Can Can Bunny

Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers anticipated the megamix boom of the mid-to-late '90s, assembling a seemingly endless series of dancefloor-friendly medleys of pop oldies. The brainchild of British producers John Pickles and Ian Morgan, Jive Bunny came out of nowhere in 1989 to top the UK charts with their debut single "Swing the Mood"; when the follow-ups "That's What I Like" and "Let's Party" both reached number one as well, the duo became only the third act in history (behind Gerry & the Pacemakers and Frankie Goes to Hollywood) to score chart-topping singles with each of their first three releases. Jive Bunny–The Album appeared in 1989 as well; subsequent singles including "That Sounds Good" and "Can Can You Party" reached the British Top Ten, but the group's stay in the limelight was brief and 1990's It's Party Time failed to repeat the commercial impact of its predecessor.

An often forgotten fact is that in 1989, Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers joined the elite few, whose first 3 singles reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart, after Gerry and the Pacemakers and Frankie Goes to Hollywood! The debut single ‘Swing The Mood’ reached No. 1 around the world and even charted at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100! Between 1989 and 1992, Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers achieved 8 Top 40 hits in the UK, seven of which are included on this collection, ‘Swing The Mood’, ‘That’s What I Like’, ‘That Sounds Good To Me’, ‘Can Can You Party’, ‘Let’s Swing Again’, ‘The Crazy Party Mix’ and ‘Over To You John…’, plus the updated ‘Let’s Party 2008’, which includes last year’s belated No. 1 song ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’! This 3CD collection of 30 individual Medleys, contains more than 3 hours of music and includes snippets of more than 200 songs. From Swing to Pop, Disco to Rock, Movie Themes, Rock ‘n’ Roll, ‘70s, ‘80s, Summertime…you name it, there’s something for the entire family for the biggest party of the year.

Bunny Berigan began his prime stretch of solo recordings with this collection of songs cut between 1935-1936. Berigan still worked as a sideman for the likes of Benny Goodman during this period, and he even did some session and film work, but it is his own material which has solidified his reputation as a top figure of the big band era. And while later sides from 1937-1939 would trump some of the ones included here, this collection still brims over with exciting and tight material from a variety of Berigan contingents. In addition to his first stab at "I Can't Get Started" (somewhat inferior to the classic version from 1937), Berigan is featured on a bevy of small group and a large ensemble highlights, like "Chicken and Waffles" and "Blues"…

Having made a name for himself in the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, trumpeter Bunny Berigan set out on his own in 1937. Heading up a big band that included such shifting personnel as drummer Buddy Rich, tenor saxophonist George Auld, trumpeter/arranger Ray Conniff, and pianist Joe Bushkin, Berigan blazed brightly and briefly, until alcoholism and a lack of discipline forced him to break up his band in 1939. This Classics disc features tracks cut before things went south. Covering the years 1937-1938, the 20 sides find Berigan and company in their prime, with sparkling solos coming from Berigan, Auld, Conniff, and Bushkin. While the disc sags a bit with some requisite filler by vocalist Ruth Gaylor, instrumental highlights like "Wacky Dust" (a possible cocaine-reference here?), Ellington's "Azure," and Irving Berlin's "Russian Lullaby" ensure this batch of mostly solid swingers stays fresh.