A walk in the Black Forest

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Acorn4
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:35 AM

Slightly later than Floyd Cramer, most of whose hits were 1960/61 ish.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: MartinRyan
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:04 AM

See the start of thread - Horst Janckowski, 1965, apparently. My own guess would have been Floyd Kramer around the same era!

Regards

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Mo the caller
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:00 AM

Can anyone tell me when this was popular in the UK, and whose recording made the charts?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 04:49 AM

Ah, I see. Sorry Manfred, I now realise you were just quoting that because it indicates that AWITBF (or SWF!) was no. 1 in Australia, not particularly because Mr Law had any great significance to this discussion otherwise.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 02:12 PM

Scrump - He's a user of wikipedia. Quite a normal person, I believe. I wasn't interested in him (sorry,Alex)but in his statement concerning AWITBF.

By feeding into the computer Australia+A-walk-in-the-black-forest+Alex-Law
you will find his statement.

In the meantime I could veryfy # 1 position in Australia.

Maybe a Mudcatter from the States will remember in which show/programme this tune was used in 1973 or 1974. This might be the missing link.

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 12:24 PM

Who's Alex Law, Manfred? I had a quick Google, but there seem to be loads of them.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 12:15 PM

Found this interesting note (wikipedia):

"Alex Law was born in 1965, at a time when "A Walk in the Black Forest" was the top of the charts in Australia."

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 09:09 AM

Scrump + Foolestroupe - Thanks for your replies!

Foolestroupe - Do you remember the year? Was it done by Horst Jankowski or did somebody else make a cover version?
What factor(s) have been influencial in becoming a big hit in Australia?

A lot of questions, indeed. And it's long, long ago...

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 07:53 AM

Hi Manfred - sorry for the delay in replying.

I should think you're right about the sequence - it seems logical.

It seems odd it should be a minor hit in the US, and then find its way back to Europe and become a bigger hit here (the UK) and the continent, but stranger things have happened in pop music!

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 05:06 AM

It was quite a big hit here in Australia too.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 02:36 PM

Scrump -

yes it was. Couldn't find info about top ranking in 1965 but in year end charts of Billboard resp. Cashbox AWITBF reached rank # 47 resp. 46.
The sequence of succsess might have been like this:

- tune written for a radio show (TV?) in 1961 or 1962.
- used in an american TV-show in 1964 or 1965
- became a hit in US first, followed by UK and other countries in 1965.

This might have been the sequence. What do you think about it, Scrump?

And which american Mudcatters do remember? Any idea for which TV-show this tune was used for? Hi friends, we do need your help, to understand the rest of this story!

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 11:58 AM

Laurie Johnson wrote the theme to "Animal Magic". It was called "Las Vegas" and I can see why it might be mistaken for WITBF if you haven't heard either tune for ages although they're very dissimilar.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 11:32 AM

I only just saw this, Manfred. Was WITBF a hit in the USA?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 02:20 PM

Sorry for coming back so soon, but my last reply to this thread has to be completed resp. modified because of a discussion amongst Mudcatters in 2001 (see: Walk in The Black Forest UK TV Theme?). Here it comes:

"Dear Peter,
With reference to your question as to whether Horst Jankowski's "A Walk in the Black Forest" was ever used as a theme tune by the BBC, I very much doubt this, based on the following relevant information, that I have taken directly from an interview which Horst gave to WDR, a radio station in Germany.

" I had originally written that tune as "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" in 1961 for a radio show. It was a travel programme and I recorded a couple of tracks about famous places like, Paris, the Alps and that kind of thing. "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" was about a beautiful trip through Germany's Black Forest. It became successful in America first, in 1964, three years after I had recorded it. The whole story is a very unfortunate part of my career. In the sixties American producers were coming to Europe to buy music for TV shows."

"This was much cheaper for them than producing it at home since here they didn't have to pay musicians and the union. I sold them four tracks from the radio programme, including "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" and they paid me 125, - Deutschmarks, which seemed OK at the time. I signed a piece of paper and started work on something else. We musicians were pretty stupid back then. Not long after that, my song was used in an American TV show, and became a huge hit there under the title " A Walk in the Black Forest". It was only then that I realised what exactly I had signed. I wouldn't get any royalties, all rights were owned by an American company. It took me seven years, several lawyers, and lots of money to get the rights back. After seven years, of course, the song was no longer a hit and didn't even make back the money I had spent on the lawsuit. Although I went on to sell lots of albums, I didn't make a penny from "Black Forest!"

So, there we are then Peter, there is no mention of England or the BBC. On the contrary it would seem that "A Walk in the Black Forest" was in fact used for an American TV show!!

I hope that this information helps to answer your question.
br> yours sincerely,
br> Phil. (Kent).

I Also did a Google search, and found a reference at Guardian On Line, where someone suggested that it was used for Desmond Morris' "Animal Magic" programme. However, Animal Magic started in 1962, 3 years before "A Walk In The Black Forest" became a hit in August 1965, and was hosted by Johnny Morris, not Desmond Morris, so I'd have to qualify that source as unreliable.
Warm regards Peter".

Many thanks to Peter and Kent for this information,

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 01:17 PM

To Alec and Flash Company - (and all other participants)

I found out that "A Walk in the Black Forest" was composed by Horst in 1962 i.e. 3 years before becoming a hit!

Another information says that this melody was composed by Horst at the beginning of the 60' for promotional purposes (commercial/advertising movie). Although the special kind of this campaign is not stated it appears that Alec's memory serves him extremely well. And your's too, FC.

Here comes the corresponding note in german (source:www.jazzecho.de):
"Für einen Werbefilm komponierte Jankowski zu Beginn der 60er Jahre den Ohrwurm "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt", der in kürzester Zeit - und zur allgemeinen Überraschung - zum internationalen Instrumental-Hit wurde und Jankowski weltweit Bekanntheit verschaffte."

Last but not least,for those interested in the german lyrics of AWITBF I can offer this example without knowing when and by whom it was written:

Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt


Am Feldberg und am Titisee,
wo dunkle Tannen steh'n,
da ist es schön,
da ist es schön.

Im Höllental, auf Bühlerhöh',
bei Hirschen und bei Reh'n,
da ist es schön,
da ist es schön.                 

Hast du das schöne Land geseh'n,
wo Schwarzwaldhäuschen steh'n,
kehrst du zurück,
kehrst du zurück.

Denn so ein kleines Schwarzwaldhaus,
das suchen wir uns aus
für unser Glück,
für unser Glück.

Refrain:
Einsam sind viele Wege in diesem Land,
gemeinsam woll'n wir sie gehen Hand in Hand.
Bei Regen, Sonne oder Schnee,
im Tal und auf den Höh'n,
da ist es schön,so wunderschön.
Komm mit mir,ich zeig es dir!

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 10:31 AM

Maybe it would be interesting to write our own lyrics to well known instrumental tunes (classical, pop, folk, or any genre). Any takers? Maybe a new thread for this?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Flash Company
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 10:28 AM

I was going to mention the Lager ad when I had got through reading this lot, but someone just beat me to it!
The habit of putting lyrics to instrumentals had quite a vogue in the '50s, I still wince to recall some of them!

FC

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 08:11 AM

Any thread mentioning Herb Alpert, the Tijuana Ass, is subject to closure at any time. Be advised to use care in any discussions in this regard.

Spaw

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 07:38 AM

Blimey, I don't even remember the lager. I remember the car though :-)

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Alec
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 06:48 AM

From memory the lyric went "Come on and get your tankards filled it's the start of a new age,the Alpine age."
Problem is I do remember the ad though I was only 3 in 1965.
As an aside the advert heavily implied that this was a German product though a Scroogle search shows that Alpine is a Canadian Lager.
It might help if we could find out how long this advertising campaign lasted.
Does anybody else remember it?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 05:40 AM

Good question Alec. I don't remember the ad myself, but there was a thread about advertising jingles around recently - might be worth posting a query in that, if you can find it?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Alec
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 03:40 AM

The Guinness Book of British hit singles lists "A Walk in the Black Forest" as having entered the Charts on the 29th July 1965.It peaked at Number 3 and had a chart run of 18 weeks.
I have a vague memory of it being used as the jingle in a beer advert on British TV.May this have been what brought it into the public's awareness in the U.K.? Or did the Ad. come later?

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 03:28 AM

Thanks for the Herr Kutt joke, Manfred :-)

Not sure what else there is to say about "Walk In The Black Forest" though. A bouncy and catchy little tune, well arranged, orchestrated and performed. But still perhaps a mystery as to how it became successful in the UK, given that Jankowski was (AFAIR) pretty much unknown here prior to that hit. Somebody must have latched onto it, but I don't know who.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 12:59 PM

Dear Scrump + dear Roughyed,

what about the german word Lustfahrt????

That's it. But now coming back to "A walk in the Black Forest" if people do agree to,

Manfred

But nevertheless, this short excursion could be a suitable topic for a new thread because even germans do have a lot of humour.
Therefore, Scrump or Roughyed, please take action!!

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Roughyed
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 12:26 PM

Sorry Manfred it's my very childish sense of humour that finds the word 'fart' funny. It means passing wind in English. My grandchildren found it very funny travelling down the autobahn a couple of years ago when every exit is of course marked 'Ausfahrt' but they and I loved Germany.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 12:05 PM

Scrump - Yeah a Furz is meant. What's bad about this? Remembers me of a similar story concerning enlish meanings of german words I did read in the NME 40 years ago (last page called Alley Cat). It goes like this: In London, a british singer went to his german hair dresser whose name was Kutt. So he went to Herr Kutt. :-()

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 11:44 AM

Sorry Manfred - it's the "fahrt" (which I know has several meanings in German, in this case "walk"). My feeble attempt at humour was based on the similarity to the English word "fart". I don't know how that translates into German - if you need a translation, I'm sure someone here can provide one. A translation, I mean. :-)

I suspect though, that my "joke" might have turned out to be true - "many a true word is spoken in jest", as we say here (sometimes!)

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 11:07 AM

Scrump - Really? Even 20 years after WWII? Can't believe this.
But I'm thinking you're joking because of this: :-) = british humour.

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 05:35 AM

I think I would have liked the Jankowski record a lot more if I had know it was called Schwarzwaldenfahrt

In those days, the BBC would have banned any announcer from mentioning the German title :-)

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Roughyed
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:22 PM

My mother bought this single when I was a young teenager. I don't remember any specially heavy airplay of events at the time to explain it's success. It was just a nice bouncy tune that people seemed to connect with. It's very memorable - I haven't heard it since but I have a very clear memory of the arrangement etc.

There were a lot of instrumentals around in the 60's as pointed out above and the nationality of the band mattered a lot less than where there were vocals. Anyone remember Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66? I seem to remember trying to play Baby Elephant Walk on my first guitar - just because I had the sheet music.

I think I would have liked the Jankowski record a lot more if I had know it was called Schwarzwaldenfahrt!

I still have an old Amon Duul record kicking around from the early seventies but the Can records have gone west - very avant garde!

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 09:17 AM

I heard that - pardon? :-)

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Greg B
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:33 PM

By the way, that was also before anyone had the good sense to
wear headsets in small airplanes, so the music had to be LOUD to
overcome 260 horses of six-cylinder Lycoming at full chat in a cabin
with no sound insulation.

It's a wonder any of us have any hearing left.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Greg B
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:32 PM

A while ago I saw some old family home movies which had the
traveling music playing on, of all things, one of those super compact
record players (this was before cassettes) wedged between the
front seats of the Comanche. No doubt it was TJB.

The invention of the cassette was a real god-send :-)

Didn't skip on every bit of turbulence.

I'm not sure how the whole affair was secured--- I think it
was probably on top of the pilot/owner's Jeppesen case. There's
not a lot of spare room in a Comanche for a 12-inch record, even
if the player is smaller than that.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:20 PM

Ooerr, a lot of closet fans of Herb Alpert and the TJB here - who'da though it? :-)

I have some of their old albums too - maybe I should put 'em onto CDs sometime.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:15 PM

Wonderful statement, Partridge !

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Partridge
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 02:07 PM

This was my mothers favourite tune, she used to play invisible piano whenever it came on the radio. It has such happy memories for me.

Pat x

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 02:02 PM

Well,Scrump, that's best of british humour. And I like it!! And try to come near to it.
I have had the luck watching the Beatles in Hamburg's Star-Club in 1962 or 1963. Quite a normal band at this time compared to other great artists performing in this club like e.g.Jerry Lee Lewis, Donovan or Emile Ford to which I could listen to.

"pop songs based on non-classical instrumentals" - Would be nice. If you are short in time, take some examples only from this thread to stimulate discussion.

Alec - "The witch", yeah I do remember this song. The Rattles are still active in behalf of special events. A good friend of mine went to school with Reinhard "Dicky" Tarrach who's still playing on the drums.

Greg B - Due to your contribution I just picked out my longplayer "Portrait of Herb Alpert" from 1973 and listen to it. Seems so that on this record he makes a trip through musical history...oops, isn't this a marimba on "Brasilia"? It is.. Other titles to listen to: Monday, Monday, Never on Sunday, Ob La Di, Ob La Da, With a Little Help from My Friends, Third Man Theme, Catch a falling Star, Moon river aso,aso.
Great double-longplayer!
My proposal, Greg: do start a (new?) marimba thread. Could be of some interest,

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Greg B
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 12:36 PM

Yep, Leadbelly--- after you hear the TJB play it, everything else
pales.

Very much the same way they did 'A Taste of Honey.'

Good work on the marimba, too.

I'm still a TJB (and Baja Marimba Band) fan. Just happy, fun
music--- Jimmy Buffet kind of fulfills the same role today.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Alec
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 12:10 PM

The Rattles had a top 10 hit in the U.K. in October 1970 with a song entitled "The Witch".

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 11:42 AM

Scrump - do you remember their name (because originally I'm coming from Hamburg)? Do you think of The Rattles, our german "Beatles" in the 60'? Please try to remmber.

Sorry Manfed, I was jokingly referring to the Beatles themselves and their stints in Hamburg (hence the smiley :-)). I do remember the Rattles too though, and I think I have one of the records somewhere (a 45 but I can't remember the title offhand).

"pop songs based on non-classical instrumentals": Maybe thats a good idea to open a new thread. But one should have a look on what we found out so far to make a short synopsis/ summary. This could be a good basis to start this thread/topic. Would you please like to make this short summary of results/outcomes, Scrump? (because your english is much more better than my german english)

OK, a bit busy at the moment but if no-one else has done it soon I'll do it.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 10:37 AM

Greg B - I'm sure this melody was perfect for Herb. Although not knowing about his version by closing my eyes I can hear it.

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Greg B
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 10:01 AM

Herb Alpert and his Tijuna Brass did a pretty nice version of
'Walk in the Black Forest.' Really showed off Alpert's horn
playing.

I THINK it was on the 'Going Places' LP.

I remember it as part of the 'sound track' of my childhood
bouncing around California in a Piper Comanche aeroplane.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 09:50 AM

Bubblyrat - " Borrowing from Classical Composers " Good idea!I have had a look and it's fantastic what Mudcatters and others do remember resp. find out by googleing.

Alec - I didn't know that Nicole and Nena made in the 80'. Both have had their biggest hits in Germany with these songs: Nicole with "Ein bisschen Frieden" (reached No. 1 in European Song Contest) and Nena with "99 Luftballons". It seems so that english translations come very close to german lyrics. And concerning the Scorpions from Hannover: they are well-known and accepted all over the world for a long time. By the way, they are friends to former chancellor Schröder.

Scrump - do you remember their name (because originally I'm coming from Hamburg)? Do you think of The Rattles, our german "Beatles" in the 60'? Please try to remmber.
"pop songs based on non-classical instrumentals": Maybe thats a good idea to open a new thread. But one should have a look on what we found out so far to make a short synopsis/ summary. This could be a good basis to start this thread/topic. Would you please like to make this short summary of results/outcomes, Scrump? (because your english is much more better than my german english)

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:19 AM

Now that bubblyrat has hived off the classical bits to another thread (to which I just contributed by the way!), I guess we could continue the "pop songs based on non-classical instrumentals" here, or should that be another thread too? What do you think Leadbelly/Manfred?

Meanwhile, I wass going to say, of course there are plenty of instrumental versions of pop songs that preceded them, but I guess these aren't worth mentioning, because there are too many for them to be of interest. There are whole albums of 'easy listening' stuff which consist of instrumental versions of pop songs, by orchestras, people playing the Wurlitzer or Hammond organ, brass bands, etc., etc.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:12 AM

I seem to remember a little known group who became popular in Hamburg, later having a few hits in the UK :-)

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Alec
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:09 AM

Manfred asked earlier about the chart successes of German artists in the U.K.
Nichole had a number 1 hit with "A Little Peace" in 1982.
Nena also did in 1984 with "99 Red Balloons".
Whilst they were never hugely succesful here,The Scorpions had a lot of minor hits over a period of 12 years.
12 years is a long time for a chart career to endure in the U.K.

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: bubblyrat
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 05:59 AM

MANFRED ---ET AL !! I have started a new thread--" Borrowing from Classical Composers " , and already there has been a lot of response !! Take a look !

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 05:14 AM

I assume the Bachelors' Charmaine was a vocal version of the Mantovani instrumental? They also had a bigger UK hit with "Diane", another vocal version of a Mantovani tune.

(Not sure whether I should enquire any further into your story about Finbarr Furey above! :-))

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 03:19 PM

Scrump - Don't know the song in question by the Fury brothers, but this reminds me of an event in 1973- I believe - when I lived in Ingelheim near Mainz/Frankfurt for a couple of years. A colleague of mine took Finbar to Ingelheim for to sleep and over a period of time he noticed him sitting on the back seat together with a groupie. Hew hardly was able to concentrate on the normal traffic.

Manfred

Subject: RE: A walk in the Black Forest
From: Leadbelly
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 02:48 PM

Bubblyrat - Indeed, "No other love have I" was adapted from "Beneath the southern cross" from Richard Rodgers TV score "Victoria by the sea".
"Stranger in Paradise" is a theme from the "Polovtian Dances" by Alexander Borodin.
Other examples (classical composers): "The world outside" (by "The Four Aces)is based on Richard Addinsell's "Warsaw Concerto". "Till the end of time" by Jerry Vale was taken from Chopin's Heroic Polonaise.

And here are a lot of other (non-classical) vocal remakes of instrumentals :

Because you're young - James Darren

Moonlight Serenade - Vaughn Monroe

Raunchy - Webb Pierce

Charmaine - The Bachelors

Take Five - Sarah Vaughn

In the Mood - Andrew Sisters

Washington Square - Ames Brothers

Apache - Sonny James

The Harry Lime Theme - Donald Peers

To be honest, I must confess that most of this wasn't what I did remember. Many thanks to the internet.

Manfred