1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you asked always 3 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. Uh my name is Ben. 4 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: That's our super producer, the one and only Mr Max 5 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Williams on the ones and twos of super Production. I 6 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: guess and Noel, you're coming. You're coming from a different 7 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: place today, Huh, I'm coming in hot. If you hear 8 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: like some you know, sirens or like a car crash 9 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: or just people screaming, it's because I'm right by an 10 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: air conditioning window unit at a rented apartment in Bushwick. 11 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: I was on vacation and then it was like, oh no, 12 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: we got to record an episode. And then also the 13 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: WiFi stopped working. So I'm doing this really like roundabout 14 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: way of recording this right now. So uh, my apologies 15 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: for any um substandard quality of the audio. It'll still 16 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: be the crisp Noel Brown sound you're used to, which 17 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: you might hear some extra little goodies in the background, 18 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: like my flatmate Scott Um folding up the sheets so 19 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: we can get out of here in time for check out. 20 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: It's gonna it's gonna sound great. We're hearing you loud 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: and clear. And you know, one thing the pandemic has 22 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: taught me is to think of those extra kind of 23 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: unintended sounds or those uh Bob Ross happy mistakes. It's 24 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: just another part of entertainment. I think it was Franklin D. 25 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: Roosevelt who said entertainment is always a national asset, invaluable 26 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: in time of peace, it is indispensable in wartime. Well, 27 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: I feel like a national ass hat because of putting 28 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: you guys through the ringer with my weird situation. So 29 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: thank you for rolling with me um in this In 30 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: this episode today, which is as you were alluding to 31 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: about wartime, I named my file that I'm recording war pianos. 32 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: What does this mean, Ben, What does this mean? Ah? Yes, 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: war piano Well, as you pointed out my friend before 34 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: he started recording, this would be a great band name, 35 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: maybe an album name. But this is also a true story. 36 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: During World War Two. It turns out the Steinway and 37 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: Sons piano company created specially built pianos for US military troops, 38 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: and these were called the Victory Vertical. Sometimes they were 39 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: literally air dropped into conflicts just to provide a bit 40 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: of relaxation. And you know they were made in a 41 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: place not too far from where you're staying. They were 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: made in a factory based in Queens. That's right, the 43 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: Steinway and Son's factory in Queens. It was specifically a 44 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: factory where they manufacture these specialty pianos that were made 45 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: to be sold directly to the US government, you know. 46 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: And it's like imaginations can often run wild and ridiculous 47 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: history when we see these headlines before we dig deep in, 48 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: and in my mind, I I just kind of picturing 49 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: the sort of Fellini absurdist version of the story. We're 50 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: actually dropping pianos on the enemy, you know, because you know, 51 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: when you drop a piano from a great hight, it 52 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: makes a really terrifying sound. Also, I found this out 53 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: from a documentary. I can't remember exactly where I saw it. 54 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: But if you drop a piano and it like you know, survives, 55 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: as in it doesn't like completely, the strings don't just 56 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: completely you know, break and explode. And I used the 57 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: word explode not lightly, because if you are not careful 58 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: or if you are not like paying attention, it's almost 59 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: it becomes a ticking time bomb because if the the 60 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: I believe it's called the string bed or something like that, 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: the part of the piano where the strings run across. 62 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: If that gets cracked, then the piano becomes essentially unsound 63 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: structurally on sand down and it can you know, slowly 64 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: get to the point where that thing's gonna break. And 65 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: when you think happens when it breaks, boom Yeah, yeah, 66 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: literal explosion of piano wire and wood and strapnel. So 67 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: it could have been potentially a good weapon, but that 68 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: is not what we're talking about today. We're talking about 69 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: more of a way of uplifting the troops and giving 70 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: them a little bit of um, you know, uh, leisure 71 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: time or something to kind of like, you know, take 72 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: them away from the horrors of war. I like the idea, though, 73 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: it's a good point. I like the idea of every 74 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: piano being a potentially deadly pinata if you just catch 75 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: it on the wrong you know, catch it on the 76 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: wrong side of the strings, the wrong side of the strings. 77 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, yes, you're right. It's also uh, there's also 78 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: a boon to piano manufacturers. Let's let's dive in. Okay, 79 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: so we know that during World War two people were 80 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: still people. They a loved music, right and music was 81 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: bringing folks together, especially as troops were scattered across the 82 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: European and Pacific theater. There's something different here because in 83 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: World War One radio wasn't really a thing for the 84 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: average person. But in World War Two, by December over 85 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: like nine six point two per cent of people owned radios, 86 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: and so millions of Americans would gather around and listen 87 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: to music, listen to news from the front. This unified people. 88 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: They had this massive, amazing effect on morale, and this 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: is something that government officials recognized. They started thinking about 90 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: how to keep the spirits of soldiers up despite the 91 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: horrors of war. Expect the idea of morale isn't just 92 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: like a pr thing. I mean, it can actually affect 93 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: how soldiers behave you know, in the line of duty, 94 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: how alert they are, and how you know, behind the 95 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: cause they are, because I mean it's when when people 96 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: start really feeling despaired or you know, homesick. It can 97 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: absolutely affect the way they fight, uh and the efficiency 98 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: with which they you know, conduct themselves in the field 99 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: of battle. So what was the best way to keep 100 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: soldiers morale up was a very important question that the 101 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: government had to figure out during World War Two, because 102 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: this is also an absolutely unprecedentedly nasty war. It was absolutely, very, 103 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: very traumatic for all of these soldiers and their families. 104 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: UM Michigan Radio dot org has a fantastic article about 105 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: the push to get pianos to the front lines that 106 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 1: talks about a lot of this stuff. Highly recommend checking 107 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: that one out. But the government ultimately figured out the 108 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: most efficient and powerful and doable way to keep the 109 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: soldiers morales up was by essentially shipping them or air 110 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: dropping them pianos. But not just any pianos. These were 111 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: pianos that had to be specially designed and reinforced uh 112 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: so that they could actually be parachuted into conflict zones. 113 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: Jonathan Piper, who manages artifacts and exhibitions at the Museum 114 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, which has like a 115 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: place I would love to go to. This place also 116 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: has uh some several examples of the pianos from this 117 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: Victory Vertical project in their collection, and he goes on 118 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: to talk about the military legacy of the Steinway and 119 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: Sons Company. The president at the time UM had four 120 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: sons that were in the military themselves, so he had 121 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: actual skin in the game, and the company had um 122 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: already kind of shifted their production to building things like 123 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: tails and wings and parts you know, for military transport 124 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: like gliders and all of that. And because of that, 125 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: they already had these parts to kind of bolster these 126 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: pianos and make them ready to go to be air 127 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: dropped into these very dangerous zones. Yeah, exactly. And this 128 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: is part of a larger trend that we see in manufacturing. 129 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: During World War Two, majority of US industry shifted to 130 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: a wartime economy. It didn't episode about this for car 131 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: stuff a while back, you know. Only it's not fair 132 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: to say that auto production numbers dropped. They disappeared, and 133 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,239 Speaker 1: all the automakers were making stuff for the war. And 134 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: of course people at Steinway and Sons are also able 135 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: to push their manufacturing base into products that will benefit 136 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 1: the war effort. The thing with this idea of Uncle 137 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: Sam saying, hey, make us pianos. We will pay you 138 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: a guaranteed amount of money, and we need this many pianos. 139 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: The thing that's cool about that is that that could 140 00:08:55,200 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 1: make the difference between the business staying afloat were going broke. 141 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: But there was a catch, because these pianos might need 142 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: to be air dropped. So just any normal old piano 143 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: is not going to it's not gonna do the deed. 144 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: If you ever moved to piano, you know, it's a 145 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: pain just when it's on the ground. So not only that, 146 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: I mean it's such a it's such a particular piece 147 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: of you know, kit that typically there are whole companies 148 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: that are devoted to just moving pianos because you have 149 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: to handle in a certain way because like I said, 150 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 1: they could be really dangerous if something gets cracked and 151 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: literally you know, you can have exploding wires, you know, 152 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: coming for you. This is the part of the story 153 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: that I find really interesting, like specifically how they kind 154 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: of ruggedised, you know, wartime ified these pianos really interesting 155 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: and clever, um and specific stuff that you wouldn't necessarily 156 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: think unless you were a piano person. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Now, 157 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: the Steinway Company at this point is already famous for 158 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: the high quality of its musical instruments, but these are 159 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: these are pretty much works of art, right, They're quite fragile. 160 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: You have to be careful with them. So they needed 161 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 1: to figure out how to design a piano that was 162 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: super durable and with this, we want to give a 163 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 1: shout out to Atlas Obscure with their excellent article When 164 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: the Pianos Went to War by Wennie Lee. This article 165 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: also introduces us to Jonathan Piper, who's the manager of 166 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: artifacts and exhibitions at that Museum of Making Music over 167 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: in Carl's Bad, and he points out that Steinway needed 168 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: to not only create a piano that could take a beating, 169 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: but they also had to create a piano that was 170 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: cheap to manufacture. They hadn't be careful with their materials 171 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: because you know, there was a let rationing going on. 172 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: There were a lot of shortages, and this is where 173 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: we see some of those features they talked about, like 174 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,959 Speaker 1: it doesn't have legs because legs would break off when 175 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: you drop it from the air. So I think they 176 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: used a different kind of glue as well. The list 177 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: goes on, Oh, they also don't have ivory keys. That's 178 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: where it was a water resistant glue, which makes sense. 179 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: They used something that's referred to in the aueb Secure 180 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: article as anti insect treatments, which I guess makes sense 181 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: because the piano is sort of a cavernous thing where 182 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: if you had like insects the guy in there, and 183 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: like you know, bread could be a real problem and 184 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: it could carry you know, the potentially disease carrying uh insects, 185 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: you know, into a area with lots of you know, 186 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: infectable humans, even if it's just something like light right 187 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: or something like you know, bed bugs. Maybe I'm just 188 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: guessing here, but that seems like the reason for that 189 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: UM and the keys were covered with celluloid instead of ivory. 190 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: And here's some of the little specific details that I 191 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 1: think you're interesting, because you're right, this was obviously an 192 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: important thing for the military brass and the idea of 193 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: you know, making sure that the morale was up. But 194 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: the materials were really precious and they had to be 195 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: you know, used to make things like weapons, actual weapons 196 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,719 Speaker 1: of war and transport we were talking about, which is 197 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: what the sign Way Company was already UM partly had 198 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: shifted partly to manufacture, so they needed to use as 199 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: little metal as possible in one of these UM specifically 200 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: a tenth of the metal that would have been used 201 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: in the normal piano. UM. So in order to do that, 202 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: for example, the base strings, the really low rumbly strings 203 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: on the left side of of the piano um were 204 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: wrapped in soft iron instead of copper, for example, and 205 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: they were able to reduce the metal in the piano, 206 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: not only because it saved them those precious materials, but 207 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 1: also made it where four soldiers could carry the thing. 208 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: It was still four and fifty five pounds, but they 209 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:54,839 Speaker 1: had to make it where you know, it was doable 210 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 1: because it would be dropped into a place where within 211 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: me intercepted and they have to carry it back to 212 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: the base. And they also I believe, like added like 213 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: handles on the side that would allow them to do 214 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: just that. Yeah. Yeah, and this also has visually it's different. 215 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: It has olive green blue and gray paint job instead 216 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: of like a classy dark wood finish. It like a 217 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: Camo piano. Right essentially, yes, yes, a Camo piano piano 218 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: will work on it. So they the this These are 219 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: like you said, these are lightweight. They're designed to be 220 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: able to move. According to a professor at Eastern Michigan University, 221 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: concert pianist Garrick Peterson, who is heading the Victory Vertical project, 222 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:45,839 Speaker 1: these pianos, the Victory Verticals or o g s as 223 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: we'll find uh only had about thirty three pounds of metal. 224 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: For comparison, a normal upright piano would have about three 225 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: hundred pounds of metal, so they cut a lot out right. 226 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it really is very ingenious the way they 227 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: were able to figure out how to do this while 228 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: making the thing sound like a Steinway and Sons piano. 229 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: You know, yeah, And you know that one of the 230 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: only unmusical things about this was the official government name, 231 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,839 Speaker 1: which was the Olive Drab Government Issue Field Piano abbreviated 232 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: to O G. Alive Drab is I think the most 233 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: like I like, you know, uh, it's definitely odd. Olive 234 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: drab to me is like the most depressing sounding name 235 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: for a color ever. Um. Then I don't know why. 236 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: I think it's just the word drab. Um. But the 237 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: thing that's neat too is Steinway. It was such a 238 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,359 Speaker 1: legacy brand already at that point, they've been making pianos 239 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: before even the metal frame piano became a thing that 240 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: wasn't patented until eighteen five. So this is like a 241 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: very old company that had that had experienced kind of 242 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: making pianos without metal frames, so they were uniquely positioned 243 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: to be helpful in this A whole operation. Um Vertical 244 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: Horizon getting it's not what it's called. It's called Operation 245 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: Victory Vertical, but Vertical Horizon did have a banger two 246 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,239 Speaker 1: um back in the early Absolutely. Yes, so these um 247 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: this task of getting these pianos and bringing them out 248 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: to people fighting on the front falls do something called 249 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: the Special Services, which was the entertainment wing of the U. S. 250 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: Army Service Forces. Is that like the US or what 251 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: they're connecting to. Yeah, like yeah, I believe so. So 252 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: the Special Service, Uh, their entire job is to keep 253 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: that morale high. So they're the ones who are in 254 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: charge of the logistics here. Steinway, when they get this deal, 255 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: they go on to make more than three thousand of 256 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: these specially designed pianos between nineteen forty one and into 257 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three. During the Korean War, Uh, they were 258 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: dropped into the field by parachute and they would come 259 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: with tuning equipment and instructions. And that's kind of weird. 260 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: It feels stressful to already be in a battle and say, okay, 261 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: now it's time to teach myself to tune a piano. 262 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: Everybody be quiet for a second. I will tell you 263 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: I don't own an acoustic piano, but I do own 264 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: an auto harp, which is similar mechanism like string wise, Um, 265 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: you know, it's all of these strings that are connected, 266 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: um with these kind of like keys that you have 267 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: to tighten with an Allen wrench or like almost like 268 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: a ratchet. So you have to have a special wrench 269 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: that that you know, even can like turn the thing 270 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: to tune it. And then there's so many strings that there, 271 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: you know, each one has to be kind of tuned individually, 272 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: so it takes a long time and requires quite a 273 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: lot of precision, and it's not something that really just 274 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: any you know, kind of novice could do. I just 275 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: looked up them. My internet came back, by the way, 276 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: how about that. UM. I just looked up Victory vertical 277 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: pianos for sale, UM, and I found one. It is 278 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,719 Speaker 1: twenty thousand English pounds. It is really neat looking. It 279 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: is as advertised beent. It is this olive drab. It 280 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:12,479 Speaker 1: looks exactly like a government issue anything. It's a government 281 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: issue piano might as well be a freaking pharmacist, you know. 282 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: But it just has keys on it and it's got like, 283 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: you know the place where the music stand would come 284 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: out it looks like it's kind of like ratcheted shut, 285 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: almost like a like a window that's got boards on it. 286 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: Um and it's got it's an upright piano like you 287 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: picture like a honky tonk kind of like barroom piano. 288 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: And then it shows on this page the container that 289 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: it was actually dropped in. It's not just dropped keys out, 290 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: you know, like ready to go. It's in like a 291 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: giant wooden packing container. But what a cool group of 292 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 1: photos here because it shows a bunch of army buddies 293 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: gathered around the thing with one guy playing and everyone 294 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,880 Speaker 1: else just kind of pounding around, leaning leaning on the piano. 295 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: I mean it really you can see what an effect 296 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: on their moral it had, Like they're very bad and 297 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: just kicking it, you know, absolutely, Lee, you know this. 298 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: And these weren't all exclusively dropped out of parachutes. A 299 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 1: lot of them were trucked two different USO centers. Uh, 300 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: some of them were even on submarines, so they like 301 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: imagine installing a piano on a World War Two era submarine, 302 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,360 Speaker 1: this piano in the submarine. Yeah, it was actually put 303 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: in before the submarine was fully constructed. They kind of 304 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 1: built the piano into the thing. So when the submarine 305 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: got decommissioned, they couldn't get rid of the piano without 306 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: taking apart the entire boat because, as you can imagine, 307 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: space is tight on submarines. I was about to say, yeah, 308 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: how do you even that? Seems like the last thing 309 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: he'd be willing to sacrifice space for it on a submarine, 310 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: and they maybe needed to build a submarine version. Somebody 311 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: probably slept on top of the piano. That's a good point. 312 00:18:53,720 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: It's a good point. I love that you're mentioning this 313 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: image of people coming together and uh singing right and 314 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,439 Speaker 1: playing music. This is a crucial point to acknowledge because 315 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: the World War two US Army was a draft army, 316 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 1: meaning people were conscripted, meaning these weren't necessarily career soldiers. Right, 317 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: you'd have musicians. You have people who ordinarily we're just 318 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: like playing the piano for a living, who got dressed 319 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: into the military. So imagine how cool it is when 320 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: you know, you and your crew see one of these 321 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: pianos getting dropped, and then the guy you know from 322 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,199 Speaker 1: Missouri or whatever who plays piano, It's like, oh, I 323 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 1: could go nuts on this for days. That's amazing. Well, 324 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: and let's think about it. I mean, back then the 325 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: piano really was like the sort of jukebox of its time, 326 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: or like think about like you know, the old images 327 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: of the Old West with the saloon and the piano player, 328 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: like that is where the music came from. This was 329 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: like a human you know, juke box, and the pianos 330 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: that were shipped as part of this program came with 331 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: sheet music, and it would have been like popular tunes 332 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: of the time, like like classics, you know, like things 333 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: like Chopin or whatever, or like maybe more like ragtime 334 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: kind of tunes, but also would have had things like 335 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: pimnals like Protestant hymnals or patriotic kind of raw raw 336 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: you know, sing alongs uh and and stuff like that 337 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: that everyone would have been super familiar with, and that 338 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: anyone who would have been a pianist at the time 339 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: would have been schooled in music reading most almost definitely. 340 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: I mean that was just like part came came with 341 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: a territory. It wasn't like there was any free jazz 342 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 1: guys that were sitting down and just kind of like 343 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: popping up. But even those guys came from usually very 344 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 1: specific kind of classical roots or you know, academic music training. 345 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: That's how music was viewed in those days. Yea. And 346 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: by the very end of the war, in total, remember 347 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: earlier we said they'd made over three thousand victory verticals 348 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: exclusively for the military. They also made others that went 349 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 1: to churches or school so all at all, they made 350 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: ballpark five thousand of these things. And you know, these 351 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: things are durable, like you were saying, well you can 352 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: if you have the scratch for it. Even by one 353 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: today we know also that Steinway didn't just make pianos. No, 354 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: we talked about earlier on. They were making like things 355 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: like gliders, you know, like for paragliders or whatever, and 356 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: other bits and parts and stuff that would have made 357 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: sense based on their supply chain. But one thing that 358 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: absolutely makes sense because if you think about it, what 359 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: is a piano if not kind of a coffin with 360 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: like strings and keys. Um, it really is. It's gotta 361 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: it's got a hinged lid. Um, it's it's a it's 362 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: a giant case that houses stuff. Um. So that was 363 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 1: one of the things they made, was coffins. Um, and 364 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,360 Speaker 1: then they shipped it to making these victory verticals. And 365 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: when you think about the fact that only five thousand 366 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: of these things ever existed, I don't think twenty thousand 367 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 1: English pounds that much of a stretch. I mean, this 368 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: is absolutely a museum piece. You know, Um, I don't know. 369 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: You guys want to pull our pull our coins and 370 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: get one from the studio, you know, why don't. Yeah, 371 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 1: we'll put it next to that gigantic, uh gigantic Grandfather 372 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: clock that we we use with the quister. So we 373 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: owe thanks to Professor Peterson over there at Eastern Michigan 374 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:31,119 Speaker 1: University because he has been so instrumental in telling the 375 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:35,239 Speaker 1: story of a vertical victory piano. I'm not taking it back, 376 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: We're leaving it m x uh. And he said that 377 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: he had not heard of this story until twent and 378 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: he learned about it when he actually got to sit 379 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: down with Henry Steinway of the Steinways, the last member 380 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: of the family that had been involved in the Steinway company, 381 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: and he uh. The way Peterson says is, I sat 382 00:22:57,960 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: down and I just asked him a ton of question 383 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: and one of them was tell me something you're really 384 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: proud of. And he had no idea that this story existed. 385 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 1: He thought he was the last person on earth to 386 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: hear about it, and he started talking to his friends, 387 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: other musicians, other professors, other pianists, and no one knew 388 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: about it. So thank you Professor Peterson for bringing this 389 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: story to the world. Absolutely, and in the story kind 390 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: of does uh it's sort of the beginning of a 391 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: trajectory of this whole idea of getting music to the troops. Right. 392 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: You know, the radio was tough because you're abroad, so 393 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: those broadcast signals have to be you know, local and like, 394 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: you know, supported by the local regime. So if you're 395 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: in a hostile territory, it's harder to you know, I mean, 396 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: I guess they could have set up a I'm sure 397 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: they did if you think about things like Good Morning 398 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: Vietnam later, where they had like, you know, radio for 399 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: the troops on base. But this was an easier solution, 400 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: as logistically complicated as it sounds. But in the dawn 401 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: of recorded music, right um, which was a little bit later, 402 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 1: you started to get, uh, sort of an escalation of 403 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 1: this whole thing, and then something that woul ultimately be easier. 404 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: The American Federation of Musicians or a fm UM did 405 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: a strike from nineteen forty two to ninety four UM 406 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: over Surprise Surprise disputes over royalties. So there was literally 407 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: no music being recorded for record labels in the US 408 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: during that span of time. And again I know that 409 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: radio and theatrollas and things like that recorded music. Sort 410 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: of we're happening at the same time, but this was 411 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: sort of in the heyday of like people being able 412 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,959 Speaker 1: to afford, you know, to have music, recorded music at 413 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: the house. So the Army essentially started its own label, 414 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,439 Speaker 1: UM got a pass and more like called scabs or whatever. 415 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: So they were able to round up some of the 416 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: biggest music stars of the UH and created something called 417 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: V discs um V standing for Victory and they were 418 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,199 Speaker 1: record exclusively for the troops again sort of like the 419 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: U s so Vibe in the live you know, show set, 420 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: but in recorded music. And then these were shipped overseas. 421 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: We actually have a clip here of what one of 422 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: those sounded like. Come in in on a wing and 423 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: a friend, co man on a wing and a friend. 424 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: So there's one motor gone. We can still carry on 425 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: man then on a wing and a friend. What a show. Yeah, 426 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: we really hit our targets for the night. How we're 427 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: saying as we live look below, as our fields over 428 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 1: saying with our pull through afore and our drugs in 429 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: the dawn on A and a Friend. Wonderful and what 430 00:26:54,160 --> 00:27:00,040 Speaker 1: better way to draw today's episode to a close. No, 431 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: I'm always so glad to hear from you, and I'm 432 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: so glad that you're having adventures up there in the 433 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: Big Apple thinks as well to the one and only 434 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: Mr Max Williams thinks the Casey Pegram. And thanks to 435 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: Alex Williams who composed not that music you just heard, 436 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: but the the soundtrack for our show, which I think 437 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: you're hearing now absolutely, which consequently would have become the 438 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: sound we will have by this point become the soundtrack 439 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: of many of your lives. So Alex Williams reaching out 440 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: from beyond now that he's like dead or anything, he's 441 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: just not here with us now, he would absolutely have 442 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: been the guy in the army who would have been 443 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: banging out some awesome tunes on one of those vertical 444 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: victory verticals. Alex is an excellent Okay, Max Okay triggered, 445 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: Uh No, I've definitely been to like you know then 446 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: you you learn an improv guy and um, they're back 447 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: pre pandemic times. Hopefully, I think it's coming back. But 448 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: there's a venue where you always used to do improv 449 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: shows called the Highland in ballroom, and you'll recall that 450 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: in the uh little foyer before you go into the 451 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: you know, the part where you see did and watch 452 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: the show is an upright piano and I remember distinctly 453 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: taking Alex to one of those in him playing it 454 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: quite loudly for a borderline inappropriate amount. Yeah, yeah, let 455 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: me jump in here on that. I remember Alex doing 456 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: that all the time, but not at a bar or ballroom, 457 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: but at our apartment every single day. The man's best 458 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: song in his heart. The man's got a song in 459 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,360 Speaker 1: his heart, and springing a step in your right bend 460 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: practice does make perfect. But he would have been absolutely 461 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 1: at home in the military sitting at one of these 462 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: upright pianos. So Alex here in spirit along with Christopher 463 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: Haciots and Eves, Jeff Coats and Ben thank you as well, 464 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: and sorry again for any weird bush wicky noises that 465 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: you guys may have heard, but we made it through. 466 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 1: It was a little shorter one, but really sweet one. 467 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: If you ask well, you know, you know my history man. 468 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: I've been recording in across the Pacific and undisclosed locations, etcetera. 469 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: It's just it's part of the gig and sometimes it 470 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: can be fun to record in a new place and 471 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: tell a new story. Also thanks to the one and 472 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: only Jonathan Strickland, a k a. The Quister, who may 473 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: sooner rather than later drop in on our show just 474 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: like a victory vertical falling from the sky, but more 475 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: like one of these scary exploding types that I mentioned 476 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: at the top of the show. Well, you know, we'll 477 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: we'll see we'll, we'll we'll cross that root becom when 478 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: we get there, only time with We'll see you next time, folks. 479 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I 480 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 481 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.