So sorry I missed meeting. Will it be on YouTube as usual?

Thanks Jason! I missed all you Bing men!!

Dear all,

The July 2025 ICC online meeting is now available on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHIR914BWAc 

Unfortunately, due to copyright reasons, the YouTube algorithm has forced me to eliminate four of the songs, probably because we used film clips instead of simply the sound recordings. I apologize for that, but in the description of the video I have included links to YouTube videos that contain those four songs. That way everyone can at least listen to them by clicking on the links.

Great choices everyone! This was an excellent meeting! Please remember that we take a brief summer break from the online meetings in August but will be resuming the meetings again in September.

Thanks, as always, to Jason for hosting and putting the meetings together!

AGF

Last edited by Anton G.-F. (12/7/2025 4:22 am)

Blonde56 wrote:

Can't wait to see Ian's choices. Let me guess, "Just a Gigalo" might be one. I tease you Ian. As the Kinks would say, you are the "Well Respected Man". Lol!

Ah! Carmela! Just keep those bouquets tossing towards me.
My choices were actually pretty (non-Heff based) obvious ones;
"Teamwork" from "Road to Hong Kong" and "Well Did You Evah?" from "Society's High"

I think the Crosby-Sinatra duet is simply one of the Hollywood musical's most glittering of diamond jewels and "Teamwork" my most satisfying of all the "Vaudeville" duets between Bob and Bing from the Road films.
All the gags kept within the song, tight dance routine and possibly for my money, the best opening to all the "Road" films. Shame it wasn't ... oh let's not go there!

"How do you syphon?"


 

Ian Kerstein wrote:

... and of course thanks once again to our joyous, jovial Jason for as ever, making everything possible and so delightful. To anyone on here who hasn't partaken in these monthly meetings, should time zones allow (or even if they don't) come on aboard. They are incredibly fun and enjoyable (and would be even more so to one and all if only Jason would just mute my microphone) and there's also so much learn and discuss. 

Yes, Ian, this whole online meeting thing is Jason's brainchild, and he should be applauded for all the work that he puts in every month to make them happen. Without Jason, these meetings wouldn't be possible. All I do is prepare the recordings of the meetings to be posted to YouTube, but (except for the cases when there are copyright issues) that doesn't require much work or time. In any case, I am delighted to see how successful these monthly online meetings are, and I hope we keep having them for a very long time. Thanks for your participation, and see you in September, Ian!  
 

Thank you, Carmela.

I believe I did remain for the full online meeting but I could have been enjoying what was left of a homemade cocktail, so may have fallen off my chair and out of video view?

Never apologise for a perceived time lapse. Speaking of lapses, I still have yet to see "Road to Singapore". I know, I should hang my head in Singaporean shame. There's no excuse but I'll think of something. How about that I believe UK terrestrial television barely now ever broadcasts Bob and Bing's Road trips, anymore?

I love "Sweet Potato Piper". The song, as performed so reminds me of Bing's "Rhythm on the River" number - which is one of my complete favourite moments from any Hollywood musical. It lives up to its title of being so sweet, with a super syncopated rhythm and arrangement, easily matched of course by our man's vital but casually sounding, bouncy interpretation. A piping delight.

The first part of a Road film I ever saw was when aged around four years. It was the beginning of 'Morocco and I vividly remember my father chuckling at Bob calling the initially unseen ear nibbling and later spitting Camel, a "Kangaroo". 

Bing's 'Singapore's "Too Romantic" is surely the equal of Morocco's "Moonlight Becomes You"? The light, gently climbing, hummable melody and the cautious, declarative intent of the lyrics seems so similar in atmosphere and tone to 'Moonlight. I love the film setting of the latter. so will look forward to see how Too Romantic's visuals compare. 

Peering at the more luxuriant front of Frankie boy's hair in High Society's "Well did you Evah?" number, compared with some of its earlier onscreen, receding incarnations leads me to believe Frankie had put away his paint box on this occasion and it is indeed two toupees which face each other in the number. 

I was going to say it must have been such fun to be follicly fickle for Frankie (try saying that after a couple of glasses of JD) but I then remembered the reflection of Frank's not exactly intimate co-star of the Guys and Dolls film, the Sinatra christened "Mumbles" Brando, who years later reflected that "“Frank’s the kind of guy who when he gets to Heaven, is going to give God a hard time for making him bald.” 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (21/7/2025 7:35 pm)

Anton G.-F. wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:

... and of course thanks once again to our joyous, jovial Jason for as ever, making everything possible and so delightful. To anyone on here who hasn't partaken in these monthly meetings, should time zones allow (or even if they don't) come on aboard. They are incredibly fun and enjoyable (and would be even more so to one and all if only Jason would just mute my microphone) and there's also so much learn and discuss. 

Yes, Ian, this whole online meeting thing is Jason's brainchild, and he should be applauded for all the work that he puts in every month to make them happen. Without Jason, these meetings wouldn't be possible. All I do is prepare the recordings of the meetings to be posted to YouTube, but (except for the cases when there are copyright issues) that doesn't require much work or time. In any case, I am delighted to see how successful these monthly online meetings are, and I hope we keep having them for a very long time. Thanks for your participation, and see you in September, Ian!  
 

Thank you, Anton. Your contributions to the meetings cannot be downplayed, though. Not just your valuable YouTube postings of these (which is spreading the word) but also your extremely incisive talks you give during them, along with your other online conversations and activates with regards to Bing and company. You wear your learning lightly, Doctor and I have learned much from these. Your Bing and country music presentation really opened my eyes as to the extent of his catalogue and his recorded history with the genre. 

Clearly you are an extremely busy professional gentleman and I am so grateful that you make the time to enlighten us and share your insights. 

I could not agree more with your sentiments about Jason. He modestly puts so much effort into these meetings - and of course hosts them with such a lightly humorous touch with wonderful, monthly thematic ideas for subjects,  while all the time encouraging others to both present items and speak freely. He is a complete delight to meet, too. His annual UK Crosby gatherings in Warrington are such a joy. He and his equally wonderfully warm wife Sharon provide the most mavellous welcome and he tailors the whole day with such care, enjoyment and laughter. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (22/7/2025 10:42 pm)