WILLIAM B. WILLIAMS AMERICAN EXPRESS 10 VOLUME BOX SET 40 LP (1984)12" 33 RPM NM

$

45

               WILLIAM B. WILLIAMS          "MAKE BELIEVE BALLROOM"            AMERICAN EXPRESS 10 VOLUME                 BOX SET 40 LP (1984)

FROM WIKIPEDIA: William B. Williams (August 6, 1923 - August 3, 1986), was an American disc jockey on New York City radio station WNEW for over four decades. He hosted the popular program Make Believe Ballroom. Williams is particularly noted for coining the title "Chairman of the Board" for Frank Sinatra.

Make Believe Ballroom[edit]

In 1954, the originator of the Make Believe Ballroom program in New York, Martin Block, left WNEW for a new job at ABC Radio. Jerry Marshall took over the show for three years, after which Williams was tapped to host the program. He marked the broadcast as his own, using the distinctive sign-on, "Hello, world", and occasionally identifying himself as "Guilliermo B. Guilliermos" or "Wolfgang B. Wolfgang," although to listeners and friends he was known simply as "Willie B." He combined intimate knowledge of music with his personal anecdotes to create a smooth style that captivated listeners. By 1965 Billboard reported Williams was earning $105,000 a year, tops for the station at that time but slightly less than the other famous Williams, Ted, earned at his baseball peak ($125,000).[5]

Williams developed lasting relationships with the top singers of the Great American Songbook, including Lena Horne and Nat King Cole. Early in his career, he befriended Frank Sinatra when the crooner recorded broadcasts at WNEW. On one broadcast, Williams mused that since Benny Goodman was the "King of Swing" and Duke Ellington was a duke, then Sinatra must have a title as well, suggesting "Chairman of the Board." Sinatra learned of the comment and embraced the title.[2] Later, when interest in standards flagged, Williams persisted in playing Sinatra's music and is credited with a key role in keeping Sinatra's career afloat. Sinatra, to whom loyalty was a key virtue, never forgot Williams and lauded him to any and all who would listen.

 FROM ME:

This collection of music originally was 24 volumes of 4 LP's in each box. I believe the series began in 1984. I was an American Express Card Holder and this series was made available ONLY to card holders. I can't remember if you got a volume every month or exactly how it came, but I stopped after Volume 10. I'm 62 and WNEW in NY was my favorite radio station back in the mid '60's through the mid '70's. Of course I was not all that interested in the popular music of the '30's through the '50's, but I began to be real interested in the big band music of Ellington, Armstrong, Benny Goodman, the Dorseys and singers Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and the like. This series featured many of them. In fact Volume 3 is ALL Sinatra, Volume 9 has ALL Ellington, Armstrong, Calloway & Billie Holiday & Volume 10 is ALL Nat King Cole.

ALL the music was selected by William B. Williams and was regularly featured on his radio programs. I don't know what is in Volumes 11-24, but these 10 will be a real education for anyone wanting to get a fabulous overview of the music from this era, the 1930's through the early '60's. There is a 4 page booklet with each volume with the track listings and writers and individual blurbs about the featured artists. I am however , for some reason, missing the booklet for Vol. 2. The LP's in all these 4 LP boxes are almost unplayed and in near mint condition. The outer boxes are in very good to excellent condition. 

Here is the tracklist from VOL.5:

RECORD 1 SIDE A...... DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY - PATTI PAGE / BASIE BOOGIE-COUNT BASIE / SO FAR-TONY BENNETT / I CONCENTRATE ON YOU-JOHNNY MATHIS / THEME FROM EXODUS-PERCY FAITH ORCHESTRA.

RECORD 1 SIDE B.....ROBBINS NEST-ERROL GARNER / HOW ABOUT ME-JUDY HOLLIDAY / AUF WIEDERSHEN,SWEETHEART-JERRY VALE / NEVERTHELESS-PAUL WESTON'S ORCHESTRA. with the NORMAN LUBOFF CHOIR / SHANGRI-LA - ANDRE KOSTELANETZ ORCHESTRA

RECORD 2 SIDE A.....SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY-LES BROWN'S ORCHESTRA with DORIS DAY / THE THREE BELLS-THE COMPANIONS OF SONG / THEM THERE EYES-TEDDY WILSON / TENDERLY-ROSEMARY CLOONEY / THAT'S ALL-JOHNNY MATHIS

RECORD 2 SIDE B.....BEI MIR BIST DU SCHON-BENNY GOODMAN'S ORCHESTRA / AND THIS IS MY BELOVED-PERCY FAITH ORCHESTRA / THE LADY IS IN LOVE WITH YOU-TONY BENNETT / THAT OLD GANG OF MINE-BUDDY CLARK / BEAT ME DADDY,EIGHT TO THE BAR-WILL BRADLEY'S ORCHESTRA

 RECORD 3 SIDE A....I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU-ANDY RUSSELL / HE'S MY GUY-HELEN FORREST / IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING-DICK HAYMES / TRUMPET BLUES-HARRY JAMES / SHEIK OF ARABY-PEE WEE HUNT & JOE FINGERS CARR

 RECORD 3 SIDE B....LUCKY DAY-JUDY GARLAND / HELLO YOUNG LOVERS-NANCY WILSON / BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS-COLEMAN HAWKINS / DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL-AL MARTINO / I AIN'T GOT NOBODY-EARL HINES

RECORD 4 SIDE A...ALONE TOGETHER-JACKIE GLEASON / YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE-LOUIS PRIMA / I REALLY DON'T WANT TO KNOW-AL MARTINO / WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE-MARIAN MONTGOMERY / MY BLUE HEAVEN-BILLY MAY

RECORD 4 SIDE B...SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL-BENNY GOODMAN / IS IT TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DIXIE-DEAN MARTIN / TOGETHER WHENEVER WE GO-PEGGY LEE / ZIP A DE DOO DAH -JOHNNY MERCER AND THE PIED PIPERS / IS YOU OR IS YOU AIN'T MY BABY-VIC DAMONE

I can provide track listing for any of the box sets upon request.

ALL MY RECORDINGS ARE PLAY-TESTED BEFORE BEING LISTED.

PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTIONS FROM MY OVER 3000 PIECE LP & CD COLLECTION THAT I'LL BE LISTING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.