Acrobat Music

The R&B No. 1s Of The '40s
The R&B No. 1s Of The '40s

Various Artists
Styles: America's Greatest Hits, R&B
Catalogue Number: ACQCD7168
Acrobat has devoted a number of collections over the years to anthologies of the biggest hits in different years and decades across different genres, and this one fills a particular gap in the catalogue, bringing together all the records which featured at No. 1 in all of Billboard’s charts relating to the R&B market during the 1940s. In October 1942, Billboard launched the “Harlem Hit Parade”, which was replaced in February 1945 by the “Most Played Juke Box Race Records”, to which in 1948 was added the “Best Selling Retail Race Records”. This 97-track 4-CD collection features every record which reached No. 1 in any of those charts, apart from a few which are unavailable for copyright reasons. We have also included those from 1950, as it is arguably the final year of the decade, and we had space in the 4-CD format to accommodate them for the benefit of collectors who do not have our “R&B No. 1s of the ‘50s” set. This 97-track collection offers a fascinating spread of music, ranging across the spectrum of a genre which was continually evolving from big band music to solo singers, small group R &B and pure blues, with one or two artists like Louis Jordan and Nat King Cole maintaining a solid presence right through the decade. It’s a hugely entertaining musical journey through what was a momentous decade socially and politically, in which R&B laid the groundwork for the arrival of the musical upheavals of the ‘50s. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.

Disk 1:
Track Title Artist
1 Take It And Git Andy Kirk & His Clouds Of Joy
2 Mr. Five By Five Freddie Slack
3 Trav'lin' Light Paul Whiteman & His Orch.
4 Stormy Monday Blues Earl Hines & His Orch.
5 When the Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) Lucky Millinder & His Orch.
6 White Christmas Bing Crosby
7 See See Rider Blues Bea Booze
8 What's The Use Of Getting Sober Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
9 That Ain't Right King Cole Trio
10 Apollo Jump Lucky Millinder & His Orch.
11 Don't Stop Now Bonnie Davis
12 Don't Get Around Much Anymore Ink Spots
13 I've Heard That Song Before Harry James Orch. With Helen Forrest
14 I Can't Stand Losing You Ink Spots
15 Don't Get Around Much Anymore Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
16 You'll Never Know Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners
17 Don't Cry Baby Erskine Hawkins
18 A Slip Of The Lip Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
19 Sentimental Lady Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
20 All For You King Cole Trio
21 Shoo Shoo Baby Ella Mae Morse
22 Sweet Slumber Lucky Millinder & His Orch.
23 Ration Blues Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Disk 2:
Track Title Artist
1 Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
2 G.I. Jive Johnny Mercer
3 Solo Flight Benny Goodman Orch.
4 Cow Cow Boogie Ella Fitzgerald & Ink Spots
5 Main Stem Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
6 When My Man Comes Home Buddy Johnson
7 Straighten Up And Fly Right King Cole Trio
8 G.I. Jive Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
9 Till Then Mills Brothers
10 Hamp's Boogie Woogie Lionel Hampton Orch.
11 I'm Lost Benny Carter
12 Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You King Cole Trio
13 Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall Ella Fitzgerald & Ink Spots
14 Somebody's Got To Go Cootie Williams
15 I Wonder Pvt. Cecil Gant
16 I Wonder Roosevelt Sykes
17 Tippin' In Erskine Hawkins
18 Mop Mop Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
19 Caldonia Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
20 Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well Lucky Millinder & Wynonie Harris
21 The Honeydripper Pt. 1 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers
22 Buzz Me Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
23 Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop Lionel Hampton & His Orch.
24 Don't Worry 'Bout That Mule Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Disk 3:
Track Title Artist
1 The Gypsy Ink Spots
2 Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming) Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
3 Choo Choo Ch'Boogie Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
4 Ain't That Just Like A Woman Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
5 Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
6 Texas And Pacific Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
7 I Want To Be Loved (Only By You) Savannah Churchill
8 Old Maid Boogie Eddie Vinson
9 Jack, You're Dead Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
10 Boogie Woogie Blue Plate Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
11 Snatch It And Grab It Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends
12 King Size Papa Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends
13 Run Joe Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
14 Long Gone (Pts. I & II) Sonny Thompson With The Sharps And Flats
15 Messin' Around Memphis Slim and His House Rockers
16 My Heart Belongs To You Arbee Stidham
17 Corn Bread Hal Singer Sextette
18 Am I Asking Too Much Dinah Washington
19 Pretty Mama Blues Ivory Joe Hunter
20 Late Freight Sonny Thompson Quintet
21 Blues After Hours Pee Wee Crayton
22 It's Too Soon To Know The Orioles
23 Chicken Shack Boogie Amos Milburn
24 Bewildered Red Miller Trio
25 Long About Midnight Roy Brown Mighty Men
Disk 4:
Track Title Artist
1 Bewildered Amos Milburn
2 Boogie Chillen John Lee Hooker
3 Deacon's Hop Big Jay McNeely's Blue Jays
4 The Hucklebuck Paul Williams And His Hucklebuckers
5 Trouble Blues Charles Brown Trio
6 Ain't Nobody's Business (Part 1) Jimmy Witherspoon
7 Roomin' House Amos Milburn
8 Tell Me So The Orioles
9 Baby, Get Lost Dinah Washington
10 Beans And Cornbread Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
11 Saturday Night Fish Fry (Part 1) Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
12 For You My Love Larry Darnell
13 I Almost Lost My Mind Ivory Joe Hunter
14 Double Crossing Blues Johnny Otis & Little Esther
15 Mistrustin' Blues Little Esther with Mel Walker & The Johnny Otis Orch.
16 I Need You So Ivory Joe Hunter
17 Pink Champagne Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers
18 Cupid's Boogie Little Esther & Mel Walker
19 Hard Luck Blues Roy Brown
20 Mona Lisa Nat King Cole
21 Blue Light Boogie (Part 1) Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
22 Blue Shadows Lowell Fulson
23 Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere Joe Morris & His Orchestra
24 Please Send Me Someone To Love Percy Mayfield
25 Teardrops From My Eyes Ruth Brown
©2008 Acrobat Music