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The scheme of the
database is :-
1 All
recordings are listed by sessions under dates, recording companies, venues,
matrix numbers and CD
issues in three groups
a The Pre Decca Years 1928 – 1934
c Post Decca years to 1977 plus the posthumous overdubbings.
2 The CD issues restated by record label and CD titles.
This is the present stage of development. To come:-
3 Song
title index
4 Performer
index
5 Writer
Index
6 Broadcast
titles The most productive sources of CD
issues - (more might be added later)
a
b Philco Radio Time
c Chesterfied
Cigarettes presents the Bing Crosby Show
d General Electric
Work on this group is already far advanced but
there are problems in identifying sources of many issues, particularly as CD
notes in many instances are downright misleading.
A database of this type can only survive and
expand with meaningful contributions from the widest range of sources, and here
I do ask for any contributions to correct errors, and also to expand on the
list of issues, particularly where the titles are otherwise unrepresented.
The Format of Session Listings
Date: Where known – sometimes approximations
are given
Location: Frequently Los Angeles and
Label: The ORIGINAL recording company
THE HEADLINE PERFORMER, under which the
original “78” recording was issued.
The Performers. Where other than vocal or Orchestra, an abbreviation for the role is given.
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a. |
MATRIX NUMBER -Take |
Title 1 – Timing (M:S) (Songwriters) |
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CD RECORD LABEL — CD
RECORD TITLE |
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b. |
MATRIX NUMBER -Take |
Title 2 – Timing (M:S) (Songwriters) |
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CD RECORD LABEL — CD
RECORD TITLE |
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Any relevant comments.
Explanatory Notes and
Credits.
This is a “Work In Progress”. Only parts of
the intended database are currently available, and many identified CDs have yet
to be added.
At present it covers official studio
recordings only with a few broadcast titles where those have been included in
CD issues within the present listing, with other broadcasts to be added later.
This first stage includes only CDs from my own collection, direct equivalents,
or a few that I know to exist which I consider to be important.
The primary intention of this database is to
list the recordings of Bing in a way that shows what songs are on which
CDs. An attempt has been made to
establish what takes are included on the listed CDs, but no warranty is given
that this is accurate. Corrections are
most welcome. Where takes are identified
on the CD itself this information has been used unless there is strong evidence
to suggest that it is incorrect. Where the CDs in question are not in my
possession I have relied on such information as I could glean from whatever
sources appeared to me most appropriate.
There have been several publications listing
the recordings. They have varied in
comprehensiveness, but each has fulfilled a valuable purpose.
Others have listed CD issues. With them there
is the fundamental problem that things soon get out of date. I hope that by
going on line it might be possible to keep expanding, and just possibly,
eventually getting up to date and moderately comprehensive. I hope that I might
sometime achieve my objective. In the meantime the part completed work is
offered in the hope that the real experts will be tempted to offer corrections
and additions.
There are several things which I have not done:-
I have not listed the
many compilation issues on which Bing is merely one of many artists, nor all of
the many popular compilations devoted to Bing which merely recycle the top
forty or so titles. My concentration has been on the issues which have
contained a wide and deep view the
I made no attempt to
give comprehensive personnel listings, but I might expand on them later. I
would refer any who are interested to Timothy Morgereth,
the booklet notes accompanying the “Chronological” series, and to Fred
Reynolds, though I do note in passing that there are a number of differences,
not just of individual musicians, but even bands in the immediate post Whiteman
era, between these publications. I note orchestras, leaders and duettists. Instrumentalists have been included in the
earlier recordings where there were a preponderance of jazzmen who were
prominent or became so, such as Eddie Lang or Bix Beiderbecke.
I have not covered
rejected & unissued titles and takes where these
are believed no longer to survive. Those listed are believed to exist but where
noted as “Unissued” the implication is that they are
not included on any of the CDs I have chosen to list. I apologise readily for
any omissions of important issues that might contain these neglected recordings
and hereby invite information, please.
The information has been compiled primarily
from the data contained in the notes accompanying the CD series “The
Chronological Bing Crosby” so far as the series extends (1950). This has been supplemented for that period
where necessary by information contained in the excellent publications listed
below. For later recordings I used the refernces
below but I also had to hand a much wider variety of sources built up over 50
years plus of collecting, including the original 78’s and LPs, publications of
the time, and other items published by (primarily) the ICC.
“Bing Crosby – A
Discography, Radio Program List and Filmography” by Timothy A. Morgereth,
published by McFarland
& Company Inc 1987
This has comprehensive
listings of takes of the 78 rpm era, including discarded takes, personnel
etc. There is also a fairly complete
listing of the main radio series to 1954, (though some errors have been noticed),
and of the films with personnel, plotlines and essential information.
“The
This contains an
excellent title by title commentary with clear critical analysis, and a
breakdown – almost minute by minute - as to what can be heard, and which
musicians are participating. Mr Reynolds does not pull his punches, and is
ready to say when even the greatest make a mess of things. It is strongly
recommended to anyone wanting to listen to Bing’s
recordings with an informed ear. The take references and the personnel listings
are not as comprehensive as Morgereth, but more
useful as the takes are limited to those actually circulated in some form and
the key contributions of individual players are noted. In my view the most
essential of all the reference works.
“Bing Crosby’s Commercial
Recordings”, compiled by F. B. (Wig) Wiggins
2001.
A comprehensive
listing of all issued titles with performers and matrix numbers and including
one CD on which each title may be found.
Highly recommended as the most up to date source (The Chronological
series themselves excepted, to my knowledge at least) for information as to the
original recordings, but unhappily of limited use as a reference to the CD
issues.
I would also not be without -
“Alternate Bing Crosby”
by Colin Pugh (again
self published) (2nd edition) 1988.
This has a highly
detailed analysis of the differences between alternate takes and different
recordings of the same titles, which is so organised that with it you can
normally tell which take you are listening to, even without the alternative to
compare it with.
J
Richard Baker (“Jarbie”)
My
E-mail address for any comments, contributions or corrections is Jarbie01@aol.com
VALUABLE LINKS ARE – The
Bing
International Club