SADLY AFTER 16 YEARS, BOARDHOST HAS DECIDED TO ELIMINATE THE FREE FORUM OPTION, AND THIS BOARD WILL BE DEACTIVATED ON SEPTEMBER 22ND.
1 of 1- Pantelis Kavouras
- Seasoned Member
Offline - From: Athens, Greece
- Registered: 06/10/2024
- Posts: 237
Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
Desert Island Discs must be one of the most famous radio programs in the UK. Perhaps it is lesser known on other continents, but it is definitely one of the greatest radio series ever initiated in 1942, and it is now on its 83rd season, I believe. Each week, the guest must choose 8 discs that they would like to take on a desert island. In 1975, Bing Crosby made an appearance on the famous British program.
Bing was one of the few singers who selected exclusively music by others. He demonstrated, through his wide musical interests, a diversified list of records, consisting of:
South Rampart Street Parade – Bob Crosby and His Bobcats
Clair de Lune – Claude Debussy
And The Angels Sing – Benny Goodman
Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller Orchestra
Liebesträum No. 3 in A-flat major – Franz Liszt
Begin the Beguine – Artie Shaw and His Orchestra
Song of India – Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni
Though as you can see, he covered some of these songs himself, such as South Rampart Street Parade with the Andrews Sisters, and he also recorded Begin the Beguine and And The Angels Sing for DECCA. On the contrary, there were artists who selected only their own songs.
The recording of Bing’s appearance on the show was considered to be lost until it was rediscovered in 2022. The show is now available here:
Which one is your favorite?
- Graham Pascoe
- Super Fan
Offline
- Registered: 30/11/2010
- Posts: 625
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
'South Rampart Street Parade' and 'Begin the Beguine' would be (two) favourites
- Ian Kerstein
- Super Fan
Offline
- From: Nottingham. United Kingdom.
- Registered: 19/2/2022
- Posts: 580
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
A very belated thanks, Pantelis.
My choice from Bing's eight discs would have to be the "Intermezzo" from Cavalleria rusticana.
However if I needed cheering up after all this desert island solitude - I think I'd need "Begin the Beguine", played by Artie Shaw to have me dancing around on the sand and to have me believe that soon, a BBC ship would be passing by to rescue me.
How about your choice from Bing's eight, Pantelis?
... and indeed, anyone else's?
- ModernBingFan0377
- Senior Member
Offline
- Registered: 27/12/2019
- Posts: 357
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
I would have to go with Moonlight Serenade, simultaneously melancholic and jubilant, it’d be great to have in this sort of situation in my opinion.
Sing a song of sunbeams, let the notes fall where they may, sing a song of sunbeams in a light fantastic way.
- Ian Kerstein
- Super Fan
Offline
- From: Nottingham. United Kingdom.
- Registered: 19/2/2022
- Posts: 580
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
That's a beautiful tune and recording and yes, it has both those elements in abundance.
I was brought up with the later Universal Studio Orchestra's version from 1954, under the direction of (I think) Henry Mancini, recorded for "The Glenn Miller Story" film soundtrack. In the mid-eighties I was delighted when a genuine stereo recorded version of the soundtrack was discovered and subsequently released film wise and also on the LP and CD formats. It's one of my favourite recordings - "Moonlight Serenade" being the standout track.
I'm sure I've seen a photograph of the two of them together - but did Bing ever record with Glenn Miller?
- Pantelis Kavouras
- Seasoned Member
Offline
- From: Athens, Greece
- Registered: 06/10/2024
- Posts: 237
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
Ian Kerstein wrote:
A very belated thanks, Pantelis.
How about your choice from Bing's eight, Pantelis?
... and indeed, anyone else's?
Cavaleria Rusticana is among the favorites of my grandfather, I am guessing that Bing's (and Kathryn's) favorite was Claire De Lune which is a masterpiece and perhaps musicaly the most importand in the list, but I would go with Liebesträum No. 3 in A-flat major – Franz Liszt. It is really a hidden gem.
- •
Thread Starter- ModernBingFan0377
- Senior Member
Offline
- Registered: 27/12/2019
- Posts: 357
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
That's a beautiful tune and recording and yes, it has both those elements in abundance.
I was brought up with the later Universal Studio Orchestra's version from 1954, under the direction of (I think) Henry Mancini, recorded for "The Glenn Miller Story" film soundtrack. In the mid-eighties I was delighted when a genuine stereo recorded version of the soundtrack was discovered and subsequently released film wise and also on the LP and CD formats. It's one of my favourite recordings - "Moonlight Serenade" being the standout track.
I'm sure I've seen a photograph of the two of them together - but did Bing ever record with Glenn Miller?
They never properly recorded together, however in 1944 they did appear in a radio show in England together. The highlight of it, to me, is when Bing gets to give the Miller arrangement of Poinciana a go. Here’s a link to the Poinciana performance.
I’ve always been a fan of The Glenn Miller Story, it’s saccharine and a bit mushy, but I love watching it around Christmas time for that very reason. If it was Mancini, he did a wonderful job recreating the sound of the Miller band. I have the soundtrack on a 10” LP, but I have the film on DVD.
Sing a song of sunbeams, let the notes fall where they may, sing a song of sunbeams in a light fantastic way.
- Ian Kerstein
- Super Fan
Offline
- From: Nottingham. United Kingdom.
- Registered: 19/2/2022
- Posts: 580
Re: Bing Crosby on a Desert Island
A belated thank you, John.
And thank you for the link. I'd never heard this before
I thought Bing's style of ballad singing was really suited to the Miller sound and it was a beautiful choice of song.
I really can't help fantasising of a Glenn Miller/Bing Crosby album had Glenn survived in to the 1950s.
The possibilities of potential songs are endless. It's a shame old Bing didn't even record with Glenn Miller's final, surviving instrumentalist and sound-a-like band, Ray Anthony - still with us at this writing at the grand old age of one hundred and four years.
Yes, The Glenn Miller Story is very saccharine, particularly when you consider the real man behind the music. Rather like "The Jolson Story" and "Jolson Sings Again" but at least those semi-fictional biopics gave their rather tricky subjects the warm, human faces of James Stewart and Larry Parks - and us some colourful, sentimental and now vintage entertainment .