People Like You And Me

The Glenn Miller Orchestra with The Modernaires from 1942

Hit Me Again

This song told the story of kids having fun when cash is in short supply, making a coke last all night and listening to their favorite hits. Both versions feature parody clips of the current generation's popular artists. The Glenn Miller version lampoons Harry James and The Ink Spots, for example, and the one by Nino & The Ebb Tides parodies The Monotones and The Silhouettes.

This is a fascinating recording of several sessions from the post-war years of the group featuring some tracks that later became standards in their repertoire. Many of the vocal arrangements of these songs are different than the ones you might be familiar with from their later recordings and makes for a very interesting listen.

Songlist: String Of Pearls, Listen To The Mocking Bird, Rain, Goofus, Billy Boy, Little Brown Jug, Loch Lomond, School Days, Stompin' At TheSavoy, The Man On The Flying Trapeze, Sweet Sue, A Bicycle Built For Two (Daisy Bell), Oh, Dem Golden Slippers, JA Da, Grandfather's Clock, In The Mood, Old McDonald Had A FArm, In A Little Spanish Town, De Campton Races, Coquette, Red Wing, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Bye Bye Blue Eyes

The Modernaires are considered by music historians to be one of the most influential and innovative vocal groups in popular music. Their music is a microcosm of the romantic melancholy and elegance in the face of adversity that was present in the WWII years. Backup singers for the Glenn Miller orchestra during the first half of the decade, a few of their hit recordings with Miller would be reprised by the Modernaires after Miller was lost over the English Channel in 1944. Paula Kelly, the girl singer for Artie Shaw and Dick Stabile, joined Miller in 1940 and became Mrs. Hal Dickenson (The Modernaires' unofficial group leader) soon after. Still associated with Miller in the public's mind, their July, 1946 single "Salute to Glenn Miller," a medley of 4 Miller standards, was a top 20 hit for the group. There are 20 hits here, from heartstring-tugging romantic love songs like "There, I've Said It Again" (the first top 20 release for the group, in 1945) and "The Night is Young and You're So Beautiful," to jive and swing numbers like "Juke Box Saturday Night" and "La Cucaracha;" and novelty numbers like "The Dummy Song." "To Each His Own," a landmark number 3 single for the group in 1946, became a hit for the Platters in 1960. Excellent and recommended.

Songlist: There! I've Said It Again (Redd Evans, Dave Mann), The Night Is Young and You're So Beautiful (Billy Rose, Irving Kahal, Dana Suesse), Jog Along (Harold Dickinson), You Belong To My Heart (ray Gilbert, Augustin Lara), Coffee Five, Doughnuts Five (Coffee and Doughnuts Ten) (Harold Dickinson,Howard Giebling), Autumn Serenade (Sammy Gallop, Peter DeRose), I Can't Believe My Eyes (Eddie DeLange, Saul Chaplin), Holiday for Strings (Sammy Gallop, David Rose), I'm on the Level With You (Dick Charles, Eddie Waldman), Livin' Western Style (with Curt Massey) (June Hershey, Don Swander), Juke Box Saturday Night (with Curt Massey) (Al Stillman, Paul McGrance), Salute to Glenn Miller:, -Moonlight Serenade (Mitchell Parish, Glenn Miller), -Elmer's Tune (Elmer Albrecht, Sammy Gallop, Dick Jurgens), -Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else But Me) (Lew Brown,, Charles Tobias, Sam H. Stept), -Chattanooga Choo Choo (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren), Sweet I've Gotten On You (The Pennsylvania Dutch Song) (Brad Reynolds, Willard Robison), La Cucaracha (Traditional), To Each His Own (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans), Dummy Song (Lew Brown, Billy Rose, Ray Henderson), Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Too Many Irons in the Fire (Johnny S. Black), How Do You Do? (Robert MacGimsey), The Mission of the Rose (Ervin Drake, Jimmy Shirl, Henry Manners)

In 1946 The Modernaires (male quartet with Paula Kelly) were one of the most popular groups in the USA, having been part of the most successful Big Band in the country, the Glenn Miller Orchestra. It was a long way from when they were called "The Wizards of Ozzie" in New York, singing with bandleader Ozzie Nelson. In 1939, unofficial group leader Hal Dickinson saw a billboard advertising a new cleaning process, "modernizing," and the group christened themselves the Modernaires. Ubiquitous on the radios and jukeboxes of the era, the group was as adept at lush, romantic ballads like "Santa Catalina (Island of Romance)" and "Pennies from Heaven" as they were at jive, swing and novelty numbers, like "The Jingle Bell Polka," "The Stanley Steamer" (with Dinah Shore), and "I Can't Get Offa My Horse," that were the meat and potatoes of any dance band's repertoire. 20 songs, from favorites like "Connecticut" and "It's a Lonesome Old Town (When You're Not Around)," to silly, fun ones like "One Hour (The Puppy Love Song)" and "Say It With a Slap", this collection takes us right back to the 40's.

Songlist: My Heart Goes Crazy (Johnny Burke, James Van Heusen), Pennies from Heaven (Johnny Burke, Arthur Johnston), Connecticut (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane), It's Loving' Time (Harry Harris, Chummy MacGregor), I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (Al Hoffman, Jack Segal, Jay Livingston), Hoodle Addle (Ray McKinley), Santa Catalina (Island of Romance) (Harold Spina), I want To Be Loved (But Only By You) (Savannah Churchill), I Can't Get Offa My Horse (Morey Amsterdam), The Turntable Song ('Round, an' Round, an' Round) (Leo Robin, Johnny Green), Something in the Wind (Leo Robin, Johny Green), Our Hour (The Puppy Love Song) (Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston), Say It With A Slap (Eliot Daniel), The Jingle Bell Polka (Hal Dickinson), The Whistler (Hal Dickinson), The Stanley Steamer (with Dinah Shore) (Ralph Blane, Harry Warren), It's A Lonesome Old Town (When You're Not Around) (Charles Kisco, HarryTobias), The Jingle Belle Polka (Hal Dickinson), The Whistler (Hal Dickinson, Wilbur Hatch), Margie (Benny Davis, Con Conrad, J. Russell Robinson)

Songlist: Stardust, You Call It Madness (But I Call it Love) (Con Conrad, Gladys DuBois, Paul, Gregory, Russ Columbo), Ain't Misbehavin' (Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller, Harry Brooks), Rock It For Me (Sue Werner, Kay Werner), Lamplight (James Shelton), Bidin' My Time (Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin), Thoughtless (with Doris Day) (Buddy Kaye, Carl Lampl), It's A Quiet Town (in Crossbone Country) (with Doris Day) (Bob Russell,Harold Spina), Busy Doing Nothing (Johnny Burke, James Van Heusen), Mm-Mm-Good (Allie Wrubel, Paul Baron), Just for Laughs (Al Rinker, Floyd Huddleston), The Money Song (with Buddly Clark) (Harold Rome), Gloria (with Buddy Clark) (Leon Rene), Brush Those Tears from Your Eyes (wih Buddy Clark) (Oakley Haldeman, AlTrace, Jimmy Lee), One Sunday Afternoon (with Buddy Clark) (Ralph Blane), O'Leary Is Leery of Falling in Love (with Bob Crosby) (Dick Cunliffe, JackFulon, Bob Crosby), Molly O'Reilly (with Bob Crosby) (Charles Gaynor), Johnny Get Your Girl (Marin Curtis, Vic Mizzy), Olly Olly Oxen Free (Thomas Hamm, Allan Copeland, Hal Dickinson)

Songlist: Stardust, You Call It Madness (But I Call it Love) (Con Conrad, Gladys DuBois, Paul, Gregory, Russ Columbo), Ain't Misbehavin' (Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller, Harry Brooks), Rock It For Me (Sue Werner, Kay Werner), Lamplight (James Shelton), Bidin' My Time (Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin), Thoughtless (with Doris Day) (Buddy Kaye, Carl Lampl), It's A Quiet Town (in Crossbone Country) (with Doris Day) (Bob Russell, Harold Spina), Busy Doing Nothing (Johnny Burke, James Van Heusen), Mm-Mm-Good (Allie Wrubel, Paul Baron), Just for Laughs (Al Rinker, Floyd Huddleston), The Money Song (with Buddly Clark) (Harold Rome), Gloria (with Buddy Clark) (Leon Rene), Brush Those Tears from Your Eyes (wih Buddy Clark) (Oakley Haldeman, Al Trace, Jimmy Lee), One Sunday Afternoon (with Buddy Clark) (Ralph Blane), O'Leary Is Leery of Falling in Love (with Bob Crosby) (Dick Cunliffe, Jack Fulon, Bob Crosby), O'Leary Is Leery of Falling in Love (with Bob Crosby) (Dick Cunliffe, Jack Fulon, Bob Crosby), Molly O'Reilly (with Bob Crosby) (Charles Gaynor), Johnny Get Your Girl (Marin Curtis, Vic Mizzy), Olly Olly Oxen Free (Thomas Hamm, Allan Copeland, Hal Dickinson)

The four man, one woman swing/jazz group The Modernaires, who rode their distinctive bright, jazzy vocal style from the big band era of the 40s, up into the vocal jazz nightclub sound of the 60s, are featured on another wonderful EMI compilation of two lps. The lps are a tribute to two of their Swing Era contemporaries, bandleaders Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller, giving us 24 wonderful jazz band-accompanied winners: "Tuxedo Junction," "A String of Pearls," "Sunrise Serenade," "Pennsylvania 6-5000," "In The Mood," "Little Brown Jug," "Stardust," "Boogie Woogie," "Song of India," "Yes, Indeed," "I'll Never Smile Again"...we could go on and on, but let us just say that each song is a classic and a hit. The Modernaires had timeless class, style, humor and the kind of tight, sweet harmonies that put their own stamp on songs we thought we'd heard before. A great gift for two kinds of people: anyone who was lucky enough to have been there to listen and dance to this great music when it came out, and anyone who wasn't!

Songlist: There! I've Said it Again, Coffee Five, Doughnuts Five (Coffee and Doughnuts Ten), Jukebox Saturday Night, Salute to Glenn Miller, a. Moonlight Serenade, b. Elmer's Tune, c. Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me), d. Chattanooga Choo Choo, To Each His Own, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Pennies from Heaven, Margie, You Call it Madness (But I Call it Love), Ain't Misbehavin', Stardust, Bidin' My Time, My Friend Irma, On Accounta Because I Love You, Java Jive