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1 of 1- Ron1972
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El Senor Bing
As I add new albums to my collection I find that I'd like to share my thoughts on them. I was going to comment on existing posts but some are a few years old and so new posts seem to make more sense.
"El Senor Bing", this is another album where my opinion differs greatly with that of Steven Lewis and that of Ken Barnes. Hey, we're ALL entitled to our opinions but I mention it because this is an album that I almost passed on because after reading Steven Lewis' evaluation and Barnes negative opinion of it. I'm glad I didn't!
To me, this is an interesting album. Bing sounds in good form here. His voice is strong (robust?) and smooth. Each track is a combination of two songs, which at a glance would make this sounds like one of the "sing-a-long" albums that Bing had started to do at around this same time but clearly by the manner of singing this was not meant to be a "sing-a-long" Instead this really is a concept album combining 'like' songs, this amuses me because I frequently make CD's of favorite artists matching them up in a one vs. the other format picking songs that I think match up well.
The accompaniment is provided by Billy May and his Orchestra and to me this really sets this effort apart from some of Crosby's earlier albums that featured a really stripped down sound. I find it odd that some of those earlier efforts are thought of more highly then "El Senor Bing" because to my ears they really lack the full sound found on this album. Also I this might be one of Bing's best album covers, right up there with "New Tricks".
I think "El Senor Bing" brings Crosby into the 1960's in great style and is just a notch below some of his best late 50's albums. I'd give this one a B+
- Kevin
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Re: El Senor Bing
Le Bing is one of my favourites.
Highlights the diversity in styles Bing performed and how even in his fan base he could divide opinions to such polar opposites.
- Ron1972
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Re: El Senor Bing
Archiefit wrote:
OK, now you've done it, you just named one of my 2 least favorite Bing albums. In fact this is an album I haven't even bothered to listen to in years. I sure never downloaded it into my Media Player, if I never hear it again it'll be just fine with me. The other Bing album I hope to never hear again is Le Bing.
First off, thank you Archefit for replying to my post. I was disappointed that this one and a few others hadn't gotten any responses, so you have made my day.
I'm curious to know why don't you like "El Senor Bing"? One of the things I was hoping for with these posts was to get feedback on what about certain album someone liked or didn't like.
To me, I think "El Senor Bing" is sort of a continuation of the albums that preceded it, "Bing Sings", "Bing With A Beat", and "Fancy Meeting You Here". By that I mean they feature Bing singing to the sound of a full orchestra or band. In comparison to a few of his other albums from the 50's that have Bing singing along to simpler sparser arrangements. I don't think "El Senor Bing" is as good as the other albums I mentioned but I enjoy what Billie May brought to it and find Bing to be in good voice.
I have "Le Bing" as part of the "Through The Years" collection but have not had the opportunity to listen to it yet. Your comments and Kevin's may spur me to listen to it sooner than later.
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Thread Starter- Stefan Huber
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Re: El Senor Bing
I listened to this one quite recently and have to confess that I also wasn't too fond of it. You'd think the combination Latin+Billy May+Bing would work out, but unfortunately, it didn't (at least for me). I would have preferred if Bing would have concentrated on just a few Latin standards (like Mel Tormé did with Billy May) instead of doing this album of medleys. Somehow, it doesn't sound right. The degraded sound quality of the CD - most likely mastered from vinyl due to missing master tapes - makes the album barely listenable to me. The mono version is a bit better, still no winner...
- STEPO
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Re: El Senor Bing
Unfortunately El Senor Bing the cha cha arrangements by the usually excellent Billy May are exactly the same on every song on this album which sadly gets stale and tedious very quickly it's defintely one of Bing's worst albums of the 1960s.
- David Lobosco
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Re: El Senor Bing
The Orchestra of Billy May is always loud and brassy, but I liked the recordings Bing made with Billy May.
- Pantelis Kavouras
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Re: El Senor Bing
In my opinion El Senor Bing is a concept album without the quality that you ‘ll expect from a Crosby album. The first song that I heard from that album (in YouTube before I listen to the album) it was Down Argentina Way/What a Difference a Day Made. I knew the first song from the Betty Grable original version back in 1940 but I believe that Bing sung it great with his own unique style and his voice was in a good shape to. I also particularly enjoyed Pagan Love Song/Cuban Love Song and How High the Moon/Old Devil Moon. I didn’t enjoy much the rest of the album. I agree that Bing made better albums in the 1960s but these was not bad.
The Rose in her Hair is a wonderful song, but Bing really sung it in 1976 in Feel Good Feels Right album. In El Senor Bing album the high spirits arrangement doesn’t go well with a romantic song.
Last edited by Pantelis Kavouras (12/10/2024 6:28 pm)
- Anton G.-F.
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Re: El Senor Bing
While El Señor Bing is definitely not one of Bing's best albums, the Billy May arrangements are still interesting in some instances, and the studio band is top notch. The main problem, to me, is that the charts seem to be done assuming that cha-cha-cha is the only existing Latin musical form, which is really why the album becomes boring rather quickly. I am not too fond of the marriage of two songs either and believe the record would have been better had Bing taken one tune at a time. Had Crosby and May attempted to do a Latin album that encompassed other styles of Latin music as well, it most definitely would have been a much more satisfying effort. Bing and May didn't really go Latin on this album, as the alternate title suggests, but rather they simply went cha-cha-cha...
Last edited by Anton G.-F. (13/10/2024 5:40 am)
- tedn
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Re: El Senor Bing
Agreed that Bing and May way overplayed the cha-cha-cha on this one, alas. I also was very underwhelmed by both mixes that came out when the album finally got a digital release - the weirdly flat stereo mix, and then the mono mix with no voices. A pity.
- STEPO
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Re: El Senor Bing
The strange thing was Billy May did adventureos arrangements for the two albums Bing did with Rosemary Clooney as well as the Louis Armstrong one yet did bland cha cha arrangements for "El Senor Bing".
- tedn
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Re: El Senor Bing
The strange thing was Billy May did adventureos arrangements for the two albums Bing did with Rosemary Clooney as well as the Louis Armstrong one yet did bland cha cha arrangements for "El Senor Bing".
Agreed. And May wrote so many wonderful arrangements for other singers in that period - Sinatra, Peggy Lee, etc. It's really too bad that Bing's solo albums with both May and Nelson Riddle weren't stronger.
- STEPO
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Re: El Senor Bing
Strangely enough i ha[[en to prefer "Return To Paradise" the Reprise album Bing did with Nelson Riddle to "El Senor Bing", i feel it's underrated.
- Ron1972
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Re: El Senor Bing
Well, many years from my original post and I still like this album! But, admittedly maybe not with as much zeal as when I discovered it seven years ago.
Now, there are times I put it on and see it as a bit disappointing and other times when I really like the concept, the cha-cha beat and Bing's singing.
I guess it all depends on what mood I'm in! I will say though, it may no longer be a B+ but it would still be a B or B- .
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