Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is an LP album by Bing Crosby made for children by Golden Records in 1957. The Arthur Norman Choir and Orchestra provide support. The music was by Mary Rodgers and the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The album has been reissued by various record companies sometimes in a different edited form. The song "I Love You Whoever You Are" was issued as a single by Kapp Records (KAPP195) in October 1957. The album was included on a CD titled “Once upon a Mattress” issued by Sepia Records in 2010. Background In the fall and winter of 1957, Golden Records issued a number of new children’s records. Bing Crosby was enlisted to read and sing four of the stories and in addition to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves there were A Christmas Story - An Axe, An Apple and a Buckskin Jacket, Never Be Afraid and Jack B. Nimble – A Mother Goose Fantasy. Reception Billboard was positive. "At $2.98, with Bing and considerable ballyhoo, this can’t miss, especially on the racks. Tunes by Sammy Cahn and Mary Rodgers, are delightful, and Bing sings well. He also narrates in that inimitable, informal manner. More discriminating parents will object to the gore and certain elements of morality involved, but the mass market will not be deterred."