VA - The Golden Age Of American Sweet Bands - Happy Days Are Here Again - 101 Original Memories (2002)

The so-called Great Swing Band Era is generally considered to have started in 1935 when Benny Goodman, playing at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles on August 21 and tiring of what he described as 'mundane' dance music, moved his band into high gear and gave out with some Fletcher Henderson arrangements. Quoting saxophonist Hymie Schertzer, "The place exploded." and Goodman was proclaimed 'King of Swing'. But back in the Twenties there were great bands that played good swingy numbers, bands like those of Whiteman, Goldkette, Waring, Weems, Olsen and Lopez (to name but a few), although the 'swing' wasn't quite the same. The rhythm could often seem a little jerky and sometimes rather on the frantic side. Repertoires were laced with novelty tunes which were much in demand. But who cared? It was the 'Jazz Age', the 'Flapper Era' (take your pick) and everyone was hell-bent on having a good time, making whoopee.

Tracklist
Disc One: 1929-1933 / 1933-1935
[2:30] 1. Charlie Barnet;The Barnet Modenaires - Let's Dance At The Make-Believe Ballroom
[3:21] 2. The Rollicker;Ben Selvin - Happy Days Are Here Again
[2:50] 3. Leo Reisman - Puttin' On The Ritz
[3:25] 4. Bert Lown & His Rhythm Boys - Bye Bye Blues
[2:39] 5. Isham Jones - Lonesome Lover
[2:38] 6. Gus Arnheim - All I Want Is Just One Girl
[3:01] 7. Waring's Pennyslvanians;Clare Hanlon - Little White Lies
[3:09] 8. Paul Tremaine - Aristocratic Stomp
[3:19] 9. Henry Thies - June Kisses
[3:21] 10. Leo Reisman - What Is This Thing Called Love?
[3:39] 11. Anson Weeks - You're My Everything
[3:10] 12. Bert Lown - Heartaches
[3:02] 13. Gus Arnheim - Ho Hum!
[3:01] 14. Isham Jones - I Keep Remembering
[2:58] 15. Dick Himber - My Love
[3:03] 16. Buddy Rogers - Happy-Go-Lucky You (And Broken-Hearted Me)
[3:06] 17. Xavier Cugat;Dinah Shore - Yours
[2:01] 18. Anson Weeks;Art Wilson - Say It Isn't So
[3:12] 19. Rudy Vallee - Honeymoon Hotel
[3:18] 20. Phil Harris - Black-Eyed Susan Brown
[2:49] 21. Terry Shand;Freddie Martin - Beautiful Girl
[2:57] 22. Leon Belasco - Sittin' On A Backyard Fence
[2:18] 23. Leo Reisman - The Gold Diggers' Song (We're In The Money)
[3:04] 24. Rudy Vallee - My Dancing Lady
[2:56] 25. Abe Lyman - Keep Young And Beautiful
[2:45] 26. Fred Waring - Young And Healthy
[2:49] 27. Isham Jones - You've Got Me Crying Again
[3:12] 28. Joey Nash;Dick Himber - It Isn't Fair
[3:08] 29. Anson Weeks - Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Love
[3:23] 30. Clifton Webb;Leo Reisman - Easter Parade
[3:02] 31. Joe Reichman - I Saw Stars
[3:14] 32. Ted Fio Rito - Fair And Warmer
[3:24] 33. Rudy Vallee - You Oughta Be In Pictures
[3:02] 34. Nye Matthew - Cocktails For Two
[3:08] 35. Johnny Green;Lee Wiley - Easy Come, Easy Go
[3:05] 36. Gus Arnheim - Let's Fall In Love
[3:10] 37. Jimmie Grier;Pinky Tomlin - The Object Of My Affection
[2:56] 38. Isham Jones - For All We Know
[3:11] 39. Ted Fio Rito - I'll String Along With You
[2:52] 40. Freddie Martin - Stars Fell On Alabama
[3:14] 41. Kenny Sargent;Casa Loma Orchestra - Blue Moon
[3:20] 42. Enric Madriguera - You And The Night And The Music
[2:58] 43. Gene Kardos - Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?
[2:45] 44. Rudy Vallee;The Stewart Sisters - On The Good Ship Lollipop
[3:00] 45. Eddy Duchin;Lew Sherwood - I Won't Dance
[3:22] 46. Will Osborine - I Wish I Were Aladdin
[3:06] 47. Archie Bleyer - Isn't This A Lovely Day?
[3:16] 48. Freddie Martin;Elmer Feldkam - In The Dark
[3:30] 49. Al Bowlly;The Freshmen;Ray Noble - Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
[2:56] 50. Eddy Duchin;Lew Sherwood - You Are My Lucky Star

Disc Two 1935-1937 / 1937-1940
[2:51] 1. Stuart Allen;Richard Himber - Just One Of Those Things
[3:05] 2. Phil Harris - I'd Rather Listen To Your Eyes
[3:10] 3. Little Jack Little - Lullaby Of Broadway
[3:17] 4. Freddie Martin - Now You've Got Me Doing It
[2:58] 5. Eddy Duchin;Lew Sherwoood - I've Got A Feelin' You're Foolin'
[3:20] 6. Nat Brandwynne;Buddy Clark - Take My Heart
[3:09] 7. Rudy Vallee;Connecticut Yankees - The Glory Of Love
[3:21] 8. Joe Reichman;Buddy Clark - Me And The Moon
[2:38] 9. Charlie Barnet - When Did You Leave Heaven?
[2:57] 10. Russ Morgan - I'll Sing You A Thousand Love Songs
[3:15] 11. Stuart Allen;Richard Himber - In The Chapel In The Moonlight
[2:59] 12. Shep Fields - Us On A Bus
[3:02] 13. Ted Weems - Rainbow On The River
[2:37] 14. Lud Gluskin - I've Got My Fingers Crossed
[2:32] 15. Nat Brandwynne;Buddy Clark - Bye Bye, Baby
[2:54] 16. Guy Lombardo - You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming
[3:02] 17. Ozzie Nelson - The Folks Who Live On The Hill
[2:48] 18. The Andrews Sisters;Leon Belasco - Wake Up And Live
[2:50] 19. Dolly Dawn & Her Dawn Patrol - You're A Sweetheart
[3:08] 20. Hal Kemp;Skinnay Ennis - This Year's Kisses
[2:54] 21. Eddy Duchin;Lew Sherwoood - Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
[3:00] 22. Glen Gray;Hoagy Carmichael - Little Old Lady
[2:58] 23. Larry Clinton;Bea Wain - True Confession
[3:20] 24. Guy Lombardo - To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
[2:43] 25. Russ Morgan - Toodle-Oo
[2:47] 26. Leo Reisman;Lee Sullivan - Rosalie
[3:20] 27. Lud Guskin;Buddy Clark - Head Over Heels
[2:36] 28. The Merry Macs;Ray Noble - Slumming On Park Avenue
[2:39] 29. Guy Lombardo - Boo-Hoo
[2:47] 30. Russ Morgan;Mert Curtis - On A Little Dream Ranch
[3:02] 31. Larry Clinton;Dick Todd - Change Partners
[3:09] 32. Dick Jurgens;Eddy Howard - Don't Let That Moon Get Away
[2:38] 33. Hal Kemp;Judy Starr - I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams
[3:03] 34. Mitchell Ayers & Hs Fashions In Music - I'll Be Seeing You
[2:56] 35. Kay Kyser;Ginny Simms - Music, Maestro, Please
[2:58] 36. Paula Kelly;Dick Stabile - My Heart Is Taking Lessons
[2:49] 37. Ozzie Nelson;Harriet Hilliard - Says My Heart
[2:42] 38. Russ Morgan - You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[3:09] 39. Larry Clinton;Bea Wain - Love Is Here To Stay
[2:29] 40. Larry Cotton;Horace Heidt - This Can't Be Love
[2:39] 41. Swing & Sway;Sammy Kaye - The Umbrella Man
[3:33] 42. Hal Kemp;Bob Allen - Goodnight, Angel
[2:26] 43. Larry Clinton;Ford Leary - Jeepers Creepers
[2:52] 44. Kirby Brooks;Ray Herbeck - Here Comes The Night
[2:44] 45. Frankie Masters - Scatterbrain
[3:03] 46. Glen Gray;The Casa Loma Orchestra - Sunrise Serenade
[2:52] 47. Orrin Tucker - Wishing (Will Make It So)
[3:09] 48. Dolored O' Neill;Bob Chester - We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)
[2:59] 49. Swing & Sway;Sammy Kaye - Taking A Chance On Love
[2:28] 50. Dick Jurgens;Buddy Moreno - You Say The Sweetest Things, Baby
[2:32] 51. Ben Bernie - Au Revoir, Pleasant Dreams