Mr. Theodore G. Bilbo was a US senator, and not a good one. A member of the Ku Klux Klan, he once proposed a bill that would deport 12 million African-Americans to Liberia… in an effort to save on unemployment costs. He accepted illegal contributions, among them excavation of a lake for… creating…his…own…island? And, just when you think he couldn’t get any worse, he was well-known for his frequent practice of illeism, the use of the third person to refer to oneself. Adrienne Claiborne wrote this song with singer, labor activist and husband Bob Claiborne, in 1938. District voters seemed unswayed by the protest and Bilbo would remain in office for nearly a decade longer.

Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight made him a hero, garnered him presidential praise, and changed commercial flight forever. You’re on the Sound Beat. The 30th president of the United States, bestowing the Flying Cross on Charles Lindbergh. The speech took place in Washington DC on June 11, 1927, just three weeks after Lindy’s achievement. Lindy’s humorous remarks dre laughter from the crowd but he’d leave a bigger mark on the public’s perception of flight. In 1926, the year before his flight, about 6,000 Americans traveled by air. Less than two years later the number had swelled to 180,000! Hear the entire recording right here.

You’re listening to Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra with Drive In, a Capitol 78. Richard Hollingshead learned a lot from his test run of his big idea. He went through various incarnations of the first drive-in at his home in Camden New Jersey, starting with cars lined up one after another and a single speaker behind the screen. Which, obviously, didn’t work. He gradually arrived at disparate spacing, elevated in the back, and the sound delivery would evolve to the in-car speakers we use today. Or, the last time you were at a drive in. His invention saw the light of day, or dusk, in 1933. Nelson Riddle is recognized as one of the foremost arrangers in popular music history. According to WNYC’s Jonathan Schwarz, “Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Nelson Riddle stand, in my judgement, at the spine of American popular music” Check out more episodes right now

Store owner Morton Savada had a policy of never selling the last copy of a recording, which we collectors can identify with. Morton’s son Eli sai “He was running a business, but he knew he had an important archive here and he had a responsibility to maintain it.” After 30 years in business, and distinguishing itself as a landmark for collectors worldwide, Records Revisited closed. The archive his son spoke of, roughly 200,000 records, was boxed and shipped in 2008 to….Syracuse University. The gift ensures the collection’s preservation for future researchers. And…it plays a role in a certain radio show of which you may be aware… You’re listening to Drum Boogie by Gene Krupa, an OKEH 78 from 1941, and one of the last ever played at Records Revisited.

“Shenandoah” or “Oh, Shenandoah” as it is sometimes referred to, is an early American folk song and sea shanty. Popular with sailors as early as the 1880s, the song is an ode to the Shenandoah River Valley, and its river. It’s a tributary of the Potomac, and runs through Virginia and West Virginia. The valley’s fertile lands made it a top-notch settling place, and, apparently, a swell spot for a folk tune. Now, according to which version of the song you’re listening to, the narrator is a Confederate soldier pining for home, a roving trader in love with an Indian chief’s daughter, or, well, someone else. For a more detailed look at the song check out our blog.

“A dark presence enters the ship. The ominous commander of the Imperial Forces, Darth Vader: tall and threatening in his flowing black cape, and a face forever masked by a foreboding metal breath screen. Darth Vader, who moves forever in a cloud of awesome evil.” One of the best, (eh, worst?) baddies of all time. You’re on the Sound Beat. “Vader grips the rebel’s throat. “”If this is a councilor’s ship then where is the Ambassador?”” Would have been nice to play Vader’s theme, the famous Imperial March…. Thing is, John Williams hadn’t composed it yet. It first appeared, courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra, in the original trilogy’s second film, the Empire Strikes Back. James Earl Jones famously voiced the character, and almost as famously wasn’t credited for the first two films. He’d claim at the time that his work was just “special effects”…something, I don’t know, VOICE ACTORS might disagree with. You’re listening to “The Story of Star Wars”, a 20th Century Fox LP from 1977. Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University Libraries. Image courtesy of Roger Schultz, used under Creative Commons license.

When Princess Leia stashed a message for Obi Wan Kenobi in an R2 unit, that’s D2 of course, he abandoned ship for the desert planet of Tattoine. Traveling with fellow droid C3P0, they’d meet up with a character George Lucas almost named Luke Starkiller. And, after surviving an ambush, they’d meet the man Luke called Old Ben. Check out more Star Wars episodes now at Soundbeat.org Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University Libraries. I’m Brett Barry. Image courtesy of Tim Simpson used under Creative Commons license.

You’re listening to the Story of Star Wars, a 20th Century Fox LP from 1977. After meeting Han Solo and Chewbacca in Mos Eisley, Luke, Ben and the droids persuade the duo to bring them to Leia’s home planet of Alderaan…which has been destroyed. Awkward…especially when they’re tractor-beamed onto Vader’s ship…which has one other special guest. Check out more Star Wars episodes now. Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University Libraries. I’m Brett Barry. Image courtesy of Johnny Silvercloud used under Creative Commons license.

You’re listening to the Story of Star Wars, a 20th Century Fox LP from 1977 and… You’re on the Sound Beat. Ah, the Force. A supernatural power that binds all entities throughout the universe. George Lucas would borrow the idea from many cultures: chi in traditional Chinese culture, mana in Hawaiian; in Hindu culture it’s “prana” the word translating directly as “life force”. And with the possible exception of light sabers, it’s just about the coolest part of the whole Star Wars universe. Image courtesy of Thomas S., used under Creative Commons license.

Well, unless you’re in an ice cave on Hoth, you probably recognize this one. It’s “The Story of Star Wars” and… You’re on the Sound Beat. Fall in love with a movie nowadays, you can watch it pretty much whenever you want; ask any parent of a Frozen fan. WHEN-EV-ER. But for a rabid Star Wars fan in 1977, your options were limited. You went to the movies, or you bought this, a 20th Century Fox LP. It featured dialogue and sound effects from the film, and was narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne. The record would go as gold as C-3PO. Image created by Andrew Forgrave, used under Creative Commons license.