I adore this album, Fred always joked about Bing being his favorite dance partner, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were one of each other’s favorite singing partners. Their chemistry is electric.

Ian Kerstein wrote:

 The first track I  heard from this album was Cole Porter's, "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland", which remains my firm favourite. 

I have a favorite lyric from here sung by Fred "An apartment building in Greece" I really don't know why the Scotland one was uses as a title, I am thinking that I am actually living in a kind of place described in a Crosby/Astaire song.

 

Well said! I quite agree.
 

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:

 The first track I  heard from this album was Cole Porter's, "I've a Shooting Box in Scotland", which remains my firm favourite. 

I have a favorite lyric from here sung by Fred "An apartment building in Greece" I really don't know why the Scotland one was uses as a title, I am thinking that I am actually living in a kind of place described in a Crosby/Astaire song.

 

.. and to think this song at the time arrived at the studio with some of Porter's verses missing. Fred so wished for it to be included, so Ken Barnes had to hastily come up with some more lyrics. 

STEPO wrote:

I consider "Top Billing" album to be one of if not the best of the bing albums with Ken Barnes, Bing and Fred should have recorded more albums together.

Yes, their duetting and bantering was infectious. I thought Pete Moore's arrangements and Ken Barnes' production served the project beautifully. Plus their solo choices seemed extremely carefully chosen and performed with such emotional understanding. Stepo, I'm already compiling in my mind another album for them. It would have been lovely for them to have recorded "Sing", which they performed together on Bing's Christmas special that year. Does anyone have any notable favourites from this album? 
 

It really is. I think it's one of the best written songs featured on the album. I really enjoy the sung/spoken interplay and special material between the two, echoing Fred's routine with Ginger in Swingtime, all those decades before. 

Of course, How could that one be forgotten. It's very sweet and warm. 
I thought Bing and Fred, with Harry on guitar singing "You've Got a Friend" from the same special would have been another nice idea for our potential "Another Couple of Song and Dance Men" sequel album. 

Yes that's true, You've Got A Friend is a great song that suited Bing's vocal style like a glove and Harry was so good at the guitar he could have made it as guitarist to a commercial recording as well. 

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Yes that's true, You've Got A Friend is a great song that suited Bing's vocal style like a glove and Harry was so good at the guitar he could have made it as guitarist to a commercial recording as well. 

Lovely point, Pantelis. It's simplicity and beautiful writing of both melody and lyrics made it a contemporary song of that time which someone deserves praise for choosing. It really would have been super to have had it committed to a second Bing and Fred album. 

Oh yes, beside the planned Crosby/Hope album I would love to hear him recording with his family more. Harry as a talented guitarist he would have been great in al album with his father. I always wanted him to make a duet album with Kathryn as well, specially in the late 50s when her vocals where at their primes as it shows from her vocal quality in Away In a Manger (1958). Perhaps he should have record more with the Buskin team as Bing Crosby and Friends to include all his family and a singer like Rosie Clooney.