22 Great Hits

Performer: Mills Brothers
Distributor: Welk

Notes: Adapter: J. Pleis. Arranger: J. Pleis. This CD contains versions of the Mills Brothers' past hits, sung with remarkable vitality considering that at the time of this 1984 release the Brothers had been crooning some of these songs for as long as 50 years. As remarkable as the longevity of their act is the talent and caliber of musicianship the three remaining brothers still possess here. Donald Mills's scatting on "Tiger Rag" is uncanny. The septuagenarian sounds as young as he did when he first performed his part on the song in 1930. Some of these songs are from later phases of the group's lengthy career; the country/pop tune "Cab Driver" is indicative of the singers' late '60s direction. Their close harmonizing and oaken tones almost render the twang of the guitar and clip-clopping beat superfluous.

The Ohio-born Mills Brothers were a vocal quartet with roots going back to early jazz and barbershop harmony, but their innovative style, which initially utilized vocal approximations of instrumental sounds, was one of the key influences on '50s doo-wop. Harry, Donald, Herbert, and John Mills started performing in the '20s, accompanied only by a guitar, as they used their voices to imitate saxophone, trumpet, bass, et al. Their intricate harmonies and unique approach scored them hit after hit in the '30s and '40s, as well as roles in numerous movie musicals. In the '50s, they switched to a more conventional band-backed format and the huge hits ("Glow Worm," "Opus One," "Smack Dab in the Middle") continued. Various versions of the group continued performing into the '80s, until Donald became the only surviving member (he died in 1999).

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