Reviews (1)

A Great Collection of Songs That Made Her a Star:
It was her first several motion pictures that resulted in Deanna Durbin's becoming the highest paid female star of her time; and it is from those movies that this anthology has been taken. The selections are a good mixture of everything from operatic arias to popular tunes of the day. The original recordings are over sixty years old; but modern engineering techniques have enhanced them to "better than new" sound. If you, like so many others, are rediscovering this remarkable young artist, this album will provide a great deal of pleasure...for the music, and as an excellent example of nostalgic memorabilia. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My least favorite Jolson collection
I've grown up listening to Al Jolson -- even though kids in my generation were into the Beatles, I was a huge Jolson fan, even moreso than my father, whose records I used to play over and over again. It even took me a long time (like until the 80s) to fully appreciate the genius of Frank Sinatra. But Jolson -- to this day the fervor in his singing and the sincerity that he brought to some of those old tuneful songs still amaze me. I have listened to and owned various Jolson collections. One of my favorites is of the old Warners soundtracks (also available on Amazon.com). But THIS CD, The Salesman of Song 1911-1923, is mainly of interest to true Jolson collectors. Some the songs are nicely restored. Jolson's voice is clearly different, higher, and younger sounding than in the Decca recordings. But the orchestrations are so clearly rooted in the very early twentieth century that this is a CD mostly of historical interest. I love music from the Roaring Twenties (before I was born). But these arrangements go even further back. The one saving grace: a vaudeville-type song called "You've Simply Got Me Cuckoo." Better to buy the collection of Warners soundtracks, radio broadcast collections or Decca recordings....unless you are an absolutely dedicated Jolson collector or seeking historical recordings. And, certainly, don't ever gift this to someone as a way to introduce them to the increasingly-forgotten Jolson's true genius.

Early, Unusual Jolson
Some of Jolson's earliest recordings. The recording of "Someone Else May Be There While I'm Gone" from 1916 can be compared to the Decca recording he made after the Second World War. Jolson's version of "I've Got My Captain Working For Me Now" compares favorably, in my opinion, to the Eddie Cantor recording of similar vintage. Jolson sounds so happy he could burst. The restorations are above average, and the chance to hear Jolson early in his career shouldn't be missed. Of interest to popular song historians only is Jolson's recording of "Stella," written by Harry Akst. Akst later admitted it was among the worst he'd ever written, and Jolson had it published as a favor to get Harry some money. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A MUST for Baseball Lovers
If you love baseball, this CD can't help but make you feel good all over. I'm sure you'll listen to it many times, BUT be sure to listen closely to the words! Cashman's love of baseball, its colorful players and memorable events from the 40's onward are communicated with feeling and passion thru his music and verse. Buy the CD and "pass it on" to your children and grandchildren who enjoy the game.

baseball's greatest
where else can you hear 21 good songs on one cd?

A must for anyone who loves the game
For the true baseball fan (especially for the game as it was played in the late 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s), what a joy it is to listen to this CD. We've only had it 2 days and have already played it numerous times. Terry Cashman may not be the greatest singer in the world, but he sings with great feeling, enthusiasm and joy. It's very obvious that this is a man who is singing about something he loves and cares about deeply. We found OPENING DAY, GOOD ENOUGH TO DREAM, RAIN DELAY, BALLAD OF HERB SCORE, SONG OF OCTOBER & GIVE US BACK OUR GAME especially poignant. Cashman does a great job on CENTERFIELD & THERE USED TO BE A BALLPARK, songs made famous by others. And THE HONDO HURRICANE & THIRD BASE COACH will make you chuckle. But really, all of the songs are a pleasure to listen to. If you're at all familiar with and enjoy his TALKIN' BASEBALL (WILLIE, MICKEY & THE DUKE), I don't think you'll be disappointed with this CD.

Not what you would expect
I was hoping for a good CD with baseball tunes. Yes, the songs are about baseball. However, the singing and music is awful. Certainly not what I expected.

Cashman hits grand salomi
If it is possible to capture the game of baseball when players played for the love of the game, Cashman has done it. He takes us on an odyessy beginning after WWII and ending at the present. He is an accomplished songwriter and proves it here authoring or co-authoring no less than 19 of the 21 tracks. Despite receiving very little publicity locally, everyone that I know that has heard this CD has fallen in love with it. If you know who Clint Hartung, or Herb Score was you may be the first person to ever wear out a CD from excessive play. If you don't know who Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider were stick with Elvis Costello and Marilyn Manson and forget this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the andrews sisters are still the best
I own both volumes and Ihave to give both five stars. after all the time that has passed the songs are just as fresh to hear as when they were recorded.even my 12 year old daughter loves them.If you love swing music you must add this volume to your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Now THIS is what I call MUSIC!!!
I just bought this CD a few days ago, and have fallen in love wih it. Before buying this CD, I had really only heard Bei Mir Bist Du Schon a few times. Whoever wants to listen to some great songs, buy this album! Don't Fence Me In, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy are incredible. Too bad the music of today isn't this great.

Andrews Sisters Greatest Hits: The 60th Anniversary
This album, featuring songs from the 1930's and 1940's, sounds just as fresh and alive today as it did when the Andrews Sisters were recording. The song, "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar", according to the liner notes, was the first vocal recording of boogie woogie. Previous boogie woogie artists used instrumental methods only. MCA did a superb job of preserving these highly influential recordings for the modern listener--a must have album.

3 songs are re-recordings, not the originals - Not as good!
I'm a younger Andrews Sisters fan. I was first turned onto them when I heard "Rum and Coca Cola" - did I want to hear more after that! This is NOT the great version I heard!!! In the 50's they re-recorded their hits for Capitol and 3 of them are here - Rum and Coca Cola, I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time, and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (the rest, however are originals, Begin the Beguine is super.) You've never heard these songs until you've heard the originals. I'd stay away from Captiol CD's or compilation CD's which include Capitol re-recordings of the Andrews like this one. I recommend "The Andrews Sisters - Their All-Time Greated Hits" (MCA) - sold here at Amazon too - it is packed with all original versions and has really great liner notes. The original Rum & Coca Cola and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy are pure magic!

Terrific!!!!
The Andrew Sisters are the best singers I have ever heard. My friends think I'm weird because I listen to "old music" instead of the "new age music", but I don't care. This is the best CD I have ever listened to. It's Terrific!!!

Sweet classic swing sounds
Sure it is my grandparents music, but these girls had great voices, and the music has a very nice beat.

All in all a nice piece of Americana, and a great piece of classic swing ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not exactly a soundtrack
This is a compilation of songs from Going My Way and the Road to Morocco. It is not, though, a soundtrack. The recordings here were made at about the same time as the films were made, but as separate recordings so they will not match exactly to your memories of the film (most notable is the patter between Crosby and Hope on The Road to Morocco, but close listeners will hear other bits as well). The sound quality is very clean and clear, and while it is mono, the mix is exquisite.

Also worth looking for is another album from the same series, Blue Skies, featuring songs from the films Blue Skies and Out of this World which has a great Crosby/Fred Astaire duet.

An excellent CD for a big fan of Bing's movies
This terrific CD is basically a soundtrack from three Bing Crosby pictures: "The Road to Morocco", "Dixie", and the fantastic "Going My Way". There are four songs from what was the best of the "Road Pictures". Most of the songs are not done exactly as they were in this film, but they still sound great. The best of the first four songs is the duet with Bob Hope. This number was the title song in "The Road To Morocco". They always worked very well together.There are two songs from the motion picture "Dixie"; "Sunday, Monday Or Always", and "If You Please". Neither song is brilliant, but both are pleasant, relaxing tunes. The music from "Going My Way" is some of the best material gathered for a soundtrack. The six tracks from this film include its wonderful title song, a light, educational Academy Award winner ("Swinging on a Star"), and two Christmas songs in "Ave Maria" and the always stirring "Silent Night". Once again, if you enjoy Bing's movies as well as the music in them, you really should get this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Love songs and Bing Crosby go together very well
On this CD, Bing Crosby sings some very well known love songs. Although these songs are not really associated with Bing very often, he does a great job with them. For example, his vocal version of the old Artie Shaw instrumental standard "Temptation" is a terrific love song. There are certainly several other very good songs here. If you enjoy great love songs as well as the splendid voice of Bing Crosby, you will enjoy this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

25 of Bing's cowboy songs together on one CD
The most successful of the songs here (all recorded between 1933 and 1944) was Don't fence me in, which opens this compilation of Bing's cowboy songs. It spent eight weeks at number one in the American pop charts, beginning in December 1944 and was in the charts for five months in total. It is one of two duets here featuring the Andrews sisters. The other, Pistol packing mama, was a number two hit for them, despite the fact that Al Dexter's original version had already spent a long time at number one before Bing's version entered the chart. Clearly Bing and the Andrews sisters appealed to a different audience.

The last round-up was a number two hit in 1934 and its B-side, Home on the range, made the top twenty. The movie Rhythm on the range yielded two hits in 1936 - I'm an old cowhand reached number two while Empty saddles peaked at eight. Other hits included El rancho grande (number three in 1939), The singing hills (number three in 1940), Tumbling tumbleweeds (top twelve in 1940), Along the Santa Fe trail (number four in 1941), Clementine (top twenty in 1941), Deep in the heart of Texas (number three in 1942) and San Fernando valley (number one in 1944). All these songs and others can be found here.

Of course, Bing recorded these songs in his own style, so they are very different from any versions you would hear from (say) Gene Autry, Marty Robbins, Michael Martin Murphey or any other singer of cowboy songs. No, these come across as pop songs that just happen to have a western theme. Yet they are brilliant.

Giddy up!
Bing was an eclectic singer who dabbled extensively in many genres of music: Hawaiian, Irish and cowboy songs, which is showcased here. This is an excellent introduction for those who don't have other Crosby CD's in your collection or who want to hear his western side. It contains his standard hits which have been recycled time and again on other anthologies. Most Bing-ologists will have all these songs in their collection, some of them many times over. But if you are new to Crosby, this is an acceptable choice and I guarantee that you will become hooked on Bing's magnificent voice. It's a little weak on his earlier work and it does contain some curious omissions. Yet there are some stellar songs included as well, like one of personal favorites, "I'm an Old Cowhand," One of his greatest recordings.

For the novice Crosby fan, this set is perfect for several reasons: not only does it give you a fine overview of Bing's career, the sound quality is exceptional. The packaging of the set is excellent and it even includes a booklet with a synopsis of Bing's western songs and musical style, as well as an explanation of his tremendous musical impact upon the 20th century.

Other reviewers have complained about the sound quality on this set. I am puzzled at this criticism. I have most of these songs on casette, vinyl and some even on their original 78 and 45 issues. The sound quality here is quite acceptable and good on most tracks. This set will give you many hours of enjoyable listening and help you branch off into other Crosby CD's which includes his lesser-known vocals. Hopefully this collection will convince you that Bing's vocal mastery was unparalled. Then you can sample his earlier, jazz-influenced work during his Columbia years in the early 30's and branch off into his 20's work with the Rhythm Boys. But for the beginning Crosby listener, this is as good a choice as any. I highly recommend this set. Enjoy!

some of the best music you'll ever hear
Not a "novelty" album. There are great melodies here. A combination of wonderful tunes, innocence, big band, the West, and Crosby charm.

Bing sings western music his way
The good folks at ASV in the UK have done it again, they have compiled 25 Bing Crosby recordings from 1933-1944 and are all western styled songs in generally excellent sound from 78's. Highlights on this comp include a cover of Al Dexter's hit "Pistol Packin' Mama" and "Don't Fence Me In" (both featuring the Andrews Sisters), his versions of traditional western music standards such as I'm an Old Cowhand, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Twilight on The Trail, Take Me Back To My Boots and Saddle, Clementine, Deep In The Heart of Texas, San Fernando Valley, The Last Roundup to lesser known but just as great songs such as Old Oaken Bucket, After Sundown, Roundup Lullaby, Singing Hills and many others. If you are into western music, balladry and/or Bing Crosby, this is a must have and is a much better buy than "My Favorite Country Songs" which BTW does have Cool Water (with the Andrews Sisters) that isn't on this comp but it cam be found on the Complete Recordings of Bing Crosby And The Andrews Sisters 2 CD set anyway.

He's an old cowhand...
...and boy, can he SING! I am a big Bing Crosby fan and this has become one of the most valued CDs of my Bing collection. Crosby's relaxed baritone glow evokes feelings of the true old west. It's country and western music without the country twanginess. It's WESTERN music. Bing owned a ranch and sang with authentic feelings of being out in fenceless lands with moonlight on the range. One can almost smell the sagebrush. Some songs are fun, others are downright touching. So saddle up and rope in this CD! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Success!
This is one of the best transfers of a hit Broadway musical to movie musical. Everyone is superb! From Michelle Lee
to Robert Morse to Rudy Vallee to Ruth Kobart--all re-creating their Broadway Roles! Robert Morse's brilliant performance alone is worth the price of the dvd. Maureen Arthur's sexpot defines the word and is hilarious. Okay you can gripe that a few numbers from the Broadway Musical were left out--but overall this is a major success.

Concerns a window washer who reads a book "How to Succeed in Business" and within about a week, goes from
mail room clerk to Chairman of the Board . And he get's the girl in the end.

Fosse's Broadway choreography was recreated by an assistant for the film. Frank Loesser's Score is classic and singable.

And it shows how using the original Broadway Cast can make a film work incredibly well. (Take note those people who cast Lucille Ball in Mame and Peter O Toole in Man of La Mancha to terrible outcomes)

I don't think this film was a huge hit when it came out but it surely deserved to be. I watch it over and over. I sing the songs. It's a keeper.

It's Good! It's Very Good!
I haven't seen the Broadway play, so I can't make any comparisons in that regard. What I can say of the movie is: WELL DONE!! This is by far one of my favorite movies in the musical genre. What can I say? The cast is outstanding; every character is unique, expressive and played to virtual comedic perfection. I won't take time to list all the actresses and actors, or all the songs, as I'm sure others have done a good job of that in their reviews. Well, ok, I'll mention Robert Morse: he plays J.P. Finch without flaw. Innocent, sincere, devious, ambitious and lucky, Morse combines all these traits into an entertaining character. I instantly became a Robert Morse fan. I went out and rented all the Robert Morse movies I could find. Unfortunately, strangely, in all Morse's other starring roles he displays nary a hint of the comedic originality or aptitude he does in this film, ah well.

As might be expected, I have a number of favorite parts, here are two: 1) Morse as he "walks the dance" down a New York street--real life, good stuff, wish it were a longer scene. 2) I have to laugh when, during the song "Brotherhood of Man," Mr. Biggley's secretary suddenly rises up on the desk behind the men and starts belting it out. These are not particularly significant scenes in terms of the whole story, nor do they tell you anything at all about the plot, but they are, perhaps, representative of the lively and light-hearted humor this movie serves up so well. Highly recommended!

Wonderful Re-creation of the Musical
This musical transcends time. What was true in the 1960s - and before - is still true today. That is why this musical is a true mockery of the corporate world, which is in turn why it made my musical-mocking husband laugh out loud and physically turn away from the computer to watch.

Before I bought the DVD version of How to $ucceed, I had seen it performed live. I loved it and subsequently purchased the soundtrack featuring Matthew Broderick.

So, as you can see, it was with an already deep affection for (and prejudiced mind) that I bought the movie version. It surprised me greatly that this vision of How to $ucceed met up to my already high standards. Only a few songs from the musical were not included. But the movie is 2 hours long, so it was necessary to do some cutting.

If you like musicals, if you like big business, if you like to make fun of big business, this movie will make you laugh.

As far as the DVD goes, there were not a lot of special features, which is to be expected from an older film. It did include the trailer, which was amusing in its retro-style, and it's nice to be able to go back and play the scene of a particular song I liked here and there. The widescreen version really enhanced the film for me, especially when my cats decided to nap lazily on the television and dangle their limbs about while I was watching.

Good movie!

A great musical saved by letterbox
Oh, wow! This is a marvelous production that I saw as a one-day-only offering in a theater eons ago when I was a college student (in West Texas of all places). I loved it then, and other feedback does a decent job of saying "why."

All I can add is this outstanding Broadway musical translated to the big movie screen extremely well, and then it almost disappeared from broadcast/cable TV -- and for reason. To much theatrical action and choreography was lost through cropping for the TV screen, and the magic was lost. (I only saw it listed once for TV before letterbox, and it was a mega disappointment).

Even if you've never heard of it before, please consider this late 1960s-era musical comedy if you want to enjoy some solid entertainment.

It's Not What You Know, But How Well You Brownnose
The 1967 musical comedy "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" is based upon a 1962 Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the similarly titled novel that was written by Shepherd Mead. The story begins with J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) who works as a skyscraper window washer. He finds and begins to read a self-help book entitled "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying". Following advice from the book and while washing windows outside, he sneaks into of an office of the World Wide Wicket Corporation (WWWC). Quickly stripping out of his orange window-washing coveralls, Finch wears a smart business suit beneath and quickly endears himself to the company's president, J.B. Biggley (Rudy Vallee), one of the secretaries, Rosemary Pilkington (Michelle Lee), as well as a host of yes-men vice presidents. Impressed, J.B. sends Finch to the personnel office to be promptly hired to work in the company's mailroom. There, Finch meets J.B.'s nephew, Bud Frump (Anthony Teague), who also works for WWWC in the mailroom. Continuing to follow advice from the self-help book, Finch finagles and brownnoses his way up the corporate ladder in record speed and develops a love interest with Rosemary, but not everyone is happy with Finch's rise within the company. J.B. also hires a very attractive 'friend', Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur), who has little experience working in an office, but has a lot of experience with men.

The engaging, original music in the film, which was written by Frank Loesser, includes the songs:

* "How To" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "The Company Way" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "A Secretary Is Not A Toy" (sung by company employees).
* "Been A Long Day" (sung by company employees).
* "Rosemary" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "Grand Old Ivy" (sung by Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee).
* "I Believe In You" (sung by Michelle Lee).
* "Brotherhood Of Man" (sung by company employees).

Though some of the activities shown in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" are dated and chauvinistic by today's business standards (and discouraged by the Labor Department and the EEOC), the basic message of the story regarding nepotism, brownnosing, favoritism, scapegoating, affairs between employees, people hired for their appearance, backstabbing and mismanagement within corporations is just as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago. Creative employees are summarily fired for their ideas, others with more corporate clout get those same ideas approved by management. People who went to the right schools or joined the right clubs move up quickly, as well as people who easily agree with superiors and/or dress as well as possible. It's not what you know, but who you know, how well you brownnose, how good of an appearance you make and how well you avoid trouble that makes one successful in the corporate world.

Robert Morse is hilarious in the film, as are Rudy Vallee, Maureen Arthur and Michelle Lee. The film was well scripted and the sets are appropriate for a late 1960's office building. It is likely that the film inspired Michael J. Fox's 1987 film, "The Secret of My Succe$s". Overall, I rate the film with 5 out of 5 stars. So sit back, get a bowl of popcorn and see whether you want to do things the company way. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Just a Few More Bing Songs!
It's amazing the catalog of songs - some hits, some lesser known - that Bing put to disc in his 50 years! PLEASE, Universal - get your books straightened out and release MORE of these discs! And the cover art? Terrific!!!

If only . . .
If only Universal/MCA/Decca realized that Bing's best and most treasured songs were not necessarily the biggest hits when they first came out-- then we would have more fine compilations like the "Memories" import of a few years ago. "Sweet Leilani," track number one, is a good example-- as decent as a dozen other Bing songs, but it is "Blue Hawaii" or "Trade Winds" we really want the new fan to hear. "New San Antonio Rose" is much better than the title suggests, but probably not good enough to win over many inexperienced listeners. "White Christmas," "Silent Night," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and "Jingle Bells" all belong on a holiday disc-- imagine trying to play this straight through on June 25th, or, worse, January 25th! It does prove how important that particular holiday-- unlike, say, Lincoln's birthday-- was to Bing's career. "Swinging On A Star" needs more Bing and less corny kids' choir (one reason I prefer Sinatra with Riddle). "MacNamara's Band" has plenty of corn, unlike the more earnest "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra, etc.," but is still a barrel of fun. The Andrews Sisters are much better with Bing on Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" than the annoying "South America, Take It Away!" and Al Jolson is practically unbearable with Bing on "Alexander's Ragtime Band." I happen to love the "Whiffenpoof Song," although-- like most of the material here-- it is terribly dated. "Now Is The Hour" is much more timeless, and is the sort of Bing song that enhances his reputation. "Galway Bay" is another beautiful Irish ballad, so no complaints there. And "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," with its country guitars and choir, though taking us back to Corny-town, is good-natured fun. However, the final two songs with Bing's son, the ill-fated Gary Crosby, are obnoxious little things. Nice to see father and son hitting it off so well, but Bing did so much better on his own. So-- Bing's gold records might come across more like fool's gold today, making younger listeners wonder what all the fuss was about. Too often the "experts" skip over Bing, straight to Frank, then Elvis and the Beatles, anyway. But if these big ol' recording conglomerates knew what they were doing, they would remaster and reissue more songs from the "Road To" movies with Bob, like "It's Always You" and "Too Romantic," and would release more of the great standards Bing recorded in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It seems the popular song was peaking right before World War II, because after 1941, we start to see a lot more hit novelty songs from Bing, like the many inane records he made with the Andrews Sisters (though a few are good). Oddly enough, the songs from Bing's movies continued to be classic, like "I Kiss Your Hand Madam" from "Emperor Waltz" with Joan Fontaine, and "Accidents May Happen" from "Mr. Music." The best measure of whether to include a Bing song on a new compilation? Just ask if Sinatra ever recorded it. Then it's most likely the true "gold standard."

Bravo
Bings pure voice rings out in this CD! Some rare recordings including "Sunday, Monday or Always" with only chior backup. Seems there was a strike by the bands at the time of recording. Also a particular favorite, "I Can't Begin to Tell You" is Bing with a simple piano and precussion accompanyment. Rare for Bing, but absolutely wonderful.

Bing Crosby was the man. Some of the songs are boring.
The music sample of Sweet Leilani isn't even Bing singing. He comes in later. How 'bout playing a sample of Bing? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Memorabilia
You can easily find better recordings of these songs, and better recordings by the artist.But this collection, made from radio transcriptions of late 1936 and early 1937, represents a very special time in our history, when people "tuned in" to the Eddie Cantor radio program on a coast-to-coast hookup to enjoy his humor and listen to some of Hollywood's new stars.(A very young Judy Garland was also a frequent guest.) I've wondered, in the past, why no one ever reproduced these in a modern format, and now at last they have.You can hear newer and better recordings, but this is the only way you'll hear Deanna and Bobby the way they sounded sixty-five years ago. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Captures the career of Jolson from 1913 to his death in 1950
This CD has tracks not offered elsewhere.Latin from Manhattan is a classic that is hard to find but available here.The ordering of the tracks is quirky but it is the best CD that I have seen that captures theessence of Jolson.

Why Al Jolson was once "The World's Greatest Entertainer".
This album represents the Beginning, the Great Years, and the Years After Jolson had most of one lung removed and sang four keys lower than in his prime.The after voice was more mello than before the operation.Thelistener will learn how Jolson was able to captivate audiences all throughhis lifetime.It is a pity that the present generation was unable to seeJolson perform in person.He was the first superstar in show-business. This album gives the listener a taste of how he thrilled people.TheseCd's are the best representation of why Jolson was called, at one time,"The World's Great Entertainer". ... Read more

Album Description

The latest addition to the best selling REMEMBERING THE 50'S Series, Moonlight in the Fifties provides another nostalgic tip of the hat to the hit love songs from the 1950's. Features 12 instrumental renditions of songs made popular by Elvis Presley, Ritchie Vallens, Bobby Darin, Johnny Mathis, Percy Faith and others. You'll love this delightful stroll down memory lane. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Bing's Early Films.
This first volume of the "Going Hollywood" Bing Crosby series, that have been produced by Geoff Milne, contains selections of songs from Bing's feature movies from the years 1930-1936. Using both commercial recordings, and film soundtracks to present the songs on this 2-Disc set.

The songs here on this album, are featured in the following movies Bing appeared in: "King Of Jazz", "Reaching For The Moon", "Confessions Of A Co-Ed", "The Big Broadcast", "College Humor", "Too Much Harmony", "Going Hollywood", "We're Not Dressing", "She Loves Me Not", "Here Is My Heart", "Mississippi", "Two For Tonight", and "The Big Broadcast Of 1936".

The sound quality on these 2-Discs, is very good, more so for the commercial recordings. However, some of the songs have been slightly edited. "Dinah" for one example, has a few cuts in it. I would guess this is due to time restraints that they got on each disc. Dont let that bother you though, they have been edited well, and its only the case for a few songs. The album also comes with a small booklet.

This is a great Album of Bing's songs from his many movies, lasting altogether, more than 2 and a half hours in length. I would recommend you get this, along with the other volumes in the series too.

Bing: A big voice for the big screen
If you're a Bing fan, you'll want to own this one. Bing was never in finer voice than in the early-to-mid 1930s, and he's at his best here. What other singer had his great range and and power? Some come close, but they can't eclipse Mr. Crosby. All of his songs resonate with glowing warmth and charm. The best part of this fine collection are the hard-to-find titles. My personal favorite was "Our Big Love Scene," which is truly under-heard and definitely one of his best.There are a lot of fun novelty songs too including "Boo Boo Boo" and "Bucking the Wind." This two-CD set is chalk full of wonderful stuff. It's well worth the money. Happy listening!

The crooner who started it all
Apart from the Road pictures, these are the songs by Bing that I remember most fondly from my childhood.Not that I was around in the '30s, but I can remember sitting in front of a black and white TV in the '50s and trying to imitate Bing's "babababoom" and golden baritone."Temptation" may be the greatest of his torch songs, but there's plenty of competition for that honor in the present collection, including "Here Lies Love," "Please," and "I Wished on the Moon," this latter from "The Big Broadcast of 1936," a film that featured Ethel Merman and the Vienna Boys Choir.Go figure.I like the way the compilers have mixed studio recordings with music from the films themselves.I only wished they'd been able to include selections from the series of Mack Sennett shorts Bing starred in as well.Then we'd maybe have "I Surrender, Dear" along with all these other standards.Der Bingle was known for his musical insouciance; he even whistled effortlessly.But it's hard not to be moved by his sensual renditions of these early classics.

Bing rules!
What a marvelous compilation of Bing's early recordings, many of which are hard to obtain, unless you have the Jonzo series on LP. The two discs allow listeners to sample Bing's different styles and hear the innovation heintroduced into popular music. It's too little stated, but it's too true:without Bing, there would have been no Sinatra.

Two highlights here are"I'm Hummin', I'm Whistlin', I'm Singin'" and "Just An EchoIn The Valley." Neither are given the ink they deserve and bothvividly show the amazing vocal range Crosby had. When he hits those highnotes and holds them it sends shivers up your spine.

This is a greatintroduction to those new to Bing Crosby and a welcome addition to moreseasoned Crosbyphiles.

Unbelievable collection that is hard to believe exists!
Whoa!Somebody at Jasmine Records has been hard at work.You only dream of this kind of CD.Imagine someone dreaming of including all the early movie songs of Bing from his earliest appearance on the King of Jazz.You would have to spend a fortune to get all these songs! ... Read more

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Bing Crosby is the father of the Christmas album. He sired the whole shooting match in 1942 when he recorded Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" for the Decca soundtrack of Holiday Inn, and the season has never been the same since. "White Christmas" isn't just Crosby's signature tune, it's also that of Christmas, selling millions around the world and inspiring countless recording artists to create their own holiday versions every year. This single-CD package draws from The Voice of Christmas: The Complete Decca Christmas Songbook and features the original recording of "White Christmas" (often replaced by a later version on reissues) as well as all the seasonal songs Crosby cut over three decades. And with extensive liner notes, it's a slam-dunk gift buy for the whole family. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (10)

get this album and don't think twice about it
For the price of this album your getting a steal. The recording is wonderfully digitally remastered, so the quality is excellent, there are only a couple of recordings from the worn out masters that give a hint of subpar quality and that is harding anything to get worked up about. This album includes most of Bing's holiday greats and I can't stress how wonderful this recording is. Bing's performance is legendary and if you have the old Bing Crosby cd Merry Christmas with Bing, its time to replace it with this treasure. Buy this album you'll not regret it.

Wonderful Christmas Album
Bing does a tremendous job in this CD. The songs are great and very well done. The ones with the Andrew Sisters are especially good. Definitely a CD you want for the Christmas season.

Bing Is Synonimous With Christmas
In the liner notes that accompany this CD, written by F.B. (Wig) Wiggins, American Representative, International Crosby Circle, we learn that Bing did not cut his first Christmas carol until 1935, well into his career, since he always felt that that was not a proper option for popular singers. In doing Adeste Fideles and Silent Night that year with the Victor Young Orchestra and The Guardsmen Quartette he did so only on the understanding that all proceeds would go to charity. That was Bing.

However, the record became so hugely popular that he was soon obliged to include carols on his radio broadcasts each holiday season, and in 1940 and 1941 Silent Night made the Billboard charts at # 19 and 16. In 1942 he cut both sides again, this time with the John Scott Trotter orchestra and The Ken Darby Singers, and although it became a seasonal favourite, neither side charted until well into the 1950s, Silent Night in 1957 [# 54] and 1960 [# 54 again], and Adeste Fideles in 1960 [# 45].

It was also in 1942 that he appeared in Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire where, for the first time, we heard Irving Berlin's immortal White Christmas. A record release, again with Trotter and the Ken Darby Singers, reached # 1, and would chart for the next four years, reaching the top again in 1945 and 1946. That is the version heard here, fully restored to its full glory. In 1947 Bing re-recorded White Christmas with the same ensemble and that version would chart for the next 20 straight years, b/w God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.

Other charted Christmas singles for Bing included I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams), which peaked at # 3 in 1943 [track 11], again with Trotter's backing, and also reached # 10 in 1944. In 1950 he, along with just about everyone else, recorded Gene Autry's Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and saw it climb to # 14. That same year he also had A Crosby Christmas, with sons Gary, Phillip, Dennis, and Lindsay, reach # 22, and A Marshmallow World peak at # 24 [neither, unfortunately, is included in this set].

It was also in 1950 that Decca released Silver Bells [track 15], a duet with Carol Richards, and while it failed to chart that year, it did make it to # 78 in 1957 b/w That Christmas Feeling, also cut in 1950. Another charter for Bing that year was How Lovely Is Christmas [# 97] with the Arthur Norman Choir & Orchestra for the Kapp label [also not included].

In 1963, for Capitol, he cut Do You Hear What I Hear? which reached # 2 on the special Billboard Christmas charts, and in 1965 had The White World Of Winter reach # 20 on the same charts for the Reprise label, seldom seen on his Christmas albums.

But this CD gives us the best and most memorable of his Decca releases, including the fabulous collaborations with The Andrews Sisters on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Jingle Bells, and Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane). I still have the 78 rpm "album" my father purchased way back when with the five records intact and the wonderful cover graphics.

This is one of the best deals you will find at Amazon when it comes to CDs. Order early.

A Wonderful Addition to Your Christmas Collection
This is a great Cd...I recently purchased this Cd and it is wonderful. All the songs are excellent and the sound is terrific. I remember listening to Bing's songs as a child and this has a lot of great songs. It is a must-have for every Christmas collection. You won't be disappointed with this Cd.

Great!!!
This is my favorite Christmas CD. I have about 20 other CD's that I play at Christmas, but this is the best. Other people that have heard it love it too. It has all the best of Bing. I want to buy another one so I can keep one in the house and put on in my car. If you love traditional Christmas music, this is the one for you. ... Read more