instro-rock classics

POLYUSHKO POLE (Cossack Patrol / The Rocket Man)

2009-02-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

Music: Lev Konstantinovich Knipper (1934) song from "Symphony No.4 - Poem of the Komsomol Fighters"
Lyrics: Viktor Gusev (1934)

Lev Konstantinovich Knipper (1898-1974) grew up in a bilingual family and spoke perfect Russian and German. His German father, named Konstantin Knipper, worked as a Railroad Engineer. Lev Knipper was the nephew of actress Olga Knipper-Chekhova, the wife of Anton Chekhov, and a junior brother of Olga Tschechowa, the wife of Michael Chekhov. Lev Knipper studied piano from childhood and received an excellent private education. He also played good tennis and was an avid mountain-climber.

Lev Knipper was an officer in the White Army of Baron Vrangel, fighting against the Bolshevik communists during the Russian Civil War in the Ukraine and in the Crimea (1918). He briefly emigrated and lived in Germany, but after some time he was rehabilitated by the Soviet secret service and returned to the Soviet Russia. There he worked for the secret service under Lavrenti Beria, being attached to the propaganda department of the Red Army. He completed his music education at the Moscow Gnesin Institute, where his teachers were Mikhail Gnesin and Reinhold Glière. He composed patriotic songs and contributed music scores for several Soviet films. He also collaborated with Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko at the Moscow Art Theatre. Knipper was prolific. He wrote 5 operas (including one on the The Little Prince), 20 symphonies, ballets, pieces for piano and other film musics. He also studied ethnomusicology in the Central Asian Republics and researched folk music from Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

In 1934 Lev Knipper wrote his "Symphony No.4 in D major, Opus 41 - Poem of the Komsomol Fighters" (Komsomol was the Union of Communist Youth), which includes the famous song "Polyushko Pole" with lyrics (dedicated to the Red Army Field Marshall Kliment Voroshilov) by Victor Gusev. The music became one of the Marching songs of the Red Army Choir and one of the primary Russian patriotic anthems, long outlasting in popularity both the symphony that introduced it and the regime for which it was created.

"Polyushko Pole" became also known as "Meadowlands", "Song of the Plaines", "Cavalry of the Steppes", "O Field My Field" and Western arrangements as "Cossack Patrol". Some sources claim that the song was originally written during the Russian Civil War (1918) and was sung by the Red Army and a couple of anti-Soviet webpages even by White Army. Morton Gould addapted the song in 1945 in the USA as "The Red Cavalry Song" and it was broadcoasted by The Glenn Miller Orchestra under direction of Jerry Gray early 1945. A recording as "Cossack Patrol" was made by Ted Heath in England for Decca in February 1945. Bandleader Tex Beneke with The Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded their version in 1946 for RCA.

The Russians have a long history of Folk music and the Soviets expanded upon this with several dozen songs, especially during the Great Patriotic War. During the Great Patriotic War, many of these songs as well as traditional folk songs were performed by specialized choirs and ensembles for the frontline troops in all sectors.

After the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army Choir came into prominence, though it existed since 12 October, 1928, where it performed as the Red Army Song Ensemble at the Frunze Club under the direction of Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov, a music professor at the Moscow Conservatory.
By 1933 the group had reorganized as the The Choir of the Red Army of the USSR and split into three cooperating subunits, a male choir, an orchestra, and an ensemble of dancers, bringing total numbers to over three hundred. They performed traditional folk music, original compositions by Soviet composers such as V Solovyov-Sedoi, A. Novikov, M. Blanter, and B. Mokrousov. In 1936, they were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In 1937 it won the Grand Prix - the highest honour bestowed by the jury - at the International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life, held in Paris. (a recording of "Polyushko Pole" was made in Paris). During the Great Patriotic War, over 1,500 performances were made at all Soviet Fronts, sometimes in collusion with the smaller ensembles mentioned above.

The Spotnicks - The Rocket Man (1962)

The Krew Kats - (Jim Sullivan (lead guitar), Brian Locking (bass), Brian Bennett (drums) and Tony Belcher (guitar) - arranged the first rock instrumental of "Polyuska Pole" as "Samovar" in June 1961. The Spotnicks reworked the song with their space sound and full of rocket sound effects as "The Rocket Man" in 1961 and The Cliffters from Denmark followed with a strong "Riding Cossack" in 1962.

Pojuschie Gitary (The Singing Guitars - Leningrad) - Polyushko Pole (1969)

collection 1-25
01 Polyushko Pole (v) - 1934 USSR - Nikandr Khanaev & Ork. G.A.B.T.
02 Polyushka Pole (v) - 1937 USSR (rec. in Paris) - Red Army Choir
03 The Red Cavalry March - 1946 US RCA - Tex Beneke with The Glenn Miller Orchestra
04 Polyushko Pole (v) - 1959 RU Melodiya - Red Army Choir
05 Cossack Patrol - 1960 UK Columbia - Eddie Calvert
06 Samovar - 1961 UK HMV - The Krew Kats
07 The Rocket Man - 1961 SE Karusell - The Spotnicks
08 Riding Cossack - 1962 DK Philips - The Cliffters
09 Cossack Patrol - 1962 SE Odeon - The Climbers
10 Mars One - 1962 NO Viking - The Beatnicks
11 The Rocket Man (radio) - 1962 SE/UK BBC Saturday Club - The Spotnicks
12 Tundra Patrol - 1963 BE NewTone - The Ruby's
13 The Rocket Man - 1963 IT Odeon - I 5 Rizzo
14 Policko Pole - 1963 CZ Supraphon - Miroslav Kefurt
15 The Rocket Man (live) - 1963 SE live Paris - The Spotnicks
16 Meadowlands - 1964 CA London - The Chessmen
17 Tus Lagrimas - 1965 VE Philips - Los Claners
18 Du Gehst Voruber (v) - 1966 NL Ariola - The Tielman Brothers
19 Praderas - 1966 UY CBS - Los Iracundos
20 Riding Cossack - 1968 DK studio rehearsal - The Cliffters
21 Polyushko Pole - 1969 RU Melodiya - Pojuschie Gitary (The Singing Guitars)
22 Cossack Patrol - 1969 SE Polydor - The Sentimentals
23 Polyushko Polye - 1971 SE/JP Canyon - The Spotnicks
24 Polyushka Pole - 1971 JP Canyon - The Sharp Five
25 Samovar - 1974 US/JP Liberty - The Ventures
collection 26-39
26 Cossack Patrol - 1975 NL Philips - The Jumping Jewels
27 Cossack Patrol - 1976 DE EMI Electrola - Peter Orloff Sound Orchester
28 The Rocket Man '77 - 1977 SE Polydor - The Spotnicks
29 Polyushka Pole - 1980 JP King - Terry & The Blue Jeans
30 The Rocket Man - 1981 NL DSR - Paul Selier
31 The Rocket Man - 1985 UK Twang - The Rapiers
32 The Rocket Man - 1986 SE Polydor - The Vanguards
33 Cossack Patrol - 1987 FI Rautalanka - Rami Hammar & The Riders
34 Kasakkapartio - 1990 FI YLE - The Quiets
35 The Rocket Man '97 - 1997 SE Riverside - The Spotnicks
36 Cossack Rocket Patrol - 2000 US MuSick - The Space Cossacks
37 The Rocket Man - 2001 NO/NL Rarity Records - The Pistoleros
38 The Rocket Man - 2004 NL Bluedevils - The Blue Devils
39 The Rocket Man - 2004 SE SVG - The Ryders

BARCAROLLE

2009-02-25T12:44:00.001-08:00

Music: Jacques Offenbach (1864) overture from "Die Rhein Nixen (Les Fées du Rhin)" and melody also used as aria "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" in his opera "Les contes d'Hoffman" (1881)

Jacques Offenbach (born Jacob Offenbach; 20 June 1819 – 5 October 1880) was a German-born French composer and cellist of the Romantic era and one of the originators of the operetta form. Offenbach's father, born Isaac Eberst in Offenbach am Main around 1780, changed his name to Offenbach when he settled down in Deutz in 1802. In 1816 the family moved to Cologne, where his son Jacob was born in 1819. Of German-Jewish ancestry, he was one of the most influential composers of popular music in Europe in the 19th century, and many of his works remain in the repertory.

Offenbach's numerous operettas, such as Orpheus in the Underworld, and La belle Hélène, were extremely popular in both France and the English-speaking world during the 1850s and 1860s. They combined political and cultural satire with witty grand opera parodies. While his name remains associated most closely with the French operetta and the Second Empire, it is Offenbach's one fully operatic masterpiece, "Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann)", composed at the end of his career, that has become the most familiar of Offenbach's works in major opera houses.

A barcarolle (from French; also Italian barcarola, barcarole) is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style. A barcarolle is characterized by a rhythm reminiscent of the gondolier's stroke, almost invariably a moderate tempo 6/8 meter. In classical music, the most famous barcarolles are those by Jacques Offenbach, from his opera The Tales of Hoffmann and Frédéric Chopin's Barcarolle in F sharp major for solo piano.

Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) was first performed in Paris, at the Opéra-Comique, on February 10, 1881. The most famous aria from the opera is the "Barcarolle" (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour), which is performed in Act 3. Curiously, the aria was not written by Offenbach with Les Contes d'Hoffmann in mind. He wrote it as overture (Elves' song) in the opera Les fées du Rhin (which premiered in Vienna on February 8, 1864 as Die Rheinnixen). Offenbach died with Les contes d'Hoffmann unfinished. Ernest Guiraud completed the scoring and wrote the recitatives for the premiere. He also incorporated this excerpt from one of Offenbach's earlier, long-forgotten operas into the new opera.

"Barcarolle" (song #6) from Offenbach's "Les voix Mystérieuses" (1852) is a different song and was one of the additions from Fritz Oeser in the restored version in 1976.

The first instrumental recording was made in 1902 by Vienna Band (Infanterie-Regiment No.8, Erzhertog Karl Stefan) for Victor. Also released by Victor were versions from Sousa's Band (1906) and Victor Dance Orchestra (1906). However the first vocal version is probably from Geraldine Farrar (soprano) & Antonio Scotti (baritone) (Victor 1909).

A "jazzed up" fashion by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra was recorded in 1937 and piano boogie woogie versions were made by Erskine Butterfield (1944) en Camille Howard (1948). Edmundo Ros took "Barcarolle" to the Latin music on his album "Rhythms of the South" (1957). Electric Johnny (Jan Schouten) found his inspiration on it for his Indo-Rock version with The Skyrockets.

barcarolle collection
01 Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour (v) - 1909 US Victor - Geraldine Farrar & Antonio Scotti
02 Schöne Nacht, O Liebesnacht (v) - 1933 DE Electrola - Comedian Harmonists
03 Venetian Nights (v) - 1933 UK HMV - Al Bowlly & Suzanne Botterill
04 Barcarolle - 1937 US Victor - Tommy Dorsey & his Orchestra
05 Boogie Woogie Barcarolle - 1944 US Joe Davis - Erskine Butterfield
06 Barcarolle - 1944 US Varsity - The Three Suns
07 Barcarolle - 1945 US Capitol - Nat King Cole Trio
08 Barcarolle Boogie - 1948 US Specialty - Camille Howard Trio
09 Barcarolle - 1956 US TV Show - Lawrence Welk Show ft. Myren Floren
10 Barcarolle - 1957 UK Decca - Edmundo Ros & his Orchestra
11 Tonight is so right for love (v) - 1960 US RCA - Elvis Presley
12 Barcarolle - 1962 NL CNR - The Skyrockets
13 Barcarolle - 1962 FR Bel Air - Les Champions
14 Barcarolle - 1963 BR RGE - The Bells
15 Barcarolle - 1966 DE Telefunken - Klaus Wunderlich
16 Barcarolle - 1966 DE Polydor - James Last & his Orchestra
17 Barcarole - 1967 GDR Amiga - Theo Schumann Combo
18 Barcarolle - 1967 DE Columbia - Karl-Heinz Kastel
19 Barcarolle - 1967 NL Carmen - Los Tijuanos
20 Barcarolle - 1978 NL DSR - The Shakin' Arrows
21 Barcarolle - 1981 DE Epic - Ricky King
22 Barcarolle (live) - 1981 NL Live Horn - The Explosion Rockets
23 Barcarolle (live) - 1982 NL Live Drunen - The Replays
24 Barcarolle - 1986 FR Philips - Paul Mauriat & his Orchestra
25 Barcarolle - 1994 NL Rarity Records - Dixie Aces
26 Barcarolle - 1994 NL Rarity Records - The East & West Rockers

BLACK EYES / DARK EYES / OCHI CHORNYE

2009-01-10T03:16:00.000-08:00

* Ochi Chornye * Black Eyes * Dark Eyes * Les Yeux Noirs * Ojos Negros * Schwarze Augen * Panon Hideung *

Music: Florian Hermann Hommage-Valse, Opus 21 (adapted by Sofus Gerdal in 1884)
Russian lyrics: Evgenii Grebenka (Yevhen Hrebinka or Yevgeniy Pavlovich Grebyonka) (1843) as "Ochi Chornye"
English translation: Ivan Shevchenko as Black Eyes
English lyrics: Bernice Manoloff (1935) as Dark Eyes
English lyrics: Jay Arnold (1941) as Dark Eyes

(L) Feodor Chaliapin - (M) Django Reinhardt - (R) Les Paul

Roots
"Ochi Chornye" or "Black Eyes" which is widely known as a Russian Gypsy Romance song. Actually, the lyrics for "Ochi Chornye" derive from a poem by Evgenii Grebenka (Yevhen Hrebinka or Yevgeniy Pavlovich Grebyonka), a Ukrainian writer which was first published in 1843. The words were set to Florian Hermann's Valse Hommage (in an arrangement by Sofus Gerdel) and published as a romance in 1884. It became a cabaret song from the repertoire of Moscow gypsies which was popular among the middle classes until the Revolution.

The Russian lyrics "Ochi Chornye”, you also see "Ochi Chornya", "Ochie Chornie", “Otchi Tchorniya” and also several other variaties was translated in English as .....Black Eyes, passionate eyes! Jet-black beautiful eyes.... Better known was the more simple text by Jay Arnold. He called the number "Dark Eyes", his song starts with......Two dark dreamy eyes, Dark as midnight skies..........

The oldest version we know is from Mikhail Vavich and was recorded in 1908 by Record Company Ltd. in Sint Petersburg. Mikhail Vavich (1881-1931) was a bass singer who performed romances and played in operetta. After the Revolution, he left Russia and toured in both Europe and United States. From 1925, he worked as an actor in Hollywood. The famous Russian bass opera singer Feodor Chaliapin (Fyodor Shalyapin) popularised the song abroad in a version amended by himself. He recorded “Orchi Chornye” in Paris (September 1927). The concert versions by the famous Russian Red Army Choirs under direction of Boris Alexandrov outside de Soviet Union must be mentioned for sure.

Cuban composer Sindo Garay (1867-1968) told Harry Belafonte for the documentary film “The Roots of Rhythm” that he had written the melody of the well-known song “Ojos Negros” in the 1900’s for Ursula his girl friend. However, a group Russian singers and sailors heard it and liked the tune and took it back to Russia (or would it be the other way around?). In any case The Lecuona Cuban Boys sang their version as” Ojos Negros” in 1930' s in all angles of the world. Large popularity followed at the end of the 1930' s with new English lyrics as “Dark Eyes”.

The Sundanese occupants on West Java (Indonesia) are honestly convinced that the melody which we know as “Ochi Chornye” is their own folksong “Panon Hideung” (eyes - black) is. But here too a Russian sailor will possibly have ensured for the import.

Film director Ernst Lubitsch used “Ochi Chornye” as the main melody for his movie ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ from 1940 with James Stewart.

Of course there is the magic guitar arrangement of "Les Yeux Noirs" by Django Reinhardt et le Quintette du Hot Club de France, recorded on the 13th December 1940. The guitar highlights of Les Paul (1944) and Chet Atkins (1955) have surely contributed to the popularity of the number as an instrumental.

Black Eyes Rock

In the former Netherlands-Indies the song was so popular that mothers often hummed the melody as a sleeping song for their babies. Of course the melody was known by the Sundanese occupants on West Java as “Panung Hideung”. The Tielman Brothers their version live on stage since arrival in the Netherlands (Breda) in 1957. Nevertheless another legendary Indo band would be the first to appear with a rock instrumental of the number on the record market. The execution of "Black Eyes Rock" of the on the CNR label debuting Electric Johnny & his Skyrockets became an enormous source of inspiration fort starting guitarists. The guitar technique of Jan Schouten aka Electric Johnny resembled quite a lot to the way a mandolin is played and this became one of his characteristic trademarks. With this single and its flip side the equally famous own composition "Johnny On His Strings" the Skyrockets created n unique piece of the Dutch rock history. It was in 1960/1961 the first Dutch rock production that was released in the USA (Felsted), Canada (London), Engeland (London), Scandinavia (Sonet) and France (Ducretet Thomson). As a curious fact should be mentioned that there exist two completely different versions of "Black Eyes Rock". The Skyrockets always strived for perfection in arrangements and sound and they managed to be allowed to record a second version of both number. They now possessed of better Höfner guitars and had upgraded their self made equipment. They also had more studio experience now for the ideal sound balance. This new and much better versions were quickly released under the same label number and only the primitive version of "Black Eyes Rock" was by accident one again re-released in 1963 in a series with all their 6 singles with picture.

In 1975 the original (2nd ) version was released once again by we DIWA records. The demands for old singles and EP's of Electric Johnny became so big that Dick Waanders dared to release the LP "Johnny On His Strings". Sadly enough he was soon tackled by record company CNR, who against the pending agreements brought the LP pon the market at a much lower price. In 1975 "Black Eyes Rock" as per Electric Johnny was played again live in county Brabant by The Playing Rockets from Waalwijk and The Hurricane Rollers uit Den Bosch. The last group isn’t the well know Indo band, but the formation of Bart Strik- the sadly enough in 19993 deceased guitarist- also known as the Jazzmaster King. In 1977 even followed a recording of a version van "Black Eyes Rock" by the group DANCE-ON from Alphen a/d Rijn. The recording and production were done by Gerard and Jaap van Dijk in their own DSR studio in The Hague. In 1980 I made rehearsal recordings of Bart Strik & The Explosion Rockets, amongst which a performance of "Black Eyes Rock" and these recordings were later released on LP and CD under the name of: The Rehearsal Tapes. In 1992 the complete works (with the exception of some 2nd versions) of Electric Johnny & The Skyrockets were released by Rarity Records on CD. The 1st but also the 2nd version of Black Eyes Rock can be heard on this CD. The ultimate cover was made in 1994 by The Treble Spankers. Lead guitarist Frank Gerritsen (Phantom Frank)followed the original arrangements of Electric Johnny and as a matter of fact the whole number is a tribute to this physical small but musically great Indo rocker from the very first start. Electric Johnny’s version stil remains in demand because in in 2000 it was recorded by The Lowlanders (Rarity) and in May 2002 it was once again performed by PV & The Heartbeats with their 20 years old lead guitarist Jeffry Duffhuës (Rarity 2003).

Back to The Tielman Brothers in 1960. They performed their "Black Eyes" on a single released by Bovema on their Imperial label. It was also the very first instrumental recording by The Tielman Brothers and Andy Tielman had arranged and played the melody so extremely good with their Gibson guitars that it’s almost impossible to improve this version. During their Jazzmaster era they played it in very long improvisations and sadly enough these super long versions have never been recorded. Luckily there appeared live tapes from this period on which such performances are recorded. Sam Sam Music released in 1992 a CD on wich 8.21 minutes of such a live recording in 1965 are present. Very fascinating and sensible played were the tapes with live interpretations of Frits Galistan as lead guitarist of The Twangies (Rarity CD - Live 1962) and Oety & his Real Rockers (together with the sparkling piano of Iwan Wernet).

The Jokers en Jimmy Duncombe & The Rackets

Next are 2 of my favourite "Black Eyes" .At first the one of The Jokers from Antwerp, Belgium, with their Jazzmaster virtuoso Ronny Sigo on lead guitar in 1963 entered the recording market. From the very first note till the end you are thrilled by the extrmey rich sound Ronny witch crafted from his Jazzmaster. By the way Sigo first played with The Bonanzas before joining The Jokers and there exist a rehearsal tape of Black Eyes Rock from 1961. This proofs that Ronny Sigo really had something with “Black Eyes”. Magisterial is in my opinion also the record of Jimmy Duncombe & The Rackets. This recording was made as a demo on 24-02-1964 by The Continentals in the Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg, but recording company Elite released some singles under the name Jimmy & The Rackets. The left handed guitarist Jimmy Duncombe played in 1961 with Sonny Steward & The Dynamos in the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, then they fulfilled contracts in o.a. the Weindorf in Frankfurt. He saw The Tielman Brothers for the first time in 1962 in the Jolly Bar, Hanau when they played in Bernhards Eck themselves. In an e-mail message, which I received from him in 2001 he wrote .....I was very impressed by Andy Tielman's playing and The Tielman Brothers is still my all time favourite live band. I suppose that I absorbed some of Andy's style, and certainly at the time I was very happy to be friends with him........

In the period 1980/1981 "Black Eyes" was played live in the style of The Tielman Brothers by Johnny & The Rollers (Den Bosch), of which there exists a rehearsal and live recording and The Noise-Makers (The Hague). Their reunion concert of 1981 in Rolschaatsbaan, The Hague was recorded by Leon Donnars. In 1982 a extended version by The Entertainers was released on Al Capone Records. Rob Paul (lead guitar) en Ben Poetiray (2nd lead guitar) performed for 6.30 minutes an ear catching "Black Eyes". Well done were also the recordings by The Desperates from Dordrecht. They played "Black Eyes Rock" in the studio in 1984 (DSR) and 1995 (Rarity). Rather recent are the recordings of The Krontjong Devils (1996), The Black Albinos - with Dihl Bennink on lead guitar - (Rarity 1997), The Indonesian Revival Band (May 2000), Pipeline 61' (2000) and Ben Poetiray (SamSam 2001)

The Ventures - Dark Eyes Twist

In May 1962 The Ventures put the number on the map as "Dark Eyes Twist". It can be found on their LP ‘Twist vol. 2 (Dance With)’. The Ventures’ approach to this dark brooding piece is the 1955 recording by Chet Atkins under the Russian title “Ochi Chornya”: it fairly jogs along with the Gretsch’s tremelo arm providing the occasional tasteful embellishment. The Ventures do not deal with it quite as briskly and give the melody cleaner lines; the tone is more intense, verging on the majestic, Nokie Edwards’s lead guitar endowed with an imposing resonance. Their version made quite an impact all over the world, for instance in Brazil (The Bells 1963, The Rebels 1963), Argentinia (Los Iracundos 1966), Japan (All Stars Wagon 1966) and also in the USA (Eddie & The Showmen 1964, The Revelaires 1964) The Ventures arrangements were copied.

Engeland, Frankrijk, Australië en Nieuw Zeeland

It is 1963 when the English guitar pioneer Bert Weedon appears with the fascinating single "Dark Eyes / Black Jackets" on the HMV label which recalls good memories of Radio Luxemburg, who gave the numbers a lot of airplay. "Black Eyes" of Jimmy & The Rackets was even released in England on the Parlophone label. But it was a rerecorded track under the name of The Hearts, that sounded less spectacular. In Australia The Atlantics made their first recording appearance in February1963 on the CBS label with "Dark Eyes". In the same year the would become immortal with "Bombara". De multi-guitarist Graeme Bartlett from New Zealand made in 1963 a cover of The Atlantics version for the Zodiac label.

Scandinavië - Dark Eyes Beat

Back to Europe with the Scandinavian groups. First of all there are The Spotnicks who recorded "Dark Eyes" during their London recording session for Oriole in September 162 for their 1st 1e LP Out-A-Space / The Spotnicks In London. In 1963 another two versions of "Dark Eyes" by Swedish groups are released. The Kingsmen linger along on the arrangements of The Spotnicks and with The Falcons there was also a saxophone player at work. In Finland The Scaffolds brought their "Dark Eyes Beat" in February 1963 to the attention of 'rautalalanka' admirers. Two ex- guitarists from this formation are since 1978 part of the studio group The New Strangers. On their 1st LP In The Night (RCA) you can find a "Dark Eyes Beat". Another well known Finish 60's band The Esquires made in 1963 demo recordings based on the version of The Scaffolds. Only in 1981 these were released in a series of material from the Finish rock history. The legendary Finish top top band The Sounds were very popular in Japan with their single Mandshurian Beat and Emma. Especially for the Japanese market they recorded in 1965 a number of instrumentals , amongst which "Dark Eyes" in Finish: "Mustat Silmät". Of course today’s instrumental top band The Mustangs recorded the number with two different setups and also live it is one of the highlights of this formation. There came even a version by the Dutch Blue Explosion of the Finish "Black Eyes Beat" (Rarity 1998). Very authentic sounds the recording of the Norwegian Pistoleros from 2001.
In France Les Fantômes came with an inevitable "Les Yeux Noirs" on Vogue, recorded during one of their least sessions in 1964. The Belgian guitar phenomenon and Jazzmaster player since 1960 Burt Blanca made a very successful version with his The King Creoles for the Ronnex label and his number was even released under the original Russian title: "Ochi Chornya". By the way as "Dark Eyes" it can be found on some of his almost numerous LP’s. Very original is the German studio guitarist Ladi Geisler in 1968 with "Schwarze Augen". Ladi was already active as studio musician since the fifties. He played for instance on all old hits of Freddy Quinn and he was the remarkable guitarist in orchestra of Bert Kaempfert. The modern execution of Ricky King in his LP Electric Guitar Hits (Epic) uit 1980 draw our attention because of the very fast guitar runs.. Sublime are the various recordings made by the Japanese top act Terry & The Blue Jeans of "Black Eyes" . Old Russian are enormously popular in Japan anyway and various groups made LP’s with similar repertoire. Finally I mention the Hungarian version of the number "Fekete Szemek" by Farago 'Judy' István from 1986. Here the influences of The Shadows and Hungarian gipsy music came together in a beautiful mix.

Black Eyes Collection 01-22
01 Les Yeux Noirs - Django Reinhardt - 1940 FR Swing
02 Dark Eyes - Les Paul Trio - 1944 US Decca
03 Dark Eyes - Gene Krupa Trio - 1945 US Columbia
04 Les Yeux Noirs (radio) - Django Reinhardt - 1947 FR Swing
05 Dark Eyes - Art van Damme Quintet - 1949 US Capitol
06 Dark Eyes - Les Paul - 1953 US unissued
07 Ochi Chornya - Chet Atkins - 1955 US RCA
08 Dark Eyes - Esquivel - 1958 US RCA
09 Dark Eyes (live) - The Three Suns - 1959 US/JP Victor (Live in Japan)
10 Black Eyes (TV show) - The Tielman Brothers - 1960 NL TV show
11 Black Eyes Rock (version #1) - Electric Johnny & his Skyrockets - 1960 NL CNR
12 Black Eyes - The Tielman Brothers - 1960 NL Imperial
13 Black Eyes Rock (version #2) - Electric Johnny & his Skyrockets - 1960 NL CNR
14 Dark Eyes (live) - The R' Jays - 1961 AU Festival
15 Dark Eyes Twist - The Ventures - 1962 US Dolton
16 Dark Eyes - The Spotnicks - 1962 SE/UK Oriole
17 Black Eyes (live 6:45) - Rene & the Alligators - 1962 NL live tape
18 Dark Eyes - The Falcons - 1962 SE Polydor
19 Black Eyes (rehearsal) - The Bonanzas (ft. Ronny Sigo) - 1962 BE rehearsal tape
20 Dark Eyes - Bert Weedon - 1963 UK HMV
21 Dark Eyes - The Atlantics - 1963 AU CBS
22 Olhos Negros - The Bells - 1963 BR RGE
Black Eyes Collection 23-44
23 Olhos Negros - The Rebels - 1963 BR VS Records
24 Dark Eyes Beat - The Scaffolds - 1963 FI HMV
25 Les Yeux Noirs - Les Fantomes - 1963 FR Vogue
26 Black Eyes (live) - The Twangies - 1963 NBL/DE live tape
27 Black Eyes (live) - Oety & his Real Rockers - 1963 NL/DE live tape
28 Dark Eyes - Graeme Bartlett - 1963 NZ Zodiac
29 Dark Eyes - The Kingsmen - 1963 SE Odeon
30 Dark Eyes - The Chessmen - 1963 US Coulee
31 Black Eyes (live 7:40) - The Tielman Brothers - 1963 NL/DE live tape
32 Dark Eyes Beat (demo) - The Esquires - 1963 FI demo tape
33 Dark Eyes (rehearsal) - The Esquires - 1963 FI rehearsal tape
34 Black Eyes - The Jokers - 1964 BE Discostar
35 Black Eyes - Jimmy & The Rackets - 1964 UK/DE Elite
36 Dark Eyes - Eddie & The Showmen - 1964 US Liberty
37 Dark Eyes - The Revelaires - 1964 US unissued
38 Les Yeux Noirs - Tchan-Tchou Vidal - 1964 FR Bel-Air
39 Dark Eyes - The Sounds - 1965 FI/JP Philips
40 Black Eyes (live, incomplete) - The Four Beat Breakers - 1965 NL live Palais de Dance
41 Black Eyes (live 8:21) - The Tielman Brothers - 1965 NL live tape
42 Black Eyes - The All Stars Wagon - 1966 JP Teicheiku
43 Ojos Negros - Los Iracundos - 1966 UY/AR RCA
44 Black Eyes - The Coasters - 1966 JP Union
Black Eyes Collection 45-66
45 Dark Eyes - The Five Suns - 1967 JP Reprise
46 Schwarze Augen - Ladi Geisler - 1968 DE Polydor
47 Ojos Negros - Los Catetraticos - 1968 CH RCA
48 Dark Eyes - Burt Blanca - 1969 BE Ronnex
49 Dark Eyes - Terry and the Blue Jeans - 1969 JP King
50 Dark eyes - The Sentimentals - 1969 SE/JP Polydor
51 Dark Eyes - The Savages - 1970 CH Stardisc
52 Dark Eyes - Yoshio Kimura & The Beers - 1970 JP Canyon
53 Dark Eyes - The Sharp 5 - 1972 JP Canyon
54 Dark Eyes - Terry & The Blue Jeans - 1972 JP King
55 Black Eyes Rock - Dance-On - 1977 NL DSR
56 Dark Eyes Twist - The New Strangers - 1978 FI RCA
57 Black Eyes (rehearsal) - Johnny & the Rollers - 1978 NL rehearsal tape
58 Black Eyes - Ricky King - 1980 DE Epic
59 Black Eyes Rock (rehearsal) - The Explosion Rockets - 1980 NL rehearsal tape
60 Black Eyes - The Entertainers - 1982 NL Al Capone
61 Black Eyes Rock - The Desperates - 1982 NL DSR
62 Black Eyes - Farago 'Judy' Istvan - 1986 HU Favorit
63 Schwarze Augen - Ricky King - 1988 DE Karussell
64 Black Eyes (live) - The Gampang Band - 1990 NL soundtrack Rockin'Ramona
65 Dark Eyes - The Spacemen - 1990 SE Triola
66 Dark Eyes Stomp - The Mustangs - 1992 FI/NL Echo Records
Black Eyes Collection 67-86
67 Black Eyes - The Kiliaan Brothers - 1994 NL Rarity-Records
68 Black Eyes Rock - The Treble Spankers - 1994 NL Vulcan
69 Black Eyes Rock - The Desperates - 1995 NL Rarity-Records
70 Black Eyes Surf - The Krontjong Devils - 1996 NL Rarity-Records
71 Schwarze Augen - The Black Albinos - 1997 NL Rarity-Records
72 Dark Eyes Beat - Blue Explosion - 1998 NL Rarity-Records
73 Black Eyes (live Locomotion) - The Black Dynamites - 1998 NL Rarity-Records
74 Black Eyes - Indonesian Revival Band - 2000 DE May
75 Black Eyes Rock - The Lowlanders - 2000 NL Rarity-Records
76 Black Eyes - Pipeline '61 - 2000 NL HMR
77 Dark Eyes Beat - The Pistoleros - 2001 NO/NL Rarity Records
78 Black Eyes - Ben Poetiray - 2001 NL SamSam
79 Black Eyes - The Royal Six - 2002 NL SamSam
80 Black Eyes Rock - PV and the Heartbeats - 2002 NL Rarity-Records
81 Black Eyes - Ronny Flohr & his Oriental Four - 2004 NL MaBi
82 Dark Eyes - The Bitch Boys (Slovenia) - 2004 SI Golly Gee
83 Black Eyes Rock - '57 Fairlane - 2005 NL HMR
84 Black Eyes (demo) - NIRG X-plosion - 2005 NL demo
85 Black eyes - Deja Vu - 2006 NL Deja Vu
86 Black Eyes (live) - Ricky King - 2007 DE Flex
---miscellaneous---
01 Ochi Chornye - Mikhail Vavich - 1908 RU Gramophone Company
02 Les Yeux Noirs - George Boulanger & his Orch. - 1926 DE Vox
03 Dark Eyes - The Efim Schachmeister Orch. - 1926 DE Polydor
04 Ochi chornye (v) - Feodor Chaliapin - 1927 RU/FR Pathe
05 Lovely Eyes - S.Danilevsky & Balalaika Orch. - 1920s RU/CN Pathe
06 Ochi Chornye - Albert Sandler - 1932 UK Pathe
07 Schwarze Augen (v) - Ilja Ljvschakoff Kunstler Orch. - 1936 DE Polydor
08 Ochi Chorneye (v) - Pola Negri - 1938 PO/UK HMV
09 Ojos Negros - The Lecuona Cuban Boys - 1938 CU/UK Columbia
10 Dark Eyes (v) - Al Bowlly - 1939 UK HMV
11 Les Yeux Noirs - Pierre Allie Orch. (Django) - 1940 FR Swing
12 Ochi Chornya (v) - Wingy Manone & his Orchestra - 1941 US Bluebird
13 Dark Eyes - Will Bradley & his Orch. - 1941 US Columbia
14 Les Yeux Noirs - Louis Billen Quartette - 1942 BE Olympia
15 Hotcha Cornia - Spike Jones & his City Slickers - 1943 US RCA
16 Schwarze Augen (v) - Tanzorch. Josef Leo Gruber - 1947 AU Standard
17 Otchi-Tchor-Ni-Ya (v) - Louis Armstrong & his All Stars - 1954 US Decca
18 Dark Eyes - Lionel Hampton & his All Stars - 1956 US Jazztone
19 Mustat Silmat (v) - Crazy Gideon Gipsy Rockers - 1959 FI Parlophone
20 Les Yeux Noirs (v) - Armand Mestral - 1959 FR Philips
21 Ochi Chornye (live) - The Red Army Choirs - 1960 RU/FR Melodiya
22 Panung Hideung (v) - Mus D.S. & Orkes Teruna Ria - 1965 ID Irama
23 Panung Hideung (v) - Diah Iskander & The Steps - 1975 ID Remaco
24 Hommage-Valse, Opus 21 - Alexander Zlatkovski - 2009 AK HMR

Alexander Zlatkovski
Вальс Воспоминание (Hommage-Valse, Opus 21) Florian Hermann

HUMORESQUE

2009-01-09T00:51:00.001-08:00

Music: Antonin Dvorak (1894) as «Humoreske no.7 in G flat major (Op. 101, B. 187)»
Adaption: Lew Brown (music) - Sidney Clare (lyrics) (1926) as «I'd climb the highest mountain (If I knew I'd find you)»

Humoresque (Humoreske) is a type of character piece, generally a short piano composition expressing a mood or a vague nonmusical idea, usually more good-humored than humorous. Robert Schumann, the first composer to use the term as a musical title, called his Opus 20 (1839) Humoreske (it is atypically like a long suite). His Opus 88, No. 2, is a humoresque for violin, cello, and piano.

The best-known is Humoresques (Czech: Humoresky), Op. 101 (B. 187) is a piano cycle of eight pieces by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1941-1904), written during the Summer of 1894. The seventh in his collection, Humoresque No. 7 in G flat major is among the most famous short classical pieces ever written.

The German publisher F. Simrock took advantage of the great popularity of the seventh Humoresque to produce arrangements for many instruments and ensembles. The piece was later also published as a song with various lyrics. It has also been arranged for choir.

It was drafted in New York, in which city Dvorak lived for a few years in the 1890s, and where he wrote the New World Symphony. This Humoresque quickly became immensely popular, and was heard in all kinds of places and arrangements, including the penny arcade. One day, about 1907, when he was an eight-year-old boy, George Gershwin was walking down a street near his home in New York when he heard this melody coming from a slot machine. He was transfixed, and thereafter always maintained that the experience of coming into contact with this music was the most important of all his early musical experiences. The original appeal of this tune is indeed timeless.

(#02+#03+#06) The song «I'd climb the highest mountain (If I knew I'd find you)»
written by Lew Brown and Sidney Clare was developped on the harmonical structure of «Humoresque» in 1926. It was a top ten hit for Al Jolson and continues to be one of the most performed songs by contemporary jazz artists.

"Humoresque" (1946) is a Warner Brothers film starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield in an older woman/younger man tale about a violinist and his patroness. The screenplay by Clifford Odets and Zachary Gold was based upon a novel by Fannie Hurst (1919) and previously filmed as a silent in 1920. "Humoresque" was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Jerry Wald. The film received an Academy Award nomination. The musical scenes in Humoresque are of special note, especially the manner in which Jean Negulesco filmed John Garfield playing the violin. The actual music was performed by the renowned musician Isaac Stern.

(#07) In 1950 David Rose picked up the slow, narcotic main theme, changed it into a fast tempo played by pizzicato strings, orchestrating the central motive adding a romantic twist to it, and a dull song picked up life and beauty.

(#11) The Skyrockets recorded an insto-indo-rock version in 1961 as «Guitar-Humoresque» with glowing guitar sounds. It was arranged by their lead-guitarist and bandleader Jan Schouten aka Electric Johnny. This version is still very popular among revival guitar bands.

(#16) Zlatni Decaci (The Golden Boys) were formed in 1962 in Belgrade. Their friend and big fan - Nikola Karaklajic - famous Yugoslav international chess player and journalist - brought their first Jugoton recordings to Holland in 1965. Phonogram released 'Swan Lake/Humoresque" on the Fontana label.

collection
01 Humoresque 1910 US Victor Mischa Elman
02 I'd climb the highest mountain (v) 1926 US Cameo William Robyn
03 I'd climb the highest mountain 1926 US Victor Roger Wolfe Kahn & his Orchestra
04 Humoresque 1937 US Brunswick Glenn Miller & his Orchestra
05 Humoresque 1940 US Decca Art Tatum
06 I'climb the highest mountain (v) 1940 US Decca The Ink Spots
07 Humoresque 1950 US RCA David Rose & his Orchestra
08 Humoresque (live) 1954 US TV show Chet Atkins
09 Humoresque 1959 US ABC Paramount Roy Smeck
10 Humoresque Novelty 1960 US Celebrity Larry Faber
11 Guitar-Humoresque 1961 NL CNR The Skyrockets
12 Humoresque Boogie 1964 US DOT Billy Vaughn & his Orchestra
13 Humoresque 1964 US DOT Jo Ann Castle
14 Humoresque 1964 NL Funckler Rudy & The Royal Rhythmics
15 Humoresque 1965 NL Sonopresse The Condors
16 Humoreska 1965 YU Jugoton Zlatni Decaci (The Golden Boys)
17 Humoresque 1967 NL Carmen Los Tijuanos
18 Humoresque 1973 DE Telefunken Klaus Wunderlich
19 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1976 NL Live Tilburg The Hurricane Rollers
20 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1978 NL Live Kalsdonk The Shakin' Arrows
21 Guitar-Humoresque 1978 NL DSR The Shakin' Arrows
22 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1978 NL Live Oisterwijk The Explosion Rockets
23 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1982 NL Live Drunen The Replays
24 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1992 NL Live Den Bosch Bart Strik & The Rhythm Kings
25 Humoresque 1993 NL AMR The Spectacles
26 Guitar-Humoresque 1993 NL HCD Dixie Aces
27 Guitar-Humoresque (live) 1993 NL Live Arnhem Electric Johnny & his Skyrockets
28 Guitar-Humoresque 1994 NL Rarity-Records The East & West Rockers
29 Guitar-Humoresque 2003 NL HCD The Blue Moon Rockers
…

TERANG BULAN

2009-01-09T00:50:00.001-08:00

Music: Pierre-Jean de Béranger (early 1800's) as La Rosalie

La Rosalie
The song was composed by Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-1857), a French lyricist. It became a popular French melody, and was prominent on the island of Mahé in Seychelles. The song's popularity spread across the French occupied territories in the Indian Ocean and reached as far as the Malay Archipelago in the late 19th century.

Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan
Is the state anthem of Perak, Malaysia.
The state anthem was created during a state visit of Sultan Idris of Perak to England in 1888. It was noticed that no anthem existed to greet the Sultan. The Aide-de-camp of the Sultan, Raja Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah, did not dare to tell that no anthem exists and so instead hummed a song he knew from the Seychelles, a melody originally written by Pierre Jean de Beranger. After he told the Sultan about it, the sultan accepted the song as the anthem. The lyrics 'Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan' were written by Raja Ngah Manur bin Raja Abdullah.

Terang Bulan
The song was later introduced into an Indonesian Bangsawan (Opera), which was performing in Singapore. In no time at all, the melody became extremely popular and was given the name 'Terang Bulan (Bright Moon)'. Aside from its dignity and prestige as the Perak State Anthem, the song became a Malayan "evergreen", playing at parties, in cabarets and sung by almost everybody in the 1920s and 1930s. The song was also spelled as 'Terang Boelan'

(#01) The very first recording was probably made by Krontjong Orchest Eurasia in London 1928 and released on the Edison Bell Radio label. Eurasia was a band formed by Indonesian students from Leiden and Delft.

(# 03) The tune of Terang Bulan was also adopted as ‘Mamula Moon’ by Felix Mendelssohn & His Hawaiian Serenaders (England) in January 1947 and released on Columbia Records. Steel guitarist was Sammy Mitchell and vocalist Archie Coats.

(# 09) Flip Willemsen recorded the first modern guitar arrangement of 'Terang Boelan' in 1963 for the Tong Tong label. Flip was born in Sibolga and played guitar with The Mena Moeria Minstrels (Rudi Wairata), Metro Combo, Flimax Kwartet, Studi Altstromm Sextet, Jan Morks Quintet etc. He was also guitar teacher.

(# 11) Rudy van Dalm & his Royal Rhythmics from Nijmegen. The arrangement of this half instrumental/vocal song by Rudy van Dalm is a mixture of the traditional song 'Terang Boelan' with 'Surf Rider' of The Ventures. This instrumental was written by Nokie Edwards in 1962 as 'Spudnik'' ; it would be renamed 'Surf Rider' by The Lively Ones (LP Surf Rider) in April 1963 and again released on the Ventures LP Surfin' in May 1963. Rudy's version became very popular in Holland.

Nagaraku
(# 05) 'Negaraku' (English: My Country) is the national anthem of Malaysia. "Negaraku" was selected as a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957.
At the time of independence, each of the eleven States of Malaya that made up the Federation had their own anthem, but there was no anthem for the Federation as a whole. Tunku Abdul Rahman, at the time the Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, organized and presided over a committee for the purpose of choosing a suitable national anthem.
The Committee turned to the Perak State Anthem. On August 5 1957 it was selected on account of the "traditional flavour" of its melody. New lyrics for the National Anthem were written jointly by the Panel of Judges— with the Tunku himself playing the leading role. At the time this melody was, while still the State Anthem of Perak - 'Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan'.

collection
01 Terang Boelan - 1928 ID/NL/UK Edison Bell Radio - Krontjong Orchest Eurasia
02 Heimwee - 1938 ID/NL/UK Columbia - Belloni's Strijkorkest
03 Mamula Moon (v) - 1947 UK Columbia - Felix Mendelssohn & Hawaiian Serenaders
04 Terang Bulan (v) - 1949 NL Decca - De Kilima Hawaiians
05 Negaraku - 1957 MY - National Anthem Malaysia
06 Terang Boelan - 1957 NL Capri - Trio Johnny Holshuysen
07 Terang Bulan (v) - 1958 NL CID - Pantja Warna
08 Terang Bulan - 1959 NL Decca - George de Fretes & Suara Istana
09 Terang Boelan - 1963 NL Tong Tong - Flip Willemsen
10 Terang Boelan - 1963 NL Artone - Willy & his Giants
11 Terang Boelan(v) - 1963 NL Funckler - Rudy van Dalm & his Royal Rhythmics
12 Terang Bulan (v) - 1963 NL CBS/Artone - De Kilima Hawaiians
13 Terang Boelan - 1967 NL Philips - John Woodhouse & his Magic Accordeon
14 Terang Bulan - 1978 NL ELF - Boemerang
15 Terang Bulan - 1992 NL Discosound - The Black Devils
16 Terang Boelan (live) - 1986 NL Live rec. - Willy & his Giants
17 Terang Bulan - 1994 NL HCD - Dixie Aces
18 Terang Boelan - 1995 NL Rarity-Records - Blue Explosion
19 Terang Boelan (v) - 1995 NL Rarity Records - Roy & The Kiliaan Brothers
20 Terang Boelan - 1998 NL Rarity-Records - The Desperates
21 Terang Boelan (v) - 2002 NL Rarity-Records - PV & The Heartbeats
22 Terang Bulan (v) - 2002 NL HCD - The Black Wings
23 Terang Bulan - 2007 NL RD - Red Diamond

UNDER THE DOUBLE EAGLE

2009-01-09T00:47:00.000-08:00

Music: Joseph Franz Wagner (1880s) as "Under dem Doppeladler, Op.159"

The true purpose and origin of the popular march "Under the Double Eagle" is often misunderstood in the United States. It was written by Joseph Franz Wagner (1856 - 1908) -- not Richard Wagner, and certainly not John Philip Sousa. Joseph Franz Wagner was the "Viennese March King," a well-known military bandmaster in the service of the Habsburgs. The "double eagle" referred to in the title was the symbol of the conjoined state of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was originally published under the title of "Unter dem Doppeladler" as Wagner's Op. 159, and though the exact date is uncertain, it was probably composed in the 1880s.

Joseph Franz Wagner composed over 400 works, mostly marches, and while more than half this number was published in Europe, only "Under the Double Eagle" and handful of his other pieces have ever appeared in the United States. "Under the Double Eagle" made its American debut as a piano and band score arranged by Theodore Tobani in 1894. It was quickly picked up by Sousa's Band and became immediately popular, being widely distributed on early sound reproduction devices, such as primitive phonograph records, pianolas and music boxes. To this day "Under the Double Eagle" has remained a staple of small-town brass band literature and is commonly played as a circus march. It can even be heard on antique carousels in the United States.

It is a simple march, with a fanfare-like opening and a prominent bass part in the second strain, which is repeated at the end. In Vienna, "Under the Double Eagle" is still used as the official regimental march of the 1st Austrian Artillery, Second Regiment, although the Empire this march was created to serve perished in the First World War. The long-held notion that Under the Double Eagle has some historical significance as an icon of American patriotism is in error.

It also became a 'standard' instrumental in country/old-time/bluegrass circles.

A rock instrumental of the "Double Eagle" was first arranged by Dave Burgess and Dale Norris and recorded with their band The Champs in 1959.

March of the Eagles, a version of Wagner's "Under The Double Eagle" arranged by Ron Grainer and The Eagles, was recorded by The Eagles (Bristol) in Oktober 1962. A very good cover was made by the French guitarband Les Fantomes as Marche des Aigles
collection
Under the Double Eagle March 1899 US Edison Record (wax) 71st Regiment Band
Under the Double Eagle 1916 US Starr Starr Military Band
Under the Double Eagle 1935 US Bluebird Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers
Under the Double Eagle 1935 US NBC Radio Records Frosini
Under the Double Eagle 1950 US Capitol Spike Jones, Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant
Under the Double Eagle 1955 US RCA Chet Atkins & Hank Snow
Under the Double Eagle 1955 Antigua Cook Rec. Bruce Force Steel Band
Under the Double Eagle 1957 US Folkways McGee Brothers & Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
Under the Double Eagle 1958 UK PYE Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band
Under the Double Eagle (live) 1959 US TV show Larry Collins & Joe Maphis
Double Eagle Rock 1959 US Challenge The Champs
March of the Eagles 1962 UK PYE The Eagles
Marche des Aigles 1962 FR Vogue Les Fantomes
March of the Eagles (radio) 1962 UK Radio Luxembourg The Eagles
Unter dem Doppeladler 1967 DE DGG Berliner Philarmoniker (H. von Karajan)
The gold eagle 1969 US Plantation Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies
Under the Double Eagle (live) 1972 US DOT Roy Clark
…

IN A PERSIAN MARKET

2009-01-08T12:54:00.001-08:00

Music: Albert William Ketelbey (1920)

Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959) was a highly successful composer, who earned the equivalent of millions of pounds during the peak of his popularity. Pieces such as "In a Monastery Garden", "The Phantom Melody", "In a Persian Market" and "Bells Across the Meadows" brought him international fame, no doubt assisted by his enthusiastic participation in the rapidly growing business of producing gramophone records. As well as also being an arranger and conductor, he was an accomplished pianist and organist, and was proficient on oboe, cello, clarinet and horn. Once he had achieved his fame, and a style that became closely associated with him, he seemed unwilling to adapt to the new rhythms and influences that were gaining popularity – particularly during the 1930s. His own music gradually went out of vogue, and the previous age of romance, that had its roots in the self-confidence of the Edwardian age, seemed to be in terminal decline. But Ketèlbey was far from forgotten, and the LP era of the 1950s resulted in a renewed interest in his beautifully crafted melodies. He was able to spend his later years in comfortable retirement on the peaceful Isle of Wight.

In a Persian market was transcribed for the theatre organ in 1920 and includes use of traps such as tom tom, kettle drum, cymbal, xylophone, and more. One of the oldest recordings that survived on a transcription record was made by Patrick Wedd, he played the Wurlitzer III/13 organ Opus 1746 in the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1927.

Albert Ketèlbey conducted Ketèlbey’s Concert Orchestra in his first recorded performance in England in 1928 for Columbia.

Bandleader Larry Clinton rearranged “In a Persian market” in 1939 for Victor. His work was known as “swinging the classics” and was followed in the 1950’s by many big bands and pop orchestras.

The first rock instrumental was made by Les Play Boys (Vince Taylor’s band in France) for Barclay in 1961. The Federals used two Univox electronic keyboards in 1962. Strong performances were made in Scandinavia by The Beatniks and The Royal Queensmen in 1963. “Back to the classics” was done by Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys, The Sharp Five, The Ventures and Ekseption in the period 1967-1974.

collection 01-18
01In a Persian market 1927 CA transcription record Patrick Wedd (Wurlitzer III)
02 In a Persian market 1928 UK Columbia Ketelbey's Concert Orchestra
03 Auf einem Persischen Markt 1933 DE Odeon Otto Dobrindt
04 In a Persian market 1954 US Capitol Billy May
05 In a Persian market 1956 US RCA The Three Suns
06 Il un marcato Persiano 1956 IT Pathe Renato Carosone
07 In a Persian market 1958 US Golden Crest Phil Kraus
08 In a Persian market 1958 US RCA Esquivel
09 In a Persian market 1959 US Command Enoch Light (Terry Snyder & The All Stars)
10 In a Persian market 1959 US Somerset 101 Strings
11 In a Persian market 1960 US Mercury Wal-Berg & his Orchestra
12 Sur un marche Persan 1961 FR Barclay Les Play-Boys
13 Sur un marche Persan 1961 FR Bel Air Willy Lewis et Les Champions
14 In a Persian market 1961 US Mercury David Carroll
15 In a Persian market 1962 UK Columbia Acker Bilk & his Paramount Jazzband
16 In A Persian Market 1962 UK PYE Laurie Johnson
17 In a Persian market 1962 UK Parlophone The Federals
18 Sur un marche Persan 1963 FR Pathe Les Bourgeois de Calais
collection 19-37
19 In a Persian market 1963 NO Viking The Beatnicks
20 Persisk marknad 1963 SE Polydor The Royal Queensmen
21 En un mercado Persa 1965 ES Mafer Los Electronics
22 En un mercado Persa 1965 ES Philips Los Sonor
23 In a Persian market 1966 SE GP Gonks
24 Persian Cat 1967 JM Reid Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
25 In a Persian market 1967 JP King Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys
26 In a Persian market 1969 JP Columbia The Sharp Five
27 In a Persian market 1970 JP Fontana The Goldfingers
28 In a Persian market 1972 US U.A. The Ventures
29 In a Persian market 1973 DE Telefunken Klaus Wunderlich
30 In a Persian market 1974 NL Philips Ekseption
31 Persian market 1975 DK Philips Mogens Django Petersen
32 In a Persian market 1976 DK Polydor Los Valentinos
33 Persian market 1980 AU J&B Peter Hood
34 In a Persian market 1987 FI Euros The Quiets
35 In a Persian market 1996 DK/NL Rarity-Records The Blue Stars
36 In a Persian market 2003 NL Rarity-Records Blue Explosion
37 Persian market 2004 DK/NL Movi Music The Old Young Ones

NIGHT TRAIN

2008-10-26T11:31:00.001-07:00

Music: Jimmy Forrest (1952)
Lyrics: Oscar Washington and Lewis P. Simpkins (1952)
Roots of the opening riff:
That’s The Blues, Old Man - Johnny Hodges 1941
Happy Go Lucky Local, Part 2 (part of Deep South Suite) – Duke Ellington (1946)

"Night Train" is a twelve bar blues instrumental standard and was first recorded by Jimmy Forest on United Records in 1952. The original saxophone solo on Night Train by Jimmy Forest became a veritable part of the composition, and is usually recreated in cover versions by other performers. Buddy Morrow's trombone solo chorus from his recording of the tune is similarly incorporated into many performances.

"Night Train" has a long and complicated history. The piece's opening riff was first recorded in 1941 by a small group led by Duke Ellington sideman Johnny Hodges under the title "That's the Blues, Old Man". Ellington used the same riff as the opening and closing theme of a longer-form composition, "Happy-Go-Lucky Local", that was itself one of four parts of his Deep South Suite. Forrest was part of Ellington's band when it performed this composition, which has a long tenor saxophone break in the middle. After leaving Ellington, Forrest recorded "Night Train" on United Records and had a major rhythm & blues hit. While "Night Train" employs the same riff as the earlier recordings, it is used in a much earthier R&B setting. Forrest inserted his own solo over a stop-time rhythm not used in the Ellington composition. He put his own stamp on the tune, but its relation to the earlier composition is obvious.

Jimmy Forrest's original version of "Night Train" was a #1 R&B hit in 1952.
A pop version recorded by Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra reached #27 on the charts, also in 1952. This version features a classic and oft quoted trombone solo by Buddy Morrow himself.

Louis Prima released a version in his album The Wildest!, released in 1956. It features Sam Butera on saxophone and begins with a "C. C. Rider" segment.

The rock and roll instrumental group The Viscounts recorded the tune twice, once in 1960 and again in 1966 in a version where they used their instruments to imitate the sound of a train.

The Tielman Brothers created an all guitar version in 1960. Only released on a 10" (25 cm) LP on the Dutch Imperial label from EMI Bovema in 1961. Played on their Gibson guitars, it became one of the classics of Dutch Indo-Rock.

James Brown released a version of "Night Train" in 1961 that reached #5 on the R#B charts and #35 on the pop charts. His performance replaced the original lyrics of the song with a shouted list of American cities (mainly in the South) and many repetitions of the song's name. A live version of the tune was the closing number on his breakthrough 1962 album Live at the Apollo.

SARIE MARIJS (SARIE MARAIS)

2008-10-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Music: Septimus Winner (1865)
Lyrics: Septimus Winner as "Carry me back to Tennessee (Ellie Rhee)" 1865
Lyrics: Jacobus Petrus Toerien as "Sarie Maré" (1889) Afrikaans

The simple but touching song Carry me back to Tennesee (Ellie Rhee) as sung by Carter's Zouave Troupe (female brass band) was adapted and arranged by Septimus Winner in 1865 and tells the story of a Tennessee slave who runs away from his master but now wonders if the price of his new-found freedom (the loss of his own true love) was too high to pay.

Although the song never enjoyed enormous popularity in the USA, it imigrated across the sea to Souh Africa and became the basis a well-known song of the Boer War period (1899-1902), Sarie Marais.

More info: The Originals - Carry me back to Tennessee

The melody was adopted in 1953 as the official march of the United Kingdom's Royal Marines Commandos and is played after the Regimental March on ceremonial occasions. The French Foreign Legion also sings the song, in its French translation (Sarie Mares).

Sarie Marais was also the title of the first South African talking picture, directed by Joseph Albrecht and made in 1931. Filmed in Johannesburg, Sarie Marais manages to pack a lot into its 10-minute running time. Set in a British POW camp, the film concentrates on a group of Boer prisoners as they pass the time under the watchful eye of their British captors. One of the internees, played by Billy Mathews, lifts his voice in song with the popular Afrikaans patriotic tune "My Sarie Marais". His enthusiasm catches on with the other prisoners, giving them hope for the future. In fact Chris Blignaut and the musical group The Melodians sing the soundtrack. In 1934 his song was released in Europe on Columbia.

The first popular instrumental version was made by the orchestra from Horst Wende with guitarist Ladi Geiser (LP Africana 1958). The Giants from The Hague with Willy Wissink (lead guitar), Eddy Klee (rhythm guitar), Henk Smitskamp (bass guitar) and Hans de Wekker (drums) recorded their first instrumentals in the studio on April 4, 1962. Their producer Lion Swaab was very happy with their uptempo rock instrumental version of Sarie Marijs. The single got a lot of airplay on Radio Veronica and became also very popular amongst other Dutch guitarbands.

collection
Carry me back to Tennessee (v) / 1910 US Columbia / Carroll C.Clark
Sarie Marais (v) / 1931 ZA soundtrack "Sarie Marais" / Chris A. Blignaut & The Melodians
Sarie Marijs (v) / 1933 NL Decca August de Laat & The Ramblers /
Sarie Marijs (v) / 1934 NL / Bob Scholte
O mijn Sarie Marijs (v) / 1950 NL Decca / Eddy Christiani & Harmonetto
Sarie Marei (German) / 1954 NL/DE Decca / De Kilima Hawaiians
Sarie Mares (v) / 1950s FR Chants Legion Etrangere / Kepi Blanc
Sarie Marais / 1958 DE Polydor / Horst Wende
Sarie Mareis / 1959 UK HMV / Band of HM Royal Marines
Sarie Marei (v) / 1962 DE Carina / Die Hilo-Hawaiians
Sarie Mareis (Afrikaans) / 1962 NL Artone / De Kilima Hawaiians
Sarie Marijs / 1962 NL Artone / The Giants
Sarie Marijs / 1963 CZ Supraphon / Karel Duba & The Guitarmen
Sarie Marijs / 1974 NL ELF / Vader Abraham Showorkest
Sarie Marijs (live) / 1976 NL live tape / The Playing Rockets
Sarie Marijs / 1977 NL DSR / Dance-On
Sarie Marijs / 1979 NL DSR / The Shakin' Arrows
Sarie Marijs (live 80) / 1980 NL Haagse Beatnach / Willy & his Giants
Sarie Marijs (live 86) / 1986 NL live tape / Willy & his Giants
Sarie Marijs (radio) / 1991 NL Radio Lokatel / Willy & his Giants
Sarie Marijs / 1995 NL Miragram / The Stringrays
Sarie Marijs / 1998 NL Rarity-Records / The Lowlanders
Sarie Marijs / 2001 NL Rarity-Records / The Explosion Rockets
Sarie Marijs / 2001 NL SMP / The Cheetahs
Sarie Marijs / 2001 NL HCD / Dixie Aces
Sarie Marijs / 2002 NL Rarity-Records / PV & The Heartbeats

LA GOLONDRINA

2007-04-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

Music: Narciso Serradel Sevilla (Mexico 1883)
Lyrics: Felice & Boudleaux Bryant (USA 1960)as "She Wears My Ring"

Mexican composer Narciso Serradel Seville (1843-1910) born in Veracruz. His name also appears as Narciso Serradel(l)

The Spanish lyrics of La Golondrina (The Swallow) use the image of a migrating swallow to envoke sentiments of longing for one's homeland. The song is also known as: The Mexican 'Home Sweet Home'

Original recorded by Arturo Adamini in 1898 (Edison).

Felice & Boudleaux Bryant provided the English lyrics "She Wears My Ring". The original version with these lyrics was recorded by Jimmy Bell (1960 Hickory). Also re-released under his real name of Jimmy Sweeney in 1962 on the Buckley label.

First guitar instrumental of La Golondrina was recorded by Chet Atkins in 1955.

A very interesting Indo-Instro-Rock version of La Golondrina was recorded by (Electric Johnny & ) The Skyrockets in 1962

Instrumental
1901 Gilmore's Band (US) Columbia cylinder
1921 Orquesta Max Dolin (CU/US) Victor *
1927 Rudy Wiedoeft (piano) (US) Victor *
1928 Paul Whiteman (US)
1935 Milton Brown & his Musical Brownies (US) *
1938 Xavier Cugat (US) Victor
1955 Chet Atkins (US RCA *
1958 Ken Griffin (US) Columbia *
1958 Jerry Byrd (US) Decca *
1960 The Fireballs (US) Top Rank *
1961 Billy Vaughn (US) DOT *
1962 The Skyrockets (NL) CNR *
1964 Peter Posa (NZ) Viking *
1964 Boots Randolph (US) *
1964 The Black Knights (NL) demo tape *
1964 Mantovani (UK)
1964 Orlando (DE) *
1965 The Jokers (BE) Arcade *
1965 Edmundo Ros (UK) *
196x The Escapades (ZA) Meteor * as She Wears My Ring
1967 John Woodhouse (NL) Philips
1969 Percy Faith (US)
19xx Helmut Zacharias (DE) Polydor *
19xx Bert Kaempfert & James Last (DE) Polydor *
19xx Max Greger (DE) *
19xx Buddy Emmons (US) *
19xx Manuel & his Music of the Mountains (US) *
19xx Henry Arland *
196* Cavelli Duo (NL) Discofoon *
197x Bert Helsing (DE) Diamant *
1972 Aimable (FR) as Comme Un Ruisseau
1972 Werner Müller (DE) Polydor *
1979 The Shakin' Arrows (#1) (NL) Monopole *
1980 The Explosion Rockets (NL) live tape *
1982 The Desperates (NL) demo tape *
1983 The Shakin' Arrows (#2) (NL) RCS *
1993 The Eastern Aces (NL) FIK *
1994 The East & West Rockers (NL) Rarity Rec. *
1994 Dixie Aces (NL) Rarity Rec. *
1994 The Rocking Birds (NL) Rarity Rec. *
1994 Ricky King (DE) Planet *
199x Twilight (NL) *
20xx Eduardo Falu

La Golondrina (Spanish lyrics)

1898 Arturo Adamini (US) Edison
1900 Emilio de Gogorza (US) Edison
1906 Señor Carl Francisco (US) Victor 16065 *
1926 Emilio de Gogorza (US) Verne
19xx Juan Arvizo (MX) *
19xx Alfredo Kraus *
19xx Louis Mariano *
1959 Caterina Valente (DE) Polydor *
1959 Lys Assia
19xx Freddy Quinn (DE) *
19xx Los Paraguayos (US) *
19xx Nana Mouskouri
19xx Trio Los Panchos (US) *
1962 Nat King Cole (US) *
1969 Trini Lopez (live) (US)
1984 Placido Domingo
1994 Caetano Veloso
200x Helmut Lotti (BE)

When You're In Love (English lyrics)
1952 Frankie Laine (US)*

La Golondrina (English lyrics)
196x Slim Whitman (US) *

Within My Heart (English lyrics)
19xx Pee Wee King (US) *

She Wears My Ring (English lyrics)
1960 Jimmy Bell (US) Hickory *
1962 Roy Orbison (US) Monument *
1962 Jimmy Sweeney (alias Jimmy Bell) (US) Buckley
1964 Johnny O'Keefe (AU) Leedon *
1965 Hank Snow (US) RCA *
1968 Ray Price (US) *
1968 Solomon King (UK) *
196x David Alexander *
19xx Delroy Wilson (reggae)(JA) *
19xx Sydney Devine *
19xx Ernie Ranglin
19xx Dominic Kirwan
19xx The Wanderers
1973 Elvis Presley (US) RCA *
1996 Johnny Clarke
1998 Big Jim

Die Dag Met Jou (Dutch lyrics)
1962 The Hartung Sounds (NL) Polydor

Zij Draagt 'n Ring (Dutch lyrics)
1968 Duo de Koning (NL) Telstar

Du Sollst Nicht Weinen (German lyrics)
1968 Heintje (DE) Telefunken *

Dein Letzter Brief (German lyrics)
1967 Udo Jürgens (DE) *

Ein Girl Wie Du (German lyrics)
1967 Cliff Richard (UK) Columbia *

Kleine Schwalbe (German lyrics)
1972 Manuela (DE) *
19xx Mireille Mathieu (FR) *