OMMA Catalogue Number

OMMA-0123

Artist

Bing Crosby (with Don Clark and His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra)

Title

“I’ve Got the Girl! / Idolizing”

Release Details

Issued in 1927 by Columbia Records as a 10-inch, 78 rpm shellac single (824-D), pressed in the United States for commercial distribution. “I’ve Got the Girl!” was recorded in Los Angeles on 18 October 1926 and contains an uncredited vocal duet by Bing Crosby and Al Rinker.

Edition & Variant Identification

Original United States commercial release on Columbia 824-D; Crosby and Rinker uncredited.

Matrix & Pressing Data

A-side Runout: W142784

B-side Runout: W142785

Physical Description

Ten-inch black 78 rpm shellac disc in generic sleeve.

Condition Report

The record is graded VG- (VV- under VJM grading). Slight staining is present on the “I’ve Got the Girl!” side and appears to have no audible effect. The labels are legible but show significant wear, with prominent, semi-circular damage attributed to a steel needle on the “I’ve Got the Girl!” side. Audio samples reveal strong sound, with audible crackle throughout but no skips.

Provenance

Acquired via eBay from Carolina Soul Records on 8 June 2026, who reported that they had received the record on consignment from an anonymous seller.

Market Context & Historical Notes

Spokane, Washington, high schooler Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby Jr. joined his friend Al Rinker’s high school dance band, The Musicaladers, in 1923 and by 1925. Rinker’s sister, the not-yet-but-soon-to-be famed jazz singer Mildred Bailey, helped them leave Spokane to enter Los Angeles’s vaudeville and popular-music world. Bing distinguished himself as a vocal talent, and by October 1926, the pair had attracted the attention of Paul Whiteman, leader of American’s then-most prominent dance orchestra. In the interim, Don Clark, himself a former Whiteman saxophonist and then-leader of the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, recruited the two for a one-off recording he was doing for Columbia. Their brief duet on “I’ve Got the Girl!” became Crosby’s first commercially issued performance. The record sold poorly (perhaps due to its poor mastering – the record plays best at speeds slower than the 78 RPM found on standard players) and remained obscure enough that Crosby’s uncredited performance wasn’t recognized by discographers until decades later.

Canonical Status in OMMA

OMMA recognizes “I’ve Got the Girl” as the first commercially issued recording to contain Bing Crosby’s voice.

References and Source Documentation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, “Bing Crosby”

Official Bing Crosby website, “Career”

Early 1900s Music Preservation, “Bing Crosby’s First Recording — Don Clark and His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra — 1926”

The Homestead Blog, Paul R. Spitzzeri, “Striking a Chord with a Phonograph Recording by Don Clark and His Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, Los Angeles, October 1926”