Mercury Records Collection: Philips PHS 600-004: Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet

PHS 600-004: Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet / Woody Herman

Label Type :	black rainbow Philips
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	PHS600004A M1 A1 I
	SIDE-B	PHS600004B M1 A1 I

Comments

Nov. 24 2004: replaced with another copy (earliest pressing). There are two big differences between each copies:

First, covers are slightly different. The early cover has black seams and spine, while the late cover has white seams/spine. The top part of the front artwork is also different. The late cover has rainvow circles, which cannot be found on the early cover.

Front cover of Philips PHS 600-004
(a bit late pressing, my previous copy)

Second difference is the dead-wax info. The early copy's dead-wax strongly suggests this disc was pressed at RCA Victor's Indianapolis plant. But on the other hand, the late copy (Side-A: PHS600004A M1 FF, Side-B: PHS600004B M1 A1 I A) seems to be pressed at Philips Richmond plant. Actually, the early disc has round and polished edges (like RCA Victor's shaded dog pressings), while the late disc doesn't.

Inside The Groove

The great bigband leader Woody Herman's scarce quartet session.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Woody Herman left a number of fine bigband recordings on U.S. Philips label (a subsidiary of Mercury). This is maybe his first recording session for Philips label.

Unlike other albums, this LP consists of quartet sessions. We can fully enjoy the artistry of Woody Herman as a great clarinet player.

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

8 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	PB6463 (23511)	Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet(Lytell & Ludlow, Jr.)	3:10
A-2	PB6467 (23515)	Rose Room (Hickman & Williams)	2:10
A-3	PB6462 (23510)	Sweet Lorraine (Burwell & Parish)	3:01
A-4	PB6465 (23513)	Blue Moon (Rodgers & Hart)	3:15
A-5	PB6460 (23508)	Begin The Beguine (Porter)	2:57
A-6	PB6461 (23509)	Pee Wee Blues (Russell & Pierce)	3:03
SIDE-B
B-1	PB6469 (23517)	Don't Be That Way (Goodman, Sampson & Parish)	2:55
B-2	PB6470 (23518)	Someday Sweetheart (Spikes & Spikes)	3:25
B-3	PB6464 (23512)	Mood Indigo (Mills, Bigard & Ellington)	3:21
B-4	PB6459 (23507)	Summit Ridge Drive (Shaw)	3:02
B-5	PB6468 (23516)	On The Sunny Side Of The Street (McHugh & Fields)	2:12
B-6	PB6466 (23514)	Alexandra (Herman & Pierce)	2:53

Personnel

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

Woody Herman (cl), Nat Pierce (p), Chuck Andrus (b), Gus Johnson (ds).
Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios, New York City in January 1962.