Alka-Seltzer Time
Encyclopedia
Baritone Curt Massey starred with Martha Tilton
Martha Tilton
Martha Tilton was an American popular singer, best-known for her 1939 recording of "And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman. She was sometimes introduced as The Liltin' Miss Tilton.Tilton and her family lived in Texas and Kansas, relocating to Los Angeles when she was seven years old...
when the program, sponsored by Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company. It was developed by Treneer in Elkhart Indiana. Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers,...
, began in 1949 as Curt Massey Time (sometimes advertised as Curt Massey Time with Martha Tilton) with a title change to highlight the sponsor's product by 1952. The announcer was Fort Pearson.
By 1953, the series was heard simultaneously on Mutual (at noon) and later that same day on CBS (at 5:45pm). Ads described the show as "informal song sessions" by vocalists Massey and Tilton, who was often billed as "the liltin' Martha Tilton." The two singers, both Texas-born, performed with Country Washburne and His Orchestra, featuring Charles LaVere on piano.
Songs included such tunes as "Honey, I'm in Love with You," "A Gambler's Guitar," "Just to Be with You," "Moonlight," "When Love Goes Wrong," "Choo Choo Train," "I've Got Spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle
Jingle Jangle Jingle
Jingle Jangle Jingle is a song written by Joseph J. Lilley and Frank Loesser, and published in 1942. It was featured in the film The Forest Rangers, in which it was sung by Dick Thomas....
," "Put on a Bonnet," "Collegiate," "On the Sunny Side of the Street
On the Sunny Side of the Street
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence....
," "Papaya Mama" and "Istanbul, Not Constantinople." There were some theme shows, such as "Go West", music from "Old Phonograph Records" and "Salute to Hawaii."
The series ended November 6, 1953. However, Massey and Tilton continued to appear together during the late 1950s on such shows as Guest Star and Stars for Defense. They also teamed to record an album, We Sing the Old Songs (1957). CD collections of Alka-Seltzer Time usually identify shows by the first performed song of each program. Today, Curt Massey is best remembered as the composer (with Paul Henning) and singer of the Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
theme song.