[78-L] The Christmas Songs

[Taylor Bowie]

I must come to the defense of Stuart Allen,  who made so many fine vocals 
with Richard Himber,  1935-39.  I always think of him as a baritone pushing 
himself to sing in the tenor range...I don't think there could have been a 
better vocalist for the classic Himber sound and that includes Joey Nash.

There is something veddy upper-crust,  upper East Side about his 
style...Allen sounds like he even rehearses in a tux...great singer with 
great phrasing as well,  sez I.

Taylor


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: [78-L] The Christmas Songs


> Steven C. Barr wrote:
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Martha" <MLK402 at verizon.net>
>>> I knew someone (now deceased) who thought Todd (pronounced "Tawd") was 
>>> the
>>> bee's knees, and he must have played All Around The Xmas Tree every time 
>>> I
>>> visited...  I think he liked Dick Todd because the "Poor Man's Crosby" 
>>> was
>>> on cheaper labels.   I  still think Todd sounds like a bad imitation of
>>> Bob
>>> Crosby, badly imitating his brother's early 30s style.
>>> Did Todd also record this on another label?
>>>
>> I THINK (may be wrong?) that he recorded at least two sides for Compo as
>> "The Canadian Crosby" (not on the label!). These are VERY good copies of
>> Bing...?! MAY have been Vic(C)?!
>>
>> Steven C. Barr
>>
>
> Actually you have that disc..it's on buff Bluebird. It was issued on BB in 
> the
> states, from dubbed masters. Todd did turn up on Compo pressings later on
> though, on Gavotte (from Rondo, pressed by Compo) and then on Decca.
>
> Someone else with a similar style was Stuart Allen..sounded like the 
> bastard
> child of Bob Crosby and Dick Todd. But then so did Perry Como in the late 
> 30s.
> If you couldn't be Bing, be Bob.
>
> dl
>
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