Those Were Our Songs: Music of World War II

by Those Were Our Songs: Music Of

Overview

World War II and big-band pop-era compilations are released almost as regularly as Christmas albums, and the glut has caused more harm than good; it seems any good ones are quickly swallowed up by the racks full of short, ill-advised, uninformative collections. Though any single label could never do justice to the war years, with a little clever licensing the Capitol compilation Those Were Our Songs: Music of World War II transcends its slightly simpy title to deliver 40 great tracks of traditional pop. Most of the standards of the day are included: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" by Kay Kyser, "G.I. Jive" by Johnny Mercer, "Long Ago (And Far Away)" by Jo Stafford, and "Sentimental Journey" by Les Brown (with Doris Day), though there's no Glenn Miller, except for his appearance on "Jukebox Saturday Night" by Tex Beneke. More than any other label, Capitol captured the can-do attitude of America during the early '40s, with a spate of classic songs poised halfway between jump blues and novelty big band, songs like Nat King Cole's "Straighten up and Fly Right," Ella Mae Morse's "Cow-Cow Boogie," Freddy Martin's "The Hut-Sut Song," Benny Goodman's "Jersey Bounce," and the Andrews Sisters' "Rum and Coca-Cola." Add the great liner notes of Will Friedwald and Those Were Our Songs: Music of World War II stands as one of the best -- and easily the best-sounding, courtesy of astonishing 24-bit remastering -- compilations of its era: just this side of definitive, but packed full of great music summoning the sound and feel of a nation at war. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2001
Label:	Capitol/Emi Records / Capitol
UPC:	0724353577421

Tracks

Disc 1

1. I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time  -  Andrews Sisters  - Neville Fleeson  - Albert VonTilzer
2. Green Eyes  - Nilo Menendez  - Helen O'Connell  - Eddie Rivera  - Eddie Woods
3. Who Wouldn't Love You?  - Bill Carey  - Terry Fischer  - Kay Kyser
4. Jersey Bounce  - Tiny Bradshaw  -  Goodman  - Edward Johnson
5. Cow Cow Boogie  - Benny Carter  - Gene DePaul  - Ella Mae Morse  - Don Raye  - Freddie Slack
6. A Sleepy Lagoon  - Eric Coates  -  James  - Jack Lawrence
7. Strip Polka  - Johnny Mercer
8. I Had the Craziest Dream  - Helen Forrest  - Mack Gordon  - Harry Warren
9. Jukebox Saturday Night  - Tex Beneke  - Paul McGrane  - Al Stillman
10. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition  - Harry Babbitt  - Kay Kyser  - Frank Loesser
11. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy  -  Andrews Sisters  - Hughie Prince  - Don Raye
12. I've Heard That Song Before  - Sammy Cahn  -  James  - Jule Styne
13. Shoo Shoo Baby  - Phil Moore  - Ella Mae Morse
14. Amor  - Ricardo Lopez Mendez  - Gabriel Ruiz  - Andy Russell  - Sunny Skylar
15. Straighten Up and Fly Right  - Nat King Cole  - Irving Mills
16. Long Ago (And Far Away)  - Ira Gershwin  - Jerome Kern  - Jo Stafford
17. G.I. Jive  - Johnny Mercer
18. I'll Walk Alone  - Sammy Cahn  - Jule Styne  - Martha Tilton
19. It Had to Be You  - Betty Hutton  - Isham Jones  - Gus Kahn
20. The Trolley Song  - Ralph Blane  - Hugh Martin  -  Pied Pipers

Disc 2

21. Rum and Coca-Cola  - Morey Amsterdam  -  Andrews Sisters  - Paul Baron  - Jeri Sullivan
22. Candy  - Mack David  - Alex Kramer  - Johnny Mercer  - Jo Stafford  - Joan Whitney  -  Pied Pipers
23. Sentimental Journey  - Les Brown  - Bud Green  - Ben Homer
24. Dream  - Johnny Mercer  -  Pied Pipers
25. Chattanooga Choo Choo  - Ray Anthony  - Mack Gordon  - Harry Warren
26. Chloe  - Spike Jones  - Gus Kahn  - Neil Moret
27. On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe  - Johnny Mercer  - Harry Warren
28. Tampico  - Doris Fisher  -  Kenton  - Allan Roberts
29. Waiting for the Train to Come In  - Martin Block  - Peggy Lee  - Sunny Skylar
30. It's Been a Long, Long Time  - Sammy Cahn  - Helen Forrest  -  James  - Jule Styne
31. Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief  - Hoagy Carmichael  - Betty Hutton  - Paul Francis Webster
32. Jingle, Jangle, Jingle  - Kay Kyser  - J.J. Lilley  - Frank Loesser
33. The Hut-Sut Song  - Kash Killion  -  Martin  - Harry Owens
34. Mister Five by Five  - Gene DePaul  - Ella Mae Morse  - Don Raye  - Freddie Slack
35. It's Only a Paper Moon  - Harold Arlen  - Nat King Cole  - E.Y. "Yip" Harburg  - Billy Rose
36. Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me  - Red Dorris  - Duke Ellington  -  Kenton  - S. Russell
37. I Love You  - Irving Berlin  - Cole Porter  - Jo Stafford
38. Mairzy Doats  - Milton Drake  - Al Hoffman  - Jerry Livingston  -  Pied Pipers
39. It Might as Well Be Spring  - Oscar II Hammerstein  - Dick Haymes  - Richard Rodgers
40. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive  - Harold Arlen  - Johnny Mercer  -  Pied Pipers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Pied Pipers   Primary Artist
Peggy Lee   Primary Artist
Ray Anthony   Primary Artist
Red Dorris   Primary Artist,Vocals
Helen Forrest   Primary Artist,Vocals
Spike Jones   Primary Artist
Ella Mae Morse   Primary Artist
Kay Kyser   Primary Artist
Helen O'Connell   Primary Artist
The Andrews Sisters   Primary Artist
Andy Russell   Primary Artist
Betty Hutton   Primary Artist
Les Brown   Primary Artist
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Harry James & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Harry Babbitt   Primary Artist,Vocals
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Tex Beneke   Primary Artist
Jo Stafford   Primary Artist
Freddie Slack   Primary Artist
Freddy Martin & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Johnny Mercer   Primary Artist
Dick Haymes   Primary Artist
Martha Tilton   Primary Artist
Nat King Cole   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

S. Russell   Composer
Hughie Prince   Composer
Jule Styne   Composer
Martha Tilton   Performer
Martin Block   Composer
Nat King Cole   Composer,Performer
Pete Welding   Producer
Jeri Sullivan   Composer
Neil Moret   Composer
Ray Anthony   Performer
Mark Chalecki   Remastering
The Pied Pipers   Performer
Morey Amsterdam   Composer
Les Brown   Composer,Performer
Will Friedwald   Liner Notes
Hoagy Carmichael   Composer
Stan Kenton   Performer
Spike Jones   Performer
Paul Francis Webster   Composer
Benny Carter   Composer
Ben Homer   Composer
Ella Mae Morse   Performer
Mack Gordon   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Jerry Livingston   Composer
Kash Killion   Composer
Kay Kyser   Performer
Ralph Blane   Composer
Nilo Menendez   Composer
Milton Drake   Composer
Sunny Skylar   Composer
Al Hoffman   Composer
Harry James   Performer
Helen O'Connell   Performer
Harry Warren   Composer
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Marlene Bergman   Design,Art Direction
Terry Fischer   Composer
J.J. Lilley   Composer
Michelle Azzopardi   A&R
Neville Fleeson   Composer
Wendy Brueder   Project Manager
Ricardo Lopez Mendez   Composer
Edward Johnson   Composer
The Andrews Sisters   Performer
Hugh Martin   Composer
Andy Russell   Performer
Betty Hutton   Performer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Gene DePaul   Composer
Eric Coates   Composer
Bill Carey   Composer
Irving Mills   Composer
Isham Jones   Composer
Billy Rose   Composer
Harry Owens   Composer
Tiny Bradshaw   Composer
Al Stillman   Composer
Albert Von Tilzer   Composer
Alex Kramer   Composer
Bryan Kelley   Producer
Bud Green   Composer
Gus Kahn   Composer
Allan Roberts   Composer
Frank Loesser   Composer
Paul Baron   Composer
Paul McGrane   Composer
Tex Beneke   Performer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Eddie Rivera   Composer
Jack Lawrence   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Cheryl Pawelski   Producer
Cole Porter   Composer
Jo Stafford   Performer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Joan Whitney   Composer
Benny Goodman   Performer
Eddie Woods   Composer
Freddie Slack   Performer
Freddy Martin & His Orchestra   Performer
Gabriel Ruiz   Composer
Mack David   Composer
Don Raye   Composer
Doris Fisher   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer,Performer
Dick Haymes   Performer
Peggy Lee   Performer
Phil Moore   Composer