Continental Flavour – Volume 2
1 City Movement (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
Chappell C 696 1961
2 Simonetta (Belle Fenstock; Irving Caesar)
WERNER MÜLLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Polydor BM 6021 1956
3 So Wird’s Nie Wieder Sein(How It’s Never Going To Be)(Gerhard Winkler; Bruno Balz)
HANS GEORG ARLT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Ariola 71231 1959
4 La Polka Des Menottes (Polka Of The Handcuffed Men) (Gérard Calvi, real name Grégoire Elie Krettly)
GÉRARD CALVI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Pye NPL 28003 1958
5 Das Karussell, Das Dreht Sich Immer Rundherum (The Carousel Goes Round And Round) (Michael Jary; Hans Fritz Beckmann)
HANS GEORG ARLT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Ariola 32721 1958
6 Champagne (Franck Pourcel)
FRANCK POURCEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol T 10229 1960
7 Paris Palace Hotel (Paul Jules Durand)
HELMUT ZACHARIAS AND HIS MAGIC VIOLINS
Polydor 20742 1957
8 Tu T’Fous De Moi (Are You Kidding Me?) (André Varel; pseudonym of André Tubiana and Charles Bailly)
EMILE NOBLOT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Odéon SOE 3181 1956
9 Toy Trumpet (Raymond Scott)
EGON KJERRMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SDE 7134 1958
10 Parade Of The Elves (Heinzelmännchens Wachtparade, a.k.a.Tomtarnas Vaktparad)
(Kurt Noack)
EGON KJERRMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SDE 7134 1958
11 Teddy Bears’ Picnic (John W. Bratton)
TEDDY PETERSEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Polydor 20394 EPH 1958
12 Les Demons De La Nuit (The Devils Of The Night) (Gérard Calvi, real name Grégoire
Elie Krettly)
GÉRARD CALVI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Pye NPL 28003 1958
13 Till Margareta (To Margareta) (Kurt Larsson)
AKE JELVING AND HIS ORCHESTRA, solo violin SIXTEN STROMVALL
HMV 7 EGS 182 1960
14 The Phantom Brigade (William H. Myddleton)
EGON KJERRMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SDE 7134 1958
15 The Whistler And His Dog (Arthur Pryor)
TEDDY PETERSEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Polydor 20394 EPH 1958
16 Hem Fran Slattern (Home From The Plains) (Kurt Larsson)
AKE JELVING AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV 7 EGS 182 1960
17 Happy Time (Tom Wyler, real name Toni Leutwiler)
TONI LEUTWILER AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘The Harmonic Strings’)
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL328 1952
18 Cupido Dansar (Cupid Dances) (Einar Hylin)
AKE JELVING AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV 7 EGS 182 1960
19 The Extravagant Polka (Pierre Leemans)
EMILE DELTOUR AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Oriole CB 1353 1957
20 Dance Of The Millions (Dolf van der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 526 1952
21 Ferry Boat Serenade (La Piccinina) (Eldo di Lazzaro)
CEDRIC DUMONT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Polydor 45 073 LPH 1955
22 Military Tango (André Popp)
ANDRÉ POPP AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia WL 130 1958
23 Amphitryon Waltz (Walter Borchert; Franz Doelle; Charlie Amberg)
ORCHESTRA MASCOTTE
Parlophone R 2691 1939
24 Tango Bolero (Juan Liossas)
BARNABAS VON GECZY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV B 8833 1938
25 The Little Goblin (Der Kleine Kobold) (Willi Samariter)
FREDERICK HIPPMANN AND HIS KÜNSTLER ORCHESTRA
Odéon 26392 1930
26 Tales From The Orient – Waltz (Märchen Aus Dem Orient) (Johann Strauss II)
MAREK WEBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV C 2810 1936
27 Gib Obacht! (Watch Out!) (Ernst Fischer)
OTTO DOBRINDT AND HIS PIANO SYMPHONISTS
Odeon O 31166 1937
Stereo: tracks 3, 5 & 6; rest in mono
There is a slight shift in emphasis in this second volume of music associated with the Continent of Europe, compared with the first selection issued in 2007 on GLCD5132. Previously the intention was to create the impression of melodies reminiscent of various countries, often as perceived by musicians far distant from those foreign shores. This time all the tracks are played by orchestras resident in Europe, and there are examples of them performing some standard works from the light music repertoire, as well as pieces more closely associated with their homelands.
Two of the biggest names in Light Music during the post-war years in France and Germany have the honour of launching this collection. Roger Roger (1911-1995) was a leading figure on the French music scene for many years, and his fine compositions and arrangements also won him many admirers internationally. His own instrumental cameos were featured in a radio series called "Paris Star Time" (Paris a l’heure des Etoiles), which brought him to the attention of the London publishers Chappell & Co., who were rapidly expanding their Recorded Music Library of background music at that time. Roger’s quirky compositions soon became available to radio, television and film companies around the world, and more than a dozen have already deservedly appeared in this series of Guild Light Music CDs. British TV viewers with long memories may recall City Movement being used as the signature tune for the BBC soap opera "Compact" which was first screened in 1962.
Werner Müller (1920-1998) is also a well-established Guild favourite, sometimes under his familiar pseudonym ‘Ricardo Santos’. He was a bassoonist who became the original conductor of the RIAS (Radio In American Sector) Dance Band based in Berlin, which gave its first concert on 24 April 1949. It was not long before Müller began to realise that the public’s love affair with the swing era was gradually starting to wane, and sixteen strings were added to the line up. The band had built up a strong following through its Polydor recordings, and by the mid-1950s the labels dropped the ‘RIAS’ tag and simply credited ‘Werner Müller and his Orchestra’. In 1966 Werner moved to Westdeutsche Rundfunk in Cologne, where he continued to make LPs – both purely orchestral and also accompanying popular singers.
The fine orchestra conducted by Hans Georg Arlt (b. 1927) makes a welcome return with two contrasting and attractive numbers. So Wird’s Nie Wieder Sein(How It’s Never Going To Be) was co-composed by Gerhard Winkler (1906-1977), a highly respected composer and arranger on the German light music scene, whose charming melodies occasionally reached an international audience, such as Neapolitan Serenade on GLCD5115. Das Karussell, Das Dreht Sich Immer Rundherum (The Carousel Goes Round And Round) was the work of Michael Jary and Hans Fritz Beckmann – Jary (born Maximilian Michael Jarczyk 1906-1988) also co-composed Durch Dich Wird Diese Welt Erst Schön (Through You This World Is Beautiful) previously included on Guild GLCD5169. Hans Georg Arlt was the Concert Master of choice for many leading German conductors, such as Werner Müller, Werner Eisbrenner, Heinz Kiessling and Hans Carste.
Gérard Calvi (real name Grégoire Elie Krettly, born 1922) first came to the attention of the public in his native France when he contributed the music in 1948 to a show called "Les Branquignols", and started to write for films. By far his best known cinematic work was for the "Asterix" films, but Calvi was equally at home in the theatre and recording studios, and writing popular songs – over 300 in total. Probably his most successful composition internationally was One Of Those Songs - thanks to Will Holt adding the English lyric to a catchy orchestral piece called Le Bal de Madame de Mortemouille (on Guild GLCD5160). This time we feature two more of his original pieces, La Polka Des Menottes (Polka Of The Handcuffed Men) and Les Demons De La Nuit (The Devils Of The Night).
Any collection of Continental music would be lacking without a contribution by the great French conductor Franck Pourcel (1913-2000). During his lifetime he recorded over 2,000 songs, with I Will Follow Him (co-written with Paul Mauriat) becoming a big hit, especially in the USA. In 1960 he composed and conducted for Capitol an album devoted to French wine, from which comes the suitably bubbly Champagne.
Our roster of Continental Light Music ‘Greats’ moves back to Germany for the famous violinist who rose to prominence in the 1950s when the American Forces Network in Frankfurt described him as ‘the best jazz violinist in the world’. During his long career Helmut Zacharias (1920-2002) composed over 400 works and his album sales exceeded 13 million. Paris Palace Hotel is the title music from a 1956 French romantic comedy film starring Charles Boyer. The composer was Paul Jules Durand (1907-1977) who contributed the music score to numerous French films, and the 1954-55 TV series "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes".
Our first Guild ‘newcomer’ is Emile Noblot (1909-1965) who studied harmony and piano at the Paris Conservatoire, then pre-war earned his living giving piano lessons and playing on the radio. In 1940 he became a prisoner of war, and through the Red Cross he was allowed to organise a small orchestra to entertain his fellow prisoners. Back in civilian life he formed an orchestra for radio broadcasts, which sometimes numbered as many as 48 musicians. He often played on the piano, and many of his recordings featured the accordionist René Joly, who can be heard on Tu T’Fous De Moi (Are You Kidding Me?) – a tune which was made popular by Jacqueline François.
Raymond Scott’s (1908-1994) famous Toy Trumpet heralds the Swedish conductor and composer Egon Kjerrman (1920-2007), the second of several new orchestras making their debut this time. Kjerrman also conducts two other Light Music standards: Parade Of The Elves (by the German composer Kurt Noack 1895-1945) which boasts several alternative titles; and The Phantom Brigade by William H. Myddleton (1873-1950) whose surname sometimes appears as ‘Middleton’. Under the pseudonym ‘Arnold Safroni’ he wrote the famous Imperial Echoes march.
Danish music lovers will be familiar with the work of conductor and violinist Teddy Peterson (1892-1991), who is another new orchestra to Guild in this collection. He was formally trained at Copenhagen’s Music Conservatory, and played violin in many orchestras in addition to conducting his own orchestra. He was active in the film industry, and it is estimated that he recorded around 1,000 pieces of music during his long career. On this occasion we feature him conducting two well-known pieces of light music – Teddy Bears’ Picnic and The Whistler And His Dog.
A musician whose name will be familiar in his native Sweden is Ake Alexander Jelving (1908-1979). He played the violin in the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and was also a composer and conductor. His frequent radio broadcasts, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, made him a household name, and his first appearances on Guild feature him in charming versions of melodies by Swedish composers Kurt Larsson (b. 1909) and Einar Hylin (1902-1975).
As will already have become evident, many of the orchestras featured in this collection will have been favourites in their own countries, and often beyond their national borders. As ‘Tom Wyler’, the Swiss violinist and composer Toni Leutwiler (1923-2009) became known outside his homeland, partly due to the success of his charming composition Lovely Day (on GLCD5183) which Frank Chacksfield recorded commercially for Columbia in Britain. His music was in demand from many broadcasting stations, and he was reported to have created over 2,000 arrangements. Bristol Cream (on GLCD5182) is another fine example of his mastery of string writing, but perhaps his most popular work is Happy Time on this CD.
Belgian violinist Emile Deltour (1899-1956) appears to have started his recording career as ‘Eddie Tower’, and some 78s he made in April 1940 of versions of Count Basie titles have received approval from jazz enthusiasts. Little seems to be mentioned in reference books about his light music, apart from a charming Concertino in Jazz for Harp and Orchestra which he first performed in the 1930s. On Guild GLCD5146 he appeared as both conductor (Aperitif) and co-composer (Polka For Strings); our choice this time is Extravagant Polka by the Belgian composer Pierre Leemans (1897-1980) which will have been one of Deltour’s last recordings.
We are back in familiar Guild ‘territory’ with Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden, 1915-1999). He was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. As well as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra, he conducted numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers. He also made transcription recordings for Dutch radio and other companies. His commercial recordings (especially for the American market) were often labelled as ‘Van Lynn’ or ‘Daniel De Carlo’. Dolf van der Linden has already appeared on more than 30 Guild CDs, and his inventive compositions such as Dance Of The Millions will ensure his deserved place in the Light Music Hall of Fame.
We return to Switzerland for a track conducted by Cédric Dumont (1916-2007), who was born in Hamburg, Germany, but during his long career he became known as "Mr. Music Man of Switzerland". He settled in Switzerland at the outbreak of World War 2 and was soon broadcasting from the studios in Basel. His career touched the classics as well as jazz, but it was in the sphere of light music that he became known throughout Europe. Eldo di Lazzaro’s catchy La Piccinina became an international hit in 1940 when the Andrews Sisters recorded it as Ferry Boat Serenade and took it to the top of the American charts.
André Charles Jean Popp (b. 1924) is a French composer, arranger and screenwriter whose main claim to fame rests with his composition Love Is Blue which was a big hit for Paul Mauriat in 1968, reaching number one in the US charts. But Popp’s long career has embraced many styles, often leading to eccentric arrangements, much of it for his broadcasts on French radio. Another success was The Portuguese Washerwomen (on Guild GLCD5132), and he returns this time with Military Tango.
There is one European light music ensemble that retains a special place in the affections of music lovers who still enjoy the traditional styles that were popular in the inter-war years. In Britain, Australia and New Zealand its numerous recordings were released under the name "Orchestra Mascotte". In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it was the "Wiener Boheme-Orchester". French record collectors looked for "Le Grand Orchestra Bohémien", and other titles included "Orchestra Tipica Viennese" (in Italy), Orquestra Los Bohemois Vieneses" (Spain and Argentina) and "Wiener Walzer Orkest" in the Netherlands. With such confusion over its name, it is hardly surprising that the conductors were also rather shadowy figures. However there is no doubt that Dajos Bela (1897-1978) and Otto Dobrindt (1886-1963) played important roles, although it seems that the various names used for the original orchestra were possibly later adopted by record companies for other ensembles. Following their Guild debut on GLCD5163 with Court Ball Dances, this time we feature the attractive Amphitryon Waltz.
Barnabas Von Géczy (1897-1971) was born in Hungary although his family originally came from Venice. After the First World War he decided to try his luck in Berlin where in 1924 he obtained his first resident engagement at the Weinhaus Traube. From 1925 to 1937 he led the Hotel Esplanade house orchestra, and during this period he made numerous broadcasts and recordings and undertook frequent tours. He became one of the best-known hotel ensembles in Germany and gained an international reputation, helped by superb performances of popular works such as Juan Liossas’ Tango Bolero.
Frederick Hippmann and his Künstler Orchestra from Berlin complete the list of five new orchestras appearing on Guild for the first time playing Willi Samariter’s The Little Goblin.
Marek Weber (1888-1964) was a major recording artist in the 1930s. He was born in the Ukraine, developed his career mainly in Germany, then moved to London to escape the Nazis, before living briefly in Switzerland - then emigrating in 1937 to the USA. His contribution this time is the waltz Tales From The Orient, one of the lesser-known works by Johann Strauss II.
Otto Dobrindt’s connection with the Orchestra Mascotte has already been mentioned, but this was just one of the many areas of Germany’s light music scene to benefit from his participation. As ‘Robert Renard’ he has previously appeared on Guild conducting Acrobatics (GLCD5132) and Donna Juanita (GLCD5116) but this was just one of several pseudonyms he adopted. From 1928 onwards he led orchestras with various names including the Odeon Dance Orchestra, Otto Dobrindt’s Piano Symphonists, Eric Harden, the Dobbri Orchestra and Frank Sandlers. To close this collection we unite his ‘Piano Symphonists’ with Ernst Fischer (1900-1975), whose compositions such as the South Of The Alps Suite (on GLCD5180) were to gain him recognition as an important light music composer. His catchy Gib Obacht! is no doubt intended simply as an entertaining novelty number, as which it perfectly succeeds.
David Ades