Benny GOODMAN - Music Makers - 50 Classic Original Recordings in a Day

The Rhythm Makers Transcriptions: There are 50 tracks in the NBC series of transcriptions that have been identified as being by the Goodman Orchestra. To provide so large a number, even over a period, would tax any organisation and thus it was for Goodman. The band book at the time was growing steadily but could not be stretched to provide the number of tunes that were needed. Goodman combed his archives and his arrangers got to work to produce what was needed. The bulk of the work fell to Skip Martin and Fletcher Henderson but charts were commissioned from Dean Kincaide and Joe Lippman as well. The tracks are all taken at dance tempos, usually quick-step or fox-trot, and there are no waltzes or Latin-American rhythms. It was first considered that the 50 tracks must have been made over a few sessions. Because of their nature, transcriptions were usually made in one "take" for each tune in order to keep costs down. However, it was subsequently established that all 50 tracks were recorded in one day in a session that lasted from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm with a one hour break for lunch at 1.15 pm. That is seven hours of recording time and it produced just on two and a half hours of usable material. The band members were paid one dollar per track for their day’s work. But then, 50 dollars was a fair amount of money at the time.

Track Listing

Disc One
1 MAKIN' WHOOPEE
2 POOR BUTTERFLY
3 BALLAD IN BLUE
4 CHANGES
5 I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU
6 MEDLEY: MOOD INDIGO / SOPHISTICATED LADY
7 I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE
8 YES ! WE HAVE NO BANANAS
9 ROSE ROOM
10 I NEVER KNEW
11 LOVE DROPPED IN FOR TEA
12 FAREWELL BLUES
13 PARDON MY LOVE
14 I WAS LUCKY
15 IF I COULD BE WITH YOU
16 THE DARKTOWN STRUTTERS' BALL
17 ST. LOUIS BLUES
18 INDIANA
19 I SURRENDER DEAR
20 BUGLE CALL RAG
21 CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS ?
22 LIFE IS A SONG
23 SWEET LITTLE YOU
24 BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
25 ROYAL GARDEN BLUES

Disc Two
1 SWEET AND LOVELY
2 THREE LITTLE WORDS
3 SUGAR FOOT STOMP
4 WHEN WE'RE ALONE - PENTHOUSE SERENADE
5 DEVIL IN THE MOON
6 JINGLE BELLS
7 RESTLESS
8 SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY
9 WRAPPIN' IT UP
10 ROSETTA
11 YOU CAN DEPEND ON ME
12 ANYTHING GOES
13 I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU
14 KING PORTER STOMP
15 DIGA DIGA DOO
16 DOWN BY THE RIVER
17 EVERY LITTLE MOMENT
18 STAR DUST
19 DEAR OLD SOUTHLAND
20 I'M A DING DONG DADDY FROM DUMAS
21 LOVELY TO LOOK AT
22 SHE'S A LATIN FROM MANHATTAN
23 I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
24 STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY
25 DOWN SOUTH CAMP MEETIN'