Four Star Favorites

Four Star Favorites is a compilation album of phonograph records released in 1941 by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra on Victor Records, containing studio recordings by his second, third and fourth orchestras.

Four Star Favorites
RCA Victor reissue cover, c. 1946–50
Compilation album by
Artie Shaw
ReleasedSeptember 5, 1941
Recorded1938–1941
StudioStudio 2, Victor, New York
Victor Studios, Hollywood
GenreDance band, Orchestral jazz
Length24:20
LabelVictor
Artie Shaw chronology
An Album of Popular Music
(1939)		 Four Star Favorites
(1941)		 Up Swing
(1944)
Alternative cover
LP reissue cover, 1951

During the 1930s and 40s, Shaw's orchestras recorded two main styles of music inside of the Jazz genre, danceable pop music following conventions of the time (Swing) and a more sophisticated blend of Classical music and Jazz, aided with a String section (Orchestral jazz or early Third stream). These styles opposed each other, and during his career Shaw's attempts to make Art music oftentimes failed because it wasn't commercially viable.[1]

Bridging the divide in Shaw's catalog, the compilation appealed to audiences of both Swing music and more progressive forms of Jazz. Well-reviewed upon release, the album stayed in-print for over a decade.[2]

Background and reception

Acknowledged as the most cerebral of the dance bandleaders,[3] throughout his career, Artie Shaw had an uneasy relationship with popularity.[1] Preferring to record songs for perceived artistic value rather than cater to popular demand, in 1938, his second band (after "Art Shaw and His New Music" in the middle 30s) struck massive success with "Begin the Beguine", a number-one hit for six weeks; From then on, the Shaw outfits were some of the most popular of the Swing era.[4] However, critics speculated Shaw never wanted the massive amount of success he received. Frustrated with the way his black musicians such as Billie Holiday were treated,[5] the commercial nature of playing hit songs repetitively, and the music business in general, Shaw disbanded his orchestra in November 1939 and took 2 months off in a brief move to Acapulco, Mexico.[6]

In Acapulco, Shaw first heard the then-new Alberto Domínguez composition "Frenesí".[7] Reforming his band in early 1940 with the addition of a string section, Shaw recorded the song in March, which first appeared on Billboard charts on August 3. In late December, the single jumped from the 7th position to the top of the chart, holding its place for thirteen weeks and proving to be one of the largest hit singles of the 1940s decade.[4] However, by the time the record hit number 1, Shaw had already progressed to his fourth band with largely different personnel. The sides included were representative of all three: tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8 were from Shaw's first successful orchestra and second overall; track 1 Shaw's third; and tracks 3, 5 and 7 his fourth.[8]

Four Star Favorites was well received in music publications. The New Yorker designated it a "perfectly swell album... which includes several of the band's best accomplishments."[9] Radio and Television Mirror briefly recommended it,[10] and while Variety was positive, they noted the potential of fans to disagree with Victor's selections, due to the contrast between Shaw's more orchestral leanings and popular, danceable Swing material.[11] The American Music Lover, a publication mainly devoted to Classical music, assigned the album four "A"s, their highest rating:

Don't look at the album and think it's re-hash of old stuff... Admit instead that it was a clever stunt on Victor's part to recouple eight sides of Artie's best contributions made during various stages of that mind-changing-about-musicians career of his... Artie, as a musician, shines in each piece... they're all well done.[12]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The American Music LoverA A A A[12]
The New Yorker(favorable)[9]
Variety(favorable)[11]
Radio and Television Mirror(recommended)[10]

Track listing

These reissued songs were featured on a 4-disc, 78 rpm album set, Victor P-85.

Disc 1: (27546)

  1. "Frenesí", recorded March 3, 1940.
  2. "Begin the Beguine", recorded July 24, 1938.[13]

Disc 2: (27547)

  1. "Star Dust", recorded October 7, 1940.
  2. "Back Bay Shuffle", recorded July 24, 1938.[13]

Disc 3: (27548)

  1. "Dancing in the Dark", recorded January 23, 1941.
  2. "Traffic Jam", recorded June 12, 1939.[13]

Disc 4: (27549)

  1. "Moonglow", recorded January 23, 1941.
  2. "Serenade To a Savage", recorded June 22, 1939.[13]

Release history

The original album was issued on four ten-inch 78 rpm records, September 5th, 1941 on Victor Records.[14] Imprints of the album produced after February–March 1946 feature RCA Victor on the cover and labels. In 1949, truncated as six songs, the album was reissued on 45 rpm, WP 85. In 1950, after the format war between vinyl discs subsided, RCA Victor reached a cross-liscening agreement with Columbia to issue their records on LP. The following year, the label reissued the six-track album on a 10" LP, LPM-30.

1949 EP track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Frenesí"Alberto DomínguezMarch 3, 19403:01
2."Begin the Beguine"Cole PorterJuly 24, 19383:14
3."Star Dust"Hoagy CarmichaelOctober 7, 19403:31
4."Traffic Jam"Teddy McRae–Artie ShawJune 12, 19392:13
5."Moonglow"Will HudsonJanuary 23, 19413:33
6."Serenade To a Savage"Joe Garland–Edgar BattleJune 22, 19392:33
Total length:18:05
1951 LP track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Frenesí"Alberto DomínguezMarch 3, 19403:01
2."Star Dust"Hoagy CarmichaelOctober 7, 19403:31
3."Moonglow"Will HudsonJanuary 23, 19413:33
4."Serenade To a Savage"Joe Garland–Edgar BattleJune 22, 19392:33
5."Traffic Jam"Teddy McRae–Artie ShawJune 12, 19392:13
6."Begin the Beguine"Cole PorterJuly 24, 19383:14
Total length:18:05

Chart performance

While Four Star Favorites saw release nearly 3​1⁄2 years before the first Billboard magazine Best Selling Popular Albums chart appeared, the continued public interest in Shaw's recordings (and those of the Swing era in general) kept the album in print for over 10 years. As such, it did chart, peaking at number 4 on July 28, 1945. The 1949 EP configuration also charted, debuting in late 1951 and reappearing at number 8 in early 1952.

Six out of the album's eight tracks charted upon their original release. "Beguine" and "Frenesí" were both number-one hits, as well as the only selections in the album to chart outside the United States. The four other songs all reached the Top 10 in the US.[4]

Sales chart performance for singles from Four Star Favorites
Release date[14] Single     Peak position[4][upper-alpha 1]
US
UK
AUS
August 17, 1938           "Begin the Beguine" ①6 – 6
August 24, 1938           "Back Bay Shuffle" 8 – –
August 21, 1939           "Traffic Jam" 9 – –
March 29, 1940           "Frenesí" ①13 8 –
December 6, 1940           "Star Dust" 6 – –
February 14, 1941           "Dancing in the Dark" 9 – –
Sales chart performance for Four Star Favorites
Peak date[4][2] Chart Peak position[4]
US
July 28, 1945           Billboard      Best-Selling Popular Record Albums 4
January 19, 1952           Billboard      Best Selling 45 r.p.m. 8

Notes

  1. Exponents represent number of weeks at the number ① position.

Personnel

Track numbers reference the 78 rpm album configuration. Complete personnel per the Glenn Miller Archive, University of Colorado Boulder.[15][16]

Woodwinds

  • Artie Shaw – clarinet, leader
  • Joe Krechter – bass clarinet (1)
  • Bud Carlton – alto saxophone (1)
  • Blake Reynolds – alto saxophone (1)
  • Les Robinson – alto saxophone (2–8)
  • Hank Freeman – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Neely Plumb – alto saxophone (3, 5, 7)
  • Jack Stacy – tenor saxophone (1)
  • Dick Clark – tenor saxophone (1)
  • Ronnie Perry – tenor saxophone (2, 4)
  • Tony Pastor – tenor saxophone (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Jerry Jerome – tenor saxophone (3, 5, 7)
  • Bus Bassey – tenor saxophone (3, 5, 7)
  • Phil Nemoli – oboe (1)
  • Mort Ruderman – flute (1)

Brass

  • Mannie Klein – trumpet (1)
  • Charles Margolis – trumpet (1)
  • George Thow – trumpet (1)
  • Claude Bowen – trumpet (2, 4)
  • Chuck Peterson – trumpet (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Johnny Best – trumpet (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Jack Cathcart – trumpet (3)
  • Billy Butterfield – trumpet (3, 5, 7)
  • George Wendt – trumpet (3, 5, 7)
  • Clyde Hurley – trumpet (5, 7)
  • Bernie Privin – trumpet (6, 8)
  • John Cave – flugelhorn (1)
  • Bill Rank – trombone (1)
  • Babe Bowman – trombone (1)
  • Randall Miller – trombone (1)
  • Ted Vesely – trombone (2, 4)
  • George Arus – trombone (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Harry Rodgers – trombone (2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Vernon Brown – trombone (3, 5, 7)
  • Jack Jenney – trombone (3, 5, 7)
  • Ray Conniff – trombone (5, 7)
  • Les Jenkins – trombone (6, 8)

Strings

  • Harry Bluestone – violin (1)
  • Robert Barene – violin (1)
  • Sid Brokaw – violin (1)
  • Dave Cracov – violin (1)
  • Peter Eisenberg – violin (1)
  • Jerry Joyce – violin (1)
  • Alex Law – violin (1)
  • Mark Levant – violin (1)
  • Alex Beller – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Truman Boardman – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Bill Brower – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Ted Klages – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Eugene Lamas – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Bob Morrow – violin (3, 5, 7)
  • Jack Ray – viola (1)
  • Stan Spiegelman – viola (1)
  • Dave Sturkin – viola (1)
  • Keith Collins – viola (3, 5, 7)
  • Allan Harshman – viola (3, 5, 7)
  • Irv Lipschultz – cello (1)
  • Jules Tannenbaum – cello (1)
  • Fred Goemer – cello (3, 5, 7)

Rhythm

Arrangers

References
  1. Artist Biography by Scott Yanow at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  2. "Best Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF). American Radio History. The Billboard. 19 January 1952. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  3. Evers, Van (November 1939). "Has Artie Shaw Gone High-Hat?". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 13 no. 1. Macfadden Publications. Retrieved 22 July 2019. In the first place, I've never known another bandleader as intelligent as Artie Shaw. He's read a great deal, and he can discuss with imagination and clarity everything he's read. He can write, and write well.
  4. American charts:
    • Whitburn, Joel (2015). Pop Memories, The History of American Popular Music 1900-1940. ISBN 978-0-89820-216-8.
    • Whitburn, Joel (2002). Pop Hits, Singles and Albums 1940-1954. ISBN 978-0-89820-198-7.
    English charts:
    • Waters, Steven (2013). The British Hit Singles Jan 1940 - Oct 1952: The Missing Charts. ISBN 978-0-95768-810-0.
    Australian charts:
    • Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book (1940–1969). Turramurra: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  5. Shaw, Artie (April 2002). "For Artie Shaw's 104th Birthday Anniversary, Two Uncut Interviews From April 2002" (Interview). Interviewed by Ted Panken. Retrieved 23 July 2019. [On going on tour in the southern United States] It was always a problem for the black guy. Whether it was Billie Holiday or Hot Lips Page or Roy Eldridge, it was always a problem... [On the musical qualities of black musicians in his band] That was the only thing I cared about.
  6. Ashley, Judy (February 1940). "Why Artie Shaw Walked Out On Love and Music". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 13 no. 4. Macfadden Publications. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  7. Atkins, Ron (31 December 2004). "Obituary: Artie Shaw". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  8. Simon, George T. (1981). The Big Bands (4th paperback ed.). New York: Schirmer Books. p. 420. ISBN 0-02-872430-5.
  9. "Musical Events". The New Yorker. Vol. 17 no. 43. F-R Publishing Corporation. 6 December 1941.
  10. Alden, Ken (January 1942). "Facing The Music". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 17 no. 3. Macfadden Publications. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  11. "Coin Catching Records – and Others". Variety. Vol. 144 no. 2. Variety, Inc. 17 September 1941. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  12. Van Norman, Horace (October 1941). "In The Popular Vein". The American Music Lover. Vol. 8 no. 2. Peter Hugh Reed.
  13. "Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography: 27500". 78discography.com. The Online Discographical Project. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  14. Discographies:
    • Bolig, John R. (2017). The Victor Black Label Discography: Victor 25000, 26000, 27000 Series. 5. Mainspring Press.
    • Bolig, John R. (2017). The Bluebird Label Discography. Mainspring Press.
  15. Scheer-Hennings, Reinhard; Spragg, Dennis (2018-04-09). "Artie Shaw 1938-1939" (PDF). www.colorado.edu. Glenn Miller Archive.
  16. Scheer-Hennings, Reinhard; Spragg, Dennis (2018-04-09). "Artie Shaw January 1940-March 1941 "The West Coast Band"" (PDF). www.colorado.edu. Glenn Miller Archive.
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