The Tune Twisters was an Americanjazz vocal trio founded in 1934 as The Freshmen by Andy Love, Robert "Bob" Wacker, and Jack Lathrop, who also played guitar. They were featured on radio broadcasts and recorded with jazz artists that included Ray Noble in 1935, Bob Crosby in 1935, Glenn Miller in 1937, and Adrian Rollini in 1938. The Tune Twisters performed in the 1937 Broadway production, Between the Devil, singing "Triplets." The production ran from December 22, 1937, to March 12, 1938. During the audition, the Tune Twisters were known as the Savoy Club Boys. Lathrop was a member of the Tune Twisters in 1939 when they recorded the first radio jingle of its kind for Pepsi – "Pepsi-Cola Hits the Spot" . The trio also performed in two 1935 films, Sweet Surrender and Melody Magic,'' the latter directed by Fred Waller. Gene Lantham, in 1940, replaced Lathrop, who went on to become guitarist and vocalist with Glenn Miller.
History
Andy Love, Jack Lathrop, and Bob Wacker began singing as a trio around 1928 or 1929 while attending a prep school near New York. Lathrop attended college in New York and Wacker got a job. Around 1933, Love suggested – to Lathrop and Wacker – commercializing their trio. Their launch was unsuccessful, and Love, discouraged, began singing as a soloist with Paul Whiteman. Eventually, the three auditioned for NBC Radio. After the audition, an NBC executive asked, "What do you call yourselves?" "You sure are some tune twisters." Love responded with a grin, "That's our name." The Tune Twisters made their radio broadcast debut in 1935 as guest artists on a show hosted by Ray Noble, who discovered them in a Westchester County roadhouse nightclub. They continued to work with Noble until he moved to Hollywood to form a new until for the Burns and Allen programs. The trio subsequently performed in vaudeville on their own. They also performed with Fred Allen and Rudy Vallée hours. In 1938, the Tune Twisters signed with NBC to perform the for the Jell-OSummer Series, starring Jane Froman and her husband, Don Ross '', with the Alfonso D'Artega Orchestra. NBC's Red Network broadcast the show nationwide, beginning July 4, 1938. The show had previously been hosted by Jack Benny.
Members
Selected broadcasts
Radio (1930s)
1940–1942: WOR; Ramona and the Tune Twisters – broadcast three times a week; sponsored by R&H Brewing Company – Rubsam & Hormann Brewing Co., found by Joseph Rubsam and August Horrmann in Staten Island. The sponsor was known for its theme song sang by the Tune Twisters, the "R&H Beer Song", composed by Clarence Gaskill.
1937: Between the Devil, the Tune Twisters sang "Triplets," December 22, 1937 – March 12, 1938 ; during the audition, the Tune Twisters were known as the Savoy Club Boys
