The Mills Brothers were a pioneering vocal quartet, who performed in a jazz-flavoured barbershop style and were forerunners of the doowop groups of later years- they broke new ground as the first African-American group to have their own network radio show in the USA. In the course of their long career they made more than 2,000 recordings and had around 60 US chart entries. So prolific were that we have chosen to present their releases on 78s and 45s in two 4-CD sets, of which this is the second (Vol. 1 is ACQCD7185). This 108-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from their releases on the Decca and Dot labels from 1947 through to 1960, with just about every release represented by at least one side. It features 27 chart hits, including the No. 1 “Glow Worm”, and the Top 10 entries “Across The Alley From The Alamo”, “I Love You So Much It Hurts”, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”, “Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)”, “Daddy’s Little Girl”, “Nevertheless” and “Be My Life’s Companion”. It features recordings with Al Jolson, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, and with the orchestras of Sy Oliver, Hal McIntyre and Owen Bradley. It’s a representative overview of the second era of their career and is a fine showcase for their highly distinctive style of vocal harmonies.
CD 1
1. ACROSS THE ALLEY FROM THE ALAMO Mills Brothers (Decca 23863) 1947
2. DREAM, DREAM, DREAM Mills Brothers (Decca 23863) 1947
3. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, WON'T HURT YOU Mills Brothers (Decca 23979) 1947
4. OH, MY ACHIN' HEART Mills Brothers (Decca 23979) 1947
5. YOU NEVER MISS THE WATER TILL THE WELL RUNS DRY Mills Brothers (Decca 24180A) 1947
6. AFTER YOU Mills Brothers (Decca 24180B) 1947
7. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T SAY I'M SORRY Mills Brothers (Decca 24252) 1947
8. MANANA Mills Brothers (Decca 24333) 1947
9. LOVE IS FUN Mills Brothers (Decca 24382) 1947
10. CONFESS Mills Brothers (Decca 24409) 1947
11. BABY, DON'T BE MAD AT ME Mills Brothers (Decca 24441) 1947
12. TWO BLOCKS DOWN AND TURN TO THE LEFT Mills Brothers (Decca 24472) 1947
13. GLORIA Mills Brothers (Decca 24509) 1948
14. I WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE Mills Brothers (Decca 24509) 1948
15. DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS Al Jolson & Mills Brothers (Decca 24534) 1948
16. IS IT TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DIXIE Al Jolson & Mills Brothers (Decca 24534) 1948
17. I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM Mills Brothers (Decca 24550A) 1948
18. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS Mills Brothers (Decca 24550B) 1948
19. WORDS (THAT ARE BREAKING MY HEART) Mills Brothers (Decca 24621) 1948
20. SINGLE SADDLE Mills Brothers (Decca 24656) 1949
21. OUT OF LOVE Mills Brothers (Decca 24679) 1949
22. SOMEDAY Mills Brothers (Decca 24694A) 1949
23. ON A CHINESE HONEYMOON Mills Brothers (Decca 24694B) 1949
24. I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Mills Brothers (Decca 24749) 1949
25. WHO'LL BE THE NEXT ONE Mills Brothers (Decca 24749) 1949
26. SWEET GENEVIEVE Mills Brothers (Decca 24756) 1949
CD 2
1. IF I HAD MY WAY Mills Brothers (Decca 24756) 1949
2. HONEY THAT I LOVE SO WELL Mills Brothers (Decca 24756)
3. TILL WE MEET AGAIN Mills Brothers (Decca 24757) 1949
4. LONG, LONG AGO Mills Brothers (Decca 24758) 1949
5. MY CHRISTMAS SONG FOR YOU Mills Brothers (Decca 24768) 1949
6. FAIRY TALES Mills Brothers And Ella Fitzgerald (Decca 24813) 1949
7. I GOTTA HAVE MY BABY BACK Mills Brothers And Ella Fitzgerald (Decca 24813) 1949
8. DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL Mills Brothers (Decca 24872) 1949
9. OPEN THE GATES OF DREAMLAND Mills Brothers (Decca 24994) 1949
10. CIELITO LINDO Mills Brothers (Decca 25046B) 1949
11. THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU Mills Brothers (Decca 25284B) 1949
12. WHY FIGHT THE FEELING Mills Brothers (Decca 27104) 1950
13. THE TUNNEL OF LOVE Mills Brothers (Decca 27104) 1950
14. I STILL LOVE YOU Mills Brothers (Decca 27236) 1950
15. DADDY'S LITTLE BOY Mills Brothers (Decca 27236) 1950
16. NEVERTHELESS Mills Brothers (Decca 27253) 1950
17. I GET A FUNNY FEELING (WHEN I SEE YOU) Mills Brothers (Decca 27267) 1950
18. LOVE LIES Mills Brothers (Decca 27889) 1950
19. BE MY LIFE'S COMPANION Mills Brothers (Decca 27889) 1951
20. YOU'RE NOT WORTH MY TEARS The Mills Brothers (Decca 28021) 1951
21. HIGH AND DRY The Mills Brothers (Decca 28021) 1951
22. WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME The Mills Brothers (Decca 28180) 1951
23. JUST WHEN WE'RE FALLING IN LOVE The Mills Brothers (Sy Oliver Orch) (Decca 28309) 1952
24. BLUE AND SENTIMENTAL The Mills Brothers (Sy Oliver Orch) (Decca 28309) 1952
25. THE GLOW WORM The Mills Brothers (Decca 28384) 1952
CD 3
1. AFTER ALL Mills Brothers W Hal Mcintyre (Decca 28384) 1952
2. LAZY RIVER The Mills Brothers (Decca 28458) 1952
3. SOMEONE LOVED SOMEONE The Mills Brothers (Decca 28459) 1952
4. A SHOULDER TO WEEP ON The Mills Brothers (Decca 28459) 1952
5. I WANT SOMEONE TO CARE FOR The Mills Brothers (Decca 28586) 1953
6. TWICE AS MUCH The Mills Brothers (Decca 28586) 1953
7. SAY "SI SI" The Mills Brothers (Decca 28670) 1953
8. I'M WITH YOU The Mills Brothers (Decca 28670) 1953
9. PRETTY BUTTERFLY The Mills Brothers (Decca 28736) 1953
10. DON'T LET ME DREAM The Mills Brothers (Decca 28736) 1953
11. WHO PUT THE DEVIL IN EVELYN'S EYES The Mills Brothers (Decca 28818) 1953
12. BEWARE The Mills Brothers (Decca 28818) 1953
13. THE JONES BOY Mills Bros W Sy Oliver (Decca 28945) 1953
14. SHE WAS FIVE AND HE WAS TEN Mills Bros W Sy Oliver (Decca 28945) 1953
15. YOU DIDN'T WANT ME WHEN YOU HAD ME The Mills Brothers (Decca 29019) 1954
16. GO IN AND OUT THE WINDOW The Mills Brothers (Decca 29115) 1954
17. A CARNIVAL IN VENICE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29115) 1954
18. HOW BLUE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29185) 1954
19. WHY DO I KEEP LOVIN' YOU The Mills Brothers (Decca 29185) 1954
20. IT MUST BE SO Peggy Lee And Mills Brothers (Decca 29359) 1954
21. STRAIGHT AHEAD Peggy Lee And Mills Brothers (Decca 29359) 1954
22. PAPER VALENTINE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29382) 1954
23. THE URGE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29382) 1954
24. OPUS ONE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29496) 1954
25. SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29511) 1954
26. KISS ME AND KILL ME WITH LOVE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29511) 1954
27. MI MUCHACHA The Mills Brothers (Decca 29621) 1954
28. THAT'S ALL I ASK OF YOU The Mills Brothers (Decca 29621) 1954
CD 4
1. GUM DROP The Mills Brothers (Decca 29686) 1955
2. SUDDENLY THERE'S A VALLEY The Mills Brothers (Decca 29686) 1955
3. I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS The Mills Brothers (Decca 29754) 1955
4. I'VE CHANGED MY MIND A THOUSAND TIMES The Mills Brothers (Decca 29781) 1955
5. ALL THE WAY 'ROUND THE WORLD The Mills Brothers (Decca 29781) 1956
6. DREAM OF YOU The Mills Brothers (Decca 29853) 1956
7. IN A MELLOW TONE The Mills Brothers (Decca 29853) 1956
8. STANDING ON THE CORNER The Mills Brothers (Decca 29897) 1956
9. KING PORTER STOMP The Mills Brothers (Decca 29897) 1956
10. I'M THE GUY The Mills Brothers (Decca 29977) 1956
11. THAT'S RIGHT The Mills Brothers (Decca 30024) 1956
12. QUEEN OF THE SENIOR PROM The Mills Brothers (Decca 30299) 1957
13. MY TROUBLED MIND The Mills Brothers (Decca 30299) 1957
14. TWO MINUTE TANGO The Mills Brothers (Decca 30430) 1957
15. THE BARBERSHOP QUARTET The Mills Brothers (Decca 30546) 1958
16. YOU ONLY TOLD ME HALF THE STORY The Mills Brothers (Decca 30546) 1958
17. GET A JOB The Mills Brothers (Dot 15695) 1958
18. I FOUND A MILLION DOLLAR BABY The Mills Brothers (Dot 15695) 1958
19. ME AND MY SHADOW The Mills Brothers (Dot 15827) 1958
20. MUSIC, MAESTRO, PLEASE The Mills Brothers (Dot 15827) 1958
21. YELLOW BIRD The Mills Brothers (Dot 15858) 1958
22. BABY CLEMENTINE The Mills Brothers (Dot 15858) 1958
23. YOU CAN'T BE TRUE DEAR The Mills Brothers (Dot 15909) 1959
24. LULLABY IN RAGTIME The Mills Brothers (Dot 15950) 1959
25. TAKE ME ALONG The Mills Brothers (Dot 15987) 1959
26. THE GLOW WORM The Mills Brothers (Dot 16037) 1960
27. I MISS YOU SO The Mills Brothers (Dot 16049) 1960
28. HIGHWAYS ARE HAPPY WAYS The Mills Brothers (Dot 16091) 1960
29. BALLERINA The Mills Brothers (Dot 16258) 1960
