[78-L] Glenn Miller

[DAVID BURNHAM]

I'm currently in Orlando, Florida and nowhere near my records so I can't get very detailed.  But I'd like to mention that the CD edition of the AAF band which came out a couple of years ago has very fine sound, far better than I remember from the LPs.

There are two other sets, one of which is called, (I think), "The Secret Recordings", or something like that.  These were recorded in Britain and their sound is unbelievable!  They are only mono, of course, but their sound is closer to that of the 60s than the 40s.  I was completely blown away when I first heard them.  I've played them for Miller aficionados who couldn't believe they were not of a modern band playing Miller tunes.

It is too bad when a tune which starts life as a revolutionary hit gets played so often that everyone gets tired of hearing it and then blames the tune itself for the weariness it inspires.  This has happened with "Rock Around the Clock", "White Christmas", Beethoven's 5th, Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto and countless other pieces, such as "In the Mood".  The original Bluebird recording of this is, in my opinion, not very exciting - mainly because of the sound and the lack of punch in the recording.  But I've heard modern bands play the arrangement, (by modern I mean bands since the 60s), which inspire real excitement, such as Ray McKinley, whoever did it in the Time Life set of LPs and many others, including live performances by the New Glenn Miller Orchestra, (Canadian).  That band's performance brought the audience to its feet when the tune started and kept them there throughout and it was a genuine response to an exciting performance.  Most of
 the people in that audience probably never heard the original 78.

db