AMERICAN ARMY V-DISCS - LES DISQUES DE LA VICTOIRE

Pressés entre 1943 et 1949, les V Discs (Victory Discs) étaient distribués aux soldats américains afin de leur remonter le moral sur le front et leur faire découvrir les dernières tendances musicales du pays. Propriété de l’État, aucun de ces disques ne fut commercialisé, le FBI fut même mandaté pour détruire l’ensemble des exemplaires circulant dès la fin de la guerre. Tous les grands artistes de l’époque venaient y faire leur effort patriotique, tous les genres (jazz, classique, variétés, blues et folk) sont représentés. Durant cette période, c’est le jazz qui tient le haut du panier, musique à la mode, qui allait devenir l’emblème des libérateurs et se répandre à travers le monde. Cette anthologie 4 CD réalisée par Jean-Baptiste Mersiol, en sus de présenter une photographie sonore des tendances musicales américaines de la Deuxième guerre mondiale, réserve quelques trésors phonographiques, comme la toute première version du standard international « Just a Gigolo » de Louis Prima ou des messages des artistes à l’attention des soldats. 

Pressed between 1943 and 1949, V Discs (or Victory Discs) boosted the morale of U.S. soldiers at the warfront and kept them up to date with the latest music from home. They were freely distributed but forbidden for sale, and the FBI would even have powers to destroy all copies in circulation at war’s end. Every great artist of the period made a patriotic gesture, and the records contained every genre: jazz, classical, pop, blues and folk. Jazz was fashionable then and took the lion’s share; it became an emblem for the liberators of Europe before spreading across the world. This 4CD set compiled by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol is a portrait in sound of American music trends during World War II, but it also reserves surprises in the form of some fantastic treasures, like the very first version of Louis Prima’s international standard, “Just A Gigolo”, and messages to the troops sent by the artists themselves. Patrick FRÉMEAUX

CD 1 - 1943-1944 : BEA WAIN – PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND ME HONEY • BENNY GOODMAN – SING, SING, SING PT 1 & 2 • BING CROSBY – YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE • ARTURO TOSCANINI – STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER • THE GOLDMAN BAND – OUR DIRECTOR • DUKE ELLINGTON – MOOD INDIGO • KAY KYSER – VICTORY POLKA • EARL ROBINSON – THE HOUSE I LIVE IN • DON REDMAN – PISTOL PACKKIN’ MAMA + MESSAGE • STOKOWSKI & THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA – CLAIR DE LUNE • FRANK SINATRA – YOU’VE GOT A HOLD ON ME • SISTER ROSETTA THARPE – ROCK DANIEL • CARSON ROBINSON – MESSAGE + THE CHARMS OF THE CITY AIN’T FER ME • WOODY HERMAN - BY THE RIVER OF THE ROSES • BING CROSBY – DARLING, JE VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP • CARMEN MIRANDA – WHEN I LOVE, I LOVE • COUNT BASIE – YEAH MAN • LIONEL HAMPTON – MESSAGE + FLYIN’ HOME PT 1&2 • LES BROWN – MEXICAN HOT DANCE • GLENN MILLER – SLEEPY TOWN TRAIN • ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN – RITUAL FIRE DANCE • BENNY GOODMAN – POOR BUTTERFLY • HARRY JAMES – SHARP AS A TACK. CD 2 - 1944-1945 : BILL GALE – GYPSY POLKA • GRAMERCY FIVE – SPECIAL DELIVERY STOMP • JO STAFFORD – WHEN OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY • JOHNNY MERCER – STRIP POLKA • CHARLIE SPIVAK – WHITE CHRISTMAS • LOUIS PRIMA – MESSAGE + ROBIN • CLAUDE LUCAS – MISS YOU • BENNY CARTER – SLEEP • CAB CALLOWAY – FOO A LITTLE BALLYHOO • THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES BAND – AMERICAN DOUGHBOY • PEGGY LEE – AIN’T GOIN NO PLACE • ELLA FITZGERALD – INTO EACH LIFE • ALEC TEMPLETON – ALEC TEMPLETON IMPRESSIONS • DEEP RIVER BOYS – WALKIN’ IN THE LIGHT • AAFTAC SYMPHONETTE – MINUETTO • THE USAAF BAND – CARIBBEAN FANTASY • V DISC ALL STAR JAM SESSION – ROSETTA • FRANK SINATRA – I BEGGED HER • RISE STEVENS – LOVE HAS WINGS • THE ANDREW SISTER – CORNS FOR MY COUNTRY • THE CHARIOTEERS – CANCEL THE FLOWERS • 334TH ARMY SERVICE FORCES ORCHESTRA – MESSAGE + LONESOME ROAD • THE THREE SUNS – IT’S DAWN AGAIN • THE MILLS BROTHERS – CIELITO LINDO. CD 3 - 1945-1946 : MARCELLA DENYA – PLAISIR D’AMOUR • THE ANDREW SISTERS – RED RIVER VALLEY • LOUIS ARMSTRONG – I’M CONFESSIN’ THAT I LOVE YOU • GLEN GRAY & THE CASA LOMA ORCHESTRA – MESSAGE + NO NAME LIVE • HARRY JAMES – SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN • RED MCKENZIE – CAN’T TALK IT OVER • SPIKE JONES AND HIS CITY SLICKERS – BLUE DANUBE • THE LES PAUL TRIO – HOW HIGH THE MOON • LOUIS PRIMA – JUST A GIGOLO • LT. BOB CROSBY & HIS V DISC BOB-CATS – IT’S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY • FRANK SINATRA – HOMESICK, THAT’S ALL • ELLA FITZGERALD AND HER SPECIAL SERVERS – I’LL ALWAYS BE IN LOVE WITH YOU • SAM DONAHUE & THE NAVY DANCE BAND – LST PARTY • THE FOUR GINGER SNAPS – THE SHRIMP MAN • THE V-DISC JUMPERS – LOVE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER • LOS ANGELES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – AVE MARIA • STAN KENTON - RIDE ON • THE THREE JESTERS – I HAD A HAT • ART TATUM – MESSAGE + SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY • IGOR STRAWINSKY & THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – CIRCUS POLKA • LES PAUL TRIO – ALL OF ME • THE THREE SUNS – CRAZY RHYTHM. CD 4 - 1946-1949 : CAROL BRICE – COME TO THE FAIR • DUKE ELLINGTON – MESSAGE + FRANKIE & JOHNNIE • LENA HORNE – MESSAGE + MAD ABOUT THE BOY • CHARLIE BARNET – DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM 1’52 • 5. NELSON EDDY – SILENT NIGHT • LES BROWN – DEVIL, DEVIL, DEVIL • PEGGY LEE & LES PAUL TRIO – I GET THE BLUES WHEN IT RAINS • BUDDY RICH – QUIET RIOT • DUKE ELLINGTON - I’M CHECKIN’ OUT, GOOM BYE • ELLA FITZGERALD – I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS 4’06 • 11. BUDDY WEED – I HATE MYSELF • CATALINA SEXTETTE – SKRONTCH • LESTER YOUNG – LESTER LEAPS IN • MAURICE CHEVALIER – MA POMME • WOODY HERMAN – BLOOP BLEEP • FRANK SINATRA – OVER THE RAINBOW • KAY KYSER – WOODY WOODPECKER SONG • KAY STARR – MESSAGE + YOU GOTTA SEE YOUR MAMA EVERY NIGHT • RED INGLE AND NATURAL SEVEN – CIGARETTES, WHYSKY, AND WILD, WILD WOMEN • VICTOR BORGE – INFLATION SONG • FRANKIE CARLE – CHICAGO • RAYMOND SCOTT QUINTET – THREE LITTLE WORDS • RANDY BROOKS – A NIGHT AT THE DEUCES.

DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : JEAN-BAPTISTE MERSIOL