SwingDJs

Does anybody know any good swing numbers by Bing Crosby? Most of his songs seem to be slow sentimental ballads emphasising his voice rather than the rhythm of the instruments, but as he probably recorded thousands of songs and lived right through the 30s and 40s, I thought there might well be some good swinging stuff out there as well.

I've come across one beautiful slow version of 'Don't Be That Way' which can be found on this Proper Box Set among other sources. Anybody know of any faster swinging Bing tunes?

Change your thread title to "Hard-swinging Bing?" and your last 4 words "Faster hard-swinging Bing tunes."

Otherwise, you'll get dozens to hundreds of songs that are faster but still won't move a dance floor.

The guy was so prolific that he must've recorded hundreds of takes of songs with what is more a "swing"-based rhythm than they are any other kind of rhythm, yet not very many of those hundreds will move a dance floor.

Again, I recommend rewording a bit so people looking up this thread over the next few months don't give you so much stuff to filter through that you feel like you've learned nothing useful.

Haydn wrote:Does anybody know any good swing numbers by Bing Crosby? Most of his songs seem to be slow sentimental ballads emphasising his voice rather than the rhythm of the instruments, but as he probably recorded thousands of songs and lived right through the 30s and 40s, I thought there might well be some good swinging stuff out there as well.

I've come across one beautiful slow version of 'Don't Be That Way' which can be found on this Proper Box Set among other sources. Anybody know of any faster swinging Bing tunes?

You need to check out his mid 30s recordings - he had the Decca house band behind him.

btw - most of his tunes are not 'slow, sentimental ballads'

I'll try and think of a few or if you know a listing of Decca Bings circa 1936 - 1938 - lemme know.

He did stuff with Connee Boswell, the Mills Brothers, Jack Teagarden and more.

PLUS - You have all that hot cha stuff with the Rhythm Boys from the Paul Whiteman era.

Eyeball wrote:btw - most of his tunes are not 'slow, sentimental ballads'

(I agree! Funny that we were both writing at the same time that Bing Crosby recorded tons of tunes that are, technically, in a "swing" rhythm.)

Didn't Bing have recordings with Firehouse Five? (plus 2)

I think its mostly trad/hot jazz type stuff.

There's somewhat of a concensus that 1937 was Bing's peak year.

Like Louis Armstrong, he was good for decades, but you can trace the 'decine' in his voice and recordings from that point. It's not really an issue until you get into the 1960s.

No particular suggestions myself, but at 8 o'clock PM (US Central) on Saturdays, there's the show "Bing Shift" on www.jazz88fm.com . The host usually focuses on some particular central topic from week to week. If you listen to the show enough you may pick up some Bing tunes that catch your fancy.

I'm not sure if the host, Arne Fogel, gives you a way to contact him by email to ask questions such as started this thread, but if not contact me and I'll figure out how to get the questions to him (Arne is a singer himself, and performs locally, so I should be able to track him down).

Brent

Brent, if Arne's favorite tunes swing only as hard as he does, Haydn is not going to fill a floor full of swing dancers.

Foxtrotters and ballroom dancers, sure. They'd have a blast.

But not swing dancers.

I'd say he should vet any Arne recommendations w/ us.

Haydn wrote:Does anybody know any good swing numbers by Bing Crosby?

"Now You Have Jazz" with Louis Armstrong. Although some prefer the version without Bing.

There is a Decca Recording out there called Bing Crosby and Some of His Jazz Friends. It has some good stuff on including Yes, Indeed and Pinetop's Boogie Woogie.

beatnikbrewer wrote:There is a Decca Recording out there called Bing Crosby and Some of His Jazz Friends. It has some good stuff on including Yes, Indeed and Pinetop's Boogie Woogie.

He does a version of Pinetop's Boogie Woogie on one of Lionel Hampton cds. Perhaps it's the same version.

I think he also recorded a cd with Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz band. But I think the songs were more slow to mid-tempo.

CafeSavoy wrote:

beatnikbrewer wrote:There is a Decca Recording out there called Bing Crosby and Some of His Jazz Friends. It has some good stuff on including Yes, Indeed and Pinetop's Boogie Woogie.

He does a version of Pinetop's Boogie Woogie on one of Lionel Hampton cds. Perhaps it's the same version.

I think he also recorded a cd with Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz band. But I think the songs were more slow to mid-tempo.

I second your comments on the Bob Scobey disc. I have it on LP. I like it alot, though. I play some of it at my events.

Maybe these?