America, I Hear You Singing is an album recorded and released in 1964 by American singers Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, backed by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians.[2] The album is a collection of patriotic songs, recorded as a tribute to the assassinated president John F. Kennedy. The artists would collaborate again for the album 12 Songs of Christmas, released later the same year.
| America, I Hear You Singing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1964 (LP) June 2010 (CD) | |||
| Recorded | January 2–February 4, 1964 | |||
| Studio | Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop, patriotic | |||
| Length | 32:39 | |||
| Label | Reprise F 2020 | |||
| Producer | Sonny Burke | |||
| Frank Sinatra chronology | ||||
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| Bing Crosby chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
An abridged version of the album was reissued as This Land Is Your Land (H 30931) on Columbia's budget label Harmony in 1971. The album received its first release on CD in 2010. The tracks featuring Frank Sinatra were included on the 1995 box set The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings.
Sinatra's daughter, Nancy Sinatra, said the album reflected her father's deepest beliefs. "I love my father's patriotism," she wrote. "I love the fact that he is so open and honest about his feelings for and about our nation. This beautiful album is an example of his deep love and respect for the U.S.A."[3]
Reception
editA critic at Variety magazine liked the album, commenting, "This is an impressive gathering of top names for a patriotic paean in a swinging format. Backed by Fred Waring's orchestra and chorus, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra singly and in tandem deliver a fine collection of flag-wavers."[4]
The album first appeared on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue of May 30, 1964, ranked at No. 130.[5] It was still on the chart seven weeks later, ranked at No. 125.[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks feature Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer/Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "America, I Hear You Singing" | Tom Scott | arr. Tom Scott | 0:53 |
| 2. | "This Is a Great Country" | Irving Berlin | Bing Crosby, arr. Dick Reynolds/Jack Halloran | 2:41 |
| 3. | "The House I Live In" | Lewis Allan, Earl Robinson | Frank Sinatra, arr. Nelson Riddle | 3:39 |
| 4. | "The Hills of Home" | Floride Calhoun, Oscar Fox | arr. Roy Ringwald | 4:39 |
| 5. | "This Land Is Your Land" | Woody Guthrie | Bing Crosby, arr. Reynolds/Halloran | 3:25 |
| 6. | "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor" | Emma Lazarus, Irving Berlin | arr. Roy Ringwald | 3:01 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer / Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith" | Francis Burke, Hughie Prince, Don Raye | Frank Sinatra, arr. Reynolds/Halloran | 3:46 |
| 2. | "A Home in the Meadow" | Robert Emmett Dolan, Sammy Cahn | Bing Crosby, arr. Hawley Ades | 2:50 |
| 3. | "Early American" | Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen | Frank Sinatra, arr. Nelson Riddle | 3:34 |
| 4. | "You Never Had It So Good" | Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen | Crosby, Sinatra, arr. Reynolds/Halloran | 3:01 |
| 5. | "Let Us Break Bread Together" | Traditional | Crosby, Sinatra, arr. Roy Ringwald | 3:39 |
| 6. | "The Stars and Stripes Forever" | John Philip Sousa | arr. Harry Simeone | 2:52 |
Personnel
edit- Frank Sinatra – vocals
- Bing Crosby – vocals
- Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians – vocals
References
edit- ^ America, I Hear You Singing at AllMusic
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". A Bing Crosby Discography. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ Sinatra, Nancy. "Frank Sinatra, My Father" (1986), p. 364
- ^ "Variety". Variety. May 9, 1964.
- ^ "Billboard". 30 May 1964.
- ^ "Billboard". 11 July 1964.