I have in my collection the original American 78RPM  (12 inch) releases of Bing's ST.LOUIS BLUES. Noting both A and B takes ,noting the B take was released first on Brunswick-20105-black and gold./ The later (still) Brunswick-20105 reissue found the the A take-at least on MY copy.The later Columbia-55003 reissue found the A take / As Bing was at his peak as a vocalist in 1932, THIS recording found Duke Ellington's collaboration ,something very rare for the times.I would also rate THIS recording as Crosby's best vocal  a 'jazz' vocalist,as the very controlled Ellington gave Bing a challenge,in BOTH takes.No wonder Bing make in perfect in 2 takes..I doubt very much that Bing was trying to become a "jazz" entity.As a creature of his time.Bing,like Ellington, was just attempting to produce something good,which turned out excellent.If heard, latter day "jazz" listeners,knowing nothing about Crosby,just have to be blown away by THIS recording.
NOTE : As a "Blue" title,"Blue Prelude",also in my collection, as 10 inch ( Brunswick-6601) also reeks of excellence,yet more of a "pop" ditty
 

Perhaps the legacy of an artist finds its time spent too thin?My previous posts about Bing's record sales,going back some years already here,take note of a current contemporary efforts ,(Especially CHARTMASTERS)to shelve off Bing .To some,crediting physical sales over Elvis is enough,ripping away from the credited sales of "White Christmas"That same process finds Bing at no.65..This whole ball of wax is sadly put together with flawed facts.,If  this yardstick is gradually accepted,the likesnand legacies of Bing,Frank and even Elvis will be further buried for future generations..Perhaps some kind of agreement amount those who appreciate Bing,including me and Pantelis,can change things?It's not that Chartmasters and others have the wrong premise to clear out misconceptions of fanatic fans of various performers,its just that terms such as ""orphan " do not apply to Bing?Not to get to technical,ALL facts pertaining to Bing into the 1930s,1940s, and early 1950s find his records and films out selling ,in records and box office,all other musical performers.In real terms of contemporary data, Bing did better than all his contemporaries,and more so,IF you combine Frank,Elvis and the Beatles and Michael Jackson,Bing's culalitive box office figures beat them all.With no disrespect to others,Bing HAS a DOCUMENTED trail of contemporary success.Ignored?.Is the Bing Crosby's legacy  erased by time?The Crosby legacy should never be underrated/

Ian / about 78rpm record speed needles/
The short answer is that the needle should be heavy enough, yet firm enough to navigate grooves, more so differing from later 45prm & 33.3 rpm speeds/ That said, NEVER use steel needles. Old phonographs of the pre-1930s with steel needles should be avoided. Some old records look beat up, yet play great, without groove damage Others look great, until you play them-the inner grooves are damaged from needles. / The record players of the latter 1940s-50s usually had a 'flip' needle, used for either 78PRM or for both new 45rpm & 33.3 speeds. / Numerous records were ruined forgetting to 'flip' Later 1950s commercial record players would drop the 78RPM speed with a flip needle for MONO or STEREO...Using the wrong 'flip' was again a poor choice. Yet another needle was also developed just for the 45RPM speed, although for most the same needle was good enough for both. The latter 1960s found companies like SHURE, with mounted tips with separate needles to attach to cartridges even more, for high frequency powered record players-something common by the late 1960s.You can still purchase these specific needles../ For myself, after bothering with all that, I found an old latter 1940s "flip" mono record player, plugged into my high-end receiver, exclusively for playing or recording 78PPM records. It sounds great! /I would also caution to NEVER use rubbing alcohol to clean 78s,45s, LPs. /

New Tricks, Some Fine Old Chestnuts & Buddy Cole in the mid-1950s...  / Bing's vocals on these 1950s albums hardly match his brilliant vocals of the 1930s. Buddy Cole's Trio is somewhat of a cover up of these uninspired performances. Cole's contribution to Bing's 1954 "Musical Autobiography LP", is a botched effort, with Decca failing to use many of the original Crosby originals they owned, but that's another story. (This LP was however an event, in which I still have the original LP and the 45RPM original set.) Cole's backing of a re-recording of "Mississippi Mud" WAS more so something good, which an interested Bing. The 1957 single release of this on (Decca-38031) without chatter, is better.  Cole's 1955 backings of "Christmas Is A Coming ", The First Snowfall", "Is Christmas Only A Tree" & "Moments To Remember" are good enough. "The Possibility's There", "The Next Time It Happens", "Something In Common", "Look To You Heart", "Suddenly There's A Valley" ,"The Longest Walk", "Old Man River", "In A Little Spanish Town" should never had been attempted. Neither were Cole's 1956 contributions to "Honeysuckle Rose", "Swanee", "Love Is A Home". Cole did luck out in October,1956 when he captured a very interested Bing vocal captured on "Around The World" & "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day", are easily their best collaboration -brilliant recordings! Bing's 1957 releases of "Straight Down The Middle" & "Tomorrows My Lucky Day" with Cole on American (Columbia) are ok. Decca renderings "Church Bells" & "Rain" were perhaps not worth it.

MORE ABOUT DEEP PURPLE /
I should have noted the excellent Dick Todd version of "Deep Purple" . It' was an odd contemporary challenge for Bing, as the "Canadian Crosby" sounds just like him. / THE contemporary (1939)  female version belonged to Bea Wain's fine vocal of a very good song that lingers./

I would rate Jo Stafford's "Keep It A Secret" as the best vocal of another excellent ditty

DEEP PURPLE is a great song penned by (Peter De Rose &Mitchell Parish) that would be recorded later in the rock era and more so became a best seller by Nino Tempo & April Stevens in 1963 with an interesting sound and good singing. Compared with Bing's earlier 1939 vocal, arraigned with an interesting sound backing by Matty Malnick however, it's obvious that Bing was interested. He knew he had a classic to perform. His vocal (this late) is superb.  As far as I can hear, Bing defined it in 1939, in the middle of so many of his other recordings, some good, some lesser.

Ian / I totally agree that the 1942 HOLIDAY INN was the better film. I also rate it Bing's best-all around film and one of the best musicals ever produced by anyone- including the official 1942 soundtrack. / The 1954 WHITE CHRISTMAS film, originally in color, was also hugely successful, with Rosemary Clooney's vocals sadly missing from the official soundtrack recordings issued. A botched job, even though Peggy Lee was no slouch. (I have seen booted discs of the original 1954 soundtrack). Keeping with the film, I have read that Danny Kaye was miscast. Perhaps Hope or Astaire could have been better? If so, I still think the black and white Holiday Inn would still be the better film. Bing and Astaire more so defined it musically. At their best for sure! In any case, the White Christmas film made lots of monies in 1954. Bing, Clooney, Kaye, Vera Ellen were top notch performers who all lifted a silly plot into something likable.

Graham /My own research in my ('Just Remember This'), found Chick Bullock on many labels, including early recordings on Victor. After this, his (US) (AMERICAN RECORD COMPANY) controlled 1930s releases included numerous released on Banner, Perfect, Conqueror, Vocalion & Melotone. This was the same marketing strategy. that 
found many (original AMC owned Brunswick) Bing Crosby releases, many at a lower price, in dime & department stores on these same labels.It should also be noted that the name BING CROSBY found ON the record,, more than its title, sold the record anyway. Others, including the likes of Chick Bullock, only hoped to attain the popularity that Bing (then) achieved./Thank you/

Blonde/ JUST REMEMBER THIS is about popular music produced primarily between 1900-50 Plus. Your local library could most likely get it for you for free, or you can purchase it easily on the net. I cover a lot, mostly old 78s, and since Bing himself did so much to define that era, you have my critical review about Bing's legacy, especially in recordings, radio & films. /Otherwise, I suggest that you find Columbo's version of PARADISE, & compare it to Bing's version. /Thank you/ Colin

A fine (pre-code) film 1931 drama POSSESSED , full of soap, found Joan Crawford & Clark Gable leading the acting credits. It also looks like Joan Crawford does a good job on a very sad ditty HOW LONG WILL IT LASTI can't find a contemporary recording, as by Joan, nor can it be confirmed that Bing even did see the flick. He did more ever did produce a fine early 1932 crooning job, as released on (Brunswick-6259). (This 1931 film should not be confused with a later 1947 Joan Crawford film, of the same name)

This later stuff produced by people like Geoff Milne, Ken Barnes & Pete Moore found them good at mixing tracks & enhanced vocals, noting orchestrations in 'stereo'. Some of it good, some not. So at least the aging Bing was at least found some good product, they are not sloppy jobs, (as much other previous other Crosby stuff, especially on LP. Total embarrassments with Simon Rady's "Gang 101" & "EL Senor Bing". Bing also seems interested, which always helped him. My own ears, however, have problems with all this electronic mess. After 1960, the only FULL albums that find vocal & production value, without mistakes are "I Wish You A Merry Christmas ",(Warner Brothers), the Christmas (Daybreak) recordings, & some of the orchestration backings of the 2 Longines recordings LPs.  FULL albums with other artists-"Robin & The 7 Hoods LP" & "12 Songs Of Christmas LP", are also excellent.

The tech skill's of Pete Moore's musical backup for Bing's 'SEASONS" album at least found a good voice for a man in his 70s.The album is pleasant listening. A comparison with Bing's 1934 recording of JUNE IN JANUARY ,is stretching things a bit, however, More modern ears can identify Georgie Stoll's 1934 orchestra dated, (but still great),&  Bing's vocal DEFINED the song. His voice ,of a man in his 30s,was at it's peak, at this time. You can underrate  Crosby in 1934,I guess, but I cannot./