A Bing Crosby Discography
 
Part 1d - The "V" Discs

Taken from a film promotional recording for 'The Birth Of The Blues'
Mastered around Sept - Oct 1945. Resultant V Disc issued November 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), The Music Maids (vbk)

Mastered from the Decca Studio recording of 16 June 1941 matrix DLA2437-A.
Mastered around Oct - Nov.1944. Resultant V Disc issued December 1944

Bing Crosby (voc), Chorus (vgr), Orchestra (orc)

The origins of this recording are unclear

Mastered from Command Performance of 24 February 1943.
Mastered around August - Sep 1943. Resultant V Disc issued October 1943

'You Are My Sunshine' on COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC is not in fact the V Disc version but from Decca DLA 2515A

The masters are said by some to be from a Dinah Shore show of August 1943 but comparisons between the V disc and recordings of CP 54 seem conclusive

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from Kraft Music Hall Broadcast of 1 April 1943.
Mastering dates unknown.

Bing Crosby (voc), The Charioteers (vgr), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), James Sherman (pno)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 15 April 1943.
Mastered around Feb - Mar. 1944. Resultant V Disc issued April 1944

Bing Crosby (voc), Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (orc)

V-Disc 28-B mastered August 1943 from Command Performance 71 of 19 June 1943

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from a rehearsal for the KMH broadcast of 29 July 1943
COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC uses the Brunswick master SF-11-A instead of the V-Disc.
Mastered around Dec 1943 - Jan 1944. Resultant V Disc issued February 1944

Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore (voc), Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra (orc)

Said to be taken from a Dinah Shore programme
Prepared for V Disc but not issued

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 5 August 1943, with "What Do You Do In The Infantry" being from a rehearsal for that show.
Mastered around Dec 1943 - Jan 1944. Resultant V Disc issued February 1944

'Moonlight Bay' on COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC is not in fact the V Disc version but from Philco show of 16 October 1946

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 12 August 1943.
Mastering date unknown.
The recording on COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC is not in fact the V Disc version but from the KMH show of 2 September 1943

Bing Crosby (voc), The Charioteers (vgr), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 26 August 1943.
Mastered around Dec 1943 - Jan 1944. Resultant V Disc issued February 1944

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Chorus (vbk)

Titles mastered from KMH broadcast of 14 October 1943.
'A Yank In a Tank' is not the same as 'A Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank' by Hoagy Carmichael.
COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC confused the two and used a KMH performance of 'A Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank'
Mastered around Dec 1943 - Jan 1944. Resultant V Disc issued February 1944

"One Alone" mastered from AFRS broadcast of 22 November 1943.
"Poinciana" appears to be dubbed from Decca master L 3202-B of 1 October 1943
Mastered around July- Aug 1945. Resultant V Disc issued September 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 18 May 1944.
Mastered around June - July 1944. Resultant V Disc issued August 1944

Mastered at unknown date from the KMH performance of 25 May 1944.

Bing Crosby (voc), Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from NBC Radio "Your All Time Hit Parade" broadcast of 18 June 1944.
Small Fry mastered around Jul - Aug 1944. Resultant V Disc issued September1944
Pennies From Heaven mastered around Aug - Sept 1944. Resultant V Disc issued October1944

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered form KMH broadcast of 22 June 1944.
Mastered around Sept- Oct 1944. Resultant V Disc issued November 1944

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 29 June 1944.
Mastered around Sept- Oct 1944. Resultant V Disc issued November 1944

Bing Crosby (voc), The Andrews Sisters (vgr), Vic Schoen and his Orchestra (orc)

Re-mastered from Decca studio recording L3449-A.
Remastering date unknown.

Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra (orc)

There are doubts about the origins oif this recording and the accompaniment.

The version on the CD set "COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC" is identical to the KMH broadcast of 6 July 1944 with John Scott Trotter and is certainly incorrect in drawing on that.

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 13 July 1944.
Mastered around Sept- Oct 1944. Resultant V Disc issued November 1944

Bing Crosby, Johnny Mercer (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra (orc)

Stated to be from 'Johnny Mercer's Music Shop' radio show.
Prepared for V-Disc but not issued as such

Mastered from the rehearsal for the KMH broadcast of 16 November 1944.
Mastering date unknown.
The Charioteers performed 'Skeleton in the Closet. Bing does not participate but gives an introduction on the V Disc. It is probable that V disc version of this title (alone) is from a rehearsal, not the final broadcast.

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 23 November 1944.
Mastering date unknown.
The Last Rose Of Summer is introduced by Bing on the V-Disc but he does not perform.

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 30 November 1944.
Mastered around Dec 1944 - Jan 1945. Resultant V Disc issued February 1945

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 7 December 1944.
Mastering date unknown.

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Choir (chr)

Mastered from KMH of 14 December 1944
Mastering date unknown

Mastered from 21 Dec. 1944 Kraft Music Hall.
Mastering date unknown.

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 28 December 1944.
The two matrices of "Let's Take the Long Way Home" and "Strange Music" are in fact of the same performance but were separately mastered for the Army and Navy issues

Mastered around Jan - Feb 1945. Resultant V Disc issued March 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), Chorus (vgr), Organ (org)

Prepared for V Disc from an Army Signal Corps film soundtrack but
'By The Waters Of Minnetonka', 'Swinging On A Star', 'To-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral' and 'El Rancho Grande' not issued as such.

'Wait Til The Sun Shines Nellie' and 'In The Good Old Summertime' also issued on a Sing-Along record, mx VP1254-B42370
'By the Waters Of Minnetonka' and 'Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral' issued on Sing Along Record matrix VP1255-B42371
'El Rancho Grande', 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' and 'Swinging On A Star' issued on Sing Along Record matrix VP1256-B42372.
'For Me and My Gal' issued on a Sing-Along record mx VP1257-B42373

Bing Crosby (voc), Chorus (vgr), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from the KMH broadcast of 11 January 1945.
Mastered around Oct - Nov 1945. Resultant V Disc issued December 1945

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 18 January 1945.
Mastered around Oct - Nov 1945. Resultant V Disc issued December 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Choir (vbk)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 25 January 1945.
Mastered around Oct - Nov 1945. Resultant V Disc issued December 1945
'Only Forever' on COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC is not in fact the V Disc version but from Decca DLA2033A

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 8 March 1945 though there could be doubts as to the origins of 'Dear Old Girl'
My Heart and I mastered around June - July 1945. Resultant V Disc issued August 1945
Mastering date for Dear Old Girl unknown

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 15 March 1945.
Mastered around June - July 1945. Resultant V Disc issued August 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Choir (vbk)

Mastered from KMH of 22 March 1945
Mastered around June - July 1945. Resultant V Disc issued August 1945

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Choir (vbk)

Possibly mastered from rehearsal for KMH broadcast of 26 April 1945.
Mastered around Nov - Dec 1944. Resultant V Disc issued January 1945

a, b, c performed as medley.

Mastered from KMH broadcast of 17 May 1945.
Mastering date unknown.

Bing Crosby (voc), Chorus (vbk), Perry Botkin (gtr)

Mastered from what appears to be a rehearsal for KMH of 7 February 1946
Mastering date unknown

In The Land Of Beginning Again mastered from a rehearsal for KMH broadcast of 14 February 1946.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow probably from the same broadcast.
Mastering date unknown.

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Eddy Duchin (pno), Bob Hope (Int)

Mastered from the rehearsal for the KMH broadcast of 28 February 1946.
Mastered around Sept. -Oct 1946. Resultant V Disc issued November 1946

Both titles are from a rehearsal for the KMH broadcast of 14 March 1946.
Mastered around May - June 1946. Resultant V Disc issued July 1946
The CD issue COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC names "Dear Old Donegal" as "Back To Donegal"

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), The Charioteers (vbk)

Mastered from KMH programme 21 March 1946.
Mastered around June - July 1946. Resultant V Disc issued August 1946

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc), Chorus (vbk)

Possibly taken from a rehearsal for the KMH broadcast of 4 April 1946
Mastered around Jul - Aug 1946. Resultant V Disc issued September 1946

Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Two conflicting sources suggest either that the V-Disc used the Decca master L4248A with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra or a film recording from 'Blue Skies'.
I have not heard the original and cannot comment.
Mastered around Nov. -Dec. 1947. Resultant V Disc issued Januray 1948

Mastered from Philco Radio Time of 25 December 1946.
Mastering date around July- August 1947. Resultan V- Disc issued September 1947

Bing Crosby, Al Jolson (voc), John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from Philco Radio Time broadcast of 15 January 1947.
Mastered around March - April 1947. Resultant V Disc issued May 1947

Bing Crosby, Dennis Day, Andy Devine, Dick Haymes (voc), Phil Harris And His Orchestra (orc)

Mastered from "The Jack Benny Show Lucky Strike Radio Show" on NBC radio.
Mastering date unknown.

Taken from Philco broadcast of 7 May 1947, "Easter Parade" from a rehearsal for that show.
Mastering date unknown

'Country Style' on COLLECTORS' CHOICE (US) CD: 6 17742 66512 3 — BING CROSBY - V DISC is not in fact the V Disc version but from Decca L4329

Bing Crosby (voc), Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires (vgr)

Mastered from Philco show of 3 November 1948
Mastering date unknown