WE WELCOME THOSE WITH A GENUINE INTEREST IN BING CROSBY. YOU WILL BE ASKED THREE QUESTIONS WHEN YOU REGISTER. DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWERS, WE WILL EITHER APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP. This requirement arises from misuse of the forum by a few.
KEEP AN EYE ON:-
Jon Oye keeps adding images to his site Contemplations on Classic Movies and Music
David Lobosco has continual additions to his site The Bing Crosby News Archive
Tony Mead adds photos and other interesting material Bing's Photos
1 of 1- Steve Fay
- Senior Member
Offline 
- From: Fulton County, Illinois, USA
- Registered: 26/5/2011
- Posts: 359
Tony Bennett's children's song CD
A new charity shop discovery of mine has been a 1998 CD by Tony Bennett compiling 16 songs for children titled "The Playground." Three of the songs are duets with Sesame Street puppets, but the album's idea of what is a children's song has more breadth than that. The only other duet, with Rosie O'Donnelll, is "Put On A Happy Face." "Bare Necessities," originally sung by Bing's friend Phil Harris in the Disney cartoon film of "The Jungle Book" is included as are two of Bing's hit songs, "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" and "Swinging on a Star." *Inch Worm" originally from Danny Kaye's movie about Hans Christian Anderson is also here.
Do other's know this record? It is interesting to think of Bennett dipping his toe into the children's music realm, something Bing did more than a few times as both a singer and a narrator.
- Richard Baker
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: Tony Bennett's children's song CD
Still available. Amazon list it both as a CD and download.
I suspect that this sort of thing is more entertaining for parents who imagine their children will enjoy it!
Nice treatment, different to the original versions, with mainly piano/ bass/guitar in a fairly relaxed way, though Tony seems to strain for effect on 'Christmas in Herald Square'. Operatic tenor he is not.
I prefer Tony's 'Inchworm' to Danny Kaye's, but Bing takes the honours on 'Swinging On A Star' and very definitely so on 'Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive'. I can do without Kermit. Several items that I have not heard anywhere else, and 'Being Green' was from Sesame Street I think. 'My Mom' is for the Mom and only the most sentimental of kids would want anything to do with it!
But 17 tracks on mine, Steve. I see that Amazon show two different covers - maybe there was a reissue sometime?
1. The Playground
2. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
3. Dat Dere
4. Little Things With Elmo
5. Put On A Happy Face with Rosie O'Donnell
6. Because We're Kids
7. My Mom
8. Swinging On A Star
9. Bein' Green with Kermit The Frog
10. Firefly with Kermit The Frog
11. When You Wish Upon A Star
12. (It's Only) A Paper Moon
13. The Inch Worm
14. The Bare Necessities
15. Make The World Your Own
16. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
17. Christmas In Herald Square
====================
Later addition - on re-listening (thanks for prompting that Steve), I think my memory was playing tricks - probably no guitar present, but a drum kit is evident (on one track the cymbals are stroked so gently it almost sounds like good old 78 hiss). And Tony belts out a bit more than I had remembered, on a couple of tracks in addition to 'Christmas In Herald Square'. I like Tony - got lots of his records - but his voice can become a little raucous when he decides to really belt it out. Much better when he follows Bing's example!. Relaxed and mellow.
Last edited by Richard Baker (15/6/2012 9:58 am)
- Steve Fay
- Senior Member
Offline
- From: Fulton County, Illinois, USA
- Registered: 26/5/2011
- Posts: 359
Re: Tony Bennett's children's song CD
Richard,
The CD I have is RMH Music/Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment CK69380, Copyright 1998. There is a smaller typeface number under the record number on the actual disk (CTDP 096188) which could be some recording matrix number sort of thing...or the record number for a prior release. My copy does not list "Christmas in Herald Square," but it IS on the disc. I have just listened to the end of the CD again to check.
The enclosed bookelet lists the musicians as "The Ralph Sharon Trio: Ralph Sharon - Piano; Clayton Cameron - Drums; Paul Langosch - Bass; Gray Sargent - Guitar." I agree that on many of the songs the guitar is not apparent, but I seem to recall there was some guitar lead on at least one of the cuts. I'll have to listen again to find it.
I am very fond of Bennett. He certainly has many outstanding songs from his long, long career. It is nice, also, to see that a male vocalist whose material and era overlaps to some extent with Bing's is STILL out there performing and recording and reminding people that there actually was popular music before rock and rap. I don't think this particular CD is going to rank high among my collection of his work, but it is interesting to see any example that extends an artist's range beyond the typical expectation.
- •
Thread Starter- Richard Baker
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: Tony Bennett's children's song CD
I should have remembered that it was the Ralph Sharon Trio - (a very competent outfit, often supporting Tony) - or perhaps pulled out my own CD instead of just playing through the copy ripped to my computer!