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Rare And Unreleased Bing Crosby Set For Release

09/24/2010
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Rare and unreleased material from Bing Crosby is coming on November 9th including a 19 song CD of Christmas rarities, two disc collection of Bing's Christmas television specials, all making their DVD debut and a 7" vinyl single release of the classic Crosby/Bowie duet The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth.

And what better time of the year than Christmas, because as everyone knows, Bing Crosby and Christmas are synonymous. And no Christmas song became a holiday standard until it was sung by Bing Crosby and no Christmas celebration is complete without that warm Crosby tone casting a glow on the proceedings.

Collectors' Choice Music presents the first new significant Crosby Christmas Collection in decades, Bing Crosby: The Crosby Christmas Sessions, a 19-track collection featuring ten previously unreleased Yuletide recordings. Song highlights include rare versions of White Christmas; It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas; Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus (with Peggy Lee); Silent Night, duets with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, plus Bing's legendary 1977 duet with David Bowie on The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth.

Infinity Entertainment Group's BING CROSBY: THE TELEVISION SPECIALS � Volume Two: The Christmas Specials showcases Bing's beloved holiday shows, all of which are making their DVD debut. Included in this premiere, four-hour plus, two-disc collection are Bing's first holiday special; his first color special; Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas from 1971 and his final special, taped just five weeks before his death in 1977, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, which features the iconic duet of The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth with David Bowie. All four specials are presented in their original uncut form. Bonus Material includes: Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank Show, a 1957 holiday episode of The Frank Sinatra Show filmed in color, and out-takes from the 1962 Bing Crosby Christmas special with Mary Martin.

Having sold hundreds of millions of records in the pre MP3 era, it is only natural that Bing Crosby return with a vinyl release, a 7" single of the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth backed with a 1953 Bing Crosby/Ella Fitzgerald duet of White Christmas. This limited-edition release will be manufactured on red vinyl as befitting the season.

Collectors' Choice Music is also releasing BING SINGS THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK , an amazing 20-track collection of Bing singing the standards, which was previously only available as part of a public broadcasting pledge drive, now makes its retail debut. These high-fidelity recordings hail from Bing's 1954 � 1957 CBS radio sessions with Buddy Cole & His Trio, who provide an intimate jazz setting ideally suited for these songs and the incomparable Crosby. Four of the tracks are previously unreleased while the remaining 16 tracks made their debut last year on the acclaimed Mosaic Records 7-CD Boxed Set, THE BING CROSBY CBS RADIO RECORDINGS 1954-56. Songs include: 'S Wonderful; Ol' Man River; I've Got a Crush on You; Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone; Anything Goes; Cheek to Cheek; Don't Get Around Much Anymore and That Old Black Magic.

On September 28th 2010, the DVD of the acclaimed public broadcasting special, The Legendary Bing Crosby, originally available only through public broadcasting subscription, makes its retail debut.

The Legendary Bing Crosby presents many of the entertainer's best performances from his classic network specials, which aired from 1954 to 1977, including recently discovered, digitally restored footage and clips that have not been seen since their original broadcast. The program seamlessly blends full-song performances and duets with enlightening interviews from his wife Kathryn, daughter Mary, film critic Leonard Maltin, television personality Regis Philbin, music legend Andy Williams, and performer/musicologist Michael Feinstein. Performing with Bing in the show are Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, David Bowie, Carol Burnett, Jose Feliciano, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams. 35 minutes of bonus material not seen in the broadcast includes additional interview segments and Crosby solos as well as performances with Maurice Chevalier, Andy Williams and The Crosby Boys.

Collectors' Choice Music feels honored to be the distributor of releases direct from the Bing Crosby Archive. Earlier this year, Collector's Choice reissued three Bing Crosby Classic Albums in Deluxe Editions (Seasons, Return To Paradise Islands and El Senor Bing), a previously unreleased album (On The Sentimental Side), a new compilation (Bing On Broadway), and a 2-CD Set of Crosby Rarities (So Rare: Treasures From The Crosby Archives).

DESCRIPTIONS:

BING CROSBY: THE CROSBY CHRISTMAS SESSIONS: White Christmas; It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas; Jingle Bells (slow and fast versions); Deck the Halls/Away in a Manger/O Little Town of Bethlehem/The First Noel; Adeste Fidelis/O Come All Ye Faithful; Here Comes Santa Claus (with Peggy Lee); The Christmas Song; Sleigh Ride, and Silent Night; Bing's legendary duet with David Bowie on The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth; duets with Frank Sinatra on We Wish You the Merriest and Go Tell It on the Mountain (both from the 12 Songs of Christmas album); duets with Ella Fitzgerald on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Silver Bells; the Columbia single Just What I Wanted for Christmas and the Secret of Christmas; the Reprise single White World of Winter, and It's Christmas Time Again.

BING SINGS THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK: I Want to Be Happy; Manhattan; 'S Wonderful; Ol' Man River; You Took Advantage of Me; Button up Your Overcoat; I've Got a Crush on You; You Do Something to Me; I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan; Get Happy; Please Don't Talk about Me When I'm Gone; Anything Goes; What Is There to Say; I Feel a Song Comin' On; Cheek to Cheek; The Nearness of You; How About You?; Don't Get Around Much Anymore; That Old Black Magic, and Almost Like Being in Love.

BING CROSBY: THE TELEVISION SPECIALS � Volume Two: The Christmas Specials features Bing's first holiday special, produced in 1961; his first color special from 1962 with Mary Martin; Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas from 1971; and his final special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, which includes the iconic duet of "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with David Bowie. All specials are presented in their original uncut form. Bonus Material includes: Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank, the 1957 color Christmas episode of The Frank Sinatra Show; out-takes from the 1962 Bing Crosby Christmas special; a rare Toys for Tots PSA; and the 1976 tourism film, Bing's Britain. Approximate Running Time: 268 Minutes.


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