101 Gang Songs

101 Gang Songs
Studio album by Bing Crosby
Released	1961
Recorded	December 20–28, 1960
Genre	Vocal
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Simon Rady
Bing Crosby chronology
Bing & Satchmo (1960) 101 Gang Songs (1960) Holiday in Europe (1961)

101 Gang Songs is a long-playing vinyl album recorded in December 1960 by Bing Crosby for his own company, Project Records and distributed by Warner Bros. (W 2R-1401) and the RCA Victor Record Club in 1961 with lyric sheets to help the listener join in with the singing. Spread over two vinyl LPs, the album consists of twenty four medleys of old songs in a singalong format. Bing Crosby sings on all of the tracks except those marked with an asterisk. The chorus and orchestra accompaniment, arranged and conducted by Jack Halloran, was pre-recorded with Crosby over-dubbing his vocals.

This double LP was also released as two separate single LPs under the titles, Join Bing in a Gang Song Sing Along in September 1961 and Join Bing and Sing Along-51 Good Time Songs in January 1962.^[1]

The albums have not yet been released on CD.

Reception

Variety magazine reviewed the album saying “Bing Crosby is slowly moving into Mitch Miller’s territory. Crosby’s first sing along package did quite well in the market and this compilation of 50 faves has a good chance to do even better. The formula is light and simple and with Crosby leading the way the songalog is easy to follow."^[2]

High Fidelity Magazine: "Mitch Miller may have started (or at least resurrected) the "sing-along" craze, but it has taken the Old Master to supply the definitive triumph of this genre. He's in his jauntiest form here, leading a usually robust chorus, backed by a vigorously steady rhythm section in performances which imperiously demand participation."^[3]

Track listing

PART ONE - SIDE ONE

1. ”Shine on Harvest Moon / That’s Where My Money Goes (R.P. Lilly, Walter Daniels) / Harrigan / Listen to the Mocking Bird” – 3.36
2. ”Flow Gently, Sweet Afton / Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms / Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” – 3.45
3. ”Sweet Rosie O’Grady (Maude Nugent) / My Sweetheart’s the Man in the Moon (James Thornton) / Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway (George M. Cohan ) / Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye"* (T. H. Allen) – 2.56
4. ”When the Saints Go Marching In / Little David, Play on Your Harp (Traditional) / Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho / Hand Me Down My Walking Cane / Ezekiel Saw the Wheel” – 3.12
5. ”While Strolling Through the Park One Day / Today Is Monday (Traditional) / Big Rock Candy Mountain / Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be? / Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?” – 3.31
6. “Annie Laurie / Loch Lomond / Bluebells of Scotland / Comin' Thro' the Rye” – 3.01

PART ONE - SIDE TWO

1. ”Hello, Ma Baby / The Girl I Left Behind Me / Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey? / Wait for the Wagon / Row, Row, Row Your Boat”* – 3.19
2. ”Sweet Adeline / On Top of Old Smokey / Down in the Valley / In The Good Old Summer Time”* – 3.36
3. ”This Old Man / Schnitzelbank / Pop Goes the Weasel / Careless Love” – 3.11
4. ”Li'l Liza Jane / Cindy / Where Did You Get That Hat? / So Long Mary (George M. Cohan) / Three Blind Mice” – 3.22
5. ”Anchors Aweigh / Tramp, Tramp, Tramp / Blow the Man Down / For He's a Jolly Good Fellow” – 2.46
6. ”Love's Old Sweet Song / Kathleen Mavourneen* / Juanita” – 3.51

PART TWO - SIDE ONE

1. ”My Wild Irish Rose (Chauncey Olcott) / Come Back to Erin (Claribel) / Killarney (Michael William Balfe, Edmund Falconer) / The Minstrel Boy” – 3.42
2. ”In the Gloaming (Annie Fortescue Harrison, Meta Orred) / Stars of the Summer Night* (Isaac B. Woodbury) / Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming (Stephen Foster)” – 3.35
3. ”Little Annie Rooney / Du, du liegst mir im Herzen / Ach Du Lieber Augustine / Lovely Evening / Goodnight to You All” – 3.25
4. ”She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain / Our Boys Will Shine Tonight / The Gospel Train / Walk Together Children (Traditional) / The Nut-Brown Maid” – 3.23
5. ”Casey Jones / Polly Wolly Doodle / The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo / I've Been Working on the Railroad / Asleep in the Deep” – 3.55
6. "Battle Hymn of the Republic / When Johnny Comes Marching Home / America the Beautiful" – 3.16

PART TWO - SIDE TWO

1. ”There is a Tavern in the Town / Oh! Susanna / Maryland, My Maryland / Carry Me Back to Old Virginny / The Bear Went Over the Mountain” – 3.12
2. "Gumtree Canoe (A..F Winnemore, S.S. Steele) / Dear Evelina (Traditional) / Sweet and Low"* (Joseph Barnby, Alfred, Lord Tennyson) – 3.13
3. ”My Gal Sal (Paul Dresser) / I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard (Henry W. Petrie / Philip Wingate) / School Days* / Abdul Abulbul Amir” – 3.25
4. "Heaven, Heaven" / "Mary, Don't You Weep" / "Jacob's Ladder"* / "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" / "Roll, Jordan, Roll" – 3.24
5. "O Sole Mio"(Giovanni Capurro, Eduardo di Capua) / "Funiculì, Funiculà" (Luigi Denza, Edward Oxenford) / "My Grandfather's Clock" (Henry Clay Work) / "Keemo Kimo" (Traditional) – 3.43
6. "Sweet Genevieve (Henry Tucker) / Santa Lucia / In the Evening by the Moonlight (James A. Bland) / Goodnight Ladies" – 3.33

• *Non-Bing – orchestra and chorus only

References

1. "bingcrosby.com". bingcrosby.com. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
2. "Variety magazine". August 2, 1961.
3. "High Fidelity (magazine)". High Fidelity (magazine) 10 (Issue 7-12). 1961.