12/9/2013 4:01 pm  #1


We're A Couple Of Soldiers

One of the more memorable "blow-ups" among Bing's recordings was "We're A Couple Of Soldiers (My Baby and Me)".

Part way through one of the takes, Joe Venuti, expressing his disgust at the content of the song, produces  a "Bronx cheer". Bing tries to soldier on but rapidly gets overtaken by uncontrollable laughter. 

Recorded on 25 October 1932 for Brunswick.

The commercially issued take is here 



The "Blow Up" here 



I have never come across any other performance until now, but one has appeared on YouTube, so here and just for fun it is as performed by Syd Lipton and His Grosvenor House Band. Syd Lipton had one of the longer lasting British dance bands. The vocalist is Sam Browne who was probably the most prolific band vocalist on recordings in Britain in the 1930s, popping up with many different bands, though his main employers were Jack Hylton and Ambrose. He was one of several that others have attached the label "The British Crosby". This recording followed Bing's quite quickly, on 1 November 1932. In that space of time they could not have heard, or been influenced by, the Crosby version. They might just have been influenced by the same publisher's demo.





 

 

12/9/2013 6:34 pm  #2


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

The song is so laughable, I'm surprised Bing did not break up more. However, I have his issued take on my mp3 player, and I like it for Bing's commanding voice on it. The lyrics are pretty silly though. Bing's was the only version I have ever heard, so that's a good find Jarbie!

 

18/9/2013 3:01 pm  #3


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

Perhaps my first serious act as a budding Crosby historian was buying and studying the Bing Crosby Collection I, II, III lps that included several unreleased takes of Bing's songs from the late 1920s through mid 1930s in my late twenties or early thirties. Reading the account of the Venuti antics on this song was perhaps my first glimpse of just how much fun those guys in the old Whiteman band were having together.  Despite Venuti's opinion, I have always like the song.  It sounds very much like something Bing might have sung to a love interest in one of his early movies. It is very difficult to listen to the song without picturing such a scene.

 

08/10/2013 11:15 pm  #4


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

A non-Bing record of the asinger breaking up with laughing is Rudy Vallee's 'There's A Tavern In The Town'. Good fun to listen to.

 

09/10/2013 6:35 am  #5


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

Ron Field wrote:

A non-Bing record of the asinger breaking up with laughing is Rudy Vallee's 'There's A Tavern In The Town'. Good fun to listen to.

Well, Ron, just for fun, here it is.

It was officially released and got into the American charts in 1934



 

     Thread Starter
 

09/10/2013 7:40 pm  #6


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

Thanks Richard. That is a fun record to listen to. Too bad there aren't a few more around like it as there must have been hundreds of incidences like Rudy's.

 

15/10/2013 3:37 am  #7


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

I have Vallee's Tavern song on a CD and ach time I listen to it I believ the laughter is contrived, not spontaneous. Anyone agree?

 

15/10/2013 6:57 am  #8


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

Graham Pascoe wrote:

- - - the laughter is contrived, not spontaneous. Anyone agree?

Graham, I wonder if the fact that it was officially released at the time might be indicative? - it possibly shows a degree of deliberate planning. And yes, I think I agree with you.

 

     Thread Starter
 

22/10/2013 3:35 pm  #9


Re: We're A Couple Of Soldiers

Bing crack's up in one of the takes of "Shoo, Shoo, Baby." Not sure if I spelled that right.

My favorite song that descends into laughter is Carl Sandberg's version of that song that starts: "My name is Yahn Yahnson, I come from Vissconsin...."  Then of course there's Ed Wynn's "I Love to Laugh"; is that from Mary Poppins?

 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum

Spread the word about CROSBY FAN WORLD http://crosbyfanworld.boardhost.com