Guy Lombardo was a hugely successful bandleader, violinist and conductor whose orchestra played the sweet style of dance band and easy listening music which appealed to the broad spectrum of middle America during the 1930s through the 40s and into the early 50s during what is sometimes called the golden age of popular music. He was so extraordinarily successful over a period spanning more than a quarter of a century that his tally of hit records over 200 - is so long that we have decided to spread the recordings over two 4-CD sets, of which this is Volume 1.

This great-value 90-track CD comprises most of his recordings for the Columbia, Brunswick, Victor and Decca labels during the first decade or so of his career which were credited with a Top 20 chart position in Joel Whitburns Pop Memories or Elston Brooks The Weekly Top Ten Tunes For The Last Fifty Years books. It includes some of the original hit recordings of compositions during those years of a number of Great American Songbook classics, many of them featuring his brother Carmen Lombardo on vocals, and among the No. 1s featured here are Charmaine, Sweethearts On Parade, You're Driving Me Crazy, By The River Sainte-Marie, Moonlight Saving Time, Goodnight Sweetheart, Too Many Tears, We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye & The Last Round-Up. Along with the companion set The Guy Lombardo Hits Collection Vol. 2 1937-54 (Acrobat ACQCD7140) it represents a comprehensive and enjoyable overview of his hit-making career.

REVIEWS

“Acrobat have released a number of 'sweet band' collections over recent months providing a fairly comprehensive survey of the genre, and now with the release of these two very impressive sets I think we can safely say this is the definitive Guy Lombardo. Eight CDs over the two sets comprise 193 tracks, so this is a monumental achievement by any standards, although such was the longevity and extent of Lombardo's success that even then, not all of his 218 hits can be included! Many of the songs featured here have been long forgotten but  equally there are many which went on to become standards after the band had popularised them and it is interesting to hear these versions in the light of later interpretations. Full marks to Acrobat for a mammoth undertaking..   ”  –  Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 333)

“...float along in a delightful daze”  –  Dave Gelly (Jazz Journal Winter 2019)