Kay Starr with Charlie Barnet

Kay Starr first achieved popular success as a vocalist on Capitol records in the late 40s, but before that she was a band thrush (as Billboard termed them) with Joe Venuti, Glenn Miller, Charlie Barnet and a few other ensembles, making some records with Miller and Barnet.

Her Miller sides aren't that memorable. Starr was a temporary replacement for Marion Hutton and the material and arrangements were not well suited to her. She is, however, recognizably "Kay Starr" on this 1944 date with alto saxophonist Charlie Barnet.

The 78 couples two Doris Fisher-Allan Roberts songs that were actually big hits - but for other artists. And to make it worse, those hits were on Barnet's label, Decca. "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" was a success for Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots (principally Bill Kenny) and "You Always Hurt the One You Love" was a blockbuster for the Mills Brothers.

Kay Starr with Charlie Barnet

Both those competing sides have a panache that the blustery Barnet band cannot match. Charlie's boys start out forte and end up forte, never really swinging along the way. But then I've never been much of a Barnet fan. The sound is fairly good, though.

Starr soon became a single act and eventually moved along to Capitol. My other blog is featuring records she made for that concern from 1947-49.