Little Songs On Big Subjects

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 1949

Label: Argosy Music Corp.

In 1946, Ted Cott, as program director for radio station WNEW, commissioned Hy Zaret and Lou Singer to write a series of one minute "jingles" on racial understanding and Americanism. The resulting collection of 12 songs was called Little Songs on Big Subjects. WNEW transcribed 5 of them and aired them as what later became known as Public Service Announcements (PSAs). The Institute for Democratic Education made them available to stations throughout the U.S., and the songs aired daily on hundreds of radio stations. By 1949, an executive from WNEW estimated the songs had aired half a million times.

The original recordings featured The Bachelors, with Ray Porter arranger and conductor. In 1947, Argosy published a songbook with cover illustration by Roger Duvoisin, and VOX Records released an album (VOX VSP 306) in their Spotlight Series, with cover art by Don Shapiro.

In January 1949, a new record featuring The Jesters with Roy Ross and his orchestra was released with 11 songs. It did not include "The Poor Old World." The cover design was by Otto Soglow.

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