Bob Braun: A discography

I attended a broadcast of The Bob Braun Show once, but I was in my mother's womb at the time, so I don't remember anything about it. 

A 1970s issue of The Muncie Evening Press has a picture of me with Nancy Dawn, a vocalist from The Bob Braun Show. When I was in the second grade, I was hospitalized around Christmas, and Dawn visited the kids in the hospital to hand out gifts. I got a pinball game and posed with her for the newspaper. I didn't know who Nancy Dawn was back then, but I definitely knew who Bob Braun was. 

"Bob Braun needs no introduction," Randy McNutt wrote in his book The Cincinnati Sound. That's true, at least within some age groups and in some parts of the country. 

Braun had a popular show out of Cincinnati that could be seen in Indiana and Kentucky. He did his own television commercials, interviewed guests, sang songs, performed comedy skits, and had perfectly sculpted hair. 

I liked Bob Braun. In the pre-cable days of television, every region of America had its own children's shows and variety shows. The TV personalities on these local shows were enormously popular within their region but often were unknown elsewhere. Braun was a regional act who managed to achieve some measure of national fame. He even racked up a handful of television and film credits as an actor.

Braun had some weird jobs before he got his own show. He was once a model in a live billboard, and he had an early local children's show on which he read the Sunday comics on camera. 

He really started to build his audience as a cast member of Ruth Lyons' 50-50 Club TV show, which he eventually took over. It became The Bob Braun Show in 1967. 

I have an autographed copy of Braun's 1969 autobiography, Here's Bob, and I recommend the book to anyone who's interested in Braun and his Cincinnati scene. It's a surprisingly good read. It has a lot of anecdotes about other celebrities too, such as Tommy Sands and Lawrence Welk. 

I'm particularly interested in Braun's recording career, so I've compiled the most extensive discography of his recordings that I've seen. Braun showed some promise as a performer on the national stage, and even charted a couple of hits, but afterward he recorded mostly independent-label and self-released records to sell at his personal appearances. 

He was fundamentally a middle-of-the-road pop singer, but he also dabbled in rock and country. 

One of his earliest recordings was a Pat Boone-style rocker called "Rock and Roll Country Girl." This single apparently was released in 1954, though, which makes Braun a true pioneer of rock 'n' roll!

Braun's biggest hit, by a mile, was "Till Death Do Us Part" from 1962. It was his only record that made the Top 40. The title might lead you to believe (or hope) that it's going to be a teen-tragedy song, but it's a sentimental recitation about marriage.  

Braun died in 2001. I remember reading an obituary in which Braun's son remarked that Braun was very particular about his hair.  

Bob Braun discography

Singles 

Rock and Roll Country Girl b/w My One Sided Love Affair (Torch TRC-634, 1954)

A Girl, A Girl, A Girl b/w Somebody Bad Stole de Wedding Bell (Top Tunes 4-1072, 1954)

Here b/w I Speak to the Stars (Top Tunes 4-1074, 1954)

Broken Hearted b/w All My Love (King 45-5255, 1959)

'Til Tomorrow b/w There's No Place Like Home (Candee 505, 1961)

Till Death Do Us Part  b/w So It Goes (Decca 31355, 1962)

Our Anniversary of Love b/w Is It Right or Wrong? (Decca 31430, 1962)

Honey b/w I'm Still in Love (Boone BR-1025, 1964)

Sweet Violets b/w Come Be My True Love (Fraternity F-919, 1964)

Cattle Drive b/w We All Have to Cry Sometimes (Fraternity F-926, 1964)

I'm Sittin' Here Rememberin' b/w Shadows (Audio Fidelity 111, 1965)

Pretty Little Ramblin' Rose b/w My Heart Keeps Holdin' On (Audio Fidelity 45-120, 1966)

Brave Men Not Afraid b/w Melissa (Fraternity F-965, 1966)

It’s Only Make Believe b/w I Don’t Want to Hurt Anymore (United Artists UA 50213, 1967)

Give Me This Moment b/w It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie (United Artists UA 50464, 1968)

Bless 'Em All b/w To Wait for Love (Wrayco W214, 1971)

Cafe b/w He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (Wrayco WM 205, 1971)

Lonely, Lonely Town b/w Are You Lonesome Tonite (Wrayco WS215, circa 1971)

Daddy, Meet a Man b/w Letter to Cindy (Applegate APG 4, circa 1971)

Hey Da Da Dow (It's a Little Thing Called Love) b/w (What'll My Darlin') Daisy Do (Applegate  APG #9, circa 1971)

The Spirit of Christmas b/w Welcome Home (QCA Records QCA 413, 1973)

Singin’ in the Rain b/w Let Me Try Again (QCA Records QCA 415, 1975)

I Love You More and More Every Day b/w Cincinnati (Image IM 3081, 1977)

There'll Never Be a Love Song as Beautiful as You b/w All the Things You Are (ANRO 222, 1982)

Albums

Till Death Do Us Part (Decca DL 4339, 1962)

• Because of You / Till Death Do Us Part / How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky) / Wasn't the Summer Short / Our Anniversary of Love / You'll Never Know // The Nearness of You / Why I Love You / When I Fall in Love / Is It Right or Wrong? / That Certain Something (We Call Love) / Just in Time

Introducing Bob Braun (Audio Fidelity ASFD 6148/AFLP 2148, 1965)

• Shadows / Think About the Good Old Days / Cincinnati / Lies and Kisses / Everlasting Love / Red Roses for a Blue Lady // Sweet Violets / I'm Sittin' Here Rememberin' / My Heart Keeps Holdin' On / Pretty Little Ramblin' Rose / Invisible Chains / I Love You More and More Every Day

Sings (United Artists UAS 6618, 1967)

• It's Only Make Believe / Making Memories / I Don't Want to Be Hurt Anymore / Sweet Maria / Time, Time / Release Me // Serenade of the Bells / Now I Know / It's a Sin to Tell a Lie / Lady / He'll Have to Go / We Live in Two Different Worlds

Christmas in Your Heart (United Artists 6664, 1968)

• Everywhere the Bells Are Ringing / Do You Hear What I Hear / A Marshmallow World / A Child's First Christmas / Let's Light the Christmas Tree // Christmas Lullaby / Winter Wonderland / That's What Christmas Means to Me / I'll Be Home for Christmas / Christmas Medley

The Many Moods of Bob Braun (Wrayco WLP 101, 1970)

• Working Man's Prayer/I Believe (Medley) / To Wait for Love / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Let Time Have Its Way / Green, Green Grass of Home // Make It with You / I Believed It All / Big Blue Diamond / Quiet Snow / Anyone Can Move a Mountain

Easy River Ridin’ (Applegate LP-1, circa 1971)

• Easy River Ridin' / (You've Always Been) My Best Friend / Letter to Cindy / Memories Are Made of This / Daddy, Meet a Man // (What'll My Darlin') Daisy Do / (How Da Da Dow) It's a Little Thing Called Love / Woman Child / Without Me / God's Factory 

Lonely, Lonely Town  (Wrayco, 1972)

• Dream on Little Dreamer / It’s Impossible / You Light Up My World / We’ll Be Together Again / Bless Them All // Lonely, Lonely Town / Café / He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother / Are You Lonesome Tonight? / Sweet Violets

Here's Bob (QCA LP 347, 1976)

• Only Have Eyes for You / We Love Each Other / Theme from "Mahogony" / Medley: Behind Closed Doors/The Most Beautiful Girl / Sweet Caroline // I Write the Songs / My Best Friend / Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree / Feelings / Close to You

Woman of My Dreams (ANRO 2226, 1982)

• There'll Never Be a Love Song as Beautiful as You / Where or When / All the Things You Are / Unforgettable // Woman of My Dreams / The Last Farewell / I Write the Words / Colors of My Life

Various artists albums

Ruth Lyons – Ten Tunes of Christmas (Candee 50-50, 1958)

• Bob Braun performs "Sing a Song of Christmas"

Ruth Lyons – Our Best to You (Candee 50-51, 1959)

• Bob Braun performs "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Sleepy Time Gal"

Ruth Lyons – It's Christmastime Again (Candee 50-60, 1963)

• Bob Braun performs "Always at Christmastime" and "It's that Very Very Special Time of the Year," and as part of "The Gang" on a few other cuts

AVCO Hour of Stars (AVCO 1970) 

• Bob Braun performs "On a Wonderful Day" and "Green Green Grass" live at the Ohio State Fair