Bob Crosby

'It's Not a Secret Anymore'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Anson Weeks Orchestra

Crosby's first-known recording

20 June 1933   Matrix SF 55 A   Brunwick 6604

Composition: Ralph Blue / Al Hoffman / Charlie Kisco

'Waitin' at the Gate for Katy'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Anson Weeks Orchestra

7 March 1934   Matrix LA 138 A   Brunwick 6795

Music: Richard A. Whiting   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

'I'm Getting Sentimental Over You'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra

7 March 1934   Matrix LA 138 A   Brunwick 6795

Music: Richard A. Whiting   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

Crosby put together his first orchestra in 1935 with previous members of the Ben Pollack Orchestra. His initial tracks with that outfit were recorded for Decca on June 1, 1935 in NYC: 'Flowers for Madame' (Decca 478), 'The Dixieland Band' (Decca 479), 'In a Little Gypsy Tea Room' (Decca 478) and 'Beale Street Blues' (Decca 479). 'Flowers for Madame' reached #12 on the popularity charts. Crosby topped the charts at #1 three times: 'In a Little Gypsy Tea Room' in 1935, 'Whispers in the Dark' in 1937 and 'Day In, Day Out' in 1939. 'Whispers in the Dark' was his overall best-selling title [TsorT]. Crosby's Top Ten titles follow below:

    In a Little Gypsy Tea Room   1935   #1
   Goody Goody   1936   #7
   Whispers in the Dark   1937   #1
   Deep in a Dream   1938   #10
   Blue Orchids   1939   #8
   Can I Help It?   1939   #8
   Day In, Day Out   1939   #1
   Lilacs in the Rain   1939   #3
   Over the Rainbow   1939   #2
   What's New?   1939   #10
   I've Got My Eyes on You   April 1940   #9   Sung by Marion Mann
   Leanin' on the Ole Top Rail   April 1940   #7
   With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair   April 1940   #7   Sung by Marion Mann
   Down Argentina Way   Dec 1940   #2   Sung by Bonnie King

'In a Little Gypsy Tea Room'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Bob Crosby Orchestra

1 June 1935   Matrix 39564-A   Decca 478

Composition: Joe Burke / Edgar Leslie

'Goody Goody'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Bob Crosby Orchestra

27 Feb 1936   Matrix 60584-A   Decca 727

Composition: Matt Malneck / Johnny Mercer

Crosby gave his first performance with his Dixieland octet, the Bob Cats, on November 13, 1937 [Yanow]. His Bob Cats were a band within a band drawn from his orchestra. They never recorded together, but it was with Crosby's Bob Cats that Doris Day first performed at age 16 at the Beach Club at Conneaut Lake Park in Pennsylvania on 24 June 1940. That gig may or may not have lasted the summer, but Day was soon off to the Les Brown organization.

'Martha' ('Ah! So Pure')   Connie Boswell vocal w the Bob Cats

13 Nov 1937 in Los Angeles   Matrix DLA1066-A   Decca 1600

Trumpet: Yank Lawson   Trombone: Warren Smith

Clarinet: Matty Matlock / Eddie Miller (tenor sax)

Piano: Bob Zurke   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition: Friedrich von Flotow

'Home on the Range'   Connie Boswell vocal w the Bob Cats

13 Nov 1937 in Los Angeles   Matrix DLA1067-A   Decca 1600

Trumpet: Yank Lawson   Trombone: Warren Smith

Clarinet: Matty Matlock / Eddie Miller (tenor sax)

Piano: Bob Zurke   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition

'South Rampart Street Parade'   The Bob Crosby Orchestra

16 Nov 1937 in Los Angeles   Matrix DLA-1090-A   Decca 15038

Trumpet: Charlie Spivak / Yank Lawson / Billy Butterfield

Trombone: Ward Silloway / Warren Smith

Clarinet / sax: Matty Matlock (alto) / Eddie Miller (tenor)

Alto sax: Joe Kearns   Tenor sax: Gil Rodin

Piano: Bob Zurke   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition: Bob Haggart / Ray Bauduc / Bob Crosby

'Summertime'   The Bob Crosby Orchestra

21 Oct 1938 in Chicago   Matrix 91550-A   Decca 2205

Composition: George Gershwin / DuBose Heyward   1934 for the 1935 opera 'Porgy and Bess'

'Over the Rainbow'   Teddy Grace vocal w the Bob Crosby Orchestra

24 July 1939 in NYC   Matrix 65998-A   Decca 2657 / Ajaz 246

Composition: Harold Arlen / F.Y. Harburg

'The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise'   The Bob Crosby Orchestra

29 Aug 1939 in NYC   Matrix 66222-A   Decca 2734

Music: Ernest Seitz   1918   Lyrics: Gene Lockhart

'That Da-Da Strain'   Bob Crosby and His Bob Cats

29 Jan 1942 in Los Angeles   Matrix DLA-2867-A   Decca 25293

Trumpet: Yank Lawson   Trombone: Floyd O'Brien

Clarinet: Matty Matlock   Tenor sax: Eddie MIller

Piano: Jess Stacey   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition: Edgar Dowell / Mamie Medina

Radio, of course, was a major venue for Crosby, airing 'The Bob Cosby Show' from 1943 to 1950, then 'Club Fifteen' from 1947 to 1953. He entered the U.S. Marines in 1944, leading a military band as a lieutenant in Hawaii and the Pacific theater. He also hosted a television show, 'The Bob Crosby Show' airing for CBS from 1953 to 1957, then NBC in 1958. It was 13 July of 1985 when Crosby put up his last-known tracks with his orchestra toward the double plate album, 'The Bob Crosby Golden Anniversary Tribute', at a concert in Balboa Park, San Diego.

'Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Bob Crosby Orchestra

Nov 1945 in Hollywood   Matrix 1110-3A   ARA 129

Trumpet: Claude Bowen / Jack Mootz / Jack Holmes / Quig Quigley

Trombone: Warren Smith / Bud Jenkins / Walter Benson / Bill Hearn

Alto sax: Clint Neagley / Sid Bender (clarinet)

Tenor sax: Don Brassfield / Frank Myers   Baritone sax: Bob Lawson

Piano: Ernie Hughes   Guitar: Bob Bain

Bass: Eddie Gilbert   Drums: Jimmy Felton

Composition: Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn   July 1945

'Rainbow Gal'   Bob Crosby vocal w the Bob Cats and Bob-O-Links

6 Sep 1950 in Los Angeles   Matrix L 5825   Coral 60312

Composition: Jack Gold / Redd Evans

'Let's Do It Again'   Bob Crosby vocal w Bing Crosby

Radio broadcast of 15 Nov 1950   'The Chesterfield Show'

Orchestra led by John Scott Trotter   Backing vocals by The Rhythmaires

Composition: Jack Gold / Redd Evans

'Tweedle Dee'   Bob Crosby vocal w Kay Brown and The Modernaires

Television: 'The Bob Crosby Show' 2 June 1955

Composition: Winfield Scott   1954 for Lavern Baker

'Petite Fleur'   Bob Crosby and His Bob Cats   Album

'Petite Fleur' recorded 10 Jan 1959 in NYC   The later remainder unknown

See DLP 3170

'Petite Fleur' composed by Sidney Bechet

'Night Theme'   Bob Crosby and His Bob Cats

Sometime 1959   Matrix 15303   Dot 16141

Composition: Wayne Cogswell / Ray Peterson

'Summertime'   Bob Crosby and His Bob Cats

18 Nov 1966 at The Rainbow Grill in NYC

Issued on the album 'Live! At The Rainbow Grill' per Monmouth Evergreen MES6815

Trumpet: Yank Lawson

Trombone: Lou McGarity   Clarinet: Matty Matlock

Tenor sax: Eddie Miller   Piano: Ralph Sutton

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Don Lamond

Composition: George Gershwin / DuBose Heyward   1934 for the 1935 opera 'Porgy and Bess'

'Mardi Gras Parade'   Bob Crosby and His Bob Cats

18 Nov 1966 at The Rainbow Grill in NYC

Issued on the album 'Mardi Gras Parade' per Monmouth Evergreen MES7026

Trumpet: Yank Lawson

Trombone: Lou McGarity   Clarinet: Matty Matlock

Tenor sax: Eddie Miller   Piano: Ralph Sutton

Bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Don Lamond

Composition: Bob Haggart / Ray Bauduc

Married twice toward six children, Crosby died of cancer on 9 March 1993 in La Jolla, California [obit].