The 8th May 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of VE Day - Victory In Europe Day - when the Allied forces formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany, signalling the end of the war in Europe. It was an emotional and momentous day for the populations of all the countries which had committed their armed forces, often young men who had been conscripted from their civilian life to risk their lives in the cause of what was rightly seen as a crucial fight for freedom and a new world order. One of things which helped those forces, and their loved ones at home, was the popular music of the time, ranging from rousing patriotic songs to sentimental ballads of longing, which articulated the agony of separation and potential loss. This 50-track 2-CD set brings together hit recordings from the USA and UK which were part of that soundtrack to the war effort, and most of which were big chart hits in the USA (the UK did not yet have a records sales chart). From emotional classics like Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" and "White Cliffs Of Dover" through the swing hits of Glen Miller which kept people dancing through the dark times, to the songs of longing and the rousing exhortations of patriotic anthems, it captures the unique spirit of the times. It closes with the announcements of the victory by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Harry S. Truman. Even for those who were not around at the time it's an evocative souvenir to commemorate a key moment in modern history.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Vera Lynn - We'll Meet Again (GBSUW0723068)
- Glenn Miller Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade (GBSUW0712218)
- Gracie Fields - Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye (GBSUW1101941)
- Kate Smith - God Bless America (GBSUW1516166)
- Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen & His Orch. - I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time (GBSUW0721166)
- Kay Kyser & His Orchestra with Harry, Ginny, Jack & Max - Til Reveille (GBSUW0714948)
- Sammy Kaye - Remember Pearl Harbor (GBSUW1620157)
- The Andrews Sisters - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (GBSUW0721139)
- Glenn Miller & His Orchestra - A String Of Pearls (GBSUW0712023)
- Vera Lynn - The White Cliffs Of Dover (GBSUW0723066)
- Harry James & His Orchestra - I Don't Want To Walk Without You (GBSUW0712683)
- Benny Goodman & His Orchestra with Peggy Lee - Somebody Else Is Taking My Place (GBSUW0704294)
- Ethel Merman - We'll Be Singing Hallelujah (Marching Through Berlin) (GBSUW1943647)
- Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians - Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland (GBSUW1620188)
- Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers - Just As Though You Were Here (GBSUW1620191)
- Glenn Miller & His Orchestra - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) (GBSUW1937662)
- Kay Kyser & His Orchestra - He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings (GBSUW1620194)
- Harry James & His Orchestra with Jimmy Saunders - One Dozen Roses (GBSUW0712653)
- Jimmy Dorsey Orch. With Bob Eberly - This Is Worth Fighting For (GBSUW1724430)
- Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra - I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen (GBSUW0720872)
- Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra - When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) (GBSUW0723048)
- Spike Jones & His City Slickers - Der Fuehrer's Face (GBSUW1620214)
- Kay Kyser & His Orchestra - Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition (GBSUW1620213)
- Judy Garland & Gene Kelly - For Me And My Gal (GBSUW1722746)
- Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners - You'll Never Know (GBSUW0708202)
Disc 2:
- Harry James & Helen Forrest - I've Heard That Song Before (GBSUW0712726)
- Ink Spots - Don't Get Around Much Anymore (GBSUW0721661)
- Bing Crosby - I'll Be Home For Christmas (GBSUW0705775)
- Rudy Vallee - As Time Goes By (GBSUW0719393)
- The Song Spinners - Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer (GBSUW0722162)
- Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orch. With Eugenie Baird - My Shining Hour (GBSUW1825445)
- Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra - I'll Be Seeing You (GBSUW0722599)
- Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest - Long Ago And Far Away (GBSUW1518061)
- Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters - Vict'ry Polka (GBSUW0706058)
- Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - G.I. Jive (GBSUW1825481)
- Dinah Shore - I'll Walk Alone (GBSUW1721210)
- Russ Morgan & His Orch. - Goodnight, Wherever You Are (GBSUW1825486)
- Betty Hutton - It Had To Be You (GBSUW1825499)
- Red Foley - Smoke On The Water (GBSUW1410678)
- Anne Shelton - Lili Marlene (GBSUW1937874)
- Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters - There'll Be A Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin (When The Yanks Go Marching In) (GBSUW0706054)
- Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive (GBSUW1513116)
- Les Brown Orch. With Doris Day - Sentimental Journey (GBSUW0708812)
- Tony Pastor & His Orch. with Ruth McCullough - Bell Bottom Trousers (GBSUW1829965)
- Perry Como - Till The End Of Time (GBSUW0718567)
- Four Clefs - V-Day Stomp (GBSUW1943648)
- Bing Crosby with Carmen Cavallero At The Piano - I Can't Begin To Tell You (GBSUW0705761)
- Harry James and His Orch. with Kitty Kallen - It's Been A Long Long Time (GBSUW1829213)
- Winston Churchill - Announcement of unconditional surrender VE Day (GBSUW1943649)
- Harry S. Truman - Harry S. Truman Announces Victory Over Germany 1945 (GBSUW1943650)
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