Reader's Digest RD4-112 (Album)
The Big Bands Are Back Swinging Today's Hits
Stereo album
Six Record Box Set – Produced in 1970, probably unissued (see ‘Notes’)
Record 1:
Side 1:
(Hello, Dolly, by Tex Beneke And The Modernaires)
(Mame, by Bob Crosby And His Orchestra)
(Call Me Irresponsible, by Helen Forrest)
(Watch What Happens, by Benny Goodman And His Orchestra)
I Believe In You
with Warren Covington and the Pied Pipers
Matrix No. XR1S 9501 * Recorded November 1969
(Little Green Apples, by Charlie Barnet And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(Tonight, by Tex Beneke And His Orchestra)
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
with Warren Covington (trombone)
Matrix No. X1RS 9502 * Recorded November 1969
(Music To Watch Girls By, by Charlie Barnet And His Orchestra)
(Danke Schoen, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(Alfie, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
What The World Needs Now Is Love
with Warren Covington and the Pied Pipers
Matrix No. E1RS 9603 * Recorded November 1969
Record 2:
Side 1:
(Walk Right In, by Tex Beneke And His Orchestra)
(Till There Was You, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(Patricia, by Bob Crosby And His Orchestra)
Try To Remember
with Warren Covington (trombone)
Matrix No. E1RS 9613 * Recorded November 1969
(Monday, Monday, by The Benny Goodman Sextet)
(Georgy Girl, by Bob Crosby And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(The Exodus Song, by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra)
(This Is My Song, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(Goin' Out Of My Head, by The Shep Fields Orchestra)
(As Long As He Needs Me, by Helen Forrest)
(My Favorite Things, by Tex Beneke And His Orchestra)
(Theme From "Valley Of The Dolls", by Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
Record 3:
Side 1:
(For Once In My Life, by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra)
(More, by Helen Forrest)
(Can't Take My Eyes Off You, by The Shep Fields Orchestra)
(Red Roses For A Blue Lady, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(Misty, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
(A Walk In The Black Forest, by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(Summer Wind, by Les Brown And His Band Of Renown)
People
Matrix No. XR1S 9506 * Recorded 19th November 1969
(A Day In The Life Of A Fool, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
(My Cup Runneth Over, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(The Windmills Of Your Mind, by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra)
(Lemon Tree, by Tex Beneke And His Orchestra)
Record 5:
Side 1:
(A Man And A Woman, by Harry James And His Orchestra)
Party’s Over (The)
with Warren Covington (trombone)
Matrix No. XR1S 9509 * Recorded 19th November 1969
(Dominique, by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra)
(On A Clear Day, by Ray Eberle)
(Gigi, by Harry James And His Orchestra)
(Last Train To Clarksville, by Les Brown And His Band Of Renown)
Side 2:
(Mr. Lucky, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
(I Wish You Love, by Ray Eberle)
(Hey Jude, by Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
(Michelle, by The Shep Fields Orchestra)
(Bluesette, by Benny Goodman Sextet)
(A Taste Of Honey, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
Record 6:
Side 1:
There’s A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)
with Warren Covington and the Pied Pipers
Matrix No. XR1S 9511 * Recorded 12th November 1969
(The Shadow Of Your Smile, by Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
(Windy, by Benny Goodman And His Orchestra)
(If Ever I Would Leave You, by Gene Merlino)
(What Kind Of Fool Am I, by Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
(The Girl From Ipanema, by Charlie Barnet And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(Stranger On The Shore, by Tex Beneke And His Orchestra)
(Softly, As I Leave You, by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra)
(Spanish Flea, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
(Tiny Bubbles, by The Shep Fields Orchestra)
(La Dolce Vita, by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
(I Want To Hold Your Hand, by Les Brown And His Band Of Renown)
The disc without Jo Stafford tracks:
Record 4
(Artists: Bob Crosby And His Orchestra; Helen Forrest; Charlie Barnet And His Orchestra; Vaughn Monroe And
His Orchestra; Benny Goodman And His Orchestra; Tex Beneke And His Orchestra; Freddy Martin And His Orchestra; Duke Ellington And His Orchestra; Ray Eberle; Les Brown And His Band Of Renown)
NOTES
According to the Vaughn Monroe Society, Reader’s Digest cancelled the release of this Box Set (which is mentioned in Jim Marshall’s Jo Stafford Discography under the title ‘Swing Again’): ‘READER'S DIGEST SET RD4-112 was to be called “Swing Again,” but was never commercially issued; re-titled “The Big Bands Are Back Swinging Today's Hits,” but again, not issued. Copies were given to the artists involved and the rest destroyed’.
Music librarian Christopher Popa adds: ‘A couple copies of <this set> have recently been offered publicly for sale by private individuals. Whichever, promotion for this project in Reader's Digest product catalogs seems to have been non-existent’.
Although Reader’s Digest RD4-112 was (probably) not commercially released, all of the seven Jo Stafford tracks from this set are available now. They were included in the MP3 album ‘Reader's Digest Music: Jo Stafford With Paul Weston - Rare Covers And Re-Records’ (2006). Six of the seven tracks, however, became available earlier on. According to my research, they were first issued on the following albums:
What The World Needs Now Is Love
First issued in 1970 or 1971, on the Various Artists’ LP ‘Great Hits Of The '60s’ (Reader's Digest RD4-123)
According to Discogs, this album was released in 1970. However, the first Reader’s Digest newspaper ad for ‘Great Hits Of The ‘60’s’ appeared in the April 4, 1971 issue of (among others) The Boston Globe.
The Party’s Over
First issued in 1995, on the Various Artists’ 4 CD Box Set ‘Mood Music For Pleasure - Relaxing With The Stars’ (Reader’s Digest 019B)
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
First issued in 1998, on the Various Artists’ CD ‘Most Beautiful Melodies Of The Century: You Are So Beautiful’ (Reader’s Digest 9106)
There's a Kind of Hush (All Over The World)
People
Try to Remember
First issued in 2004, on the CD ‘Jo Stafford - Music Of Your Life: Over The Rainbow’ (BCI / Eclipse Music BCI 40772-2)
Only ‘I Believe In You’ seems to have debuted on the 2006 album ‘Reader's Digest Music: Jo Stafford With Paul Weston - Rare Covers And Re-Records’.