Johnny Mercer, born in Savannah, Georgia, was a prolific and highly successful songwriter, contributing dozens of hits to the Great American Songbook, often as a lyricist, although his background was very different from most of his peers from New York’s Jewish immigrant community.  He was one of the co-founders of Capitol Records in 1942. He was also a singer, recording largely of course for Capitol,  and recording mostly with the Pied Pipers vocal group and The Paul Weston Orchestra.  

This 50-track 2-CD collection features all his 29 career hits as an artist, plus other selected A & B sides from early Decca releases, and then from his Capitol singles during the 1940s. Among his hits were the No. 1s Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive”, “Candy”, and “Personality”.Along with The Pied Pipers and Paul Weston, it features performances with Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, The King Cole Trio, Freddie Slack’s Orchestra, and Wingy Manone’s Dixieland Band. 

He was an influential and multi-talented personality, and this collection highlights what was maybe the lesser known side of his extraordinary contribution to pop music over the years.

CD 1
1. MR. GALLAGHER AND MR. SHEEN Bing Crosby & Johnny Mercer  (Decca 1960) 1938 
2. SMALL FRY Bing Crosby & Johnny Mercer  (Decca 1960) 1938 
3. FRIENDSHIP Judy Garland & Johnny Mercer (Decca 3165) 1940 
4. MISTER MEADOWLARK Bing Crosby & Johnny Mercer (Decca 3182) 1940 
5. STRIP POLKA Johnny Mercer (Capitol 103) 1942 
6. I LOST MY SUGAR IN SALT LAKE CITY Johnny Mercer  (Capitol 122) 1943 
7. THE OLD MUSIC MASTER Paul Whiteman & His Orch With Johnny Mercer & Jack Teagarden (Capitol 137) 1943 
8. G.I. JIVE Johnny Mercer (Capitol 141) 1944 
9. I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN & WRITE MYSELF A LETTER Johnny Mercer (Capitol 141) 1944 
10. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Johnny Mercer And The Barries  (Capitol 150) 1944 
11. SAM'S GOT HIM Johnny Mercer (Capitol 164) 1944 
12. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers (Capitol 180) 1945 
13. I'M GONNA SEE MY BABY Johnny Mercer (Capitol 183) 1945 
14. CANDY Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford And The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 183) 1945 
15. ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTE FE Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 195) 1945 
16. CONVERSATION WHILE DANCING Johnny Mercer And Jo Stafford  (Capitol 195) 1945 
17. SURPRISE PARTY Johnny Mercer (Capitol 217) 1945 
18. PERSONALITY Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 230) 1946 
19. ANY PLACE I HANG MY HAT IS HOME Johnny Mercer (Capitol 254) 1946 
20. MY SUGAR IS SO REFINED Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 268) 1946 
21. UGLY CHILE (YOU'RE SOME PRETTY DOLL) Johnny Mercer (Capitol 268) 1946 
22. WINTER WONDERLAND Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 316) 1946 
23. A GAL IN CALICO Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 316) 1946 
24. ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers  (Capitol 323) 1947 
25. HUGGIN' AND A-CHALKIN' Johnny Mercer (Capitol 334) 1947

CD 2
1. I DO DO DO LIKE YOU Johnny Mercer (Capitol 367) 1947 
2. MOON-FACED AND STARRY-EYED Benny Goodman Orch. with Johnny Mercer (Capitol 376) 1947 
3. THE COVERED WAGON ROLLED RIGHT ALONG Johnny Mercer (Capitol 400) 1947 
4. CECILIA Johnny Mercer & Pied Pipers (Capitol 422) 1947 
5. SUGAR BLUES Johnny Mercer (Capitol 448) 1947 
6. IF I HAD A TALKING PICTURE OF YOU Johnny Mercer And Martha Tilton  (Capitol 10087) 1947 
7. SAVE THE BONES FOR HENRY JONES ('CAUSE HENRY DON'T EAT NO MEAT) Johnny Mercer & The King Cole Trio (Capitol 15000) 1947 
8. HARMONY Johnny Mercer & The King Cole Trio (Capitol 15000) 1947 
9. THAT’S THE WAY HE DOES IT Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers (Capitol 15016) 1947 
10. MY BABY LIKES TO BE-BOP (AND I LIKE TO BE-BOP TOO) Johnny Mercer & The King Cole Trio (Capitol 15026) 1947 
11. THE THOUSAND ISLANDS SONG Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15028) 1947 
12. HOORAY FOR LOVE Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers (Capitol 15028) 1948 
13. GOOFUS Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15051) 1948 
14. I DON’T CARE IF IT RAINS ALL NIGHT Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15134) 1948 
15. LOUISVILLE LOU (THAT VAMPIN’ LADY) Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15152) 1948 
16. ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15241) 1948 
17. IF I KNEW THEN Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15276) 1948 
18. THE TAILGATE RAMBLE Johnny Mercer  (Capitol 15285) 1948 
19. MEMPHIS BLUES Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers (Capitol 15318) 1948 
20. WOULD YA? (EYAH AYAH EYAH) Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers (Capitol 15337) 1948 
21. THE NEW ASHMOLEAN Johnny Mercer (Capitol 15385) 1948 
22. MISSOURI WALKIN' PREACHER (WITH A LITTLE BOOK IN HIS HANDS) Johnny Mercer (Capitol 558) 1949 
23. BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer  (Capitol 567) 1949 
24. AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL Johnny Mercer (Capitol 982) 1949 
25. THE GLOW WORM Johnny Mercer (Capitol 2248) 1952