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
NOTE: If you are having trouble logging in, please contact David Lobosco at davidlobosco@yahoo.com.
1 of 1- Ron1972
- Sustaining Member
Offline - Registered: 30/5/2017
- Posts: 149
The Hallmark label
Hello,
I have come across several Bing Crosby releases (cd/download) on the "Hallmark" label but I can find next to no information on these albums! Several look like they were legitimate vinyl releases back in the day but I can't find any sources that review them or explain the sources, etc. etc. etc.
Any help or guidance would be appreciated!
Here are some of the albums that I have come across:
Home On The Range
Country Style
Easy To Remember
The Road Begins
Cool Of The Evening
Swingin' On A Star
Bing's Buddies and Beaus
Young Bing Crosby
Sing-A-Long With Bing
Bing Rare Style
Thanks! - Ron
- Richard Baker
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: The Hallmark label
Hallmark was a British budget label, a subsidiary of Pickwick International, operating from the late 1960s, and with backing from CBS. Some of the earliest issues were of CBS recordings but later issues went wider.
Some of Bing's issues covered radio recordings.
A fairly complete list of their material is shown on Discogs website here, and their issues with Bing are here though on first glance I don't think this is complete.
The audio quality is usually good and selections are well chosen.
- Ron1972
- Sustaining Member
Offline
- Registered: 30/5/2017
- Posts: 149
Re: The Hallmark label
Thanks Richard!
I think in my introduction post I outlined what I have pretty well, are there any in the list above that you would personally suggest?
- •
Thread Starter- Richard Baker
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Engl
- Registered: 20/11/2010
- Posts: 1,542
Re: The Hallmark label
Ron1972,
I'm not sure that I would attempt to get an overview of Bing's vast output on the basis of looking at the products of a particular label. I would suggest that you sample some of the many recordings available on streaming services (Spotify has a very large library of Crosby material), and work from there.
You already have a good selection of some of the later recordings so I personally would look at the earlier years with Decca. A very good set which takes that golden era with Decca is the four CD set BING - HIS LEGENDARY YEARS 1931 - 1957 on MCA CDMCAD4 which unfortunately is no longer available but tracks can be streamed or downloaded from Amazon and others.
Of the records you list (not all of which I recognise as from Hallmark) the two "Home on the Range" and "Country Style" represent a comprehensive selection of Bing's C&W recordings (omitting only the later "Bing Sings The Great Country Hits" which is untypical).
Bing's Buddies and Beaus is a very good selection of the work that Bing did with duettists.
Among my own favourites (because they do give a good selection of the golden middle era) are the sets from Jasmine named Going Hollywood. There are four 2CD sets with studio, film S/T and radio recordings intermixed in an imaginative way.
If you like Singalong type things I would point you in the direction of the recent CD "Join Bing and Sing Along 101 Gang Songs/ On The Happy Side" from Sepia.
But everyone has their own preferences and favourite periods. You must go out and find yours. There is a lot on the internet. Explore.
- Anton G.-F.
- Senior Member
Offline
- Registered: 06/4/2012
- Posts: 263
Re: The Hallmark label
Ron1972,
I totally agree with Richard's suggestions here. I'd also start with the 4-CD set Bing: His Legendary Years, which was one of the first Bing sets I ever bought. Though it's out of print, you can still buy it from third-party sellers on Amazon here:
Happy hunting!
AGF
- jeremyrose
- Senior Member
Offline
- Registered: 30/3/2011
- Posts: 331
Re: The Hallmark label
"The Jazzin' Bing Crosby 1927-1940" has always been one of my favourite sets, and contains a very good overview of Bing's jazz sides between the dates indicated.
Again, it's out of print, but here it is from a third-party seller on Amazon:-
In a funny sort of way, I envy the voyage of discovery you're on. Good luck.
Jeremy
- Ron1972
- Sustaining Member
Offline
- Registered: 30/5/2017
- Posts: 149
Re: The Hallmark label
I really, truly, appreciate the feedback here and will be looking at these sets for future adds to my library. Particularly the "Legendary" as that sounds just like what I want to get a good overview of Bing's earlier output.
I particularly focused on the Hallmark label because I am able to get free legal downloads from my local library and many of these appear to have been original compilation releases vs. the amount of dashed together collections of non-copyrighted material. Other titles available include "Rare" & "Rare II" and "Kraft Music Hall" - I'm abbrevating the full titles but you get the idea, "Bing & Satchmo" and those seem like titles that are no-brainers to add.
Again appreciate the suggestions, the reason I joined is for just this sort of discussion!
- •
Thread Starter