Vintage Chart Toppers RTHK Radio 3.

20/07/2025

Sad news of the passing of vocalist Connie Francis.

The singer had recently enjoyed a career resurgence after her 1960s song Pretty Baby went viral.

20/07/2025

And here is the link for the show that went out on the 29th, June, 2025, with the music of Bob Wilber, Ruth Brown, Buddy Greco, and much more. Grab your cuppa and tune in to the hot days of radio here on RTHK Radio 3, Hong Kong.
https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/vintage_chart_toppers/episode/1031588

19/07/2025

Some hot music for a hot weekend: Here's another record from the estate of "Dr. Jazz," Dietrich Schulz Köhn, which he personally purchased in a record store on the Champs-Elysees in Paris in the year of its release, 1935, 90 years ago: "Ultrafox" (of course, a reference to the plastic label "Ultraphon") with the legendary Quintette du Hot Club de France featuring Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelly!

Keep Swinging!

https://youtu.be/zB89nrvNBkM?si=UKzgWG-vy869wzlK

18/07/2025

Here is the link for our summer show that went out on the 22nd, June, 2025. Lots of summer sounds here with Artie Shaw, Bea Wain, Jimmie Rogers and much more. Grab a nice cool drink, sit back for 30 mins and tune in to some vintage sounds of the summer here on RTHK Radio 3, Hong Kong.
https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/vintage_chart_toppers/episode/1029841

17/07/2025

JUMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY

This week, a drummer and orchestra leader seeing his musicians through their first recording session in 1937, for Bluebird records, a visit to the Savoy Hotel in London, 1927, and the last issued recording of the Savoy Havana Band.

Jumping to the 1950’s, we have a number one UK hit for a very young Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and we dive into the mailbag with a request for a very fine trumpet player covering Fats Waller. You too can send in a request or comment to [email protected]

13/07/2025

Lamma Island Discs
We’re off to the islands this Sunday morning to join long time Radio 3 supporter and Lamma legend, Dan Peterson. Dan has chosen a collection of classic island songs for us, including a 1957 tune from a probably forgotten movie called 'Coconut Woman'. There’s mighty theme from another movie and stage show, this time sung by capitol records top money making female artist of the time. Colin and Dan try to work out the deep, meaningful lyric to Satchmo’s ‘song of the island’, and we round things off with Something Smith And The Redheads.

See you at the ferry pier!

11/07/2025

Have a nice weekend everyone! Let's stay in summery climes for a bit longer, and with a label "with potential": Rot-Blau, here with a recording from the Fama / Pallas circle.
What the label isn't revealing is revealed on this record by chorus singer Raimund Gessner in a separate announcement. So I won't say which orchestra this is. Klick the link and you will know 😀
Otherwise: lucky is he who has his own little plot of land where he or she can enjoy the summer freshness.

https://youtu.be/bOdrwpQyS1o?si=U8b03Rj8JtRVrkl7

09/07/2025

And here's another fresh playlist, this time with some of the—in my opinion—most beautiful pieces from the Gerhard Hoffmann Dance Orchestra between 1928 and 1937. Enjoy your evening!

Gerhard Hoffmann und sein Tanzorchester prägten für rund zehn Jahre, von der Mitte der Weimarer Republik bis zum Ende der 30er Jahre, die Tanzorchesterszene ...

05/07/2025

Here is the VCT episode that went out on the 15th, June, 2025 with the sounds of Erroll Garner, Mike Daniels, Geraldo and a host of others from a bygone era. Remberder these 78's held the pop songs of the day and here they are on RTHK Radio 3, Hong Kong.
https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/vintage_chart_toppers/episode/1028578

05/07/2025

An interesting day yesterday, promoting Vintage Chart Toppers at the RTHK Radio 3 road show at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin. Lots of lovely people to talk to and to perform for with the VCT Syncopators (Dodo, Joe, Aki & myself) and the star of the show was my 1928 HMV 101 gramophone which was the year that RTHK was born, so many wanted to have a photo with the gramophone. Thanks to all the RTHK engineers and the team for looking after the show. A few photos and short video. The show goes out tomorrow at 8-30am, Sunday Hong Kong time on radio 3. Hong Kong.

04/07/2025

This weeks show was recorded on Friday the 4th of July in front of a live audience at New Town Plaza in Sha-Tin.

It’s part of a series of RTHK shows celebrating the world of vinyl and shellac recordings, plus, this week, live music from The VCT Syncopators, with Colin Aitchison on trumpet and wind-up record player!

Music from the roaring 20s through to the 1950s, both on portable gramophone and live from the band.