Les Brown - Six Navy Shows from 1953

Here from the original 16-inch transcription discs are six episodes of The Les Brown Show, which the bandleader produced for US Navy recruiting purposes in 1953.

The 15-minute programs each include four songs, two instrumentals and two vocal features. The singers are Jo Ann Greer, Butch Stone and Stumpy Brown from the band, and guests Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely.

The provenance of the musical selections is largely unknown. It's assumed in some quarters that these are from broadcasts, but I think that is unlikely. For one thing, the applause is obviously dubbed in. These may items may be from transcriptions for radio stations or commercial issues, probably both. Whatever the source, the music is uniformly excellent - Brown had a top-notch working band at the time - and the sound is quite good as well.

So in total we have 90 minutes of programming, including 24 songs. Each program is fully tracked, so you can listen to Hy Averback's announcements and Navy promos once (if that often) and then move on to the musical selections.

Program No. 1

We start off, appropriately, with Program No. 1 in the series, which has Margaret Whiting as guest vocalist. Her numbers are "C.O.D. (My Broken Heart)" and "No Other Love," both popular favorites at the time. Whiting did a commercial recording of "C.O.D." for Capitol, but this is not that performance. She did not record "No Other Love" commercially.

Margaret Whiting

As usual with Whiting, she presents each tune sympathetically, with perfect diction and a fine rhythmic sense. The Capitol version of "C.O.D." can be found here. Back in 2011 I called it an execrable song, but I must be mellowing - now I like it! "No Other Love" is the Richard Rodgers melody originally titled "Beneath the Southern Cross" when used in his music for the Victory at Sea television series. He then repurposed the tune for the musical Me and Juliet, with the addition of Oscar Hammerstein's lyrics.

Ronnie Lang

The program also includes the instrumentals "Midnight Sun," a Sonny Burke-Lionel Hampton theme that is not a favorite of mine, and "That Old Black Magic," the Harold Arlen composition that is a favorite. The former is a showcase for alto saxophonist Ronnie Lang, who was with the band only in 1953. Brown did record "Midnight Sun," both for Coral and World transcriptions. There also is a Coral single of "Black Magic," dating from 1951.

Program No. 2

Jo Ann Greer

Program No. 2 features Les' new singer Jo Ann Greer, who was to stay with him for several decades. And why not - she was a supremely talented vocalist who had the great presence that a band singer needs. Not as welcome is singing saxophonist Butch Stone, who was with Brown for the better part of 30 years and whose novelties were reputedly popular with audiences. I must be hard to please.

Greer's showcase is "Something Wonderful Happens." This is neither the King and I's "Something Wonderful" nor the Sinatra favorite "Something Wonderful Happens in Summer." It is a enjoyable pop song from 1953 that was recorded by Margaret Whiting, among others I imagine. Jo Ann deploys her extraordinary vibrato to good effect here.

Les is awed by Butch Stone's shiny mouth

Butch Stone's feature is called "The Shiniest Mouth in Town," in which he is proud of all the gold fillings in his mouth, which apparently were the sum total of his net worth. This Stan Freberg concoction merited a 1952 commercial recording. (This may be it.)

Les also recorded "Ramona," an L. Wolfe Gilbert-Mabel Wayne composition from 1928, both for Coral and for transcription. Another oldie, "My Baby Just Cares for Me," is from 1930. A Walter Donaldson-Gus Kahn song, it was introduced by Eddie Cantor in the film Whoopie! There isn't a commercial recording of this number. Both are smoothly done.

Program No. 9

We leap ahead to Program No. 9 in the series, with vocal features for both Jo Ann Greer and Les' brother Stumpy, so named because he was short. (People were less sensitive back then, or, more likely, they were inured to such mocking monikers.) The label calls him "Stompy," but that isn't correct. Stumpy played the bass trombone in addition to singing.

Greer's feature is "When I Fall In Love," which she didn't record with the band. Former Brown vocalist Doris Day had a hit with the Victor Young-Eddie Heyman piece in 1952, but her version does not eclipse Jo Ann's passionate reading. There also is a striking trombone solo, possibly by Dick Noel.

Stumpy/Stompy

Stumpy Brown's feature is "Lulu's Back in Town," the Warren-Dubin item that Dick Powell and the Mills Brothers introduced in 1935. Brown wasn't a great singer but he could carry a tune and had a good sense of time, helpful when you are a jazz musician.

The instrumental features are "Brown's Little Jug," a take on you-know-what that the band also recorded for Coral in 1953, and "Rain," a Eugene Ford item from 1927 that appears on Les' 1952 LP Musical Weather Vane.

Don Fagerquist

"Rain" is a feature for trumpeter Don Fagerquist. Frank Comstock was the arranger. Les' other arrangers back then included Skip Martin and Van Alexander. He hired the best.

Program No. 10

Jimmy Wakely

The guest artist for Program No. 10 was Jimmy Wakely, who was ubiquitous at the time, having appeared in dozens of B Western movies, either as the lead or a supporting act. He also was a recording artist, on Decca for several years in the 1940s, then on Capitol, where he was particularly successful in duets with Margaret Whiting - "Slippin' Around," "Silver Bells" and others.

Jimmy's first feature is "Side by Side," which to me works better as a duet. His genial version of the 1927 Harry Woods song was probably occasioned by Kay Starr's hit record of the period.

Wes Hensel

"Crying in the Chapel," written by Artie Glenn, was a hit for his son Darrell in 1953, and was covered by many artists, including a big R&B success for the Orioles. Wakely did not record it for Capitol; that label's entry was by Wesley Tuttle. I actively dislike this piece, probably because of Elvis' insincere 1965 version.

The band's features are the "One O'Clock Jump," Count Basie's famous 1937 blues number, and "The Montoona Clipper," written by Wes Hensel, trumpeter and arranger for Les' group. Brown recorded the latter composition twice for Coral - once for a single, once for his LP Concert at the Palladium, Vol. 1.

Program No. 13

The vocal soloists for Program No. 13 were again the band's own Jo Ann Greer and Butch Stone. Greer's specialty was "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues," written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler and introduced by Lillian Shade in Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1932. Jo Ann is again superb.

Butch Stone and Stumpy Brown - that's entertainment!

Butch Stone weighed in with "Etiquette Blues," written by Gayle Grubb and first recorded by several artists in 1928. "Always put both elbows on the table" is among the dubious pointers in this one, and "Thank you for your very kind attention" is the catchphrase. It suits Butch's persona poifectly.

"Green Eyes" was a big hit for Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey in 1941, but had been written back in 1931 as "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menéndez. Les Brown's version is an instrumental, although I am sure Jo Ann Greer would have had no trouble improving on O'Connell's strained vocalizing. The composition also appeared on Brown's Over the Rainbow LP and his first live Palladium album.

Frank Comstock in emphatic mode

The other instrumental in this session was "Happy Hooligan," written by arranger Frank Comstock and the band's pianist, Geoff Clarkson.

I believe all the music in this program may have come from transcriptions. 

Program No. 14

Jo Ann Greer and Stompy/Stumpy Brown again were the vocal soloists in the final program on today's docket.

Jo Ann's feature is "Don't Take Your Love from Me," a Henry Nemo piece first recorded by Mildred Bailey in 1940. Stumpy added a easygoing version of "When I Take My Sugar to Tea," a Sammy Fain composition recorded in 1931 by everyone from the Boswell Sisters to the Chocolate Dandies.

Meanwhile, the band offered a lively version of "Stompin' at the Savoy," one of the hardiest of jazz standards, written by Edgar Sampson in 1933 and made famous by Benny Goodman in 1936.

The other instrumental feature was "You Are My Sunshine," which Les introduces as a folk song. That it may have been, although some research claims that a Georgia musician named Oliver Hood wrote it. Singer and later politician Jimmie Davis bought the music from Hood in 1939 and copyrighted it soon thereafter. This may have been the best $35 Davis ever spent - it made him famous. Surprisingly, it works nicely in a big band arrangement.

These shows demonstrated several things. The Brown ensemble was highly proficient and swinging, certainly one of the best postwar big bands. Jo Ann Greer was a terrific vocalist. Brown used two musicians from the band - his brother Stumpy and Butch Stone - to provide some variety to his programs and no doubt add some levity to live appearances. I make light of their contributions above, but no doubt they were important to the band's considerable success.

More from Jo Ann Greer and Vic Damone

Through the generosity of some good friends, we have more from the wonderful vocalists Jo Ann Greer and Vic Damone, both of whom were recently featured on this blog.

Jo Ann Greer

To add to the pile of Jo Ann Greer recordings, reader and benefactor lafong has come up with four more songs - "I Want to Be Happy," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Put the Blame on Mame" and "What Ever Lola Wants."

Also, an old friend of mine who simply describes himself as "a Spanish admirer of the blog" has assembled 10 video clips of film songs that Greer dubbed. On the screen you will see Gloria Grahame, June Allyson, Kim Novak, May Wynn, Rita Hayworth (five clips) and Susan Kohner, but the voice you hear will be Jo Ann's.

Many thanks for these thoughtful folks for passing this material along! Links are in the comments.

Vic Damone

My friend Ernie, the indefatigable Christmas record blogger, found time to send over four more Vic Damone Christmas songs not in my recent post. These are from two various-artists holiday LPs and one from the US Army Reserve. All four songs are excellent.

Ernie posted a link to these numbers in the comments to the original post; you can find it there or in the comments section here. Thanks again, pal!

The Marvelous Jo Ann Greer

Jo Ann Greer (1927-2001) was a talented artist whose work took place mostly behind the scenes - as a band singer and ghost vocalist for Hollywood stars. As such, she has never received the acclaim her skills should have ensured.

Today we have a good portion of the songs she recorded with several bandleaders, what may be her only single as featured artist, and several examples of her dubbing assignments for the movies. The single sides (and a few album cuts) number 19 in all, spanning 1952-55. These are supplemented by eight soundtrack vocals dating from 1953, 1957 and 1959.

I might as well state at the outset - as I sometimes do with these compilations - that Greer was not often given the best material. But even in the most ephemeral items, she shows remarkable presence, infallible rhythm and diction, excellent intonation, and a vibrato that she uses very effectively. Given good songs, she is extraordinarily impressive.

1952-55 Recordings

Jo Ann's recordings are almost all in a band context, where extroversion and projection were almost a necessity.

Her earliest records come from 1952 and the Sonny Burke band. The first item is "I Wanna Love You," a relentlessly repetitive riff that she shares with a pair named Hub and Hubbie, about whom I know nothing. (Update: reader lafong has discovered that the two were probably songwriters Don Raye and Gene De Paul.) 

The flip is "I'll Always Be Following You," an OK Bernie Wayne tune done in duet with Don Burke, an experienced band singer. Greer is confident and forthright even on her earliest records.

Sonny Burke and band

Burke was a mambo popularizer; his Mambo Jambo album has appeared here. Greer was the soloist on his "(Me with) Mambo on My Mind," built on a familiar riff. Hub and Hubbie assist.

The above records were for Decca, which soon had Greer record her first and (I believe) only solo single. For the plug side, she turned Kay Swift's rhythm number "Fine and Dandy" into an overwrought torch song, before increasing the tempo. "I Love to Hear a Choo Choo Train" is a novelty built on another familiar riff. It begins with the usual train effects. Peggy Lee's ex-husband, Dave Barbour, is the bandleader.

Jerry Gray

Jo Ann came into her own in two early 1953 songs with Jerry Gray, who didn't ask her to tackle novelties or mambos, or turn fast songs into slow ones. "My Heart Belongs to Only You" is a superb reading of a song that was making the rounds that year. "No Moon at All" is a great David Mann-Redd Evans song from 1947 that she does wonderfully.

At about the same time, Greer joined the Ray Anthony band for a short but productive spell. With her first number, "Wild Horses," she is back in novelty territory. The problem is not that she did this material poorly; rather, it's that it is poor material. The horse number is backed by "You're a Heartbreaker," a cover of a country ballad that's handled well.

Dick Stabile

Anthony recorded for Capitol, and while Jo Ann was on the rolls there, bandleader Dick Stabile borrowed her for his recording of "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street," which was Gene Austin's first hit, back in 1925. This is a beautiful reading, if you can tolerate Stabile's piercing alto. Coincidentally, Greer had dubbed the songs for Gene Austin's daughter, Charlotte, in the film Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder in 1952.

Stabile's recording credits go back to the 1930s, but most of his studio work was as the bandleader for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. You may know him at sight; he plays the bandleader for Rosemary Clooney's number "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me" in White Christmas.

Greer's final two recordings with Ray Anthony were her most successful on the charts. First was one side of a two-sided novelty smash. "The Hokey Pokey" and its discmate "The Bunny Hop," enlivened dances and wedding receptions for many years.  

Jo Ann's vocal charisma mightily contributes to the success of "The Hokey Pokey's" repetitive silliness. That's the bandleader calling out the bodily parts; his lack of presence sets off Greer's confident singing.

We're back in the 1920s for "That's My Weakness Now," which had been introduced by Betty Boop herself, Helen Kane. Greer could hardly be more of a contrast as she duets beautifully with Marcie Miller. This propulsive reading has a nice arrangement, too.

The Les Brown band with Jo Ann Greer, c1957

Later in 1953, Greer moved on to the Les Brown band, where she was to work for three decades. It's said that Sonny Burke recommended Greer to Brown. I believe that Jo Ann replaced the excellent Lucy Ann Polk, who has been heard on this blog with her family group the Town Criers and Kay Kyser.

Greer's first recording with Brown was Irving Berlin's "Sittin' In The Sun," which was written for White Christmas but not used. The song also was recorded by Frankie Laine at about the same time.

In September 1953, soon after Jo Ann joined Les' crew, the band recorded a live date at the Hollywood Palladium that Coral issued on two LPs, with one of her vocals on each disc. For the first, Brown programmed the oldie, "Back in Your Old Back Yard," scored by the talented Skip Martin. Les himself, along with his arranger Ben Homer, wrote the other song, "Sentimental Journey," his longtime theme that is also closely associated with his mid-40s vocalist Doris Day. Greer does it beautifully; she's a bit more extroverted than Day, as was her manner.

Let's move on the Les Brown singles from 1954. First is another train song, "Susquehanna Transfer," a very good swinger that Jo Ann does with a great deal of personality. Yet another is "Sentimental Train," a lovely tune once you get past the freight-train open, which arrangers seemed helpless to resist. The writer was Carroll Lucas, a former Sammy Kaye arranger.

"The Man That Got Away" is a Harold Arlen-Ira Gershwin song written for the latest iteration of A Star Is Born and made famous by Judy Garland, a star if there ever was one. Greer is not intimidated; she makes use of her vibrato here to give the song a great deal of passion. Band vocals don't get much better than this.

"Lullaby of Birdland" is a George Shearing standard from 1952 that the pianist wrote for the famous New York club. Shearing used the harmonies of Walter Donaldson's "Love Me or Leave Me." Brown's 1955 recording opens with an attractive sax chorus. Greer's vocals swing strongly. She could do it all.

Work for Films and Television

Jo Ann worked closely with Rita Hayworth on three films in the 1950s. In this set, we have recordings from two of them, Miss Sadie Thompson from 1953 and Pal Joey from 1957.

Jo Ann scaled her voice back when she did vocal doubling for the breathy Hayworth. Her projection is much less than she typically used in a band context, making her manner more confidential. "The Heat is On" in Miss Sadie Thompson and both of the Pal Joey tracks have voice introductions from Hayworth; you will notice how closely Jo Ann matches her voice to Rita.

The Sadie Thompson songs are good ones, written by Lester Lee and Ned Washington. The second is "Sadie Thompson's Song," sometimes called "The Heat Is On."

Pal Joey was a 1940 Rodgers and Hart show, recast as a Sinatra vehicle. Hayworth plays his foil Vera Prentice-Simpson, a former burlesque dancer, at least in the film adaptation. Hayworth's "Zip" number was inspired by the act of the "intellectual stripper," Gypsy Rose Lee. ("Zip! I was reading Schopenhauer last night. And I think that Schopenhauer was right.") "Zip" is mainly notable for its witty lyrics. The character's more enduring song is "Bewitched," which Greer sings wonderfully well.

In 1959, Jo Ann was enlisted for the vocals on an episode of a new televised crime drama, The Naked City. Her character is a young singer in New York; Greer dubs four George Duning songs with words by Ned Washington (again). The first two are good. "Somewhere, Wisconsin" provides the character's back story, and "Five Minutes After Forever" tells of her love for a young cowboy. The title of "Live Dangerously" provides all you need to know about it. And in the contrived "Solid Food, Solitude and You" she pledges to go off with the Westerner. All are nicely done, and Jo Ann, as always, is in great voice.

Jo Ann Greer

Elsewhere on this blog you can find the complete soundtrack LPs for Miss Sadie Thompson and The Naked City.

A few more Greer dubbing assignments, for Hayworth, June Allyson and Esther Williams, can be heard on YouTube, followed by a 1991 club appearance.

These recordings come from my collection and the Internet Archive. The sound is excellent in all cases. The download includes brief Cash Box or Billboard reviews of most if not all of the singles.