A Little Bit of Irish (soundtrack)

A Little Bit of Irish is the soundtrack album of music from the 1966 TV special of the same name starring Bing Crosby, which aired on television in the USA and the UK on Saint Patrick's Day 1967.[1][2] The CD was originally issued by Atlantic Records[3] and an expanded version was issued by Golden Olden Records, both in 1993. Songs by the Irish-born composer Victor Herbert were added to the expanded CD,[4] as was a segment featuring Irish tenor John McCormack together with other Irish-themed songs by Crosby from his various radio series.[5]

A Little Bit of Irish
Soundtrack album by
Bing Crosby
Released1993 (1993)
RecordedSeptember 1966
GenreVocal
LabelGolden Olden Recordings (GORCD101)
ProducerGeorge O'Reilly
Bing Crosby chronology
Bing Crosby's Treasury - The Songs I Love
(1965)		 A Little Bit of Irish
(1993)		 Thoroughly Modern Bing
(1968)

Background

During personal discussions over several years which culminated in early 1966, Bing Crosby agreed to work with Irish entrepreneur George O'Reilly in the making of a television show in Ireland featuring Irish artists, music, and songs. The recording of this hour-long show was scheduled for a week in September 1966 and four locations were chosen for the outside filming. The show opened with Crosby standing on a small platform at O'Connell Bridge overlooking O'Connell Street in Dublin, then moving to the grounds and interior of Howth Castle at Deerpark in County Dublin. The second main segment was filmed on the stage of the world-famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin with The Little Dublin Singers, and the final segment was filmed amongst the keeves and vats at the Guinness Brewery in James's Street, Dublin with the Guinness Choir.[6]

The orchestra was the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra conducted by co-director Buddy Bregman, and they recorded the music in the O'Connell Hall, Dublin. Bing added his voice at the Eamonn Andrews Studios in Henry Street and also contributed some items live on location during the actual filming. He also scripted the programme himself and featured his wife Kathryn in the Howth Castle and Abbey Theatre segments.[6]

Critical reception

Variety reviewed the TV special, saying: "Hosted by Bing Crosby at his most nonchalant, this pleasing songalog was presented as an affectionate tribute to Ireland, using local talent to give samples from its musical backlog ... Crosby himself strolled effortlessly though such numbers as "Dublin Bay" [sic], "Molly Malone", "Come Back to Erin", and other folk standards, and wife Kathryn occasionally acted as hostess with suitable charm ... Crosby wandered through the Guinness factory and other venues, like a kindly guide and dodged most of the pitfalls of sentimentality inherent in the subject. With the U. S. bulging with Irishmen, and with the Kennedy connection still to the fore, the show should foster nostalgia and mild pleasure in that particular mart."[7]

Track listing

Songs from the TV show, all performed by Bing Crosby except where marked.

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistsLength
1."Molly Malone"Traditional 2:08
2."Come Back to Erin"Charlotte Alington Barnard 2:20
3."Galway Bay"Arthur Colahan 2:40
4."Molly Malone (reprise)"Traditional 0:56
5."Isle of Innisfree"Dick Farrelly 2:03
6."Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms"Traditional, Thomas MooreGuinness Choir only1:29
7."The Boys of Wexford"Arthur Warren Darley, Patrick Joseph McCallGuinness Choir only2:21
8."McNamara's Band"Shamus O'Connor, John J. StamfordBing Crosby, Milo O'Shea and Dermot O'Brien2:31
9."When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"Ernest Ball, Chauncey Olcott, George Graff Jr. 2:18

The Victor Herbert Compositions, all commercial recordings for Decca Records except track 16. All performed by Bing Crosby except where marked.

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistsLength
10."When You're Away"Victor Herbert, Henry Blossom 2:59
11."Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life"Victor Herbert, Rida Johnson Young 2:48
12."Sweethearts"Victor Herbert, Harry B. Smith 3.12
13."Thine Alone"Victor Herbert, Henry Blossom 2:58
14."Gypsy Love Song"Victor Herbert, Harry B. SmithBing Crosby, Frances Langford3:02
15."I'm Falling in Love with Someone"Victor Herbert, Rida Johnson YoungBing Crosby, Frances Langford3:08
16."Indian Summer"Victor Herbert, Al DubinBing Crosby, Dorothy Kirsten2:35

Songs from various radio shows, all performed by Bing Crosby.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
17."The Donovans"Alicia Adélaide Needham, Walter Kent, Francis Fahy2:23
18."St. Patrick's Day Parade"Johnny Lange, Hy Heath2:22
19."Top o' the Morning"Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke1:37
20."That Tumbledown Shack in Athlone"Monte Carlo, Alma Sanders, Richard W. Pascoe3:08
21."Dear Old Donegal"Steve Graham2:35
22."Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral"James Royce Shannon3:57
23."How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"Burton Lane, E. Y. Harburg3:27

The Bing Crosby / John McCormack Segment - Kraft Music Hall, May 13, 1937

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistsLength
24."Dialogue" Bing Crosby, John McCormack, Lionel Stander5:17
25."So Do I Love You"R. Veasey, Haydn WoodJohn McCormack2:03
26."Dialogue" Bing Crosby, John McCormack, Edwin Schneider0:38
27."Shannon River"Kathleen Egan, Reginald MorganJohn McCormack2:16
28."Dialogue" Bing Crosby0:11
gollark: Which would be a neat terrorism idea actually.
gollark: e.g. some people at Microsoft could probably push an update which erases all Windows computers at a set time and bee everything.
gollark: I suppose certain people could negatively affect people a lot rapidly if they started trying to maximize evil, but that's more because they have direct control over high-speed processes than richness.
gollark: Ugh, BEE my wireless network connection right now to a significant degree.
gollark: *Do* they actually affect your life very directly compared to, say, your owner as a slave though?

References
  1. "BING magazine". BING magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  2. "Amazon". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  3. "Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  4. "A Bing Crosby Discography". A Bing Crosby Discography. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  5. "And Here's Bing". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  6. O'Reilly, George. The Making of the Television Show "A Little Bit of Irish". Printcomp. p. 1.
  7. "Variety". Variety. March 22, 1967.
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