Track Listing

1. Strip Polka - Johnny Mercer
2. I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City - Johnny Mercer, Freddie Slack & His Orchestra
3. G.I. Jive - Johnny Mercer, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
4. Blues in the Night - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Jo Stafford, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
5. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
6. Candy - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Jo Stafford, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
7. I'm Gonna See My Baby - Johnny Mercer, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
8. On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
9. Surprise Party - Johnny Mercer, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
10. Personality - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
11. My Sugar Is So Refined - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
12. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) - Johnny Mercer, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
13. Zip a Dee Doo Dah - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
14. Gal in Calico - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
15. Winter Wonderland - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
16. Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, Johnny Mercer
17. Sugar Blues - Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
18. Save the Bones for Henry Jones - Nat King Cole, King Cole Trio, Johnny Mercer
19. Glow Worm - Johnny Mercer, Alvino Rey, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
20. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer, Paul Weston & His Orchestra, Margaret Whiting

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1029 in Music
• Released on: 1989-07-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
Johnny Mercer was one of the founders of Capitol Records, so it's fitting that this entry in the label's Collectors Series is such a well-compiled and -designed package. Comprised of 20 key sides made between 1942 and 1949, it captures the Savannah-born singer/songwriter's lazy, bluesy delivery on both his own tunes ("Blues in the Night," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "One for My Baby") and others' (Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside," which Mercer and Margaret Whiting made into a No. 1 hit). Mercer was a major figure in American popular music; this CD makes clear that he was also a highly entertaining performer. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

The highest praise from a Johnny-come-lately Mercer fan
Amazing that a lyrics fanatic like me, who grew up on Hammerstein, Hart, Harburg, Harnick, Gershwin, et al., only discovered Johnny Mercer in 1999. But thanks to this CD, I am making up for lost time. Johnny Mercer was not only a brilliant lyricist, he was an outstanding vocalist and a charming performer. This CD showcases all three aspects of his glorious contribution to American music.

Every song on this disc is a gem, but if I had to pick my absolute favorites, they'd be: "G. I. Jive," "On the Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Surprise Party."

Treat yourself to this superb CD!

Classic '40s recordings by one of America's best
Songwriter Johnny Mercer had considerable success in Hollywood before co-founding Capitol Records in 1942. The maverick Los Angeles-based label had some of the hugest hits of the wartime era, starting with Ella Mae Morse's "Cow Cow Boogie," and continuing on through a slew of other great artists. Mercer himself recorded prolifically, and though his own versions of his songs tended to sell less spectacularly than versions cut by various popular bandleaders, he did alright as a singer, too. Mercer's bluesy, hepcat vocal style is a little hokey, but fun nonetheless, and no expense was spared on the punchy big band arrangements. This disc is packed with great Mercer originals, such as "G.I. Jive," with its goofy Slim Gaillard-style scatting, "Ac-Cent-Chu-Ate The Positive," "Glow Worm" and "The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe." Mercer also did fine versions of songs by other standards writers, such as "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," and Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside." Backing him up throughout are Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers, top talent of the time. The Capitol studios had a great, readily identifiable production style -- clean, punchy, solid arrangements, pointing to a new "vocal" style that would redefine pop music in the wake of the big band era. And there was Johnny Mercer, right at the heart of it all. This is a great collection, well worth checking out.

I love it
I was born in 1975... a full 35 years after most of these songs were recorded ... and I will admit... I am completely surpised. I am surprised at how much I enjoy this entire CD! It really is amazing... I find myself singing along with songs like "G.I Jive" and "Strip Polka" and I NEVER sing along to music. Everything has such catchy tunes, with crazy little quirks, and such genuine good-natured humor. Really, I find myself laughing everytime I hear put this cd in.

Why this Johnny Mercer CD? Honestly this is the only one that I own, so I don't know if this is any better than the others. However, I do know that has turned into the CD that I listen to on my way home from work (It is especially awesome when I am havign a bad day... "Zippy Do Dah" alway brings a smile to my face!)

My recommedation - even if you don't think that you will like it (I only bought to see if we should use it for dinner music at my wedding!) try it. You may be as amazed as I was.