New MCA Series Salutes Decca Recording Artists

Decca Records was one of America’s most celebrated record labels from the 1930s through the 1950s--the home for years of such major artists as Bing Crosby, the Mills Brothers, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, the Andrews Sisters and rock pioneer Bill Haley.

The label, which was absorbed by MCA in the early 1970s, is now being saluted in a series of compact disc albums developed under the supervision of Andy McKaie, vice president of catalogue development for MCA Records.

“There’s such an incredible history at Decca and we wanted to bring the music into the digital age,” he said. “The reason we’ve waited until now to formally introduce the series is that much of the material was recorded before the advent of analog tape.

“That meant it was difficult to present the music in a high quality, no-noise manner on CD. But we now have the technology to eliminate the pops, ticks and other sounds.”

The first two albums in the Decca “best of” reissue program--devoted to Louis Armstrong and the Ink Spots--were released late last year. Joining them now are collections spotlighting Judy Garland and the Mills Brothers.

Though Garland’s years on Capitol Records in the 1950s and 1960s have long been available in compact disc, the new “The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1” offers the most satisfying CD glimpse of her earlier period.

The album features 14 recordings made between 1937 and 1945. They range from the landmark “Over the Rainbow” and “The Trolley Song” to duets with Bing Crosby (“Yah-ta-ta, Yah-ta-ta”), Johnny Mercer (“Friendship”) and Gene Kelly (“For Me and My Gal”).

Among the 14 songs in the Mills Brothers album: “Paper Doll,” “Across the Alley From the Alamo,” “Glow Worm,” “You Always Hurt the One You Love” and “Opus One.”

Second volumes on both Armstrong and Garland are due this fall, along with an Al Jolson package. Some of the other Decca artists--including Crosby, Haley and the Andrews Sisters--were already available in CD before the series was introduced.

ON THE WAY: PolyGram plans to release in early May a 20-song “Best of Van Morrison” CD that will contain material from the Irish singer-songwriter’s early Them days through his solo work on Warner Bros. and PolyGram, according to Pete Howard’s International CD Exchange (ICE) newsletter. Morrison reportedly helped select the tracks. . . . Also due in April or early May, ICE reports: John Lennon’s “Some Time in New York City,” Tom Waits’ “Foreign Affairs” and “Blue Valentine,” Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” and the Beach Boys’ long-awaited “Pet Sounds.”