We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1943, the third full calendar year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 98-track 4-CD set comprises almost every record which appeared in the Top 20 during the year - specifically it features the records which appeared in the Top 10 published in Billboard, plus those which are listed as having reached No. 11-20 in Joel Whitburn's well-known chart publications, which were based on analysis of regional charts. For reasons of space, it excludes those records which entered the Top 10 in 1942, and so are included in our existing 1942 collection, and also excludes a few titles for which mastering sources could not be found. One feature of this year was that the American Federation of Musicians' recording ban had come into force, and so there were a number of big hits which were performed a cappella, including some by Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes. In addition, the big names of the swing era were still very much in evidence, and among the big long-lasting No. 1s of the year were "I've Heard That Song Before" by Harry James & Helen Forrest, "Sunday Monday Or Always" by Bing Crosby and "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brothers. In between, a host of other big names made their presence felt - Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Dinah Shore and others - alongside many highly collectable lesser-known records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of a year when the USA was fully embroiled in WWII and there were plenty of patriotic and sentimental wartime hits to give a period flavour, with prolific hitmaker Glenn Miller epitomising that particular strand. It includes a 12,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Kay Kyser & His Orch. - Can't Get Out Of This Mood
- Benny Goodman & Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do Right
- Freddy Martin & His Orch. with Eddie Stone, Glenn Hughes & The Martin Men - A Touch Of Texas
- Dinah Shore - (As Long As You're Not In Love With Anyone Else) Why Don't You Fall In Love With Me
- Lucky Millinder & His Orch. With Trevor Bacon - When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)
- Johnny Mercer with Freddie Slack & His Orch. - I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
- Bing Crosby - Moonlight Becomes You
- Johnny Long Orchestra with Bob Houston & Helen Young - Why Don't You Fall In Love With Me
- Sammy Kaye & His Orch. with Nancy Norman - There Will Never Be Another You
- Harry James & His Orch. With Helen Forrest - I've Heard That Song Before
- Xavier Cugat & His Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra - Brazil (Aquarela Do Brasil)
- Glenn Miller & His Orch. With The Modernaires - Moonlight Mood
- Dinah Shore - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
- Ink Spots - Don't Get Around Much Anymore
- Bing Crosby - Constantly
- Ethel Merman - Move It Over
- Tommy Dorsey,Frank Sinatra/Pied Pipers - It Started All Over Again
- Judy Garland & Gene Kelly - For Me And My Gal
- Glenn Miller & His Orch. With Skip Nelson & The Modernaires - That Old Black Magic
- Jimmy Lytell & His All Star Seven With Savannah Churchill - Fat Meat Is Good Meat
Disc 2:
- Jimmy Wakely - There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
- Jacques Renard - As Time Goes By
- Shep Fields & His New Music with Ralph Young - Please Think Of Me
- Harry James & His Orch. - Velvet Moon
- Benny Goodman & His. Orch. with Helen Forrest - Taking A Chance On Love
- Dinah Shore - Murder, He Says
- Harry James & His Orch. - Prince Charming
- Vaughn Monroe & His. Orch. With The Four Lee Sisters - Let's Get Lost
- Willie Kelly & His Orch. - You'll Never Know
- Allen Miller & His Orchestra - It Can't Be Wrong
- Ray McKinley & His Orch. with Imogene Lynn - Big Boy
- Frank Sinatra with Harry James & His Orch. - All Or Nothing At All
- Song Spinners - Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer
- Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament"
Disc 3:
- Kay Kyser & His Orch. with Julie Conway - The Fuddy Duddy Watchmaker
- Count Basie & His Orch. With Lynne Sherman - All Of Me
- Tommy Dorsey & His Orch. with Frank Sinatra - In The Blue Of Evening
- The Song Spinners - Johnny Zero
- Woody Herman - Four Or Five Times
- Kay Kyser & His Orch. - Pushin' Sand
- Bob Crosby & His Orch. - Blue Surreal
- Tommy Dorsey & His Orch. with Frank Sinatra - It's Always You
- Freddie Slack & His. Orch - Riffette
- Harry James & His Orch. With Helen Forrest - I Heard You Cried Last Night
- Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners - In My Arms
- Freddie Slack & His Orch with Ella Mae Morse - Get On Board, Little Chillun
- Mills Brothers - Paper Doll
- Freddy Martin & His Orch. - (Theme from the) Warsaw Concerto
- Bing Crosby with The Ken Darby Singers - Sunday Monday Or Always
- Al Dexter & His Troopers - Pistol Packin' Mama
- Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners - Wait For Me Mary
- Dick Haymes - I Never Mention Your Name (Oh No)
- Erskine Hawkins (The Twentieth Century Gabriel) & His Orch. With Jimmy Mitchell - Don't Cry Baby
Disc 4:
- Frank Sinatra & Bobby Tucker Singers - Close To You
- Frank Sinatra & Bobby Tucker Singers - People Will Say We're In Love
- Benny Goodman & His Orch. - Mission To Moscow
- Frank Sinatra - Night And Day
- Perry Como - Goodbye Sue
- Dick Kuhn & His Orch. - Put Your Arms Around Me Honey (I Never Knew Any Girl Like You)
- Tommy Dorsey & His. Orch - Boogie Woogie
- Dick Haymes & Song Spinners - Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
- Glenn Miller & His Orch. with Ray Eberle - Blue Rain
- Bing Crosby & Trudy Erwin With The Sportsmen Glee Club - Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'
- Dick Haymes - I Heard You Cried Last Night (And So Did I)
- Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orch. with Eugenie Baird - My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)
- Jimmy Dorsey & His Orch. with Kitty Kallen - They're Either Too Young Or Too Old
- Bing Crosby with The Ken Darby Singers - If You Please
- Bing Crosby - I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)
- Glenn Miller Orch. - Rhapsody In Blue
- King Cole Trio - All For You
- Original Broadway Cast - Oklahoma
- Ella Mae Morse - Shoo-Shoo Baby
- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
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