Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children's Favorites
Encyclopedia
A staple of childhood for more than 50 years, Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children’s Favorites is a 12-inch LP album
of folk songs for children recorded by Burl Ives (vocal and guitar) for Columbia Records
between 1949 and 1951. The label, in 1950, crafted a "shared" 10-inch children's LP. On side one, Hollywood actor Victor Jory
narrated Tubby the Tuba
, while side two featured Burl Ives performing eight tunes under the title Animal Fair: Songs for Children. The catalog number was JL 8103. One year earlier, Animal Fair: Songs for Children had been presented separately on a two-disc 78-rpm set, using as a catalog number MJV 59. In 1956, another Ives endeavor for children appeared, containing "The Little White Duck" and six other ditties. Part of Columbia's brief (1955–56) House Party Series of 10-inch LPs, the album was called Children's Favorites, affixed with the catalog number CL 2570. Next, a new collection, expanded to 12 inches, combining all 15 Ives selections and entitled Burl Ives Sings Songs for All Ages, was issued by Columbia in 1957, bearing CL 980 as the catalog number. Two years later, this album was christened with its final title, Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children's Favorites, and was reassigned to Columbia's budget label, Harmony Records
, which employed HL 9507 as the catalog number. Being the customary practice in the vinyl marketplace of the 60s, this monaural platter wound up electronically enhanced for stereo, circa 1963, and given the modified catalog number HS 14507. Columbia, in 1974, reissued the LP, again in simulated stereo, with the catalog number C 33183. At the same time, the label also transferred the album to cassette tape, affixing the catalog number CT 33183. On November 22, 1988, Columbia unveiled the album in CD format, which upgraded the sound quality to digital stereo. Distribution of the disc then was taken over by Sony Wonder
on October 3, 1995. The 1974 LP cover, later retained for the CD, was designed by Ed Lee
and Eloise Smith, with illustrations by Reynolds Ruffin. Currently, the CD is out of print, but it still can be purchased through online music sellers. Moreover, all the album tracks are now available via MP3
downloading.
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
of folk songs for children recorded by Burl Ives (vocal and guitar) for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
between 1949 and 1951. The label, in 1950, crafted a "shared" 10-inch children's LP. On side one, Hollywood actor Victor Jory
Victor Jory
Victor Jory was a Canadian actor.-Biography:Born in Dawson City, Yukon, Jory was the boxing and wrestling champion of the Coast Guard during his military service, and he kept his burly physique. He toured with theater troupes and appeared on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1930...
narrated Tubby the Tuba
Tubby the Tuba (song)
"Tubby the Tuba" is the title of a 1945 song, whose lyrics were written by Paul Tripp and music composed by George Kleinsinger. The original recording, released on the Decca label, was sung by Danny Kaye....
, while side two featured Burl Ives performing eight tunes under the title Animal Fair: Songs for Children. The catalog number was JL 8103. One year earlier, Animal Fair: Songs for Children had been presented separately on a two-disc 78-rpm set, using as a catalog number MJV 59. In 1956, another Ives endeavor for children appeared, containing "The Little White Duck" and six other ditties. Part of Columbia's brief (1955–56) House Party Series of 10-inch LPs, the album was called Children's Favorites, affixed with the catalog number CL 2570. Next, a new collection, expanded to 12 inches, combining all 15 Ives selections and entitled Burl Ives Sings Songs for All Ages, was issued by Columbia in 1957, bearing CL 980 as the catalog number. Two years later, this album was christened with its final title, Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children's Favorites, and was reassigned to Columbia's budget label, Harmony Records
Harmony Records
Harmony Records was a label owned by Columbia Records. It was originally used as a label for low-price 78 rpm records in the 1920s and 1930s; subsequently it was revived as a label for budget albums of reissued tracks during the 1950s with nine or ten songs per album...
, which employed HL 9507 as the catalog number. Being the customary practice in the vinyl marketplace of the 60s, this monaural platter wound up electronically enhanced for stereo, circa 1963, and given the modified catalog number HS 14507. Columbia, in 1974, reissued the LP, again in simulated stereo, with the catalog number C 33183. At the same time, the label also transferred the album to cassette tape, affixing the catalog number CT 33183. On November 22, 1988, Columbia unveiled the album in CD format, which upgraded the sound quality to digital stereo. Distribution of the disc then was taken over by Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder is a children and family's music and home video arm of Sony Music Entertainment, founded in 1991. The division once distributed material from Sesame Workshop and Classic Media...
on October 3, 1995. The 1974 LP cover, later retained for the CD, was designed by Ed Lee
Ed Lee
Edward Hubert Lee is a retired professional ice hockey player who played two games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Quebec Nordiques.Traded to the Minnesota North Stars in 1985, Played for the Fredericton Express and the Springfield Indians in the American Hockey League.-References:...
and Eloise Smith, with illustrations by Reynolds Ruffin. Currently, the CD is out of print, but it still can be purchased through online music sellers. Moreover, all the album tracks are now available via MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
downloading.
Track listing
- "The Little White Duck" (W. Barrows/B. Zaritzky) – 2:31
- "The Little Engine That CouldThe Little Engine That CouldThe Little Engine that Could is a children's story that appeared in the United States of America. The book is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work...
" (G. Marks/M. Pascal) – 2:42 - "Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (Burl Ives/T. Mottola) – 3:06
- "The Donut Song" (B. Merrill) – 2:59
- "Two Little Owls" – 1:50
- "Fooba Wooba John" – 1:09
- "The Grey Goose" (Hecky KrasnowHecky KrasnowHerman "Hecky" Krasnow was a record producer of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and the Frank Buck recording Tiger. -Early years:...
) – 3:03 - "The Whale" (Hecky KrasnowHecky KrasnowHerman "Hecky" Krasnow was a record producer of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and the Frank Buck recording Tiger. -Early years:...
) – 1:33 - "Buckeye Jim" – 1:34
- "The Sow Took the Measles" – 1:50
- "The Goat and the Train" – 1:21
- "Mr. Rabbit" – 1:38
- "The Tailor and the Mouse" – 1:16
- "Mother Goose Songs" (Arranged and Edited by Hecky KrasnowHecky KrasnowHerman "Hecky" Krasnow was a record producer of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and the Frank Buck recording Tiger. -Early years:...
) – 6:01