"Band Of America March", Paul Lavalle  The Cities Service Band of America - 
RCA Victor 20-4154 A (1951)


This weeks theme: Cities Service Band Of America

Marches are never really in style or out of style - there just always 
marches :-)

When I was a kid there used to be a company called Cities Service that ran a 
chain of gas stations.

I don't recall ever going to one, my Dad usually went to Skelly.
But I do have a Cities Service map of the Twin Cities from about 1960.

Interestingly it has all the freeways dotted in as to where they are 
projected to go.
The freeways haven't always been here :-)
The original 35W bridge, the one that fell down a few years ago, only opened 
when I was in high school in the late 1960's.

Before the freeways it used to take about half an hour to get to the 
airport, now with the freeways, it only takes about half an hour (???) :-)

It used to be that when you drove into a gas station you would drive over a 
rubber air hose that would ding a bell to tell the service man you were 
there.

He would come out, in a company uniform, and pump the gas for you and clean 
your windshield and ask if you wanted him to check the oil or anything - all 
free of charge of course. You didn't even ever have to get out of the car. 
Most gas stations had a mechanic on hand and a couple of service bays if you 
needed more.

They actually were "service" stations.

I remember in high school gas was $0.289 per gallon.
Guess I should have stocked up :-)

I remember the TV ads when Cities Service changed their name to Citgo in the 
mid-1960's.

"Cities Service is Citgo now! - Citgo ZOOM!"

You gotta love an oil company that has it's own band!


Paul Lavalle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Lavalle

Cities Service Concerts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_Service_Concerts

Citgo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citgo


The Cities Service Band Of America
https://www.otrcat.com/p/cities-service-band-of-america


Cities Service / Citgo Commercials

1961 Cities Service Gas TV Ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Il9hUMYoU

CITY SERVICE IS CITGO NOW ED McMAHON AND BARBRA WALTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4qzfEyJang

Cities Service Gasoline Commercial The Big Gallon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBk1uXi0siA

1963-1964 Cities Service gas station TV commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwqhDSFWDQQ

Citgo Oil Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbgjd6ECEJI

CITGO GAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsnIf8ixTaQ

Citgo Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxc3-jiTBtc

Citgo (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sdu_BtOW6Y


Cities Service Band Of America

"BIG JOE, THE TUBA" - Paul Lavalle's Cities Service Band of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acruyj3Eh9M

"United Press March" - The Cities Service Band of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOEftKuX4RE

Spirit Of Freedom March-Cities Service Band of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWnZ0JfoUjU

Onward, Christian Soldiers: Paul Lavalle and the Band Of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Yze5JDDBs

"Listen to the Mocking Bird" Paul Lavalle's Cities Service Band of America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyYbEBLWykU

The Saints Go Marching In
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL6uuuTnwkY&list=PLJwObUd8t5RIc0W2K0He16REYh8CLEGTC&index=8

1940 NBC's Chamber Music Society: 05 Shoemaker's Holiday (Paul Laval)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R97vl3ypms&list=PLJwObUd8t5RIc0W2K0He16REYh8CLEGTC&index=11