Trudy Erwin

Trudy Erwin (1918-2000) was a talented singer mostly remembered for her movie dubbing assignments and appearances with Bing Crosby. She had a lovely mezzo voice, perfect diction, careful intonation and great warmth. Her career lasted from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. 

This post, a comprehensive overview of her most productive period (1940-52), includes 35 commercial recordings, airchecks and soundtracks.

Early Experience

A native of Los Angles, Erwin was singing in ensembles in her teens. Among her first professional jobs was as period as a member of the Music Maids singing group on Bing Crosby's radio show, starting in 1939. At that time she was known as Virginia (Jinny) Erwin.

The Music Maids, with Jinny Erwin at center

Her first individual professional job, to my knowledge, was doing the singing for Lucille Ball in 1940's Too Many Girls, where she had the dubious honor of introducing the great Rodgers and Hart song "You're Nearer" without a credit. Our collection starts off with her performance from the soundtrack. (The noises you hear in the background are crickets - the scene takes place outside at dusk.)

Also from that film is "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," with a brief concluding vocal by Ball's co-star Richard Carlson.

With Kay Kyser

In 1941, Erwin joined Kay Kyser's band as a replacement for Ginny Simms, making her first recording in November. This was after Simms and Kyser had a personal and professional split, and the bandleader didn't want any more Ginnys (or Jinnys). So Jinny Erwin became Trudy Erwin.

Most of her singing was done as a member of the Kyser vocal ensemble, but she was featured on two records, the first of which was a giant hit -"Who Wouldn't Love You," written by future Frankie Laine music director Carl Fischer with Bill Carey. Trudy shared billing with Kyser mainstay Harry Babbitt. (They were credited as "Trudy and Harry" on the label.)

Like much of Kyser's output, the song veered toward the novelty side of the bandbook, as did her other feature, "There Won't be a Shortage of Love," which traded on the empty market shelves of wartime. Again, "Trudy and Harry" were the singing lovebirds, appropriate considering that the arrangement called for drum effects that sounded like Kyser had hired a woodpecker. (Come to think of it, he would later record the "Woody Woodpecker Song" with Gloria Wood.)

Trudy Erwin in 1942

Trudy's two songs were set down in January and March 1942, respectively. The Musicians Union embarked on a pointless two-year strike in July, and by the time that was over, Erwin had moved back to the Crosby show, as a soloist this time.

With Bing Crosby

This set includes her three commercial recordings with Bing and many high-quality airchecks from his Kraft Music Hall show.

Like other leading artists, Crosby had a big success even during the union ban by recording without union members. He and Trudy had a double-sided hit with songs from the new Rodgers and Hammerstein show Oklahoma! - "People Will Say We're in Love" and "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'."

The recording session managed to evade the union ban by not employing any instrumentalists - vocalists did not belong to the union. So the duo's accompanists were the members of "The Sportsmen Glee Club," an expanded version of the Sportsmen Quartet. The performances are pleasant if lugubrious, with the Sportsmen sounding more mournful than gleeful.

Because Trudy also was a member of the Kraft Music Hall cast, she and Bing also had a chance to perform both Oklahoma! songs with orchestral accompaniment.

The "People Will Say We're in Love" performance comes from a September 1943 broadcast. I wish I could say that John Scott Trotter's arrangement is much of an improvement over the Sportsmen, but it just plods along.

In December, another broadcast included a version of "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" with accompaniment by Trotter's crew. Here the band chart is perhaps more flossy than the song and setting deserved.

Bing and Trudy

Also from that broadcast, Bing and Trudy sang "One Alone" from Sigmund Romberg's operetta The Desert Song. Bing calls the song new, probably because it was used in a recent film adaptation. The work itself dates from 1926.

Another 1943 broadcast allotted Erwin a solo spot on a Burke-Van Heusen song that Crosby had recorded the year before - "Constantly." I've included the lead-in to the number, which includes an amusing bit with Bing imitating Kyser and his North Carolina drawl.

"Wait for Me Mary" was the flip side of one of Dick Haymes' first big hits - "You'll Never Know." Bing and Trudy handled the piece sensitively during a September broadcast.

The unlikely 1943 hit "I Heard You Cried Last Night" was the subject of an superb Erwin performance. Written for the B-movie Cinderella Swings It, Helen Forrest and Harry James had recorded it in summer 1942, but Columbia delayed its release for a year. After it became a hit, Dick Haymes followed with an a capella version. Trudy's Kraft Music Hall rendition comes from another September show.

Also that month, Bing and Trudy combined for "The Way You Look Tonight," the Kern-Fields song from 1936 and Fred Astaire's Swing Time. This is one of the best songs and performances in the set. Bing had recorded it with his wife Dixie Lee in 1936.

"My Ideal" comes from an early December show. It's a revival of the 1930 Richard Whiting, Newell Chase and Leo Robin song that was introduced by Maurice Chevalier. The version by Bing and Trudy probably was suggested by the Capitol recording by Whiting's daughter, Margaret. Trudy's obbligato in this performance is strikingly effective.

Rodgers and Hart wrote the standard "My Heart Stood Still" for a West End review in 1927, then had to buy the song back so they could use it in A Connecticut Yankee. Bing and Trudy did well with this classic number.

"The Right Kind of Love," a new song by Mabel Wayne and Kermit Goell, was recorded by a number of artists in 1943, not including Bing. He did program it for an August show as a duet with Trudy. The composition is just OK, but the singing is fine.

Erwin left Crosby's show when she and her husband, Crosby's engineer-producer Murdo MacKenzie, were expecting a child in 1944.

Commercial Recordings

In 1945, Trudy was the featured vocalist on bandleader Ray Noble's summer replacement radio program. Noble also brought in Trudy for one of his many Columbia sessions. One side was "The Wish That I Wish Tonight," a lovely song by M.K. Jerome and Jack Scholl from the classic film Christmas in Connecticut. David Rose and Leo Robin came up with the other side, "So-o-o in Love," another film song, this one from the Danny Kaye specialty Wonder Man. On the film's soundtrack, Virginia Mayo's vocals were dubbed not by Erwin but June Hutton, the subject of an upcoming post.

Both Noble songs are attractive numbers in polished performances. Erwin (misspelled "Irwin" on the labels) is in good form. The trumpet soloist on "The Wish That I Wish" is ex-Miller hand Clyde Hurley. "So-o-o in Love" was even nominated for an Academy Award. Its formidable competition included "It Might as Well Be Spring" (the winner), "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Aren’t You Glad You’re You?," "I Fall in Love Too Easily," "I’ll Buy that Dream," "Sleigh Ride in July," "More and More" and "Some Sunday Morning."

Trudy's next record was her only one as the featured performer - songs for the mainly country label 4-Star in 1946. The result is sterling performances of the well-remembered "To Each His Own" and of "Whattya Gonna Do?" These came out on two different 78s, backed by instrumentals from bandleader and sometime actor Opie Cates. 

"To Each His Own" is a Livingston and Evans song from the film of the same name, and is best known these days for its Ink Spots recording, although it was a hit for Eddy Howard among others. This pressing is noisy, unfortunately.

There may be a third Erwin release on 4-Star - "Would You Believe Me?" - but I haven't found a copy.

At about the same time, Bing came through with another task - a commercial recording of "See You in Cuba" from his 1946 film Blue Skies, which had an Irving Berlin score. The composer called the piece "See You in C-U-B-A" when he wrote it as a prohibition song in 1920. Crosby's partner in the film was the charming Olga San Juan, but Erwin was a better singer.

More Movie Dubs

Crosby became a film producer with the 1945 release of The Great John L., based on the life of boxer John L. Sullivan and set in the late 19th century. Bing engaged Trudy to dub the vocals for Sullivan's love interest, played by Linda Darnell. Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke provided two songs for the character. "A Perfect Gentleman" is a brief period piece. The main event was "A Friend of Yours," a high quality ballad that should be better remembered. Erwin is in prime form for both.

Erwin dubbed the singing voice of Lucille Bremer in two films. There were two numbers in the 1945 musical fantasy Yolanda and the Thief, where Bremer was the love interest of Fred Astaire -"Angel" and "Will You Marry Me?" Both were by Harry Warren and Bremer's patron, producer Arthur Freed. The former is a pleasing melody, wonderfully well performed by Trudy, beginning with her excellent vocalese. The second song is lyrically insipid, reflecting the fantasy aspect of the film. 

The 1946 Jerome Kern filmic bio Till the Clouds Roll By was the source of another opportunity to dub Bremer's vocals: a short but sonorous solo from Trudy on "The Land Where Good Songs Go." The song is briefly interrupted by comments from Robert Walker as Kern, the best friend of the father of Bremer's character. (Walker sounds oddly like Ronald Colman in the part.)

More Radio Spots

In 1946 Trudy made one of the "Personal Albums" that the Armed Forces Radio Service produced for several years. She included "The Coffee Song," a hit for Bob Hilliard and Richard Miles that several artists recorded. It's a shame that she was saddled with an awful backing combo. The pianist thinks he is accompanying a dancing class; his rhythm could not be less suggestive of Brazil.

Trudy Erwin in 1947

The next song is quite a contrast. It comes from the Jack Paar Show, a 1947 summer replacement for the Jack Benny Show. Erwin's relaxed singing blends well with the modern sounds of a band led by the young Jerry Fielding, who himself had been associated with Kay Kyser, as an arranger. Trudy and Jerry present "I Believe," a terrific Cahn-Styne song introduced by Frank Sinatra in It Happened in Brooklyn.

Paar, later a television star, was just starting on network radio with the show. He did so well that the network continued the program in the fall. Our second selection comes from a September 1947 program, again with Fielding's band. The number is "Ivy," which Hoagy Carmichael wrote as the title song for a film starring Joan Fontaine. The melody is memorable but awkward to sing. Trudy handles it deftly.

Erwin also starred on other radio shows, and even an early television program that she shared with old friend Harry Babbitt.

More Songs from Films

Erwin appeared on screen in 1947 in a typical Jack Carson comedy, Love and Learn, where she helped to introduce the main song from the film, "Would You Believe Me?", a relatively popular number that attracted several commercial recordings. The song is presented by a montage to show how popular it had become. (Carson was a songwriter in the film.) The sequence leads up to Trudy as a glossy nightclub singer. M.K. Jerome, Ray Heindorf and Charles Tobias wrote the song.

In 1951, Erwin sang for Lana Turner in the Ezio Pinza starrer Mr. Imperium. Three selections were included. Her own solo was the unusual "My Love and My Mule," by none other than Harold Arlen and Dorothy Fields. Trudy shared the lively Arlen-Fields "Andiamo" with Pinza. Finally, the duo performed Augustin Lara's fabulous "Solamente una vez" (You Belong to My Heart). The great bass has most of the vocal line in the latter two songs.

Intended for Mr. Imperium?

The next item is the one that gave me the idea of doing this post devoted to Erwin. It is "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye," written by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman for the 1931 musical flop Here Goes the Bride. Frances Langford introduced the number in her only Broadway appearance. It's a striking composition that Erwin elevates with her soulful performance in this 1951 recording for M-G-M. 

My unproven theory is that this performance was intended for Mr. Imperium. It could have been used as a Turner/Erwin solo as the climax of the parting scene when Pinza (as a crown prince) is called back to his country to take over from his dying father. Johnny Green was the conductor both of the Mr. Imperium soundtrack and this song, and they are from the same year. I will say it's a better number than "My Love and My Mule."

Finally, another soundtrack assignment, also issued on record with Erwin credited. It is Frank Lehár's "Merry Widow Waltz," with the addition of Paul Francis Webster lyrics. For some reason, the studio's leadership thought Fernando Lamas and Lana Turner would make people forget Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald's performances in the earlier Merry Widow film. Oh well, at least they engaged Erwin to double Turner's singing voice again, partnering Lamas in the recording.

This sampling of Erwin's artistry comes primarily from Internet Archive and my collection.

LINK

Buster's Unusual Spring

If your heart doesn't go dancing at the thought of another spring-themed compilation, I hope this collection, "Buster's Unusual Spring," will at least start your feet tapping.

In these 28 selections, I've avoided the usual spring songs - "Spring Is Here," "It Might as Well Be Spring," and so on - in favor of more esoteric fare. Multiple genres are represented - pop, classical, jazz and country among them. I myself was unfamiliar with most of these numbers. The best known are probably "It Happens Every Spring" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" - and you will recognize a few classical melodies in new settings.

As usual, the recordings are discussed below in chronological order.

The first selection is the only acoustic recording in the set, and a late one at that - it's from 1926 and the technology-challenged Gennett label. Chic Winter (other sources say it's Winters) and orchestra offer the peppy "Spring Is Here" (not the Rodgers and Hart song). Winter(s) led a fancy outfit that was in residence at the impressive but long-gone Hotel Gramatan in Westchester County, north of New York City.

The following year, HMV had the incomparable John McCormack in London's Queen's Hall for a session devoted in part to settings by Granville Bantock of poems by Launcelot Alfred Cranmer-Byng (the name itself is poetry) that were based on ancient Chinese texts. "A Dream of Spring" is from a work by the eighth century writer Ts'en Ts'an. McCormack sings with his usual penetrating intelligence, sympathy for the text, sweet tone and faultless diction.

Harry McClintock by R. Crumb

We abruptly switch genres from Sir Granville to the musings of Haywire Mac, the author of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Here, under the name of Radio Mac, the America folk singer Harry McClintock presents the "Hobo's Spring Song," done for Victor in 1929. Mac was a colorful character who was a member of the International Workers of the World and spent time as a union organizer.

Harold aka Scrappy aka Burt

Also from 1929, we have tightly-muted trumpeter Henry Busse with orchestra and the much-recorded vocalist Scrappy Lambert under the name Burt Lorin. They offer up "Like a Breath of Spring-Time," which makes me wonder when "springtime" became a compound word. The song comes from the lost film Hearts in Exile, which was issued both as a silent and a talkie. Presumably the song was more effective in the latter version. By the way, this song was also recorded by Dr. Eugene Ormandy's Salon Orchestra before the conductor went uptown.

From 1930, Waring's Pennsylvanians give us "It Seems to Be Spring," written for the film Let's Go Native. With a title like that, the movie had to be offensive in some manner, but the plot summary just sounds inane, as does the casting - Jack Oakie and Jeanette MacDonald. One hopes that MacDonald rather than Oakie introduced the song. In either case, they had to be better than the anemic Three Girlfriends who assist Fred Waring on the record.

"Spring in Manhattan" of 1934 is one of the earlier releases from the Liberty Music Shop label, which specialized in cabaret music. Most of its artists were familiar from New York nightlife, but here, despite the song's title, we have Los Angeles' Bruz Fletcher, who recorded very little but has a following even today. Fletcher's song comes from the album above.

Ray Noble

We now transport you from Manhattan to France for "Paris in Spring," which Mack Gordon and Harry Revel wrote for the film of the same name. Despite the titles of movie and music lacking the definite article, Al Bowlly sings "Paris in the spring." The South African vocalist had come to the US with English bandleader Ray Noble, who assembled a superb American band. The troupe began recording in 1935, including this fine song, here in a wonderfully polished and presented arrangement with a characteristic vocal by Bowlly, an exceptional singer. Noble was to stay in the States, but Bowlly moved back to England in 1937 and perished in the London blitz.

Ella and Chick

"I Got the Spring Fever Blues" is from 1936 and and the band of Chick Webb with the young Ella Fitzgerald sounding surprisingly like Connie Boswell with a touch of Mildred Bailey. Ella is great, and the band, led by the short-lived drummer Webb, is as well. In the ensemble are such luminaries as Taft Jordan, Teddy McRae and Sandy Williams.

Peg LaCentra

Another great band was led by Artie Shaw, here with one of his first recordings, also from 1936. At this early date Shaw was known as "Art Shaw." Some of you may be familiar with "There's Frost on the Moon (Spring in My Heart)," which turns up in Christmas compilations. Shaw already had started incorporating strings in his arrangements - unusual for a swing band at the time. One of the violinists here was Jerry Gray, later a famed arranger for Glenn Miller (who himself was a Ray Noble sideman and played trombone on the "Paris in Spring" date above). The success of the Shaw record, though, is largely due to the excellent singer Peg LaCentra.

Teddy Wilson

Moving to 1939, we hear the evocative song "Some Other Spring," from the band of pianist Teddy Wilson and vocalist Jean Eldridge. Billie Holiday fans will likely be familiar with her Columbia recording of this song. Although Holiday made many great recordings with Wilson earlier in her career, she had moved on by this point. Eldridge was a sensitive singer, but didn't have a strong voice. Wilson's piano is excellent, as always.

Fletcher Henderson

The fashion for adapting classical airs for swing numbers was in full flower when Benny Goodman and band decided to adopt Mendelssohn's "Spring Song" for a 1939 record with a Fletcher Henderson chart. I can't imagine the composer approving this version, but he had been gone for almost a century at the time. More than 80 years later, we can enjoy both Mendelssohn's piano piece and the Goodman-Henderson swing interpretation.

Earl Robinson and Paul Robeson

A very different "Spring Song" comes to us from the great Paul Robeson and frequent collaborator Earl Robinson, working with Harry Schachter. Robeson and Robinson had their biggest success with "Ballad for Americans" in 1939. "Spring Song," an anti-war ballad, was issued in 1941 during the run-up to the American involvement in World War II. Robeson and Robinson were Communists, a group that wanted to keep the US from waging war on Germany, which had signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviets in 1939. "Spring Song" was released shortly before the German invasion of Russia.

Jerry Mazanec

From 1942, Jerry Mazanec and his Bohemian polka band regale us with "Spring Awakening." I believe Mazanec was from Cleveland, but his more traditional approach soon was supplanted on Columbia records by the propulsive Slovenian band of that city's Frankie Yankovic, who became nationally popular after the war.

Larry Green led a Boston society band in the Eddy Duchin mold. He offers "Spring Is Really Spring This Year" (as opposed to being autumn, I suppose). It's a nice song and the leader's florid Carmen Cavallaro-style piano playing occasionally gives way for a good Gil Phelan vocal. This one comes from 1946; I have a Green LP on Vik from about 10 years later, but it tells us nothing else about him.

Charlie Spivak

The trumpeter Charlie Spivak was at the helm of a swing band for many years and many recordings, among them "Spring Magic" from 1946. You will immediately recognize the melody for this one. Alexander Borodin invented it for one of his string quartets. Alec Wilder rudely appropriated it without attribution for this pleasant tune with vocal by Jimmy Saunders and the Stardreamers. Several years later, Wright and Forrest borrowed the same melody for "And This Is My Beloved" from Kismet.

Old friend Johnny Johnston peeks in with "I Bring You Spring" with the assistance of the Crew Chiefs and bandleader Sonny Burke. This is a good tune with a sonorous vocal that wasn't included in my 2019 compilation of Johnston's recordings. It comes from 1947.

Hal McIntyre

That same year, excellent Hal McIntyre band featuring the sorely underrated vocalist Frankie Lester produced an M-G-M single of "Spring in December" - another song that features in holiday compilations. Some of Hal's later recordings have appeared here.

Fans of Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes may be familiar with "It Happens Every Spring," which originated in the 1949 film of the same name. The tune is nothing special, but Mack Gordon's lyrics paint a charming American scene at mid-century. This interpretation is from the future talk-show host and media mogul Merv Griffin, working with Freddy Martin's band.

Bill Farrell

The talented but now-forgotten vocalist Bill Farrell sings "Spring Made a Fool of Me" with support from Russ Case. Farrell, supposedly discovered by Bob Hope, had been listening to two other Bills - Billy Eckstine and Billy Daniels - but his singing is nonetheless impressive. He recorded for a few labels circa 1950, then made a few albums for Dobre in the 1970s.

At the same time and also for M-G-M, Russ Case recorded instrumentals under his own name, including an inoffensive "Symphony of Spring," which is our next selection.

In December 1951, Mercury invited Paul & Roy the Tennessee River Boys (seems like there should be some punctuation in there) to Nashville's Tulane Hotel to set down their own "Spring of Love." Paul & Roy were in the Bill Monroe bluegrass mold, minus the banjo. Good stuff.

Early the following year, the popular Four Aces Featuring Al Alberts did "Spring Is a Wonderful Thing" for Decca. Al's vocal gyrations have never been a favorite of mine, and here he is at his most elaborately emotive.

Back to the country genre for the Maddox Brothers and Rose and their "The Time Is Spring." This comes from 1953 and a group that is always entertaining, here supplemented by guitarists Joe Maphis and Johnny Bond.

The Four Freshmen

The Four Freshmen and the illustrious arranger Nelson Riddle turned their attentions to Matt Dennis' excellent ballad "Love Turns Winter to Spring" for a 1954 release on the Capitol label.

Next, an obscurity - the multi-talented Ken Moore, who not only sang and played the piano on "Spring May Come," but wrote the piece and released it on his own Lucky label in 1954. Billboard called it "listenable after-hours wax" and so it is.

Kitty Kallen came out of a big-band background for a successful solo career, with her biggest hit being "Little Things Mean a Lot" in 1954. "Come Spring" is from the next year, about the same time that Kallen began having the vocal problems that impeded her career for several years. I don't know if this is why Decca turned the vocal reverb up to 11 for this record; I do know that the sound would be better without the intrusion.

Jimmie Rodgers

Bobby Troup's touching song "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" is perhaps better known as the reworked Beach Boys tune "A Young Man Is Gone," yet another James Dean homage that is beautifully sung but pointless. The Boys' harmonies were modeled on those of the Four Freshmen in that group's recording of the original. Here we have the excellent folk-oriented pop singer Jimmie Rodgers backed by Hugo Peretti. His rendition was on the flip side of his big 1957 hit "Honeycomb."

Our final selection will be familiar - perhaps overly so - to any fan of the cabaret singer set. It is "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," a wonderful Tommy Wolf-Fran Landesman song that is done perfectly by jazz vocalist Mark Murphy. This is taken from the singer's 1962 LP Rah, which I have featured in its unexpurgated version. (See the post for an explanation.)

Except for the final number, these files have been remastered from lossless needle drops found on Internet Archive.

Hope your spring is going well; it snowed here today.

Buster's 2019 Christmas Selection

Let's start off the holiday season with a selection of 22 singles from way back when. We have familiar tunes in less familiar performances and some little-known songs as well. These come from 78s spanning 1934 to 1956, and include many genres - mostly pop, but also gospel, country, jazz and what-have-you. Something for everyone to love in this season of good cheer.

We start off with "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" in what is perhaps its first recording, dating from 1934. It is by George Hall and His Hotel Taft Orchestra. Hall is best known for his records with Dolly Dawn, but this single predates the coming of the Dawn and has a vocal by Sonny Schuyler (later Skylar), who achieved some renown as a composer as well as singer. He didn't write this tune, though. You can blame J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie for it. George Hall and His Hotel Taft Orchestra did indeed perform at that New York establishment. I used to work across the street from its successor, and just yesterday came across a hanger from the place.

Also from 1934 we have another song that was new at the time, "Winter Wonderland," as performed by Angelo Ferdinando and His Hotel Great Northern Orchestra. That hostelry also was in New York, but I don't have a hanger from it. Ferdinando's was not the hit version of "Winter Wonderland"; that was by the better-known Richard Himber. This one is pretty good, though. It has a vocal by Dick Robertson, who was on seemingly every other record made during the era. Ferdinando left the music business not long after this 78 was issued, but made a comeback in 1937 with a simpler name - Don Ferdi.

We move on to 1937 and two versions of Irving Berlin's excellent "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," introduced in the film On the Avenue. First is a very good budget version from Sterling Young's West Coast band, with vocal by Billy Mozet. Then there is the better known Victor from Ray Noble's crack American ensemble, with Howard Barrie as singer. This was just after Al Bowlly completed his tenure as the band's vocalist.

Returning to "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," Alvino Rey brings us a 1941 reading with the King Sisters presenting lyrics that had been updated to reflect the hip lingo of the time. I wonder what lyricist Haven Gillespie thought of such couplets as "He knows if you're a ickie / He knows if you're a gate." My guess is that he was OK with it so long as the checks kept comin' to town. The record also gives you a chance to hear Rey's Hawaiian-style "Gibson Electroharp" in a swing context, where it sounds odd.

The year 1945 brought us the Cahn-Styne classic "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow." Among the lesser-known versions from that year was the offering by radio tenor Danny O'Neil, issued on the short-lived Majestic label.

Clyde Burke

New in 1947 was Gordon and Lee's "Christmas Dreaming," familiar to Sinatra fanciers via his classic version. Here's an lesser-known reading from Blue Barron's orchestra, with a vocal by Clyde Burke. The singer also made records with Sammy Kaye, Glen Gray and Raymond Scott.

Art Kassel and his band revived "Winter Wonderland" for the 1947 selling season. The song's arrangement could have dated from the 1930s, what with the soupy saxes and tightly muted brass that Kassel deploys. The vocal quartet is more modern sounding, though, and all in all, it's an enjoyable record.

Also from 1947 was a new number called "The Winter Song" or "Look Out the Window," depending on what record you consult. By whatever title, it didn't become a standard, although it is still heard occasionally. Our first effort comes from the Coral label and the little known Gil Downs, along with a backing band and the vocal group 4 Hits and a Miss. The latter troupe also was known as "3 Hits and a Miss" and "6 Hits and Miss," presumably based on the number of male vocalists who showed up for the session.

Tex Williams

So far we have been strictly in pop territory, but now we move into the country-western genre with Western swing's Tex Williams taking up the same "Winter Song" in his resonant baritone, for the Capitol label.

Since Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" was introduced in Esther Williams' 1949 aquatic adventure Neptune's Daughter, it has been the subject of countless performances and the object of some surprising controversy. Around here, we prefer an irreverent approach to the tune. Last year we had the knowing Pearl Bailey and the lupine Hot Lips Page. This year we present a highly amusing country version with Homer and Jethro trying to persuade backwoods siren June Carter to stay out of the weather ("Say, what's in this here drink?" / "It ain't sarsaparillee.") The trio recreated their performance for television in 1971.

Jethro, June and Homer on TV

Singer June Winters is little remembered today, but at mid-century she was known as the children’s music character "Lady in Blue." She and her husband, producer Hugo Peretti (Hugo & Luigi), had started the kiddie label Mayfair in the 1940s. Here she presents the appealing "Christmas in My Heart" on a 1950 Mercury release.

Billboard, December 9, 1950

We now turn to the miraculous Mahalia Jackson with a two-sided Apollo label release, also from 1950 - "Silent Night" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain."

Also from that year comes the obscure but prolific Dick Stratton and His Nite Owls, with a tremendous honky-tonk performance of "I Wouldn't Have You on a Christmas Tree." Stratton and his band were mainstays of the small Jamboree label.

Staying in the country realm, we move on to 1951's "Blue Shadows on a White Christmas Tree" from Eddie Hazelwood and his Carolina Woodchoppers. Hazelwood was vocally under the spell of Hank Williams, but it's a good record even so. "Blue Shadows" was a Hazelwood composition; his best known numbers were "Sick, Sober and Sorry" (Johnny Bond) and "On a Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floor" (Johnny Horton). This single was issued by Intro, owned by Aladdin. Hazelwood also recorded for Imperial and Decca, including a cover of Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" way before Elvis.

Jimmy Collett

Jimmy Collett is another little-remembered country artist. In 1953 he recorded two sentimental items, "I Don't Want to Be Alone for Christmas" and "I Remember Christmas," for the Arcade label. Born in Arizona, Collett worked mainly in New Jersey, recording regularly and when he wasn't singing, plying his trade as a dentist. Here he drops his dental tools and country manner, and shows his roots as a Crosby-style crooner, even whistling like Bing.

We move to the small Diva label and a recording of "Santa's Ride" written by label owner Frank Serritella and sung by Frankie Ross, who was actually the famous but ill-fated jazz trombonist Frank Rosolino. I don't have an exact date on this one, but it was probably pre-1954, when Rosolino moved to the West coast.

Staying in the jazz realm, alto saxophonist Herb Geller and his group had a go at Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" in 1954, with interesting results. Also on the date are Lorraine Geller (p), Curtis Counce (b) and Larance Marable (d).

Next, a quick detour to Chicago and polka king L'il Wally with another "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," this one from 1956 and Wally's Jay Jay label. If I haven't tried your patience enough with this song, wait 'til you hear juvenile vocalists Lenny and Judith, who make Patience and Prudence sound like Simon and Garfunkel. The two had to be related to L'il Wally.

Pete Rugolo

For our final selection, we return to jazz and bandleader Pete Rugolo's 1956 arrangement of "Snowfall." Composer Claude Thornhill conceived the song as a peaceful rendering of snowflakes falling. Rugolo instead offers a Latin beat punctuated by blasting Kenton-style brass. No surprise there - Rugolo had been a Kenton arranger

I found these 78s up near the North Pole of the Internet Archive, and remastered them for your holiday listening. Best wishes of the season to all, and a special greeting to blog follower Lennonka, with hopes that he will be doing better soon!

Happy Holidays with Ray Noble and Mr. and Mrs. Radio

This 1949 recording is, as the cover proclaims, a "musical story," a genre that had been popularized in the 40s by Gordon Jenkins' Manhattan Tower.

The Jenkins work is one of the more popular items presented on this blog. Actually it's popped up three times - the original LP issue, Jenkins' later expanded version, and a post devoted to the graphics of the original 78 set.

Elliott Lewis

This set will remind you of the Jenkins work, if only because the male lead is the same - Elliott Lewis, who appears here with his wife Cathy. The Lewises were called "Mr. and Mrs. Radio" (at least by their publicist) and were quite active on the network shows of the time. Elliott was best known for his role as Frank Remley on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye show. Cathy was the "my" in My Friend Irma, who was played by Marie Wilson.

Cathy Lewis

The Lewises were pros and perform with the pleasing artificiality that was a feature of old-time radio. The anonymous script has the couple remembering notable holidays in their shared past; in truth, not much of a premise even for a 10-inch, 24-minute LP. Nonetheless, Cathy finds enough motivation to evoke anger, tears, fear, laughter, excitement and love. Elliott is less emotional. It might have been more interesting if they had switched roles, but this presentation is an entirely conventional one.

Cigarette card

Bandleader-composer Ray Noble leads the orchestra and apparently provides the underscore, which includes a wistful theme motif. But unlike Gordon Jenkins in Manhattan Tower, he doesn't compose the songs that are heard, except for The Very Thought of You (which Cathy presents). Instead he presents familiar songs representative of the various holidays.

Noble became a well-known English bandleader before leaving for the US in 1935. He was particularly associated with the superb vocalist Al Bowlly, even though Bowlly made hundreds of records with other bands. The Bowlly versions of Noble compositions Goodnight Sweetheart, The Touch of Your Hand, The Very Thought of You, and Love Is the Sweetest Thing are among the finest romantic pop records ever made.

Bowlly perished in the London blitz and no vocalist appears here. At the time these records were made, Noble had been backing fellow Columbia artist Buddy Clark on some popular disks, until Clark himself was killed in an October 1949 plane crash. (Many Clark records have appeared on this blog.)

Although this is only partially a Christmas record, its sentimentality and beautiful presentation make it a fitting conclusion to our offerings of this season. Happy holidays, everyone!