Various – The R&B No. 1s Of The ’40s – 4CD

Acrobat has devoted a number of collections over the years to anthologies of the biggest hits in different years and decades across different genres, and this one fills a particular gap in the catalogue, bringing together all the records which featured at No. 1 in all of Billboard’s charts relating to the R&B market during the 1940s. In October 1942, Billboard launched the “Harlem Hit Parade”, which was replaced in February 1945 by the “Most Played Juke Box Race Records”, to which in 1948 was added the “Best Selling Retail Race Records”. This 97-track 4-CD collection features every record which reached No. 1 in any of those charts, apart from a few which are unavailable for copyright reasons. We have also included those from 1950, as it is arguably the final year of the decade, and we had space in the 4-CD format to accommodate them for the benefit of collectors who do not have our “R&B No. 1s of the ‘50s” set. This 97-track collection offers a fascinating spread of music, ranging across the spectrum of a genre which was continually evolving from big band music to solo singers, small group R &B and pure blues, with one or two artists like Louis Jordan and Nat King Cole maintaining a solid presence right through the decade. It’s a hugely entertaining musical journey through what was a momentous decade socially and politically, in which R&B laid the groundwork for the arrival of the musical upheavals of the ‘50s. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.

Track Listing:

CD1:
Andy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy: 1. Take It And Git -   Freddie Slack: 2. Mr. Five By Five -   Paul Whiteman & His Orch.: 3. Trav'lin' Light -   Earl Hines & His Orch.: 4. Stormy Monday Blues -   Lucky Millinder & His Orch.: 5. When the Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) -   Bing Crosby: 6. White Christmas -   Bea Booze: 7. See See Rider Blues -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 8. What's The Use Of Getting Sober -   King Cole Trio: 9. That Ain’t Right -   Lucky Millinder & His Orch.: 10. Apollo Jump -   Bonnie Davis: 11. Don't Stop Now -   Ink Spots: 12. Don't Get Around Much Anymore -   Harry James Orch. With Helen Forrest: 13. I've Heard That Song Before -   Ink Spots: 14. I Can't Stand Losing You -   Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra: 15. Don't Get Around Much Anymore -   Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners: 16. You'll Never Know -   Erskine Hawkins: 17. Don't Cry Baby -   Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra: 18. A Slip Of The Lip -   19. Sentimental Lady -   King Cole Trio: 20. All For You -   Ella Mae Morse: 21. Shoo Shoo Baby -   Lucky Millinder & His Orch.: 22. Sweet Slumber -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 23. Ration Blues -

CD2:
Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra: 1. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me -   Johnny Mercer: 2. G.I. Jive -   Benny Goodman Orch.: 3. Solo Flight -   Ella Fitzgerald & Ink Spots: 4. Cow Cow Boogie -   Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra: 5. Main Stem -   Buddy Johnson: 6. When My Man Comes Home -   King Cole Trio: 7. Straighten Up And Fly Right -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 8. G.I. Jive -   Mills Brothers: 9. Till Then -   Lionel Hampton Orch.: 10. Hamp's Boogiewoogie -   Benny Carter: 11. I'm Lost -   King Cole Trio: 12. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You -   Ella Fitzgerald & Ink Spots: 13. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall -   Cootie Williams: 14. Somebody's Got To Go -   Pvt. Cecil Gant: 15. I Wonder -   Roosevelt Sykes: 16. I Wonder -   Erskine Hawkins: 17. Tippin' In -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 18. Mop Mop -   19. Caldonia -   Lucky Millinder & Wynonie Harris: 20. Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well -   Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers: 21. The Honeydripper Pt. 1 -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 22. Buzz Me -   Lionel Hampton & His Orch.: 23. Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 24. Don't Worry 'Bout That Mule -

CD3:
Ink Spots: 1. The Gypsy - Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 2. Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming) - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 3. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie -   4. Ain't That Just Like A Woman -   5. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens -   6. Texas And Pacific -   Savannah Churchill: 7. I Want To Be Loved (Only By You) -   Eddie Vinson: 8. Old Maid Boogie -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 9. Jack, You're Dead -   10. Boogie Woogie Blue Plate -   Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends: 11. Snatch It And Grab It -   12. King Size Papa -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 13. Run Joe -   Sonny Thompson With The Sharps And Flats: 14. Long Gone (Pts. I & II) -   Memphis Slim and His House Rockers: 15. Messin' Around -   Arbee Stidham: 16. My Heart Belongs To You -   Hal Singer Sextette: 17. Corn Bread -   Dinah Washington: 18. Am I Asking Too Much -   Ivory Joe Hunter: 19. Pretty Mama Blues -   Sonny Thompson Quintet: 20. Late Freight -   Pee Wee Crayton: 21. Blues After Hours -   The Orioles: 22. It's Too Soon To Know -   Amos Milburn: 23. Chicken Shack Boogie -   Red Miller Trio: 24. Bewildered -   Roy Brown Mighty Men: 25. Long About Midnight -

CD4:
Amos Milburn: 1. Bewildered -   John Lee Hooker: 2. Boogie Chillen -   Big Jay McNeely's Blue Jays: 3. Deacon’s Hop -   Paul Williams And His Hucklebuckers: 4. The Hucklebuck -   Charles Brown Trio: 5. Trouble Blues -   Jimmy Witherspoon: 6. Ain't Nobody's Business (Part 1) -   Amos Milburn: 7. Roomin' House -   The Orioles: 8. Tell Me So -   Dinah Washington: 9. Baby, Get Lost -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 10. Beans And Cornbread -   11. Saturday Night Fish Fry (Part 1) -   Larry Darnell: 12. For You My Love -   Ivory Joe Hunter: 13. I Almost Lost My Mind -   Johnny Otis & Little Esther: 14. Double Crossing Blues -   Little Esther with Mel Walker & The Johnny Otis Orch.: 15. Mistrustin' Blues -   Ivory Joe Hunter: 16. I Need You So -   Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers: 17. Pink Champagne -   Little Esther & Mel Walker: 18. Cupid’s Boogie -   Roy Brown: 19. Hard Luck Blues -   Nat King Cole: 20. Mona Lisa -   Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: 21. Blue Light Boogie (Part 1) -   Lowell Fulson: 22. Blue Shadows -   Joe Morris & His Orchestra: 23. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere -   Percy Mayfield: 24. Please Send Me Someone To Love -   Ruth Brown: 25. Teardrops From My Eyes -