GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW
1952 - 1954

Following Chesterfield's announcement in April of 1952 that it would no longer sponsor his radio variety show, Bing reached an agreement with Coca Cola in June to be his sponsor. The next month, however, Coca Cola and Bing parted company, apparently over an investment conflict of interest. Instead, the final two years of Bing's prime-time network variety show on CBS were sponsored by General Electric. The first season was broadcast on Thursday evenings; the second season on Sunday evenings. For the second season Bing replaced his traditional "Blue of the Night" theme song with an instrumental song he called "Bing's Theme" composed by Victor Young. Most of the GE shows were assembled, the songs pre-recorded and the applause and laughter canned. The first season was marred by the death of Bing's wife, Dixie Lee, from ovarian cancer. As a result Bing was absent from the Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 broadcasts. Jimmy Stewart and Judy Garland took over duties as host of these shows. Rosemary Clooney and Bing's sons, especially Gary, were frequent guests these final two years. What follows is a list of the broadcasts, principal guests and songs sung by Bing from the two GE seasons. Joining Bing on all the broadcasts are his announcer, Ken Carpenter, and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra. Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires provided vocal accompaniment for Bing throughout the first GE season.

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-9-52) w JANE WYMAN, JOE VENUTI
Feet Up
Til the End of the World
Just Crazy for Me (Wyman)
Zing a Zong (w Wyman)
Auf Wiedersehn

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-16-52) w BELL SISTERS, HELEN O'CONNELL
Transcript (PDF)
Open Up Your Heart
Just for You
There's a Ship Comin' In (Bell Sisters)
Zing a Little Zong (w Bell Sisters)
Til the End of the World
You Like (O'Connell)
Walking My Baby Back Home (w O'Connell)
You Belong to Me

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-23-52) w JIMMY STEWART
Feet Up
Wish You Were Here
Somebody Loves Me
Auf Wiedersehn

[Bing missed the next two weeks due to the death
of his wife, Dixie Lee, from ovarian cancer.]

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-13-52) w DINAH SHORE, JOE VENUTI
Just You, Just Me
Open up Your Heart
You'll Never Get Away (w Shore)
Sleepy Time Gal
Doodle Do Do (w Shore)
You Belong to Me

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-20-52) w DINAH SHORE, JOE VENUTI
Glow Worm
The Live Oak Tree
Takes Two to Tango (w Shore)
Dinah
Silver Bells (w Shore)
Wish You Were Here

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-27-52) w CONNIE BOSWELL
Just You, Just Me
Wish You Were Here
Some Sunny Day
That's a Plenty (w Boswell)
Keep it a Secret
Live Oak Tree
You Belong to Me

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-4-52) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY, CHRISTIAN FOURCADE
Sleigh Ride
You'll Never Know (Clooney)
The Merry-Go-Run-Around (w Clooney)
White Christmas

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-11-52) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Open Up Your Heart
Because You're Mine
Who Kissed Me (Clooney)
Two to Tango (w Clooney)
Silver Bells (w Clooney)
To See You is to Love You

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-18-52) w ELLA FITZGERALD, JOE VENUTI
Sleigh Bell Serenade
Some Sunny Day
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (w Ella)
To See You is to Love You

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-25-52) w GARY CROSBY
Adeste Fideles
Come all Ye Faithful
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Sleigh Bell Serenade
Jingle Bells (w Gary)
The Christmas Song
White Christmas
Silent Night

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-1-53) w ELLA FITZGERALD
Open Up Your Heart
Keep It a Secret
Chicago Style (w Ella)
Medley: Because Your Mine, You Belong to Me, Wish You Were Here

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-8-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Sleigh Ride
Takes Two to Tango (w Clooney)
Keep it a Secret

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-15-53) w BOB HOPE, ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Glow Worm
I Do (Clooney)
Chicago Style (w Clooney)
Open Up Your Heart (w Hope & Clooney)
Heart and Soul

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-22-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
South Ramparts Street Parade (w Clooney)
Lovely for Ducks (Clooney)
Heart and Soul
I Never Knew
You'll Never Know (Clooney)
Something to Remember You By (w Clooney)

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-29-53) w KAY STARR, JOE VENUTI
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes 
Keep it a Secret
Side by Side (w Starr) 
After You've Gone 
Because You're Mine

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-5-53) w KAY STARR, JOE VENUTI
Lady of Spain
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
The Breeze (w Starr) 
Sleepy Time Gal
Why Don't You Believe Me?

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-12-53) w JACK BENNY
Glow Worm, 
Heart and Soul

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-19-53) w JOANNE GILBERT, JOE VENUTI
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes 
I'm Trying to Forget You
Chicago Style (w Gilbert)
You Don't Know What Lonesome Is 
Why Don't You Believe Me?

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-26-53) w PEGGY LEE
Lady of Spain
Til I Waltz Again with You
Just One of Those Things (P Lee)
That's a Plenty (w Lee)
Keep It a Secret
June in January

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-5-53) w JIMMY BOYD, JOE VENUTI
Bye Bye Blues
My Devotion
Early Bird (Boyd)
Open Up Your Heart (w Boyd)
Quizas
Why Don't You Believe Me?

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-12-53) w JAMES STEWART, JOE VENUTI
Jeepers Creepers
Til I Waltz Again with You
Two-Shillelagh O'Sullivan

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-19-53) w DINAH SHORE, JOE VENUTI
Mr.Tap Toe
Mexicali Rose
You're in Avalon Town
Harbor Lights (w Shore)

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-26-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Bye bye blues
You can't blame a fool in love
Haven't got a worry (Clooney)
You're Just in Love (w Clooney)
It's Only a Paper Moon (w Clooney)
MandyHeart and soul

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-2-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Way down yonder in New Orleans
Why did I leave Ohio?
Who kissed me last night (Clooney)
Chicago style (w Clooney)
Easter parade (w Clooney)
One little candle

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-9-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Mr. Tap Toe
What would you do? (Clooney)
People will say we're in love (w Clooney)
Lazy medley
Only Forever (w Clooney)

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-16-53) w GEORGE KEINAPAU, JOE VENUTI
Wild Horses
Til I waltz again with you
Keep it a secret
It's you I adore
Hawaiian wedding song
There's music in you
A quiet girl

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-23-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY, JOE VENUTI
Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
There's Music in You
Tenderly (Clooney)
April in Paris
These Foolish Things (w Clooney)
We Couldn't Say Goodbye (w Clooney)
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (w Clooney
Quiet Girl

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-30-53) w BELL SISTERS, JOE VENUTI
Wild Horses
April in Portugal
The Dance of Love (Bell Sisters)
Wait Til the Sun Shines Nellie (w Bell Sisters)
Do You Ever Think of Me?
Blue Tango (Joe Venuti)
Salome (w Joe Venuti)
Hushabye

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-7-53) w JOE VENUTI
Wild Horses
And the Angels Sing
Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider
My Devotion
Hawaiian Paradise
I Love You

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-14-53) w JIMMY BOYD
Deed I Do
Salome with the Seven Veils
Little But Loud (Boyd)
Small Fry (w Boyd)
Wild Horses
Hushabye

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-21-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI (from France)
Mademoiselle du Paris
Hello young lovers
My truly fair (Lindsay)
Sleepy time gal
A quiet girl
Some enchanted evening

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-28-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
Lady of Spain
Domino
My Truly Fair (Lindsay)
Embrasse moi bien
Somebody loves me
There's music in you

JACK BENNY SHOW (6-1-53) w BING CROSBY
Open Up Your Heart
Bing Crosby's biography
Way Back Home (w Bob Crosby)

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (6-4-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
All My Love
Valencia
Granada
Belle of Barcelona (w Lindsay)
Do You Ever Dream of Me?
Summertime

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (6-11-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
Mademoiselle du Paris
Domino
Oolala Qui Qui
Down on the Farm (Lindsay)
Qui Qui Marie
I Never Knew
Embrasse moi bien
You Go to My Head

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (6-18-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
Valencia
River Seine
Tenderfoot
If It's All the Same to You (w Lindsay)
Begin the Beguine
Violets and Violins (in French)

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (6-25-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
Mademoiselle du Paris
Night and Day
Belle of Barcelona (w Lindsay)
You Go to My Head
Some Enchanted Evening

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (7-2-53) w LINDSAY CROSBY, JOE VENUTI
All My Love
A Quiet Girl
Mon Coeur 
Est un Violon
Cele M'est Egale
La Seine
Granada
Summertime

///////////// END OF 1ST GE SEASON ////////////

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (9-27-53) w GARY CROSBY
1. Down the Riverside
2. Vaya con Dios
3. What a Little Moonlight Can Do (w Gary)
4. Embrasse moi Bien
5. Magic Window

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-4-53) w GARY CROSBY
1. Keep it Gay
2. Violets and Violins
3. Tenderfoot
4. Hey Joe (Gary)
5. Down by the Riverside (w Gary)
6. Mademoiselle du Paris
7. Song of India (Trotter orchestra)
8. No Other Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-11-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. C.O.D. to Me
2. I Love Paris
3. Lonely Am I (Clooney(
4. That's Amore (w Clooney)
5. Ol' Virginia
6. Lost Cord
7. Little Brown Jug (w Clooney)
8. Genevieve (w Clooney)
9. Ebb Tide (Trotter orchestra)
10. Easy to Remember

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-18-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. They All Laughed
2. P.S. I Love You
3. You're in Kentucky (Clooney)
4. Allez Vous Aime
5. Shine on Harvest Moon / Buckle Down / Indian Summer (w Clooney)
6. Tropicana (Trotter orchestra)
7. Where is Your Heart

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (10-25-53) w JANE MORGAN
1. Row Row Row
2. My Love My Love
3. Valencia
4. April in Portugal (Morgan)
5. C'est Si Bon (w Morgan)
6. Donkey Serenade (Trotter Orchestra)
7. Everybody Loves My Baby
8. Vaya Con Dios

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-1-53) w GARY CROSBY
1. Keep It Gay
2. It's Easy to Remember
3. Hey Joe (Gary)
4. What a Little Moonlight Can Do (w Gary)
5. Granada
6. Oh How I Laughed When I Think How I Cried about You
7. I Love Paris

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-8-53) w GARY CROSBY
1. They All Laughed
2. Violets and Violins (in French)
3. When I Was Bad (Gary)
4. Down by the Riverside (w Gary)
5. Everybody Loves My Baby
6. Walk Me By the River
7. No Other Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-15-53) w PEGGY LEE
1. Papaya Mamma
2. River Seine
3. I've Got a Crush on You (Lee)
4. It's Wonderful (w Lee)
5. 1920s college medley (w Lee)
6. Vaya Con Dios

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-22-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. Y'all Come
2. Lady Oh!
3. It's a most Unusual Day (Clooney)
4. Something to Remember You By (w Clooney)
5. That's Amore (w Clooney)
6. Think
7. Granada
8. Change Partners

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (11-29-53) w PEGGY LEE
1. Papaya Mamma
2. Valencia
3. Exactly Like You (w Lee)
4. You are too beautiful
5. I Got Rhythm (w Lee)
6. Can't Take that Away (w Lee)
7. P.S. I Love You

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-6-53) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. Gypsie in My Soul
2. Allez Vous Aime
3. Happy Xmas Little Friend (Clooney)
4. You're Just in Love (w Clooney)
5. These Foolish Things (w Clooney)
6. We Couldn't Say Goodbye (w Clooney)
7. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (w Clooney)
8. My Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-13-53) w ELLA FITZGERALD
1. Row, Row, Row
2. Think
3. Moanin Low (Ella)
4. Silver Bells (w Ella)
5. White Xmas (w Ella)
6. Where is Your Heart

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-20-53)
1. Adeste Fideles
2. Sleigh Ride
3. Xmas Song
4. Rudolph Reindeer
5. Jingle Bells
6. Xmas medley
7. White Christmas
8. Silent Night

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (12-27-53) w ELLA FITZGERALD
1. Love is Just Around the Corner
2. Wrong Time, Wrong Place
3. Someone to Watch Over me (Ella)
4. Looking for a Girl to Love (Ella)
5. Istanbul (w Ella)
6. You are too beautiful

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-3-54) w CONNIE RUSSELL
1. Gypsie in My Soul
2. Granada
3. My Kind of Love (Russell)
4. That's Amore (w Russell)
5. Someone Lovelier than You
6. Secret Love
7. Vaya Con Dios

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-10-54) w GARY CROSBY
1. Great Day
2. Stranger in Paradise
3. Ricochet (Gary)
4. Down by the Riverside (w Gary)
5. Think
6. Where is Your Heart?

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-17-54) w HELEN O'CONNELL
1. Zing went the Strings of My Heart
2. It's Alright with Me
3. Ebbtide (O'Connell)
4. Sometimes I'm Happy (w O'Connell)
5. If There is Someone Lovelier than You
6. Oh Lady Oh
7. Secret Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-24-54) w GARY CROSBY
1. Sing Hallelujah
2. You Are Too Beautiful
3. A Woman (Gary)
4. Cornbelt Symphony (w Gary)
5. Oh How I Laughed
6. Stranger in Paradise
7. No Other Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (1-31-54) w CONNIE RUSSELL
1. Gypsie in My Soul
2. Allez Vous Aime
3. You've Changed (Russell)
4. Istanbul (w Russell)
5. If There Is Someone Lovelier than You
6. Keep it Gay
7. Easy to Remember

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-7-54) w HELEN O'CONNELL
1. Love is Just Around the Corner
2. Secret Love
3. In the Still of the Night (O'Connell)
4. Surrey with Fringe on Top (w O'Connell)
5. Granada
6. Where is Your Heart?

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-14-54) w ELLA FITZGERALD
1. Everybody Wants my Baby
2. My Love, My Love
3. That's a Plenty (w Ella)
4. Violets and Violins
5. No Other Love
6. Kiss Me Once Again

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-21-54) w FOUR ACES
1. Jones Boy
2. Changing Partners
3. So Long (Four Aces)
4. Heart of My Heart (w Four Aces)
5. That's What a Rainy Day is For
6. You Go to My Head

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (2-28-54) w FOUR ACES
1. Singing in the Rain
2. Young at Heart
3. Organ Grinder Swing (Four Aces)
4. Tell Me Why (w Four Aces)
5. Changing Partners
6. Answer Me My Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-7-54) w JANA MASON
1. I Get So Lonely
2. But Beautiful
3. I Still Suites Me (w Mason)
4. That's What a Rainy Day is For
5. Secret Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-14-54) w PEGGY KING
1. Somebody Bad Stole the Wedding Bell
2. Young at Heart
3. That's Amore (w King)
4. I Get So Lonely
5. I Can't Believe You're in Love with Me
6. Too Ra Loo Ral

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-21-54) w FRANK SINATRA
1. The Jones boy
2. Granada
3. Young at Heart (Sinatra)
4. Sinatra-Crosby medley: Among My Souvenirs, September Song, As Time Goes By
5. Wanted

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (3-28-54) w FRANK SINATRA
1. I Get So Lonely
2. Imagination
3. Take a chance (Sinatra)
4. Sinatra-Crosby medley: Till We Meet Again, Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland, 
   There's a Long Long Trail
5. If you love me

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-4-54) w GARY & LINDSAY CROSBY
1. Rosalie
2. Somebody Bad Stole the Wedding Bell (Gary)
3. Medley of songs w sons
4. Answer Me, My Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-11-54) w GARY & LINDSAY CROSBY
1. Singing in the Rain
2. A Dime and a Dollar (Lindsay)
3. If You Love Me

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-18-54) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. Somebody Bad Stole the Wedding Bell
2. Wanted
3. Bad News (Clooney)
4. Easter Parade (Clooney)
5. Cockeyed Optimist
6. Dear Hearts, Gentle People
7. Vaya Con Dios

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (4-25-54) w TONI ARDEN
1. A Dime and a Dollar
2. Tobermory Bay
3. In Paris and In Love (Arden)
4. Small Hotel (w Arden)
5. Lost in Loveliness

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-2-54) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. Can't Give You Anything but Love
2. From the Vine Came the Grape
3. You Make Me Feel So Young (Clooney)
4. A Man and a Woman (w Clooney)
5. You Took Advantage of Me
6. Wanted

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-9-54) w CROSBY BOYS
1. Between the Devil and Deep Blue Sea
2. I Get so Lonely (Gary)
3. Let's Harmonize (w Crosby boys)
4. Tobermory Bay

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-16-54) w TONI ARDEN
1. In the Good Ol' Summertime
2. Oh Tell Me Why
3. Cry My Heart (Arden)
4. So in Love (w Arden)
5. It's Only a Paper Moon
6. With Every Breath I Take

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-23-54) w ROSEMARY CLOONEY
1. Do I Love You?
2. But Beautiful
3. Tomorrow (Clooney)
4. Lily of Laguna (w Clooney)
5. Answer Me, My Love

GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOW (5-30-54) w GARY & LINDSAY CROSBY (last original show)
1. Good Old Summertime
2. Let's Harmonize (w boys)
3. Long Way to Tipparari (w boys)
4. Moonlight Bay (w Boys)
5. Oh Tell Me Why
6. Secret Love