Contains tracks compiled from the Swingtime program, which was broadcast on Armed Forces Radio Service in the 1940's.

This confusingly titled album (the cover reads "Sweetheart of Song," "Popular Lady of Song" is the legend running down the vertical stripe on the left side of the CD jewel box, the spine says "It's Swingtime With Martha Raye," and the disc itself says "Swingtime With Martha Raye") presents ten airchecks by Martha Raye from a non-commercial radio series called Swingtime prepared exclusively for the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) in 1944 to be distributed to America's military personnel. From the aural evidence, these recordings were made in the fall of the year, since Raye introduces both "Dance With a Doll (With a Hole in Her Stocking)" and "Sam's Got Him" as current hits, and that's when those songs were in the charts. Most of the songs, however, are standards, and Raye, backed by Murray McEachern's orchestra, manages both ballads and rhythm numbers with enthusiasm. She may be remembered primarily as a minor comic actress, but it's clear she had the chops to be a big band singer if she had pursued that aspect of her career more. The tone of her remarks is upbeat, naturally, and crafted to appeal to the GIs. "Sam's Got Him" refers to Uncle Sam, and the disc concludes with a spirited swing arrangement of "You're in the Army Now" that features a drum solo by Gene Krupa. The CD is brief, running less than 33 minutes, but the discount price reflects that; the album was selling for about ten dollars upon release. ~ William Ruhlmann