Episodes
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
Episode 380: Vintage MWSD Album by Lem Smith (1980)
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
This episode we feature a vintage EZ Records long-play album recorded by Lem Smith. Released in the early 1980s using the 38-basic calls presented by CALLERLAB.
Lem Smith, who hailed from Texas was active in recording for Blue Star Records and sister label, Bogan Records.
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Sunday Mar 20, 2022
Episode 379: Vintage MWSD Album by Jerry Helt (1970)
Sunday Mar 20, 2022
Sunday Mar 20, 2022
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Jerry Helt. Released in June 1970 as Blue Star 1016, "Both Sides Jerry Helt"
Jerry was a remarkable caller who at the time of this recording was popular on the travel calling circuit in addition to touring Universities teaching traditional squares with modern. A seasoned recording caller, who first entered the studio in the mid-1950s to record an album for Sear & Roebuck, Jerry holds the record for the most years recording.
Read more about Jerry Helt here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Unique to the MWSD activity is square dance callers, singing in professional produced recordings. This episode features the final album of the Hi Hat Pioneers with callers Ernie Kinney, Tom Perry, Wayne McDonald, and now Buddy Weaver has joined the group. There is a cameo appearance by Deborah Carroll-Jones. Recorded in the late 1990s on the ELK label.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Episode 376: Vintage MWSD Album by Ron Schneider (1974)
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
This episode we feature a vintage Dance Ranch long-play album recorded by Ron Schneider. Released in June 1974.
This is Ron's first of two albums on the Dance Ranch label
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Feb 20, 2022
Episode 375: Vintage MWSD Album by Marshall Flippo (1969)
Sunday Feb 20, 2022
Sunday Feb 20, 2022
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Marshall Flippo. Released in August 1969 as Blue Star 1016, "Marshall Flippo Sings 'em and Swings 'em in Stereo"
This is Marshall's eleventh recorded album and his first of only singing calls
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Jan 23, 2022
Vintage MWSD Album by Marshall Flippo (1967)
Sunday Jan 23, 2022
Sunday Jan 23, 2022
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Marshall Flippo. Released in October 1967 as Blue Star 1015, "Smooth And Easy Danceable Squares By Marshall Flippo, Its Always Smooth Sailing On Blue Star Of Course"
This is Marshall's tenth recorded album and introduces the new call Spin Chain Thru.
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Episode 367: Vintage MWSD Album Called By Sal Fanara
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Sal Fanara. Released in July 1966 as Blue Star 1014, "Swing With Old Sal Fanara"
The calling style, speed of dance and music is representative of the best of the sixties. Note the new call is Spin the Top.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
Episode 364: Vintage MWSD Singing Call Album by Johnnie Wykoff
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
Modern Western Square Dancing, slightly vintage as it was recorded in the nineties.
Today's featured caller is Johnnie Wykoff. His first singing call album was covered in episode #345; here is his second. Most of the musical accompaniment is available for purchase from buddyweavermusic.com
Learn more about Johnnie Wykoff here
Keep this podcast going by making a contribution using the button below.
Sunday Nov 28, 2021
Episode 363: Vintage MWSD Album Called By Marshall Flippo (1965)
Sunday Nov 28, 2021
Sunday Nov 28, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Marshall Flippo. Released in November 1965 as Blue Star 1013, "Marshall Flippo Lets His Hair Down Real Good On Blue Star, Of Course"
This is Marshall's ninth recorded album. It is the introduction of a new music style lead by vibraphonist, Dick Shannon
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
As previously covered in episodes 332 and 341, The Hi Hat Pioneers were a quartet of MWSD callers who performed and recorded "cowboy songs".
This was their fourth album; two of their previous three were featured in this podcast. The recording callers were Ernie Kinney, Bronc Wise, Tom Perry and Wayne McDonald. The album is "Cimarron Roll On", which was released on cassette tape in the 1980s. Probably one of their best recordings.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Episode 360: Vintage MWSD Callers School with Ed Gilmore
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
A unique feature of the Modern Western Square Dancing is the callers school. Todays episode is taken for a live reel-to-reel tape recording of a callers school conducted by Ed Gilmore. A seasoned veteran caller who was popular on the travel calling circuit of the 1950s, he was well known for his presentations to journeyman callers.
The recording covers many hours and has been broken up into multiple, non-consecutive parts. It has also been modified to remove unintelligible audio and "dead air".
Read more about Ed Gilmore by clicking here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Episode 359: Vintage MWSD Album Called By Jim Brower
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Jim Brower. Released in July 1965 as Blue Star 1012, Super Challenge Dances.
All of the material was originally written by Florida caller, Gordon Blaum. Known by many dancers and callers for his interesting use of square dance calls. The recording caller is Jim Brower from Texas. A first for Blue Star Records, this album is all patter calling; no singing calls.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Oct 17, 2021
Episode 357: Vintage MWSD in mid-1960s - Wayne West Album on Hi Hat
Sunday Oct 17, 2021
Sunday Oct 17, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Hi Hat Records long-play album recorded by Wayne West. Released in mid-1960s as Hi Hat 7001 - "Modern Square Dances For The Student Dancer".
Cover notes state the dances were selected to offer the newer dancer good, challenging practice to better prepare for club level dancing.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
This podcast advocates for the newest Modern Western Square Dance program - SSD or Social Square Dancing. A program that is growing in popularity for the joy it is bringing to more and more dancers everyday.
Today's episode features yesterdays Staff Recording Artists calling singing calls using the SSD program. This is excellent for home use, when you don't have a caller, or for callers to use as a learning resource.
At this time, none of the musical accompaniment is available so please enjoy this episode.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
Episode 351: Vintage MWSD Album Called By Marshall Flippo
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Marshall Flippo. Released in August 1964 as Blue Star 1010, "The Best Collection Of New Squares Yet By Marshall Flippo On Blue Star ... Of Course"
This is Marshall's seventh recorded album. Here you begin to see MWSD evolving with the introduction of the call "Swing Thru" and other Ocean Wave type actions. Great calling and great music.
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Unique to the MWSD activity is the callers/teachers who also have the talent to perform without the dance calls. This episode features a beloved caller from Southern California, Lee Schmidt.
The album presented here is a compilation of his studio recordings from the eighties through the nineties with the musical accompaniment done by studio musicians from the Los Angeles area. Lee was responsible for hundreds of dancers learning MWSD in addition to acting as a mentor to some of today's influential callers. From the sixties until his retirement in 2012, he was a popular figure in the California square dance scene.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
Episode 347: Vintage MWSD Album Called By Marshall Flippo
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
This episode we feature a vintage Blue Star Records long-play album recorded by Marshall Flippo. Released in August 1964 as Blue Star 1009, "More Dance For Fun Level Dancing By Marshall Flippo"
This is Marshall's sixth recorded album. It is an excellent example perfect timing and delivery by a master caller.
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Jul 25, 2021
Episode 345: Vintage MWSD in 1990 - Called by Johnnie Wykoff
Sunday Jul 25, 2021
Sunday Jul 25, 2021
Modern Western Square Dancing, slightly vintage as it was recorded in the nineties.
Today's featured caller is Johnnie Wykoff. From the early sixties until his passing in 2000, he was a popular caller who traveled throughout the U.S. In the late eighties, he became the second owner/producer of Blue Star Records and all of the affiliate labels. Over the years, Johnnie Wykoff recorded 169 singles, mostly on Blue Star, with today's episode highlighting one of his final albums.
Most of the musical accompaniment is available for purchase from buddyweavermusic.com
Learn more about Johnnie Wykoff here
Keep this podcast going by making a contribution using the button below.
Sunday Jul 11, 2021
Sunday Jul 11, 2021
This is the second album of easy dances presented by Blue Star Records, featuring the calling of Marshall Flippo. Released in August 1963 as BS 1007 "Everybody Dances When The Great Marshall Flippo Calls On Blue Star".
This is Marshall's fifth recorded album. It is an excellent example perfect timing and delivery by a master caller.
Read more about Marshall Flippo here
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
A true pioneer in the MWSD activity, Bob Osgood, presented the history of our dance in 1979. His presentation was captured on cassette and has been cleaned up in our studio for you.
Bob picks up the timeline post World War II, as Modern Western Square Dancing was pulling away from the folk dance groups of the time. Rather than being part of an evening of folk dances where teaching was done every time the dance was presented, MWSD set the standard that dancers had to know the fundamental dances, which involved taking lessons for about six weeks. In this way, every group get-together was dancing, rather than learning and re-learning the fundamentals.
There is an audio sample of Bob Osgood calling at the end of his presentation.
Please take a moment to make a gift to offset our production costs. Every contribution helps and is appreciated.