Song Hits from Holiday Inn

Decca Presents: Song Hits from the Paramount Picture Holiday Inn
Studio album by Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire
Released Original 78 album: 1942
Re-release 78 album: 1946
Original LP album: 1949
Recorded 1942
Genre Yearly holidays
Label Decca
Bing Crosby chronology
Under
Western
Skies
(1941)		 Song Hits from Holiday Inn
(1942)		 Merry Christmas
(1945)
Fred Astaire chronology
Song Hits from Holiday Inn
(1942)		 Blue Skies
(1946)

Song Hits from Holiday Inn is a studio album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire released in July[1] 1942 featuring songs presented in the American musical film Holiday Inn. These are the longer studio recorded versions of the songs presented in the film. For the songs that were actually in the film, see Holiday Inn (soundtrack). This album is not only notable because it is one of the greatest works of the highly regarded songwriter Irving Berlin,[2] but it is only Crosby's third studio album. This was also the first release of Crosby's signature song "White Christmas" on shellac disc record. The 1942 version would only be released only one more time, in Merry Christmas in 1945 before the song was re-recorded (because the original master recording wore out) and the later version became the standard.

Original track listing

These newly issued songs were featured on a 6-disc, 78 rpm album set, Decca Album No. A-306.[3] Discs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 are sung by Bing Crosby while Disc 5 is sung by Fred Astaire. On Disc 4, both sing on the track "I'll Capture Your Heart".

Disc 1: (18424)

  1. "Happy Holiday", recorded June 1, 1942 with the Music Maids and Hal, and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:46)
  2. "Be Careful, It's My Heart", recorded June 1, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:42)

Disc 2: (18425)

  1. "Abraham", recorded May 29, 1942 with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:45)
  2. "Easter Parade", recorded June 1, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:42)

Disc 3: (18426)

  1. "I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For", recorded May 25, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (2:57)
  2. "Song of Freedom", recorded May 29, 1942 with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:22)

Disc 4: (18427)

  1. "I'll Capture Your Heart", recorded May 27, 1942 with Margaret Lenhart and Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (2:23)
  2. "Lazy", recorded May 25, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (2:28)

Disc 5: (18428)

  1. "You're Easy to Dance With", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
  2. "I Can't Tell a Lie", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra

Disc 6: (18429)

  1. "White Christmas", recorded May 29, 1942 with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (2:59)
  2. "Let's Start the New Year Right", recorded May 25, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (2:33)

Reception

Billboard was very enthusiastic saying: "Decca has scored a terrific scoop in packaging 12 songs from the Irving Berlin score for Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby’s movie Holiday Inn, which is already flashing on the country’s screens. The album is the entire weekly release from the wax factory—and apart the music it contains, it’s more than just another album, it’s almost a transposition on wax of the screen score all capably executed by Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire....Plattermate is the ballad hit from the picture Be Careful It’s My Heart, Crosby singing it softly and rhythmically. Trotter’s soft strings and woodwinds paint the orchestral background…Album finishes in a blaze of vocal glory, most impressive in Bing Crosby’s plaintive appeal for a White Christmas, assisted by the Ken Darby Singers and Trotter’s music…"[4]

Re-issue track listing

In 1946, a set was released some of songs from the movie. It featured all of songs with the exception of White Christmas and a few others because they would sell more as a single than with a set. These reissued songs were featured on a 4-disc, 78 rpm album set, Decca Album No. A-534.[5]

Disc 1: (23820)

  1. "Happy Holiday", recorded June 1, 1942 with the Music Maids and Hal, and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
  2. "Be Careful, it's My Heart", recorded June 1, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra

Disc 2: (23821)

  1. "Abraham", recorded May 29, 1942 with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
  2. "Song of Freedom", recorded May 29, 1942 with Ken Darby Singers, and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra

Disc 3: (23822)

  1. "You're Easy to Dance With", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
  2. "I Can't Tell A Lie", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra

Disc 4: (23823)

  1. "I'll Capture Your Heart", recorded May 27, 1942 with Margaret Lenhart and Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
  2. "Let's Start the New Year Right", recorded May 25, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra

The titles "White Christmas", "Easter Parade", "I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For" and "Lazy", were available separately as 78-rpm discs for US $0.75 each, during this period.

LP track listing

The 1949 10" LP album issue Decca DL 5092 consisted of eight songs on one 33 1/3 rpm record, and did not include four of the songs. All were reissues of earlier recordings.[6]

Side 1

  1. "Happy Holiday", recorded June 1, 1942 with the Music Maids and Hal, and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
  2. "Be Careful, it's My Heart", recorded June 1, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
  3. "Abraham", recorded May 29, 1942 with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
  4. "Song of Freedom", recorded May 29, 1942 with the Ken Darby Singers, and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra

Side 2

  1. "You're Easy to Dance With", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
  2. "I Can't Tell A Lie", recorded May 27, 1942 with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
  3. "I'll Capture Your Heart", recorded May 27, 1942 with Margaret Lenhart
  4. "Let's Start the New Year Right", recorded May 25, 1942, with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra

Other releases

In 1962, Decca released "Selections from Holiday Inn" on Decca DL 4256 with a new pinkish look for the set 'Bing's Hollywood'. It included all of the recorded songs.

In 1998, MCA released a CD re-issue of the 'Selections from Holiday Inn'.

References

  1. ↑ "Best selling single". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  2. ↑ Lobosco, David (21 October 2014). "THE BING CROSBY NEWS ARCHIVE: REINVENTING HOLIDAY INN". Bingfan03.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  3. ↑ "DECCA (USA) 18000 series (to 18499) 78rpm numerical listing discography". 78discogrpahy.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  4. ↑ "Billboard". Billboard. August 22, 1942.
  5. ↑ Sulzer, Will. "Roots Vinyl Guide". Rootsvinylguide.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  6. ↑ "Bing Crosby And Fred Astaire - Holiday Inn (Song Hits From The Paramount Picture)". Discogs.com\accessdate=2016-06-14.
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