The Radio Planet

Follow a Star · 1928–1962

Bing Crosby

The first man to sing to the microphone

Crosby worked out before anyone else that a microphone rewards intimacy rather than volume, and every popular singer since has been arguing with his answer. The journey is unusually long because his career was: dance-band vocals in the late twenties, the Kraft years, the forces shows, and a late run of pre-recorded programmes he insisted on taping rather than performing live.

1,123 recordings across 4 chapters

Chapter 1 · 1928–1962

showing 40 of 803

The Crosby programmes

The largest single run of one performer in this archive: his own shows across four decades, from band vocalist to tape-recorded host.

  • 15 Minutes With Crosby (1) First Song - Just One More Chance

    Bing Crosby · 1931 · 7 min

    Series
  • 1934(USA)Archives19340808GeorgieStollOrchvBingCrosby-SomedaySweetheart

    Bing Crosby · 1934 · 3 min

    Series
  • 1934-USA-Archives-1934-08-08-Georgie-Stoll-Orch-v-Bing-Crosby-Someday-Sweetheart

    Bing Crosby · 1934 · 3 min

    Series
  • Woodbury Show (33-35) (33) First Song - Love In Bloom

    Bing Crosby · 1934 · 30 min

    Series
  • Woodbury Soap (33-35) (57) Guests - Marian Mansfield, Charles Erwin

    Bing Crosby · 1935 · 28 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (6) First Song - A Little Bit Independent, Guest - Joe Venuti

    Bing Crosby · 1936 · 45 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (71) First song - How Could You?, Guests - Gail Patrick, Zasu Pitts

    Bing Crosby · 1937 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (98) First Song - Gypsy In My Soul, Guests - Maureen O'Sullivan, Mischa Auer

    Bing Crosby · 1938 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (109) First Song - You Couldn't Be Cuter, Guests - Humphrey Bogart, Adrienne Ames

    Bing Crosby · 1938 · 54 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby Presents (08-16-1940)

    Bing Crosby · 1940 · 29 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (210) First Song - I'm Nobody's Baby, Guest Host - Bob Burns, Guest - Dorothy Lamour, Herbert Marshall, Wingy Manone

    Bing Crosby · 1940 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (228) First Song - Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me, Guests - Lionel Barrymore, Eddie Bracken

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 56 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (230) First Song - The Band Played On, Guests - Edward Arnold, J Carrol Naish

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 53 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (237) First Song - With A Twist Of The Wrist, Guests - Pat O'Brien, Josephine Tuminia

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (241) First Song - Can'tcha Tell, Guests - Duke Ellington, Frank McHugh, James Hilton

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 2m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (242) First Song - You're A Double Lovely, Guests - William Boyd, Jerry Lester

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 58 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (243) First Song - Why Cry Baby?, Guests - Ethel Waters, Donald Crisp, Chester Morris

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 56 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (244) First Song - You're A Double Lovely, Guests - Bert Lahr, Gail Patrick

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (245) First Song - Smile Your Troubles Away, Guest Host - Don Ameche, Guest - Charles Boyer

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 2m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (259) First Song - Any Bonds Today?, Guest Host - Don Ameche, Guest - Melvyn Douglas, Jackie Cooper

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (260) First Song - Ida, Guest Host - Don Ameche, Guest - Duke Ellington, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (262) First Song - There'll Be Some Changes Made, Guest Host - Don Ameche, Guests - George Murphy, Lauritz Melchior, Joan Bennett

    Bing Crosby · 1941 · 59 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (276) First Song - The U S Field Artillery March, Guests - Sam Snead, Madeleine Carroll

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (282) First Song - How About You?, Guests - Pat O'Brien, Wingy Manone

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 56 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (285) First Song - The Army Air Corps Song, Guests - Walter Huston, Claude Thornhill

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 54 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (287) First Song - K-K-K-Katy, Guests - Spike Jones, Ronald Reagan, Sabu

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 58 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (288) First Song - The Marines' Hymn, Guest - Capt Floyd J Sweet

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 41 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (289) First Song - Hey, Mabel!, Guests - Susan Hayward, Larry Adler, Gene Tunney

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 55 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (293) First Song - The Bombardier Song, Guests - Frank McHugh, Ruth Hussey

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 52 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (294) First Song - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree, Guest - John Garfield

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 54 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (303) First Song - The Marines' Hymn, Guests - Cass Daley, Richard Haydn (end Mary Martin as regular)

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 49 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (304) First Song - Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition, Guests - Ginny Simms, Edgar Buchanan (end Victor Borge as regular)

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 55 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (310) First Song - Adeste Fidelis, Guests - Jack Carson, Fay Bainter

    Bing Crosby · 1942 · 57 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (313) First Song - Hip, Hip, Hooray!, Guest - Cass Daley, Janet Blair

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 27 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (315) First Song - Anchors Aweigh, Guests - Ginny Simms, Frank McHugh

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 30 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (316) First Song - For Me And My Gal, Guest - Victor Borge

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (323) First Song - Great Day, Guest - Bert Lahr

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 26 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (324) First Song - You Are My Sunshine, Guest - Lucille Ball

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 26 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (325) First Song - MacNamara's Band, Guest - Rags Ragland

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 26 min

    Series
  • Kraft Music Hall (35-46) (337) First Song - I've Got Sixpence, Guest - Ed Gardner

    Bing Crosby · 1943 · 31 min

    Series
Hear the whole run →

Chapter 2 · 1935–1946

showing 30 of 247

Kraft Music Hall

The Thursday night hour where he settled into the manner everyone imitated: unhurried, conversational, apparently making it up.

  • First Song - Peter, Peter

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 43 min

    Series
  • 1933(USA)Archives19331130PaulWhitemanOrch(KraftMusicHall)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 43 min

    Series
  • First Song - Love Is Sweeping The Country, Guest - Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • 1933(USA)Archives19331207PaulWhitemanOrch(KraftMusicHall)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Bambalina

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Paul Whiteman Kraft Music Hall 331214 First Song Bambalina, Old Time Radio

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Great Day, Guest - Pickens Sisters

    Kraft Music Hall · 1933 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Revolt In Cuba, Guest - Pickens Sisters

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Who, Guest - Pickens Sisters

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • 1934(USA)Archives19340111PaulWhitemanOrch(KraftMusicHall)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • 1934-USA-Archives-1934-01-11-Paul-Whiteman-Orch-Kraft-Music-Hall

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • Guest - Johnny Mercer, Jack Teagarden, E Y Harburg

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 58 min

    Series
  • First Song - Raggin' The Scale, Guest - Johnny Mercer, Jack Teagarden

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • 1934(USA)Archives19340201PaulWhitemanOrch(KraftMusicHall)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • 1934-USA-Archives-1934-02-01-Paul-Whiteman-Orch-Kraft-Music-Hall

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Medley from "We're Not Dressing", Guest - Lee Wiley, Juano Hernandez, Helen Jepson

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • 1934(USA)Archives19340419PaulWhitemanOrch(KraftMusicHall)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • 1934-USA-Archives-1934-04-19-Paul-Whiteman-Orch-Kraft-Music-Hall

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Guest - Lee Wiley, "The Mystery Singer"

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 41 min

    Series
  • First Song - Clap Your Hands, Guest - Johnny Mercer, Lee Wiley (30 min due to FDR broadcast at 10:30)

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 27 min

    Series
  • First Song - One Night Of Love, Guest - Johnny Mercer, Helen Ford

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 14 min

    Series
  • First Song - Overture dedicated to President Roosevelt, Guest - Yvonne Gall

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 59 min

    Series
  • First Song - Espana Rhapsody, Guest - Yvonne Gall

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 1h 57m

    Series
  • First Song - Alexanders Ragtime Band, Guest - Jack Teagarden

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 57 min

    Series
  • First Song - Hit Hunting, Guest - Johnny Mercer, Jack Teagarden, Derek Oldham

    Kraft Music Hall · 1934 · 59 min

    Series
  • First Song - A Little Bit Independent, Guest - Joe Venuti

    Kraft Music Hall · 1936 · 45 min

    Series
  • First Song - How Could You?, Guest - Gail Patrick, Zasu Pitts

    Kraft Music Hall · 1937 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • First Song - Gypsy In My Soul, Guest - Maureen O'Sullivan, Mischa Auer

    Kraft Music Hall · 1938 · 1h 1m

    Series
  • First Song - You Couldn't Be Cuter, Guest - Humphrey Bogart, Adrienne Ames

    Kraft Music Hall · 1938 · 54 min

    Series
  • First Song - I'm Nobody's Baby, Guest Host - Bob Burns, Guest - Dorothy Lamour, Herbert Marshall, Wingy Manone

    Kraft Music Hall · 1940 · 1h 0m

    Series
Hear the whole run →

Chapter 3 · 1942–1949

showing 24 of 63

For the forces

Command Performance and Mail Call — made for servicemen overseas, with no sponsor and no time limit, which is why the performances are looser than anything on the commercial dial.

  • Bing Crosby, James Cagney, Larry Adler

    Command Performance · 1942 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Connee Boswell, Kay Kyser, James Cagney

    Command Performance · 1942 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Mary Martin

    Command Performance · 1942 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Richard Crooks, Pat O'Malley

    Command Performance · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bob Hope, Bing Crosby

    Command Performance · 1943 · 1h 0m

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, Bob Burns, Music Maids

    Command Performance · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bob Crosby, Jimmy Wakely, Count Basie

    Command Performance · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, Fanny Brice, Hanley Stafford

    Command Performance · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Harry James

    Command Performance · 1943 · 29 min

    Series
  • Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante, Bing Crosby

    Command Performance · 1943 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bob Hope, Bing Crosby

    Command Performance · 1943 · 30 min

    Series
  • Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby, Charioteers

    Command Performance · 1943 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Skinnay Ennis, Dorothy Lamour

    Mail Call · 1944 · 31 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra

    Command Performance · 1944 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Richard Crooks, Connee Boswell

    Mail Call · 1944 · 30 min

    Series
  • Olivia de Havilland, Bob Crosby

    Command Performance · 1944 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton

    Command Performance · 1944 · 29 min

    Series
  • Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante, Bing Crosby

    Mail Call · 1944 · 31 min

    Series
  • Connie Haines, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra

    Command Performance · 1944 · 28 min

    Series
  • Jack Benny, Harpo Marx, Bing Crosby

    Command Performance · 1944 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Judy Garland

    Command Performance · 1944 · 29 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Connie Haines, Betty Grable

    Mail Call · 1944 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bing Crosby, Garry Moore, Andrews Sisters

    Mail Call · 1944 · 30 min

    Series
  • Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Lauren Bacall

    Command Performance · 1944 · 29 min

    Series

Chapter 4 · 1947–1955

Bonds and bit parts

Treasury quarter-hours and other guest appearances whose titles name him.

  • CP 1944-06-17 Jack Benny, Harpo Marx, Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1944 · 29 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1947-06-12 (12) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1947 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1948-04-18 (56) Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1948 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1948-04-25 (57) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1948 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1949-05-29 (114) Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1949 · 15 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1949-06-19 (117) Bob Crosby, The Andrews Sisters

    Guest Star · 1949 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1950-03-05 (154) Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1950 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1952-10-19 (291) Bing Crosby

    Guest Star · 1952 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1954-08-01 (384) Bob Crosby

    Guest Star · 1954 · 14 min

    Series
  • Guest Star 1956-05-27 (478) Bob Crosby, Modernaires

    Guest Star · 1956 · 14 min

    Series

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