Bing Crosby | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Bing Crosby was, without doubt, the most popular and influential media star of the first half of the 20th century. The undisputed best-selling artist until well into the rock era (with over half a billion records in circulation), the most popular radio star of all time, and the biggest box-office draw of the 1940s, Crosby dominated the entertainment world from the Depression until the mid-50s, and proved just as influential as he was popular. Unlike the many vocal artists before him, Crosby grew up with radio, and his intimate bedside manner was a style perfectly suited to emphasize the strengths of a medium transmitted directly into the home. He was also helped by the emerging microphone technology: scientists had perfected the electrically amplified recording process scant months before Crosby debuted on record, and in contrast to earlier vocalists, who were forced to strain their voices into the upper register to make an impression on mechanically recorded tracks, Crosbys warm, manly baritone crooned contentedly without a thought of excess. Not to be forgotten in charting Bing Crosbys influence is the music itself. His song knowledge and sense of laid-back swing was learned from early jazz music, far less formal than the European-influenced classical and popular music used for inspiration by the vocalists of the 1910s and 20s. Jazz was by no means his main concentration, though, especially after the 1930s; Crosby instead blended contemporary pop hits with the best songs from a wide range of material (occasionally recording theme-oriented songs written by non-specialists as well, such as Cole Porters notoriously un-Western "Dont Fence Me In"). His wide repertoire covered show tunes, film music, country & western songs, patriotic standards, religious hymns, holiday favorites, and ethnic ballads (most notably Irish and Hawaiian). The breadth of material wasnt threatening to audiences because Crosby put his own indelible stamp on each song he recorded, appealing to many different audiences while still not endangering his own fan base. Bing Crosby was among the first to actually read songs, making them his own by interpreting the lyrics and emphasizing words or phrases to emphasize what he thought best. His influence and importance in terms of vocal ability and knowledge of American popular music are immense, but what made Bing Crosby more than anything else was his persona -- whether it was an artificial creation or something utterly natural to his own personality. Crosby represented the American everyman -- strong and stern to a point yet easygoing and affable, tolerant of other viewpoints but quick to defend God and the American way -- during the hard times of the Depression and World War II, when Americans most needed a symbol of what their country was all about. Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby in Tacoma, WA, on May 3, 1903. (Bingo was a childhood nickname from one of his favorite comic strips.) The fourth of seven children in a poverty-level family who loved to sing, he was briefly sent to vocal lessons early on by his mother, until he grew tired of the training. An early admirer of Al Jolson, Crosby saw his hero perform in 1917. Crosby sang in a high-school jazz band, and when he began attending nearby Gonzaga College (he had grown up practically in the middle of the campus), he ordered a drum set through the mail and practiced on the set. Introduced to a local bandleader named Al Rinker, he was invited to join Rinkers group, the Musicaladers, singing and playing drums with the group throughout college. Though the Musicaladers broke up soon after his graduation in 1925, Bing Crosby was ready to stick with the music business. Crosby had made quite a bit of money during the bands career, and he and Rinker -- who was the brother of Mildred Bailey -- were confident they could make it in California. They packed up their belongings and headed out for Los Angeles, finding good money working in vaudeville until they were hired by Paul Whiteman, leader of the most popular jazz band in the country (and known as the "King of Jazz" in an era when black pioneers were mostly ignored since they were unmarketable). For a few songs during Whitemans shows, Rinker and Crosby sang as the Rhythm Boys with Harry Barris (a pianist, arranger, vocal effects artist, and songwriter later renowned for "I Surrender Dear" and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"). With their clever songwriting and stage routines, the trio soon became one of the Paul Whiteman Orchestras most popular attractions, and Crosby took a vocal on one of Whitemans biggest hits of 1927-1928, "Ol Man River." Besides appearing on record with Whitemans orchestra, the Rhythm Boys also recorded on their own, though an opportunity for Crosby to enlarge his part in the 1930 film King of Jazz with a solo song went unrealized, as he sat in the clink for a drunk-driving altercation. When Whiteman again hit the road in 1930, the Rhythm Boys stayed behind on the West Coast. After Crosby hired his big brother Everett as a manager, he began recording consistently as a solo act with Brunswick Records in early 1931, and by years end had chalked up several of the years biggest hits, including "Out of Nowhere," "Just One More Chance," "I Found a Million-Dollar Baby," and "At Your Command." He appeared in three films that year, and in September began a popular CBS radio series. Its success was similarly unprecedented; in less than a year, the show was among the nations most popular and earned Crosby a starring role in 1932s The Big Broadcast, which brought radio stars like Burns & Allen to the screen. By the midpoint of the decade, Crosby was among the top ten most popular film stars. His musical success had, if anything, gained momentum during the same time, producing some of the biggest hits of 1932-1934: "Please," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," "Youre Getting to Be a Habit With Me," "Little Dutch Mill," "Love in Bloom," and "June in January." "June in January," itself the biggest hit at that point in Crosbys young career, signaled a turn in his career. Brunswick executive Jack Kapp had just struck out on his own with an American subsidiary of the British Decca Records, and Crosby was lured over with the promise of higher royalty rates. Though his initial releases on Decca were recordings from his films of the year -- "June in January" was taken from Here Is My Heart -- Crosby began stretching out with religious material (such as "Silent Night, Holy Night," which became one of his biggest sellers, estimated at up to ten million). Late in 1935, he signed a contract for a radio show with NBC called Kraft Music Hall, an association that lasted into the mid-40s. After his first musical director, Jimmy Dorsey, left, Crosbys songwriter friend Johnny Burke recommended John Scott Trotter (previously with the Hal Kemp Orchestra) as a replacement. Trotter quickly cinched the job when his arrangements for the 1936 film Pennies from Heaven produced the biggest hit of the year in its title song. (He would continue as Bings orchestra arranger and bandleader into the mid-50s.) After the biggest hit of 1936, Bing Crosby followed up with -- what else? -- the biggest of 1937, just months later. "Sweet Leilani," from the similarly Hawaiian film Waikiki Wedding, showed Bing the direction his career could take over the course of the 1940s and 50s. Though he had recorded several cowboy songs earlier in the 1930s as well as the occasional song of inspiration, Crosby began covering everything under the sun, the popular hits of every genre of contemporary music. These werent castoffs, either; many of his 1940s country & western covers were hits, such as "New San Antonio Rose," "You Are My Sunshine," "Deep in the Heart of Texas," "Pistol-Packin Mama," "San Fernando Valley," and "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy." With the advent of American involvement in World War II, Bing Crosby entered the peak of his career. Arriving in 1940 was the first of his popular "Road" movies with old friend Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, along with three of the biggest hits of the year ("Sierra Sue," "Trade Winds," "Only Forever"). Crosby and Hope had first met in 1932, when the two both performed at the Capitol Theater in New York. They reunited later in the 30s to open a racetrack, and after reprising some old vaudeville routines, a Paramount Pictures producer decided to find a vehicle for the pair and came up with The Road to Singapore. More popular success followed in 1941 with the introduction of the biggest hit of Papa Bings career, "White Christmas." Written by Irving Berlin for 1942s Holiday Inn (a film that featured a Berlin song for each major holiday of the year), the single was debuted on Bings radio show on Christmas Day, 1941. Recorded the following May and released in October, "White Christmas" stayed at number one for the rest of 1942. Reissued near Christmas for each of the next 20 years, it became the best-selling single of all time, with totals of over 30 million copies. It was a favorite for soldiers on the various USO tours Crosby attended during the war years, as was another holiday song, "Ill Be Home for Christmas." Crosbys popular success continued after the end of the war, and he remained the top box-office draw until 1948 (his fifth consecutive year at number one). As with all the jazz-oriented stars of the first half of the 20th century, Crosbys chart popularity was obviously affected by the rise of rock & roll in the mid-50s. Though 1948s "Now Is the Hour" proved his last number one hit, the lack of chart success proved to be a boon: Crosby now had the time to concentrate on album-oriented projects and collaborations with other vocalists and name bands, definitely a more enjoyable venture than singing pop hits of the day on his radio show, ad nauseam. Inspired by the 50s adult-oriented album concepts of Frank Sinatra (who had no doubt been inspired by Bing in no small way), Crosby began to record his most well-received records in ages, as Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings (1956) and Bing With a Beat (1957) returned him to the hot jazz he had loved and performed back in the 1930s. His recording and film schedule began to slow in the 1960s, though he recorded several LPs for United Artists during the mid-70s (one with Fred Astaire) and returned to active performance during 1976-1977. While golfing in Spain on October 14, 1977, Bing Crosby collapsed and died of a heart attack. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 31 Title: Bing Crosby Released: Tracks: 16 Duration: 51:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Ol’ Man River (03:15) 2 Three Little Words (03:06) 3 It Must Be True (03:11) 4 Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (03:25) 5 Just a Gigolo (03:23) 6 I’m Thru’ With Love (03:15) 7 Just One More Chance (03:18) 8 Some Sunny Day (02:45) 9 I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (03:05) 10 Mack the Knife (03:56) 11 Dream a Little Dream of Me (02:43) 12 Whispering (03:28) 13 Down Among the Sheltering Palms (03:18) 14 The Little Things in Life (02:58) 15 One More Time (02:54) 16 Them There Eyes (03:38) |
 | Album: 2 of 31 Title: Bing & Louis Released: Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Muskrat Ramble (03:01) 2 Sugar (05:10) 3 Preacher (02:20) 4 Dardanella (02:50) 5 Lets Sing Like a Dixielend Band (02:23) 6 Way Down Yonder in New Orleans (03:06) 7 Brother Bill (02:58) 8 Littke OlTune (03:05) 9 At My Jazz Band Ball (03:02) 10 Rocky Mountain Moon (03:42) |
 | Album: 3 of 31 Title: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Released: 1956 Tracks: 12 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 When Irish Eyes Are Smiling (?) 2 The Rose of Tralee (?) 3 Galway Bay (?) 4 My Girls an Irish Girl (?) 5 How Can You Buy Killarney? (?) 6 Eileen (?) 7 Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (Thats an Irish Lullaby) (?) 8 That Tumbledown Shack in Athlone (?) 9 Danny Boy (?) 10 Ill Take You Home Again, Kathleen (?) 11 The Isle of Innisfree (?) 12 Tobermory Bay (?) |
| When Irish Eyes Are Smiling : Allmusic album Review : One of the most popular of all Crosby collections, its from his 40s Decca years. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 31 Title: Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings Released: 1956 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mountain Greenery (03:38) 2 Deed I Do (02:51) 3 The Song Is You (03:55) 4 Heat Wave (03:01) 5 Cheek to Cheek (04:02) 6 Have You Met Miss Jones? (02:30) 7 Blue Room (02:23) 8 They All Laughed (02:42) 9 Ive Got Five Dollars (03:15) 10 September in the Rain (02:58) 11 Nice Work If You Can Get It (02:36) 12 Jeepers Creepers (02:33) |
| Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings : Allmusic album Review : In early 1956, Bing Crosby ended the two long-term company affiliations that had defined his career for more than 20 years, leaving his exclusive associations with Paramount Pictures and Decca Records. Thereafter, he made movies and records on a freelance basis. The immediate results were more felicitous for his film work than his recording, as he went to MGM for the successful movie High Society. As a recording artist, in rapid succession he cut the movie soundtrack for Capitol (January-February); a new album for Decca, Songs I Wish I Had Sung (The First Time Around) (April); and a new album for Verve, Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings (June). The third was the least likely. Twenty-five-year-old Buddy Bregman, a friend of Crosbys son Gary, had recently been appointed an A&R; executive at the fledgling Verve. His idea for Crosby was to copy the formula of recent Nelson Riddle-arranged Frank Sinatra successes such as Songs for Swingin Lovers -- take a collection of inter-war standards and give them punchy big-band arrangements. The approach was well-suited to the aggressive Sinatra, who wasnt shy about editing the arrangements himself, but singularly inappropriate to the affable Crosby, who left everything to his arranger/conductor. The 12 songs, none of which Crosby had released commercially before, were great standards from the likes of Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Berlin, and Gershwin, and Crosby turned in typically witty interpretations. But Bregmans repetitive, overly busy arrangements, full of loud, sudden horn blats and splats, forced the singer to compete for attention and occasionally smothered him completely. Crosby was looking for a way back to commercial appeal with this experiment. But the three albums were all released within a period of weeks in August and September, and only the film soundtrack got a fair hearing and became a hit. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 31 Title: Rendezvous Released: 1958 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 On a Slow Boat to China (02:39) 2 Hindustan (02:53) 3 Fancy Meeting You Here (02:30) 4 Brazil/Here We Are (Face to Face Again) (03:31) 5 You Came a Long Way From St. Louis/You Can Take the Boy Out of the Country (03:05) 6 How About You? (03:14) 7 I Cant Get Started (03:50) 8 Say "Si Si" (Para Vigo Me Voy) (02:24) 9 It Happened in Monterey (02:42) 10 Love Wont Let You Get Away (01:59) |
| Rendezvous : Allmusic album Review : Rendezvous is a truncated, re-sequenced version of the 1958 Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney album Fancy Meeting You Here, initially released on RCAs budget label Camden in 1969. The concept behind Fancy was a combination of romance and travel, with songwriters Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen contributing introductory and concluding versions of "Love Wont Let You Get Away" as well as a tune called "Fancy Meeting You Here," and Cahn writing special lyrics to standards like "How About You?" and "I Cant Get Started" that reflected the late 50s and the public personalities of the two stars. Billy May conducted, and contributed his usual bouncy, ear-catching arrangements\. All of that served as a setting for the always appealing interaction between Crosby and Clooney. The accommodating Crosby had the keys set for Clooney, who as a result gets the best of the material, but the duos easy informality is what makes the recordings work. The sequencing on the 1969 Rendezvous LP re-release destroyed the story line of the original album, and the abridgment, which lost the first version of "Love Wont Let You Get Away" as well as "Calcutta" and "Isle of Capri," further voided the concept. But the remaining songs still work. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 31 Title: Bing & Satchmo Released: 1960 Tracks: 11 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Preacher (?) 2 Dardanella (?) 3 Muscrat Ramble (?) 4 Sugar (?) 5 Lets Sing Like a Dixieland Band (?) 6 Way Down Yonder in New Orleans (?) 7 Bye Bye Blues (?) 8 At the Jazz Band Ball (?) 9 Rocky Mountain Blues (?) 10 Little Ol Tune (?) 11 Brother Bill (?) |
| Bing & Satchmo : Allmusic album Review : Could anything but warmth and playfulness result when the two most seminal, expressive voices of the 20th century found the room to stretch out on a full LP together? Previously responsible for one of pop historys finest duets ("Gone Fishin"), Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong teamed up in 1960 to record an LP for MGM. As if Brother Satch and Brother Cros werent enough in the way of firepower, Johnny Mercer himself signed on (contributing two new songs plus a bounty of added lyrics), while for the arranging and conducting chairs, the equally explosive Billy May was retained. From the opener, there are plenty of nods to a place both of them held dear: New Orleans. Theres not only "Muskrat Ramble" and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and "At the Jazz Band Ball," there was also a new song ripe for the scatting, "Lets Sing Like a Dixieland Band," written by a young Alan Bergman expressly for the LP. New Orleans jazz was not only Armstrongs spiritual home, but it was also the venue for both singers easiest and most playful lyricizing, replete with a raft of off-the-cuff lines (or seemingly off-the-cuff lines) and the easy give-and-take that came naturally to them, nearly (but never) stepping over each others lines. Granted, Bing & Satchmo isnt quite as laid-back a date as it should have been; theres a peppy mixed vocal chorus to greet the train in the opening "Muskrat Ramble," and it reappears throughout the LP. But in the hands of May, Mercer, Crosby, and Armstrong, there is a parade of brilliant moments. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 31 Title: Holiday in Europe Released: 1962 Tracks: 12 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 April in Portugal (?) 2 C’est si bon (?) 3 Never on Sunday (?) 4 More and More (?) 5 Moment in Madrid (?) 6 Morgen (?) 7 Two Shadows on the Sand (?) 8 Under Paris Skies (?) 9 Domenica (?) 10 Pigalle (?) 11 A Letter to Pinocchio (?) 12 Melancholie (?) |
 | Album: 8 of 31 Title: I Wish You a Merry Christmas Released: 1962 Tracks: 11 Duration: 31:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Winter Wonderland (02:27) 2 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (02:52) 3 What Child Is This? / The Holly and the Ivy (03:21) 4 Little Drummer Boy (03:02) 5 O Holy Night (03:36) 6 The Littlest Angel (04:03) 7 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (02:09) 8 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (03:08) 9 Frosty the Snowman (02:16) 10 Pat-A-Pan / While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (02:52) 11 I Wish You a Merry Christmas (01:54) |
| I Wish You a Merry Christmas : Allmusic album Review : "White Christmas" is conspicuous by its absence, but the other selections for this early-60s LP of Bing Crosby Christmas recordings are very well done, focusing on his mellowest and merriest versions of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Winter Wonderland" and "Frosty the Snowman" and "The Little Drummer Boy" (a dry run for his infamous 1977 duet with David Bowie). The arrangements are warm but snappy, and the backing vocal chorus is appropriate for this Christmas album. Bing himself is in fine voice, sounding as strong as he had 20 years earlier when he waxed the original of "White Christmas," and I Wish You a Merry Christmas is as happy a way to celebrate the holidays as any other. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 31 Title: Return to Paradise Islands Released: 1964 Tracks: 18 Duration: 51:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Return to Paradise (03:21) 2 The Hukilau Song (02:15) 3 The Old Plantation (03:48) 4 Lovely Hula Hands (02:56) 5 Love and Aloha (03:19) 6 Keep Your Eyes on the Hands (02:46) 7 Adventures in Paradise (03:17) 8 Frangipani Blossom (02:51) 9 Forevermore (03:24) 10 Farewell My Tane (03:59) 11 Beautiful Kahana (03:44) 12 Home in Hawaii (Kings Serenade) (03:08) 13 Return to Paradise (False Start and Studio Chatter) (01:00) 14 My Little Grass Shack (02:26) 15 The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai (02:15) 16 Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula (02:31) 17 Ukulele Lady (02:22) 18 Kings Serenade (02:13) |
| Return to Paradise Islands : Allmusic album Review : Although a parade of pop artists recorded Hawaiian material between the 20s and 50s, none of them are as associated with it as Bing Crosby -- who could have (and did) populate an entire hits collection with only his Hawaiian-themed songs. In the early 60s, Crosby was briefly signed to Reprise Records, the new home for the best vocalists in traditional pop, but his only solo-billed record was this one, from 1963. Its an overlooked gem, recorded with Nelson Riddle, who understood more than any other arranger of his era how to bring exotic sounds home to American shores without proceeding directly to overkill. Riddle employs strings slightly more than on his classic arrangements, but theyre sweeping and lush -- completely in keeping with the material. Crosby sounds not merely comfortable, but fully relaxed in these songs. The opener, "Return to Paradise," a movie theme from a few years earlier, is the perfect place to start; not with some frothy hula dances, but a warm and reflective ballad wrapped in Riddles strings, which ebb and flow in an obvious homage to ocean shores. The rest of the record balances a few wistful ballads like the first with light novelties that employ the lap-steel guitar and ukulele thats de rigeur for a Hawaiian LP. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 31 Title: 12 Songs of Christmas Released: 1964 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 White Christmas (03:45) 2 Its Christmas Time Again (02:50) 3 Go Tell It on the Mountain (03:22) 4 An Old-Fashioned Christmas (03:44) 5 When Angels Sang of Peace (02:56) 6 The Little Drummer Boy (03:03) 7 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (02:35) 8 Do You Hear What I Hear (03:10) 9 The Secret of Christmas (03:45) 10 The Twelve Days of Christmas (03:50) 11 Christmas Candles (02:32) 12 We Wish You the Merriest (02:15) |
 | Album: 11 of 31 Title: America I Hear You Singing Released: 1964-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 America, I Hear You Singing (00:53) 2 This Is a Great Country (02:41) 3 The House I Live In (03:41) 4 The Hills of Home (04:39) 5 This Land Is Your Land (03:25) 6 Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor (03:01) 7 Youre a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith (03:48) 8 A Home in the Meadow (02:50) 9 Early American (03:36) 10 You Never Had It So Good (03:05) 11 Let Us Break Bread Together (03:43) 12 The Stars and Stripes Forever (02:52) |
 | Album: 12 of 31 Title: That Travelin Two-Beat Released: 1965 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 That Travelin’ Two-Beat (02:33) 2 New Vienna Woods (03:27) 3 Knees Up, Mother Brown (02:15) 4 Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ (02:58) 5 Adios Señorita (03:28) 6 Come to the Mardi Gras (02:43) 7 Hear That Band (03:15) 8 The Daughter of Molly Malone (03:24) 9 The Poor People of Paris (02:33) 10 I Get Ideas (02:52) 11 Ciao Ciao Bambina (03:05) 12 That Travelin’ Two-Beat (reprise) (01:47) |
| That Travelin' Two-Beat : Allmusic album Review : Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and arranger/conductor Billy May reconvened six years after their sessions for the first Crosby-Clooney duo album, Fancy Meeting You Here, to record a follow-up session in August and December 1964. Once again, the basic idea was to perform a collection of international songs. But the real creative force behind the record was the popular songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans ("Mona Lisa," "Whatever Will Be, Will Be [Que Sera, Sera]"). The two were credited for "conception, new music and lyrics" on an album that contained, as proclaimed on the back cover, "Favorite songs from around the world in Dixieland!" It was an odd conception, to be sure, in which, for example, Carlos Fernandezs "Cielito Lindo," a Spanish standard, is turned into "Adios Señorita," with Crosby and Clooney trading romantic witticisms over a souped-up Dixieland arrangement that moves Basin Street to Madrid. If the resulting cultural mish-mash isnt as disturbing as it sounds, thats only because the singers remain a winning combination; they spark each other, making this the liveliest Crosby album in some time, with Clooney good-naturedly keeping up her end and May only further goosing the two. This is not the place to look for great singers handling great material, but it is an entertaining date with a couple of singers who have never lacked for personality having a good time together. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 31 Title: A Time to Be Jolly Released: 1971 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 A Time to Be Jolly (02:08) 2 I Sing Noel (02:48) 3 Round and Round the Christmas Tree (02:34) 4 The First Family of Christmas (03:09) 5 The Song of Christmas (02:59) 6 A Christmas Toast (02:50) 7 And The Bells Rang (02:40) 8 Christmas Is (03:10) 9 When You Trim Your Christmas Tree (03:06) 10 Christmas Is Here to Stay (04:05) |
 | Album: 14 of 31 Title: Bing n Basie Released: 1986 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Gentle on My Mind (03:45) 2 Everything Is Beautiful (03:19) 3 Gonna Build a Mountain (02:36) 4 Sunrise, Sunset (02:43) 5 Hangin Loose (02:32) 6 All His Children (03:01) 7 Put Your Hand in the Hand (03:12) 8 Snowbird (02:56) 9 Little Green Apples (03:15) 10 Sugar, Dont You Know (03:23) 11 Have a Nice Day (02:55) |
 | Album: 15 of 31 Title: Christmas With Bing Released: 1989 Tracks: 16 Duration: 42:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Christmas Is A-Coming (May God Bless You) (02:42) 2 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (02:16) 3 Sleigh Ride (02:43) 4 Deck the Halls; That Christmas Feeling; Id Like to Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus (02:58) 5 That Christmas Feeling (03:02) 6 Looks Like a Cold Cold Winter (03:06) 7 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (02:46) 8 Silent Night, Holy Night (01:43) 9 The First Snowfall (03:08) 10 A Marshmallow World (02:41) 11 Snow (02:41) 12 Sleigh Bell Serenade (02:52) 13 Is Christmas Only a Tree (02:14) 14 Little Jack Frost Get Lost (01:50) 15 The Snowman; That Christmas Feeling; Id Like to Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus (03:25) 16 Happy Holiday (02:29) |
 | Album: 16 of 31 Title: Mail Call Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mail Call! (01:01) 2 The Trolley Song (05:18) 3 Its Love, Love, Love (05:14) 4 Can Do, Will Do (02:40) 5 Amor (10:55) 6 Groaner, Canary & Nose (05:38) 7 Mail Call! (03:30) 8 The Dixieland Band (10:35) 9 I Love You (04:19) 10 All the Things You Are (05:56) 11 Youre the Top (03:09) 12 Something to Remember You By (03:57) |
| Mail Call : Allmusic album Review : After the struggling through the Depression the previous decade, Americans braced for the long haul of World War Two. They had become used to coping with rough times. The radio was an aid to this, and so was Hollywood, with its stars on the airwaves to hearten the population. MAIL CALL, with Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, and Frank Sinatra, gives us a warm look at the radio programs featuring Hollywood luminaries during the war years. The amicable young Garland grabs one by the heart with her sincere laughter, to say nothing of her strong voice singing favorites like "The Trolley Song," and obscure gems like "Can Do, Will Do." The banter still raises a smile even today. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 31 Title: Christmas With Bing Crosby Released: 1993 Tracks: 16 Duration: 45:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 White Christmas (03:07) 2 Silent Night (02:40) 3 Its Beginning To Look Like Christmas (02:49) 4 Little Jack Frost Get Lost (01:51) 5 Good King Wenceslas / We Three Kings Of Orient Are / Angels We Have Heard On High (03:22) 6 Sleigh Ride (02:43) 7 Christmas Is A-Coming (02:40) 8 Deck The Halls / Away In A Manger / I Saw Three Ships (03:26) 9 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (02:47) 10 Ill Be Home For Christmas (02:58) 11 The Twelve Days Of Christmas (03:25) 12 The Snowman (03:23) 13 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (02:44) 14 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (02:20) 15 The Christmas Song (02:54) 16 Christmas In Killarny (02:42) |
 | Album: 18 of 31 Title: That Christmas Feeling Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 26:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jingle Bells (02:37) 2 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (01:51) 3 The Christmas Song (01:48) 4 Christmas Eve at the Crosby House (08:28) 5 That Christmas Feeling (01:47) 6 Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus (01:45) 7 The Snowman (01:45) 8 That Christmas Feeling (reprise) (01:53) 9 Adeste Fideles (01:09) 10 Silent Night (03:45) |
| That Christmas Feeling : Allmusic album Review : Legendary performers Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra collaborate, thanks to Regency, on this holiday collection. Songs include "Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus," "The Christmas Song," "Adeste Fideles," "Silent Night," "The Snowman," and the title track. The recordings are a little muffled, but that doesnt take away from the albums charm. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 31 Title: A Merry Christmas with Frank & Bing Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 18:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Merry Christmas to You (04:09) 2 Jingle Bells (02:02) 3 Deck the Halls (01:13) 4 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (01:13) 5 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (01:27) 6 O Come, All Ye Faithful (02:22) 7 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (02:02) 8 Away in a Manger (01:11) 9 O Little Town of Bethlehem (01:50) 10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (01:19) |
 | Album: 20 of 31 Title: White Christmas Released: 1995 Tracks: 17 Duration: 29:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 White Christmas (02:29) 2 O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) (02:19) 3 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (02:14) 4 Away in a Manger (01:30) 5 O Little Town of Bethlehem (00:55) 6 Silent Night (02:29) 7 That Christmas Feeling (01:38) 8 Jingle Bells (02:28) 9 Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus (01:11) 10 The Snowman (01:44) 11 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (01:50) 12 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (01:39) 13 The Christmas Song (01:41) 14 Deck the Halls (01:13) 15 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (01:26) 16 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (01:13) 17 O Come All Ye Faithful (01:34) |
| White Christmas : Allmusic album Review : "Der Bingle" in two distinctly different moods: from the solemnity of "Silent Night" and "Adeste Fidelis" (sung in Latin and English) to the playfulness ("gonna have a lotta fun") on "Jingle Bells," with the Andrews Sisters providing some smiles with their "Ji-ji-jingle" vocals. They duet on two more, including "Mele Kalikimaka." It also includes a remake of "White Christmas." | ||
 | Album: 21 of 31 Title: Christmas Through the Years Released: 1995 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Happy Holidays / Come to Holiday Inn (02:25) 2 The Christmas Song (03:36) 3 O Holy Night (03:34) 4 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (02:57) 5 Snowbird (02:58) 6 I Sing Noel (02:19) 7 When a Child Is Born (03:18) 8 Silver Bells (03:04) 9 Rudolp the Red-Nosed Reindeer (02:25) 10 Adeste Fideles (01:16) 11 All His Children (03:03) 12 Jingle Bells (02:40) |
| Christmas Through the Years : Allmusic album Review : Laserlights Christmas Through the Years is an adequate budget-priced collection of some of Bing Crosbys biggest holiday hits ("Sleigh Ride," "White Christmas," "The Bells of St. Marys"), but this material is available elsewhere on better collections. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 31 Title: My Favorite Country Songs Released: 1996 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Im an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande) (02:43) 2 Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle (02:44) 3 Twilight on the Trail (03:10) 4 Tumbling Tumbleweeds (03:07) 5 Clementine (02:27) 6 Empty Saddles (03:04) 7 Well Rest at the End of the Trail (02:55) 8 Cool Water (03:04) 9 Along the Navajo Trail (02:47) 10 Home on the Range (03:10) |
| My Favorite Country Songs : Allmusic album Review : My Favorite Country Songs is a cheap collection with inferior sound quality and running time (compared to the best survey of his western material, Im an Old Cowhand), but most importantly, not even Crosbys most popular country songs. "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy," "Pistol Packin Mama," and "San Antonio Rose" are nowhere to be seen, but lesser items like "Clementine," "Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle," and "Empty Saddles" all make appearances. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 31 Title: Something to Remember Me By Released: 1997 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:11:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 This Cant Be Love (01:40) 2 Half As Much (02:23) 3 Tenderly (02:59) 4 Zing a Little Zong (02:20) 5 Who Kissed Me Last Night? (02:34) 6 Youll Never Know (02:31) 7 The Merry-Go-Run-Around (03:08) 8 Blues in the Night (03:26) 9 I Do, I Do, I Do (02:59) 10 Chicago Style (03:01) 11 South Rampart Street Parade (03:39) 12 Lovely Weather for Ducks (02:32) 13 Something to Remember You By (02:40) 14 Havent Got a Worry to My Name (02:16) 15 Its Only a Paper Moon (02:32) 16 Only Forever (03:15) 17 Lonely Am I (03:36) 18 Youre in Kentucky Sure as Youre Born (02:08) 19 Medley: These Foolish Things / We Just Couldnt Say Goodbye / Youd Be So Nice to Come Home To (05:29) 20 Its a Most Unusual Day (01:58) 21 Youre Just in Love (02:39) 22 Bad News (02:05) 23 You Make Me Feel So Young (02:21) 24 Man and Woman (03:27) 25 Tomorrow Ill Dream and Remember (03:15) |
 | Album: 24 of 31 Title: A Christmas to Remember Released: 1999 Tracks: 17 Duration: 33:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 White Christmas (03:54) 2 Jingle Bells (02:13) 3 Deck the Halls (01:13) 4 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (01:13) 5 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (01:29) 6 O Come All Ye Faithful (02:16) 7 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (02:03) 8 Away in a Manger (01:11) 9 O Little Town of Bethlehem (01:52) 10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (01:31) 11 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (01:53) 12 The Christmas Song (01:43) 13 Adeste Fideles (03:04) 14 The Christmas Feeling (01:40) 15 Hitch a Ride With Santa Claus (01:52) 16 The Snowman (01:38) 17 Silent Night (02:29) |
 | Album: 25 of 31 Title: The Legendary Bing Crosby Released: 1999 Tracks: 17 Duration: 45:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Lady of Spain (02:31) 2 The Very Thought of You (02:58) 3 June in January (03:12) 4 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah (01:46) 5 P.S. I Love You (03:35) 6 If This Isnt Love (01:42) 7 Ole Buttermilk Sky (02:14) 8 Great Day (01:43) 9 I Got the Sun in the Morning (02:28) 10 May I? (02:56) 11 Its a Good Day (02:12) 12 You Go to My Head (03:47) 13 The Old Lamplighter (02:19) 14 With Every Breath I Take (03:11) 15 Temptation (03:08) 16 You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me (02:50) 17 Someday, Sweetheart (03:13) |
 | Album: 26 of 31 Title: Dont Fence Me In Released: 2000 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:06:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Swinging on a Star (02:31) 2 Pennies From Heaven (03:11) 3 You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (02:55) 4 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime (03:14) 5 Just One More Chance (03:18) 6 I Can’t Begin to Tell You (02:54) 7 I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams (02:38) 8 Dinah (02:57) 9 You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me (02:50) 10 Too Marvellous for Words (03:04) 11 Out of Nowhere (03:09) 12 Sunday, Monday or Always (02:38) 13 Moonlight Becomes You (03:12) 14 Its Been a Long, Long Time (02:58) 15 Dont Fence Me In (03:05) 16 Please (03:05) 17 Its Easy to Remember (03:12) 18 Three Little Words (03:05) 19 Ill Be Seeing You (02:51) 20 A Hit Time in the Town of Berlin (02:56) 21 Now Is the Hour (03:10) 22 White Christmas (03:04) |
 | Album: 27 of 31 Title: Fancy Meeting You Here Released: 2001 Tracks: 19 Duration: 52:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fancy Meeting You Here (02:30) 2 (Id Like to Be) On a Slow Boat to China (02:40) 3 I Cant Get Started (03:50) 4 Hindustan (02:52) 5 It Happened in Monterey (02:44) 6 You Came a Long Way From St. Louis (03:07) 7 Love Wont Let You Get Away (02:03) 8 How About You (03:14) 9 Brazil (03:31) 10 Isle of Capri (02:40) 11 Say Si Si (Para Vigo Me Voy) (02:22) 12 Calcutta (02:55) 13 Love Wont Let You Get Away (03:41) 14 Aint A-Hankerin (02:10) 15 Protection (02:37) 16 Love Wont Let You Get Away (01:18) 17 Medley: Fancy Meeting You Here / (Id Like to Be) On a Slow Boat to China/Hindustan (04:09) 18 Ol Man River (01:43) 19 When Its Twilight on the Trail (02:01) |
| Fancy Meeting You Here : Allmusic album Review : Rosemary Clooneys full-length collaboration with Bing Crosby and Billy May shouldve resulted in an electrifying LP, but unfortunately Fancy Meeting You Here doesnt quite meet the (admittedly high) expectations. A bakers dozen of tourist-themed songs with Crosby as a tagalong duet partner and May as globe-trotting scene-setter, the album does include several great teamings: the rousing title-track opener, a robust "It Happened in Monterey," and some great two-part harmonies on "You Came a Long Way from St. Louis." But for every delightful duet between the energizing, melodic Clooney and the mellow, laid-back Crosby, there are a few clunkers -- "On a Slow Boat to China," "Say Si Si (Para Vigo Me Voy)." Mays arrangements are inventive as usual, but constant nods to the music of the globe at any mention of a far-flung location soon grows annoying as well as cloying. The peaks are delightful, but the few low points are enough to make listeners wish for an uneventful trip through the plains. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 31 Title: American Music Legends Released: 2004 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Swinging On A Star (02:30) 2 San Fernando Valley (03:13) 3 Pennies From Heaven (03:13) 4 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Posative (02:41) 5 Personality (03:11) 6 Ill Be Seeing You (02:49) 7 (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 (03:12) 8 Some Enchanted Evening (03:04) 9 You Are My Sunshine (02:34) 10 Oh! What A Beautiful Morning (02:47) |
 | Album: 29 of 31 Title: The Christmas Album Released: 2004 Tracks: 18 Duration: 52:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Happy Holiday (02:30) 2 White Christmas (03:05) 3 Faith of Our Fathers (02:56) 4 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (02:20) 5 Adeste Fideles (03:13) 6 Here Comes Santa Claus (03:04) 7 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (02:57) 8 The First Noel (02:35) 9 You’re All I Want for Christmas (03:13) 10 Medley: Deck the Halls / Away in a Manger / O’ Little Town of Bethlehem / The First Noel (04:46) 11 Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (02:24) 12 Santa Claus Is Comig to Town (02:43) 13 Silent Night (02:17) 14 Silver Bells (03:04) 15 Sleigh Ride in July (02:43) 16 Jingle Bells (02:37) 17 Twelve Days of Christmas (03:24) 18 Let’s Start the New Year Right (02:34) |
 | Album: 30 of 31 Title: Good & Rare Released: 2006-07-04 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:18:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Yodel Blues (03:21) 2 So in Love (03:01) 3 Someplace on Anywhere Road (02:46) 4 So Tall a Tree (02:43) 5 This is the Time (03:10) 6 And Youll Be Home (03:11) 7 Milady (03:03) 8 The Best Thing for You (03:23) 9 Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (02:24) 10 Silver Moon (02:40) 11 Dont Ever Be Afraid to Go Home (02:23) 12 On the 10.10 From Ten-Ten-Tennessee (03:26) 13 Ohio (03:17) 14 Cela mest égal (02:25) 15 What a Little Moonlight Can Do (01:50) 16 My Love, My Love (02:42) 17 Mon couer est un violin (02:57) 18 La vie en rose (02:54) 19 Embrasse-moi bien (03:26) 20 Liebchen (02:43) 21 The River (03:23) 22 Its Mine, Its Yours (02:48) 23 The Search Is Through (02:54) 24 The Land Around Us (02:50) 25 Lets Harmonize (02:35) 26 Jim, Johnny and Jonas (03:03) 27 Farewell (02:42) |
| Good & Rare : Allmusic album Review : Sepia Recordings spotlights 27 Good & Rare recordings by Bing Crosby taken mainly from several films and Broadway musicals of the 50s including Kiss Me, Kate, Wonderful Town, Call Me Madam, and Texas. Collectors will be especially interested in the four tracks from the rare 10" record Le Bing: Hits of Paris originally released on Decca in 1953. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 31 Title: A Southern Memoir Released: 2010 Tracks: 19 Duration: 55:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 On the Alamo (03:22) 2 Alabamy Bound (02:14) 3 Where the Morning Glories Grow (02:14) 4 Stars Fell on Alabama (03:03) 5 Carolina in the Morning (03:07) 6 Swanee (02:15) 7 Way Down Yonder in New Orleans (02:23) 8 Georgia on My Mind [original version] (02:47) 9 Cryin for the Carolines (03:24) 10 She Is the Sunshine of Virginia (02:22) 11 Sleepy Time Down South (02:47) 12 Sailing Down the Chesapeake Bay (02:23) 13 South Texas Quail Hunting Medley (05:27) 14 On the Alamo [alternate take] (03:59) 15 Alabamy Bound [alternate take] (02:24) 16 Stars Fell on Alabama [alternate take] (03:30) 17 Swanee [alternate take] (02:24) 18 Georgia on My Mind [LP version] (02:48) 19 Sleepy Time Down South [alternate take] (03:02) |
| A Southern Memoir : Allmusic album Review : Bing Crosbys U.K.-only 1975 LP A Southern Memoir gets its first-ever stateside release 35 years after the fact with this CD reissue, courtesy of Bing Crosby Enterprises via Collectors Choice Music, which adds seven previously unreleased bonus tracks, most of which are alternate takes of the albums songs. The disc was a pet project of Crosbys (he is even credited as producer), the concept being a collection of songs from the first decades of the 20th century with references to the American South -- "Alabamy Bound," "Carolina in the Morning," etc. Crosby employed pianist/arranger/conductor Paul Smith to come up with a varied group of charts, some of which are typical of the traditional pop style in which the singer usually was heard, some (e.g., the 1917 copyright "Where the Morning Glories Grow") similar to the way they might have been done back when they were written, and some "up-to-date" (as Crosby put it in the original liner notes). It is those last versions that must have given Crosby fans pause in 1975 and sound particularly dated in 2010. Partway through "Alabamy Bound" and throughout "Georgia on My Mind," Smith has used a funk/disco approach à la the mid-70s. Particularly on "Georgia on My Mind," it suggests that the singer should be Isaac Hayes instead of Bing Crosby, and it has the so-bad-its-funny quality of The Ethel Merman Disco Album. Apparently, the arrangement was so off-putting to the British branch of Decca Records, which licensed the album for its initial release, that it was edited down for the LP. The full version is restored here, with the edited version relegated to "bonus track" status. Thankfully, this style is limited to a couple of songs on the disc. Otherwise, A Southern Memoir is a pleasant late-career effort for the 71-year-old Crosby, part of his final renaissance as a singer. (The most notable bonus track is a privately recorded set of parodies, "Bings South Texas Quail Hunting Medley," which provides a sense of Crosbys wit and affection for his friends, with its personal references to his hunting buddies.) | ||