MGW-12110: Sings His All Time Favorites / Frankie Laine

	Label Type :	blue Wing type B
	Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MGW-12110-A 1    MSI
		SIDE-B	MGW-12110-B 1    MSI    A1

Comments

Probably very first pressing - blue Wing label has larger oval Wing logo than more common type. I don't remember the exact matrix inscription of my previous copy (I gave it for free to Mr. Okamura-san, a famous jazz critic and a Buck Clayton collector), but actually the new copy sounds very clean and sharp than my previous copy.

Side-A Label of MGW-12110 (my current copy - early pressing)	Side-A Label of MGW-12110 (my previous copy - a bit late pressing)

Inside The Groove

A collection of Frankie Laine's less-famous tracks, some of which had been available only on LP (and original 78rpm issues), until Bear Family's comprehensive CD Box issue.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Frankie Laine, mostly known as a huge hitter “That's My Desire”, “Rawhide” and many more, is also a great songwriter - such nice compositions like “We'll Be Together Again”, “It Only Happens Once”, “Put Yourself In My Place Baby” proves his talent.

Surprisingly for me, his early years' recordings were very close to Jazzy moods, rather than mellow (but boring) ballads with strings. This album, a compilation of Frankie Laine's 1947-1950 hit singles, also features his neat and pleasant jazzy singing backed up with solid combo section. Especially a person who plays tenor sax digs so nice.

Personally this album is a very special one - Mr. Tohru Okamura-san (who is a good friend of mine and a very famous Japanese jazz critic as well as a famous Buck Clayton collector) told me that B-6 the “Rosetta” was said to contain marvellous trumpet solo by Buck Clayton, although few of the discographies didn't mention about the fact.

Anyway, most tracks (especially Side-B) sounds very warm and jazzy - if you like swingy mainstream jazz, you'll be satisfied with the tracks.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

8 out of 10

Track Listing

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

Based on the Ruppli's info, some new info are added from the detailed liner-notes booklet of “That Lucky Old Sun” (Bear Family BCD-16361). Still there are a few inconsistencies among various data sources.

B-1:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Carl Fischer's Swingtet, including:
Babe Russin (ts), Carl Fischer (p), Perry Botkin Jr. (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Lou Singer (ds, vib).
Recorded at Universal Studios, Los Angeles, CA on October 16, 1946.
BCD-16361 says Oct. 18, 1946.

B-4:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Carl Fischer's Orchestra, including:
Zeke Zarchy (tp), Dave Schlagel (tb), Tommy Pederson (tb), Eddie Kusby (tb),
Vido Musso (sax), Claude Lakey (sax), Skeets Herfurt (sax), Morty Friedman (sax),
Carl Fischer (p), Arthur Bernstein (b), Lou Singer (ds).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on November 8, 1947.

A-1:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Carl Fischer's Orchestra.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA? on December 1, 1947.
BCD-16361 says Nov. 20, 1947.

B-6:
Frankie Laine with Carl Fischer's Orchestra, including:
Buck Clayton (tp), unknown (tb), unknown (cl), unknown (g), unknown (b), unknown (ds).
Recorded in Newark, NJ on November 15, 1948.
BCD-16361 says the trumpeter was Cootie Williams, but Mr. Tohru Okamura completely denied the opinion - he auditioned the track several times then he concluded this was Buck Clayton's trumpet for sure.

A-2, B-3:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Harry Geller's Orchestra, including:
Conrad Gozzo (tp), Maurice Harris (tp), Mannie Klein (tp),
Si Zentner (tb),
Jack Dumont (as), Morty Friedman (sax), Abe Most (sax), Ted Nash (ts),
Carl Fischer (p). Al Hendrickson (g), Phil Stevens (b), Morey Feld (ds).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on June 7, 1949 (vocal overdub on June 2, 1949).

B-2:
same personnel as A-2, except
Donald Bonnee (sax) replaces Jack Dumont,
Les Robinson (sax) replaces Abe Most.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on June 9, 1949 (vocal overdub on June 13, 1949).

A-4:
Conrad Gozzo (tp), Maurice Harris (tp), Mannie CKlein (tp), Si Zentner (tb),
Maurice Carlton (sax), Jack Dumont (sax), Dale Issenhuth (sax), Jules Jacob (sax), Bert Traxler (sax),
Carl Fischer (p), George Van Eps (g), Puil Stevens (b), Morey Feld (ds),
Eleanor Aller Slatkin (cello), Joe Difiore (viola), Paul Robyn (viola), Ted Klages (vln),
Erno Neufeld (vln), Fled Olson (vln), Sam Ross (vln), Fred Slatkin (vln), Marshall Sosson (vln).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on June 14, 1949.

A-3, A-6:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Harry Geller's Orchestra, including:
Maurice Harris (tp), Mannie Klein (tp), Gene LaFreniere (tp),
Eddie Kusby (tb), Si Zentner (tb), Jack Cave (frh),
Herman Berardinelli (sax), Dale Issenhuth (sax), Ben Kanter (sax), Bert Traxler (sax),
Carl Fischer (p), Vincent Terri (g), Mike Rubin (b), Denzil Gail Laughton (harp), Morey Feld (ds),
Eleanor Aller Slatkin (cello), Joe Difiore (viola), Paul Robyn (viola), Doris Albert (vln),
George Kast (vln), Erno Neufled (vln), Fred Olson (vln), Sam Ross (vln), Louis Raderman (vln).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on December 15, 1949.

A-5:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Harry Geller's Orchestra, including:
Ziggy Elman (tp), Maurice Harris (tp), Mannie Klein (tp), Zeke Zarchy (tp), Eddie Kusby (tb), Si Zentner (tb),
Heinie Beau (sax), Jack Dumont (sax), Dale Issenhuth (sax), Jules Jacob (sax),
Ted Nash (sax), Babe Russin (sax), Wilbur Schwartz (sax),
Al Hendrickson (g), Carl Fischer (p), Phil Stevens (b), Nick Fatool (ds),
Eleanor Aller Slatkin (cello), Joseph Difore (viola), Ray Menhennick (viola),
Harry Bluestone (vln), Erno Neufeld (vln), Louis Raderman (vln), Felix Slatkin (vln), Marshal Sosson (vln),
The Jud Conlon Singers (vocal group).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on December 23, 1950.

B-5:
Frankie Laine (vo) with Harry Geller's Orchestra, including:
Ziggy Elman (tp), William Schaefer (tb), Babe Russin (sax), Jack Dumont (sax),
Carl Fischer (p), Allan J. Reuss (g), Vincent Terri (g), Phil Stevens (b), Alvin Stoller (ds),
unknown (accordion).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA on March 30, 1951.
Ruppli says Jun. 6, 1951, which may be the vocal overdub date, according to the BCD-16361.

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