This is the final 4-CD box set of ’40s big band music Reader’s Digest Music ever produced and it’s a doozy. Here they are, the songs that got America through World War II and then the happy days of prosperity thereafter. 80 jazzy, sultry, sentimental favorites performed by original artists.

Condition: Gently used. CDs are clean and are guaranteed to play with no skips
The booklet is in very good shape. (See scans above)

Listening to this collection we’ve developed a new appreciation for vocalist Helen Forrest. What a singer! And she’s just one of dozens of terrific talents showcased in this set. Frankie Lane, Glenn Miller, Billie Holiday, Woody Herman, Jo Stafford, Duke Ellington, Mel Torme, Kay Starr, Peggy Lee, and more.

From the opening refrain of The White Cliffs of Dover through the final track on the set, What a Difference a Day Makes, you’ll be transported back in time to an America that was confident and upbeat, despite the global turmoil at hand. From love ballads to movie memories, to the swinging sound of the big bands, this set has it all. (see the tracklist below)

Comes with a 24-page booklet featuring notes on each song. (See scan above)

The White Cliffs of Dover
The Greatest Songs from the Greatest Generation – The ‘40s
Reader’s Digest Music - 2010

CD 1
1-01 Kay Kyser And His Orchestra - (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover
1-02 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - Begin The Beguine
1-03 The Ink Spots - I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
1-04 Guy Lombardo And His Orchestra - Sweet Georgia Brown
1-05 Johnny Desmond - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
1-06 Frankie Laine, Carl Fischer's Orchestra - All Of Me
1-07 Peggy Lee - 'Deed I Do
1-08 Harry James and Helen Forrest - I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
1-09 Les Brown And His Orchestra, Jo Ann Greer - September Song
1-10 Harry James, Helen Forrest - I'm Beginning To See The Light
1-11 Mel Tormé - I Can't Give You Anything But Love
1-12 Charlie Spivak And His Orchestra - Serenade In Blue
1-13 Helen Forrest - Deep Purple
1-14 Billy Butterfield And His Orchestra - Night And Day
1-15 Billie Holiday - Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)
1-16 Gordon MacRae - They Say It's Wonderful
1-17 Jan Garber And His Orchestra - I'll See You In My Dreams
1-18 Patti Page, The Lou Stein Trio - I Can't Get Started
1-19 Harry James and His Orchestra, Dick Haymes - When You Wish Upon A Star
1-20 Kate Smith - I'll Be Seeing You

CD 2
2-01 Harry James And His Orchestra - When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano
2-02 Les Brown And His Orchestra - Moonglow
2-03 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - Sweet Lorraine
2-04 Sammy Kaye And His Orchestra, Al Hibbler - It's Only A Paper Moon
2-05 Duke Ellington, Al Hibbler - Pretty Woman
2-06 Freddy Martin, Merv Griffin - I'll Remember April
2-07 Jan Garber And His Orchestra - Stardust
2-08 Charlie Spivak, Irene Daye - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
2-09 Woody Herman - Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
2-10 Guy Lombardo, Kenny Gardner - I'll Walk Alone
2-11 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - A String Of Pearls
2-12 Harry James, Kitty Kallen - I'll Buy That Dream
2-13 Russ Morgan And His Orchestra - In The Mood
2-14 Ray Anthony & His Orchestra - Sentimental Journey
2-15 Stan Kenton, June Christy - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
2-16 Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - One O'Clock Jump
2-17 Woody Herman And His Orchestra - Ain't Misbehavin'
2-18 Dick Jurgens, Eddy Howard - A-Tisket A-Tasket
2-19 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - Tuxedo Junction
2-20 Ozzie Nelson And His Orchestra - I've Got My Love To Keep You Warm

CD 3
3-01 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - All The Things You Are
3-02 Duke Ellington And His Orchestra, Kay Davis - Embraceable You
3-03 Gene Krupa And His Orchestra - How High The Moon
3-04 Mel Tormé - Prelude To A Kiss
3-05 Patti Page - Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
3-06 Guy Lombardo And His Orchestra, Kenny Gardner - I Love You
3-07 The Les Paul Trio - My Melancholy Baby
3-08 Harry James And His Orchestra, Frank Sinatra - Moon Love
3-09 Margaret Whiting, David Whitaker - Till We Meet Again
3-10 Ray Eberle - At Last
3-11 Jo Stafford, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston - As Time Goes By
3-12 Charlie Spivak And His Orchestra - Laura
3-13 Sammy Kaye And His Orchestra, Nancy Norman - I Can't Being To Tell You
3-14 Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - Summertime
3-15 Rosemary Clooney - This Can't Be Love
3-16 Sarah Vaughan - Over The Rainbow
3-17 Freddy Martin And His Orchestra - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
3-18 Connie Haines - The Way You Look Tonight
3-19 Mel Tormé - Long Ago (And Far Away)
3-20 Jimmy Dorsey And His Orchestra - I Got Rhythm

CD 4
4-01 Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In
4-02 Merv Griffin, Freddy Martin - At Your Command
4-03 Frankie Laine - Don't Blame Me
4-04 Frank Sinatra, Harry James - From The Bottom Of My Heart
4-05 Johnny Desmond, Glenn Miller And The Army Air Force Band - With My Head In The Clouds
4-06 Ed Ames, Ken Thorne And His Orchestra - Let's Get Away From It All
4-07 Eddy Howard And His Orchestra - These Foolish Things
4-08 Dick Haymes - You're Driving Me Crazy
4-09 Mel Tormé - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
4-10 Gordon MacRae - You Keep Coming Back Like A Song
4-11 Patti Page, The Lou Stein Trio - All I Do Is Dream Of You
4-12 Doris Day, Les Brown And His Orchestra - A Kiss To Remember
4-13 Helen Forrest, Harry James - You Go To My Head
4-14 Helen O'Connell - Tangerine
4-15 Kate Smith - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
4-16 Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong - Dream A Little Dream Of Me
4-17 Martha Tilton - The One I Love Belongs To Someone
4-18 Peggy Lee - I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues
4-19 Sarah Vaughan - That Old Black Magic
4-20 Kay Starr - What A Diff'rence A Day Made

Just add a living room easy-chair and your favorite cocktail and you’ll have quite an amazing night in front of you listening to this amazing set.

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