Another Whiteman era. gig...

Malcolm
 I found a 'Variety' dated July 10 ,1929, pg. 51 noting 'the Rhythm Boys at "Campbell's Lake", which is where I assume is in Colorado. Is it possible that these Rhythm Boys, who were also the Montmartre (Los Angeles) around this time, had picked up an extra gig? Or another contemporary group with the same name? / Thank you/

Malcolm/ I am aware that these RHYTHM BOYS were sometimes used as a satellite for the Paul Whiteman organization, ] as "Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys, or "Rhythm Boys". After leaving Whiteman, as you know they used "Rhythm Boys or "3 Rhythm Boys"., officially dropping Whiteman I appreciate your checking up on this New Jersey site.
Also / I think Don Clark's 1926 Orchestra had been or was part of Paul Whiteman's organization? 

Pantelis 
It is a good thing that CHARTMASTERS flagged Bing. It is, however, something more to accept a logical conclusion from them. How is it that Bing Crosby is counted at no.65? He is far lower, as of this post than Elvis 3, the Beatles 1, or Frank Sinatra 9... There is a lot more omission. Please read CHARTMASTER'S THE REAL STORY BEHIND WHITE CHRISTMAS'S SALES. FIGURES. The conclusion of an 'outdated way of accounting', taking away Bing's sales of over 50 million to under 20 million-their way of accounting. Just looking at DECCA'S 1954 accounting (in the official Decca booklet of a "Musical Biography" noting the "gold" record stats of WHITE CHRISTMAS at over 9 million physical sales. NOT credited are DECCA sales of SILENT NIGHT at over 6 million, JINGLE BELLS over 5 million & 16 more DECCA gold discs under counted, under a million, physical sales' This is the short take. CHARTMASTERS should be informed. Bing deserves more real credit.

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. /

Malcolm
I am very familiar with your excellent research. I had thought that another California EMBASSY club would correspond with a Cab Calloway gig in the area. More so the Cab Calloway "Hi de Ho for AUGUST 29,1932" has a printed add noting both Bing & Cab Calloway. Under that it states, 'with Bing Crosby on stage" So that is incorrect. /
Al Capone's Chicago area clubs did include the "Three Duces". Other contemporary entertainers like Ethel Waters, Adelaide Hall, Fats Waller, Helen Morgan, Ruth Etting, & Louis Armstrong also found interest from Capone. In addition to the "Greyhound Inn'-later known as "Montmartre", there were "Colosimo's (still operating after "big Jim" being gunned down in the site in 1920),) the "Cafe de Paris"-bombed, "Cinderella Cafe", "Showboat", "Cocoanut Grove" and the "Cotton Club" in Cicero, Illinois-run by Al's brother, Ralph., and the Metropole Hotel There were others. . While as performers IN clubs, accounts note that they were PERSUADED to perform for Capone personally, in other locations-perhaps one of these noted above?

Malcolm
I do like Mildred Bailey, especially early. We do know that she helped Bing and her brother in Los Angeles. Bing never forgot her kindness. She also introduced Bing to the now called 'jazz age', with her records of Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, who were (1925) contemporaries, more so recording artists. (Later, with the Mills Brothers, Bing re-vamped the Waters hit "Dinah") Perhaps Bing, Al and Mildred were on the same stage earlier, in 1925? We also know Bing always seemed to help her when he could, introducing her to Paul Whiteman, resulting in her first official recordings for Whiteman. Also, in later years, Bing helped her with her medical bills.

Macolm
This helps a lot. Confirming Mildred Bailey was definitely on the tour with the Rhythm Boys March,31,1930-April,15,1930. /This "Spanish Ballroom" in the Olympic Hotel in Seattle-was it ANOTHER Cole McElrory's site in Seattle? Or just a ballroom called "Spanish Ballroom", not affiliated with McElroy? We know for sure the orchestra played the McElroy's in Portland-perhaps Both sites in Portland & Seattle?
It is also a sure thing that Mildred was along at the Criterion Theatre in Los Angeles on April 20,1930, 10 days before the Rhythm Boys left Whiteman on April,30,1930.?
BEFORE ALL THIS IN 1929-30
The Pavilion Royal is noted, Aug,31-Perhaps the first time they all performed on the same venue with Whiteman?
The Shrine Auditorium Benefit on Dec.24?
Loews State Theatre, Los Angeles Feb.13,1930?  
OTHER/
If you see anything about Bing at the Chicago "Three Duces or 222 Club or in some kind of dive in St. Louis, around this time, please advise/
Thank you/


 

Yes, I have all the American Brunswick originals. Warning to younger or curious collectors-if found-Make sure you use the correct needle, or you will ruin them.

Gary Giddon's is not done yet. I do not have too much to be negative about. In fact, I plan to purchase his last volume about Bing as soon as it is released. /There is a 2004 book by Lenny Kaye called "You Call It Madness-The Sensuous Song of The Croon". It has rival crooner Russ Columbo's pic on the cover. He could have called the book "Crosby, Columbo & Vallee" .Giddon's covered this, and Kaye ADDS more. Kaye also follows Bing around. It's a great read, mostly about the time (1931-1934) that found POPULAR MUSIC defined by Bing, followed by others. / I am not so much concerned about Bing's personal life, although I regard Gary Crosby's "Going My Way" something written to cash in. He needed the money. I also find "The Hollow Man" as something just as mean. Rubbish. As a man, Bing must have had some bad days. He did have family problems. I don't think he was vicious. We do know for sure he helped a lot of people. Lots of charity work. / I do hope Giddons will be able to provide & focus MORE about BING'S sales stats, giving Crosby the credit his legacy deserves. /

As far as something written AFTER a career is over, BOTH Gary Giddins books are excellent ,although I do not always agree on his analysis .I also await his final volume./ Malcom's book is also very good, a good reference./While obviously incomplete, the (1950) mostly in record references, CROSBY ON RECORD is still fun to read, especially noting (US) Brunswick Masters, as penned by obvious Crosby (1930s) fanatics Edward J. Mellow & Tom McBride, If the Crosby legacy had ended here, it still would have been a great career.. Perhaps those early 1930s BRUNSWICK MASTERS ,noting different takes, were indeed  his greatest recorded legacy? / My favorite Crosby book is the earlier (1946) "Bing Crosby and The Bing Crosby Style-Crosbyana" by Dr. J.T.H. Mize. His personal 'picks' ,while I do not always agree, are something that grabs you. As written  when Bing was MOST COMMERCIALLY successful, Mize's serious (musical) background takes on Bing's earlier recordings, as well as his (then ) current 1940s recorded fodder. He also takes on Bings films & radio, gathers other media ,as well as noting the (then) current rivalry from Frank Sinatra. In retrospective, working with what he had , Mize, while perhaps not an original 1920s-30s follower, put it all together very well./

Yes/Other versions of the excellent "Deep Purple" are good, no question. My own ears still give the song to Bing, who originally defined it as a 1939 vocal. /Like so many songs, as I have already noted, it's still Bing's 1931 version of "Stardust" that still rules. (The interesting comment about Pat Boone's vocals actually found him very close to Bing's style, indeed Bing's preference over the rebellious Elvis in the 1950s.Boone's "Stardust' is good, noting a huge debt to Crosby-but that's ok.

Prayers & inspiration helped win WWII. During the years of the blitz, my mum told me that she was always tuned in to the (radio) to hear Vera Lynn. She held my (late) mum's highest admiration. She was her very favorite female singer. She wanted to be just like her. I know a lot of her other listeners also felt the same.
 

Sinatra's NIGHT AND DAY with Axel Stordahl in 1942 IS his best version of the song. It also defined the song better than Fred Astaire or the later version by Bing. Perhaps the 1938 Maxine Sullivan version can challenge Sinatra's 1942 version? Bing's 1944 version with Trotter is terrible, although it was a commercial success. / I agree that Sinatra's 1956 IVE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN, with Riddle betters Bing's 1947 version with Trotter. So were previous versions by Lee Wiley and Josephine Baker in the 1930s./ Trotter's sedate work with Bing was something that Bing himself wanted. Considering the huge catalog of songs with Trotter that rate from excellent to poor, I would rate Trotter's very best song with Bing IS the fab 1939 recording of WHAT'S NEW. After that, Bing's musical sound changed, sometimes good, and mostly mediocre. Or maybe because Sinatra was more interested in producing a better recording? Trotter's lively backing of Bing & Connie Boswell on 5 titles proves his worth, noting that Bing was more inspired vocally when recording with Connie, / I would also note the old 10-inch LP BING SINGS COLE PORTER, which attempted to group a Porter collection of previous 78s.MY ears find 7 title (backed by Trotter) kind of tiring. The 1937 vocal of I NEVER REALIZED, backed by Victor Young is however better-with Bing's vocal producing a fine performance.