Search - Vera Lynn;Dick Haymes;Perry Como;Ella Fitzgerald;Glenn Miller & His Orchestra;and others :: We'll Meet Again; Romantic songs of the war years

We'll Meet Again.
Romantic songs of the war years. Touching, moving, sentimental - and always memorable. These are the songs for the forces sweethearts, left behind when their men went to war. Misty eyes and aching hearts abound in some of the best songs from the 1940s. Featuring the voices of Vera Lynn, Dick Haymes, Dinah Shore, Vaughn Monroe and many more. When the Second World War began in September 1939, the Swing Era was about to enter the second half of its ten-year reign. As the Thirties darkened with, in Churchill's memorable phrase' the lights going out all over Europe', popular music was going from strength to strength. The golden age of popular song dovetailed into a freer, more extrovert form of music primarily designed for dancing and to become generically known as 'Swing'. The top swing bands not only maintained but also increased their popularity during the war years and the bright, vivacious music they played was the perfect antidote to the chaos going on all around. Theatres, ballrooms, records, cinema and radio provided diversions for both the forces and civilians. For many of us, though, the war years will be best remembered for those touching, romantic ballads which echoed the feelings of millions as their loved ones departed with the uncertainty as to when they would return. Radio had really become, for most of the population, its chief source of entertainment. Many established names owe their popularity to the wireless. Vera Lynn will always be known as 'The Forces' Sweetheart' and she became, and still is, a 'household' name. Her voice held an emotional wartime appeal for listeners in England and for service men and women and it was due, essentially, to radio. Another name held with the same affection is Glenn Miller. His unique sound warmed many a heart in those dark days and still does. The Thirties saw the rise of the vocal group and their close harmony stylings were ideally suited to the sweeter, polished romantic ballads that were becoming popular. Two famous close-harmony groups The Ink Spots and The Pied Pipers have left us a legacy of 'classic' recordings and we have an example of each on our Collection. The end of the war in 1945 coincided with the demise of swing. Its ten years had seen no radical musical development and yet its influence would reach out beyond its years and one can link the arrival of rock 'n' roll some ten years later as part of swing's inheritance. The romantic ballad still held its ground and did not sound substantially different to pre-war ones. Perry Como, Doris Day, Billy Eckstine and Dick Haymes were part of the vanguard of new ballad-singing heroes and heroines. And we must not forget Anne Shelton, another great radio star, who will be remembered for her heartfelt renditions of inspirational songs. We'll Meet Again; Begin the Beguine; Laura; I'm Confessin'; Love Letters; Red Roses For A Blue Lady; When You Wish Upon A Star; My Happiness: this is a list of destined-to-be 'standards' that reads like a soundtrack to the times. Why not sit back, enjoy and remember the ballads, songs and artists that comprise our sentimental collection, aptly entitled 'We'll Meet Again'.