Singing For Victory

[NoirDame]

I just wanted to share some great songs with you that I recently put on a CD as a present for a friend to thank her for her support of my return to college as a Master's History student (thesis on WWII of course)! I purchased most of the songs online should you want to find them. I also hand drew a cover that I sadly didn't get a picture of based on a 44 women's recruitment poster by Steele Savage. The whole idea spun out of the concept of a GI Jukebox...a song at the start of every class to encourage timely attendance for my WW II courses when I start teaching. I particularly enjoy the version here of They're Either Too Young Or Too Old. It was part of the Coca-Cola Victory Parade and a live recording.

Anyway here's the list for Singing For Victory: Katie's GI Jukebox

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy: Andrews Sisters
Ssh! It's a Military Secret: Glenn Miller and his Orchestra
(There'll Be) A Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (When the Yanks Go Marching In): Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
Adolf: Billy Cotton Band
Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me): Andrews Sisters
Bugle Call Rag: The Buddy Rich Big Band
I'm Going To Get Lit Up (When the Lights Go On In London): Carol Gibbons
You Can't Get That No More: Louis Jordan and the Tympani Five
Shoo Shoo Baby: Andrews Sisters
Lili Marlene (English version): Marlene Dietrich
They're Either Too Young or Too Old: Tommy Dorsey/Betty Brewer
The Rhythm Is Red, White and Blue: The Dinning Sisters
When the Lights Go On Again: The Ted Fio Rito Orchestra
I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time: Andrews Sisters

 

[The Wolf]

Nice selection!

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[NoirDame]

Thanks! It's a hit. My friend's husband took hers to listen to (my friends are older...the 40s are their parents' era).

I am already working on another one. I found a GREAT song called Rosie the Riveter by Four Vagabonds.

 

[The Wolf]

Some recommendations:
"I Left My Heart at the Stagedoor Canteen"
"You Can't Say No to a Soldier"
"Wonder When My Baby's Coming Home"
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"
"Ma, I Miss Your Apple Pie"
"This Is the Army, Mr. Jones"
"We'll Meet Again"
"G.I. Jive"

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[NoirDame]

Thanks! I'm familiar with some of those, but some are new to me.

I just discovered Buy Buy Bonds by Bing Crosby and There's No Shortage of Love by Dolly Dawn.

 

[Chas]

"There's A White Cross on Okinawa" ~ Bob Wills
"Smoke On The Water" ~ Bob Wills
"Harlem On Parade" ~ Gene Krupa w/ Anita O'Day
"The Caissons Go Rolling Along" ~ Gene Krupa
"A Slip of A Lip Can Sink A Ship" ~ Duke Ellington
"American Patrol" ~ Glenn Miller
"Uncle Sam Blues" ~ Hot Lips Page & His Swing Seven
"Coming In On A Wing And A Prayer" ~ The Four Vagabonds
"Hip Hip Hooray" ~ Andy Kirk
"We're Gonna Have to Slap the Dirty Little Jap" ~ Lucky Millinder
"Fightin' Doug MacArthur" ~ Lucky Millinder
"He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings" ~ Kay Kyser
"G I Jive" ~ Johnny Mercer
"When The Lights Go On Again" ~ Dick Todd
"Six Jerks In A Jeep" ~ Andrews Sisters

And from the Brits:
"We'll Meet Again" ~ Vera Lynn
"Imagine Me On The Maginot Line" ~ George Formby
"Wish Me Luck (As You Wave Me Goodbye)" ~ Gracie Fields

 

[NoirDame]

Thank you, sir!

 

[Mr. John Smith]

Sinatra!

Late X-mas gift currently in route to my homestead: Sinatra: the War Years.

A collection of songs from the homefront, an the USO tours.

 

[pennyseranade]

A few more

"You're a Sap Mr. Jap" -- Spike Jones and his City Slickers
"Remember Pearl Harbor" -- Sammy Kaye
"Bell Bottom Trousers"-- Tony Pastor
"Let's Put the Axe to the Axis"-- Sammy Kaye
"Dear Mr. President" -- Pete Seeger
"Keep that Oil a-rollin"-- Woody Gutherie
"White Cliffs of Dover"--Vera Lynn
"Der Fuehrer's face" -- Spike Jones and his City Slickers
"Long ago and far away"-- Jo Stafford
"D Day"--Nat king cole trio
"Ration Blues"- Louis Jordan
"Milkman Keep those Bottles Quite"--Ella Mae Morse
"Any Bonds Today?"-- Andrew Sisters
"Starts and Stripes on Iwo Jima"-- Sons of the Pioneers
"Cash for your Trash"--Fats Waller

 

[NoirDame]

I just got Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima.

I'm heading over to Amazon right now, folks!

(as a side note, a friend of mine from London is planning to take me to Egypt by route of Europe. We are going to a German WW2 themed cabaret where she says "the ladies do their hair like yours". I'm so excited.)

 

[NoirDame]

I am having trouble finding some of these.

Here is what I found that wasn't mentioned yet:

Corns for My Country: Andrews Sisters
Up and At 'Em Yanks: Paul Baron Orchestra
The Furher's Got the Jitters: Cab Calloway
Silver Wings in the Moonlight: Joe Reichman Orchestra
Barrack's Blues: Jack Teagarden Orchestra
Vic'try Polka: Andrews Sisters
Blonde Sailor: Andrews Sisters
We're Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Seigfried Line:Two Le Slies
Could You Please Oblige Us With a Bren Gun?: Noel Coward
Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans: Noel Coward

 

[Kittenwithawhip]

(Comin' In) On a Wing and a Prayer - by just about anybody

Tonight and Every Night - Janet Blair, or the shorter, better reprise by Rita Hayworth *cough, cough, Martha Mears, cough*.

 

[Chas]

"The Thing-Ummy-Bob" ~ Gracie Fields
"Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet" ~ Betty Hutton

 

[NoirDame]

I downloaded a version of Milkman Keep Those Bottles Quiet with Tommy Dorsey. The singer is uncredited but in the intro he calls her Georgia. Help with the last name please?

 

[Chas]

Georgia Gibbs, but also recorded as Fredda Gibson. She also sang with Artie Shaw, Max Kaminsky and Paul Whiteman's 1940s Orchestra, among many others. While with Whiteman she sang with a vocal group called "The Merry Macs". She was a class act, from all reports. She passed away just a few months ago.

 

[NoirDame]

Thank you very much! What a great hairstyle....

 

[Bill Taylor]

My favorites which we played over and over during WWII were "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn(ca 1939-1940) and '(When Blue Birds Fly Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" by Vera Lynn(ca 1942). I think those are both Decca records. As I recall, Decca was actually an English company, or at least was later on. We also often played "The White Cliffs of Dover" by Kate Smith (ca 1942) either Victor or Columbia, I think. It was so popular, a bunch of other singers and bands recorded it as well. I still have those 78 records, although now a bit worn. They have also been transferred to CD, but there is notable deteriation.

One WWII recording I didn't see listed on here was one that probably hit a new low of all times. "Mairzy Doats", by Bing Crosby. Probably about 1944, but could have been 43 or 45. It is so bad I even remember a few of the lyrics; "Mairzy Doats, and Dozy Doats, and a little lambsie divey too, wouldn't you". That could have been Crosby with the Andrews Sisters, can't remember for sure. Had no idea what the words meant at the time, and still don't, but it was a real popular song.

It's possible those "crazy" lyrics songs were designed to divert attention from the war, which was formost in everyone's mind, even kids, at the time. It was frightening and reminders were everywhere all the time. Other "crazy" lyrics songs were "Run and Coca Cola" (Andrews Sisters), "Mr. In-Between" (maybe Tex Benicke or Bing Crosby, "Don't Fence Me In" (Bing Crosby), "Buffalo Gals" and so on. I also didn't see much mention of Tex Benicke in these posts. He was probably as popular, or maybe more, than Bing Crosby during that time.

Bill