We wish all history sounded this good! The Mills Bros. started singing together in 1925, combining barbershop harmony with the jaunty rythms of the swing era. It was a sweet combination that led to a 70 year career! From 1942's "Paper Doll" to their 1968 rendition of "Cab Driver", these harmonious gentlemen had a string of top-40 hits and enjoyed enormous popularity. Warning for purists: all the songs are accompinied to some degree, usually lighty. But don't miss this CD because of that -these guys are under the directory under "debonair". Every song is a treat "Lazy River", "You Always Hurt the One You Love", "'Till Then,"I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", "Someday", their marvelous hit "Glow Worm", "Standing on the Corner", and "Be My Life's Companion." Classic!

Songlist: Paper Doll, Lazy River, You Always Hurt the One You Love, Till Then, Across the Alley from the Alamo, I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You), Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You), Be My Life's Companion, The Glow Worm, Standing On the Corner, Cab Driver

The Greatest!! Did we get your attention? The Mills Brothers were sons of John Mills senior who had been a concert singer before retiring to become a barber. Among the pioneers of close harmony singing, they became one of the best known popular groups ever. They began their career in small time vaudeville as "Four Boys and a Kazoo" until one night they forgot the kazoo! John cupped his hands over his mouth and did a vocal imitation of the forgotten instrument for an enthusiastic audience. Thus began the vocal imitation of the trumpet, the trombone, the tuba, and saxophone. If you let your attention lapse for a moment while you are listening to the brothers you will not believe that these are just four singers and a slight accompanying acoustic guitar. The Greatest!! Did we say that yet?

Songlist: Glow Worm, Paper Doll, Dinah, You're Nobody 'Till Somebody Loves You, Yellow Bird, Tiger Rag, You Never Miss the Water Till the Well Runs Dry, You Broke the Only Heart (that ever loved), Cab Driver, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Lazy River, You Always Hurt the One You Love, Coney Island Washboard, When You Were Sweet Sixteen, I'll be Around, Daddy's Little Girl, The Jones Boys, On the Banks of the Wabash, Opus 1, I Don't Know Enough About You, I don't mind being all alone (when I'm Alone with you), Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)

This recording presents the fabulous Mills Brothers late in the trio's lengthy career, but their rhythmic sensibilities haven't aged, and a fresh buoyancy characterizes these 12 selections. Many of the songs are standards in the Mills's canon. "Some of These Days" feature Donald's vocal cornet simulation, a skill the brothers used with less frequency as the years went by. "Till Then," with its doo-wop overtones, features the languid soul the brothers so aptly displayed in their ballads. Of the later songs, "Cab Driver" and "Truck Stop" are distinctive C&W subjects; the guitar and drums are appropriately spare. This same guitar-and-drums accompaniment appears in other, less countrified songs, like the wistful "I Guess I'll Get the Papers and Go Home" and the spiritual "He Gives Me Love." The brothers unison crooning imbues these songs with heartfelt reality.

Songlist: The Jones Boy, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Till Then, Some Of These Days, Truck Stop, I Guess I'll Get The Paper And Go Home, You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You, He Gives Me Love, Cab Driver, You'll Never Miss The Water Till The Well Runs Dry, I Don't Mind Being All Alone, I Can't Stop Loving You

The four Mills Brothers had a style that combined the best elements of vaudeville, Negro minstrelsy and the barbershop quartet with elements of the new jazz sound. Their habit of cupping their hands over their mouths to create an orchestral sound (similar to effects created by Europe's Comedy Harmonists), was a sensational factor in their success story, and appearances on popular radio programs like "Rudy Vallee's Fleishmann's Yeast Hour" led to their first million-selling record, "Tiger Rag/Nobody's Sweetheart" in 1931. The Brothers endeared themselves to movie audiences the world over with appearances on such hits as "Big Broadcast of 1932" with Bing Crosby, Kate Smith, Cab Calloway and the Boswell Sisters.

Songlist: Tiger Rag, Dinah, You Always Hurt The One You Love, St. Louis Blues, Bugle Call Rag, Swing It, Sister, Sleepy Head, Across The Alley From The Alamo, You Rascal, You, I Heard, Nobody's Sweetheart, Rockin' Chair, I Wish, Shine, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), I Don't Know Enough About You, Be My Life's Companion, Sixty Seconds Got Together, Till Then, I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm, Put Another Chair At The Table, Goodbye Blues

The four Mills Brothers had a style that combined the best elements of vaudeville, Negro minstrelsy and the barbershop quartet with elements of the new jazz sound. Their habit of cupping their hands over their mouths to create an orchestral sound (similar to effects created by Europe's Comedy Harmonists), was a sensational factor in their success story, and appearances on popular radio programs like "Rudy Vallee's Fleishmann's Yeast Hour" led to their first million-selling record, "Tiger Rag/Nobody's Sweetheart" in 1931. The Brothers endeared themselves to movie audiences the world over with appearances on such hits as "Big Broadcast of 1932" with Bing Crosby, Kate Smith, Cab Calloway and the Boswell Sisters. Included here are 23 lightly accompanied songs, some of our favorites: "You Rascal, You," "Dinah" and "Shine" with Bing Crosby, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" and "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree" with Louis Armstrong, "How'm I Doin', Hey, Hey?," "Lazy River" and the title tune. This is classic, understated, tongue-in-cheek-funny stuff, the quintessence of jazzy, bluesy flapper/speakeasy cool. Too much good stuff! Highly recommended.

Songlist: Lazy River, You Always Hurt the One You Love, Paper Doll, I've Got My Love To keep Me Warm, Glow Worm, Till Me Meet Again, If I Had My way, On The Banks of the Wabash, When You Were Sweet Sixteen, Daddy's Little Girl