Reader's Digest RD4-71 (Album)
Gaslight Varieties
The Happy Music Of The Gay Nineties
Only issued as a stereo album
Issued 1969 (Date unknown) – Six Record Box Set
Record 4, ‘In My Merry Oldsmobile’ / ‘When Good Fellows Get Together’:
Side 1:
In My Merry Oldsmobile
with Paul Weston, His Chorus And Orchestra
Matrix No. W1RS 9657 * Recorded 21st May 1968
(Red Wing, by The Gaslight Novelty Orchestra)
(On A Sunday Afternoon, by Paul Weston, His Chorus And Orchestra)
(El Capitan March, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [Pianola])
(Medley: Little Annie Rooney, by The Gaslight Singers / Just Tell Them That You Saw Me, by B. J. Baker with The Singing Waiters)
(Medley: She May Have Seen Better Days, by The Mellomen / You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down, by The Gaslight Singers & Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(Who Put The Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?, by The Singing Waiters & Perry Botkin, Jr. And His Orchestra)
(Medley: Tell Me, Pretty Maiden / Where Did You Get That Hat?, by Pete King, His Chorus And Orchestra)
(Whistling Rufus, by The Gaslight Novelty Orchestra with Muzzy Marcellino [whistler])
(Medley: Down Went McGinty, by Thurl Ravenscroft / Asleep In The Deep, by Thurl Ravenscroft / Strike Up The Band, Here Comes A Sailor, by The Gaslight Singers & Pete King And His Orchestra)
(Medley: Too Much Mustard / Ben Hur Chariot Race March, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [pianola])
(Medley: A Stein Song [It's Always Fair Weather When Good Fellows Get Together] / Glorious Beer, by The Singing Waiters)
Record 5, ‘Sweet Genevieve’ / ’The Gang’s All Here’:
Side 1:
Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie
with the Gaslight Singers
Matrix No. X1RS 9516 * Recorded January 1969
(Will You Love Me In December As You Did In May?, by The Gaslight Singers & Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
(The Golden Wedding [La Cinquantaine], by Hank Levine And The Gaslight Band)
(Sweet Genevieve, by The Mellomen)
(Medley: I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard / I Don't Care, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [ pianola])
(Beautiful Brown Eyes, by The Gaslight Singers & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(Medley: A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight / Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here, by The Singing Waiters & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
('Round Her Neck She Wears A Yeller Ribbon, by Bill Lee with The Gaslight Singers & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
(On A Saturday Night, by Hank Levine And The Gaslight Band)
(A Bird In A Gilded Cage, by Jacqueline Allen with The Singing Waiters & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
(Medley: Buffalo Gals / My Gal Is A High Born Lady, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [pianola])
(Oh! Dem Golden Slippers, by The Gaslight Singers & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
Record 6, ‘In The Evening By The Moonlight’ / ‘When You Wore A Tulip’:
Side 1:
Silver Threads Among The Gold
with the Gaslight Singers
Matrix No. X1RS 9518 * Recorded January 1969
(Medley: Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? / In The Evening By The Moonlight, by The Mellomen)
(Medley: The Old Gray Mare / Polly Wolly Doodle, by The Gaslight Singers & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
(Oh, My Darling Clementine, by Thurl Ravenscroft with The Gaslight Singers & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
(Frankie And Johnny, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [Pianola])
(Tenting On The Old Camp Ground, by Bill Lee with The Singing Waiters & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
Side 2:
(When You Wore A Tulip, by The Singing Waiters & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
(The Sweetest Story Ever Told, by The Gaslight Singers & Paul Weston And His Orchestra)
(In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree, by The Mellomen & Heinie Beau And His Orchestra)
(Hearts And Flowers, by Joe “Fingers” Carr [Pianola])
(In The Sweet By And By, by The Gaslight Singers & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
(Medley: Mother Was A Lady, by Jacqueline Allen / Molly-O, by Bill Cole with The Gaslight Singers & Hank Levine And His Orchestra)
The three discs without Jo Stafford tracks:
Record 1: ‘On A Bicycle Built For Two’ / ‘The Band Played On’
(Artists: Pete King, His Chorus And Orchestra; The Gaslight Singers & Paul Weston And His Orchestra; The Singing Waiters with Muzzy Marcellino [whistler]; The Gaslight Singers & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; Paul Weston,
His Chorus And Orchestra; The Gaslight Novelty Orchestra; The Gaslight Male Chorus & Perry Botkin, Jr. And
His Orchestra; Bill Cole; The Singing Waiters & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; The Singing Waiters; Joe “Fingers” Carr [pianola]; The Gaslight Singers; Bill Cole with The Singing Waiters & The Gaslight Band; The Gaslight Band)
Record 2: ‘Variety Night At The Music Hall’ / ‘High Jinks’
(Artists: Bill Cole & Thurl Ravenscroft with Heinie Beau And His Orchestra; The Gaslight Singers & Perry Botkin, Jr. And His Orchestra featuring Perry Botkin, Sr. [banjo]; The Singing Waiters & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; B. J. Baker with The Singing Waiters; Bill Lee & Pete King And His Orchestra; The Gaslight Singers; The Gaslight Singers & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; The King Sisters & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; The Gaslight Novelty Orchestra; The Mellomen; Lorraine Foreman with The Singing Waiters; Bob Grabeau; The Singing Waiters & Pete King And
His Orchestra)
Record 3: ‘Strolling Through The Park’ / ‘Ragtime, Yessir!’
(Artists: The Singing Waiters & Frank de Vol And His Orchestra; The Gaslight Singers & Pete King And His Orchestra; Joe “Fingers” Carr [pianola]; The Singing Waiters & Pete King And His Orchestra; The Mellomen; The Gaslight Singers; George Bruns And His Rag-A-Muffins)
NOTE
According to the information on the sleeve of record 4, ‘Red Wing’ is performed by The Gaslight Novelty Orchestra, conducted by Paul Weston. We know that, in a recording session for this album, Jo Stafford also sang ‘Red Wing’. That recording was issued on the 2008 CD ‘Rosemary Clooney & Jo Stafford: The Complete Reader’s Digest Collection’.
Question for fans who own the original 1969 album ‘Gaslight Varieties’: is ‘Red Wing’ on record 4 of this album an instrumental version of the song indeed? Or is it the Jo Stafford track, and did RCA / Reader’s Digest forget to mention her name in the liner notes? Please contact me at info@jostafford-discography.com