WOR Jean Shepherd - theme song - Bahn Frei (Fast Track)

[Hawkeye752]

He was great with the spoken word over the radio...the only left is Charles Osgood of CBS.



[barrhavener]

The Orchestra who played this was actually the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by the late Arthur Fiedler (I happen to have the CD by RCA).

Originally Eduard Strauss wrote this song to describe railway track, not race track ---- see the performance of this masterpiece by Andre Rieu here in You Tube. But the famous Arthur Fiedler re-arranged the music to describe race track, adding the US Cavalry Bugle First Call to the start of the Polka.

[525wireman]

@barrhavener Thank you for the actual facts about this classic piece of music. I knew that this version was by the Boston Pops but didn't know it was originally written about rail track. The Andre Rieu arrangement is excellent!

[barrhavener]

@525wireman

Yes. from rail track to race track. Both conductors (the late Arthur Fiedler and the current Andre Rieu) are great musicians. Add the Strauss family, and it makes music so fascinating!

NOTE: that does not mean I do not like John Williams and Keith Lockhart. In fact, the Boston Pops is my favourite orchestra for all those years, including the Star War era. Next time I visit Boston, I will try to get their concert ticket.

[royshein]

I listened to him a lot. He was amazing.

[estevek56]

What was Jean Shepherd's weird mystery mood music? Apparently, it was some avant garde piece.

[jerseybookguy]

In the 1970s, I listened for this song on WOR-AM at 9:15 every Monday through Friday evening on my old Panasonic alarm clock radio. This song set the proper mood for the next 45 minutes of programming. When the song ended, there was something special about to come across the airwaves and it did. Sadly, the music began once again about two minutes before 10:00. Then, that night's show was over. But in between, Shep spoke, you listened and your auditory senses were stimulated and gratified.

[z5hmg]

"Bahn Frei" is what gets shouted at you if you're in the way of a sled going downhill at high speed. A bit like "four!" in golf - you run for the ditch, or cover your head, or whatever!

[durphy]

I kept waiting throughout the recording for him to start with his lackadaisical , "Da dya da chi......".

[SuperNovember28]

I listened to this every nite on wor in the 50's

[TFABMN]

Thanks so much for that info!

[TFABMN]

I was a devoted listener in the sixties. I would like to get this version of Bahn Frei. Please tell me the particulars, like the artist, label, cat #. I've downloaded several versions and all have been incorrect. thanks so much.

[TheBerkshire759]

@TFABMN Arthur fiedler and the boston pops

[peterann1]

I had two radios running. One zero beated color burst freq 3.57954526 Mc which came alive from W1AW for my code practice. Other was AM om WOR listening for the intro of Sheps broadcast. TNX + 73 de Peter, WB2SGT