.

Also, for those of you who are 'computer literate', they are now offering a subscription service that enables you to get unlimited audio streams and up to 20 hours of premium downloadable content each month for an affordable monthly fee. See their website for details.