20/12/2018 4:12 pm  #1


Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

I used to do polls on Steve Lewis' old site all the time, so I figured I would do this one. I haven't done this topic in a long time and with younger members, I am interested in everyone's take. I wanted to see what is your favorite decade of Bing Crosby's recording career. I know it is hard to pick one and it changes, but if you could only pick one decade, as of now, what would it be.

Make sure you vote!


Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career













 

20/12/2018 5:38 pm  #2


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

I picked the 70's because (as I have said before) I feel the Latter Day Bing is a more "honest" singer.


All the best,
Paul M. Mock
 

24/12/2018 7:15 pm  #3


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

I picked the 1940s. Bing's voice sounded tired at times, but I am going through a WWII phase and after reading Gary Giddins' book, it put me more in the mood for this era.

     Thread Starter
 

28/12/2018 7:35 pm  #4


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

I chose the 50's because despite Crosby thinking his abilities were diminishing, THIS is the sound when I think of Bing Crosby, smooth and seemingly effortless!

I love the sound of Crosby on the different albums from the decade, whether it's a little dixieland with Scoby, brash with Bregman, or duetting with Clooney. 

And then there is all the tracks recorded for his radio show, not quite part of his recording career, (tho some were used by Decca),. They just impress me with every listen and I alternate from liking Bing with full sounding arrangements to preferring the more intimate sound of him with Buddy Cole. 

I wonder if in the 50's did Sinatra and the rest finally catch up, or did Bing decide to back off a little due to the things going on in his personal life? - maybe someday Vol. 3 of his biography will clue us all in!

 

30/12/2018 9:27 pm  #5


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

Ron1972 wrote:

I chose the 50's because despite Crosby thinking his abilities were diminishing, THIS is the sound when I think of Bing Crosby, smooth and seemingly effortless!

I love the sound of Crosby on the different albums from the decade, whether it's a little dixieland with Scoby, brash with Bregman, or duetting with Clooney. 

And then there is all the tracks recorded for his radio show, not quite part of his recording career, (tho some were used by Decca),. They just impress me with every listen and I alternate from liking Bing with full sounding arrangements to preferring the more intimate sound of him with Buddy Cole. 

I wonder if in the 50's did Sinatra and the rest finally catch up, or did Bing decide to back off a little due to the things going on in his personal life? - maybe someday Vol. 3 of his biography will clue us all in!

That's a good point. The 1950s are overlooked for some of the remaining boring arrangements by John Scott Trotter and the horrible backing of Buddy Cole. Bing's "concept" albums in the 1956-1959 period are great!
 

     Thread Starter
 

30/12/2018 11:44 pm  #6


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

Lobosco wrote:

That's a good point. The 1950s are overlooked for some of the remaining boring arrangements by John Scott Trotter and the horrible backing of Buddy Cole. Bing's "concept" albums in the 1956-1959 period are great!
 

I agree that latterly John Scott Trotter's arrangements had become somewhat "stale". They tended to be too rooted in the past. But Buddy Cole's "horrible backing"? As with all things, just as we have our own individual tastes, so performers meet those tastes to varying degrees, but Cole's small group or piano accompaniment was for me highly entertaining and Bing reacted very positively to the freewheeling possibilities. (Here I believe we must include all those radio tracks). The low points where Cole fails to meet my tastes were those in which he indulged himself with overlaying some of those recorded tracks with his wretched organ.   

Were the option available of awarding graded votes I think I would have placed my preferences in this order - 
1 1940s
2 1950s (the second part of the decade being the major influencing factor).
3 1970s
4 1930s
5 1920s 
Though I do very much like a selected few from the 20s.
The 1960s comes a poor last with those singalong LPs (though the first was recorded in late 1959, in practical reality I think it falls into 1960) getting minus points from me. However, we should not forget the album with Louis Armstrong or Holiday in Europe, (soon to be released on CD). 

 

31/12/2018 12:27 am  #7


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

Richard Baker wrote:

Lobosco wrote:

That's a good point. The 1950s are overlooked for some of the remaining boring arrangements by John Scott Trotter and the horrible backing of Buddy Cole. Bing's "concept" albums in the 1956-1959 period are great!
 

I agree that latterly John Scott Trotter's arrangements had become somewhat "stale". They tended to be too rooted in the past. But Buddy Cole's "horrible backing"? As with all things, just as we have our own individual tastes, so performers meet those tastes to varying degrees, but Cole's small group or piano accompaniment was for me highly entertaining and Bing reacted very positively to the freewheeling possibilities. (Here I believe we must include all those radio tracks). The low points where Cole fails to meet my tastes were those in which he indulged himself with overlaying some of those recorded tracks with his wretched organ.   

Were the option available of awarding graded votes I think I would have placed my preferences in this order - 
1 1940s
2 1950s (the second part of the decade being the major influencing factor).
3 1970s
4 1930s
5 1920s 
Though I do very much like a selected few from the 20s.
The 1960s comes a poor last with those singalong LPs (though the first was recorded in late 1959, in practical reality I think it falls into 1960) getting minus points from me. However, we should not forget the album with Louis Armstrong or Holiday in Europe, (soon to be released on CD). 

I tend to be too harsh on Buddy Cole, and I agree with you. He is actually a good backer except when he uses that organ - one of my least favorite instruments!

If I could rank in order my favorite decades, it would be the following:

1. 1940s
2. 1950s
3. 1930s
4. 1970s
5. 1960s
6. 1920s
 

     Thread Starter
 

31/12/2018 12:28 am  #8


Re: Favorite Decade Of Bing's Recording Career

I think of the 1930's.
Bing's voice seemed really powerful and there were just so many great songs that he sang.
Please, Thanks, Black Moonlight, Down by the River, Cabin in the Pines, and so on and so forth and fifth.
However, we all have our reasons and perhaps the era we grew up in.
Being a 1934 model and becoming aware by the time I was 10.
An uncle had some Bing 78's and every time I visited my grandmother I asked could I play Bing. Always yes was the answer. It was Black Moonlight and played on a wind up that had speed control. I probably had that down to about 60rpm to make it sound like Bing. The record had been played that much. Those arms with a steel needle were heavy and it is a wonder the records lasted so long.
Happy twenty nineteen to one and all and as Bing sings - Lets Start the New Year Right.

 

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