The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #99658 Message #1988261
Posted By: Scrump
06-Mar-07 - 11:57 AM
Thread Name: Origins:Songs based on non-classical instrumentals
Subject: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
In another thread started by Leadbelly, a subthread started on the topic of songs that had been based on existing instrumentals, excluding classical tunes.
Here are what we got so far. If you know of any more, let's hear about 'em.
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A Walk in the Black Forest - Salena Jones (original instrumental Horst Jankowski)
Stranger on the Shore (original instrumental version by Acker Bilk; vocal version by Michael London)
Spanish Flea (orig instr version by Herb Alpert; vocal version by Kathy Kirby)
Cast Your Fate To The Wind (orig instr Sounds Orchestral; vocal version Shelby Flint)
I think the last vocal version was a US hit but the other two didn't make the charts in the UK or US, unlike the original instrumental versions. Kathy Kirby charted with her vocal version of Dance On, but the Shadows' instrumental version (released about the same time) was a bigger hit (reached UK top 3).
Zambesi - Stargazers Dance on - Kathy Kirby Swinging Shephard Blues - Ella Fitzgerald Faithful Hussar - Vera Lynn Bluebell Polka - Alma Cogan No other Love - Ronnie Hilton Stranger in Paradise - Tony Bennett Hot diggity - Perry Como Stranger on the shore - as mentioned plus Bobby Rydell Canadian Sunset - Andy Williams Never on a sunday - Chordettes Skokiaan - Four Lads
In the folk world there must be some examples too.
One that springs to mind is the song by the Fureys (not sure if they wrote the lyrics?) about O'Carolan, set to one of his tunes (Planxty Irwin).