Slim Whitman (memories)

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: GUEST,sandra
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 09:20 AM

can anyone please tell me where in England I can buy the slim whitman Gods hand in mine CD. I have it on an old vinyl LP but would like to buy it on CD.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: GUEST,Brian Sach
Date: 27 May 10 - 01:17 PM

I remember when I first became aquainted with Slim`s music,was
   when he made his first visit to our shores here in the uk in the
   50s,seeing him on the London Palladuim,also on TV I was totaly
   knocked out with Slim`s fantastic vocal range,high falsetto and
   great yodelling,I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Ritz
   Cinema,at Southend-on-sea,here in the UK. I also with friends met
   him twice at Chelmsford Cinema,way back in the 70s,and had a chat
   with him in the foyer,and got his autograph..This had to be the
   most happiest time in my life meeting,the great man himself,
   Slim Whitman,has always been my favourite Country singer.
                         Brian Sach UK.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: goatfell
Date: 25 May 09 - 04:46 AM

Myself and my late father both saw him in Glasgow it was great to hear a real singer with real musicians, instead of today some plastic singer and their cd player on stage

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: ard mhacha
Date: 24 May 09 - 04:26 PM

I am not a Slim Whitman fan but listening to his recording on You Tube of Lorena, minus his usual falsetto, was very good.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 24 May 09 - 04:21 PM

Hi again all

getting hooked on Mudcat - taking up far too much time but it's great!!

Re Slim - I have loved his music since I was 14 (1966) when my father made me listen to a 78 of "Indian Love Call"! Met him in 1970 when he visited the UK after 13 years away and have seen his shows many times since. Have also interviewed him and compiled CDs for EMI Australia, EMI UK and Jasmine.

Re "I Remember You", there are some misperceptions in this thread. It was Frank Ifield that first made a country recording of "I Remember You". It was in an old movie in the 20s but had never been done as a country song. Frank had the first of three consecutive No 1 hits with it in 1962. It made him a star around the world.

Frank had always admired Slim's work but was not particularly influenced by him although he did tell me that his recording of "Yerranderie" was inspired by Slim's "North Wind" - the tunes are similar.

Likewise Slim was not influenced by Frank - he was a star in the early 50s when Frank was just starting out. However when someone sent him a copy of Frank's single, Slim loved it and recorded it in his "A Travelling man" LP in 1966 using an arrangement almost identical to the Ifield version. He subsequently often sang it on UK tours and included it for his 25th Anniversary Concert - recorded by United Artistes at the Liverpool Empire in 1973 - but for some reason the track was omitted from the album.

It was however rediscovered when I was searching for the EMI Australia 2Lp set "A Dream Comes True" in 1987. We included it in that album and he refers to Frank Ifield as "A young fella from England" whosrk he says he admires.

It remained unissued in the UK until this month when EMI Gold in the UK rel;eased the 3CD set "The Essential Slim Whitman" - I have included the track in that collection along with many other super-rare (and 5 unissued) tracks of Slim.

Slim also recorded "I Remember You" for CBS Cleveland around 1980 using a different arrangement and including much more falsetto. Having signed for the label he enjoyed a revival and made an album of his best loved songs including "Beautiful Dreamer", "Rose marie", "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" and "Secret Love".

Going back to Frank, he really created a country standard when he first cut it back in '62 - it has also been recorded by many artistes including wayne Horsburgh, Mary Schneider, David Houston, the Beatles and many more.

Cheers to all

PAUL

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 05:21 PM

Oh my! You can see Slim do I Remember You on YouTube....introduced by....Andy Kaufman!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH64weKPF60

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: GUEST,Ron C
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 04:43 PM

Hi TO ALL the Slim fans out there. I have met Slim quite alot in the past, I used to arrange my holidays when I new he was comining to our shore's {UK} I would book up for every performance that he did, meet him every night after the show, have a great time with him posing for photo's, This whent on right back to the fifty's from his very first UK tour, right up to his last farwell tour.And I also had the big privilege of meeting him at the famous Woodpecker paradise his home,I have a large collection of photo's of Slim over the years, some have been used for his record cover's and some in his life story book MR Songman.He has always made me welcome when ever I met up with him, he would always spend time with me even if it was short. I'm proud to say I'm now 70 year old loved him when I was a teenager and I still love to listen to him now. NO ONE will ever take his place, or even come close. RON C

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 01:48 PM

Wilbyhillbilly - any idea where I could track down a version of Slim doing it?

I have a lot of his material, but I can't find I remember You in any of them.

The story from Frank Ifield's bio tells it thus: he'd been brought over from Australia where he was a major country yodeling performer in the late '50's by BMI records, who wanted to change him into a teenybopper idol like Marty Wilde, Adam Faith, etc. He had a few minor hits, but wasn't turning out to to be another Cliff Richard, and he was down to his last recording on his contract when he insisted on returning to his roots and doing a song with a yodel. So IRY became a huge hit. And he went on from there.

I'd love to hear Slim's version too.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 03:26 AM

Frank Ifield's was a cover, Slim did it way before Frank came on the scene, but Frank's version shot him to fame over here (UK) sadly, it wasn't very popular by Slim.

whb

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 10:11 PM

If I'm not mistaken, Bob, it was Frank Ifield who did I Remember You back in the '60's.
Along with Slim Whitman, he was one of my yodeling heroes..

Slim was an exceptional yodeler with really smooth, sweet changes.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: GUEST,Bob in Syracuse, NY
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 09:50 PM

I used to hear that "I remember You" song when I was about 7, it brings tears to my eyes to this day.   They don't make singers like Slim Whitman any more. thats for sure ! !

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 10:55 AM

Back in the late 1950s I went to one of those traveling opry shows in Norfolk, Virginia to see Hank Snow. I also got Elvis Presley and Slim Whitman. I enjoyed Hank and Slim more than Elvis but I was not drawn to Slim's music much in those days. I rediscovered Slim about a year ago and now play him heavily in my listening rotation. A great singer and I feel very fortunate to have caught his live show.

It seems that after interest started to wane in Nashville, Slim Whitman caught on big in the British Isles, and he had a third wave of popularity selling records on TV.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: open mike
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 12:54 AM

his birthday is coming up Jan. 20--
is he still alive and living in Fla.?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Whitman

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: open mike
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 12:50 AM

this sounds great, and welcome Loren.
You might find that it is free and easy to
become a member here...i hope you like mudcat.
Do you have any interesting stories about Slim?

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: GUEST,Loren
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 07:35 PM

I ran Slim's fan club for 23 years here in the states. I have lots of Slim Whitman Merchandise if you're looking for anything by Slim. He recorded 636 songs. contact me at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Flash Company
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 10:42 AM

My Dad used to go spare about him singing 'Danny Boy'! Dad's unit in the Royal Norfolk Regiment had included an Irish guy who used to sing it (badly) when he was drunk. He couldn't stand the tune after that!
Mum used to join in with Slim to wind him up!

FC

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: kendall
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 08:04 AM

He's a national hero. Saved us from an invasion of hostile aliens he did!

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 10:31 PM

Oh, thanks for the reminder...I have a whole bunch of Slim on the PC. Playing some now!

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Beer
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 10:18 PM

One of my favorites.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Louie Roy
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 10:12 PM

Kendall PM me your address and I'll get one made and mailed Louie

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: kendall
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:13 PM

I'd like a cd, and would be glad to pay postage.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Louie Roy
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:06 PM

I have 33 tunes of Slim Whitman on my PC that I'd gladly share with anyone who wants them on an MP3 or I can make a CD of all of them and mail to anyone who wants to pay the postage

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 04:22 PM

Reading about Slim Whitman reminds me of my late Father and his 78s. "Rose Marie, "Indian Love Call", "China Doll" and others. I still have a couple of Whitman tracks on a home compilation of countrified tunes. "Let Me Call You Sweethheart" being my personal favourite.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: Ythanside
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 02:00 PM

Slim Whitman's recording of 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen' is one of my abiding memories of the summer of 1950. Great voice, great song.

Subject: RE: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: kendall
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:48 AM

Great voice. Too good for "Hog leg jive" (country).

Subject: Slim Whitman (memories)
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:42 AM

I just happened on Rose Marie by Slim Whitman whilst browsing YouTube and it reminded me that this was the very first record I bought in 1955 on a 78rpm.

I played it over and over 'til a neighbour (big burly guy) banged on the wall and shouted, is that the only bloody record you've got, I said Yes, and he went "Ape", but it was true.

Ahh, Sweet memories