With regard to "A Littlle Bit of Irish", having checked on Amazon, what I suspect you have is a slightly truncated version of a CD originally issued in the mid-90s based around Bing's 1967 Irish TV special of the same name, recorded both in the studio and on location in and around Dublin.

The show was produced and presented by an Irish broadcaster called George O'Reilly, who had enjoyed a close friendship with Bing since the mid-1950s and was, in fact, known as "Bing's favourite Irishman"! (Incidentally, on reading the liner notes for the original CD release, I was reminded that the orchestra for the show was conducted by Buddy Bregman...)

The first 9 tracks are excerpts from the soundtrack of the TV show recorded in Dublin on 20th and 21st September 1966 - not all featuring Bing. The Irish link with tracks 10-16 is that they were all composed by the Dublin-born operetta composer, Victor Herbert. The remaining tracks are taken from various Kraft, Philco and Chesterfield radio broadcasts. What I suspect is missing from your CD is an extract from the Kraft Kusic Hall show of 13th May 1937 featuring the hugely popular Irish tenor, John McCormack.

Thanks for reminding me about "A Little Bit of Irish", which I've been listening to for the first time in ages..!

Last edited by jeremyrose (13/7/2017 6:41 am)

Hi Graham, 

They're actually still in the cellophane! I've bought a lot of Crosby over the last month or so.. so still listening and absorbing the backlog!