Jack Sperling (August 17, 1922 – February 26, 2004) was an American jazz drummer who performed as a sideman in big bands and as a studio musician for pop and jazz acts, movies, and television.
In 1941 he played with trumpeter Bunny Berigan. After World War II, he and Henry Mancini joined the Glenn Miller band when it was led by Tex Beneke. Sperling drew attention with his performance on the song St. Louis Blues (1948). He then joined Les Brown and His Band of Renown, which played regularly for the Bob Hope radio program. Sperling and other members of Brown's band joined Dave Pell's octet in 1953. He recorded with octet on Plays Irving Berlin (1953) and on The Original Reunion of the Glenn Miller Orchestra (1954). From 1954–57, he was a member of Bob Crosby's Bobcats. During the rest of his career, her worked in bands led by Charlie Barnet, Page Cavanaugh, Pete Fountain, and Benny Goodman.
Sperling was among the studio musicians who accompanied Henry Mancini on the televisions shows Peter Gunn. He recorded with Mancini on the film soundtracks Charade (1963) and Days of Wine and Roses (1962). Sperling was the featured solo drummer on the theme song for the TV show Hogan's Heroes. From 1959–1972, he was under contract with the NBC Orchestra. This meant working for The Tonight Show Band, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and TV variety shows hosted by Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Andy Williams.
In the music world, he recorded with Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis Jr., Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, The Four Freshmen, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Mel Tormé.
With Bunny Berigan
Bunny Berigan Orchestra 1938–1942 (RCA)Sophisticated Swing (1947)With Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
St. Louise Blues March (RCA, 1948)Cherokee Canyon (RCA Victor, 1948)Palladium Patrol (1970)Dancers Delight (1996)Live at the Edgewater (2000)Tex Beneke & His Orchestra 1946–1949In Glenn Millers' Footsteps: Blues Serenades & Marches (2001)Five Minutes More: A Tribute (2001)It's Magic 1947–48 (2002)Memories (2005)Gary Steven's Sings (2005)Midnight Serenade (2006)Beyond the Sea (2007)With Les Brown
Connee Boswell and Les Brown (1950) Short Film (15 min.)Connee Boswell I Don't Know (1950)Connie Boswell Martha (1950)Over the Rainbow (1951)My Heart Belongs to Daddy (Coral, 1952)Back in Your Own Backyard (Coral, 1952)Palladium Concert (1953)Live at the Hollywood Palladium (1954)Les Brown & His Orchestra, Vol. 2 (1949)Blue Moon, Vol. 1 Blue MoonBlue Skies, Vol. 2 Blue MoonPerdido, Vol. 3 Blue MoonRadio Days Live(2001)Les Brown & His Band Renown (Coral, 1957)Swinging Song Book (Coral, 1957)Live at Elitch Gardens 1959 (1959)Bandland/ Revolution In Sound (1960)Digital Swing (1986)Anything Goes (1994)America Swings (1995)Sentimental Thing (with Bing Crosby & Billy Eckstine) (2003)No Name BopA Good Man Is Hard to FindThank You for Your Fine AttentionThe Les Brown All-Stars (2006)With Doris Day
From This Moment On (Columbia, 1950)It's Magic (2002)With The Modernaires
St. Louise Blues March (1948) RCA VictorLike Swung (1959) MercuryWith Dave Pell
Plays Irving Berlin (1953) CapitolBurke and Van Heusen (1953) CapitolI Had the Craziest Dream (1955) CapitolSay It with Music (2004)Jazz for Dancing and ListeningWith Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra
The Warm Cafe (1955) (1991)Duke's Domain (1955) (1993)With Scatman Crothers
Oh, Yeah! (Tops, 1956)Rock and Roll with Scat Man (1956)With John Towner
Jazz Beginnings-Fresh Sound (1956)With Rosemary Clooney
Jazz Singer (1952)Many a Wonderful Moment (RCA, 1958)With Ella Fitzgerald
Get Happy! (1957)The Secret of Christmas (1959)The Christmas Song (1959)With Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain's New Orleans (Coral, 1959)Pete Fountain Day (Coral, 1960)Pete Fountain Salutes The Great Clarinetists (Coral, 1960)Pete Fountain's French Quarter (Coral, 1961)Live in Santa Monica (1961)Jack Sperling and his Fascinatin' Rhythm (Coral, 1961)Plenty of Pete (Coral, 1963)Mr. New Orleans (MCA, 1963)With Henry Mancini
Fallout/Music from Peter Gunn (RCA, 1959)The Blues and the Beat (RCA, 1960)Cheers (RCA, 1962)Uniquely Mancini (RCA, 1963)Mancini '67 (The Big Band Sound of Henry Mancini) (RCA, 1967)Mancini Salutes Sousa (RCA, 1972)Martinis with Mancini (RCA, 1998)With Frank Sinatra
Guys and Dolls (Reprise, 1963)We Open in Venice (1963)With Dean Martin
Bianca (Reprise, 1963)If This Isn't Love (Reprise, 1963)Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (Capitol, 1964)With Bobby Darin
From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie (Capitol, 1964)Broadway Bag (Atlantic, 1965)Magic of Bobby Darin (Atlantic, 1965)The Shadow of Your Smile (Atlantic, 1965)"Breaking Point"/"Silver Dollar" (Atlantic, 1966) (singles)Swingin' the Standards (Atlantic, 1999)With Bud Freedman
Tender Loving World (1973)When It's Time to Tell (1973)That's Love (1973)How Could I Go On (1973)Sleepy Baby (1973)With Abe Most
Abe Most Live! (1994)I Love Yo Much Too Much (2007)With Paul Cacia
Paul & His New Age Jazz Orchestra (2003)Cacia: Portrait (2003)With others
Elvis Presley Elvis 1968Dinah Washington The Definitive Dianah Washington 1943–1962Teresa Brewer Music, Music, Music (1950)Billy May Glenn Miller Orchestra Reunion (1954)Walter Gross Walter Gross Plays His Own Great Songs (1956)George Van Eps Mellow Guitar (1956)Freddie Slack Boogie-Woogie on the 88 (1956)Jo Stafford & Paul Weston The Original Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards, Vocals by Darlene Edwards (1957)The Kirby Stone Four Man I Flipped (1957)The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen and 5 Guitars (Capitol, 1957)Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte Sings the Blues (RCA, 1958)Sheb Wooley The Purple People Eater (RCA, 1958)The Kingston Trio Here We Go Again (Capitol, 1959)Chet Atkins Chet Atkins in Hollywood (RCA, 1959)Ralph Marterie and the All Star Men Big Band Man (Mercury, 1959)Paul Smith Saratoga (1959)Benny Goodman King of Swing 1958–1967 (1960, 1995)Page Cavanaugh Quartet (1960)Page Cavanaugh Septet (1961)Sue Raney BreathlessWynona Carr Wild Wonderful Wynona (1962)James Brown Mr. James Brown Getting Down to It (1966)Bonanza A Ponderosa Party (1962–1966)Godfrey Hirsch Happiness is Godfrey Hirsch and His Vibes(1966)Bob Crosby Mardi Gras Parade (1966)Charlie Barnet Charlie Barnet Big Band: 1967 (1966)Carmen McRae Portrait of Carmen (1967)Bob Florence Pet Project (1967)John Sheridan Stairway to Paradise (1975)Peanuts Hucko Peanuts Hucko with His Pied Piper Quintet (1979)Don Fagerquist Portrait of a Great Jazz ArtistThe Five Pennies (Paramount, 1959)Peter Gunn (MGM, 1959)Mr. Lucky (CBS, 1959)Rawhide (Paramount, 1959)Days of Wine and Roses (Warner Bros., 1962)Hatari (Paramount, 1962)Bonanza (Paramount, 1962)Charade (Universal, 1963)Bewitched(Screen Gems, 1964)Hogan's Heroes (Paramount, 1965)Elvis (1968)Les Brown (1948)Les Brown and His Band of Renown (1949)Art Lund-Tex Beneke-Les Brown (1948)Connee Boswell and Les Brown's Orchestra (1950)Crazy Frolic (1953)Dance Demons (1957)Rockabilly Baby (1957)Snarder Telescriptions: The Big Bands Vol. 2 (1958)Bob Hope Show(1949–1954) NBC RadioColgate Comedy Hour (1952) NBCThe Bob Crosby Show (1954–57) CBSPeter Gunn (1958–1961) MGMMr. Lucky (1959–1960) CBSRawhide (1959) ParamountThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonBob Hope Show (1959–1962) NBCThe Steve Allen Show (1959) NBCBobby Darin and Friends (1961) NBCAndy Williams Show (1962–1967) NBCBonanza (1962–1966) ParamountStar Time: The Swingin' Singin' Years (1960) NBCBewitched (1964) Screen GemsBob Hope Thanksgiving Show (1964) NBCHogan's Heroes (1965) ParamountDean Martin Show (1965–1972) NBCDean Martin Summer Show (1966) NBCMovin' With Nancy (1967) NBCRowan & Martin's Laugh-In(1968–1972) NBCRowan & Martin at the Movies (1968) NBCDean Martin and The Golddigger's (1968) NBCElvis (NBC-TV Special) (1968) NBC