Crosby Fan World / SIRIUS XM

**Posted by Richard Baker** 29/6/2013 8:22 am

For those who can pick up Sirius, the following announcement has been made by Sirius and The Bing Crosby Archive jointly -

"LOS ANGELES, CA – June 28, 2013 — Bing’s Basement, a series of 12 monthly one-hour radio specials comprised of rare and unknown material from Bing Crosby’s extensive tape archive, as well as more familiar Crosby recordings, premieres July 4th on SiriusXM Satellite Radio on channel 4 (40s on 4.)

For details visit SiriusXM 40s on 4 online at:
http://www.siriusxm.com/40son4

40s on 4 is on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/siriusxm40son4

To listen online worldwide visit:
http://www.siriusxm.com/listen

The shows feature never-before-available music, as well as highlights and guests from Crosby’s long radio career – including his time as a disc jockey in the 1940s and 1950s. Radio personality Arne Fogel hosts the series, which kicks off with an Independence Day show. Bing’s Basement debuted on SiriusXM with two one-hour Christmas specials in December 2012."

Sounds Good!

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 05/7/2013 8:15 am

The first Bing's Basement show yesterday was a patriotic edition to tie in with Independence Day. Very well put together and expertly narrated by Arne Fogel, it opened with a short extract from the 1945 version of “Where the Blue of the Night” and continued with the following songs.
Star-Spangled Banner (1939) – chat from The Bing Crosby Show July 4, 1955 – America the Beautiful (with Anna Maria Alberghetti, from Chesterfield Nov. 14, 1951) – The Star-Spangled Banner (1946 narration version) – Battle Hymn of the Republic / America / When Johnny Comes Marching Home / America the Beautiful (1960 singalong) – Old Soldiers Never Die (1951) – This Is a Great Country (1964) – God Bless America (1939) – This Land Is Your Land (1964) – What’s More American (1968) – Ballad for Americans (1940) – Early American (1945 test) – Song of Freedom (1942) – Early American (1950) – I’ll Be Seeing You (Command Performance, July 5, 1945) – The NATO Song.

It was great to listen to “Ballad for Americans” all the way through and recall what an absolutely superb vocal performance that was. The great interest for collectors though was the inclusion of a song Bing recorded on February 9, 1959 to mark the tenth anniversary of NATO. It is not known whether this was ever issued or indeed heard by anyone outside the studio that day. Apparently Jimmie Rodgers and Perry Como were thought to have recorded the song too. Perhaps NATO decided that they didn’t want a song after all.

**Posted by Richard Baker** 05/7/2013 10:18 am

The NATO song appears to be referred to in a book

"The Arrogance Of American Power: What US Leaders Are Doing Wrong and Why"
By Nancy Snow Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc. 2007

Page 44, Chapter 2 contains the passage

"The Admen's advice was for it's 10th anniversary, in 1959, NATO should be reshaped to "forge a history of communication and tradition", and "make clear to the world the striking superiority, as much moral as material, of the Western conception of Man and his dignity". The campaign called for a NATO birthday celebration, a NATO song featuring Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte, among others, and slogans like " Good Night, sleep tight, NATO stands on guard" and "N-A-T-O - four letters that spell peace"

Googlebooks have a copy on line.

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 03/8/2013 9:56 am

Seen on the Bing Crosby Facebook page today.

Catch Bing & Louis together TODAY on BING'S BASEMENT! Head to Sirius XM at 3pm Eastern / 1pm Pacific! and..."Now You Has Jazz!!"

Not sure whether they mean 4 p.m. Eastern / 1 p.m. Pacific or 3 p.m. Eastern and noon Pacific but either way I shall be listening!

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 03/8/2013 10:49 pm

Bing's Basement did not show at either time for some reason. Pity.

Last edited by Malcolm Macfarlane (03/8/2013 10:50 pm)

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 06/8/2013 8:38 am

Seen on the Bing Crosby Facebook page.

SCHEDULING UPDATE for the "Bing & Satchmo" episode of BING'S BASEMENT -- the show will air on Saturday, August 17th! Stay-tuned for more details!

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 07/8/2013 5:43 am

SiriusXM tells me it will be at 3 p.m. Eastern.

**Posted by Malcolm Macfarlane** 22/11/2023 7:15 am

Many of you will know about the weekly Crosby's Corner broadcasts on Sirius XM and now we have some additional shows called Christmas with Crosby. The first one looked at the new "Bing Crosby's Christmas Gems" album with Harry and Mary Crosby talking about it. Another show is due to be online today.

**Posted by tedn** 21/12/2023 1:58 am

Heard a Crosby show at noon today on SiriusXM's Holiday Traditions channel while driving around with my family. They had a bunch of recordings featuring him with Rosemary Clooney, and a song I had never heard before. (I think it was called "It's Christmas"?) I assume it's from a "Christmas Sing with Bing" edition I'm unfamiliar with?

Wonderful to hear Bing get such star treatment on that channel.

**Posted by ModernBingFan0377** 21/12/2023 2:56 am

Yes, "It's Christmas" was featured on the 1959 and 1960 editions of the Christmas Sing. Here's an upload of it from YouTube; https://youtu.be/qRlpgV05VKc?si=UX3LjwzL6dS1woHm

**Posted by tedn** 22/12/2023 1:38 am

ModernBingFan0377 wrote:
Yes, "It's Christmas" was featured on the 1959 and 1960 editions of the Christmas Sing. Here's an upload of it from YouTube; https://youtu.be/qRlpgV05VKc?si=UX3LjwzL6dS1woHm

Ah ha! Thank you - and I'm even MORE surprised now to know that there is a rare Bing Christmas song that has gotten so little distribution. Wonder why they didn't put THAT on the new "Christmas Gems" release? Unless I'm mistaken in thinking that the Crosby Archive must have pristine versions of all the "Christmas Sing" recordings in the vault.