The Rhythm Boys
Bing Crosby and Al Rinker had been together in a Jazz band in Spokane, Washington while in college. The band was so popular that the two dropped out of college and drove Rinker's Model T to Los Angeles where Rinker's sister, Mildred Bailey, who was a Jazz singer was working. Shortly after their arrival in Los Angeles they landed a gig on the vaudeville circuit, as a vocal act. Some members of Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, caught their act and recommended them to Whiteman who hired them in October of 1926. While waiting to join Whiteman's Orchestra they made their first record "I've Got the Girl" with Don Clark's Orchestra ( (a former member of Whiteman's Orchestra) at The Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (506 South Grand Ave.). Bing and Al then joined the Whiteman Orchestra in Chicago, where they made their first records with Whiteman. At first, things didn't go well for Crosby and Rinker. Whiteman's audience didn't like them and the theatre manager where they were playing at the time asked that they be dropped from the act, but rather than drop them, Whiteman added a young singer and song writer, Harry Barris to the act. The act was billed as the Rhythm Boys. The trio sang in three part harmony with both Rinker and Barris playing piano. Barris wrote a song called "Mississippi Mud" which became a hit with the Whiteman Orchesta and featured Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. But after awhile, Whiteman and Crosby were not getting along. Bing drank a lot had landed in jail a couple of times. He missed some of the filming of Whiteman's movie "King Of Jazz," after being involved in an auto accident while driving drunk. Whiteman pulled some strings and got Bing released from the jail. Crosby was escorted in handcuffs to the studio by a police officer whenever he was scheduled to appear in the film. After the movie was completed in 1930, Whiteman fired them. The Rhythm Boys then joined the Gus Arnheim Orchestra at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles. Bing was featured more and more as a soloist, and in 1931, Bing recorded his first solo hit, I Surrender, Dear with Gus Arnheim and his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra. Radio broadcasts from the Cocoanut Grove made Bing a star, but his wild ways caused him to start missing performances, and Crosby's pay was docked. The Rhythm Boys quit playing at the club, but the local musicians' union banned them from playing, which caused the Rhythm Boys to call it quits. Bing's solo career soared after the Rhythm Boys broke up. The Rhythm Boys performed only one more time, in 1943, on a radio broadcast called Paul Whiteman Presents.
I did a bit of research from the excruciatingly complete Bing Crosby discography at http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Crosby/crosby1a.html , compared it with the massive amount of Paul Whiteman stuff that I have. I found that a lot of recordings from different sources have some incorrect info on personnel on recordings listed as being by The Rhythm Boys. For this list, I'm only posting songs that feature all three of The Rhythm Boys, sometimes alone as vocalists, and some other selections that have three plus some other additional vocalists.
It's pretty close to the discography, as close as from my collection, anyway. There are a few tunes I'm looking for. If this is a list you are interested in, and you have access to some other recordings by the group....please comment.
Here ya go:
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA-
The Brox Sisters, Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Andy Secrest (cn), Bill Rank (tb), Eddie Lang (gtr)-A bench in the park 1930 (From the film "King of Jazz")
GUS ARNHEIM AND HIS COCOANUT GROVE ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc), The Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris, Al Rinker) (vgr), Gus Arnheim and his Cocoanut Grove Orchestra (orc) - Them There Eyes 1930 ***A post Whiteman recording***
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
The Rhythm Boys (Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Red Nichols (cn), Jimmy Dorsey (asx) -Magnolia 1927
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc, vbk), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Harry Barris, Jack Fulton, Al Rinker (vbk), Bix Beiderbecke (cn), Charles Strickfadden (bsx)-Out O' Town Gal 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker (vbk), Bix Beiderbecke (cn), Roy Bargy (pno)- I'm in Seventh heaven 1929
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Al Rinker, Austin Young (vbk), Bix Beiderbecke (cn), Charles Margulis (tr), Bill Rank (tb), Frank Trumbauer (c-m)-From Monday on 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Andy Secrest (cn), Frank Trumbauer (c-m), Eddie Lang (gtr), Joe Venuti (vln), Lennie Hayton (cel)-Happy Feet 1930 (From the film, "King of Jazz")
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Irene Taylor (voc), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Al Rinker, Austin Young (vbk), Frank Trumbauer (c-m), Izzy Friedman (cl)-Mississippi mud 1928 ***(This is a version with Irene Taylor on lead vocal, and the addition of Jack Fulton. Charles Gaylord, and Austin Young to the vocal backing of Barris, Crosby, and Rinker)***
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker (voc), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Jimmy Dorsey (asx), Harry Barris (pno)-The Five step 1927
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Harry Barris (pno), Bing Crosby (cym)-My suppressed desire 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr)-Sweet Lil/ Ain't she sweet 1927
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Harry Barris (pno), Wilbur Hall (gtr), Matty Malneck (vla)-What price lyrics? 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Tommy Dorsey (tr, tb), Jimmy Dorsey (bsx, cl)-It won't be long now 1927
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker (vbk), Bix Beiderbecke (cn), Bill Rank (tb), Frank Trumbauer (c-m), Izzy Friedman (cl)-That's my weakness now 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Harry Barris (pno)-Louise 1929
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Harry Barris (pno)-Rhythm king 1928
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Bing Crosby (voc), Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr)-Miss Anabelle Lee 1927
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc, vbk), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Harry Barris, Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Al Rinker, Austin Young (vbk), Bix Beiderbecke (cn), Frank Trumbauer (c-m), Roy Bargy (pno)-There ain't no man that's worth the salt of my tears 1928 (The Rhythm Boys and the additional vocals of Fulton, Gaylord, and Young)
PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Harry Barris, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker (voc), Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (orc), Red Nichols (cn), Jimmy Dorsey (asx), Al Armer (sb)- Side by side 1927
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Bing Crosby (voc), The Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris, Al Rinker) (vgr), Duke Ellington Cotton Club Orchestra (orc), Duke Ellington (pno), Wellman Braud (sb)-Three little words 1930 ***The first session after leaving Whiteman. The boys are now simply "The Rhythm Boys"***
PAUL WHITEMAN'S RHYTHM BOYS
Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker) (vgr), Harry Barris (pno), Bing Crosby (cym)- Wa-Da-Da (Everyone's doing it now) 1928
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