Bing Crosby's First Recording - I've Got the Girl - with Al Rinker & Don Clark & his Orchestra 1926

Here is Bing Crosby & his Vocal Duet Partner Al Rinker recording their first record for Columbia in October of 1926 backed by Don Clark and his Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra

[@JohnDoe-zh4li]

For its age, that record sounds absolutely beautiful!

[@mochawitch]

Finally heard Bing 's first recording.. TY♥ Kewl

[@vvvvvv2086]

Thanks for letting us hear this. The start of an era.

[@dixiedale6779]

For such old apparatus, the fidelity is amazing. And I share the remark about how the fidelity improves with different positioning of the video and microphone for the filming of this thing.

[@judyfan4541]

I am fortunate enough to own Bing's personal copy of this 78rpm recording which, of course, was the first time his voice was ever recorded. I acquired the record after winning a magazine contest back in '82 right after the controversial Crosby auction by Butterfields. There were several other personal items that I also received but this was a favorite. On the old brown sleeve in pencil is written "For Don Clark". Anyone know what this may be worth today?

[@petertaylor3600]

For collectors of rare recordings of famous vocalists and singers before they became famous, probably a lot. Especially if autographed. By now, though, you would know.

[@bondjames5792]

Awesome!!

[@mariannegwyn7319]

Judyfan .... i went to that Auction i got some things also .. i have a copy bing signed about 2 years later its a great records it woth is kinda low but you may ask what you want ?

[@Oldtimemusiclover]

Wow really! That's amazing do you still have it and would it be for sale?

[@judyfan4541]

@@Oldtimemusiclover haven't thought about selling the old 78. Am more interested in it's worth for now. But you never know. It may one day be for sale.

[@derekmyers3258]

These early electric recordings really do sound best on a Credenza. There's no question.

[@Burningblood1984]

Hey just want to say thanks for uploading all these really old songs. I've very recently discovered how much i like this kind of music and was really glad you had a whole bunch of videos like this.

[@JohnDoe-zh4li]

Because of channels like his, I find myself listening to music that predates even my great-grandmother. I'm very thankful.

[@waltergray7722]

Thank you for sharing this very interesting post. Much appreciated.

[@alternateunreleasedshellac505]

Incredible!

[@sidepipes70]

beautiful orthophonic ! great sound! thanks

[@78rpmblog]

Exciting dance music recording, and very interesting information about it in the beginning of the video - thanks for sharing!

[@stevevandien310]

I remember Bing discussing this record during one of his last interviews, with Gene Shalit on "Today" circa 1976 --

[@Turkeydoodlers]

Very nice Bruce, i have never heard his first recording, thanks

[@Shelton1967]

I picked up that record bout 18 years ago for 50 cents at an indoor flea market - still have it! I play it once every three or four years - lol! I'm very protective of it. Thanks for the insight on the recording.

[@JPa311979]

Your record, and player sounds very nice! That record looks/sounds like it was preserved well.

[@unipandaamistoso]

Amazing❤

[@victrolaman]

I should have mentioned, I did exactly that, I tweeked down the RPMs prior to putting this record on. It was guess work of course, I have no idea what reduced RPMS Columbia recorded this record. Victrolaman

[@victrolaman]

@ThePattycake1313 I always enjoy hearing such eloquent and constructive viewpoints of my videos. It so warms my heart to see that viewers can take such diverse directions in their opinions of my efforts to not only bring the original song, the original record and the original equipment to this site, but also the history surrounding the artist, the song, and the performance as well. Thanks so much for watching. Victrolaman

[@browneyedlori]

Thank you for uploading. Wonderful!

[@powerfulheart]

Thank you! that was an interesting journey back to the 20s when Bing (The greatest crooner of them all ) was just about to explode into the American music scene-Thank you once again- I wonder what happened to his partner Al Rinker ? powerfulheart

[@ceplio]

Al Rinker actually wrote a few songs in the 1970s for the Disney movie "The Aristocats"

[@oldtoby9377]

Al Rinker became a radio producer and wrote a number of songs. He was briefly reunited with fellow ex Rhythm Boys Bing and Harry Barris for Paul Whiteman's July 4th 1943 broadcast. He also gave an interview about Bing, The Rhythm Boys, as well as that famous drunk driving incident. His daughter, Julia Rinker, was one of the three original Dean's Girls, and also sung the theme song of Three's Company. He also had a sister, Mildred Bailey, who was a pretty popular jazz singer in the 20s

[@rjtwigg1]

On September 18, 1931, Bing Crosby debuted his own radio show. Harry Barris and his wife, Loyce White man listened. In spite of the Rhythm Boys breakup, they expected Bing to used Harry's song that helped make Bing famous, "I Surrender Dear". When the theme song was something else, Harry Barris cried.

[@rjtwigg1]

The tune was very good.

[@davidtodora6173]

Bruce, I love that New York accent.

[@victrolaman]

I am from the Southeastern part of Massachusetts about 30 miles Southeast of Boston and about 25 miles west of Cape cod, right in the middle of Historic Plymouth County.

[@mgconlan]

I've read that in the late 1970's a Crosby fan put out a bootleg reissue of "I've Got the Girl" on 45 rpm with the record speed slowed down, and Al Rinker said the bootleg version was in the correct key in which he, Bing Crosby and Don Clark had originally played the song. Anyone out there who has a copy of that version?

[@bostonblakie]

Amazing. I had to listen twice. Who could have known how big he later would become based on this recording? Not much different than a song by "Hum & Strum." Paul Whiteman gets big points for recognizing that something special might be there even if he was probably thinking more of a duo than a solo boy singer. Later, by adding Harry Barris he made it a trio.

[@kokolanza7543]

Thank you so much for the song and picture of the record and your info! Reading Bing Crosby: The hollow man right now (pp. 65-66) where the authors talk about this record and those days. Will now look for the 1980 rerelease played more as it actually sounded before speeded up. So good to hear what these guys did to make them such a sensation. Best regards!

[@bobpiorun1563]

kokolanza I can’t believe it! that’s the page I was on in hollow man when I decided to look this up.

[@mathieuschuler366]

Have you ever thought about slowing the record down to see how it would have originally sounded? We would probably be the first people hearing that since 1926!

[@Bigband78]

Had to search this pleasant sounding orchestra,Bruce.

[@rjtwigg1]

I've heard that Mildred Bailey was instrumental in helping Bing get his start in show business.

[@antoniocfilho9544]

lindas cançoes

[@victrolaman]

@ThePattycake1313 you do realize of course that you have complete control over the bordom situation as the viewer. If you are bored and not at all interested in the history, you can fast forward the video past all of the boring stuff that is of no interest to you to the point where the stylus is placed on the record. If you need instructions on how to accomplish this I would very happy to help out. Again, so happy you are watching my videos and offering suggestions. Victrolaman

[@HarborGuy]

Wonderful music too bad we have to back some 80 years to get it...........

[@victrolaman]

@teddythebear1234, I try to be as accurate as possible in my historical intros of these records. I always check through quite a few sources before going forward with my intros and no, I do not have all of this information floating around up in my head, so I am not quite sure why anyone would want to take the time to go into the Wikipedia, which very often gleans info from other sources, and compare it against what I am saying, in order to make a statement Like that. Thanks for watching.

[@thompemberton6392]

Thank you, Bruce, for this download and the info on Bing. I happen to like the George Olsen version better with Fran Frey on the vocal: Victor #20359-B More rousing and more 1920's sounding than Whitman and the Rinker/Clark version presented here. Take a listen; George Olsen is charming! Again, thanks for your upload/download! I don't know how to do either and wish that I did (I have quite a collection). Best regards!

[@fromthesidelines]

Recorded on October 18, 1926. It was the last recording Clark ever released.

[@gregoryagogo]

Interesting the difference in sound near the turntable vs near the front of the machine.

[@DaBakerOfCake]

Living in the sunlight, loving in the moonlight? The music sounds very similar.

[@Celluloidwatcher]

For his first recording, Bing didn't exactly stand out. In fact, you can't recognize his voice much, as he and Al Rinker sang together. However, there would be more where that came from, and the rest is history.

[@petertaylor3600]

But stand out he did because of what came later. You can hear snatches of the Crosby voice even through the duet with Al Rinker. Great stuff!

[@victrolaman]

Where are the videos ? I went into your channel and your have no videos posted.

[@sjpnobull]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing this. Do you know where I could get the lyrics? The chorus is obviously easy, but it's a little tough to hear the verse. Please let me know!

[@BixBix81]

Hi again! Now I have thopse 3 possibility. I like the best in Eb + F. I hope You'll listen to them. I've cut from the bigining and the end and all 3 "take" have same time - 2min.55 second.Regards Bixbix81

[@PAMaster]

Oh, man... victrolaman, you know how Midnight Crew has been getting so much attention? Well, in that comic storyline, the numbers 4 and then 13 hold a lot of significance. Crosby has also made an appearance. So the fact that you uploaded a Crosby song, on 4/13, after getting so many Homestuck fans... well, you're just a magnet for interesting coincidences it seems.

[@petertaylor3600]

Somebody took good care of that record. It's virtually in mint condition.

[@Arthur_McGowan]

That record is BEAT!

[@victrolaman]

@@Arthur_McGowan Go ahead an try to find another one.

[@enricosanchez894]

Getting ready for the '20s.

[@bingcro]

cant get it to work after 1.10 it just stops .it would have been nice as ive never heard this one

[@hotsickle]

nice beaver, I mean viva...

[@BixBix81]

Hi! This is very interesting recording. I think Your Victrola goes to fast. The key of recording is E and F#. I'll change with my special program to F and G.Maybe tis is Eb and F in original. I'll try to make both and let see wchich one is better. The tempo will be this same. If You give me Your email I can send You after the changing.- Sorry I can't make with You Tube-Never done. Bixbix81

[@BixBix81]

Hi! I'm sorry but I can't post video nwithout my son(he is not at home)I can only send by Skype or mail. Please wait - I thin myself than version down half a tone is original Regards Bixbix81

[@rjtwigg1]

The orchestra was the best I've heard on Columbia records. The vocal was terrible and I don't know whether the record was scratchy or if he corrected the speed. I hope he finds a cleaner copy to fully appreciate what was there.

[@victrolaman]

I would suggest you take the time to listen to me explain the problems with the Vocal on this record. Listen to my entire introduction and you will then understand. It has nothing to do with the condition of the record itself. Again, listen to complete introduction.

[@ThePattycake1313]

@victrolaman you are welecome. anytime you need any constructive critisism let me know. it is good of you to accept it in such a humble mannor. for you see, you could in the future write out what you want to say. That way if ppl, wish to partake in your bordom they have a choice. thanks again so much for the understanding and have a good day.

[@petertaylor3600]

I sincerely hope whoever this was, they were able to find something more to their liking than listening to fascinating musical history like this. Elvis, perhaps? It's a curse to be so bored.

[@hughmanatee7657]

It seems as though in the recordings of that time, the orchestras would play for several minutes before the vocalists began to sing. Is that because the singers had not yet achieved their primacy?

[@bettertomorrow6706]

Yes. At first, when these singers joined these bands, they were actually instructed to hold instruments (if they didn't already play another instrument in addition to singing anyway) because people thought it was weird and awkward that they were only there to sing. And the format for recordings was orchestra chorus - vocal refrain - orchestra out-chorus, which is why you often see the singers only credited for the vocal refrain, not as the main artists. The first big band record to break with this tradition was actually also a Bing Crosby one, "'Taint So, Honey, 'Taint so" (with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra), recorded 10 June 1928: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJXCnXZ7rZlnoac. It's the first one where the vocalist starts off the song together with the orchestra.* Still, the practice of having the vocalist only there for the refrain didn't entirely disappear until the 1940s. (There's a Joe Venuti / Eddie Lang recording of "'Taint So" that was recorded 25 May 1928 and only features the vocal refrain, for comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHbUoIJ5na2ifrc. That was really the norm). *Actually come to think of it, there's another, earlier record where Crosby doesn't start at the same time as the orchestra but after a pretty short intro, "I'm Coming, Virginia" (recorded 29 April 1927): kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2qkf4CdYq6Yp8U.

[@hughmanatee7657]

@@bettertomorrow6706 Thank you for your expert connaisseur’s answer!

[@gordonstelter3038]

Ummmm. Then slow it down to the right pitch, maybe, so we can hear how they really sang? Please?

[@victrolaman]

Can't you just be appreciative of the fact that I made this extremely hard to find record available, along with the history of how and when it was recorded ? I am playing this record on a period machine Circa 1925, at the exact speed that everyone else would have been playing it back then if they went to the record store and bought it in 1926, which is 78rpm !, and I will not deviate from what historical correct by altering the speed. Thank you for watching though