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BACK UP GROUPS... PART THREE: THE MILLS BROTHERS!
"Big Boy Blue"
by Mills Brothers and Ella Fitzgerald
on Decca 1148 B
released in 1937
"W.P.A."
by Louis Armstrong and Mills Brothers
on Decca 3151 A
released in 1940
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BACK UP GROUPS... PART THREE: THE MILLS BROTHERS!
"Big Boy Blue"
by Mills Brothers and Ella Fitzgerald
on Decca 1148 B
released in 1937
"W.P.A."
by Louis Armstrong and Mills Brothers
on Decca 3151 A
released in 1940
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Above: Photos of Ella Fitzgerald (L) and Louis Armstrong (R).Left: Photo of The Mills Brothers... (From Top Down) Herbert, John Sr., Donald, and Harry. Not shown is Bernard Addison, their guitarist. They backed up Ella Fitzgerald on one release in 1937 and another in 1949. They sang with Louis Armstrong on seven releases (total of eleven sides) from 1937 to 1940. They also backed up Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Peggy Lee.
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Above Left: Recorded 1/14/37. Both sides of this record give The Mills brothers top billing! The label states "No musical or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar". The "band" behind Ella's singing is The Mills Brothers who are simulating musical instruments!Above Right: Recorded 4/10/40. Here Louis gets top billing on both sides. This side does have a real musical instrument (besides a guitar)... Satchmo's trumpet! Note that the writer is Jesse Stone (aka Charles E. Calhoun), who wrote many hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950's.
Click on an option below to listen to "Big Boy Blue" using Windows Media Player.
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(file size=433KB)Click on an option below to listen to "W.P.A." using Windows Media Player.
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(file size=427KB)
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