09/6/2022 2:56 am  #1


Bing & Judy Garland

I love the duets that Bing and Judy Garland did - on records and on radio. I wish they would have worked more together! To celebrate what would have been Judy's 100th birthday on Friday June 10, I dug out two of my favorite duets that they recorded...



 

 

09/6/2022 2:56 am  #2


Re: Bing & Judy Garland


     Thread Starter
 

10/6/2022 1:38 am  #3


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Oh, blimey, gentleman. I didn't even realise they made any commercial records together! I thought it was just all those Archiefit mentioned radio appearances, only (I'd love to hear that particular western comedy sketch). Thank you, Mr Lobosco. Oh, didn't they gel so naturally and beautifully together? Both records were just duetting perfection. As Archiefit says, they always seemed to be having such a great time together. I wonder if any outtakes of their studio recordings survive as with Bing's giggles with The Andrews Sisters?

I'm now thinking wouldn't it have been wonderful if after the advent of the LP and stereo era, they had recorded a full concept duet album of the standard and spirit of Crosby and Clooney's glorious "Fancy Meeting You Here!"? Instead of the divorced couple of the previous album repeatedly running into each other at international airports, this conceit (Crosby & Garland – That's Entertainment?) could perhaps have involved the ups and downs of a showbiz agent (Bing) and client (Judy) relationship.   

SIDE ONE

1: Another Op'nin', Another Show
2: Ten Cents a Dance
3: You've Got That Thing
4: Lullaby of Broadway
5: Don't Sell me Down The River
5: Two of a Kind
6: Everything's Coming up Roses

7: Comedy Tonight
 
SIDE TWO 

1: You Oughta be in Pictures
2: Hooray for Hollywood
3: You're the Top
4: Why Can't you Behave?
5: Before the Parade Passes By
6: I May be Wrong but I Think You're Wonderful
7: That's Entertainment
 
As for a film together? Sighting Bing's "Country Girl" performance, the same year as Judy's epic "A Star is Born", would it have been too much of a stretch to have had him playing James Mason's part? Or are we on improved territory by having them teamed in a wonderful colourful, early twentieth century set light period comedy musical such as Judy and Fred Astaire's “Easter Parade” … or some such?

However, I'll now just have to content myself with seeking out any more commercially recorded sides from these two. Any ideas, anyone?

Happy 100th Birthday, Judy! You and I (born on 4th June, 1969) only managed to share the earth for eighteen days with you then departing eighteen years earlier but on the same day of the same month as your equally sublime Easter Parade leading man. But what a legacy you left us all!

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (10/6/2022 2:02 am)

 

10/6/2022 4:21 pm  #4


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

They recorded 4 commercial recordings together - which you can find on the discography on this site.

They recorded:
1, Mine
2. You've Got Me Where You Want Me
3. Yah-Ta-Tah, Yah-Ta-Ta
4. Connecticut

     Thread Starter
 

10/6/2022 6:31 pm  #5


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Archiefit wrote:

I know of at least one other Decca record they did together "Ya Tah Ta Tah Ta Ta" which there is also an alternate take of.   I played Bing & Judy singing You've Got Me Where You Want Me  in Volume 29 of Sounds Like Radio that I did in early August of 2020.
https://anchor.fm/your-humble-host
But I have a feeling that since that's only 3 Bing & Judy Decca sides that there must have been one more to make an even 4 sides for 2 78 records.  I'd have to look it up to tell for sure.
 

Ah! Thanks, Archiefit. I've heard "Ya Tah Ta Tah Ta Ta"  once on BBC radio many years ago and automatically thought it from a 1940's Bing radio show with Judy guesting. Alan Dell, the presenter of the Sunday afternoon  programme "Sounds Easy", often played vintage Bing US radio segments with him singing with all manner of  guests. I believe I would have just taken for granted this had originally been one for the airwaves. Is the alternative take available anywhere?

I've just listened (and of course thoroughly enjoyed) your recommended episode twenty-nine of "Sounds Like Radio" and heard, now for the second time, You've Got Me Where You Want Me" just before that great chorus work in Jimmy Dean's, "This Ole House". How I wish Judy and Bing had left us a substantive, genre-varied body of duet work behind. 

 

10/6/2022 6:33 pm  #6


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Lobosco wrote:

They recorded 4 commercial recordings together - which you can find on the discography on this site.

They recorded:
1, Mine
2. You've Got Me Where You Want Me
3. Yah-Ta-Tah, Yah-Ta-Ta
4. Connecticut

Wonderful, David. Thank you.
Do you have a favourite of the four? 

 

10/6/2022 6:36 pm  #7


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Archiefit wrote:

THAT'S IT!!!!   Connecticut was the 4th song I couldn't think of.  I was surprised I didn't have "Mine" already on my computer's Media Player.  I need to add that. 

Yes, all four now reeled in! I'm now off to listen to "Connecticut" for the first time!
Is this featured on any of your shows, our Humble Host?
 

 

10/6/2022 7:08 pm  #8


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

I feel that their best commerical recordings are Mine and You've Got Me Where You Want Me.

When Bing's wife died, Judy Garland filled in on his radio show. Check out an amazing version of "Carolina In The Morning" that she sang on the 10/30/52 show. It was her best version of that song.

     Thread Starter
 

11/6/2022 12:03 am  #9


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Lobosco wrote:

I feel that their best commerical recordings are Mine and You've Got Me Where You Want Me.

When Bing's wife died, Judy Garland filled in on his radio show. Check out an amazing version of "Carolina In The Morning" that she sang on the 10/30/52 show. It was her best version of that song.

Whoops! Sorry, David. I thought I'd posted a response to this but can't have actually "submitted", so I'll do my best from memory. Thank you for your stated preferences. They are beautiful recordings you highlighted. I'm afraid I'm guilty of so often overlooking the chemistry of Bing and Judy. 

It's almost as if I'd had a semi- "stereo" response from both you and Archiefit with regard to Judy taking over Bing's show. This I had no knowledge of and so was reading your response so near the time of having heard Archiefit mentioning this fact on his "Sounds Like Radio" show. It's really highlighted how marvellous these two were together. Perhaps something that is often partially overlooked due to the strength of Bing's partnership with Bob Hope and then slightly later and more frequent collaborations with Rosemary Clooney? 

It's information such as this which makes this forum such a pleasure to participate in. Thank you so much David for all your work in helping to keep the memory of Bing alive with this forum and your website and Archiefit for your friendly and frequent postings.
 

 

11/6/2022 12:17 am  #10


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Archiefit wrote:

Oh, as for the alternate take of Yah Ta Ta... it is on a Judy Garland cassette tape I bought years ago.  It featured her Decca records, name of it is "Judy Garland Changing My Tune: Best of The Decca Years Vol. 2".  The other official version of Yah Ta Ta... is on Volume 1 of the Decca recordings cassette tape, that one's called, "Judy Garland Best of the Decca Years Volume One - Hits".   You probably won't find either of those cassette tapes for sale anymore unless you're lucky otherwise I'm sure they are someplace else on CD nowadays. 

Sorry, Archiefit. As with David, I believe I wrote a response to you but failed to submit it. I fondly remember the simpler days of cassette tapes and the pleasures they gave. I used to have a  cassette recording of Bing singing with Judy recorded off the afore mentioned BBC Radio 2 programme, "Sounds Easy". I think it was from there I first noted (in 1984) the chemistry of Bing and Judy. I seem to remember the same programme also featuring Bing singing duets with Dorothy Kirsten ("These Foolish Things") and son Gary ("What a Little Moonlight Can Do"). 

I'll certainly look out for those wonderful commercial sides of Judy and Bing on CD. I suppose it's an idle dream to hope for all four to be gathered on one disc! That old cassette has long since given up the ghost, though!
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (11/6/2022 12:21 am)

 

11/6/2022 12:06 pm  #12


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Oh my goodness me! Thank you, Mr Rose
Not only as you point out, does this particular CD contain all four of these Bing and Judy sides but sequentially, it gathers them together!!!  I promise, no more excitable exclamation marks. Curiosity as to the rest of the tracks (I know, I just can't be grateful, place the linked order, pay all of the £2.36 and leave it at that) … has led me to discover from an alternative Ebay listing it contains so many of my lively favourites of the old master such as, "Sunshine Cake", and "Wait 'Till The Sun Shines, Nellie" and more lilting beauties such as "Don't Fence Me In" and  "San Fernando Valley". It is from there and with huge thanks, that an order has been placed. 

So, gratefully set to the rhythms of Gallagher and Sheen's vaudeville and "Mr Crosby & Mr Mercer" (another choice track from the CD itself): 

"From an indebted Mr Kerstein?
… on the downbeat, Mr Rose
!"
 

 

13/6/2022 10:12 pm  #13


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

I've just realised it appears I've failed to send a third post on this thread. I'd written it but became distracted at the same time as the above previously failed two (note to self: "Do not cook and try to post at the same time!").  

So apologies if it's a little off the running order of things and that I've now taken full advantage of my original failed attempt and broadened my original post/enquiry: 

I believe it was in response to a comment Archiefit made on one of his radio programmes featuring a duet between Bing and Judy and that another old favourite of mine, James Stewart also (as well as Judy) took over hosting duties of Bing's radio show during his bereavement leave. Does anyone know if during this time if  …

1: ... Judy or Jimmy (Stewart) either jointly hosted or complimentary guested during Bing's absence … or ever sang together (radio or novelty record)?
I fully appreciate this sounds so fanciful but I do have a commercially recorded track or two by Mr Stewart from the 1930's and also of course he sang “Easy to Love”  in the MGM musical, “Born to Dance” (1936) .. plus a warbled song much later in “The Magic of Lassie” (1978).

2 … there is any known sound footage of Judy with either or Bing or Jimmy together? Perhaps during the war or later on a television talk/chat show?

The nearest thing I have of the above is Bing and Jimmy Stewart's separate presenting stints for 1974's fabulous “That's Entertainment”,  the MGM musicals compilation fest, featuring of course copious Judy footage in her glorious pomp. So … not that near!

I fully appreciate that this appears somewhat of a fixation of mine and to an extent, since David's postings of those previously (unknown to me) wonderful commercial recordings of Judy and Bing together, thrown in with a dash of Jimmy Stewart from Archiefit, I'm happy to admit that it perhaps is. It's all really caught for what passes as my imagination.…

... over to the Judy experts.


 

Last edited by Lobosco (15/6/2022 2:26 am)

 

14/6/2022 7:32 am  #14


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Sounds like the Judy Room might be helpful to you.
The Judy Room – Celebrating the life and career of Judy Garland since 1999!

 

14/6/2022 11:08 am  #15


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Goodness me, Malcolm. What a wonderful resource! I believe you may have mentioned this in passing to me before. It even has a  Malcolm style (Judy) Day by Day type-feature which I will enjoy rummaging through. Thank you once again, kind sir! And I cannot tell you how much I am still enjoying your beautifully edited, sky high quality International Club Crosby "Bing" magazine. It has become a constant, informative and entertaining joy and I would recommend this to anyone reading this forum. 

 

26/6/2022 6:32 am  #16


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

The four studio recordings of Crosby-Garland duets were released in Australia on three different Deccas. Only 'Yah-ta-ta...' became a hit. The disc with 'Mine' was a big seller but the hit side was 'South America, take it away by Bing and the Andrews Sisters.

 

27/6/2022 12:18 pm  #17


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Graham Pascoe wrote:

The four studio recordings of Crosby-Garland duets were released in Australia on three different Deccas. Only 'Yah-ta-ta...' became a hit. The disc with 'Mine' was a big seller but the hit side was 'South America, take it away by Bing and the Andrews Sisters.

It's so interesting how different countries issued records differently.
 

     Thread Starter
 

28/6/2022 7:59 pm  #18


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Love all Bing did with Judy! They meshed so well together! Dorothy and the Wizard!

 

30/6/2022 2:35 am  #19


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Archiefit wrote:

Well, your messages aren't the only ones to disappear Ian.  It was not that you forgot to "Submit" them as to why they disappeared.   I saw them while they were still there.  They were deliberately removed, as was mine.  As my perfectly appropriate comment on Jimmy Stewart also being one who substituted for Bing on his radio show was also dashed off into oblivion.  Either there's an overzealous censor on these boards, perhaps a hacker, or is it that even mentioning another name other than Bing even if it's very much related to Bing is grounds for censorship. 

You know, I have hated censorship all my life and to see it here on the Bing board is most disheartening.  I thought this was a place where people could speak freely on Bing subject matters.  We have VERY few people here posting already and to remove messages from the handful of people here who still do post is no way to encourage other Bing enthusiasts to post here too.   I hope the senseless censoring here can be put a stop to.

Today especially where we have tyrants everywhere trying to take away people's freedom this should be a bastion away from that.  Now I fully expect this message will be gone soon too.

Like I told Ian, I did not delete any posts. Unfortunately, I can't seem to even access the deleted posts. So not sure on my end what is going on. 
 

     Thread Starter
 

30/6/2022 11:33 am  #20


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Regarding Bing and Judy, from what I read about her 1963 TV series, she wanted stars like Bing Crosby on her show, and CBS bosses wanted guest stars like the Beverly Hillbillies! Judy and Bing made a great pair!

     Thread Starter
 

30/6/2022 9:25 pm  #21


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Good grief!!!I think I can understand from a television network perspective the desire to place guest stars (or even whole casts of shows as guests) for commercial gain. But from an artistic perspective, it is of course, wretched. Originally on his first 1958 TV special, to guarantee audience figures, NBC tried to coax Fred Astaire into having latest teen chart sensation of the day, Ricky Nelson as an ill fitting guest. Thankfully that was nixed but when Garland, another great artiste of this calibre was seemingly being requested to act similarly, one does wonder quite who are these television executives?

I have so far seen only around one of Judy's specials and a a compilation of her weekly shows. So  I am aware she had some incredible guest stars (Peggy Lee, Ethel Merman, Tony Bennett, Etc) but I never knew Bing appeared on her series. What did they perform and sing? Being both a Bing (I'm always here to state the obvious) and Judy fan, this is such great news to hear. 

Plus, did that Beverley Hillbillies appearance actually take place and if so, what on earth did they do with Judy as group? Buddy Ebsen granted - but as a whole, can someone put me out of my misery, here? 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (30/6/2022 9:30 pm)

 

01/7/2022 8:32 am  #22


Re: Bing & Judy Garland

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that he actually didn't appear. Yes, I have her special with Dino and Frank and it's wonderful. I've seen online copies of the opulent two DVD box sets of these shows that were issued around two decades ago (???), whose odd copies now sell for exorbitant prices, online. I wish they would reissue these, again but I would imagine the musician and image rights clearances for each guest would be a logistically expensive nightmare.

I'm really jealous you have those original original releases. Are they complete editions of the shows and were you impressed with just the three you have seen? Do I remember rightly that they contain a number of "extras", as well? 

 

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