American Army V-Discs: Les Disques De La Victoire 1943-1949

Pressed between 1943 and 1949, V Discs (or Victory Discs) boosted the morale of U.S. soldiers at the warfront and kept them up to date with the latest music from home. They were freely distributed but forbidden for sale, and the FBI would even have powers to destroy all copies in circulation at war's end. Every great artist of the period made a patriotic gesture, and the records contained every genre: jazz, classical, pop, blues and folk. Jazz was fashionable then and took the lion's share; it became an emblem for the liberators of Europe before spreading across the world. This 4CD set compiled by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol is a portrait in sound of American music trends during World War II, but it also reserves surprises in the form of some fantastic treasures, like the very first version of Louis Prima's international standard, "Just A Gigolo", and messages to the troops sent by the artists themselves. Patrick FREMEAUX

Disc 1
1: Put Your Arms Around Me Honey - Bea Wain & Orchestra
2: Sing, Sing, Sing Pt. 1&2 - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
3: You Are My Sunshine - Bing Crosby
4: Stars and Stripes Forever - Arturo Toscanini & NBC Symphony
5: Our Director - The Goldman Band
6: Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
7: Victory Polka - Kay Kyser & His Orchestra
8: The House I Live In - Earl Robinson
9: Pistol Packin' Mama - Don Redman & His Orchestra
10: Clair De Lune - Stokowski & the Philadelphia Orchestra
11: You've Got a Hold On Me - Frank Sinatra
12: Rock Daniel - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
13: Message & the Charms of the City Ain't Fer Me - Robinson Carson
14: By the River of the Roses - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
15: Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup - Bing Crosby
16: When I Love, I Love - Carmen Miranda
17: Yeah Man - Count Basie and His Orchestra
18: Message & Flyin' Home - Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra
19: Mexican Hot Dance - Les Brown & His Orchestra
20: Sleepy Town Train - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
21: Ritual Fire Dance - Rubinstein Arthur
22: Poor Butterfly - Benny Goodman Trio
23: Sharp As a Tack - Harry James & his Orchestra

Disc 2
1: Gypsy Polka - Bill Gale
2: Special Delivery Stomp - Gramercy Five
3: When Our Hearts Were Young and Gay - Jo Stafford
4: Strip Polka - Johnny Mercer
5: White Christmas - Charlie Spivak & His Orchestra
6: Message & Robin Hood - Louis Prima & His Orchestra
7: Miss You - Claude Lucas & His Orchestra
8: Sleep - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
9: Foo a Little Ballyhoo - Cab Calloway
10: American Doughboy - The United States Army Air Forces Band
11: Ain't Goin No Place - Peggy Lee & Her Band
12: Into Each Life - Ella Fitzgerald with the Ink Spots
13: Alec Templeton Impressions - Alec Templeton
14: Walkin' in the Light - The Deep River Boys
15: Minuetto - Aaftac Symphonette
16: Caribbean Fantasy - The Usaaf Band
17: Rosetta - V-Disc All-Star Jam Session
18: I Begged Her - Frank Sinatra
19: Love Has Wings - Rise Stevens
20: Corns for My Country - The Andrew Sisters
21: Cancel the Flowers - The Charioteers
22: Message & Lonesome Road - 334th Army Service Forces Orchestra
23: It's Dawn Again - The Three Suns
24: Cielito Lindo - The Mills Brothers

Disc 3
1: Plaisir D'amour - Marcelle Denya
2: Red River Valley - The Andrew Sisters
3: Can't Talk It Over - Louis Armstrong & the V-Disc All-Stars
4: Message & No Name - Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra
5: September in the Rain - James Harris
6: Can't Talk It Over - Red McKenzie & the V-Disc All-Stars
7: Blue Danube - Spike Jones & His City Slickers
8: How High the Moon - The Les Paul Trio
9: Just a Gogolo (I Ain't Got Nobody) - Louis Prima and His Orchestra
10: It's a Long Way to Tipperary - Bob Crosby and his V-Disc Bob Cats
11: Homesick, That's All - Frank Sinatra
12: I'll Always Be in Love With You - Ella Fitzgerald and her Special Servers
13: Last Party - Sam Donahue and the Navy Dance Band
14: The Shrimp Man - Jimmy Mundy
15: Love Is Just Around the Corner - The V-Disc Jumpers
16: Ave Maria - Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra
17: Ride On - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra
18: I Had a Hat - The Three Jesters
19: Message & She's Funny That Way - Art Tatum
20: Circus Polka - Igor Strawinsky & the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
21: All of Me - The Les Paul Trio
22: Crazy Rhythm - The Three Suns

Disc 4
1: Come to the Fair - Carol Brice
2: Frankie & Johnnie, Pt. 1&2 - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
3: Message & Mad About the Boy - Lena Horne
4: Drop Me Off in Harlem - Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra
5: Silent Night - Nelson Eddy
6: Devil, Devil, Devil - Les Brown and His Orchestra
7: Get the Blues When It Rains - Peggy Lee & Les Paul Trio
8: Quiet Riot - Buddy Rich and His Orchestra
9: I'm Checkin'out, Goom-bye - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
10: I'll See You in My Dreams - Ella Fitzgerald and Her V-Disc Boys
11: Hate Myself - Buddy Weed
12: Skrontch - Catalina Sextette
13: Lester Leaps - Lester Young
14: Ma Pomme - Maurice Chevalier
15: Bloop Bleep - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
16: Over the Rainbow - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
17: Woody Woodpecker Song - Kay Kyser and His Orchestra
18: Message & You Gotta See Your Mama Every Night - Kay Starr
19: Cigarettes, Whysky and Wild, Wild Women - Red Ingle and the Natural Seven
20: Inflation Song - Victor Borge
21: Chicago - Frankie Carle
22: Three Little Words - Raymond Scott Quintet
23: A Night at the Deuces - Randy Brooks and his Orchestra

Number of Discs: 4

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