The Best of Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra 1932-1934

Victor Young | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B0000A1LTN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,178 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You Can Make My Life A Bed Of Roses

2. A Day Without You

3. The Day You Came Along

4. Where Have We Met Before

5. Rise 'n' Shine

6. Riddle Me This

7. Dream Sweetheart

8. Two Tickets To Georgia

9. Along Came Love

10. My Darling

11. Sleep, Come On And Take Me

12. I'll String Along With You

13. Fair And Warmer

14. My Dog Loves Your Dog

15. Nasty Man

16. Take Me In Your Arms

17. Three Guesses

18. Tired

19. You Oughta Be In Pictures

20. Carolina

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Remarkably, this 2003 title is the very first CD to collect recordings by conductor Victor Young. The two dozen sides on this volume feature discs made with the renowned Brunswick Studio Orchestra. By the time that Young signed on with Brunswick Records, he had already established himself as a formidable arranger and bandleader, sporting successful sessions with Ben Pollack and His Orchestra, and Isham Jones; the latter on his landmark and definitive adaptation of the pop standard "Stardust." Young's trademark sound was already developing with highly affable melodies that are surprisingly intricate, as well as picking top-flight musicians who were able to further sonically embellish and round out the orchestration. The material covered offers a mixture of concurrent popular and show tunes -- which would foreshadow Young's future and his extensive cinematic work in the late '30s, '40s and '50s -- for which he would garner no less than 20 Oscar Award nominations. A majority of these songs were tailored as dance numbers and instantly recall the pre-big band jazz and ragtime of the early '30s. The light and bouncy "Rise 'n' Shine," "You Can Make My Life A Bed Of Roses" and the definitely non-drowsy rendering of "Sleep (Come On & Take Me)," are obligatory toe-tappers. They contrast the languid romance inherent in the bluesy "I've Got to Sing A Torch Song," and the lazy and rolling rhythm of "Take Me In Your Arms." Among the vocalists that Young worked with during this era: Paul Small, Dick Robertson, Frank Munn, Smith Ballew, Chick Bullock and Lynn Dori all contribute to this compilation. As one might anticipate, there were also a bevy of equally remarkable instrumental talents filtered through the Brunswick Studio Orchestra. Among the high profile personnel are the Dorsey Brothers Jimmy (sax/clarinet) and Tommy (trombone), Manny Klein (trumpet), Joe Venuti (violin), and Bunny Berigan (trumpet). This retrospective can be considered essential not only because it is the only one of its ilk; but also because it traces Victor Young's pre-Hollywood career in a wholly representative fashion. ~ Lindsay Planer, Rovi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For 30s Pop-Jazz Fans, April 21, 2005

By 

Thomas Bumbera (Maplewood, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra 1932-1934 (Audio CD)

This collection features the Brunswick "House Band" under Victor Young's direction, with all-star sidemen as noted above. Simply put, this beautifully-remastered set brings together some very hard-to-find depression recordings of popular hits of the era, and as such is a must-have for fans of 30s pop and jazz.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Generous collection of stylish thirties' dance music, November 21, 2009

By 

JJA Kiefte "Joost Kiefte" (Tegelen, Nederland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra 1932-1934 (Audio CD)

Only four of the 24 recordings in this set are actually credited to Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra. The informative liner notes mention that many titles that were recorded with Victor Young at the helm of the band were pseudonymously issued (although Abe Lyman, Smtih Ballew and Will Osborne had 'real' touring bands). No matter, the disc consists of delightful period items, some of which will be familiar to collectors of British Dance Bands, but there are very few over-recorded titles. The music is performed in typical period fashion, with Young showing a penchant for unusual instruments such as harp, vibraphone, oboe and even a rare hot solo on bass clarinet on the 1933 "Two Tickets To Georgia". All tunes contain the obligatory vocal refrain, quite a few by Smith Ballew and Chick Bullock, while Dick Robertson and Harlan Lattimore (labeled the 'Black Crosby', although he more resembles a husky Denny Dennis) and Paul Small (who sounds like George Barclay) put in appearances. The numbers are peppered with short solos by Joe Venuti, Bunny Berigan, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey (and even Big T on "A Day Without You"). Standout tracks are a haunting version of "You'll Never Get To Heaven That Way", the unlikely contender for musical immortality "My Dog Loves Your Dog", and the peppy "Two Tickets To Georgia" and "Rise 'n' Shine". As an alternative (or rather, an addition) to the British Dance Bands, a very welcome issue in excellent sound quality.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Tunes!, March 18, 2011

By 

David Keith "FurNTats" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of Victor Young & the Brunswick Studio Orchestra 1932-1934 (Audio CD)

Top class tunes. Love this music so much. It's a crying shame there's not more Victor Young CDs available. Timeless classic either these pop songs or his film work. A very romantic and lush happy sound. Our world needs more music like this!