Blue Skies (Decca album)

Last updated
Blue Skies: A Paramount Technicolor Production
A-481 Blue Skies.jpg
Studio album by
Released1946 (original 78rpm album)
1949 (original LP album)
Recorded1946
Genre Popular
Length27:09 (original 78rpm album)
21:41 (original LP album)
Label Decca
Bing Crosby chronology
Favorite Hawaiian Songs, Vol. Two
(1946)
Blue Skies: A Paramount Technicolor Production
(1946)
Bing Crosby – Jerome Kern
(1946)
Fred Astaire chronology
Song Hits from Holiday Inn
(1942)
Blue Skies
(1946)
The Astaire Story
(1952)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Blue Skies is a studio album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire released in 1946 featuring songs that were presented in the American musical film Blue Skies . Like Song Hits from Holiday Inn , the entire 78 rpm album would be composed of Irving Berlin songs written specifically for the film. This was the first release of one of Astaire's greatest songs, "Puttin' On the Ritz", on shellac disc record.

Contents

Reception

Down Beat magazine liked it:

Don't miss this show album. Any of the complete score albums that Decca turns out have rotten tunes thrown in with the good. This one is no exception - but it does have Crosby, and Astaire in what may very well be his last wax appearance. Astaire may be no singer, but even on wax, his personality comes through. [2]

The album quickly entered Billboard's album charts reaching the No. 2 spot [3] and was also ranked No. 20 of the top selling popular record albums for 1947. [4]

Track listing

These newly issued songs were featured on a 5-disc, 78 rpm album set Decca Album No. A-481. [5] The first four discs are sung by Bing Crosby, while the last disc has Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire dueting on "A Couple of Song and Dance Men" and Astaire soloing on "Puttin' On the Ritz". All music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.

Side / TitleRecording datePerformed withTime
Disc 1 (23646):
A. "Blue Skies"July 18, 1946 John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra3:23
B. "(I'll See You In) C-U-B-A"July 24, 1946Trudy Erwin and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra3:06
Disc 2 (23647):
A. "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song"July 18, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:50
B. "(Running Around in Circles) Getting Nowhere"July 18, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:07
Disc 3 (23648):
A. "A Serenade to an Old-Fashioned Girl"July 18, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra3:03
B. "Everybody Step"July 18, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:25
Disc 4 (23649):
A. "All By Myself"July 18, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra3:14
B. "I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now"July 24, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:34
Disc 5 (23650):
A. "A Couple of Song and Dance Men"July 24, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:17
B. "Puttin' On the Ritz"July 24, 1946John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra2:10

[6]

LP release

Eight of the songs were included on the Decca 10" LP Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" (DL 5042) issued in 1949. The omissions were "A Serenade to an Old-Fashioned Girl" and "Everybody Step".

Side one
  1. Blue Skies"
  2. "(I'll See You In) C-U-B-A"
  3. "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song"
  4. "Getting Nowhere"
Side two
  1. "All By Myself"
  2. "I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now"
  3. "A Couple of Song and Dance Men"
  4. "Puttin' On the Ritz"

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Blue Skies - Bing Crosby - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic".
  2. "Down Beat". Down Beat. November 4, 1946.
  3. Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn's Top LP's, 1945 - 1972. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 39.
  4. "Billboard". Billboard. January 3, 1948.
  5. "Blue Skies soundtrack; 5 x 78 rpm" via Amazon.
  6. "DECCA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 23500 - 24000".