Search - Bing Crosby :: Going Hollywood, Vol. 3: 1940-1944

Exactly what I was looking for in a Bing Crosby Album

Kristen Fraley | Wisconsin, USA | 06/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The third volume in the Going Hollywood series contains two CD's featuring selected songs from Bing Crosby's movies during the time frame from 1940 to 1944. It has songs from "Road to Singapore", "If I had my way", "Rhythm on the River", "Road to Zanzibar", Birth of the Blues", "Holiday Inn", "Road to Morocco", "Star Spangled Rhythm", "Going my Way" and "Road to Utopia". I must admit that what first attracted me to this album were the songs from the "Road to" movies. Since I'm a huge fan of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, this was a great opportunity to get them on a CD, singing together. This CD set is the only place where I have found any songs from these movies. I especially enjoy "Captain Custard", "Sweet Potato Piper", "Goodtime Charlie", and "Put it there, Pal".
I also enjoy the tracks from the other movies as well, such as "I'll capture your heart" with Crosby and Fred Astaire from "Holiday Inn". The more romantic ballads are amazing as well such as "Only Forever", "Be Careful, it's my heart", "Too Romantic", "It's always you", "Welcome to my dream", and "Going my way" which represent the classic Crosby crooning style.
All of the tracks are wonderful. This CD set is definitely worth buying if you are a Crosby fan. You'll get some songs that you can't find normally, but are great to have. I'm glad that I decided to buy it!"

"the beginning of "Road" pictures ~ Crosby, Hope & Lamour"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 08/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jasmine Music presents a very likable and talented crooner by the name of Harry Lillis Crosby...better known to the world as BING CROSBY...this musical journey into the career of Bing is entitled "GOING HOLLYWOOD VOL. 3: 1940-1944", featuring 58 tunes from his vast repertoire...released on a two CD set the entire collection chock full of the finest arrangements and fairly good clarity (considering the times of the recordings)...with everything and anything your little heart desires.



On the first CD you can see the molding of Crosby's style and beginning of a crooner with:



1. GOING HOLLYWOOD...from the film "Going Hollywood" - (1933) (Crosby & Marion Davies)

2. ROAD TO SINGAPORE (1940)...first "Road" (Crosby, Hope & Dorothy Lamour) picture remains the best with a solid story and some entertaining music "Too Romantic" is stand out...someone had the bright idea of putting Crosby and Hope together and by this time a certain rivalry had developed on radio...both had been guests on each other's shows, forever trying to top each other with unscheduled ad-libs in the script...so it was a natural with both of them chasing Dorothy Lamour all over the "Road".

3. IF I HAD MY WAY (1940)...Bing had a genre of popular music all his own just like "Meet the Sun Halfway", is a tune that gives you advice when you need it the most.

4. RHYTHM ON THE RIVER (1940)...Crosby, Mary Martin, Basil Rathbone and Oscar Levant - highlight song "Only Forever".

5. ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (1941)...the "Road" pictures produced a number of popular songs, some of which became standards as this one has "It's Always You."...others off hit songs like "Moonlight Becomes You." from the "Road to Morocco"

6. BIRTH OF THE BLUES (1941)...Bing sings some real classics that became standards "Birth of the Blues", "St. James' Infirmary", "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie", "My Melancholy Baby" and my all time favorite "St. Louis Blues" (composed by W.C. Handy).



On the final disc two we have what can be no surprise that Bing had the most Academy Award-Winning Songs and had 38 number one chart topping singles wich surpassed Elvis and The Beatles...and who could forget the "Road" pictures with Bing and Bob Hope singing "Put It There, Pal" (12/08/1944), both were great ad-libbers and longtime friends.



1. HOLIDAY INN (1942)...Bing and Fred Astaire are rivals for the women, song and dance with "White Christmas" (won Oscar for Best Song), "Happy Holiday", "Be Careful, It's My Heart" (tender lyrics), "Easter Parade" (went on to become a film) and "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For"... The film marked the debut of "White Christmas", which went on to become one of the biggest selling songs in the history of music...an Irving Berlin classic that is still popular today.

2. ROAD TO MOROCCO (1942)...Crosby, Hope & Lamour spred laughter and song...as Bing romances Lamour with "Moonlight Becomes You", which Lamour and Hope start out, with Bing joining in toward the last...this song went on to become one of Crosby's biggest chart busters...the scene where the camel spits in Bob Hope's face wasn't planned, the camel did it of its own accord while the cameras were rolling, and Hope's recoil and Bing's reaction were so funny that it was left in the final cut of the film.

3. STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM (1942)...Bing sings from the heart with this patriotic "Old Glory", the film was released before the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which drew the United States into the war...the film had a dual purpose which was to entertain in time of war and to provide Paramount Pictures to do its part in the war effort for public interest.

4. DIXIE (1943)...several songs are stand outs "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Dixie" and "Sunday, Monday or Always" was such a mega-hit from the film that Decca got Crosby to record it with the Ken Darby Singers doing an acapella background became one of Bing's million sellers...flipside was "If You Please" also from this film.

5. GOING MY WAY (1944)...Bing earns his first Oscar in this film and the song "Swinging on a Star" takes Best Song that year...but other tunes stand out "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's An Irish Lullaby)", the sacred "Ave Maria" and the Christmas Carol "Silent Night", all performed with Crosby perfection.

6.. ROAD TO UTOPIA (1946)...Bing & Bob sing my pick for stand outs in this film "Put It There, Pal", probably the best known of the duets they sang together in the "Road" pictures, much dated references in the lyrics there to Crosby's horses and their respective radio sponsors..."Welcome To My Dream", another beautiful Crosby Ballad shared the spotlight...the song "It's Anybody's Spring" was performed on board a ship for a talent contest with Hope accompanying Bing on the accordion, the boys lost to an organ grinder and a monkey which prompted Hope to comment on the next "road" picture he was bringing Sinatra...one of the seven "Road" pictures in which Crosby and Hope did not perform their famous "pat-a-cake" routine.



As once was stated - "And without exception, the names of Crosby and Louis Armstrong are credited as the twin vocal innovators, the two figureheads who started anything and everything of consequence"...Satchmo remarked - "Bing's mellow voice was like gold being poured out of a cup"...Armstrong was the inspiration to Bing and his successful career...Bing's kingdom was invaded by numerous singers over the years namely Francis Albert Sinatra, but not even Frank could unseat all the accomplishments this old crooner had achieved - Mr. Crosby, Born on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma Washington and left us October 14, 1977 (had a heart attack in Madrid, Spain while playing on the golfcourse)...at Bing's time of death in 1977, he was the biggest selling recording artist of all time...Der Bingle Crosby lives on through recordings such as this one and films on Turner Classic Movies and DVD's...gotta love it!



Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Jasmine Music 121/2 ~ (3/20/2002)"