I remember fidgeting whenever the Andrews Singers came on screen and interrupted the comedy of Abbot and Costello or Bob Hope etc. But that was in the 1940s when I was a child so it is a real pleasure to reacquaint myself with this wonderfully talented and joyous close harmony group from that era. Their immaculate technique, beautiful timing, flawless blending and fabulous sense of humour is a joy to the ear. This album has 25 of their very popular numbers from 1938 to 1948. Who could forget 'Joseph! Joseph!'; 'Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!'; 'The Woodpecker Song'; 'Three Little Sisters'; 'Pistol Packin' Mama'; and 'Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby'; For some numbers they are joined by the swoonin' croonin' Bing Crosby -- 'Don't Fence Me In'; 'Ac-Cent-Thuate the Positive'; 'Along the Navajo Trail' and South America Trail'; while the mad tongue-twister Danny Kaye joins them in 'Civilisation (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo - I don't want to leave the Congo)'. Their contribution to the (Second World) War effort was inestimable. One wonders, however, what their song, 'Three Little Sisters' (one loved a soldier, one loved a sailor and one loved a man from the marines) did for morale? One can only guess with these liens -- "And when the boys marched away, the girls said they would be true until the boys came back some day. Now the three little sisters stay home reading their magazines - you can tell it to the soldiers, you can tell it to the sailors and tell it to the marines!" Of part-Norwegian, part Greek parentage, The Andrews Sisters from Minneapolis - Laverne (born July 6th 1915; died May 8th 1967), Maxene (born January 3rd 1918; died October 21st 1995) and Patricia (born February 16th 1920) - began singing at an early age. From local radio they progressed to vaudeville and nightclubs. They were singing with Leon Belasco's Hotel Edision Orchestra in New York when they were discovered and signed up by Jack Kapp, then head of American Decca Records. There followed a fabulously successful radio, recording and screen career reaching its height during the war years. The Andrews Sisters- Bing Crosby partnership spanned the years 1939 to 1947. Their recording of 'Don't Fence Me In' charted for 21 weeks, including 8 at number one and sold a million copies. The Andrews Sisters' career spanned some thirty years closing only with the death of Laverne. ASV has released another Andrews Sisters album spanning the years 1937 to 1940 (CD AJA 5096). Reviewer Ian Lace	Reviewer Ian Lace Reviews from previous months Reviews carry sales links but you can also purchase from:
			Return to Index