with The Max Terr Choir and John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra.
A: Sung in Latin and English.
A mx: DLA 3025, recorded Los Angeles, CA, 8 June 1942.
B mx: DLA 3026, recorded Los Angeles, CA, 8 June 1942.
Later reissues replace the recording on the B side:
B mx: L 4375, recorded Los Angeles, CA, 19 March 1947,
with The Ken Darby Singers and orchestra conducted by John Scott Trotter.
First released on US Decca 23777, with "Silent Night" as the A side.
Images
Number:410157 THUMBNAIL Uploaded By:cronkey● Description: Brunswick 03929 A Side Label CT tax code (1948-1949)
Number:410156 Uploaded By:cronkey● Description: Brunswick 03929 B Side Label CT tax code (1948-1949)
Number:1815793 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side A Variant
Number:1815794 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side B Variant
Number:1151981 Uploaded By:xiphophilos Description: Brunswick 03929 A Side Label +IP tax code (1949-1953)
Number:1151982 Uploaded By:xiphophilos Description: Brunswick 03929 B Side Label +IP tax code (1949-1953)
Number:2300161 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side A Variant
Number:2300162 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side B Variant
Number:2190724 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side A Variant
Number:2190725 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side B Variant
Number:3173500 Uploaded By:Redpunk Description: Side A Variant
Further to my previous comment, I've only just noticed that the matrix number was changed on another pressing, as indicated in the label images. There's a downloadable discography of the Bing Crosby UK 45s and 78s, courtesy of the International Club Crosby, which alerted me to the following:
All re-issued copies of 03929 show matrix L 4375 of "Silent night".
So the original pressing of "Silent Night" used master DLA 3026, recorded 8 June 1942. It was subsequently replaced with master L 4375, recorded 19 March 1947, the same session at which he re-cut "White Christmas". It would therefore seem to be the case that the version of "Silent Night" which made the NME chart in 1952 was the 1947 recording, especially judging by the tax codes. There are also black and silver label pressings of this disc, dating from 1953-57. The second recording features the Ken Darby Singers on the backing vocals, whilst the first used the Max Terr Choir. The orchestra on both is led by John Scott Trotter. The 1947 version is also the one used on the “Merry Christmas” LP.
Given that most charting records since November 1952 were new releases, this must be one of the oldest to be a hit, as it was over four years old by December 1952, when it charted. The earliest chart hits would be issues from some time in 1952, but could this be the only charting release from as early as 1948?
It would surely be one of the oldest recordings to appear in the chart (from 19 March 1947) although White Christmas (which didn't become a hit until 1977) dates from a few years earlier (29 May 1942). George Van Dusen probably holds that record with "It's Party Time Again" from 1937, which charted in 1988 as a re-issue.
It seems Bing recorded this song eight times in the studio, all before 1955. The earliest is indeed back in 1928. But this disc, which made the UK charts, was the recording made on 8 June 1942. Hmmm, wonder if I have the right version! When there's a later stereo remake of a song, it's obvious that wouldn't be the mono original, but all the recordings of this would have been mono. Bing Crosby Decca Years sessions
The Missing Charts book shows that this record was sent out to the shops in November 1948.
It seems highly unlikely that the record, which is a Christmas record, would be issued in July!
Who would buy a Christmas record in the summer months!! [Interestingly, if you look at the nearby cat. numbers, they were all issued in July 1948. Mod.]
According to Wikipedia, this record was first published in 1928 with orchestra by Paul Whiteman and the first re-issued in 1935. Follow link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bing_Crosby_discography
The chart hit must have been a belated one; the CT tax code means this copy is 1950 at the latest. It was probably one of those records that sold by the cartload every Christmas, like Slade some decades later... (Of course the only charts prior to '52 were sheet music, not recordings)