Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song

Subject: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: TheAnu
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 05:07 PM

Hi,
my first request for help here and it's not really folky.
I did search the database first.
If you find that I overlooked a relevant thread, please point me into the right direction.

What is it all about? It is not strictly speaking folky, but I hope that maybe some of you people out there can help me.

Basically I need to compile a CD of approx. 10 backing tracks for a handful of Marlene Dietrich songs, to run on a boombox and sing along to. Karaoke Ugh, I agree, but the circumstances are rather special. See further down for a description of the special circumstances if you are interested. If you feel that being a folkie makes you weird, after that one you will feel like your are swimming right in the middle of the mainstream.

I usually sing a capella and that's that. But for a very special occasion I am preparing to sing a number of Marlene Dietrich songs - in German - no problem as such. But because of the circumstances I do need to bring a boombox and run a karaoke type CD on it. A capella just wouldn't work in the environment I plan to sing the songs.

And I did a google with very little success. If I buy three different commercially available karaoke CD's I will have three useable backing tracks, 57 that i don't need, and a hole in my pocket.

Problem number one: This is a very expensive way of doing it

Problem number two: The songs I really want to sing are commercially unavailable - Marlene singing antiwar songs in German does not sell at all as opposed to "falling in love again" and again and again.

Problem number three: there is software available to buy on the internet that claims to convert music from ordinary CDs into karaoke tracks by removing the vocal part, but the original CD's must be recorded in stereo and all the Marlene recordings are so old, they are in mono and so the software would not work on them.

Problem number four: I only know most song titles in German and as there is a much larger english-speaking internet community I cannot trawl for the english version of the song titles on the internet because I simply do not know what they are called.

Problem number five: occasionally i came across a MIDI file in my internet searches. Eeek it's to do with computers and I haven't a clue where to start.

Problem number six: If I do it after hours in a private bunch of friends having a laugh setting I will be okay, but what happens if I get asked to do it again the next night with a public audience. I haven't the faintest about copyright etc, or other laws I might be breaking by using the backing tracks.

So if you can help with any aspect of my project I would really appreciate it. Any pointers towards a wonder-diet to make me drop two stone in three months in time for the performance would also be appreciated.

Here now the "special circumstances"
I do folk music, weird enough. I am also involved in historic reenactment which is even weirder. I am usually running around as an Anglo-saxon, sometimes medieval. Noooooow,it gets really really weird: a few lads from my Anglo-Saxon society joined another reenactment society. A WWII German panzer regiment. I usually really have an issue with that sort of thing, but as they are depicting a bunch of drafted grunts in brownish boiler suits rather than running around in snazzy sicko SS uniforms, and they are my mates, I am king of okay with it.
Now what happened next is that these WWII related messages kept flying about on the anglo-saxon egroup, and then I made a fatal mistake. I chipped in.
"Oh well, if our lads are defending the Vaterland so bravely I cannot hang back but I just will have to dig out my fishnet stockings and sing Lili Marleen for them"
The response was instant: "You're on. And, no, you cannot back pedal now and claim that you were only joking. You must have been serious, because you are German by birth and everybody knows that Germans don't joke. So tough S**T you are on."
Looks like I am going to entertain the troups at some multiperiod reenactment event in August. Okay, so I might be doing it, but on my terms. I will be singing in German, any passing SS guys can either leave or strip out of their sicko uniforms or be stripped. That's one thing I will NOT tolerate on my pitch although the organizer does.
Anyway, my song collection will be somewhat surprising for them I reckon.
Okay, I have to throw in Lili Marleen, Falling in Love again and the Naughty Lola, otherwise they are going to kill me with disappointment. But as to the rest: There is a song called In the barracks and it is very antiwar. A song called "marie" which is a POW's letter home. There is "where have all the flowers gone" and "the answer is blowing in the wind", "Puff the magic dragon" and other deep and grundy German stuff that one does not usually associate Marlene with.

But otherwise I am feeling completely sane.

Cheers,
Ana

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: Jack Campin
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 06:38 PM

I heard her "Where have all the flowers gone" on the radio here a few days ago. Dietrich was okay if rather obviously foreign. But the arrangement was by Burt Bacharach (king of the middle of the road) and was possibly the ghastliest, most taste-free abomination I have EVER heard inflicted on a folk song (random shifts of key were the least of it). Maybe some of her other tries at Anglo folk were better, but for this one, just DON'T, please.

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 06:52 PM

marlene dietrich songlist in Google produced a fairly long list of English, French and German titles, maybe not all the ones you are seeking, with limited free downloads. A thought occurred to me - if these songs have been processed for mp3 etc, they may be in a stereo format - but it would be an artificial stereo effect, so your karaoke software might still be unusable.

How about looking for cover versions by more recent artists. Even now there are quite a few singers who make a point of sticking fairly closely to Dietrich's interpretations - but you might be able to separate out the backing as you suggest. Not familiar with this field, so can't come up with any names.

Sounds like an interesting project. Good luck.

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: M.Ted
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:36 PM

About Ross Campbell's point, in order to zap the vocals, the recordings have to have originated in stereo, so the original recordings would not work, but you make an absolutely brilliant point--since the vocal is being popped out of the arrangement, it doesn't really matter whose recordings you use.

It would be more than perfect to do your little bit with an accordionist--Along with Lilli Marlene and Falling in Love Again, and You should do La Vie En Rose, and finish with Der Treue Hussar, which is to many, the most plaintive "lost soldier" ballad of all--don't do more than three or four songs--you will be a novelty act at a party, and a good 12 minutes will be memorable, whereas,no matter what anyone tells you, ten songs will be tedious.

If you really want to get out of it, point out that Marlene never would have performed for the Nazis--

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: M.Ted
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 01:45 AM

Incidentally, the ever subtle Mr. Campin points out something important--Marlene didn't have the greatest vocal range, and Bacharach' arrangements were crafted to cover the weaknesses in her range (hence the peculiar key changes) and to create excitement and sustain interest for a Las Vegas style show--to my knowledge, not a place where folk music of any sort has thrived--

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: pavane
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:47 AM

Don't be scared by MIDI. Your computer sound system will easily play .MID and .KAR files, and they do NOT have vocals. Just click on the filename, usually.

If not, select the file in your sound player.

Then just record the sound from your output jack (Though sound quality will depend on your sound card).

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: Jeanie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 05:31 AM

Hello Ana,

I don't know whether you have come across this place (an actual shop in Covent Garden, London and also an online shop): Dress Circle

They have any number of Dietrich recordings, plus sheet music.

I agree with M.Ted's comment above. Rather than worrying about backing tracks, your performance could have far more of an "atmospheric" impact with a single live accordion accompaniment. I've seen this done to very good effect recently in two Brecht plays (yes, I know, Brecht is rather different !), but you can't beat live music.

If you live within striking distance of London, you might like to know about this play, on now and up to 27th April at the New End Theatre, Hampstead:
"Lunch with Marlene - A Play and Cabaret" with Kate O'Mara and Frank Barrie as Marlene Dietrich and Noel Coward.

Hals- und Beinbruch !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 06:04 AM

YouTube has 692 clips of Marlene Dietrich items (not all Marlene). There is at least one "Sagt mir wo die Blumen sind" - here . The backing arrangement starts simple, but unfortunately builds exponentially verse by verse before relaxing a bit towards the end. The way YouTube arranges "Related Videos" is useful here - among others, there's a cover of the same song by Joan Baez here with a simple guitar backing. May be worth just keying in the titles you're seeking in the YouTube search box.

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: backing tracks for Marlene Dietrich song
From: TheAnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 05:19 PM

Hi thank you all for the advice.

MIDI files:
I found two on the web that I could use as backing tracks, clicked on them and they played. However, i did not manage to download them by just clicking on them, or maybe they flew into a folder that i do not even know that I have???

Sources of Marlene Dietrich tracks - with vocals:
Yep, I got lots of those, but all in mono - good idea to look for cover versions, I just hope they did not all stick to Lili Marleen - which if I have to do it in English will be the D-day dodgers version.

Not too many songs:
Yes I totally agree, more than 3 or 4 would be too much, especially since I am new to this, will not be particularly good at this and holding an audience for more than 3 minutes will be quite a challenge for me. Still, wanna have some extras up my sleeve, the lads might be drunk and not mind me too much.

Not performing for the Nazis:
I so agree, but you see, these lads are reenacting the unwilling drafted men, not the ones who volunteered, they are all of the lardy fourtysomething-last-ditch-effort-lets-scrape-the-barrel-for-the- dregs-of-our-manhood-types who would much rather have stayed at home. My grandad was one of them and I think Marlene would not have minded that lot. Should some of those sicko SS guys from another society stroll past and linger, that is an entirely different matter altogether. I doubt that they would linger, most of them are soooo repressedly closet gay, I will prove to be far too much woman for them, all 13 1/2 stone of me. Anyway, if they do stop by they will be given three options: Leave, strip off those Nazi insignia or get stripped by my lads. The lads may be lardy but they are not tardy.

Thank you all again, if there are more helpful hints up your sleeves, keep them coming.

Cheers,
Ana