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Bea Wain Collection

A largely self-taught singer, little Beatrice made her radio debut as a "featured performer" on the NBC Children's Hour she was later the featured singer on Your Hit Parade.

Bea Wain

25 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 11 hours, 19 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
12 Audio CDs


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Play a sample episode from July 25, 1946:

"Leave it To the Girls: Answer Questions Sent By Listeners"



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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Bea Wain
(1917 – 2017)

Bea WainBea Wain was one of the last well-known singers from the Big Band Era. She was born Beatrice Ruth Wain on April 30, 1917. A largely self-taught singer, little Beatrice made her radio debut as a "featured performer" on the NBC Children's Hour. She developed a smooth, understated swing style and eventually began performing with various dance bands around the city. In 1937, she recorded some songs with Artie Shaw and was credited as "Beatrice Wayne", which many people assumed to be her real name. Later record producers shortened her name (without consulting her) to better fit on disc labels, "They cut it to 'Bea' Wain. They cut the 'Beatrice' out to 'Bea.' I was just a little old girl singer, but that's the truth. So that's how my name became 'Bea Wain'".

Bea worked with a couple vocal groups, including "Bea and the Bachelors" and "V8" (seven men and a girl) on The Fred Waring Show. Successful arranger Larry Clinton (Tommy Dorsey, his brother Jimmy, Glen Gray, Bunny Berigan, and Louis Armstrong all used Clinton charts) decided to form his own band and signed with Victor Records and brought Bea on board to be his singer. Along with pop tunes, Clinton specialized in Swing up dates of classical melodies, sometimes adding lyrics. He added lyrics to Debussy's "Reverie" and then wrote the composer's estate to ask permission to record the song, which was vehemently denied. Clinton's outfit recorded it anyway and sent a copy to the Debussy estate. The estate replied that "If this girl sings it, OK." Bea had four number one hits, including "Cry, Baby, Cry", "Deep Purple", "Heart and Soul", and her signature song, "My Reverie". 

About the time Bea began considering a solo career, she married NBC announcer Andre' Baruch in 1939. The couple's honeymoon in Bermuda was cut short when Fred Allen called to convince Baruch to return to New York because Allen's announcer, Harry von Zell, had fallen ill. 

Bea WainLater when his country called, Baruch joined the Army and participated in the invasion of North Africa by establishing AFRS Broadcasting facilities in Algiers, Casablanca, Oran, Sicily, and Tunis. After mustering out as Major Baruch, Andre' and Bea began a husband-and-wife disc jockey program on WMCA as "Mr. and Mrs. Music", the show was later carried by the ABC and NBC networks. Bea became a featured singer for Your Hit Parade in 1944, which her husband announced for. They revived the format for local consumption after retiring to Palm Springs, Florida, in 1973, and after relocating to Beverly Hills nine years later hosted a syndicated version of Your Hit Parade spotlighting the hits of certain weeks during the Forties.

Andre' Baruch passed away on September 15, 1991, at the age of 83. He and Bea had been married for 53 of those years. Bea continued to perform into her nineties, and told an interviewer on Seattle's KUOW in 2007 that, "I knew exactly what I wanted to do, which was to be a singer". Bea Wain was 100-years-old when she passed away on August 19, 2017. A life that made her happy also made millions of listeners happy.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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    COMMENTS

    What a brilliant addition to the collection. Great live performances from one of the best girl singers of the big band era. Also, great value and easy download. Highly recommended people to deal with. Wish there was more Bea Wain material, but I will order again in the future.

    Dave Verified Purchase

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    25 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 11 hours, 19 min
    25 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 11 hours, 19 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 25 shows - total playtime 11 hours 19 minutes
    2. Alan Young Show 441226 026 Alan Wants To Be Reporter.mp3
    3. Big Band Spotlight Larry Clinton Bea Wain.mp3
    4. Christmas Shows Collection 691200 Monitor.mp3
    5. CP 420401 006 Kay Kyser Eddie Cantor Lou Holtz.mp3
    6. CP 440318 111 Bea Wain Johnny Mercer Cliff Nazarro.mp3
    7. Cpusa 420401 006 Kay Kyser Bea Wain E Cantor.mp3
    8. Dorothy Kilgallens Diary 451005 Shep Fields.mp3
    9. Eddy Duchin 08 Sometimes Im Happy.mp3
    10. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American .mp3
    11. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American.mp3
    12. Larry Clinton 381010 Intl Casino Nyc.mp3
    13. Larry Clinton 381115 Intl Casino Nyc 482.mp3
    14. Leave It To Girls 460726 Answer Questions Sent By Listeners.mp3
    15. Love Thy Neighbor 401217.mp3
    16. Lucky Strike Presents 23 Bea Wain.mp3
    17. Quaker Party 391001 Zasu Pitts.mp3
    18. Recollections At 30 570102 Ladies Night.mp3
    19. V Disc 001a Bea Wain Put Your Arms Around Me Honey.mp3
    20. Your All Time Hit Parade 440611 Jack Benny.mp3
    21. Your Hit Parade 430828 I Heard You Cried Last Night 8.mp3
    22. Your Hit Parade 431009 Paper Doll 4 Afrs.mp3
    23. Your Hit Parade 431016 All Or Nothing At All 7 Afrs.mp3
    24. Your Hit Parade 431106 I Heard You Cried Last Night 7 Afrs.mp3
    25. Your Hit Parade 440617 Amor 5.mp3
    26. Your Hit Parade 440722 Sweet Lorraine 7 Afrs.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    25 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 11 hours, 19 min
    25 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    total playtime 11 hours, 19 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 25 shows - total playtime 11 hours 19 minutes
    2. Alan Young Show 441226 026 Alan Wants To Be Reporter.mp3
    3. Big Band Spotlight Larry Clinton Bea Wain.mp3
    4. Christmas Shows Collection 691200 Monitor.mp3
    5. CP 420401 006 Kay Kyser Eddie Cantor Lou Holtz.mp3
    6. CP 440318 111 Bea Wain Johnny Mercer Cliff Nazarro.mp3
    7. Cpusa 420401 006 Kay Kyser Bea Wain E Cantor.mp3
    8. Dorothy Kilgallens Diary 451005 Shep Fields.mp3
    9. Eddy Duchin 08 Sometimes Im Happy.mp3
    10. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American .mp3
    11. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American.mp3
    12. Larry Clinton 381010 Intl Casino Nyc.mp3
    13. Larry Clinton 381115 Intl Casino Nyc 482.mp3
    14. Leave It To Girls 460726 Answer Questions Sent By Listeners.mp3
    15. Love Thy Neighbor 401217.mp3
    16. Lucky Strike Presents 23 Bea Wain.mp3
    17. Quaker Party 391001 Zasu Pitts.mp3
    18. Recollections At 30 570102 Ladies Night.mp3
    19. V Disc 001a Bea Wain Put Your Arms Around Me Honey.mp3
    20. Your All Time Hit Parade 440611 Jack Benny.mp3
    21. Your Hit Parade 430828 I Heard You Cried Last Night 8.mp3
    22. Your Hit Parade 431009 Paper Doll 4 Afrs.mp3
    23. Your Hit Parade 431016 All Or Nothing At All 7 Afrs.mp3
    24. Your Hit Parade 431106 I Heard You Cried Last Night 7 Afrs.mp3
    25. Your Hit Parade 440617 Amor 5.mp3
    26. Your Hit Parade 440722 Sweet Lorraine 7 Afrs.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    25 recordings on 12 Audio CDs. Total playtime 11 hours, 19 min
    25 recordings on 12 Audio CDs
    total playtime 11 hours, 19 min

    Bea Wain Disc A001

    1. Big Band Spotlight Larry Clinton Bea Wain

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A002

    1. Eddy Duchin 08 Sometimes Im Happy
    2. Lucky Strike Presents 23 Bea Wain
    3. V Disc 001a Bea Wain Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
    4. Larry Clinton 381010 Intl Casino Nyc
    5. Larry Clinton 381115 Intl Casino Nyc 482
    6. Quaker Party 391001 Zasu Pitts

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A003

    1. Love Thy Neighbor 401217

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A004

    1. CP 420401 006 Kay Kyser Eddie Cantor Lou Holtz
    2. Cpusa 420401 006 Kay Kyser Bea Wain E Cantor

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A005

    1. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American
    2. Keep Em Rolling 420517 28 I Am An American

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A006

    1. Your Hit Parade 430828 I Heard You Cried Last Night 8
    2. Your Hit Parade 431009 Paper Doll 4 Afrs

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A007

    1. Your Hit Parade 431016 All Or Nothing At All 7 Afrs
    2. Your Hit Parade 431106 I Heard You Cried Last Night 7 Afrs

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A008

    1. CP 440318 111 Bea Wain Johnny Mercer Cliff Nazarro
    2. Your All Time Hit Parade 440611 Jack Benny

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A009

    1. Your Hit Parade 440617 Amor 5
    2. Your Hit Parade 440722 Sweet Lorraine 7 Afrs

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A010

    1. Alan Young Show 441226 026 Alan Wants To Be Reporter
    2. Dorothy Kilgallens Diary 451005 Shep Fields
    3. Leave It To Girls 460726 Answer Questions Sent By Listeners

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A011

    1. Recollections At 30 570102 Ladies Night

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Bea Wain Disc A012

    1. Christmas Shows Collection 691200 Monitor

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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