Searching for song 'River, river'

Subject: ADD: River, River (Oakland & Russell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 15 - 05:02 PM

Since we were founded as a lyrics site, we oughta have lyrics:

RIVER RIVER
(Ben Oakland and Bob Russell, as recorded by Peggy Lee)

River, river, what did you murmur to my lover?
Restless river, he followed you out to sea.
Mountain, mountain, where is the echo of my lover?
Mountain, river, O why won't you answer me?
    Where there once were sounds of laughter,
    It's as silent as a tear;
    There was always music after
    He was here.

Misty morning, why do you hide me from my lover?
River, river, O please bring him back to me.
    Was he restless as the river?
    Was he eager to be gone?
    Still my love is like a river
    And goes on.

Misty morning, why do you hide me from my lover?
River, river, O please bring him back to me.


Can't say the lyrics are profound, but Peggy Lee certainly made a wonderful recording of it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1li7BzRYw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qdF64M276Q

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 30 May 15 - 09:06 AM

Weasel
Me too just now. :-)

I think I must have given up and then typed in
"river river" last.fm

"river river" discogs.com finds some tracks too. It might be worth looking there for that other version.

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Weasel
Date: 30 May 15 - 06:58 AM

Yes, that's it - thank you. It's a somewhat different version from the one I heard but at least I now know what the song is.

Incidentally, I have just done another google on the title and absolutely nothing relevant came up. Curious.

Thanks again!

Weasel

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 15 - 09:21 PM

Good job, Freddy!

Damn! I shoulda known that. I have a huge collection of Peggy Lee recordings, and that's one of her best-known songs. It must be here somewhere - not that I can find it. Using Spotify certainly beats looking through my CD collection. The song was written by Ben Oakland and Bob Russell and recorded by Peggy Lee on the Decca label, sometime between 1952 and 1954. It's on Peggy Lee's Black Coffee and Other Delights collection, which has most of her best stuff - but not "Fever" (she recorded "Fever" on Capitol).

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 15 - 09:21 PM

You nailed it, FreddyHeadey. Grrrrrrrreat.

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 29 May 15 - 09:04 PM

I must have had a lucky google...www.last.fm/music/Peggy+Lee/_/River+River

There is a link for YouTube and Spotify there.
In the shout boxes see a link to a slightly different YouTube version I think.

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Weasel
Date: 29 May 15 - 08:28 PM

It was a female singer with a very small group accompanying. They did a set of about six numbers interspersed with another group who played dixieland.

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 15 - 08:26 PM

Or even avant-garde?

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 15 - 08:24 PM

It's distinctive and just I'm thinking a bit avant-guarde for the time when ever it was. I'm gonna listen to some 1930s-1940s female singers. Might be easier to look for the voice on this one.

Weasel, good job on the melody, especially for a long-ago (?) memory. Do you recall in a general sense if the voices you heard were all or mostly female?

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Weasel
Date: 29 May 15 - 08:16 PM

Yes, I have a feeling that it's a very well known song but I can't find any mention of it under that title.

Cheers,

Weasel

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 15 - 08:03 PM

I'm thinking this is an easy-listening song I heard a million times when I was a kid, when my dad had control of the radio station choices.

I KNOW I should know this one, but it's not coming to me. Nice job on the music arrangement, Weasel.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Weasel
Date: 29 May 15 - 07:21 PM

No, it's definitely not the Emeli Sande one.

Here's a link to a soundfile (as near as I can remember it.

River River

Cheers,

Weasel

Subject: RE: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 15 - 06:51 PM

Emeli Sande by any chance?

Is there anything else you recall about the song? A better date? Country you were in? Anything?

Subject: Searching for song 'River, river'
From: Weasel
Date: 29 May 15 - 06:25 PM

Years ago I heard a song (not a folksong) on telly whose title I do not know but the lyrics went something like, "River, river.......of my lover .........followed him to sea" It was a jazz type group singing it.

I have googled every combination of these words and found absolutely nothing.

A long shot, but can anybody identify it from this please?

Cheers,

Weasel