Bing and Fred were indeed magical together, this is indeed one of the best 1970s album and my favorite track from here is ''Top Billing" when at they end Bing goes off script creating a memorable moment leaving Fred totally speechless.

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.

I agree, folks. They had great chemistry - both vocal and personal, neither one is trying to outmatch the other and the warmth they had for each other, really comes across on this album. 

ModernBingFan0377 wrote:

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.

Yes, they seem to bask in each other's company, don't they? 

"Pick Yourself Up" is a standout track.

Fred did it with Mary Frances in the 1975 Christmas special. It is a very nice and funny number.
Bing and Fred did a great job with the material
Here is the link, 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWMbD4V8znY

Last edited by Pantelis Kavouras (25/10/2025 3:50 pm)

“You’ve Got A Friend” has to be one of my favorites from the ‘70s era of Bing and it’s a shame he never gave it a commercial recording. Thankfully the live version was released and of course the TV Bing and Fred duet which was marvelous.

ModernBingFan0377 wrote:

“You’ve Got A Friend” has to be one of my favorites from the ‘70s era of Bing and it’s a shame he never gave it a commercial recording. Thankfully the live version was released and of course the TV Bing and Fred duet which was marvelous.

Yes, the live "Palladium" version between Bing and Harry (again, on guitar) is indeed marvellous. Very moving between father and son. 
 

... or how about a potential "Harry and Son" Bing album project for 1978? 

Did the whole family perform "Sing" on the 1976 Palladium album or am I becoming agedly confused with the Christmas television special where Bing sang this with Fred and a year before on British telly with Vera Lynn? Someone please come to my memory rescue! 

Ooooooh, yes please, another Bing and Rosie album would have been a wonderful tie-in for their continued world tour in 1978. A small group, swinging jazz based one with Joe Bushkin would have been wonderful. Possibly as a tribute to Fred from both of them? Fred did a hugely effective, mid-career small group jazz album with Oscar Peterson. There would certainly have been enough great songs to go at, there. Bing still sounded great in the studio with a small group, as witnessed on the final album track he was to record in America in early 1977, "Don't Get Around Anymore" with a quartet led by saxophonist Scott Hamilton.

An album with wife Kathryn would have been most interesting. She did a very sweet job in duetting live on "My Cup Runneth Over" with Bing on the Palladium album. A potential version of "True Love" would have been especially charming. 

Oh thank you - and thank goodness for that!!!!
Can I really push the boat out now and claim to remember they all sang "Sing" as Bing was introducing his family on to the Palladium stage? I know the answer is for me to dig the album out and give it a listen but please forgive me for now happily chancing my aging memory, again.

Oh yes!!!!! Brilliant!!! An album with Joe Venuti, please. They were sublime together and the gorgeous, superior stereo-analogue sounds made possible by 1970's recording technology would have made that a dream project, wouldn't it? I adore it when Bing sings out and out jazz at anytime in his career and it's so perfect that this was the age that musically gave birth to him. Additionally, a version of just Bing and Joe duetting to the Gershwins' "Summertime" would have been sublime, nicely creating a possible rival to pal Louis and Ella's recording? 

Mind you, in the cheating death stakes, they would have had to have acted with haste, as Mr Venuti was sadly gathered that very next year of 1978. 

Any more suggestions for our "Bing Sings, Joe Strings" LP? 
I'm pushing for speedy treatments of "Fascinating Rhythm" and "I've Got Rhythm" - possibly to open either side. 
Clearly, I'm currently hallucinating that I'm Ken Barnes.
I need to go and lie down before I start wondering why United Artists and John Warner haven't returned my calls.

 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (25/7/2026 2:03 am)

Ah, yes! I remember, now. Thank you. 
I must dig out my copy of that double Palladium album and listen to it, again.
I thought Bing's performance on it was masterful and his beautifully casual and mannered personality shone throughout. The other lovely thing is that nothing seemed to phase him. If he forgot the odd lyric then it dealt with it all so smoothly, it just seemed a natural part of the show. I've been lucky enough to  have met and spoken with a number of our members who were present at both the 1976 and 1977 Palladium performances and they have all said what a unique experience it was to see such a master at work - except despite it being a near three hour performance, dear Bing never made it appear as work. 

Funnily enough, I've never had a dream where Bing has featured. I envy you.
Both my mother and I on separate occasions have dreamt about Bob Hope.
My mother could not remember her dream's circumstances - but she had it soon after we'd seen him in concert in the autumn of 1984. My later dream about Bob was visiting him on his death bed, of all things (before he died). 
Admittedly, not too cheerful - but most vivid. 

I'd never heard of a sports themed album as one of Bing's future projects. That sounds so imaginative. Mind you, not being sports orientated (I was the bane of my games school teachers lives) I can only think of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "Straight Down the Middle" and the UK novelty songs "Football Crazy"  and "Cricket, Lovely Cricket". I know there must be plenty of others which would have suited Bing far more. Could you let me know once you've recalled which other possible future album projects were being discussed?

For that Joe Venuti joint venture, may I also add as suggestions a rip-roaring "Sweet Georgia Brown", a mellow "La Mer" (Beyond the Sea) and "How High the Moon"? 

I must say I am delighted that Bing chose "Summer Wind"  for "Seasons". It's one of my favourite tracks on my very favourite solo album of his. The arrangements are stunning and I feel Bing's interpretive skills, particularly on the afore mentioned song and "Yesterday When I was Young" gives both Sinatra and Aznavour a good run for their money. 

I completely agree with Bing's later recording of "What's New" being superior to his earlier one. "Feels Good, Feels Right" is an album until recently, I unfairly overlooked. Bing's 1970's period is my favourite of his recording decades. I fully appreciate and respect the view that other members feel his voice by that time had aged and I can't argue with that. However, don't you think it had taken on such a deeper, more resonant and reflective tone? 

Praise be to Ken Barnes for enabling Bing's gloriously recorded Indian Summer. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (26/7/2026 2:33 am)