Theme Time Radio Hour — The Annotated “Kiss” Show Transcript

“Kiss” — Episode 101

Introduction

The 101st episode of Theme Time Radio Hour, “Kiss” also known as “The Kiss Show” and “Kissing,” was originally released on February 11, 2015 by Berlin radio station Radio Eins as a special episode of its “Friendly Takeover” series. Like TTRH, the “Friendly Takeover” show features musicians acting as deejay and playing cuts that they’ve selected.

Advertised by Radio Eins as previously “unknown” and “never broadcasted,” “Kiss” seems to have been recorded during TTRH’s third season, which ran from late 2008 to April 2009. Why “Kiss” never aired until six or seven years later is unknown. Perhaps the TTRH team was unhappy with the sound quality. Much of Our Host’s commentary sounds as if it was recorded in a cavern, especially in the early half of the show. Maybe the grim stories about Connie Francis and J. Frank Wilson gave the producers second thoughts about airing a dark show with the light-hearted theme of “Kiss.”

If either of those are right, it leaves open the question as to why the producers didn’t go back and re-record or re-edit “Kiss” and then release it.

So, maybe the producers recorded back-up episodes in case of emergency and the need to replace a scheduled show? Maybe Season 3 was…