What Folks Were Listening to 90 Years Ago

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The Great Depression was rough on most business, especially the record industry, which after all did not produce the necessities of life.

Even so, some labels soldiered on. Brunswick Records had a particularly strong lineup of artists, led by the formidable Bing Crosby. The flyer at left from September 1934 details just what Brunswick had to offer the record-buying population 90 years ago. I thought it might be fun to assemble those 14 songs and make a post out of them.

Brunswick's acts at the time, as summarized on the flyer, included the leading bands of Glen Gray and Ted Fio Rito, along with the relatively new Freddy Martin ensemble - and Bing, of course.

Bing's Songs from She Loves Me Not

One of Crosby's most famous songs came from the film She Loves Me Not, with Kitty Carlisle and Miriam Hopkins. It is "Love in Bloom," soon adopted by comedian Jack Benny and thereafter associated with him as much as Bing.

Kitty Carlisle remonstrates Bing for getting into her eyeliner

The singer's performance is more mannered than would be his norm later on, but the singing is nonetheless first-rate. The backing on the Ralph Rainger-Leo Robin song is by Irving Aaronson and His Commanders.

The flip side also is fairly well-known - the Gordon-Revel "Straight from the Shoulder (Right from the Heart)." Crosby's flossy singing is at least partially tongue-in-cheek.

Glen Gray with Kenny Sargent and Pee Wee Hunt

One of the best bands of that time (or any time) was Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, which merited second billing on the Brunswick flyer. Gray's first hit was his theme song "Smoke Rings," as illustrated on the billboard above. In September 1934, the band was offering its relaxed and polished version of Will Hudson's sophisticated "Moonglow" (which the label spells "Moon Glow") as one of its six releases of the month.

The record benefits from the marvellously laid-back singing of Kenny Sargent, who is far more natural here than the contemporary Bing. Sargent also does wonderfully well by Irving Berlin's masterful "I Never Had a Chance." Finally, "Long May We Love" is contrived, but enjoyable.

Pee Wee Hunt and Kenny Sargent hoist Annette Hanshaw on the Camel Caravan radio show (for some reason)

Kenny was just one of the two splendid vocalists in the band (both of whom were also instrumentalists). The other was rhythm singer Pee Wee Hunt, a distinctive stylist who was popular even into the 1950s. He is engaging in Winston Tharp's "You Ain't Been Living Right" and particularly "I Never Slept a Wink Last Night" by Nat Simon and Andy Razaf, a song otherwise unknown to me.

The Gray segment is completed by "Jungle Fever," an instrumental that somehow comes from the film Operator 13, a Civil War romance.

The Casa Loma Band, with the imposing Glen Gray at right

Ted Fio Rito with Muzzy Marcellino

Ted Fio Rito

Bandleader Ted Fio Rito also was in demand in 1934, having had two hits earlier in the year - "I'll String Along with You" and "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii." His four offerings for September were not so successful, but are worth hearing, certainly.

Fio Rito's main vocalist here is Muzzy Marcellino, who also played the guitar. (Twenty years later he would be the ethereal whistler on the soundtrack of The High and the Mighty.) Muzzy's first song was "We Went Hunting (The Big Bad Wolf Is Dead)," written by Will Jason and Val Burton and introducted by Wheeler and Woolsey in the film Cockeyed Cavaliers. This seems to be a cheery Depression-fighting song - and Muzzy (and Fio Rito's Debutantes) are suitably jaunty.

Muzzy Marcellino and Fio Rito's Debutantes

Marcellino also is heard in the novelties "Hot Dogs and Sasparella" and Fio Rito's "Crickets in the Grass" - not great but not bad either. But the finest song is given to Ray Hendricks, who sang with many bands - Dorothy Fields' and Jimmy McHugh's "Thank You for a Lovely Evening," recorded by several artists that year and still occasionally heard.

The Young Freddy Martin

Freddy Martin and ensemble

The esteemed bandleader Freddy Martin was still in his twenties and on the way up and when he started recording for Brunswick - largely for its budget labels, but here we have two songs on the main marque.

Terry Shand

"We're Just Poor Folks (Rolling in Love)" - another Depression-aware title - comes from a W.C. Field film, The Old Fashioned Way. (That's the one where Fields plays "the Great McGonigle.") Here it is handled by Martin's main vocalist, pianist Terry Shand, who had a long career both as a singer and songwriter, with such fare as "Dance with a Dolly (with a Hole in Her Stocking)." 

Just as good was "Born to Be Kissed," a relatively little-known song by the successful team of Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. Here it is given to a trio, who are nice to listen to, although a soloist might have been preferable.

These recordings all were cleaned up from Internet Archive transfers. The sound is quite good.

LINK

Bing and Dottie on 'The Road to Singapore'

Here's the latest in a series examining Bing Crosby's musicals, with his own commercial discs and other recordings of interest. This time out we have The Groaner in his first "road" picture - 1940's Road to Singapore, his first film with Bob Hope and joint filmic love interest Dorothy Lamour.

For this episode in our series, we have Bing's Decca singles along with Dottie's Bluebird shellacs, plus recordings of a few numbers from the film those two didn't bother with.

Let's introduce the main tunes via Crosby's recordings. First, the biggest song from the score, the lovely and beautifully performed "Too Romantic" from songwriters James V. Monaco and the ever-present Johnny Burke. The backing is by John Scott Trotter and orchestra.

For the next song, Monaco and Burke wrote a number for Bing and the vocal group the Foursome, who were amazing ocarina virtuosi. (See these two posts devoted to the quartet.) The song is is the utterly delightful "Sweet Potato Piper," which not only a tribute to the Foursome's skill, but also Crosby's rhythmic dexterity.

Dottie, Bing and Bob play the pipers

The final song for Bing is "The Moon and the Willow Tree" is unusual in that the music was composed by the film's director, Victor Schertzinger, an accomplished musician whose best known songs are "I Remember You" and "Tangerine." Burke again was the lyricist.

Dorothy Lamour

Dorothy Lamour was already known for films set in "exotic" locales when cast in Road to Singapore. She was a apt choice because she could sing, having some experience as a band vocalist. Bluebird had her record the same three songs as Crosby, with Lou Bring leading the band.

Lamour's husky voice takes some getting used to, but she's very persuasive in "Too Romantic" and "The Moon and the Willow Tree." For "Sweet Potato Piper" she has neither the Foursome and their ocarinas nor the personality of Bing, but she does fine otherwise. I haven't heard her sing before, except for seeing the road films a long time ago, but I was impressed.

Neither Bing nor Dottie attempted another song from the score, "Captain Custard," in the film a comedy feature for Crosby and Hope. The number shows off Schertzinger's or perhaps Burke's fondness for Gilbert & Sullivan, and relies heavily on visual clowning.

Nonetheless, intrepid bandleader Ray Noble, who had a sideline in playing Bertie Wooster-style silly Englishmen in the movies, took up the cause of the Captain, who is apparently the chief usher in a movie theater. His Columbia record is pleasant, but without the visuals, it does fall flat, sad to say - I generally enjoy Noble and his records.

Ray Noble and Mildred Bailey

Finally, one from left field - "Faithful Forever," which Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin wrote for the animated film Gulliver's Travels, which was in production at Paramount at the same time as Road to Singapore. Victor Young, music director for both films, borrowed the tune for use in an ironic way during a scene announcing Crosby's ill-fated engagement.

Despite its Academy Award nomination and many recordings, "Faithful Forever" is a predictable song that lends itself to lachrymose performances, including Young's commercial recording. I've chosen one of the livelier ones, that of Benny Goodman's band with vocalist Mildred Bailey, with the arrangement by Eddie Sauter.

These recordings are cleaned up from my collection and Internet Archive.

LINK

A Forest of 'Poincianas'

Before anyone inquires, that is a poinciana at left, a colorful tree that is indigenous to Madagascar but found in many tropical and semi-tropical locations. For our purposes, "Poinciana" also is a humid song that was popular in the 1940s into the 50s, and even later.

The sheet music reads "Poinciana (Song of the Tree)," and record labels will tell you the authors were Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier. In reality it is a traditional Cuban tune adapted in 1936 into a popular song, "La canción del árbol," with Spanish lyrics by Manuel Lliso.

The tropical Bing

Today we'll explore eight varied interpretations of the Americanized "Poinciana" - vocals, exotica, jazz and R&B. (I haven't found a recording of  "La canción del árbol," unfortunately.) Why "Poinciana"? It's a favorite of mine.

The Simon-Bernier version was published as far back as 1936, but the first recorded version I've found is a 1942 instrumental by David Rose. But our journey will begin, as many do around here, with Bing Crosby, who was the first to have a hit with "Poinciana," in 1943. Even before Bing begins singing, you will note that John Scott Trotter has identified the song as a boléro, and has patterned the accompaniment after Maurice Ravel's famous composition of that name In the verse, Bing's languid singing, in a higher register than usual, contrasts well with the rat-a-tat of the accompaniment. The chorus is more conventional.

Bing's Decca record is something of a scarce item. It has been reissued on CD a few times, but not nearly as often as its 78 flip side, "San Fernando Valley," which was a huge hit. This could be because "Poinciana" was not especially well recorded or processed.

Benny Carter

It took very little time for other artists to take note of the song. Shortly after Bing's recording, Benny Carter took a big band into a studio for an early Capitol session. The song is a showcase for his fluid alto saxophone and assertive band. There is no Ravel "rat-a-tat."

Another big band - a very big one, with strings and all - took up the song the next year. It was Capt. Glenn Miller and the Army Air Force Training Command Orchestra, who performed an elaborate Jerry Gray arrangement in what I believe to be a May 1944 broadcast, which has excellent sound.

Sgt. Johnny Desmond

Gray's chart is certainly more Miller than Ravel, with the brass's characteristic "boo-wah" effects prominent in the opening chorus. The performance segues into a romantic vocal by the young Johnny Desmond, backed up by the Crew Chiefs. Desmond is relatively convincing with Bernier's melodramatic lyrics: "Somehow I feel the jungle heat / Within me, there grows a rhythmic savage beat." He looks more stiff than savage at right.

Miller's recording is longer than the norm of the time, coming in at about five minutes. So too was the next interpretation, that of mood music maestro Andre Kostelanetz. He recognized the song as a prime piece of exotica, and packaged it into a Columbia album called Exotic Music, along with "Flamingo," a hit for Duke Ellington, "Song of India," a hit for Tommy Dorsey, and Cyril Scott's "Lotus Land" from 1905. You can hear the whole album via my friend Lee's blog.

My own introduction to "Poinciana" came several decades ago via a copy of Frank Sinatra's 1946 version with the usual superb backing from Axel Stordahl, who arranged almost all of the Voice's records until said Voice joined Capitol. Stordahl was very skilled, and his best work was done with Frank. Their "Poinciana" is outstanding, with Stordahl's sophisticated chart perfectly underpinning the intensely romantic vocal.

Frank Sinatra and Axel Stordahl

One of Sinatra's many rivals was the excellent Alan Dale, who didn't have a huge career but was nonetheless talented. He recorded "Poinciana" in 1948 for Bob Thiele's high-class but short-lived Signature label, backed by Ray Bloch. Dale's entrance blares, but the rest of the performance is fine. His singing is more Bing than Frank, and perhaps closest to the extroverted Don Cornell of Sammy Kaye's band.

Lynn Hope

"Poinciana" continued to appeal to both singers and bandleaders at mid-century. R&B saxophonist Lynn Hope did it for the small Premium label in 1950. His idea of the song was a calypso, and in that guise it's very listenable.

"Poinciana" inevitably became a subject of interest to the exotica mavens of the 1950s, inspiring recordings by Esquivel, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman and today's featured artist, Tak Shindo, an American arranger-composer who combined American and Asian influences in his music.

The Shindo selection comes from his 1960 LP Brass and Bamboo, done for Capitol. The recording jumbles all types of effects into a captivating trip to another land - several of them, in fact.

These recordings were cleaned up from my collection and that of the Internet Archive folks.

LINK

A Parade of 'Easter Parades'

What you see at left is perhaps the first Easter parade in song - it is a still from As Thousands Cheer, the 1933 revue with music by Irving Berlin that introduced his "Easter Parade."

I believe the right foreground displays Clifton Webb and Marilyn Miller, who first sang the number. At left is co-star Helen Broderick.

Webb recorded the song for Victor with conductor Leo Reisman, and it's the first entry in today's "Parade of 'Easter Parades'," a collection of 10 diverse interpretations of the song, including the best known renditions and some lesser recognized discs as well.

Henry Hall

Following its introduction, it wasn't long before Berlin's holiday classic made it across the Atlantic and intro the hands of Henry Hall, the conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra. The label for his 1935 recording says that the song is from a West End revue called Stop Press, about which little information has survived. We do know that either the producers or Berlin himself altered the lyrics to fit London - removing the reference to Fifth Avenue, and to "the rotogravure," which, come to think of it, is a term that may baffle anyone younger than me. ("Rotogravure" refers to the picture supplements of Sunday newspapers, taking its name from the printing process used for their production.)

A much different approach to the song was taken in 1939 by the Jimmie Lunceford band, performing a stylish arrangement by Sy Oliver. This swing version has a smooth vocal by Trummy Young, trombonist in the band and later a long-time associate of Louis Armstrong.

Jimmie Lunceford and Trummy Young

Our next selection could hardly be more of a contrast - it is Andre Kostelanetz's lush reading from his 1942 album Musical Comedy Favorites, Volume II. Both volumes are available on my other blog.

Bing Crosby had a go at the song for his 1942 film Holiday Inn, where he warbled to Marjorie Reynolds and her Easter bonnet, as seen below. For his commercial recording Bing had to be content with the Decca microphone and maestro John Scott Trotter. (The complete Holiday Inn recordings are here.)

Bing and Marjorie Reynolds

The most famous recording of "Easter Parade" may be the one in the 1948 film of the same name, as performed by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, who look splendid promenading below. The soundtrack version may be celebrated, but in truth Garland's singing does blare a bit.

Judy and Fred

Freddie Mitchell

Judy is not nearly as blaring, however, as the tenor sax of Freddie Mitchell in his 1949 R&B version for the Derby label. Freddie turned most everything into a boogie - literally so in this release, which first came out as "Easter Boogie," with Mitchell as co-author, but later was retitled "Easter Parade," with Berlin reinstated as composer. On the disc, the leader's tenor sax solo quotes Illinois Jacquet's legendary break in Lionel Hampton's "Flying Home." As usual on Mitchell's records, a tinny sounding upright piano is prominent.

The following year, the duo of Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely were in the Capitol studios to record one of their bigger hits, "Let's Go to Church (Next Sunday Morning)" along with its flip side, their take on "Easter Parade." Both featured the same creaky organ accompaniment.

Back then, the fashion in jazz circles was to record a noted soloist accompanied by sumptuous strings, following the success of alto saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker in that setting. Trumpeter Roy Eldridge got the treatment in late 1951, with his accompaniment arranged and conducted by George Williams. Eldridge recorded this cushiony interpretation for Mercury.

Roy Eldridge

To close we have an enjoyable version from the Ray Charles Singers, who made a long series of excellent records in the 1950s and 60s. This is from their Spring Is Here collection for M-G-M. The recording, from 1955, also features the Columbus Boychoir, for reasons that aren't obvious.

The Ray Charles Singers at a recording session. The leader is to the right of the microphone.

The recordings in this collection were remastered from Internet Archive and my collection.

LINK

Bing's 'Top o' the Morning' - Songs and Promos

Continuing or series of posts about Bing Crosby and his film songs, today we examine the Irish-themed Top o' the Morning, from 1949.

For this post in addition to the five songs from the film, we have a series of broadcast introductions that Bing recorded for disc jockey use. The intros would have been sent with a scripted question for the DJ to ask, and Bing would respond with his thoughts about the record to be heard next. These gimmicks must have been popular, because the labels kept producing them. This site has several examples.

It's always amusing to hear Crosby responding fully in his "genial Bing" character to these disembodied queries. He was a pro.

Ann Blyth has a crush on Bing

The plot involved some rigmarole about Bing going to Ireland as an insurance investigator - investigating the theft of the Blarney Stone (no blarney) - meeting up with the local policeman (Barry Fitzgerald, of course), and romancing the constable's daughter (Ann Blyth, 25 years Bing's junior).

The songs were good, if not the most successful ever produced for a Crosby film. Two were by stalwarts Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen, including the title song. "Top 'o the Morning" did become fairly well known, and lent its name to a much-later Irish compilation from the singer.

"Oh, 'Tis Sweet to Think" is a lyric by the 19th century poet Thomas Moore set by him to a traditional melody, I believe. Here it is a duet for Bing and Ann Blyth.

"The Donovans" is an 1896 song with words by Francis Fahy set by Alicia Adélaide Needham to the old Irish air "The Wind that Shakes the Barley." The modern adaptation is by Walter Kent.

But the best tune of all is from the Burke-Van Heusen team, "You're in Love with Someone," a tender, memorable item indeed, and perfect for our peripatetic crooner.

Bing also sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in the film, but there was no recording at the time, presumably because he had just done it three years earlier. I have included that earlier disc as a bonus.

These are from my collection - the sound for the songs is just fine, the promos are serviceable. There are two promos for each song, except for the "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" bonus.

LINK

The Songs from Bing's 'Double or Nothing'

Bing Crosby's 1937 film Double or Nothing - via songsmiths Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston - supplied four superb numbers for the singer to perform. Today's post covers Bing's commercial versions and several airchecks as well. Finally, the great Fats Waller makes an appearance.

First, about the film: let me assure you that the plot is one you have encountered many times before - Bing and accomplices must surmount a number of challenges to double their money. If they do, they get a million. If not, they get nothing. Even in the 1930s this premise was usually confined to B-pictures.

The music is much more enjoyable. In the US, the songs came out on Decca. At the top you can see the picture labels that the English Brunswick company used for its release. That's co-star Mary Carlisle with Bing. Brunswick issued a similar set for Waikiki Wedding, which you can find here and here.

The most enduring of the Double or Nothing songs is probably "The Moon Got in My Eyes." This collection has three versions - the Decca recording and Kraft Music Hall radio performances from October and November 1937. The latter two originated from transcriptions made for Bing's new music director, John Scott Trotter, who had recently joined him from Hal Kemp's band.

"The Natural Thing to Do" was the second hit of the film score, attracting many cover versions. For this set we have Crosby's Decca 78 along with a radio duet with his comic sidekick Bob Burns. It's from the first Kraft Music Hall program of the 1937-38 season and has special lyrics, probably provided by Johnny Burke. Burns had apparently been the host of the summer replacement show, and the lyrics of this version hinge on him turning the show back over to Crosby. Burns was a musician, but could not sing and seems ill at ease here.

Bob Burns and Bing

The least remembered song from the Double or Nothing quartet is "All You Want to Do Is Dance." Even so, it's a good number that Crosby does very well. The arrangement shows off the familiar Trotter sound that would complement Bing for many years to come. I haven't found an aircheck of this number.

The final song is "(You Know It All) Smarty." In addition to Bing's commercial recording, we have his radio performance from October. I've added a bonus in the form of the intensely swinging Victor recording by the inimitable Fats Waller. I wonder what the songwriters thought of his free interpretation.

All but the Waller selection are from my collection. The sound is good to excellent.

LINK

Fats Waller

Bing's 'Emperor Waltz' - Songs, Sources and Spin-Offs

Bing serenades what appears to be
a stuffed likeness of Joan Fontaine

In his postwar films, Bing Crosby continued his picaresque adventures, with or without Bob Hope. Today we'll look at the music from his 1948 film The Emperor Waltz, where he was a plucky turn-of-the-century gramophone salesman. The story involved Bing trying to get the emperor of Austria to buy a new-fangled Victrola, so as to give it some much needed publicity. The crooner also gets to romance a Countess, played by Joan Fontaine.

At the time, Paramount's (or Bing's) usual ploy was to engage Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen for his movie songs, so that a big element of the film's success was ensured.

For this score, however, the duo was employed only for the minor number "Get Yourself a Phonograph," and Bing didn't even make a commercial recording of the piece.

Instead the big tunes (relatively speaking) were taken from existing sources. First, the title song, an adaptation of the Johann Strauss II composition, with Burke's lyrics added.

The other numbers were more obscure, at least to American audiences. "The Kiss in Your Eyes" was a version of a piece from Richard Heuberger's 1898 operetta Der Opernball. "Friendly Mountains" was reputedly based on Austrian yodels. And "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame" is a Ralph Erwin song from a 1929 German film of the same name (Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame) that starred Marlene Dietrich and Harry Liedtke. Burke provided the English lyrics for the first two; Sam Lewis and Joe Young the latter, back when the film was new.

In this post we'll present Bing's commercial recordings, a selection from a promotional disc, and the sources of the songs, as appropriate. And we'll add a few surprises.

The Emperor Waltz

First, we have the "The Emperor Waltz" with Bing's reading of Burke's at times clunky lyrics ("Like poets say, 'It's perfectly swell!'"). Bing does his best, but the number doesn't come off completely. The transfer is from the Decca recording.

For contrast, we have the original composition (Kaiser-Waltzer, Op. 437) from a superior 1950 recording by the eminent conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Vienna Philharmonic. You will note that Strauss's composition is much more complex than the Bing/Victor Young adaptation (as might be expected).

Wilhelm Furtwängler

Friendly Mountains

On the soundtrack, "Friendly Mountains" does indeed start with Bing's version of a yodel - characteristically including any number of "bum-bum-bums." The soundtrack has fun with elaborate echoes. ("Let the friendly mountains sing along," Crosby advises.) This transfer comes from the Paramount promotional disc at right. 

Also included is Bing's commercial recording, in which the echo effects are not quite as prolonged; even so, the device gets tiresome.

I Kiss Your Hand, Madame

As noted, "Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame" comes from a 1929 film of the same name, with the famed tenor Richard Tauber providing the vocal on the otherwise-silent soundtrack. He is not seen in the film, but nonetheless appeared in the publicity along with the principals (below). We have his recording from the German Odeon release.

Harry Liedtke, Marlene Dietrich and Richard Tauber

Bing himself had recorded "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame" with the Lewis-Young lyrics back in 1929. The arrangement accentuated the tango rhythm, with Eddie Lang on guitar, Roy Bargy on piano and Matty Malneck on viola, all uncredited.

Crosby's 1947 commercial recording is very fine, appropriately dreamy with luscious backing by Victor Young and orchestra. It's my favorite of the three readings.

Tauber, 1929 Bing, 1947 Bing, and Spike

Even a good record deserves a parody, and Spike Jones provided one that, if anything, has become better known than either of Bing's efforts. There is a straight presentation of the tune from Paul Judson and choir before transitioning to a chorus of gunshots, cow bells and the like. Then the choir offers a cooing reading of the lyrics interspersed with rude noises and sound effects, followed by a tasteless bravura close. Richard Tauber died at about the same time as this record came out. Coincidence?

The Kiss in Your Eyes

Richard Tauber

Heuberger's "Im Chambre Séparée" was transformed by the film into "The Kiss in Your Eyes," here transferred from Crosby's Decca recording. The original is represented by Tauber's 1931 Parlophon disc, with an orchestra led by an uncredited Frieder Weissmann. It's a beautiful piece, well served by both artists in their own ways.

"Im Chambre Séparée" gained another life a few years after the film. In 1953 Dorcas Cochran came up with a song titled "Suddenly," somehow forgetting to credit Heuberger for its melody. Les Baxter recorded it for Capitol with a very good solo vocal by Bill Kennedy. It, too, is in the download.

In addition to the various permutations in the download, the "Emperor Waltz" and "Kiss in Your Eyes" did occasion a good number of cover records, presumably trading off Bing's popularity, if not Strauss or Heuberger.

* * *

The film itself wasn't a huge success. Made in 1946, it wasn't released until 1948 and while it did recoup its investment, it wasn't a blockbuster. During the filming, Bing was reportedly chilly to co-star Joan Fontaine and resistant to direction from Billy Wilder. The director, who had lived in Vienna when young, was disappointed by the final film.

The recordings have been restored from Internet Archive transfers.

LINK

Revisiting Bing's 'Waikiki Wedding'

About five years ago I shared picture labels of Bing Crosby issued on a 78 with two songs from his 1937 film Waikiki Wedding. I had found the record in Iceland, about as far away from Hawaii as you can get.

Bing actually recorded four songs from the film, and I have now discovered the two missing picture labels amidst the bounty of Internet Archive. They adorn the 78 of "In a Little Hula Heaven," where Crosby is backed by Jimmy Dorsey's band, and "Sweet Leilani," with Lani McIntire and His Hawaiians. The latter song was the handiwork of bandleader Harry Owens; the other three were by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger.

"Sweet Leilani" was the big hit from the score. Not content to provide the background, McIntire or one of his troupe handle the first few vocal choruses, adding to the charm of the record and providing contrast to Bing's warbling. 

These picture labels were a product of UK Brunswick, which seemingly made "In a Little Hula Heaven" the lead number of the four, with Crosby's name highlighted with the tag "in his hits from Waikiki Wedding." "Hula Heaven" is forgotten, but another song from the score, "Blue Hawaii," lives on, thanks not so much to Bing but to Elvis and his 1961 film of the same name. The Robin-Rainger song was the only one carried over from the earlier film to El's epic. The other big song from the 1961 film was "Can't Help Falling in Love," where Elvis attempted to out-croon Bing.

The download includes all four songs from Bing's film, taken from an LP release because neither the Iceland nor the Internet Archive 78 was in good condition. This time around I have added an ambient effect that provides some air around the mono sound.

Shirley Ross, Bing Crosby, Martha Raye, Bob Burns

Bing's 'Welcome Stranger' - the Promo Discs and Commercial Releases

In casting Bing Crosby's latest film, 1947's Welcome Stranger, Paramount Studios tried to recreate the success of the Groaner's most recent films. First, they enlisted Barry Fitzgerald, the beloved foil from one of Crosby's most successful entries, Going My Way. Only this time, Bing and Barry would be doctors instead of priests.

Then, for good measure, Paramount cast Joan Caulfield as the love interest, as it had in Crosby's most recent film, Blue Skies. And as usual Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen were on hand to provide the songs (although the Irving Berlin catalog had graced Blue Skies).

The result was a success at the box office, but the songs are less remembered than many others written for Bing's film projects. Even Bing's The Bells of St. Mary's had a more durable hit, "Aren't You Glad You're You?", the only Burke-Van Heusen song in the score.

Too bad, because the Welcome Stranger songs are accomplished and varied - and perfectly suited to Crosby's talents and persona. Today we get to hear not only the four Decca sides recorded in conjunction with the film, but the same songs as heard on the soundtrack, courtesy of the promotional records that Paramount sent out in advance of the film's opening.

The sets lead off with the gorgeous ballad, "As Long as I'm Dreaming." Both versions are effective and affecting, but the soundtrack has a level of involvement that Bing sometimes didn't attain in his commercial recordings. The same is true of most of the other recordings, which is perhaps understandable considering that the Decca sessions were nine months after the soundtrack recordings.

The "dreamer" was a central element of Crosby's film and TV characters from Holiday Inn through to High Tor. A related aspect was the "regular guy" personality that was embodied in Welcome Stranger by the song "My Heart Is a Hobo." In this number, Bing insists that he "loves to go out berry pickin', hates to hear alarm clocks tickin'," while admitting that he "hates the stodgy guy that I am." (He apparently had to work at being irresponsible.)

"Country Style" is a square dance - far more common back then - which comes off better on the soundtrack than in the studio.

"Smile Right Back at the Sun" was a cracker-barrel philosophy piece that was a bid to replicate the popularity of "Aren't You Glad You're You?" or Going My Way's "Swinging on a Star." It didn't achieve as much success, even though it's a good song. Here the commercial recording is just as effective as the soundtrack.

The songs in both sets are well-recorded and very enjoyable. The download includes many stills and posters from the film, along with the booklet included in the 78 set (cover below). All recordings were cleaned up from Internet Archive originals.