A saxophonist and singer from New Jersey, Ozzie Nelson formed his band after graduating from Rutgers University in 1930, and gained visibility by manipulating a popularity poll in the New York Daily Mirror, beating beat Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra to top the poll, leading to a contract with Brunswick Records. Over the next decade he had nearly 40 US hits, many featuring him on vocals, with his future wife Harriet Hilliard on others. 

In the 1940s, he and Harriet originated and starred in a long-running radio and TV family sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”, which eventually also starred their children, providing a TV debut for future teen star Ricky Nelson. 

This 49 track 2-CD collection comprises all his 38 career hits plus selected A and B sides of his releases on the Brunswick and Bluebird labels from this era. It features his No. 1 “And Then Some”, the No. 2 “White Sails Beneath A Yellow Moon”, and the Top 5 hits “About A Quarter To Nine”, “Is It True What They Say About Dixie?”, “Roses In December”, “You Can’t Stop Me From Dreaming”, “Says My Heart”, “At Long Last Love” and “Little Skipper”, with vocal performances by Ozzie himself, along with Harriet Hilliard and Rose Ann Stevens. 

It’s an entertaining selection of his most popular material, including some of the Great American Songbook classics that originated during that era.

Tracks

CD 1
1. I STILL GET A THRILL  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 8/29/30) 1930 
2. BODY AND SOUL Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 10/?/30) 1930 
3. TRULY (I LOVE YOU)  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 11355) 1931 
4. ON THE BEACH WITH YOU  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 5/27/31) 1931 
5. GUILTY  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 9/17/31) 1931 
6. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 12000) 1932 
7. SAY IT ISN'T SO  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 8/30/32) 1932 
8. LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 11/29/32) 1932 
9. IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 9/21/34) 1934 
10. IT'S DARK ON OBSERVATORY HILL Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 9/21/34) 1934 
11. MANDY Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 11/23/34) 1934 
12. OH SUZANNA, DUST OFF THAT OLD PIANNA Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 1/18/35) 1935 
13. ABOUT A QUARTER TO NINE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 4/18/35) 1935 
14. SHE'S A LATIN FROM MANHATTAN Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 4/18/35) 1935 
15. I'LL NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN AGAIN Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 4/18/35) 1935 
16. AND THEN SOME Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 6/13/35) 1935 
17. QUICKER THAN YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 12916) 1935 
18. I PICKED A FLOWER THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 12916) 1935 
19. CLING TO ME Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 1/14/36) 1936 
20. BUT WHERE ARE YOU Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 1/14/36) 1936 
21. IS IT TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DIXIE? Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 13305) 1936 
22. STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 13305) 1936 
23. TAIN'T GOOD, LIKE A NICKEL MADE OF WOOD Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Brunswick 13191) 1936 
24. THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13852) 1937

CD 2
1. NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13852) 1937 
2. CAUSE MY BABY SAYS IT'S SO Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13550) 1937 
3. OUR PENTHOUSE ON THIRD AVENUE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13579) 1937 
4. LOVE IS NEVER OUT OF SEASON Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13579) 1937 
5. ROSES IN DECEMBER  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 6/17/37) 1937 
6. THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 6/17/37) 1937 
7. YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM DREAMING Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13555) 1937 
8. ONCE IN AWHILE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 13557) 1937 
9. DON'T BE THAT WAY Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14003) 1938 
10. SAYS MY HEART Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14035) 1938 
11. YOU LEAVE ME BREATHLESS Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14096) 1938 
12. WHAT DO YOU KNOW BOUT LOVE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 6/22/38) 1938 
13. CHANGE PARTNERS Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14191) 1938 
14. WHO BLEW OUT THE FLAME? Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14070) 1938 
15. AT LONG LAST LOVE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14070) 1938 
16. LITTLE SKIPPER Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 3/20/39) 1939 
17. STRANGE ENCHANTMENT Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 3/20/39) 1939 
18. SAY SI SI Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14309) 1939 
19. WHITE SAILS (BENEATH A YELOW MOON) Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14251) 1939 
20. SEVENTEEN Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 8/30/39) 1939 
21. WHO TOLD YOU I CARED? Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14345) 1939 
22. LEANIN' ON THE OLE TOP RAIL  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14407) 1939 
23. ALICE BLUE GOWN Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 3/18/40) 1940 
24. I'M NOBODY'S BABY  Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 14888) 1940 
25. JERSEY JIVE Ozzie Nelson & His Orch. (Bluebird 4/29/41) 1941