Bea Wain

V-Disc: The Songs That Went To War is a 4CD box set released by Time-Life in 1992 that archives some of the V-Discs made during World War II. As the Wikipedia page indicates, "the records were produced for the use of United States military personnel overseas. Many popular singers, big bands and orchestras of the era recorded special V-Disc records. These 12-inch, vinyl 78 rpm gramophone recordings were created for the Army between October 1943 and May 1949. Navy discs were released between July 1944 and September 1945."

The so-called Great Swing Band Era is generally considered to have started in 1935 when Benny Goodman, playing at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles on August 21 and tiring of what he described as 'mundane' dance music, moved his band into high gear and gave out with some Fletcher Henderson arrangements. Quoting saxophonist Hymie Schertzer, "The place exploded." and Goodman was proclaimed 'King of Swing'. But back in the Twenties there were great bands that played good swingy numbers, bands like those of Whiteman, Goldkette, Waring, Weems, Olsen and Lopez (to name but a few), although the 'swing' wasn't quite the same. The rhythm could often seem a little jerky and sometimes rather on the frantic side. Repertoires were laced with novelty tunes which were much in demand. But who cared? It was the 'Jazz Age', the 'Flapper Era' (take your pick) and everyone was hell-bent on having a good time, making whoopee.

Pressed between 1943 and 1949, V Discs (or Victory Discs) boosted the morale of U.S. soldiers at the warfront and kept them up to date with the latest music from home. They were freely distributed but forbidden for sale, and the FBI would even have powers to destroy all copies in circulation at war’s end. Every great artist of the period made a patriotic gesture, and the records contained every genre: jazz, classical, pop, blues and folk. Jazz was fashionable then and took the lion’s share; it became an emblem for the liberators of Europe before spreading across the world. This 4CD set compiled by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol is a portrait in sound of American music trends during World War II, but it also reserves surprises in the form of some fantastic treasures, like the very first version of Louis Prima’s international standard, “Just A Gigolo”, and messages to the troops sent by the artists themselves. Patrick FRÉMEAUX

Pressed between 1943 and 1949, V Discs (or Victory Discs) boosted the morale of U.S. soldiers at the warfront and kept them up to date with the latest music from home. They were freely distributed but forbidden for sale, and the FBI would even have powers to destroy all copies in circulation at war’s end. Every great artist of the period made a patriotic gesture, and the records contained every genre: jazz, classical, pop, blues and folk. Jazz was fashionable then and took the lion’s share; it became an emblem for the liberators of Europe before spreading across the world. This 4CD set compiled by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol is a portrait in sound of American music trends during World War II, but it also reserves surprises in the form of some fantastic treasures, like the very first version of Louis Prima’s international standard, “Just A Gigolo”, and messages to the troops sent by the artists themselves. Patrick FRÉMEAUX